“This sucks,” I said forlornly as I watched the recording feeds of my team members as they descended into the deep abyss of Mine Shaft Seven.

  It had been decided, not by me of course, that I would be staying tucked away securely in the administration building while the rest of the team went into the mine. Each of the members wore a circular device high on their chests, just below the shoulder, that were holo-recorders, so I could at least get a real-time feed of their exploration. It wasn’t the same as being there, but at least I could observe everything they discovered.

  “It’s a reasonable precaution,” Markus replied, standing beside me in the small control room Governor Korrel had arranged for our use. I stood in front of a wall of holo projections. There were currently six of them activated for the members who’d gone into the mine, which included the two Pledges. Lieutenant Quinton had opted to stay behind to observe the data stream that would be sent as soon as they ran across any firestone deposits.

  “We don’t know what they might encounter down there,” Markus continued. “I know the Governor says there hasn’t been an animal attack or cave-in down in that mine in a while, but it’s been known to happen far more frequently than in the other mines.”

  “Yep,” I said as I crossed my arms and kept my eyes fixed on the feeds. Commander Leyva’s camera was already showing a steep downward shaft as Chief Vossner led them down. The rock walls were reinforced with metal beams at regular intervals. The lighting was dim, with only emergency strips providing illumination and a white glow from the luminary rods some of the team carried.

  “It may be a reasonable precaution,” I admitted grudgingly, “but I still don’t like it. At least you let the two Pledges go down with them for protection instead of staying here to babysit me.”

  Markus looked around the small room as if seeing it for the first time, but I knew he and Gayle had already given this room and the surroundings ones a good inspection before he allowed my other guards to leave with the team. The only way Markus said he’d let them go was if he was happy that I was secured in the building until everyone got back.

  He also had Gayle outside walking the facility perimeter, as well as insisting that Governor Korrel and the rest of his staff call it an early day and go home with us reaching out if anything was needed. That was the price of my request for half of my guard to go with the team, and considering that Vossner was leading the them, I thought it worth the cost and kept quiet as my Protector issued his proclamations. I still didn’t trust the Chief, and I was pretty sure Markus was in agreement.

  Vossner hadn’t been very vocal since our last talk, but as he gathered up the scientist to take them on their excursion, I could definitely feel the engineer was jittery about something. He also seemed unusually eager to get everyone underground as quickly as possible, which only added to my unease.

  I watched the feed from Dax Ferran’s camera, which revealed the Specialist’s nervousness as it constantly shifted between the narrow walls of the tunnel and the backs of the people ahead of him. Dax seemed acutely aware of the confined space, his breathing audible through the audio feed as they descended deeper into the mine.

  “He’s not doing well,” Markus observed, leaning closer to the holo-projection. “First time in a deep mine for him, I think.”

  I snorted. “I’m pretty sure it’s the first time for everyone, Markus.”

  “Actually, I’ve been in a mine twice before. I can say from experience that it can be overwhelming, especially when you’re going as deep as they are now,” Quinton spoke up from her station behind us. She’d been so quiet I’d forgotten she was in the room.

  I shot the Lieutenant a curious look over my shoulder. “Really? When?”

  The woman shrugged as she closely watched the data streams on her four holographic monitors linked to scanners that each of the scientists carried with them, not that they were showing much information yet. It looked like they were still a ways from the first deposit.

  “I can’t really talk about them since they are attached to the classified project I was working on before coming here, but I can tell you the first time was three years ago and the second only a few months after that.”

  I nodded at the feeds in front of me. “Then why didn’t you go down there? You seem to have more experience at this than them, and you are the one that got us going on this particular project idea.”

  The woman shook her head. The ginger-colored curls bounced about as she did so. “That’s exactly why I had to stay up here. I’m the one with the most knowledge about RP3––I mean, firestone––and its properties. It makes more sense for me to guide from here. I can monitor all their feeds at once to let them know if they need to adjust their instruments or they’re getting close to a useful deposit. I can also be analyzing the data while they are searching and save us some of that time as well.”

  “So what you’re really saying is that I’m distracting you?” I couldn’t help but throw out there with a small grin.

  The woman’s cheeks blushed a bright red, causing her to look more her age, but then she ducked her head away as if busy with her scanner so as not to look at me. She did not respond to my question.

  I heard a snort from beside me. I looked at Markus. My Protector grinned and shook his head.

  “What?” I mouthed, not sure why exactly I hadn’t said it out loud.

  Markus leaned in close and whispered so only I could hear. “She could use some distraction. She’s more wrapped up in all her data than the rest of the team, and that’s saying a lot, because you’re whole research group has been going at it for nearly three months straight.”

  “What we are doing is important and even urgent,” I replied defensively and slightly over a whisper.

  “I get that, Adar,” Markus still kept his voice low. “But it wouldn’t hurt to take some time off, but why am I saying this to you? You are just as bad as they are. Between working with the team and the training with Dur-ele to prepare you for your presentation to the Empire, you barely get any sleep. Would it really hurt to take some time off? Or maybe ask someone for a dinner for two?” As he said this last part, he nodded his head toward Quinton.

  I blinked at Markus as it took a minute for his suggestion to register, and when it did, I felt heat creep up my neck. I shot my friend a sharp look, then glanced toward Lieutenant Quinton, who remained hunched over her monitors with determined focus. The woman’s shoulders seemed more rigid than usual, and I wondered if she’d overheard Markus. I grabbed Markus’s arm and marched him out of the room.

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  It wasn’t until the door closed behind us and I was sure the corridor was empty that I spoke. “Are you seriously trying to get me to hook up with Lieutenant Quinton?”

  “Hooked up?” Markus said with a puzzled look on his face.

  I blew out a breath as I tried to move past the frustration growing inside me. Sometimes I forgot that even though I was speaking the Ethian language, some of my Earth sayings did not translate well. I also didn’t understand why the heck Markus was bringing this up all of a sudden and in the middle of an operation.

  “It means to date, to get with someone with the intention of being intimate.”

  Markus nodded enthusiastically. “Yep, that’s exactly what I mean.”

  I exhaled loudly, and I pinched my nose, trying not to lose my temper. “Why are you even suggesting that, and now of all times? Don’t you think it is an inappropriate time for this kind of conversation?”

  “You’re the one who brought me out to the hall, so since we are here at least now I get a chance to talk to you. It’s kind of difficult to do when you work from the moment you get up until you finally decide you’ve had enough and try to get a few hours of sleep. You even work through all your meals. It wouldn’t hurt to take a few hours off for some social time, you know.”

  He wasn’t wrong. I had been hitting it pretty hard the last few months. I didn’t help that I had regular calls from my father every week giving me a not so gentle reminder of my obligation to keep up with my training so that I would be ready to take up my role as an Imperial Agent. It was an important step before becoming the Ascendant and the next in line as Emperor.

  “Fine. You are right. Maybe I do need a break. I’ve had a lot of demands on my time, but I will endeavor to build in some more downtime.”

  “And hook up with that pretty Lieutenant engineer?” Markus asked with a raised eyebrow.

  I gave a heavy sigh. “I am totally going to regret teaching you that expression, aren’t I? And why her?”

  “Why not? She’s beautiful, and she likes you.”

  “What? How could you possibly know that?” I put up a hand. “You know what? Never mind. It would be inappropriate. I’m her boss.”

  The unity ring on my wrist chirped to let me know I had an incoming voice call and effectively interrupting Markus’s response. I certainly wasn’t sad about that. I raised my arm and spoke into the ring’s microphone, though it was so sensitive, it could have picked me up from across the room. The ring was keyed to my DNA and the sound of my voice, so would only activate for me, anyway. “Go ahead.”

  “Highness, I wanted to let you know that the team just reached the first firestone deposits,” the soft lilting of Lieutenant Quinton responded.

  “Thank you. I’ll be right there.”

  I waited a moment to make sure that she had disconnected before addressing my Protector. “Well, at least one of us is doing our jobs. Can I get back to mine?”

  “By all means. Don’t let me keep you from a complete burnout.” Markus then raised a hand to indicate I could indeed enter back into the control room.

  I shook my head at him and decided I really didn’t have time to argue with him right now, and I nearly stopped in my tracks as I realized I probably would have to schedule time to do that too, which only proved his point.

  “Damn it all to hell,” I muttered to myself as I stepped back into the room.

  “What was that?” Markus asked with a knowing look on his face.

  I shot him a glare as I stepped back in front of the wall of holographic displays. Every member of the team had their attention fixed on a particular segment of the cavern where crimson nodules protruded from the obsidian-like stone.

  “Looks like a decent-sized deposit of firestone. Let’s set up here and get some readings,” I heard Commander Leyva float over the open comms channel linking the group to each other and my observation station.

  I rested my chin in my left hand as I watched the team start to pull their equipment from their packs. Dax’s hands were shaking so bad I was afraid he might drop the incredibly expensive device he was currently pulling out of his pack, and it would probably be a whole day before we could get a new one transported in from the Vanguard headquarters at Vega Prime. We’d lose critical time waiting for a replacement—and without its detailed molecular breakdown of the firestone samples, our entire mission timeline would be compromised.

  “Dorn, maybe you can help Dax. The olthometer is heavy,” I said, giving a gentle suggestion.

  The Lieutenant turned from his task and rushed over to help Dax when he saw the problem. I was relieved when the machine was placed on the unfolded table that Specialist Lovet had just set up. I gave Markus a side-eye, who was currently shaking his head.

  I muted our side of the communications. “Crisis averted.”

  “For now,” Markus replied. “We should get him out of there before he puts the whole mission and team in jeopardy. How did he possibly pass basic training if he can’t handle a little dark and enclosed spaces?” the man said with open contempt.

  “Be nice, Markus. He’s normally very brilliant at this job. We are all allowed a flaw or two. And it’s not like I need him crawling underneath a planet’s crust every day.”

  I shifted my attention back to the holo-projections, eyes fixed on the chaotic movement as the team began their work in the mine. The interplay of shadows danced across the cavern’s jagged walls, and I could hear the faint echo of their voices, a mixture of excitement and anxiety filtering through the comms I had unmuted. The only two views that were relatively calm were from the two Pledges who had taken up as watchers on each side of the team and were on the lookout for wild animals that sometimes wandered into the mines looking for food, water, or shelter. They had also been given a quiet suggestion by Markus before they left to keep an eye out for Vossner.

  I wished once again that I was down there with them, but kept my frustration to myself as I watched the proceedings, keeping a careful eye on Dax. The man was only getting more nervous, and I was afraid I would have to pull him sooner rather than later, but he knew how to work the olthometer better than the others. I decided to hold off at least until we got the first readings, but I could at least prep the stage for Dax Ferran’s exit.

  “Commander Leyva, can we switch to private comms for a moment?” I said.

  There was a small click, indicating the switchover. “Yes, Highness. Is something wrong?”

  I double––checked that I was indeed only speaking to her. “I’ve been closely monitoring Specialist Ferran from here, and I’m a little concerned he might soon be a problem. Who is the best person to replace him on the olthometer?”

  She blew out a breath. “I would say Lieutenant Quinton and after that maybe myself. The others haven’t done much geological work.”

  “I know you already have your hands full down there, but you need to be ready to take over for Dax. In fact, after you get the first readings, you should send him back up.”

  “Copy that,” I could hear the strain in her voice as she replied. “We’ll manage, Highness.” The determination that colored her last words was encouraging. Though the Commander had a knack for getting things done, especially under an impressive amount of stress, that was something I had come to appreciate in my second in command.

  The echo of the team’s chatter faded as I leaned closer to the holo-projections, my focus sharpening on the scene unfolding in the mine. The dim light flickered across the rock walls, casting eerie shadows, while the sound of clinking gear filled the air. I could almost feel the weight of the earth pressing down around the team, a pressure that seemed to seep through the holographic interface.

  It wasn’t long, though, before Dorn had cut off a piece of the trapped firestone and handed it over to Dax. Naturally, the Specialist immediately dropped it, and the red stone broke apart as it hit the cavern floor. Markus sighed heavily beside me.

  Commander Leyva was busy using a hand scanner to get readings on the mineral and the surrounding rock it was embedded in, and Lovet was still fiddling with another device laid out on the makeshift table, so it was Dorn who stooped down to pick up the pieces and handed them back to Dax.

  The man then loaded the now three distinct pieces into the top of the olthometer. There was just enough room to fit them in the machine. Dax turned it on, and even through the live feed, the whirling hum of the olthmeter could be distinctly heard. Moments ticked by as we all waited to receive the results before I heard Quinton speak up from behind.

  “Well, that’s certainly interesting.”