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planet.
    He scanned the most recent headlines. The government, led by Steve Hall, was slowly rebuilding the economy and those areas that had been destroyed during the civil war. Thousands were still homeless, however, and nearly a million were without jobs.
    Every few weeks, an act of sabotage or an assassination would be attempted. There were still many from the former military and government who were loyal to the old regime. James Miller, as commander of Edaline’s armed forces, was busy not only dealing with hostile elements within the military but also with policing the streets.
    Crime was at an all-time high due to the lack of jobs and the large number of people left homeless. The people of Edaline were desperate. Few went out after dark because of the roaming gangs who preyed on those weaker than them. In some parts of Agrona, Edaline’s capital, sporadic turf wars were fought between gangs trying to control their neighborhoods. A lot of military equipment had gone missing during the civil war; these gang battles were often deadly and destructive.
    Sullivan sighed. It would take a long time for Edaline to recover. He flipped over to another article. Here, at last, was some positive news. A biologist from the University of Agrona named Vijay Bhargava had made an expedition into the cave networks in the jungle surrounding the city and had determined that the Squamata population was beginning to recover. The large, reptilian creatures had been nearly wiped out by Edaline’s previous government, but the new administration had taken a position of strict non-interference. Much of the jungle had been set aside as a nature preserve, restricting development on Edaline but preserving the planet’s biological diversity.
    As he read, Sullivan learned that, not surprisingly, some had opposed this decision, stating that now more than ever, Edaline needed development if the planet’s economy was to recover. Prime Minister Hall had pointed to Faris as an example of a planet with both a thriving economy and strong environmental protections. It was Faris, Hall argued, that Edaline should look to as a model. His plan, called Edaline’s Dawn, was highly ambitious. Despite his personal differences with Steve Hall, Sullivan knew that he was right. As he read over the plan, he could find little to argue with.
    Sullivan closed the news feed and looked out into the blackness of hyperspace. He’d had six months of rest on Silvanus, six months to be with Kate. He’d known that the Alexander family’s friends wouldn’t be able to keep the Bureau at bay forever; he’d know that he was still a wanted man. But for six months, he’d been able to rest physically, if not mentally or emotionally. But now, with Frank lying and stealing away to Edaline, all of Sullivan’s old rage had bubbled back to the surface. He felt like the lost, angry man he’d been when he’d killed Representative Palmer back on Earth. He felt like he could break at any moment, and he didn’t know how much more strain he could take. If it continued for much longer, he was afraid he would begin lashing out at Kate.
    He thought about what Kate had said to him. Should he just let Allen go? Should he have Hammond reroute the ship for Faris? No. The hyperspace entities were using Allen to lure Sullivan, he was sure of it. He had to play their game for the time being, if only to keep Kate safe. It was possible they could do something to her if he didn’t cooperate. But there was more than that. He owed Frank Allen his life. And despite Allen’s deception, Sullivan owed him his loyalty. It would mean letting the old Rick Sullivan loose again, to do what he did best. And even if doing that ended up costing him dearly, Sullivan would not abandon his friend.

II: BETRAYAL

9
     
    BROTHER PETER HADN’T told Brother Mark about his vision that day. But now a week had passed, and he found himself growing anxious. Every night, as he closed his eyes to go to sleep, the same image