Welcome to stories from Among the Stars. You're listening to The Last Watch by J.S. Dewas.

Chapter 26

Adequin stood at the helm of the drudgers ship, stared at the blank view screen, and waited.

They'd been at warp speed for almost 30 minutes and would be decelerating shortly to land at the coordinates they'd found in the logs of the ship, named after a viator term that roughly translated to synthesis.

They were headed straight back outward, which was such a bad idea, not to mention irrational

and reckless, but she couldn't find a way to care.

It might have been a long shot, but it didn't matter. They'd lost too many

aboard the Argus. She had to know she'd done all she could to find the tempus. And if it wasn't

enough to risk it for her own reasons, she found plenty of justification

in doing it for Lace's sake.

It had been her final request, and Lace was the closest thing Griffith had to family.

Adequin had to do whatever it took to honor that or she'd never be able to forgive

herself.

Jackin sat harnessed in the ratty co-pilots chair throwing anxious glances at her while the

kilometers ticked by on the main display.

He'd insisted on coming, and she'd been too panicked to argue.

He'd set Puck to take over his task of figuring out how to restart the gate,

then grabbed Arundus, Warner, and two other Oculai while following adequate to the airlock.

She hadn't wanted to endanger anyone but herself for this admittedly rogue mission, but

Jacken hadn't given her a choice. Though they didn't need more than two to

adequately fly the ship, she knew she'd be glad for the extra bodies if they ran

into another enemy vessel on the way.

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