3013: SALVATION (3013: The Series Book 5) Read Online Free PDF

hours, so we’ll be moving as soon as it docks.”
    “Commander Archer informed me,”
Skylar confirmed. “I’ll go pack as soon as we are done here.”
    “Good. The Stargazer will
be our base of operations until further notice, since it will allow us to
travel wherever this mission takes us. We’ll pick Dom and Arik up tonight, and
hold our briefing first thing tomorrow morning. In the interim, there is
something I believe we need to discuss.”
    “Sir, about today—”
    Jax raised a hand, cutting Skylar
off mid-sentence.
    “Today wasn’t your fault, Sky,”
he said with a sigh. By using her first name he dropped the formality of the
meeting, switching it to a more personal level that left her feeling more at
ease. “I’m aware that these incidents are rarely your fault, but we still have
to deal with the aftermath. That is part of why we are having this meeting, but
the main reason is there is some cause for concern about your participation in
this upcoming mission.”
    Skylar bristled with indignation
at that. “Sir, my record stands—”
    “Drop the damn sirs, would you?”
Jax snapped out. “Yes, your record stands, Sky. But the Council of Regents have
every right to question your involvement when this mission will most likely
take us to Tartarus. Hold on, a few of the council members have requested to
speak with you directly.”
    As Jax sent the call through,
Skylar took a few deep breaths to level out her emotions. Unlike other elite
females, Skylar hadn’t been tested when she turned ten. Stars, she hadn’t even
been born on Earth, but on the hostile planet called Tartarus.
    No, not born.
    She had been forged there.
    Known as the Dark Planet,
Tartarus sat at the edge of Alliance regulated space. It was a world that had
frequent electrical storms and was home to volatile inhabitants known as the
Lords of War. The Tarins were a barbaric, demon-like race that fed off the
energy of others. They lived off the blood-lust they got when in battle, or the
energy and strength they received during sexual release.
    These energy vampires existed
under a feudal system. Centuries ago, the Tarins had gone to war with Earth,
but their swords were no match for humans and their more advanced weaponry. For
years after the war, the Tarins had closed off their planet, choosing to remain
isolated instead of allowing interference from other species. Now, the Tarins
held a tentative truce with the Alliance, although they were still considered a
hostile ally. The Alliance traded with the Tarins for a mineral they had on
their planet that was used for high-powered jump drives installed in Alliance
space vessels.
    Because the Tarins were still
fighting a civil war, all visitors were carefully documented. There was only
one Alliance colony on Tartarus, nicknamed the Hades Outpost, and it was almost
impossible to get clearance to visit the planet. There was a faction of lords who
prided themselves on their harems of slaves, while the other half fought for
the equality needed to officially have a treaty with the Alliance.
    It was at the Hades Outpost where
Skylar’s life had truly begun.
    “Regent Newgate. Regent Spartan.”
    Jax’s voice brought Skylar back
to the moment, and she turned her head to look at the large viewing screen on
the wall. The faces of two men stared back at her, both of them wearing the
black uniforms with red sleeves that declared them members of the Council of
Regents.
    “Jax. Officer Aris.” Regent Ian Spartan’s
face was so much like his son’s, it was like seeing a glimpse of what Jax would
look like in the future. “Skylar, we’re sorry to have to speak with you about
this, but we feel it’s necessary.”
    This time, the use of her name made
her guard go up. Yes, she knew Regent Spartan on a personal level, but he had
never used that fatherly tone with her when dealing with Alliance business
before. It didn’t bode well for her.
    “As Jax will inform everyone during
the mission briefing