Aaron slept through his morning alarm, but not through the banging on his sleepcube door.
He groaned and lashed out with a kick, landing it squarely on the tiny hatch that was the only way in or out of the private sleepcube. The banging stopped, but the alarm was impossible to ignore. He slapped at it with a sleepy hand and only succeeded in banging his elbow against the wall. The pain was so sharp that he swore.
Through the sleepcube’s thin walls, he could hear people rushing out to the ladders. He sat up as much as he could in the narrow space and tried again with the alarm. This time, he managed to switch it off.
“All right, grunts!” he heard Mara yell in Gaian at the top of her lungs. “You know the drill. Chow’s in fifteen, and stragglers don’t eat, so line up!”
The upshift run, first exercise routine of the day. Hell, Fourth Platoon was practically on the verge of being disbanded, and she still drilled them harder than any other unit on New Hope Station. Ever since the Battle of Colkhia two standard months ago, it had been nothing but drills and exercises. She worked them so hard, it almost felt like the fighting had been half a lifetime ago.
Fortunately, he’d slept in his fatigues. All he needed to do was open the door and crawl down the ladder to line up with the rest of the platoon.
Before he did that, though, he took his portable dream monitor and stuffed it into the storage unit behind the headboard. The sleepcubes were supposed to be private, but he didn’t want to risk anyone finding it. Not that it was something he shouldn’t have—plenty of soldiers had private entertainment systems that they used in their free time. But if Mara knew he was still using… Well, he figured it was best to be safe.
Friends in Command
The future of the Outworlds now lies in uncertain hands.
The Imperials are back, and this time, a ragtag flotilla isn't going to stop them. But they aren't the only enemies of the new Outworld Confederacy. Together, Aaron and Mara must face a threat from within.
The future of the Outworlds now lies in uncertain hands.
The war for the Outworlds is on. The Imperials may have lost the first round, but they’re back—and this time, a ragtag flotilla isn’t going to stop them.
When Aaron recieves a captain’s commission in the new Outworld Confederacy, Mara is his natural choice for second in command. But Mara never expected to live past the first few battles. She only joined the resistance to avenge her father, and fears the monster she’s starting to become. The only thing she has left to live for now is her friends.
The Imperials aren’t the only enemy in this war, though. The friends must face a threat from within in
SONS OF THE STARFARERS
BOOK IV: FRIENDS IN COMMAND
