Read Nova for Free Online

skin and
sparse, short frames typical of their species.
    “Mm…captured. No match, Major.” Adeline answered.
    “I think it’s time for us to switch positions.” Serros offered
after several more minutes of unobtrusive surveillance.
    “Agreed.”
    The two moved further through the club, discretely leaving
tiny micro–imagers behind as they carved an erratic path, tagging bars, walls,
even the jackets of other club–goers, all to expand their visual recognition
net. Two and a half hours had passed, and yet they still hadn’t been able to
locate their targets despite having spotted close to thirty Vosaia and half–a–hundred
Irdoi.
    “Captain, Major, we seem to have a hit on the information
broker. Odass is loitering on the fourth level, near the second dance floor. No
sign of the Vosaia.” Adeline informed, contained excitement clear even through
the metallic sounding ear ‘ceiver.
    “Well done, A. We’re making our way now.” Serros answered.
    The two Quorum Shields slowly traveled up, deliberately
pausing along the way to make the journey appear natural. When they made the
fourth level, Hadarr grabbed Serros’s hand and led her to the dance floor near
their target, close enough to see him but not close enough to appear to be
looking.
    A few minutes later, the Captain spied their first target.
Odass’s skin was a mossy color, his protruding, round eyes a similar hue. His
pebbly scalp was slightly darker and he wore gold ear brackets on his right
ear. Odass was dressed in light tan and dark red synth and seemed perfectly at
ease as he sat in a plum–colored lounge booth. The Irdoi broker certainly
wasn’t alone, for Avara could spot at least four guards attempting to not look like protection, and doing a very poor job of it; another Irdoi, a Gorath,
and two Humans.
    “Still no lock on Z’arr.” Lieutenant Commander Adeline’s
voice again came over the Shields’ receivers, offering an update without being
asked.
    “Got it, A.” Captain Serros responded.
    “You know, you’re actually quite good at this.” Hadarr remarked
a few minutes later, half–shouting to be heard.
    Serros laughed at that. “Surprised?”
    “Well, yes, a bit. Your record suggests that to Humans,
you’re the ‘soldier’s soldier,’ so to speak. Sadly, that kind of reputation
usually means a life that allows little time for anything else for the shorter
lived races of the galaxy.”
    Avara Serros made a deliberate choice to be good natured
about the comment, accepting the back–handed compliment rather than the insult
implicit in the Major’s words. “Well, us shorter lived species may surprise you
from time to time.”
    “So I see.”
    Again, Serros got the distinct impression that the Major was
studying her, and just for an instant, she felt an inkling of intense
curiosity, then once more, Goyan Hadarr’s emotions were entirely barricaded with
surprising skill and ease. Avara had never met another that could so completely
close–off to her Arca Synergy enhanced empathic senses. It was a somewhat
disquieting sensation.
    Approximately twenty minutes later, Adeline’s voice sounded
once more, tone simultaneously perplexed and concerned. “Captain, all of the
micro–imagers you and the Major placed just went dark.”
    “Is it an issue on our end?” Serros asked, raising her arms to
match the syncopated beat pounding across the dance floor.
    “No, Captain.”
    “It means Z’arr is here.” Serros and Hadarr said in unison,
looking at each other with faint humor at the realization.
    “And she has enacted counter measures to possible
surveillance.” Major Hadarr continued, looking wryly at Serros.
    “Do you think it means she’s marked us?” The Captain asked.
The thought was a worrisome one.
    “Unlikely. As I said, she’s very intelligent. I strongly
believe she’s just being cautious.”
    “I can confirm now that the micro–imagers were hacked and
disabled.” Diana Adeline updated.
    “Can you