Opening Paragraphs of CHAPTER TWO

"Leave them," the former - and imposter - Governor of Allied-IV barked furiously, followed by a short outburst of harsh clicks and grunts. He turned and ran for the platform steps, away from the oncoming blaster fire. The remaining Merlotian guards retreated in to the dispersing crowd.

“Stay here,” Autumn ordered to Arlington. Spotting her blaster under the table across from them, she crawled quickly across the aisle, making sure to stay below the exchange on laser blasts between the Merlotians and her friends. Bits of glass and table top fell around her as she made her way to her weapon. In one fluid motion Autumn swept up her blaster and armed the fire controls as she turned to join the fight.

“Get back to the ship!” Mr. Diem yelled at Gary and Sam coming up beside him, “now!”

“Roger that Boss,” Gary replied, pulling Sam behind him as he retreated.

“Autumn come on,” beckoned Sam.

“You heard ‘em Autumn,” said Frankie, settling next to her as she continued firing towards the fleeing Merlotians, “time to go.”

“I’m not letting them get away this time Frankie!”

“Why did I have the feeling you were going to say that?” Frankie trailed off as buts of wood and metal passed harmlessly through his ethereal body.

“Okay Mr. Speavy,” said Mr. Diem, grabbing the obnoxious teen by the collar and pulling him out from under the table, “looks like you’re coming with us.”

“Wait,” Arlington tried to refuse, fighting against the strong grip of his former principal.

“Quit squirming! Right now we’re your only way off this contraption, so I suggest you start cooperating.” Mr. Diem hurried after Sam and Gary, pulling the young Speavy behind him as he moved closer to the lift tube back to the Destiny’s Shadow. He yelled back at Autumn who had begun to follow the retreating enemy, “Autumn come on!”

Autumn shook her head in response, navigating the toppled tables and scattered serving trays as she ran in the opposite direction. Frankie drifted out in front of her, well above the turmoil below, keeping a watchful eye on Autumn as she chased after her father’s captors. The group of Merlotians fired poorly aimed laser blasts in Autumn’s direction, patrons of the Vigilant’s main plaza cowering and hurrying out of their way, as they reached the opposite end of the plaza.

Autumn realized she could not catch the fleeing Merlotians on foot. She scanned the dozens of shops that lined the hectic plaza for anything she could use. “There,” she said, finding the shop she was looking for. She lifted herself over the edge of the dining platform, dropping down on to the top of one of the many now deserted gambling tables. She leapt from the table, sprinting through the dispersing crowd, dodging random laser blasts as she ran. Autumn burst in to the shop she spotted from the dining platform and began to frantically rummage through the racks of highly priced merchandise.

She stopped in front of a long sturdy shelf with a large metallic box on top and smiled. The words Dax-1025 Championship Jet-Board illuminated the label across the front of the box, casting brilliant blue sparks in Autumn’s dark eyes. She unlatched the lid of the box and pushed it back, the black-chrome jet-board rested on the thick padding inside. Pulling the board from its storage, she turned and started out of the shop.

“Hey kid,” the shop’s owner shouted, standing up from behind the rack of colorful X-ball uniforms which he had been hiding. “You better put that right back where you found it if you know what’s good for you.” The long feathers that encircled his head ruffled as he spoke.

“I’m sorry Sir,” replied Autumn, sick to her stomach that she had actually resorted to stealing. “I’ll pay for it later. I promise.” She ran from the shop just in time to see the Merlotians disappear behind a lift tube door. Autumn activated the jet-boards hover control and dropped it to the floor. Silently the board stopped before hitting the floor, hovering barely an inch from the hard metal surface, its small engine core glowing green underneath.

She stepped in to the floating board, activating the thrusters with her right foot. Autumn and the jet-board leapt forward as the small powerful engine came to life…

Chapter One - continued

   "There," she said in a matter-of-fact tone, proud of the difficult unassisted space-dock she just successfully completed, "safe and sound as promised."  Autumn removed her harness, which had been preventing her from floating out of the pilot's chair when operating in low gravity conditions.  Slowly she drifted upwards, pushing herself along the center console, and floated gently towards the rear of the flight station.  Frankie, the ghostly image of a young man only she could see and hear - a wide smile spread across his face - floated next to her.

   "Nice job," said Frankie.

   She smiled back.  Frankie's protectiveness and unwavering friendship helped Autumn find the courage and strength to make it through the past two years.  It was Frankie who had been her best friend after her parents disappeared and she, along with her little brother Bennie, were forced to move to Allied-IV, the outermost of the many Alliance colonies spread across the galaxy.  Allied-IV was also the very planet where, high above its lush colorful forests and turquoise-blue rivers, her father and Mr. Diem along with the remnants of their squadron ended the Great Merlotian War twenty years earlier.

   "Mister Stevens, Miss Gibson," Mr. Diem called in to the ships intercom, "meet us at the port hatch in two minutes.  Stand by for artificial gravity, coming on line...now."  The thick cushioned soles of his boots landed softly against the hard floor of the bridge as the ship's gravity generator reached full speed.

   "Roger that Boss."  Gary's voice cracked from the speaker hidden inside the main control panel.  Over the last several weeks aboard the Destiny's Shadow, since the group left the Brig Ha'am system, Gary had proven himself to Mr. Diem in many ways.  The former special forces officer turned middle school principal had become impressed with Gary's willingness to learn.  His skill with a weapon, as well as his being able to keep pace - almost - with Autumn in their physical conditioning exercises improved daily.  Mr. Diem made had made good use of the time they had while tracking her father's bio-signal across deep space, ensuring the three teenagers in his charge kept in shape both physically and mentally.  Even Sam, the mousy haired girl whom Autumn had previously considered her only flesh-and-blood friend had shown surprising improvement and resourcefulness.  Even more impressive to Mr. Diem, as he liked to point out, was the unexpected decrease in her usual amount of sarcastic comments and complaining.

Opening paragraphs - Book Two

CHAPTER ONE

  "Come around behind her," Mr. Diem directed from the co-pilot's position on board the Destiny's Shadow, coaching the dark-haired teenage girl who sat in the pilot's seat next to him.  He pointed through the transparent canopy at one of hundreds of enormous transport and cargo ships lumbering around them.  He watched Autumn nervously, wiping away the small beads of sweat forming on his dark face with the sleeve of his flight suit, as she maneuvered the ship through the overcrowded space surrounding the Vigilant.  The giant, spinning space station - once a powerful Alliance Navy outpost, now an icon of lust and greed, owned by some anonymous private corporation outside the influence of the Alliance - loomed in front of them.  "Easy.  That's it."

  "Come on Mr. D," said Autumn, moaning sarcastically.  She did not take offense in the directions and fatherly guidance Mr. Diem was obsessed with giving her.  She knew he trusted her and her piloting skills, which she had learned from his best friend...her father.  "You're starting to sound like Papa Ralph."

  "I'll take that as a compliment," he replied.

  Autumn guided the ship alongside the giant space station, effortlessly flying through thousands of protruding docking ports that dotted the outer hull of the Vigilant.  Following the instructions from the stations landing control officer, she rolled the sleek craft over the padded, oval-shaped seal of docking port number 32-6-3827.  Small bursts of air escaped through microscopic holes along the edge of the seal, equalizing the pressure between the Destiny's Shadow  and the Vigilant.