Table of Contents
Title Page
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Afterword
Stolen Legacy
Sky Full of Stars, Book 3
by Lindsay Buroker
Copyright © 2017 Lindsay Buroker
Illustration Copyright © 2017 Tom Edwards
TomEdwardsDesign.com
Acknowledgments
Thank you for picking up the new Sky Full of Stars novel! And thank you to the good folks who continue to help me publish my adventures: my beta readers, Sarah Engelke, Cindy Wilkinson, and Rue Silver; my editor, Shelley Holloway; and my cover designer, Tom Edwards.
Chapter 1
Captain Jelena Marchenko walked between two columns of snagor trundling down the Snapper’s cargo ramp. She used her Starseer abilities to guide them with gentle nudges from her mind. They snorted, grunted, and mooed, occasionally brushing her with their thick, shaggy fur, but they were careful to avoid her feet.
Focused on getting her charges to the corral set up in the field where she’d landed the freighter, Jelena didn’t notice the steaming pile of dung at the base of the ramp. She abruptly understood why ranchers usually rode horses or thrust bikes to herd their charges.
After shaking off her sandaled foot and resolving to make a trip to the sanibox, she nudged the lead snagor with her mind again, convincing the creature to stroll through the corral gate because feed and cool water waited in troughs inside. Before flying down from orbit, Jelena had insisted that those items would be inside, to the exasperation of her clients.
The rumble of a thrust bike came from the side of the ramp, and the big creatures stirred uneasily. She soothed them with her mind while using her senses to “see” over their backs. Even though these were females and smaller than their male counterparts, the snagor made her five feet eight inches seem tiny.
“There’s something on your foot, Jelena,” Erick said, pushing his shaggy blond bangs away from his eyes as he peered down at her from the elevated height of his thrust bike. It hovered several feet off the ground, giving him a good view.
Jelena frowned up at him. How could he have possibly seen her step in that pile from over there?
“A valuable commodity,” Jelena said with a sniff. “Snagor dung can be turned into excellent compost.”
“Is that what we’ll be doing with all of it left in the cargo hold? Starting a garden?”
“Do you think she finds it difficult to feel like a captain and a pilot while her foot is sheathed in… compost?” someone else asked from behind Erick. Masika. She stood on the ground, a blazer rifle in hand as she guarded the ship, but her voice came through clearly.
Jelena sighed, certain that when other people stepped in piles of manure, they managed to do it without an audience. “Whichever one of you teases me the least won’t have to shovel droppings out of the cargo hold,” she announced.
“I’m on guard duty,” Masika said. “I can’t possibly be spared for menial work during this critical moment.”
Critical, right. There was a gap between the animals filing out of the ship, and Jelena had a good look at their surroundings. Their serene surroundings.
The blue grass of Gecko Moon, the snagor’s favorite food, swayed in a gentle breeze under a clear blue-green sky. The same breeze stirred leaves on zazibon trees a half-mile from the corral. Jelena had landed on the back half of the Darting Arrow Ranch, for some reason being directed to this distant spot rather than the main buildings the Snapper had flown over on the way in. Though even the summers were chilly this far away from Novus Solis and Opus, and Jelena caught herself rubbing her arms, she wouldn’t have otherwise guessed they were out of Alliance territory, orbiting one of the border worlds. It seemed too peaceful for that, at least at the moment. But Gecko Moon was apparently run by cattle and snagor barons who liked to start wars and raid each other’s establishments, sometimes with deadly results.
Fortunately, nothing more critical than the soiling of Jelena’s sandal had happened so far.
“I’m on engineering duty,” Erick said. “I can’t be spared to shovel dung, either.”
“Engineering duty?” Masika asked. “Two minutes ago, you were racing thrust bikes with Thor.”
“We were testing the engines of the bikes, to make sure nothing had atrophied during the tedious ten-day voyage here. Not to mention the threat of rust. Those snagor drool like leaky spigots.”
Deciding to ignore the rest of their argument, which seemed to just be warming up, Jelena walked back up the ramp to fetch the stragglers from the hold. A few of the snagor seemed to think the temperature-controlled environment inside the Snapper was preferable to the field outdoors.
Before stepping inside, she glanced toward the two androids on horseback near the corral gate to make sure they weren’t finding anything to complain about with the delivery. They shouldn’t. Thanks to Jelena’s talent for handling animals, the androids hadn’t had to move their horses an inch since she lowered the ramp and started unloading. But she’d found that checking in with the clients and making sure they didn’t have reasons to complain to the owners of the freight business—specifically, her parents—tended to eliminate most surprises later on.
The Snapper had made four cargo runs since the, ahem, distraction on Fourseas, where Jelena and her small crew had inadvertently become part of stopping a war. Her parents hadn’t had reason to question her ability to captain the ship for more than a month, but as far as she knew, her command was still on a trial basis.
The two android ranch hands weren’t looking at her with dark frowns on their faces, so that was promising, she supposed. Not that androids typically frowned. They were looking toward the trees with something akin to concern in their silvery eyes. One of them tapped a brown-jeweled earstar affixed under his ten-gallon hat, the modern technology a stark contrast to his rustic attire and the shotgun balanced across his lap. His comrade wore a dented blazer pistol in a holster, one that probably pre-dated the war, but he, too, carried a powder-based firearm.
Jelena started to stretch out with her senses, thinking to brush their minds to see if something had them concerned, but stopped, snorting at herself. She couldn’t sense what an android was thinking any more than she could tell what a rock was thinking. Since they were dressed like old-fashioned ranchers, she kept forgetting that was what they were. Jelena hadn’t had any contact with the human owners of the ranch since someone had commed the ship in orbit, delivering the landing coordinates.
“Is there a problem, Captain?” Kiyoko asked from the shady interior of the ship. She held a hose in one hand and a shovel in the other.
“I hope not.” Jelena pointed at the implements. “You don’t have to do that.”
Kiyoko gazed over the straw-covered deck, her brow furrowing. “Somebody does. Animal feces carry bacteria and disease.”
“So does Erick, but we haven’t hosed him off the ship yet.”
Kiyoko’s brows arched, her dark eyes not amused.
Jelena decided the reason she felt like an impostor captain was because she was eighteen and didn’t know how to talk with people more mature than she. It had nothing to do with compost. Though she would turn that hose on her sandal as soon as she finished her
present task. Once the snagor were gone, she could let Alfie out to frolic on the grass too. The dog would enjoy that, especially since she hadn’t been allowed in the cargo hold while they’d been transporting the snagor. Their previous owner had been adamant that his beautiful milk-providing ladies not be disturbed by having canine harassers in their area of the ship. Jelena had found it easier to agree than to convince the woman that she could keep Alfie from bothering them.
“Carry on, Dr. Ogiwara,” Jelena said. “I’ll help you clean up as soon as I convince those snagor over there that this is their stop.” She nodded toward the three females standing near the hatchway that led to engineering.
“Kiyoko, please. And I don’t mind finishing the task alone. With your small crew of five, I don’t feel like I have enough to do to earn my keep.”
Jelena wasn’t so sure about that. The lavatory was sparkling these days, and the stacks of FizzBurst cans usually left adorning the ship in Erick’s wake were missing. Even NavCom was gleaming, with the dust clear from all the panels, and the keys that had been sticky with food and drink stains now grime-free. Since Kiyoko was the newest recruit, and since cleaning had been neglected previously, Jelena assumed she was the responsible house elf.
“Although,” Kiyoko said thoughtfully, “Erick does come to see me every other day, convinced he’s got some malady or another. At first, I thought he was flirting with me—something I hardly know how to handle since we were all too busy with war to think of flirting back home—but I believe his interests lie with Masika. Is that right?”
“Yes. He’s not flirting with you; he’s a genuine hypochondriac. He used to visit me to show off his suspicious zits, warts, and bumps.” Jelena decided not to mention the week Erick had been certain he had some gastrointestinal parasite and had shown off even less pleasant things. After all, she didn’t want their new doctor to flee out the open cargo hatch. “I’m delighted that you’re here now to take care of him. In all senses of the word.”
Jelena walked over to the three snagor.
“So long as my little sister is happy with the education she’s receiving, I’m pleased to be of service.” A more concerned furrow creased Kiyoko’s brow.
“I’m sure she’s learning to control her powers.” Jelena patted a gray-and-white spotted snagor on the shoulder, recognizing the one that had offered her head for scratches a few times and shown a great interest in the apples Erick purchased at their last stop. Using her telepathy, she tried to convince the creatures that the weather outside was fine and that they would enjoy their new home.
Two ambled toward the cargo ramp. Spots looked at Jelena with limpid brown eyes full of expectation.
“It’s still amazing to me that little Hoshi has powers.” Kiyoko nodded toward the departing snagor. “They’re surprisingly amenable creatures for something that size, aren’t they?”
Spots extended a long tongue with amazing frog-like versatility and wrapped it around Jelena’s wrist.
“Sometimes,” Jelena said dryly as Kiyoko’s eyebrows flew up.
“They’re herbivores, aren’t they?”
“Yes, and this one is an apple-vore." Jelena met the snagor’s eyes—she swore the creature was grinning. “You’ll have to let me go so I can go get one. The box is in the mess hall.”
The tongue retracted, leaving Jelena’s sleeve soggy. A sanibox trip was definitely in order.
She took a step toward the interior hatchway that led to the cabins, including the mess hall, but paused. Grandpa hadn’t reduced Jelena’s homework assignments, even though he was now teaching Hoshi and even though they were on different ships. She was supposed to be refining her telekinesis abilities, something she’d had to use more than once since the family business had purchased the Snapper and Jelena had taken it on a few not entirely approved adventures.
She closed her eyes and pictured the small mess hall in her mind, the round table and four chairs secured to the deck, and the wooden apple box that had been on it the last time she’d checked. She struggled to confirm that it was still there, using only her senses. Detecting life, especially animal life, was no problem. Small, inanimate objects were more of a challenge. Ah, there they were. Smiling, she lifted one apple into the air and floated it into the corridor.
She almost dropped it when someone walked out of his cabin—Austin, Erick’s little brother and the Snapper’s assistant engineer and master chief ghost hunter. Jelena sensed him gawking as the apple floated past, but he didn’t get in its way. She maneuvered it around the corner, out into the cargo hold, and—
Trouble, a voice spoke into her mind, breaking her concentration.
The apple plopped to the deck. Fortunately, the layer of straw kept it from splatting spectacularly. Spots ambled toward it, her long, ropy tail swishing with pleasure.
What is it, Thor? Jelena responded telepathically, sensing that Thor was outside by the corral. Is Erick cheating at thrust bike racing again?
As you’ll recall, I was the one who cheated. So that you could experience winning.
It’s thoughtful the way you watch out for me.
Indeed. There are bandits of some kind coming. On horseback.
Bandits? You’re sure?
Their movements are furtive. They seem to be trying to sneak up on the corral.
How many are there? Jelena ran past Spots and to her cabin to retrieve her staff. The ancient Kirian runes embedded in the side glowed faintly as she grabbed it and ran back out.
The beep of a comm message arriving sounded in NavCom, but she dared not divert to check on it. If it was a warning that an attack was coming, then it was coming in too late to be useful.
There are twelve coming toward us. Four more are staying back in the trees. The two android ranch hands are noticing them now. I can’t read androids, of course, but I believe they want—
“Help us,” came a demanding male voice from the corral.
Our help, Jelena finished. Got it.
“Stay inside, Doctor, and make sure Austin does, too, please,” Jelena said, passing Kiyoko, who had crept toward the hatch to peer outside. “Your part comes later.”
Or hopefully, it wouldn’t come at all, Jelena amended silently as she erected a transparent barrier around herself and ran onto the ramp. Should she try to extend her barrier to protect the snagor herd? Unfortunately, they had spread out in the big corral now, and she doubted she could manage to cover that much ground. She hoped the bandits wanted to steal the snagor, not kill them. At least they should be safe then.
The corral gate shut with a clang, one of the androids hurrying to shut the snagor inside. Jelena understood not wanting to let them stampede, but she grimaced at the idea of the innocent creatures being trapped inside with a gunfight going on over their heads.
The first shot fired, the other android rancher shooting toward the trees. The twelve men and women Thor had identified were racing toward the corral on horseback. The horses didn’t shy at the boom of the shotgun or when their riders returned fire sending bullets and crimson and orange blazer bolts streaking across the field. A bullet clanged off the Snapper’s hull a few feet from Jelena.
She double-checked her barrier and gripped her staff tightly. Adrenaline charged through her limbs even though she was confident in her ability to defend herself against men who weren’t protected by combat armor or armored vehicles. She was less certain about her ability to defend the snagor. Unlike the trained horses, they had gone from placid to agitated, bumping against each other and the wooden confines of the corral. They would break through it if they grew fearful enough.
“Lead them away from the corral to keep the animals safe,” Jelena called, spotting Thor and Erick on thrust bikes, heading to confront the intruders before they reached the corral. “And get your own bike, Thor,” Jelena muttered.
Since he was riding hers, she was stuck on foot.
You’ll have to take us somewhere that I can purchase one, he spoke into her mind, not looking back as he fle
w straight at the shooting men.
They were shooting at him now instead of at the android ranchers. Not surprising, since he was dressed in his usual black, the lightweight material flapping around his body as he rode, and had unsheathed the Starseer weapon he’d crafted with his own hands—and his mind. The telescoping blade sprang from its handle and gleamed blue as he charged the men like some ancient cavalry officer, the sword poised to strike. The enemies’ blazer bolts and bullets bounced off his own invisible barrier.
Erick could probably make you one out of sticks, tape, and rubber bands if you asked him. Jelena looked for Masika, who was also on foot, expecting her to stay back by the ship, but she was sprinting around the corral after the others. Thanks to her genetic enhancements, her speed was far greater than that of any mundane human being.
Ostberg doesn’t seem inclined to do me favors.
That’s because you haven’t used your princely charms on him yet.
Thor reached the first intruder, anticipating the man’s attempt to turn his horse to the side to avoid him. He struck with the speed of a cyborg, slicing through his foe’s neck and lopping off his head. Jelena looked away from the sight, her stomach turning and her humor evaporating.
It’s an android, Thor informed her. They all are.
Oh, Jelena thought with intense relief. She looked back, verifying that the head that had tumbled to the ground had been attached with circuitry and a framework rather than nerves and bone, but her relief was short-lived. Androids would be far tougher opponents to defeat than humans. Indeed, as she looked, three of them sprang from their horses, all trying to reach Thor, to tear him from his bike and take him to the ground.
Fortunately, he had his barrier up again, and they bounced off, but he wouldn’t be able to attack again while he was concentrating on maintaining his shield.
Erick had reached the android bandits, too, and he rode into the snarl, using his own barrier like a ram. It extended several feet around him, and he knocked it into the horses, trying to force the androids from their mounts.