The Forgotten Way (Champions of the Crystal Book 6)

Chapter 11.2

"Not much here," Stecklan observed as the three of them peered out the ship's viewscreen.

"Nothing you'd really call a planet," Ford agreed. "Just a lot of large and dangerous asteroids."

"What are they mining out here?" Sabrina asked. "It can't be crystal, can it?"

"Unlikely," Ford said. "That's very rare, the result of a complex combination of elements and conditions. There have never been any deposits found this far out on the Rim. It's more likely something they need for themselves, some kind of ore perhaps."

"We should take this time to study their ship construction, especially propulsion. We have very little data on that," Stecklan said. "If this is really the advance scouting party of a larger force, we're going to need to know what we're up against."

"Nice to know the paranoia part of our mission is being thoroughly covered," Ford said.

"Logical division of labor," Sabrina said. "He's paranoid, you're immersed in the science of it all, and I'm just hanging around in case any treaties need negotiated. It says something very worrying about my life that this seems almost like a vacation."

"Nobody has shot at you yet," Ford said. "That puts it ahead of your last three attempts at a vacation."

"Sad, but true. We'll see how long it lasts. Where do you think they are?"

"The ship's scanned the two largest asteroids. So much for the obvious. We're in for a search. You might as well get comfortable."

Sabrina sighed. "I knew I should have brought a book."

"You could always occupy yourself coming up with a way to tell Mother everything that's happened, preferably in a way that doesn't land us both in the doghouse."

"I think the doghouse may be unavoidable," Sabrina replied. "Certainly for me."

"Oh, there's no doubt I'm going to be the one who gets the longest lecture," Ford argued.

"You're the precious firstborn son," Sabrina said, ignoring Ford's snort. "I'm the entirely unsuitable woman from a backwater planet that you've managed to get stuck with. Everybody is going to think this is all my fault. Trust me. Stecklan, what are you snickering about?"

"Your pardon, Lady Sabrina, but I do not believe I was snickering," Stecklan managed to say with a straight face.

"Right. I'm so glad one of us is amused."

Ford grinned. "Two of us. Arguing about who's going to get more blame for this situation is definitely not the most productive thing we could be doing."

"True. But I could spend a lifetime trying to come up with a positive spin on this for Mara, and it wouldn't work. Just think: I'm now a Homeworld agent, and you're now a diplomat. This is not good news."

This time both Ford and Stecklan snickered. Ford said, "I don't suggest you put it quite like that! Just point out to Mother that there's no one in the universe more qualified to be my keeper. Besides, I could have brought home someone far more unsuitable."

"One of your friends from Draxon, no doubt. Right. I'm going to go read Khediva's sensor logs again."

"There's nothing there," Ford said. "I've been through them twice. You saw more than she did."

"There's not much helpful in my report, either," Sabrina sighed.

Ford started to say something, then stopped.

"What?" Sabrina asked.

He grimaced. "You remember more than what's in your report."

"Do I? And how do you know?"