Shadows of the Son: Infinite Spark, #3

By E. L. Strife

Sergeant Bennett's visions and fiery outbursts are getting stronger: a result of a power he's only beginning to comprehend. The Universal Protectors need ships and a plan to defend Earth from approaching Suanoan Empire warships in under a week. Semilath Agutra's survivors remain stuck in helpless orbit. More Earthlings unskin every day, exposing alien ancestry long hidden beneath the human face. When the trustworthy turn treasonous and a new threat emerges on the horizon, Sergeant Bennett discovers he's the only one with the power to stop the destruction.

Only two descendants remain of the La'kian, the third original species. They are the last who possess the life-sparks capable of defeating the Suanoa. During a visit with his father, the Prospector, Bennett learns he was designed to protect them—the universe's most valuable assets.

Nothing is predictable. No one is reliable. And the Suanoan Empire won't hesitate to kill any who resist. Will Bennett accept his new charge in time to save Earth and the Origins? Or will the universe be forced to snuff out his light?

If you're a fan of blending magic and science, futuristic alien invasions, cyberpunk and biopunk themes, battle scenes, romance, and intensely developed character stories from a variety of cultures, this series is for you.

 

Infinite Spark

Book 0: Rise of the Blood Phoenix

Book 1: Stellar Fusion

Book 2: Requiem

Book 3: Shadows of the Son

Book 4: Red Shift

Book 5: Earth's Vengeance

• Language: English
• Publisher: E. L. Strife
• Release date: Dec 11, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215161777

Book preview

Shadows of the Son

Infinite Spark Series, Book 1

—A Universal War Novel—

E. L. Strife

elstrife.com

ISS 5 books 3d.jpg

Infinite Spark Series

0: Rise of the Blood Phoenix

1: Stellar Fusion

2: Requiem

3: Shadows of the Son

4: Red Shift

Shadows of the Son

Infinite Spark Series (Book 3)

Copyright © 2019 Elysia Lumen Strife

All Rights Reserved.

Cover Design: Amy Harwell

Thank you for purchasing an authorized version of this book and for complying with copyright laws by not scanning, reproducing, or distributing any part of it in any form without permission.

Shadows of the Son is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

In the beginning, there were three species:

La’kian, Prospector, and Suanoa.

They came to be known as Origins. Their powers were raw and unpredictable.

The next three species the universe created were known as Elites.

Cautious this time, the universe formed measured beings to balance the first.

These were: Mirramor, Orionates, and Primvera.

While the boundaries are hazy with some species claiming to be Elites,

These are the most commonly accepted.

UNIVERSAL PROTECTORS’ MILITARY

Jameson Bennett/B,Team Leader (Son of Prospector, Prospector-in-training)

Nakio Atana/Sahara,Independent Sergeant (Xahu’ré, Mirramor, Human, La’kian)

Remmi Tanner,Technical Integrations/Pilot (Unknown)

Steven Cutter,Munitions/Psychologist/Tanner's Field Guard (Ari)

Yalina Cera Josandizer/Josie,Sniper/Pilot (Kojaqx)

Josh Panton,Josie's Field Guard/Blunt Force (Human)

Rio,Serum Creator/Doctor/Prior Field Sergeant (Human)

Lavrion, Atana’s Brother/Healer(Mirramor, Human)

Porter,Munitions/Medically Reassigned (Human)

SEMILATH AGUTRA SHIP SURVIVORS

Azure,Lead Perimeter Guard of Agutra/Inducted Sergeant (Xahu’ré)

Paramor,Lead Healer of Workers (Orionate)

Amianna,Perimeter Guard/Propulsion Maintenance Worker (Primvera)

Imara,Azure’s 2nd in Command (Xahu’ré)

Kios, Boy Atana and Azure Rescued/Uniquely Gifted (Xahu’ré)

Teek,Tech Whiz/Azure’s Friend (Simmaro)

Ramura,Perimeter Guard (Xahu’ré)

Rimsan,Perimeter Guard/3rd in Command (Primvera)

Cutashk,Healer/Paramor's Friend (Mirramor)

Miush,Saema (Female Healer)/Paramor's Friend (Mirramor)

UNIVERSAL PROTECTORS’ COMMAND

Zembahki/Coordinator,UP's Speaker and Symbol to Earth (Xahu’ré)

Miskaht,Home Station’s Commander, Munitions (Mirramor)

Hyras,Pilot (Xahu’ré)

Krett,Pilot (Primvera)

Glato,Miskaht’s Guard, Unveils and Conceals Species Identities (Mirramor)

Balie,Pilot (Primvera)

Libesh,Field Soldier (Yvinna)

Nephma,Field Soldier (Kriit)

Gruégon,Pilot (Xahu’ré)

Klézia, Field Soldier (Xahu’ré)

Evami,Pilot (Xahu’ré)

Dequan,Sniper/Pilot (Kojaqx)

Terson,Sniper (Euli)

Ronux,Pilot (Xahu’ré)

Linas,Munitions (Human)

Jorjan,Security (Human)

Sergio, Field Soldier (Human)

Renae,Field Soldier (Human)

Vimno,Human Cataloging Psychologist (Simmaro)

Mavene,Pilot (Picree)

Omut,Field Sergeant (Dagganak)

PART I

─The Fall─

Prospector Sigil

Chapter 1: Bennett

BENNETT DIDN’T HAVE TIME to spare for the febrile nightmare unleashed upon him. Earth’s shepherds and Agutra’s survivors had less than a week to ready their forces for battle. He couldn’t believe the universe found purpose in initiating his transformation in the middle of their frantic preparations.

It was an accident, he rasped, his throat raw and parched. Bennett couldn’t help but stare at his blossoming orange reflection in the steel walls of Home Station. Flames licked off of his skin the way he imagined a fresh soul ignited in Hell. He stood before Atana, outside her bunkroom door, bare-ass naked, his clothes mere ash on skin. Atana, who feared nothing, who killed without remorse, had frozen in her doorway.

Bennett’s limbs were numb from fatigue, from the fire that started in his sleep. Blood thumped against his eardrums. Scents of burnt cotton and plastic invaded his thoughts. He’d made a desperate attempt at conjuring a shield, managing a pathetic swirl of gold around his hips. His skin tingled from a clash of heated power and cold dread.

No matter the strain of his mental search, he couldn’t recall what he’d dreamt. Still, the violent essence of the visions gnawed at his insides, shaking him with fear he couldn’t place.

Bennett surveyed Atana’s sharp blue eyes, praying she could solve his problem. He needed to return to his job designing operational warfare plans for the arrival of Kyra warships.

She tracked the flares as they danced up from his limbs, his chest, his head. Fading out across the ceiling. Crawling toward sprinklers. Her lips parted with a breath of alarm.

White hot spots peppered his vision. Bennett slid a step closer to her and away from the sprinklers. He didn’t want to cause a ruckus and break shepherds away from their duties, wasting more of their precious time.

Three Kyra warships loaded with hundreds of Linoan fighters advanced on the galaxy’s horizon with menacing force. War had broken out on Earth among the refugee species. And Semilath Agutra was paralyzed in orbit around the planet. UP’s shepherds struggled to keep the peace while readying ships to fend off legions of Suanoa. His metamorphosis could wait. The Kyras and fighters would not.

Atana’s mocha skin burnished with a protective, teal shield. Her hands hooked Bennett’s flaming wrists, and she tugged him into her room. Shower, now!

On any other given day, those words would’ve put a smile on his face.

Each step was heavier than the next as if illness had taken him hostage. She guided him past her bed to the tiny bathroom at the back. Wavy tendrils of her long mahogany hair drifted beside him. In his daze, he reached for them, longing for a gentle sensation to combat the searing ripples across his skin. But his hand was too slow and found only air.

Bennett had grown comfortable with the roiling heat in his chest, his bone and muscle, his intestines. Not the fire. It came and went as it pleased. He hated his helplessness, the lack of power over his body.

His heart felt like a runaway motor. Too much fuel. Too hot. Going to blow.

A flash of chrome crossed his blurry vision. Target acquired. Bennett stumbled toward the shower.

Atana’s cool hands braced his sides, encouraging him through the door. She was familiar with his transformation; she’d been with him for most of it. Still, in the citrine mirage, looking back at her now from inside the stall, Bennett noted the uncertainty in her probing eyes. What did you dream about?

Atana jerked her nose toward the shower, telekinetically lifting the handle. Frigid water burst across his neck and shoulders. He gasped and tensed from the shock. His fever eased.

A thin bubble of aqua light gathered around him: Atana’s Nova shield.

It— It was about Home. Bennett felt a tug on his left arm and looked to see melted metal and a warped screen dangling from his wrist. Damn it.

Atana squinted at him, her shield clouding with steam and the hissing of quenching forged gold. Home or Home Station?

His bleary vision cleared, and Atana had edges again. Wild awareness prickled his neck as flashes of bloodied waves suddenly came to mind—water and bodies and her hair. Lifting a shoulder in surrender was all he mustered. Bennett couldn’t tell her his deepest fears and instead found himself apologizing for being out of control, for needing her help, and for falling asleep instead of workinguntil he couldn’t count the words any longer.

Atana braced her arms against the frame of the shower, sagging with obvious exhaustion. Yet her voice was mellifluent and tender, not firm and apathetic like he was accustomed to. It’s okay, Jameson. Deep breaths. Try envisioning yourself alone in your bunk room.

The gray screen never worked. Bennett’s blaze continued to drink in the water. He wondered what the purpose was of igniting after a dream. What was the universe trying to do? Kill the only soldiers left to fight back? Break his will? Drive him mad?

Why does it seem like self-control is so easy for you? he asked.

Atana’s lips pursed. She looked away for a long moment. It’s a complicated mix of Suanoan torture and Sensei’s training. I’m numb and furious. It’s white noise and dubstep noise made from sounds of war. It takes a lot of time, pain, and blood. She paused, her gaze flitting up at his then darting away again, a timid smile accompanying a blush. Just learned what dubstep is from Tanner.

The change in her mood confused him. He nervously inspected his body. The ribbon shield he’d tried to manifest before she opened her door was patchy and on the edge of winking out. Embarrassment drew the heat from his body and thrust it into his face. Bennett spun, covered his backside, and cursed his condition. Don’t look!

I better get you new clothes. Command’s called a meeting in less than an hour. You can’t go running across the hallway. People will notice. And assume things they shouldn’t.

She sounded far too amused for Bennett’s comfort. Just glad no one was outside when I was on fire, he grumbled.

Her dolor hum in agreement made him close his eyes. Frustration boiled to the surface. This was all wrong. He was supposed to grow into a Prospector, an individual that protected and guided the beings of the universe, not someone who unintentionally and repeatedly destroyed things.

Prospectors, from what he could tell with his father, were human-phoenixes who doled out the universe’s ultimatums. They were powerful, precise. Not loose cannons like him.

How do I get into my room? he asked, tracing the dewy striations in the metal wall to keep his mind off of his exposure.

The blue glow of a wristband display lit up the steam clouds behind him. Everyone has a code. I’ll get it.

You and technology. Is there anything you can’t do? It was rhetorical in Bennett’s mind. He was certain she could do anything she set her mind to. It left him feeling incompetent in comparison.

Technology is emotionless. Code does not bend or warp. It does not play tricks on my mind like Suanoa or Command. It doesn’t judge me for my scars, my past, my demeanor, nothing. I can control it in every direction.

With a flick of her hand, Atana adjusted the showerhead further over Bennett’s back, dropped her bubble shield, and left.

He slumped against the wall, felt the metal give with his heat, and straightened himself again. Bennett ran his fingers over the dents from his shoulders and caught the reflection of his eyes in the steel—a pair of mini suns.

Home was Home Station and all the shepherds within. Home was his house over Ocean Base Thirty-three. It was anywhere his team was. It was with Atana. On Agutra. Here.

He wished he could forget his dream completely. It accomplished nothing. Bennett knew he needed to control the outbursts, or he wouldn’t be able to stay on Home Station much longer.

Rinsing his hands, he put out the last flames. The ash of his clothes ran in gray streams down his legs to dirty the draining water.Sleep was fitful torture. He couldn’t eat. Yet despite his lack of rest and food, the energy within him grew.

Bennett dunked his head in the pouring water and scrubbed his trembling fingers through his hair. Despite every tactical plan he lined out, his confidence Earth and Agutra would survive diminished. Bennett felt like sweating dynamite—one wrong move and he’d blow.

And everyone’s fate weighed on him.

Chapter 2: Bennett

A HULKING SHADOW blocked the light seeping in from Atana’s front door. Bennett quietly steadied himself in the shower.

Nakio? a deep voice rumbled. Sahara?

Only one man called to Atana through Ether by her childhood name.

Bennett arrested a groan and held his ground.

Azure had to duck as he stepped inside in the bathroom, little Kios clutched against his side. Azure’s charcoal hair stood in stiff tufts. Grease tarnished his hands. The slate blue maintenance jumpsuit he wore hid most of his navy stripes but not the colorless gray skin of Xahu’ré or the numerous scars on his hardened face.

Following the trail of ash and charred bits of clothing to Bennett, Azure glared daggers at him. If it hadn’t been for the concern that always shone in Kios’s midnight eyes, Bennett could’ve been fooled into thinking the boy was Azure’s.

Azure snorted in disapproval.

Blood thundered through Bennett’s veins. How are the collector control modules coming along? He hoped to steer the conversation away from the awkward tension brewing between them. The merge of Agutra and Earth had been relatively smooth thanks to Azure and his knowledge of Suanoan technology, his ability to translate, and because he was the head representative for Semilath Agutra. But negotiations were still in progress, relations new and fragile.

Azure didn’t move except for the disgusted curl of his upper lip. Where is she?

Bennett’s shoulder blades shuddered under a dull ache that reminded him of growing pains as a child. He hung his hands from the top rail of the shower frame, stretching away from the sensation. She’s—

Azure, what are you doing here? Atana slid into the bathroom, set a stack of clothes on the counter, and then ushered Azure and Kios into the bedroom.

Bennett listened to their muffled voices through the closed door. Hers was calm and steady, Azure’s curt and low.

Shutting off the water, Bennett reached for a towel. His skin dried before he could touch it. He looked to the folded stack of clothes his co-shepherd had placed on the counter, guilt stirring itself into the acid soup of his stomach. She always helped others, sacrificing herself. He’d finally found someone more dedicated than him.

Changing into the fresh uniform, Bennett timidly joined his co-shepherds in the bunkroom.

Azure sliced Bennett up and down with his eyes before stalking out the door.

Bennett studied the loosened strands from Atana’s ponytail. Her lips were swollen and glossy. Her neck flushed with light. Spikes of anger ripped through Bennett’s chest. Azure had been rough with her.

Can we talk? he asked.

She hung her head, keeping her face out of his sight and sat on her pristine bed. Uh, yeah.

The lethargic manner in which she moved when she wasn’t working made it look like she was in constant pain. Bennett couldn’t understand why she tolerated such behavior when she liked control. No matter of guns blazing, ridiculous orders from Command, or life-threatening situations could break her until it came to emotions. She kept putting them away, and Azure kept dragging them back out.

Bennett leaned against the wall examining the slump in her posture. She didn’t look ready to talk about Azure.

"Did my father, the Prospector, say anything to you that might be helpful with this?" Bennett lifted a hand, his veins still laced with gold.

Oh. She shifted over on the bed and patted the cushion.

Bennett walked to her side but stopped. A mask of apathy slipped over her scarred cheeks. He knew better, remembered the stories, and regretted asking more of her. Her body was littered with glossy marks that screamed of deep pain. I changed my mind. I’m sorry to keep—

Sit. Please.

He did.

Her warm fingers braced the sides of his cheeks as if he might slip away. She closed her eyes. Atana hid something today. Something that broke her inside.

Your father asked me to help you, said we were your family. Azure too. She let go and turned away, her words falling to the floor. The rest was us arguing over my role. I didn’t think I was—ready to help.

Bennett chuckled at the thought. Why does it not surprise me that you’d argue with the Prospector of the universe?

Her cheeks lifted for a single, visible moment.

I dislike how rough Azure is, he admitted, grazing a thumb over her reddened chin.

Atana’s eyelids hung low. He was caged on Agutras for thirteen years longer than I was.

You’re letting him, because of pity? Bennett lowered his hand. I want to see the fury in your eyes. It disappears when he’s around.

Too many people need answers I don’t have yet. She fingered the tip of an inked feather peeking out from the sleeve of his T-shirt. Heat crawled up his shoulder beneath the flaming wings tattooed across his upper back. Her hands, practiced with guns and blades and breaking bone, touched him with frightening delicacy.

Atana withdrew to pick at the rusty grime in her cuticles, freeing a metal sliver. Sometimes, I follow you in your dreams.

He grabbed her wrist, gentle but firm, releasing a breath through his nose. His eyes hung on hers. More than just the night of my transformation?

She nodded slowly.

But you didn’t see this last one? he asked, figuring he knew the answer.

No.

Bennett slumped forward, resting his elbows on his knees and burying his face in his hands. Why can’t I remember? He couldn’t understand how Atana focused after her metamorphosis. She’d lost her memories—the first half of her life—but he was the volatile liability.

I was telepathic before I was an amnesiac, she reminded him.

Running his hands down his face in exasperation, Bennett planted his chin on them and stared at the oval shape of her door, like every bunk door on Home Station. She listened to everything. And the only dream he could remember was the one involving her. I think the universe is trying to talk to me at night.

His mind shuddered and clung to the pitch of his words like a tuning fork ringing amongst a sharp ensemble. The racket shook thought from his grasp. Spots spread across his vision until light faded completely. He felt himself falling, the sensation of his body fluttering away.

Quiescent crackling reminiscent of a distant campfire eased into Bennett’s ears. He turned on instinct, finding infinite black stretching around him, above, and below. Galaxies and nebula burst to life in effulgent spectrums, some clusters brighter, others dim and dying. Glyphs of gathered light hovered in the air between him and the stars.

Brushing a hand through a violet symbol sent it dispersing and recollecting like beads of oil on water. Flares of pain tapped his shoulder blades. Bennett squirmed.

Jameson? Someone grabbed his shoulders with force.

He gasped awake to find his head resting in the nook of Atana’s neck. Her arms laced around his body. His shoulder, nestled in her plush chest, felt delightfully warm. Her teal shield sputtered out over the surface of their uniforms.

Protective measure. Just in case. Her voice was soft and low, her grasp comforting. You’ve been out for thirty minutes.

Thirty— Bennett groaned and shivered beneath a fever. I should go. I think I’m getting sick. I’m hallucinating, at least.

Sitting up, he rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

Remember anything? Her fingers slid around his back, massaging the muscle.

Stars. The night sky. And floating symbols.

She worked for several minutes on his shoulders. I do not sense illness. You’re just tense.

Bennett struggled to breathe through the high of fading pain and the blaze of nervousness. Atana was touching him in ways Command prohibited. He had to stop her before he lost all control. Bennett, too flustered to speak, grasped her hands, stopping them with a squeeze.

Her warm breath fell down the side of his neck. Next time, tell me outright. I can help. Sensei taught me.

Bennett became acutely aware of how close they were. He prayed Azure wouldn’t barge in. He didn’t want to start another war that he didn’t know how to fight.

When she sat back at his side on the edge of the bed, every texture visible to Bennett liquefied into translucent layers. What he saw beneath Atana’s skin wasn’t bone or muscle. Webs of light crawled through her veins, her heart, her brain, all brightening as they linked up near the orb in the center of her chest.

Leaping up from his seat, Bennett paced, trying to shake the image from his head. Definitely sick. Physical or mental is the question. But Paramor had said he was supposed to guide the life-sparks of the universe. Bennett knew Atana’s spark was something unique. But seeing it was—disturbing.

He ached to be normal, wondered what it would be like to feel without restraint, to pull Atana against him in a world not ravaged by hatred. To know what she dreamt of at night.

Forcing out a breath at his derailment, Bennett set his jaw and snatched his leather jacket from the bathroom counter, wanting to find a private spot to collect himself before the meeting. "Thank you for saving me again. You’ve taken the pain away."

For the moment.

He grabbed the door handle, but it wasn’t in him to leave her like this. She’d buried a burden as he had. He twisted to look back at her. We have Command’s shit’s-hit-the-fan meeting. Care to walk with me? Tell me what you’re thinking about?

She surveyed him with curiosity, bracing herself on the edge of the bed. You’ve been different the last week. Why?

I feel like your trainee now instead of your equal, he admitted. It was the truth. But his biggest concern was his dwindling ability to protect her. The assailants were too powerful and unpredictable, the war ahead something he couldn’t quite grasp.

"We are equal, just differently capable."

A smile touched the corners of Bennett’s mouth. And I thought you’d be hard to work with.

Her short laugh was timid and burdened with understanding.

Rising from her seat, Atana moved to stand before him. Body firm, her gaze lifted to his, steady but pleading. I need you to keep a secret, especially from Azure.

Apprehension clawed at the back of Bennett’s mind. It wasn’t like Atana to hide something from her longest friend. You have my word.

I want to capture a warship.

Chapter 3: Bennett

BENNETT STOOD FROZEN, watching Atana pull her door open and walk out. It took a moment for him to get his wits back as the concept of her stealing a Kyra sank in.

He bolted after her. You can’t be serious.

She casually scanned the crowds. Have you known me to be anything but?

"No, and I suppose if anyone can do it, it will be you—maybe Azure. But how do you propose we make that happen? Are we talking steal it or enslave it?"

Kill. Interrogate. Steal.

Atana was precise. Bennett figured she’d already worked out a basic plan. All right, give me the rundown of what you’re thinking.

Of what I remember, she said as they hustled toward the auditorium, I know the defense shield has two components. The upper shield protects imperials. The lower shield protects the field containers on Agutras or the Linoan fighters on a Kyra.

They rounded a corner and descended the stairs. The spacecraft must be coded in line with the shield so they can slip through. But— A devilish sparkle broke through Atana’s apathetic expression. The plasma drive cannot be. It’s physically impossible.

Bennett snapped his fingers and pointed at her. They can’t have a shield up when discharging plasma pulses?

It’s a short window, but I’m willing to give it a shot.

He gripped her shoulder and stopped her. What if it doesn’t work?

We have to try. The odds aren’t in our favor, no matter what we do. She scanned the bustling hall junction outside of the conference room. I’m still working on details. Along with collector modules. A few Home Station repairs. UAV, 501, and F-201 redesigns for Earth’s protection—

Bennett squeezed her shoulder and let go. This is why you have to take a break. You won’t be able to fight in this condition, Nakio.

You and I both know we don’t have time for ourselves. I sleep when it takes me. Never before.

What if it takes you when you’re up there? He asked. Several shepherds pushed by them and into the auditorium for the meeting.

I’ll make sure it doesn’t, she said before turning heel and joining the others.

Bennett sighed in defeat and followed.

They sat in the middle of the top row, against the wall. Bennett drummed the armrests beneath his hands. Azure’s team and the doku—slave-pilots from Agutra—were clustered in the folding seats closer to the front.

A large shepherd shuffled past the knees of others. His eyes darted to the vacant cushion beside Atana. Ma’am, is this seat reserved? The others are taken.

She barely glanced at him. It’s yours.

A monolith of chiseled meteorite, the shepherd hung back, nervously cracking his knuckles. I may—invade your space. I do not wish to make Blue Bomb uncomfortable.

Her eyes slid up to the man. She shifted closer to Bennett and opened a palm in offering.

Bennett could see the question in her gaze. Blue Bomb? They’re still rolling with this?

The man pulled the seat down and took his place beside her. It is what the troops call her—er—you. He wheezed out an embarrassed laugh. Picked it up from the civilians, I hear.

Atana arched a brow. I have no intent to harm anyone on Home Station.

He looked to Bennett. My apologies. The polyphyletic shepherds make us nons a little uneasy.

Bennett slid back in his seat. He worried, after his nightmare, he would be the one to destroy the station. Everyone has to adapt to something right now.

UP’s Coordinator, a statuesque man, dressed in pristine robes the colors of shadows on a cloudy day, stepped onto the raised platform in front of the filled auditorium. Behind him sat three members of Command with tablets.

Vimno, the man with puffy gray hair and gold eyes, smiled at Teek from his position between Evami and Renae.

Teek waved from the seat beside Azure. The teen was a technological prodigy, but timid as most Simmaro were. Teek and Vimno had quickly formed a father-son bond Bennett envied.

The Coordinator’s hands folded together behind his back. The chatting of shepherds and doku subsided. We have three Kyra ships on the way. Two are scheduled to be here at the end of this week, and the final one, a few days after.

Atana’s shoulder pressed into Bennett’s, her whisper almost inaudible. You ever consider what all Command knows?

Bennett tilted toward her. About what? The invasion or the warships?

Her breath warmed his neck in tickling whirls. Evami is way too calm sitting up there next to Vimno. She’s one of the quieter Xahu’ré, but they all knew of the prophecy.

Bennett eyed Atana from the side, enjoying the notion of her leaning on him for once. He wasn’t surprised Command knew. But he grew tired of dealing with the aftermath of each secret as it became public.

Amianna, would you please tell the shepherds what you know? the Coordinator asked, nodding toward the girl.

Yes, sir. She was a lithe Primvera, graceful in fights and skilled in propulsion systems.

There is a system of weak areas in the universe’s structure, she said. "Think of it as a broken thread in a sheet of fabric. We call them Cugraheem, us Primes. To the doku pilots and a few others who maintain Agutra’s position, they are known as Slashgates. These gates allow for quick travel over long distances, permitting one has the device, or the Kilavi—the Elites’ spark—to open and stabilize its exterior as one passes through.

It is how the Suanoa can consume a developed planet and its kiatna without warning. Few Orionates are left in the universe. Mirramor stay busy keeping slaves alive. Which leaves us Primvera to carry the burden of the jumps.

Kiatna? The Coordinator asked.

Sergeant Tanner, typically quiet in public situations, spoke up to Bennett’s astonishment. "It’s like our word people, except it encompasses all kinds of sentient life."

Thank you. The Coordinator looked back to Amianna. You look like you want to say something more.

The girl licked her lips. Can I demonstrate Kilavi? I know we didn’t discuss that, but it often scares kiatna the first time it is seen. I do not want your shepherds to hesitate in this war.

The Coordinator waved her up from her seat.

Amianna stood and slipped out of her cloak. Hundreds of magenta strands unfurled from her back like ferns. They formed a pair of arced wings and floated in a manner that reminded Bennett of jellyfish tentacles. Suanoa can operate gates themselves but prefer to use Elites. The closer a kiatna’s link is to the universe, the more power it feeds them.

A crackle of pink lightning ripped out from her spine to the nodular ends of her strands, where it faded.

Seats squeaked, and fabric rustled as shepherds shifted throughout the room.

She laughed softly. Don’t worry. Primvera, specifically royal Primes like me, have exceptional control of their power. We can operate Slashgates without being plugged in to an assistive device. Picking up a water bottle from the floor, she tossed it into the middle of the room. A flash of magenta light rendered the bottle into a light mist settling to the floor. A tentacle curled back over her shoulder with the rest. My flumes are well-trained from being a perimeter guard.

Bennett had seen the fireworks during their mutiny on Agutra as many times as he’d thrown grenades. The flash and bang were similar. But for the many who jerked back in their seats, it had to be unnerving.

We are not to be feared, Amianna said, her voice taking a caustic edge. And we don’t need to be put in a machine and drained of our sparks like some Slashgate hyperdrive. She paused for emphasis before returning to her natural dulcet tones. But we can move ships, small ones on our own. Larger ones take more Kilavi. We may be able to move Semilath through a Cugraheem despite the imperial DNA lockout if we have enough combined energy, and only if it is a last resort. She glanced up the rows to Bennett. Many of us may die with that level of expenditure.

Bennett straightened in his seat. Plans are designed to protect Semilath in current orbit.

Thank you. Amianna picked up her cloak and settled it back on her shoulders, her flumes curling up under the fabric. One last thing. If enough diete nodes get crushed or the pith strands cut off, we lose our ability to manifest Kilavi. Our flumes are a durable extension of our nervous system. Losing them is like losing fingers.

Azure stood from his seat at the Coordinator’s request. We are converting the control modules within each of the collectors so they will function without a connection to Semilath Agutra. We have replicators working on—

Bennett zoned out. Technical details weren’t his thing. All he needed to know was what damage the available ships could do in which conditions, and what kinds of hits they could take.

They should be ready in the next day or two and taken up, sun-side, to charge. Azure took his seat, glaring back at Bennett.

Sergeant Bennett? Can you give us an update on your plans? Evami asked.

Bennett jerked out of his trance and pushed himself up. Evami’s reserved demeanor always came as a shock to Bennett. Her scrutinizing storm-blue eyes and a perpetually half-cocked posture created a different expectation in Bennett’s mind.

All eyes turned to him.

He still couldn’t understand Command’s decision for him to lead their defenses. He was a Field Sergeant. Other than the infiltration of Agutra, he hadn’t run a mission in space that wasn’t for training only. No one had. It’d been 150 years since the last battle occurred in orbit.

Available space-craft, and those pending ready status— He directed to Azure, who squinted back at him from the front of the room. "Collectors and M45s have been assigned to squadrons. Snipers will lead our pointed assaults. We will have one shield formation to deflect and protect Agutra from any plasma discharges or missile assaults. Earth is too big a target for the minimal number of vessels we have. For now, I need the pilots to familiarize themselves with the controls of their assigned spacecraft.

Renae, Command’s only human female representative, set her tablet in her lap and looked up at Bennett. Her sable hair was tied up in a bun as taut as her personality. You don’t have time to dawdle, Sergeant. We need a list of maneuvers to work from if we will have any hope to survive this.

Guilt coiled around the empty pit of his stomach. War is unpredictable. We have to be ready to deviate from constructed plans. Thinking back to their first mission, he glanced down at Atana. Her eyes smiled up at him. His lips twitched, wanting to return the gesture.

I need all finished specs on every ship, munition, and kiatna we’ve got, he continued. I’ve advised we match one UP pilot with one doku. But if anyone has ideas, I welcome them.

Command will pair pilots today. Evami signaled for the Coordinator to continue.

Bennett took his seat.

The Coordinator dipped his head, scanning something on the podium beside him. "UP’s districts are still reporting skirmishes between humans and non-humans. Krage, the Kronos-movement leader, has disappeared from our radar since the Unveiling Massacre. But his movement’s attacks on civilians have continued. We have confirmed his connection with the Linétens’ Verros. Still, we believe he is more interested in killing others than he is the Verros’s goal of catching a ride out of here on an Agutra. Either way, we must continue to watch our backs.

Please ensure your serum and assigned gear are up to code. If you find a solution to, or information on, any of the things we have discussed, message Command. Time is one thing we do not have on our side. Thank you. Dismissed.

Bennett stood, his seat thumping closed behind him. Atana joined him. Her attention fixed on Azure.

Arms folded across his chest, Azure studied them from below with disdain. Shepherds moved around him like a receding tide from a boardwalk post.

Atana tilted toward Bennett. I better go see what’s bothering him. He must need me to replicate another part he didn’t plan on.

You noticed the change in his mood too? he asked.

She squeezed past Bennett and started for Azure’s position. Not hard with him.

Bennett caught her arm. He's possessive, and now is not the time for it.

Atana gave him a knowing look and slipped his grasp. I’ll be between Replication Lab and Secure Hangar Five.

Concerned she would overwork herself, and wanting to let her know he’d always make time for her if she needed something, Bennett called after her. Okay, I’ll be in TACSIM playing with toy Army guys if you need anything.

She stopped and peered back at him through the mass of exiting shepherds.

He chuckled lightly. Didn’t sound desperate at all, idiot. It’s a joke. Those are for kids. Everything’s digital now.

To his surprise, a confused delight contorted her face. Is that what you played with as a child?

Bennett blushed. Maybe.

I’m jealous. All I had was a knife.

He couldn’t stop the nervous laugh that slipped out. That explained so many things.

Atana inspected him, the amusement in her eyes replaced by concern. Try to rest at some point. You’re burning the wick at both ends.

Chapter 4: Bennett

THE BITING AWARENESS someone watched him crawled beneath Bennett’s skin. His body felt heavy, sweaty, and unwilling. He’d prayed exhaustion would summon a night of black, dreamless sleep so his mind could rest. Schematics and astrophysics and aerospace tactics swirled in his brain. It was too much.

A cold shower calmed his nerves and put him to sleep. Now he couldn’t wake up. He begged for something to move. The pull of Ether was too strong. It called incessantly—a voice in the darkness.

Bennett panicked, fearing for his life. In a fit of desperation, he took a deep breath and let go of the real world. If Atana could walk in the etherscape, why couldn’t he?

The fall was like riding backward on a night transport through an endless bonfire, swirling embers rushing past in trails of amber and gold.

Bennett jolted awake to a familiar ceiling of wooden crossbeams and gray-painted sheetrock. The sliding glass doors beyond his feet flickered with firelight.

Clambering up from his sofa, Bennett lurched through the back door of his beach house and stopped.

A man sat on the far corner of Bennett’s railing, one knee tucked up to his chest, the other foot dangling above the deck. His face was a creased