The Star Thief (Star Thief Chronicles 1)

“It wasn’t that we couldn’t. We just wanted to see if you could.”

Her nausea faded away as every muscle in her body hardened. “You mean you used this kid as a frakking test for me?” she snarled.

Dallas raised a hand calmingly. “No, not at all. Myka was genuinely in danger, and we needed to rescue him. You were the closest thing we had to a stealth team. Had Finn’s crew broken into the warehouse, it would have alerted the Cordozas immediately. And this way I was able to force my superiors into agreeing to give you those pardons if you helped us. It was for your benefit as well as ours.”

“I don’t much like your definition of benefit.” Renna crossed her arms. “What I don’t understand is what you think I can do at a manufacturing facility. I’m no scientist.”

“No, but you can get into places no one else can. And this facility is…different.” Dallas nodded at Keva, and she used the tablet in front of her to pull an aerial photo onto the screen.

A dull gray building sat in the middle of the desert. Keva flipped through several pictures, different angles. The walls were completely smooth. No doors, windows or other entrances. It looked like some sort of huge box.

“What the hell is that?”

Dallas frowned. “That’s what we’d like to know. And we need to get inside. We’re working on alternative solutions, but you’re the only person who might be able find us a way in and help us uncover whoever is attacking these colonies and why.”

Renna leaned forward to study the pictures. “I can’t get into something with no opening. No matter how good I am. What makes you think there’s anything in there to begin with?”

“Aldani says there is. He’s developing the tools to help you get inside.” Dallas motioned to Keva to turn off the holovid. “Our next step is for Captain Finn’s team to take Myka and the particle destabilizer home to Aldani. Renna will work with the doctor to figure out the best way to get into the facility. Once we know what we’re up against, we can figure out a way to stop the people behind these attacks.”

He paused, letting his gaze drift over the team. “I know some of you are not happy with my team selection. I assure you that each of you has been handpicked for your exceptional skills. You all know what is at stake here and what needs to be done. I trust you’ll do whatever it takes to ensure the end result.”

Keva jumped to her feet and saluted. “We are honored to be part of this mission, sir!”

Dallas saluted back.

And then the earth trembled as an explosion rocked the room.

SEVEN

“What the hell was that?” Dallas demanded into his communicator. His face blanched at whatever he heard, and he steadied himself on the back of a chair. The rest of the team watched him, too well trained to question him.

Renna had no such qualms. “What was it? Felt like we were hit with a bomb.”

“We were.” He ran an unsteady hand through his hair and started barking orders into his communicator unit. “Send Spec Ops 7 to intercept. We need men on the ground now! Get the cruisers into the air.” He whirled on his heel. “Keva, get the boy and meet us on the ship. The rest of you move. Now.”

The crew raced from the room in a thunder of boots and shouted orders. Renna turned to follow, but Dallas stopped her with a raised hand. He paced the room twice, shouting orders into his comm unit, before he turned back to her. “Okay. Follow me, Renna. I know you haven’t had time to ask questions. What else do you need to know for this job?”

She expected the facility to be chaotic and crazy, but the workers still sat at their stations in the command center, speaking softly into their headpieces, moving things around on their holovids. She assumed those moving pieces were ships or people, but it was hard to tell as she and Dallas hurried past. He called out a steady stream of orders as they exited the room and headed down a hallway toward what she assumed was the hangar bay.

“How many troops?” Renna asked when Dallas was done issuing orders.

“Ours or theirs?”

Despite herself, she was beginning to like the major. “Let’s start with theirs.”

“Two destroyers have been spotted attacking the Warehouse District. It’s gone. Everything is gone.” He swallowed, his eyes flashing before he brought himself under control. “They’re moving north through the city, looking for…whatever they’ve come to find.” His hands clenched at his sides. “But how did they know? It’s like they launched their attack as soon as we sent in Finn’s team to rescue you and the boy. It doesn’t make any sense.”

Renna swallowed. There was only one thing she could think of that made sense if that was true, and it meant MYTH might have a leak. But Dallas’s pale face made her hold her tongue.

Instead she asked, “What are our troops doing? Where are they focusing the attack?” She pushed aside the thought of Boyd, her fence and the closest thing she’d had to a friend. His apartment wasn’t too far from the Warehouse District. He always said it paid to be close to work.

Her stomach ached, but she focused on Dallas’s next words.

“We’ve sent three platoons of MYTH soldiers and two regular platoons of Coalition troops, and three starship cruisers are in orbit. Whoever they are, they won’t get out of here without a serious fight.” He cleared his throat as if remembering who he was talking to. “But right now, we need to worry about getting you off-world. The hangar is down this hall. The MYTH team and a small platoon of soldiers are already waiting.”

“How big a crew do we have?”

“The Athena is a frigate with a service crew of thirty, plus the six MYTH officers. They’ve all served together on several missions now.” His gaze was cold, and she could read the warning there. “I’ve read your file. You need to behave yourself, Renna. It’s not a buffet.”

She smirked and tossed her hair over her shoulder. “I am a professional. You don’t need to worry. Much.”

Dallas entered a code on the datapad at the hangar door, and it slid open with a whoosh of air. Renna inhaled deeply; the smell of starfuel, machinery, and space filled her lungs. Gods, it smelled like home.

And then she spotted the prettiest cruiser she’d ever seen gleaming in the helolights. The ship was long and silver, with a dark red stripe running down the center. Two long wings jutted from the back, and the nose of the ship was blunt and wide, all the better to jump to hyperspace with.