Home > Work > A Dark of Endless Days (Star Trails Tetralogy, #2)
1 " Past memories strobed before him, flashes of joy blackened by the present. Reality teased, then beckoned, home likewise. Confusion dimmed, the answer clear. This could end. Would end. In one of two ways. Still he refused, not ready for either. "
― Marcha A. Fox , A Dark of Endless Days (Star Trails Tetralogy, #2)
2 " Loneliness struck again, its force doubled by how much she wished it was her family there instead. Then oddly enough, she met the boy's stare and that feeling came again, that this was her family. "
3 " Dirck's thoughts wandered to Creena. It was a good thing she wasn't there or she'd die, too. He shuddered to think of how she'd feel when she got back and everyone was dead. He'd never see her again and there was so much he wanted to tell her. Now he'd never have a chance. "
4 " Red, orange and green geometric designs painted its body as well as the flimsy collar around its neck. The creature flicked its tail and blinked its deep-set eyes, apparently oblivious to their presence."That's a yraglian lizards," Deven whispered. "We need to stay back. They smell really bad if you upset them. I mean, really, really bad."Dirck nodded, unsurprised that the first native creature he encountered on Cyraria represented it so well. "
5 " Red, orange and green geometric designs painted its body as well as the flimsy collar around its neck. The creature flicked its tail and blinked its deep-set eyes, apparently oblivious to their presence."That's a yraglian lizard," Deven whispered. "We need to stay back. They smell really bad if you upset them. I mean, really, really bad."Dirck nodded, unsurprised that the first native creature he encountered on Cyraria represented it so well. "
6 " Dirck bolted to his feet and peered out the window. It wasn't a storm. It was worse. An armored transport had stopped outside. Seven commandos, maybe more, stepped from its confines, each in shielded yellow armor, hostile in Zinni's searing light. "
7 " [Southward and a little westA thousand kilometers at bestHere in Area Fifty-oneIs where they took us, all undone.Other ships are here as wellTheir fate, like ours, is sad to tell.] "
8 " Wow, you're quite a handful. You sure your parents didn't deliberately ship you off on that escape pod?'Much to his surprise, rather than a sarcastic retort his little charge locked huge, brown eyes on his like a frightened doe in the sights of his 30.06 and bit her lip as her eyes filled with tears.And at that very moment the term 'disarming' took on a whole new meaning and Jenkins knew he was toast. "
9 " But before either of them could move a sudden blast of energy shattered the car's rear window, sending glass fragments soaring through the morning air in a lethal wave of sparkling terror. "
10 " Moonlight cast its gentle light before her, highlighting everything from the burgeoning garden to where cut alfalfa lay in wakes of swerving shadows. She kicked through it thoughtfully, remembering the first time. "
11 " Dirck's mind hadn't stopped racing since the arrest. Why were the only dreams that came true nightmares? "
12 " Win demagnetized and then pried off the power chamber faring and tossed it aside. Then he started to laugh. And dance. And slap Dirck on the back. And dance some more. He was laughing so hard he was crying.'Hey,' Dirck said, the entertainment value of his friend's behavior rapidly depreciating. 'Don't you think we ought to do what we have to and get out of here, before they send another veke? "
13 " Dirck took a deep breath, refusing to believe what he'd seen as he exited to the core system, so rattled he almost logged out directly but caught himself just in time, instituting another surge of panic at what the consequences would have been. "
14 " More likely they'd already been identified by the transponder code required on all privately owned vehicles. They were as good as dead."Hold on," Win said. "I know how to lose these guys."With that he set him mouth in a grim line and banked sharply toward the canyon. "
15 " Psi technology had come far enough to use coercion, if necessary, as well as the usual inter-dimensional cloaking to avoid detection.And if she refused to come willingly, rather than force the issue he would do everything in his power to make sure she was stuck there for the rest of her life. "
16 " Win likewise lifted his visor, gaze steady in return. 'My unofficial duties are another story. Real unofficial. I'd have a record that would make your father's look like docking violations if I ever got caught. "
