Page 91 of New World

Andri smiled.

Victory was within his grasp.

Mei paused at the top of the cliff, turning to look down at the ruins of Dorane’s childhood home. The canyon walls cast jagged shadows over the remains of stone dwellings long since ravaged by time and war. Mei’s gaze traced the skeletal outlines of what had once been a thriving village, now buried beneath layers of dust and memory. The village stood in stark defiance of the horrors it had endured, a ghost of what had been, yet still standing.

Sergi, Dorane, and Ash had moved Zoak’s body, depositing it outside the entrance to the village. Dorane hadn’t wanted the assassin’s body left in the village, much less near his family. He had said the body would be gone within a few days once the predators in the area scented the decaying corpse.

She could feel Dorane’s tension beside her as they approached La’Rue’s freighter. Under the invisibility paint, Mei knew the ship was an imposing, sleek vessel. Currently, it was a predator cloaked in shadow, barely perceptible even as they neared it.

The moment Mei stepped inside the freighter’s dimly lit interior, she felt a familiar presence—a presence that sent warmth surging through her chest.

“Josh.” Her voice was barely above a whisper.

She moved, crossing the distance in a heartbeat. Josh barely had time to open his arms before she hit him full force, wrapping her arms around his waist and hugging him tightly to her. He laughed as he caught her, spinning her in a brief circle before setting her back down.

“Damn, Mei,” he muttered, his voice thick with emotion. “You don’t know how good it is to see you.”

She pulled back, studying his face—more battle-worn, but still Josh. He was more than the commander of the Gliese, he was her friend. Josh’s eyes gleamed with relief.

“I promise you, seeing you and the others—I can’t tell you how much that means to me,” she said.

“You were safe?”

Mei nodded. “As much as I could be in an alien world. I was lucky. I found a good friend who helped me.”

Josh breathed a sigh of relief and nodded, looking over her shoulder. “Yeah, me too.”

Her gaze shifted as she noticed the woman standing behind her. The woman was poised, confident, and from the expression in her eyes as she gazed back at Josh, very much in love with the commanding officer of the Gliese.

“Hi,” Mei greeted with a smile.

Cassa inclined her head, her lips quirking in amusement. “The last of the Ancient Knights have been found. I’m Cassa de Rola. Josh has told me much about you.”

Mei stepped away from Josh. “I’m Mei. It is a pleasure to meet you. What kind of stuff?”

Josh chuckled. “Legendary, terrifying—take your pick.”

Cassa grinned. “He said you were brilliant and always outsmarting Sergi.”

“All true,” Mei replied with a wave her hand when Sergi snorted and gave Josh an offended glare.

“Oh, that is a challenge, pandochka. You should know better than that,” Sergi teased.

Mei stuck her tongue out at Sergi and turned to Dorane when he stiffened, lifting his hand to his ear. She watched as he glanced at the group.

“We’ll be ready. Secure the settlement,” Dorane ordered into his commlink before looking up at the rest of them. “We have two Legion troop transports incoming. Estimated time of arrival: thirty minutes. Andronikos is with them,” he stated.

The room fell into immediate focus. Josh’s easy demeanor vanished, replaced by the sharp precision of a warrior. Dorane stepped forward, his voice calm but edged with steel as he lifted a small disk. A holographic map appeared with two red moving dots.

“Sweet. How are you doing this? Is it real time?” Ash muttered, leaning in to peer at the map.

“Yes, it’s real-time. A couple of my crew placed trackers on the transports when they arrived,” Dorane explained.

“Finally, we’ll get to kill the bastard,” Sergi muttered.

Roan studied the map before he looked at Dorane. “He knows we are here?”

Dorane nodded. “Yes. He killed a farmer and was about to kill a boy.”

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