Humankind has found the stars - and forgotten the coordinates of their home planet. Then Hana does the impossible and gets pregnant. Her mother's predictions ringing in her ears, she sets out to find humanity's lost cradle. She only has a myth to gu...
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Squeezed between two large packing crates smelling of Squi'na turd, Sanju peeked around a corner and down the aisle, xeir finger on the trigger of the stunner. Only seconds, now, until the catch of the day. Xeir heartbeat accelerated and xe glanced at the golden tracker droid who hovered in the next aisle to the left, ready to back xem up. The little droid had been an irreplaceable help these last few days. Sanju waved it on, pointing to where the fugitive mining bot hid in the far corner to the right of the warehouse, before xe moved in the same direction with cautious steps.
Before Sanju got into stunning range of xeir prey, a sharp hiss cut through the stuffy warehouse air and the door of the storage bay slid wide open to let in the grey daylight. Sanju whirled around, drawing the needle gun and diving for cover behind a stack of empty crates. But when xe recognised the tall figure in the entrance, xe let xeir arm drop. Disappointment washed like an icy wave through the Hiwjshi's system as xe stood up.
"Makuy. What's your business on Paghūṛā?"
The older Hiwjshi stepped from xeir hover sleigh, an elegant vehicle in the colours of the local rental company. Xeir crest glowed a triumphant ruby and xeir lips pulled back into a sneer. "I'm wrapping up the job before you find a way to mishandle it, rinja."
Sanju hated being called a baby. Makuy might be almost 250 Hiwa planetary years old and xeir senior by several life cycles, but this didn't give xem the right to call anyone names.
"This job was assigned to me, Makuy, so bugger off. I'm about to arrest the target now, and I don't need your help."
Makuy only smiled—a very condescending and predatory smile. Sanju felt the anger rise and burn orange on xeir cheek scales.
The mining bot took advantage of its hunter's distraction and broke free from its hiding place. On clattering crawlers, it swatted a stack of empty crates aside. They tumbled over and almost buried Sanju's tracker droid. The golden sphere zipped away but got hit by the mining bot's next punch. Sanju winced when the droid wobbled in midair, then caught itself and stabilised with quivering antennae.
