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  Matt was a prodigy.

  Before he could find his voice again, several of the items faltered and clattered into each other. Immediately Matt swore and looked up. With a clap, she shut the book. Sun Tsu's Art of War. He grinned as he noticed the title. She must have borrowed it from Drew. Not that he thought the tech had ever bothered to read it.

  He coughed, letting Matt know he was also there as she looked up at the ball of swirling metal and pushed it back into the same looping pattern with her mind. Once everything was neat and orderly again she finally looked at him.

  “Still haven't quite got it to be second nature enough I can fully focus on a book. If I have to concentrate to understand, something always goes wrong,” she said, making it clear she knew he'd seen everything.

  “It's a complicated book.”

  “Good though. And... important. Useful.”

  “Very much so. I think it's mandatory reading for the navy captaincy.”

  “Should be in this branch of the military, too.”

  Xander nodded, agreeing, especially in the war against the Beltine. He'd seen more than one commanding officer throw the lives of their men away due to bad strategy when they simply didn't know any better. And he'd been on the receiving end of a few of those orders. It left nothing but bad memories and grieving families.

  As an awkward silence developed, Xander finally got to the point, letting Mattie know they'd be arriving soon. She nodded, evidently as stumped as he was for something to say. Kicking himself for not having more of a reason to talk to her, he turned to go.

  “Colonel?” she called out, making him stop. Their eyes met. “What do you think we'll find on Komar? And do you really think there’s a chance they'll help keep my parents’ research going?”

  It was a loaded question. On one hand she was looking to him to provide hope, and he desperately wanted to, but on the other, he couldn't promise anything and he didn't want to be unrealistic with her and potentially damage any trust they'd built up.

  “I don't know, but I do know we'll do our best to show them how important the research is and how much it matters, how much you matter to the entire human race.” He watched her nod again as her eyes dropped to the book still closed in her hands.

  “Thanks, Colonel.”

  The words were a dismissal. Like most of the journey so far, Matt wanted to be alone. Over the last week he'd watched her slowly eat up her usual bubbly personality with guilt, and in that moment he could have beaten Simon Dantos to a pulp.

  The rich playboy was a manipulative piece of work and his strategy to punish Matt was working far more than Xander wanted it to. At several points he'd found her spending hour after hour reading through reports and looking into every single part of the research, equipment and military projects that her ex-lover had pulled out of, trying to get a measure of the damage, and it was eating away at her.

  While a massive part of him wanted to see her hold out against the tyrant's games, he couldn't shake the nagging thought that it might be far more important for the human race if she didn't. And that was a thought that churned his stomach. She'd become a pawn, and already he would have done almost anything to protect her from the position she was in.

  Xander flung himself down on his bunk and pulled his personal communication device towards him. There was a message from Kelton, giving him a brief overview of the latest developments, as well. If Matt was going to be bombarded once or twice every day with news on the latest thing Simon was walking away from, then he wanted to know about it first.

  Thankfully the military tended to know before any news outlets, and so far they were doing everything they could to protect one of their biggest assets. As he scanned down the list his heart sank. Matt was going to be devastated, and it was only a matter of time before she found out. He contemplated telling her then and there, but they had half a day before they'd be on duty and Matt would be put under pressure, knowing she had to be perfect and that it might not be enough.

  No matter how much he wanted to will his body up to be the one to break it to her, he couldn't. He just couldn't bring himself to see her hurt further.

  ***

  Tyra's voice let them know when they were less than an hour out from the planet and it was time to get ready. His bag was already packed, and he suspected the others were equally ready to get off the ship when he found everyone but Tyra sitting around the table that doubled as meeting point and dining area.

  Their chatter sounded happy, all of them deeply bonded after everything they'd been through, and he lingered by the doorway, not wanting to interrupt.

  “Uh, Colonel? You might want to come to the cockpit,” Tyra said across the intercom system, her voice sounding ever so slightly worried. Everyone looked up as the conversation was cut off mid-sentence.

  Frowning, Xander hurried in that direction, hearing the scrape of chair legs on metal flooring as the rest of his team followed.

  “What is it?” he asked as he came up behind Tyra, but she needn't have told him. He could see out of the front panel. Planet Komar looked fairly hospitable, greenery and water visible through the atmosphere, but it was the man-made structures already in place that had Tyra concerned. An elaborate net of satellites, laser turrets and even more aggressive looking ship-targeting guns hung in orbit over the planet and the research post beneath it.

  All of the weaponry was pointing in their direction.

  “There's a message coming through on the main frequency,” Tyra said by way of acknowledgment.

  “I think it would be a good idea to put that one through.” He nodded at her, trying to sound calm and in control as he noticed her eyes were a little wider than normal and her shoulders were tense.

  “This is the security defense captain of the research facility Melarn on the planet Komar. You are currently trespassing within our defended territory. Please stay where you are and inform us of your purpose within the sector. Any actions or detection of potential aggression will be met with our full force.” As Xander listened to the very stern-sounding gentleman talk, his frown only deepened. These people weren't messing around.

  “Greetings, Security Defense Captain,” he replied, deciding to sound respectful. “This is Colonel Xander Finley in command of the military vessel Lady Contessa. Our presence was requested to investigate a potential threat in the sector.”

  There was a pause as he waited for someone to respond. Given the evident capabilities of the facility already here, he found himself wondering if they were even going to be necessary. What kind of threat could the Contessa deal with that the people here couldn't already handle?

  “Colonel Finley, we were expecting you three days ago,” the man eventually replied. As he did, several of the larger canon-like guns swiveled back into a dormant position. It seemed they wouldn't be blown into space debris just yet.

  “We had some engine trouble, but we're running again now. Permission to dock and report for further instructions?”

  This seemed to finally get the process moving, and Tyra took over as they were sent coordinates and more information on where they needed to go and when. Xander felt his own shoulders relax only when they were past all the weaponry and Tyra was easing the ship down onto one of the several empty docking platforms.

  “Tyra, can you stay with the ship, please. I don't want to leave her alone here just yet. I'll leave Drew with you so you can try and repair the ship and keep each other company. I'll stay in touch.”

  “Likewise, Colonel.” Tyra didn't even look away from the controls as she powered down their Lady and went through the post-flight checks. It was common for Tyra to stay behind and make sure their ship was okay. You never knew when you might need to get in the air again at a moment's notice.

  As Xander rejoined the others, he found them all, packs in hand, ready to disembark. Drew groaned as he was ordered to stay behind, but the ship really did need him and the Colonel was grateful he didn't have to explain that it was also for the techie's safety. Until
he knew exactly what he was dealing with, he didn't want to put the whole team at risk.

  Trey, Matt and himself were by far the three most adept in hostile situations, and given how they'd already been greeted, he wasn't confident the people on this planet would be friendly, despite their reason for being there.

  Xander led the pair off, letting them take position on either shoulder, both of them darting their eyes over the dock around them, which was a hum of activity as people moved in groups, some obviously patrolling, others unloading a nearby cargo vessel. They'd been stood there less than a minute when a group of four security personnel appeared from a nearby doorway and made a direct line for them.

  “Colonel Finley?” the first asked as he clutched the laser rifle slung across his torso. Xander nodded, not letting his eyes linger on the almost readied weapon. The last thing he wanted to do was appear to be intimidated or threatened by them.

  “Come with us.” It wasn't a request, but Xander acted as if it was, eager to finally meet whoever the corporations behind this outpost had in charge and what they might have found that would make them feel uneasy. He could only hope it wouldn't take long to get to them.

  Chapter 3

  Matt tried to suppress her smirk as the security guards with them continued to try and look fierce. They'd been walking through corridors and up and down stairs for a good fifteen minutes, and after only a couple she and Trey had decided the best way to lighten the tension was to talk about something inane and only something the pair would really be interested in.

  It was a tactic they'd used before and something she'd learned from Drew. It stopped you feeling the atmosphere others were trying to create, often annoying them in the process. So Trey and Matt talked about the strange Lentarin foods he and Tyra had been getting the rest of them to try since the banquet they'd had together for saving the Lentarin home world.

  “I really thought you were going to puke when you tried the bashka.”

  “Oh, me too. I can't believe you told me I'd like that,” Matt replied as she saw the front most security guard grind his jaw. She was getting to him, even if the other three men had decided to act more friendly. She'd seen the looks the others had shared. They’d recognized her, as most did, but if their leader knew her identity he was keeping it quiet.

  In truth, not only was she enjoying frustrating the macho guard, but it was good to be talking about a happier time with Trey. That party had been one of the few times since the big battle where she'd had a chance to just have fun with her team. Of course, a few dignitaries, politicians and military personnel had wanted a minute of her time to talk to her and the other members of the team, but as the evening had worn on they'd been left more and more to their own devices.

  She ran out of foods to talk about as they pulled to a halt outside a large wooden door. The lead guard knocked hard and then opened it, motioning for Xander and the others to head through.

  Xander didn't hesitate, doing his unfazed Colonel thing. The thought made her lips twitch up again. She knew he'd have wanted to join in their conversation, but instead he'd acted oblivious, letting them follow him as he strode, not one ounce of his body language suggesting he was being led somewhere he'd never been before.

  “Ahh, Colonel Finley, Captain Adair and Trey, is it?” a woman's voice came from the depths of the room as a short but impeccably suited human stepped out from behind a desk. She wore her hair tightly back in a bun, which only served to emphasize the sharp angular features on her face and the black-rimmed glasses covering her dark brown eyes.

  The Colonel nodded at the question on their behalf as she waved away the security.

  “I understand you're here to investigate the strange readings I've been getting?”

  “Yes, ma'am. That's why we're here.”

  “Good.” Suddenly her eyes flicked to Matt and locked on. “I must admit I was a little disappointed when I read the response from your General Kelton. Five people and an old ship is hardly assistance, but I believe you're the famous Adamanta. That's something, at least.”

  “That's me,” Matt replied, just stopping herself from asking to be called Captain Adair instead. Being the famous Adamanta could have its perks. This once, she hoped she could put up with being revered, but the woman didn't look impressed. With a quick flick of her head and a twist of her body, she sauntered back to her desk and sat down in the large leather chair behind it. A large name plate on the wooden desk declared this woman to be Dr. Samantha Livingston. Matt wondered what she was a doctor of.

  “I'll have someone in security forward you all our data and the location it pointed to. No doubt you'll want to check the area as soon as possible.”

  “Of course,” Xander replied, and Matt noticed the small hint of tension in it. They'd been made to walk all this way just to be sent back to their ship. This was a power play if ever there was one, and it meant one thing: Matt was going to have to work really hard if she was going to impress anyone and gain the Adamanta program any backing at all.

  She tried not to sigh or show any sign of her own frustration, taking a leaf out of Xander's book and remaining silent and impassive on the way back, but the guards finally found their voices, and it wasn't long before they were asking her the questions they'd evidently wanted to since the moment they'd first set eyes on her.

  “Have you really been training with Adamanta since birth?” the guard called Brian asked. Matt laughed as she shook her head.

  “No. My parents didn't even know about the stuff when I was born, but I've been training with it as long as they were on the research team. About ten years now.”

  “Only ten years? But you're so amazing.”

  “It helps to start young,” Matt replied, wishing conversations with people didn't always go like this. She knew all the rumors about how she'd been trained, what her parents must have made her do. It had got to the point that Matt was tired of denying them and tired of the admiration. Her abilities were somewhat natural, and she'd really had little else to do spending the majority of a decade in a tiny research post.

  Everyone acted as if they envied her, but her life had been dull until the day her parents had died, and full of tough battles, more death and long, drawn-out struggles against the Beltine ever since. Her only consolation was the hope she brought to so many and how it was inspiring the human race to fight again and not just run from their relentless enemy.

  “Can you really use Adamanta in your sleep?” another asked, finally feeling bold enough to break his silence for the first time. Again, Matt chuckled and denied the rumor. This one was new, but no more true than the others.

  “Just like anyone else, I have to concentrate to use it. I've just had a lot of practice...”

  Matt trailed off, pleased to see the docking bay and Lady Contessa now in front of her. She wanted to get to work and see if she could prove her worth once more. Nothing mattered more to her than her parents’ legacy, and right now she needed to convince yet more people that it was worth preserving and continuing. They had to be shown how valuable it was.

  Xander stopped as they reached the repair bay, noticing Drew stood by the engineer as the graying man hunched over something Matt didn't recognize, a blow torch in his hand and a mask on his face.

  A frown was fixed on Drew's face, and from the awkward way he was shuffling back and forth it was obvious something had agitated their techie.

  “Colonel, I've been trying to fix the ship's heating systems, but there's a couple of small parts I need.”

  “I've already said, I can't just go handing stuff out without permission. I have to account for everything here and make sure I can replace the parts we need as well. You'll have to get one of the companies to sign off on it, just like everyone else,” the welder said without turning around or even glancing up.

  “It's all right, Drew. Do what you can. I'll talk to our contact here and arrange the necessary paperwork. It's only right we go through the proper channels.”

  The Colone
l's soothing tone both calmed Drew down and made the engineer finally look up from his work.

  “You the guys they sent to investigate the strange goings on over Hyperion way?”

  Xander nodded but didn't reply, always guarded, always careful. The engineer shivered, and his skin paled.

  “Rather you lot than me. Not one...” the engineer trailed off and turned back to his work. Matt frowned. Seemed there was more to this investigation than initially thought. A quick glance at Xander showed her he'd noticed the strange behavior, as well.

  “Do you use Adamanta in any of your tech here?” Matt asked, stepping forward. Immediately, Xander gave her a quick nod and ushered the rest of the team away. All the guards but Brian went, too, the latter evidently feeling the need to stick close to her. She tried not to smirk as his hand came to rest on his gun and he assumed a stance that puffed out his chest. If the guard wanted to look all macho and impress her, she could play that to her advantage.

  The engineer paused again and looked up at her.

  “Some. Why?”

  “I might be able to help while I'm here, that's all.” Matt chose her words carefully, not surprised the man was cagey about admitting he had Adamanta. It wasn't easy to get hold of, and the military were meant to approve the usage. “My parents taught me a lot and I like to see that go to good use.”

  The engineer pointed at a small device over on another table sat among odds and ends, loose screws and wires. As Matt came closer she could feel the Adamanta calling to her mind. It was currently only tuned to a weaker mind, someone who hadn't practiced much or had had enough experience really bonding with it.

  “That's a part from one of our reconnaissance drones. We put in a small Adamanta transmitter, like those cameras the military kits you soldiers out with. That way we can check on what they see with a fly-by even when there's electrical interference.”