New Life (The Survivors Book Twenty-Four) by Nathan Hystad

Author:Nathan Hystad [Hystad, Nathan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Woodbridge Press
Published: 2025-02-10T00:00:00+00:00

SEVENTEEN

Jules and Star watched the lake as the sun rose. She was growing accustomed to the local wildlife on New Haven. Every planet they occupied had its own unique ecosystem, and she rarely spent any time reflecting on that fact. The Academy taught classes on this very subject, and Jules had aced every test, but she’d studied to memorize facts. The moment she finished the subject, she’d put her energy toward the next class.

Currently, with the ability to detach from missions and training, Jules understood life with greater clarity. Having Star offered her a peace she’d never experienced before, particularity now that her powers had been sealed away at Traro Prison. Dean was due back that morning after escorting the bracelet to the prison world. Only Dean or Jules would be able to access the bracelet, meaning Star’s powers wouldn’t fall into the wrong hands. They left no record of its arrival on Traro, and Zarin assured her any video feed of Dean would be discreetly erased. As far as anyone was concerned, Dean hadn’t even visited Traro.

Star made soft noises, and the sound comforted Jules to no end. “What will you be when you grow up?”

Star lifted an arm and pointed at a bird lazily floating in the lake.

“A bird?”

The baby giggled. She could barely hold her own head up, and yet she seemed to have a personality.

Jules hadn’t considered what she’d have to leave behind since becoming a wife and mother. Her freedom to vanish into the night and fend off enemy forces was gone, replaced with a more personal duty. Holding Star made it all come true, and Jules wouldn’t trade it for any of their worlds.

Mind if I join you?

Jules gazed at the pathway, finding Kellon with a thermos and two collapsable cups. “Please do.”

Kellon sported a brown tweed blazer, and Jules guessed he’d used the Academy’s robotic clothing manufacturing facility to make it. They utilized local materials to design the Alliance Academy uniforms and had begun branching out to other styles.

Kellon hopped to the bench with youthful vigor, and it made Jules wish she’d gotten to meet Regnig when he was so young and vibrant.

He poured her a serving and closed the thermos after giving himself one, then sat in silence while the birds chirped around the pond.

“I like it here,” she eventually said.

There’s a lake near my home on Banod that is similar. I often sit and think.

“Is anything better?” Jules asked.

Thinking is the lynchpin of everything. Without careful thought, decisions are made for us, not by us. That is not my path, and surely not yours. Kellon looked at Star. Or hers.

“Karo’s coming this morning with my mom.”

That’s good news.

“Perhaps. Now that Papa admitted hiding information from me, I’m questioning everything. Maybe he was right to keep it secret. I don’t really buy into this millennia-old prophecy about me or my daughter, do you?”

There isn’t enough information to offer a valid conclusion.

“Spoken like a true Toquil,” she said with a smile. “Will you help me figure this out?”

It would be my honor.

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.