The Sentinel by Eden Winters

Author:Eden Winters
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub, pdf
Tags: M/M Romance
Publisher: M/M Romance Group
Published: 2013-06-27T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FIVE

“Where is the ship that brought you?” Stone asked as he bounced his daughter on his knee. More and more visions of a wrathful Federation plagued his mind. He must act and protect the new joy he’d found. The cryoship that had made parents of nearly every joined pair in the village was merely a class-one drone vessel, not possessing the type of equipment required to ensure the planet’s safety. Drastic measures were necessary. Never would Stone’s colonel… his “Connell” or young Pearl be subject to an uncaring government’s whims.

“I arrived by Federation transport,” Connell replied. “It left after I disembarked.”

“Is there a ship here? From before?”

“The Federation disabled it so the original colonists couldn’t leave and renege on their duty agreements.”

Considering the age, some parts might be worn or missing, but Stone doubted the Federation would hold much interest in the supplies he needed. “Does it remain, still?”

“Yes. Not far from here.”

“Take me there.”

Stone donned his full gear and hissed when the million tiny pinpricks entered his body, connecting him to his suit. Whereas once he’d felt naked without his armor, now the weight pressed down. Had he always seemed so awkward? And even with the peripheral reading telling him their temperature, general health, and their emotion when he touched Connell or Pearl with his mitts, he preferred what his fingertips revealed. The softness of their hair, the warmth of their skin, the bumps that rose when Stone ran a finger up Connell’s neck. Without the armor he could pretend he was just a man, as any other in the village— until his needs drew him back to his suit. While Connell’s cooking might sustain him for a time, he’d been altered too much to return completely to flesh.

He sighed. With all the circuitry throughout his body, and with the special nutrients fed to him by his gear, unless subjected to extreme battle conditions, Stone would exist long after Connell and Pearl departed the world. A heavy weight tugged at his heart. Having only just found family, giving them up was unconscionable. Enough of that later, first to keep them safe.

The ship had seen better days, and obviously hadn’t been touched much since landing. Stone foraged through the narrow corridors until coming to the main flight deck. The beacon, that’s what he needed, and the proximity warning to alert him to the arrival of ships in orbit.

He passed Pearl to Connell and hoisted his newfound treasures. “Take me to the highest peak.”

The rest of the afternoon was spent arranging and testing the old equipment. He retrofitted solar panels for power, an abundant resource on a planet with plenty of sun to spare.

“What are you doing?” Connell asked.

“This,” Stone held up a silver cylinder nearly his own height and plunged the end into the ground, “is a warning beacon. Any approaching ships will sound the alarm.” He thanked the heavens for his translator hood, for he still hadn’t mastered all the inflections of local language.

“And that?” Connell pointed at a square, boxy device.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.