Blue Nebula

By Diane Dooley

Sola de la Vega is on a mission to save the galaxy, and nothing will sway her. Not even the pleas of her beloved husband, Captain Javan Rhodes, to keep herself and their unborn child safe.


Fitted with a series of technological "enhancements" entwined with her central nervous system, Sola is not fully human. Her father is the undisputed leader of Earth, and Sola is driven to put an end to his genocidal rule—before he can follow through with his plans to consolidate power over the universe into the hands of the aristocracy.


Despite Javan's fears for her safety, and coping with a difficult pregnancy, Sola's quest has become an obsession she cannot control. Compelled to choose, duty must come before her love for Javan. And when Sola joins forces with Destin Grady—her father's sworn enemy—in a plot to execute the dictator and seize power, she soon uncovers secrets from the past that have her facing a future she never could have imagined...


32,000 words

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: Sep 24, 2012
• ISBN: 9781426894411

Book preview

Chapter One

Sola lay in the arms of the man she loved, enjoying his hand cupped over the slight bump of her abdomen. She waited for the final seconds of the download of the Kypris’ complete systems into her internal memory bank. Download complete, she withdrew her node from the ship’s access port and, with a slight whir, the top of her forefinger closed. She buried her face in Javan’s chest, inhaling his scent. His gentle snore became a slight moan and he pulled her closer, sighing into her hair.

Sola checked her internal stats, smiling as the readout told her something strange was happening to her body; there was an intruder, another life form within her. She touched her belly, feeling a strange rush of emotion—one she didn’t recognize. She analyzed it: fierce, primal, illogical, overwhelming. She’d known many emotions, had studied them, but this one scared her. It controlled her—and Sola preferred to be completely in control of herself. Javan snuggled closer, running his hand over her hip. She studied her emotions: love, desire, tenderness. Powerful and primal, but less intense than the desire that her child would live, thrive and survive. Something else emerged: an older emotion of great power, buried deep within her. Sola touched it with a mental finger. It faded, but it was still there. She could feel it. The slight touch had given her a brief surge of anger that had overwhelmed all her other emotions. Not anger. Rage. At my father. For what he’s doing to Earth. Hand in hand with that anger was the desire for revenge, the absolute necessity of destroying him. Only I can do this. I can’t let anything get in the way of this.

Things had become complicated. She should’ve killed Javan once he’d served his purpose, but she’d been unable to harm him. She hadn’t even been able to abandon him somewhere. Lying here, in the double bunk of Javan’s cabin, everything seemed easy, so simple. He’d forgiven her the worst of her deceptions; had accepted the fact that she needed to save the galaxy from her depraved father. He loved her; she loved him too. No matter the chips and electronics she carried in her body, it seemed she was a flesh-and-blood woman after all. Love. Yes, things had gotten complicated.

Safe in their tin can, floating in the deep dark, Sola curled her arms around her lover and crushed him to her, emotions again overriding her circuits. He awoke with laughter. His hands curled around her bottom and pulled her closer, as the now-familiar feelings pulsed through her. She gave herself to the maelstrom, the loss of control, the pounding of their hearts drowning out the buzz of her circuits. She did it with joy and without regret. She did it for a long time and then slept again. Her body needed so much sleep, giving her unborn child what it needed. That, also, she did with joy. Her last thought as she drifted into sleep was of her father, and her craving to make the universe safe for those she loved. She needed to get to her father. She had to get to him soon.

* * *

Later, drowsily entwined, Javan spoke of his concerns. Where shall we go, Sola? I’m not sure Ramses Space Station is the best place. I don’t know why you think he can be trusted, but he can’t. Destin Grady is a very dangerous man.

Sola snorted. You think he’s more dangerous than I am? She propped her head on her hand, facing him.

Javan smiled a crooked grin, his brown eyes serious. It’s close, I must admit. Why don’t we find ourselves a safe place to hide out and have this baby? Let someone else save the galaxy from the dictator.

Oh, like who? Sola ran her hands over his face, loving every plane, every contour. She plunged her fingers into his hair, deciding that she would try giving him a badly needed haircut.

Javan shrugged. "Why does it have to be our problem?"

Well, it’s my father who is using genocide and starvation to impose his will on the people of Earth. I have a responsibility to do something.

He can’t last forever.

When he dies he’ll be replaced by one of my siblings. Whoever takes his place will be worse than my father, I assure you. I know them far too well.

Javan pondered her words, twirling a lock of her dark hair around his finger. It doesn’t have to affect us. We can explore, find the perfect place where they can never find us. We could lead a simple life. We’d be happy. He leaned forward and kissed her.

A tempting suggestion and a valid possibility. If only… The anger surged within her, overwhelming the fantasy of safety with Javan and their child.

What of Earth? He’s bleeding it dry—all to further his ambition. But it’s not too late. Someone has to stop him. Why not us?

Javan flopped onto his back. I’ve had my fill of war. I’ve had my fill of killing. We won’t be able to stop him without bloodshed—and you know it.

Sola moved over him and looked into his eyes. That, my love, is why we need Destin Grady.

Javan raised his eyebrows. You plan on making Grady do your dirty work? You think you can control him?

Grady hates my father more than I do. The split between them is deep and it’s permanent. All Grady’s waiting for is someone to lead the rebellion. Sola looked away. She understood why Grady hated her father so much, but it was best Javan didn’t know. Grady would not appreciate his private information being shared. He might decide to silence Javan to ensure that his business stayed secret. She peeked at Javan. She mustn’t let anything happen to him. I have to protect you.

So, why not him? Why shouldn’t Grady lead the rebellion?

"Who would follow a monster like him? After the Massacre of New York? Beijing? After destroying the Vesuvian and everyone on board? He’s as monstrous as my father. But he’ll be my monster. He’ll do whatever I need him to do with no qualms. We need him."

Javan shook his head, his expression troubled. Can’t this wait until after the baby?

Sola suppressed her impatience, pushed down a sigh. We must act now. Earth doesn’t have much time left and I want this child to grow up in a better era. I need to be able to focus on being a mother. Sola paused, knowing she was about to manipulate him again, while wishing she didn’t have to. But, she reassured herself, at least she was telling him the truth for once. Javan, I don’t know how to be a mother. I barely remember my own. I have very little experience of loving someone…until now.

He pulled her into his arms in an instant; calming her, reassuring her. Sola immediately felt better. Strange. She carried no doubts about her ability to wage a rebellion and to assassinate her own father, but she feared she would not have the humanity to nurture her own flesh and blood. This was the gift her father had given her; more than a machine, but less than human. It was not just for the betterment of the galaxy that he must die, but as justice for all the things he had done and for all the things she didn’t know. What had happened to her mother, that soft-voiced, sweet-faced lady? What had he done to her? What had happened to Sola in her eighteenth year—the one she had spent, unknowing and unaware, in an induced coma? The rage surged through her again.

She shuddered and Javan tightened his arms around her. Those protective arms. He would try to keep her safe. He would always be there for her. She knew it as completely as she knew he loved her and that she loved him back. But to run away and live their lives like nothing else mattered? As tempting as it was, Sola could not give up the need for justice, for revenge. Even if she could bring herself to agree with Javan, he was fooling himself if he thought they could be safe anywhere in the galaxy while her father still lived. "My father will not forget what I have done. I ran away and made a complete fool of him. He sent my brother after us and we killed him. The dictator will never leave us in peace. There’s no safe place for us or for our child as long as my father lives. Javan, if you love me, if you love our child, we must do this. We must."

Javan tipped her head back and gazed into her eyes, before giving one curt, sharp nod. Then promise me one thing. Just one.

Name it.

An end to the lies. Stop acting without consulting me. Forget trying to dump me in a safe place while you take on the galaxy.

That’s three, she said, grinning.

He didn’t smile back. No more lies, Sola. Truth only. Promise me.

She took his hand. I swear—I will never lie to you again. She stared deep into his beautiful eyes and he regarded her for several long moments before dropping his head to kiss her belly. Looking down at the top of his head, she tried to convince herself that there was quite a difference between the truth and the whole truth. If she didn’t know the whole truth of things then she couldn’t be expected to tell him what she didn’t know, could she? What she knew to be absolutely true, she would share with him. As for the rest? Well, a woman deserved to own some secrets, didn’t she? She had a mission to complete and sometimes that required secrecy. Why can’t I be honest with him? What’s wrong with me? He’s forgiven me so much. He’s asking for so little. Sola pushed the thoughts away. Nothing is more important than the mission. Nothing. She needed to set Javan’s mind at rest and she knew exactly how