“So, if the wreckage of theNerostill exists, there’s a good chance it hasn’t been disturbed.”
Justyn slung an arm over Nissa’s shoulders and looked at Dare and Rynan. “Nissa and I could take thePathfinderand?—”
Dare snorted. “And let us miss out on all the fun?”
“And let you go off and get into trouble again?” Rynan added.
God, he loved his brothers. “What are you going to do about the convoy?”
Dare glanced at the ships sitting behind theNomad. “They can stay here for a few extra days and wait for us to get back. None of them are in a huge rush. I’ll leave Aurina in charge to keep an eye on them. We’ll take theNomadwith crew only.”
“We need a few provisions.” Rynan pulled out his Sync. “We can be ready to leave in two hours.”
Justyn nodded. “Make it one hour, bro. I think we’d like to stay well ahead of Gunn.”
Nissa stoodwith her hands clamped on the back of the co-pilot’s chair on the bridge of theSky Nomad, her gaze glued to the viewscreen.
Justyn’s big body was sprawled in the chair in front of her like he didn’t have a care in the galaxy, but she saw that his gaze was focused intensely on the screen as well.
Sargasso had started out as a small green dot in the black vastness.
Now it filled the screen with a bright green that almost hurt the eyes. She knew that inside there, somewhere, was a small, rocky core. The rest of the planet consisted of gases—mainly hydrogen and helium.
“Running scans now,” Rynan said.
She squeezed the chair again and this time, Justyn’s hand covered hers. “Deep breath, sweetheart.”
“I’m fine.” They had to find something. It had to be there. This was no longer just an adventure, or about saving her father’s commendation. It was about the stability of the galaxy, about the truth behind a priceless piece of history, and about a long-ago space farer named Anderson Chan.
Rynan tapped at his screens, then began cursing steadily under his breath.
“What?” Justyn demanded.
“Radiation. It’s screwing up the scans. Sargasso has an extremely strong magnetic field and it produces really intense radiation belts around the planet.”
“Might be the reason so many ships were lost around here.” Nissa frowned. “Can you see anything on the scans?”
“Some echoes and shadows. Nothing’s clear.” Rynan tapped the screen in a rapid sequence. “But one thing is certain. There’s a moon.”
“Any sign of wreckage on its surface?” Dare asked. He was leaning against the wall, a frown on his face.
“I just can’t tell. The moon doesn’t have much of an atmosphere, it has very low gravity, and the surface is smooth and covered in cracks. My best guess is it’s covered by a frozen ocean.”
“Shit,” Justyn said. “Even if theNerocrashed on the moon, it might be buried who knows how far down.”
Nissa wanted to scream. To get this close and still not find the ship…her hands curled into fists.
“Wait, I have an idea.” Rynan pressed a button and activated the comm system. “Elana, you able to tear yourself away from the medbay to come to the bridge?”
A feminine snort. “I live to obey your commands, boss. What do you need? Someone hurt?”
“No. I need your expertise reading old scans.”
A pause. “Hmm. Now I’m intrigued. I’ll be up in a minute.”
“Elana’s your medic, right?” Nissa asked. “How come you want her to read messed-up scans?”
“She was raised on an ice-mining ship in the Scandia quadrant. Her family’s been ice mining for centuries. They scan suitable frozen moons and planets for mineral-packed ice, and apparently older scanners show the minerals better, if you know what you’re looking for. If anyone can tell us what’s on Sargasso’s moon, it’s Elana.”
