19 Chess
“I can find my way back to IAS by myself,” Mohan said. “I don’t need an escort, but thank you.”
Apparently I do, Alex thought.
Knox shook Mohan’s hand. “You done good.”
“Thank you, sir.”
Mohan was only a year or two older than Alex, and Alex had far more experience in the landing docks. Why did Knox trust Mohan but not Alex? The hairs lifted on the back of Alex’s neck. With Knox’s respect and one last glance at TrysKa, Mohan left Maverick for IAS.
Maverick jumped from NT Cinco to the planet Aurora. The massive sphere spun on its axis, a desert of black dotted with gigantic bubbles of green and blue life. TrysKa piloted the ship to the Tolstoy space station, specifically the branch of the space city that was the Nichev Company’s landing dock.
After getting clearance, TrysK
