Rebellion by Sabine Priestley Read Free Book Online Page A

giant of a man with a kind face. Ty wasn’t sure how things would have ended today if he hadn’t shown up.
    “Thanks, Merek.”
    “You’re welcome, but you’ve really got to watch that temper of yours,” Merek said. “We need you. Getting yourself killed isn’t going to help our cause any.”
    “I know.” Ty gritted his teeth. His life had gone down a twisted path. First the Sandarian military crag , Ria, and now this. None of it mattered anymore. He knew what he had to do.
     
     

Chapter 5
     
    Balastar Alder finished filing his customs forms and flicked on the view screen. He leaned back in his captain’s chair and enjoyed the scene. They orbited Florin 5. A fascinating planet whose designers had built their cities with the view from space in mind. Interconnected geometric patterns glittered below, but he’d been here before and knew the facade to be largely illusion. On the surface, the majority of inhabitants lived in poverty, and many of the massive structures stood abandoned or taken over by squatters. Still, those who had credits tended to have a lot. It was an active trade planet with a thriving entertainment industry.
    A message flashed on his com indicating the contents of the ship’s holds had been transferred to the planet-side spaceport. The cargo would work its way through customs, then they’d start loading the new shipments. The whole process would take a day, maybe two, tops. Building his own transport business would take time, but with Rucon Cavacent’s support, he wasn’t worried. Besides, time was something he had plenty of. A broken heart was a damn good motivator to get out and change your life.
    He scratched the day’s old stubble on his chin. He’d fallen hard and fast for Dani Standich, the beautiful human who somehow possessed psi. After she and Ian bonded back on Sandaria, he bowed out. Balastar knew she cared a great deal for him, that much was clear, but a bond was a bond.
    He and the Cavacent clan had barely escaped that planet with their lives. Although Earth was his home now, he spent little time there. He busied himself learning his new profession inside and out. A far cry from his old life as the youngest Sandarian Council member, he now captained his own transport ship, ferrying goods from one planet to another. His life was new and exhilarating, seeing different worlds and all the experiences that went along with the job. Not to mention a few women he’d come to know in different ports. He’d yet to encounter any space pirates, but the ship was heavily armed. That was enough of a deterrent for most.
    This run was a little different. He had company. Rucon’s brother, Mordo, and the leader of the now rogue Portal Masters, Durgan. EP Marco Dar had also come along to protect the Portal Master. Balastar shook his head. His gut told him that Marco could be deadly if needed, but the man’s natural state was one of comic affability. Every afternoon, when Mordo and Durgan returned from their expeditions hunting for the newly discovered form of psi, Marco would go back out. How many women the EP had slept with in the past two months was anybody’s guess. He returned to the ship late, got up early, and did it again the next day, his smile never fading.
    Balastar’s com alerted him to the approaching shuttle. Mordo and Durgan could only canvas the locals for an hour at a time before needing rest. The process drained their psi quickly.
    “You’re back early.” Balastar turned to greet them as they entered the bridge. “Get tired of planet-side food?” He bolted to his feet when he saw the look on their faces.
    Mordo and Durgan were both shaken. Having given up the standard Portal Master robes, Durgan now dressed in regular clothes, slacks and button-up shirts. Mordo sported his usual black cloak, his skin unusually pale in contrast.
    Marco followed them onto the bridge with a serious expression. “We had a little altercation.”
    Durgan nodded. “It appears Gordat Prayda