As soon as Abigail stepped outside the house, she knew something was wrong. She no longer stood alone, although she couldn’t see anyone else around her in the immediate proximity. How could she know? Nevertheless, she felt certain.

Wade received the report only a day after it happened. He was in his private chambers on Axis. The words were clear and easy to understand, but he had trouble processing them just the same.

Abdullah stood in the conference hall in front of his seven chosen officers, arms folded behind his back. He surveyed their uniforms to ensure they were pressed and clean. Pristine.

Vivian watched the equipment vendor, a heavyset man with three chins and fading hair, as he disappeared into the spaceport crowd. He’d just finished setting things for the final goods to be loaded onto the Cudgel.

Maven sat in front of the terminal aboard the warship Eisle, stunned by the report she was receiving and trying hard not to laugh. “They did what?”

Jayson heard the train before he saw it. It started as a rumbling, just enough to shake the ground.

“You’re sure?” “That’s the sixth time you asked me that question, Jim. Do I need to draw you a picture?”

“What’s he doing?” Yeol whispered, tilting his head to the side with a frown. His eyes were locked on the spectacle in front of him. His face was a mask of awe tinged with fear as he watched the robed figures move about the courtyard.