With a determined set to his jaw, he activated the comm unit. The screen flickered to life, and he scrolled his list of contacts until he found the name of the first person he wanted to ask for help. Tapping on it, he only had to wait a few seconds before the familiar face of a serious man with silver hair and a neatly trimmed beard filled the screen.

  "Soren," the man said, his eyebrows hiking up in surprise. "I wasn't expecting to hear from you.” His eyes narrowed, noticing Soren’s heavy demeanor. “Is everything alright?"

  Soren managed a tight smile. "Hello, Jack. I wish I could say this was a social call, but I'm afraid I need your help. Badly."

  Jack Harper, Admiral, FUPN, Retired, leaned forward, clasping his hands on the desk in front of him, his smile giving way to serious focus. "What's going on?"

  Soren took a deep breath, the words catching in his throat. “I don’t know if you’ve heard. And what I tell you needs to stay between us.”

  “Of course,” Jack interjected.

  “It's Dana, Jack. Her ship, the Galileo...it's gone missing. Vanished without a trace in the Wolf system."

  Jack’s eyes widened, shock and disbelief playing across his features. “What? I’m so sorry, Soren. This is the first I’m hearing about it."

  “I only found out about an hour ago. Adrian came to deliver the news personally.”

  “He’s a good man. And if anyone can organize an effective search party, it’s him.”

  “I agree,” Soren replied.

  “I sense a but in there.”

  “Unfortunately, the way things look right now, the Navy’s hands may well end up tied.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Soren explained what little he knew about the disappearance. The distress beacon, the Valkyrie corvette, and the damage being consistent with a Komodo destroyer.

  “I see what you mean,” Jack said once Soren finished. He knew how the bureaucracy and politics worked behind the scenes. That’s why Soren had called him first. “The FUP will do everything they can to keep the situation quiet, and they won’t risk disturbing the peace over a research ship like Galileo, even if they can prove a supposed ally had something to do with it. The absurdity of that idea only makes it more likely the powers that be will ultimately do what they can to sweep it all under the rug.”

  “Adrian will want to help, to keep looking, but the odds that the search will continue for more than a week or two aren’t good.”

  “My thoughts exactly,” Jack said. “They’ll keep the whole mess quiet for now. If they find Galileo, they’ll make a big deal that it was lost in the line of duty, and they’ll come up with something to soothe the families involved.”

  “Nothing short of delivering Dana to my front door will soothe me,” Soren said.

  “I know. The CIP didn’t call you the Wraith for no reason. No matter how grim things looked, you always came back to haunt them.”

  “And I’ll do the same to the FUP if they force my hand,” Soren said. “I won’t let them sweep Dana and her crew under the rug. Whatever happened to them…it’s not something that can be ignored.”

  “Well, you have the connections. You know how to work through the proper channels. Its⁠—“

  “Jack,” Soren interrupted. “You know that’s not why I called you. I never rose beyond Captain because my heart and soul belonged in the black, not behind a desk. I’m a man of action, not words.”

  “Not unless those words lead to actions,” Jack said, eyes narrowing suspiciously. “So let’s get to the meat of it. What are you thinking?”

  “I think you already know what I’m thinking.”

  “You want to go look for her yourself.”

  "That’s right. Like we already concluded, the Navy will only take things so far. And that isn’t far enough. Not even close.”

  “I hear you, Soren. But I can’t see how you could find her when they can’t.”

  “They don’t have the same motivation. And they have limits. I don’t.”

  Jack released a heavy sigh. “You’re serious about this, aren’t you?”

  “I have to find her, Jack. I have to at least try. My heart is broken, and Janie…” he trailed off.

  “I understand. I have a son in the service, too. You called me because you need my help. So, what can I do for you?”

  “I need a ship,” Soren answered. “You have connections I don’t. I was hoping you might be able to help with the logistics.”

  Jack leaned back in his chair, swiping his hand over his mouth as he considered the request. Soren could almost see the wheels turning in his friend’s mind as he worked on the problem.

  “How much do you have in your retirement account?” Jack asked.

  “I was a Captain, so less than you,” Soren replied with a smirk. “And you know the Navy doesn’t give bonuses for confirmed kills.”

  “If they did, you’d be rich,” Jack agreed, shaking his head. “I’m sorry, Soren. I know how much this means to you, but even the smallest, oldest private starship with a jump drive, plus a crew, would run you thousands per week. Just judging by my bank account, you’d be out of cash within a month. Not to mention, civilian ships don’t have clearance to wander off into the Wolf system. If the Navy catches you out there, you’ll be done before you get started.”

  “I didn’t call you because I want to charter a civvie gawking tub,” Soren answered. “Please, Jack. My daughter is out there, along with a hundred other spacers. We have a duty to find them and bring them home.”

  “I’m on your side, my friend. Truly. But it seems that in this situation, your best bet is to wait and hope that Montoya comes through. I know it’s hard to sit on the sidelines, especially for you, but I can’t think of another way.”

  “Then you aren’t thinking hard enough,” Soren bristled. “Come on, Jack. You used to fulfill my requisitions for equipment the top brass never would have green-lit. You were deep in the supply chain. You know all the angles.”

  “Like you, I’m not on the inside anymore.”

  “Like me, you still have connections. What would you do if it were your son who was missing, instead of Dana?”

  Jack winced. “Even if I can find you a ship and somehow manage to slip it out of inventory without anyone noticing, which is a herculean task in itself, you’d still be short a crew.”

  “You’re my first call, Jack, not my last. All I’m asking you for is a ship. I’ll find a crew.”

  Jack fell silent, the wheels turning once more. Finally, he sighed deeply and nodded. “Okay, Soren. You win, as usual. It’ll take me a day or two to put something together, call in some favors, and hope my arthritic knuckles don’t freeze up from keeping my fingers crossed so tightly for so long. Start working on your crew, but let me know if you can’t get enough of a commitment to move forward so I don’t waste all of the goodwill I’ve built up on a lost cause.”

  “Sounds fair.”

  “And Soren, if this does go through, you’ll need to move fast. Making a pencil vanish from inventory is one thing. Disappearing an entire starship…this isn’t just our pensions we’re talking about. If even the smallest thing goes wrong, we’ll both spend the rest of our lives behind bars. Hell, the only reason I’m willing to even try this is because I owe you for the life of my boy.”

  “I didn’t save your son’s life,” Soren said.

  “Sure you did. His life and the life of every other son and daughter that’s joined the armed services in the last thirty years. Your exploits were key to ending the war, bonuses or not.”

  Soren had always seen what he’d done as duty, not heroism. But if it helped him bring Dana home, who was he to argue?

  “Thank you, Jack. I can’t even begin to tell you how much this means to me. Or how much I owe you. When the call comes, if it comes, I’ll be ready.”

  “I have no fear of that,” Jack replied. “I’ll be in touch soon.” He leaned forward to disconnect the comm unit.

  Soren leaned back, his eyes drifting to a framed photo on the wall. An image of him, Jane, Dana, and Alex converted from a holo and printed to hang. It had been taken the day they had moved into this house when Alex was only four years old. Two hours ago, it would have reminded him of how grateful he was for all that he had gained. Now…

  Gaze locking onto an eight-year-old Dana, her big smile like a jack-o-lantern was suddenly a stark reminder of what he may have lost.

  He looked away, keeping his emotions in check. Lost at the moment, but not for long. Not if he could help it. Maybe Jack had concerns about getting him a ship, but he wasn’t worried. The man could sell sand in the Gobi Desert. He could surely convince a few junior officers he still had leverage over to cook some books as a favor to the Wraith.

  He reached for the comm unit. As far as he was concerned, a ship was already a done deal.

  Now, he just needed a crew.

  CHAPTER 5

  Soren spent several hours making calls, contacting old friends and former crewmates, and hunting for at least a dozen former acquaintances who would agree to fill out his duty roster at minimal or zero pay. He knew it was a hard ask, especially since he couldn’t tell any of them precisely what he planned or why. He threw the entire scenario out in hypotheticals when they said they might be interested. The most important thing they needed to know was that they would be doing him a tremendous favor, and if they owed him anything, this would pay him back a hundred times over.

  It took him nearly eight hours to navigate his entire list. By the end of the day, he’d cycled through every former spacer he had kept in touch with, over a hundred in total, and came away with six names. It was half what he had hoped for. Barely enough to form a bridge crew. At the same time, he was grateful that a half dozen crazy fools were willing to follow him into the unknown.

  As the sun began to set, casting long shadows across his study, Soren finally leaned back in his chair, a headache raging behind his eyes, exhaustion tugging at his entire body. He would try to recruit a handful of contract civilian spacers in the morning. They would come cheaper than former military, and there wasn’t much difference between a merchant comm system and a FUPN array or a commercial jump drive and a military unit. Of course, he’d have to account for hazard pay, but he hoped to stretch his savings to keep them on for at least six months.

  He'd done what he could for now.

  A soft knock at the door pulled him from his thoughts. Jane stood in the doorway, a meek smile on her face. Her eyes remained red from crying, but she had pulled herself together enough to stay active.

  "I thought you might be hungry," she said, holding up a plate of sandwiches. "You've been in here all day."

  Soren's stomach growled, reminding him that he hadn't eaten since breakfast. He tried to smile, but instinct told him it came out as more of a grimace. "Thanks, sweetheart. I guess I lost track,” he said.

  "I figured.” Smiling faintly, she came forward, set the plate in front of him and perched on the edge of his desk, her eyes searching his face. "Did you find what you were looking for?" she asked softly.

  Soren nodded. "I think so. I have a crew. Or at least the beginnings of one. And Jack is working on finding me a ship."

  Jane smiled softly. "I knew you’d find help. You've always been able to make the impossible happen, Soren. It's one of the things I love most about you."

  Soren reached out, taking her hand in his. "You've always been my rock, my anchor. I don't know what I would do without you."

  Jane squeezed his hand. “I thought we went over that already at breakfast.”

  Soren laughed, quickly cutting it off. It felt wrong to find anything funny right now. Jane reacted almost the same way, as though she felt wrong for making a joke. They sat silently for a long moment, drawing strength from each other's presence.

  Finally, Jane stood, pulling Soren to his feet. "Come on. Let's do our best to get some rest. You’ll need your strength for what lies ahead.”

  Soren allowed himself to be led from his study, the weight of the day's events finally catching up to him. As he lay in bed that night, Jane curled against his side, he stared up at the ceiling, his mind still churning with plans and possibilities.

  He knew the road ahead would be difficult, fraught with danger and uncertainty. But he also knew that he would stop at nothing to find his daughter and bring her home safely.

  As he finally drifted off to sleep, his last thought floated through his mind, a promise whispered to the stars themselves.

  "I'm coming, Dana. Hold on, baby girl. I'm coming."

  The following day, Soren and Jane were up before the sun, neither having slept much. They packed his old duffel with necessities before placing his service uniform, which he had last worn more than ten years earlier, on top. Jane suggested breakfast, but neither was in the mood to eat, so they went into the study, each using their digital assistants to scan the Internet for potential hires.

  “I think maybe you should head over to the Dregs and ask around,” Jane suggested as daybreak lit the room through the open curtains. “You might be able to pick up a few revoked spacers looking for a gig.”

  “I’m not sure that’s the best idea. Anyone who’s had their spacefaring licenses canceled is bound to be more trouble than they’re worth.”

  “Just think about it; that’s all I’m asking. At the rates these contractors want, we’ll burn through our life savings within three months.”

  “No cost is too high for Dana.”

  “No, but the sooner we run out of money, the less time you can spend looking for her. I hope you track her down quickly, but we both know if it were that easy, the FUPN would have found her already.”

  “It’s a stretch, but depending on what Jack comes back with, I may be able to work with what I already have.”

  “As long as it’s smooth sailing. But how likely is that?”

  Soren glanced at her. Of course, she was right. “That’s why you’re the better half.” He continued staring at her, his resolve building. “Jack said I needed to be ready at a moment’s notice. If you think I should recon the Dregs near the spaceport for recruits, it’s best if I leave now.”

  Jane’s face paled, not quite ready to let him go. But her expression shifted almost immediately. It had been a long time, but she had sent him off to war before, and she remembered how to do it now. “I’ll get your bag,” she said, standing and leaving the study.

  Soren’s gaze returned to the photo on the wall, and he silently swore he would take another just like it once his family was reunited. He should never have gone so long without an update in the first place. Lingering on Dana one more time, he folded up his DA and stuck it in his pocket, meeting Jane at the front door.

  There, she held him tight, told him she loved him, and urged him to be careful and bring Dana home. He kissed her fiercely, pouring all his love and devotion into that one embrace before finally tearing himself away.

  As he walked toward his personal shuttlecraft waiting on the asphalt in front of the house, a strange sense of calm settled over him. This was what he was meant to do, what he had been born for: to protect, to serve, to fight.

  He climbed into the shuttle, settling into the pilot's seat. This was it. The beginning of his journey, the first step on the road to finding his daughter.

  He powered up the engines, the shuttle humming to life around him. With a final glance back at the house, at the peaceful life he was forced to leave behind, he activated the counter-gravity nacelles, engaged the thrusters and lifted off, the ground quickly falling away beneath him.

  Once upon a time, the Wraith had been the scourge of the Coalition of Independent Planets—the most hated man on the far side of the galaxy. Then he had retired, giving up his life as a warrior for a small house on quiet acreage with a nearby lake for fishing.

  Then someone had taken his child.

  The further he flew from home, the more steeled with resolve he became, the more he transformed. By the time he touched down in the shuttle landing zone of the Seattle Spaceport, Soren Strickland, Captain, FUPN Retired, had faded into the background.

  And the Wraith had returned.

  CHAPTER 6

  The Seattle Spaceport was a bustling hub of activity, a gateway to the stars for the countless ships and travelers that passed through its gates each day. But it wasn’t all gleaming terminals and sleek, modern spacecraft. There was another side to the port, a darker side. A seedy underbelly where the desperate and the downtrodden lived in squalor, subjected at all times to bright lights, the roar of thrusters building exit velocity, the heat and smoke and fumes.

  It was the kind of place where Navy spacers only went on a dare and never in uniform. The type of place outsiders hardly ever entered until they had nothing left. Housing for the unhoused but it came with a cost.

  It was into this world that Soren now ventured, his eyes hard and his jaw set with determination. He had misgivings about being there, but he’d learned a long time ago to give extra weight to Jane’s advice. Even quality spacers could end up down on their luck, their licenses revoked for any number of the tiniest infractions. And when they found themselves off a ship and out on the streets, they tended to stay near to what they loved in hopes of returning to their former lives. If his wife thought he might find what he was looking for here, then he was at least going to damn well try.

  He moved through the streets with his duffel slung over his shoulder, his eyes downcast but his posture confident and dangerous, so much so that the beggars shied away. He ignored the eyes glaring at him from the alleys, the propositions from the barely dressed women on the corners and the offers from the drug dealers in between.

  His first stop was a dingy bar on the outskirts of the port. Only a handful of people were in the dive when he entered and most looked like they were barely fit to stand, never mind taking on a job on a starship. He nearly turned and walked back out, not wanting to waste time in a place with so few prospects, but the bartender caught his eye before he could.

  “Thirsty, pal?” the bartender, a burly man with a gray beard and tattoos across his face, asked.