Free Allies (Warriors of Karal Book 5) by Harmony Raines Page A

a long way away from Karal.”
    “Does it ever bother you, being out there on your own?” she asked.
    “No, not really. You get used to it. It’s all I’ve known all my life. It’s my job, just as the farmers till the earth and grow their crops, and the miners work in the dark mines. My job is to go into space and find whatever it is we need. Or find things that we didn’t know we needed.” He sat and ate, looking at the stars with her, and she didn’t ask any more questions. It was just nice to sit here, listening to the waves as they swept along the beach and the sound of birds in the distance and strange noises that she had no idea where they emanated from.
    It was a magical evening, and one that she didn’t want to end. And when it did end, she had no idea, because she had fallen asleep leaning on him. At some time in the night he picked her up and took her inside the cruiser. And then he had taken them back to the breeding house. She was so tired that she did not even wake up when he carried her inside and put her into his soft, comfortable bed.
    She dreamed, vivid dreams, full of colour, and it wasn’t until she woke up in the morning and she remembered them, that she realised it had been a long time since she had dreamed in colour. All of her life had become grey, since her father had died. And as she reached out to him and touched his skin she watched the colours skim underneath the tips of her fingers.
    Remembering the conversation, she had had with her mother, she felt foolish now. And she wished that they had parted on better terms, because everything that she had been afraid of had been imaginary. Instead, she had met a man that she could learn to love. He was good and kind and brave. And he would make a wonderful father to their child.
    She silently hoped that somewhere, her father really was looking down on her. She wished that there was a heaven, and that he was happy there, watching his daughter in her new life.
     
     

Chapter Fourteen – Niko
     
    “Are you ready?” he asked. They had just been given clearance from the radio tower, and they were ready to launch. He powered up the engines. Around them, the cruiser shuddered waiting to be released, like some caged animal wanting to leap into the air in a joyous freedom.
    “Yes.” Her answer was short and sharp, and as he looked at her, he could see how nervous she was. In the two days that they had been on Karal she had grown to love his home, and he knew she didn’t really want to leave. He could sympathise with her; these last two days had been perfect for him too. And he wanted nothing more than to take her home, to his house, and for them to live there happy and safe, making love until he put a child in her belly. Then watch her womb swell as his child grew inside her.
    Once the child was born they would spend happy days in the warm sun and fresh air. Instead, they were about to go into space together, and live in this glorified tin can for weeks. Maybe months. Their mission was going to take them deeper than any of the other missions; the wormholes they were to travel through would take them in huge leaps across the universe.
    There was a reason this mission had been left until last. The council hoped that one of the other missions would have returned by now, with news that they had found a suitable planet. Because the planet he and Petra were aiming for was in such a distant part of the universe that it would be enormously difficult to transport everything they needed to create a new colony.
    But none of the missions had returned, so they were to set off, but keeping in contact with Karal by the use of probes that were dotted across the route. Although no one knew for sure if these probes were still functioning properly; the universe was not exactly a stable place. Still, they had to risk it, although he had not told Petra of the danger they might possibly be in.
    She didn’t need to know, and he felt no guilt at keeping this