Free Saint (Gateway Series Book 2) by Brian Dorsey

has increased.”
    “Any other great news?” asked Thay.
    “It’s all speculation after that,” replied Mori. “This Saint could be a Xen agent, working with them out of necessity, or just maybe he’s just a lunatic.”
    “Or a combination of all three,” interjected Stone.
    “Either way there’s only one way to know for sure.”
    “Looks like we have our next mission,” concluded Thay.
    “You guessed it,” replied Mori. “We’ll jump into the Echo System and do a silent insertion into the Talia landmass.” She turned to Hydra ’s pilot. “Orion, after Hydra drops us off, pick a nice quiet spot somewhere in the system and wait for our recall. Count on it being a few weeks.”
    “I’ll have TC stock up on TP, booze, and porn.” She laughed.
    Stone could only imagine—although he wished he couldn’t—what would classify as pornography for a Scapi.
    Mori ignored Orion’s remark and continued. “From there, we’ll observe and, if it seems worthwhile, link up with the resistance forces to get more info. Once we’ve gathered enough intel we’ll contact Hydra , get picked up, and decide our next move.”
    “When do we go?” asked Orion.
    “We leave in a week,” answered Mori. “Let’s start making preps.”
    Stone and the others rose from their chairs as Mori turned off the data screens.
    ***
    Later that night, Stone lay awake with Mori at his side. So many things weighed heavily on him. He knew he was Terillian, or more specifically either Akota or Iroqua. But knowing wasn’t feeling. Maybe that’s what the ceremonies mentioned by Thay and Sandwick would do, just like the Elite Guard induction. That had all been a lie, but a lie that still felt very real on so many levels. And what would Mori have to do in order for him to go through the ceremony, and just how important was Mori and her “strong medicine” to the Akota? To top it off, his whole sense of place, even as disjointed as it was after his defection to the Terillians, had been destroyed by the realization of just how small his little war and even Alpha Humana itself had been in the big picture of galactic events.
    Staring into the overhead of their stateroom, his mind wandered. Every answer to a problem brought more questions. Growing more frustrated, he exhaled heavily. As he did, Stone felt Mori move beside him and her arm come to rest on his chest. Rolling over, he looked directly into her mesmerizing green eyes.
    “What is it, Ty?”
    Stone slowly ran his hand through her hair. Even after all these months, her beauty still captivated him. “Thay and Sandwick talked to me today about accepting my Terillian heritage and going through some ceremony.”
    Mori’s forehead tightened. Stone felt her move his hand from her cheek as she sat up in the bed. “I wanted to wait longer,” she protested. “They shouldn’t have—”
    “Why wait?” he interrupted. “Aren’t you sure about us?”
    Mori’s tightened jaw transitioned to a smile. “Of course I am, Tyler,” she replied as she placed her hands on his cheeks. “You’re meant to be with me. I’ve seen it. There’s no doubt.”
    “Then what’s wrong?”
    “I wanted you to learn more about us naturally, over time. I didn’t want to force this on you.”
    “I understand, but it sounds like the ceremonies will help me with my transition.”
    “These aren’t simple ceremonies, Tyler. We don’t undertake them lightly and they have real implications. You must be ready first.”
    “If this can help me adjust and make the rest of the team more comfortable with me,” replied Stone, taking Mori’s hands in his, “then I don’t have time. I have to be ready now.”
    “You can be tested only once and if it’s too soon, you could face ostracism.”
    “More than now?” he shot back, eyebrows raised.
    “Yes,” replied Mori. Stone could feel her squeeze his hands hard. “If you’re rejected I can’t be with you—the Shirt-Wearers would not allow it.”
    “The