Saga of Shadows 1: The Dark Between the Stars Read Free Page B

Because of his mixed heritage, he also had a knack for seeing things differently—an advantage in his role, since the Solar Navy suffered from rote adherence to long-established ways.
    Gale’nh pressed a fist to his chest in a gesture of respect. “Welcome aboard my ship, Adar. I hope it meets with your approval.”
    Zan’nh gave the young officer a nod. “You inspected the systems? Drilled your crew? Interviewed your engineers? And it all meets with your approval?”
    “More than I can say, Adar.”
    He gave a brief nod. “You are the Kolpraxa ’s captain, so your approval matters more than mine.”
    The two men took a lift to the command nucleus. The blister dome that formed the ceiling of the bridge gave the commander a sense of the universe around him—the starry field, the glare of sunlight, the swiftly moving ships and worker pods withdrawing the last pieces of framework.
    Proud of his experimental ship, Gale’nh rattled off a summary of the crew complement, the sophisticated technical equipment, the variety of probe satellites that could be dispatched when needed, and—important for the Ildiran soul—groups of artist kithmen, singers, and especially rememberers who recorded history.
    When Adar Zan’nh and Gale’nh arrived in the command nucleus, Rememberer Ko’sh awaited them. The rememberer was a tall, imposing man, dressed in a shimmering gray robe marked with symbols. The expressive lobes on his face were able to shift coloration like a chameleon to add flavor and emotion to the stories he told. He lifted both hands in greeting.
    “Adar Zan’nh, this is the greatest mission in our recent history! More significant than Adar Bali’nh’s rescue of the human generation ships and his first journey to Earth. Or Tal Bria’nh’s encounter with—” The tall rememberer caught himself and bowed. “The Kolpraxa will be a light that shines into the emptiness between stars. It is time for our people to go beyond what was to what can be. ”
    Zan’nh was surprised by Ko’sh’s upbeat attitude, for the man had been stodgy in the past, especially upset when the human scholar Anton Colicos had pointed out errors or omissions in the Saga of Seven Suns. “Tal Gale’nh will lead you to points unknown. I have complete faith in him.”
    Gale’nh bowed, struggling to accept the praise with good grace. Zan’nh had groomed the young officer, training and mentoring him as he moved up through the ranks. Though he was a halfbreed, it didn’t hurt that his mother was the consort of the Mage-Imperator, or that his father was the greatest military leader Ildirans knew. “I can only hope to do great work of my own, in my father’s name. I am . . . humbled by my own heritage, the weight of responsibility. The Kolpraxa is so important.”
    Zan’nh knew that Adar Kori’nh had been a greater commander than he himself would ever be—everyone on Ildira was aware of that. “I was just a young tal when I was thrust into this position as Adar. I wasn’t ready for it either, and I also felt humbled.” He lowered his voice as he confessed, “But no one was more ready than I was, and so the job fell to me. If you had not volunteered to command the Kolpraxa, Tal Gale’nh, I would have assigned you to the task.”
    The young tal’s eyes were shining; his breathing was fast, his excitement plain. “When I saw the opportunity, how could I not seize it? The chance to go outside the Spiral Arm, to see what’s out there?”
    A signal on the command nucleus announced that the rest of the docking structures had been moved away. The stardrive engines were fully loaded with ekti and optimal for test firing.
    Gale’nh turned to face him. “The Mage-Imperator has prepared a departure celebration in Mijistra, and you will join me. The people will cheer the launch of this great mission.” He lowered his voice and added wistfully, “I wish I were going out there with you.”

F OUR
    N IRA

    With seven suns nearby, Ildira’s