{"id":24,"date":"2015-05-18T03:10:33","date_gmt":"2015-05-18T03:10:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.fivemoons.org\/?page_id=24"},"modified":"2025-11-21T20:48:24","modified_gmt":"2025-11-22T01:48:24","slug":"five-moons-convolute","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.fivemoons.org\/?page_id=24","title":{"rendered":"Five Moons: Convolute"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/B08CP7GW68?ref_=dbs_m_mng_rwt_calw_tkin_1&amp;storeType=ebooks\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-981 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fivemoons.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/5Moons-Convolute-eBook-Cover.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"396\" height=\"595\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.fivemoons.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/5Moons-Convolute-eBook-Cover.jpg 1600w, https:\/\/www.fivemoons.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/5Moons-Convolute-eBook-Cover-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.fivemoons.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/5Moons-Convolute-eBook-Cover-683x1024.jpg 683w, https:\/\/www.fivemoons.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/5Moons-Convolute-eBook-Cover-768x1152.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.fivemoons.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/5Moons-Convolute-eBook-Cover-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.fivemoons.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/5Moons-Convolute-eBook-Cover-1365x2048.jpg 1365w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 396px) 100vw, 396px\" \/><\/a>The <strong><em>Five Moons <\/em><\/strong>saga continues with <strong><em>Book 2: Convolute<\/em><\/strong> dropping you right into the middle of the action as the Syndicate\u2019s last mobsters hunt down a Special Forces agent in the streets of Habston, the biggest little city on quickly becomes a running gun battle as Dallas Blake and the crew of the Five Moons tries to save him.<\/p>\n<p>After Emma and Sophie unwind one of the alien mysteries of the ship, the Five Moons is enlisted by Special Forces to transport their agents to Daggan-7. But the alien technology of this ship is not about to give Dallas any breaks. In the worst of places, at the worst of times, he suddenly finds himself embroiled in yet another alien enigma with only a cryptic error message to give him a clue.<\/p>\n<p>Even so, the gut-wrenching twists and turns of fate don\u2019t quit for Dallas Blake and the crew of the Five Moons. Trying to escape from one villain, Dallas and crew fall right into the hands of yet another \u2014 Sarsen Tabbot, the Merc Commander responsible for the death of Dallas\u2019 whole family.<\/p>\n<p>Intertwined in this whole mess is a real spy-vs-spy story pitting Special Forces against an old nemesis, with Dallas and the crew of the Five Moons caught in the middle.<\/p>\n<p>If you love to hate a good villain, <strong><em>Five Moons: Convolute <\/em><\/strong>will give you a couple of real doozies to get your blood boiling. This story is as convoluted as it gets.<\/p>\n<h2>Sample Chapters down below<\/h2>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\">Please Purchase my Books from these fine retailers.<\/h2>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fivemoons.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/amazon_1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-1132 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fivemoons.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/amazon_1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"115\" height=\"40\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.fivemoons.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/amazon_1.jpg 899w, https:\/\/www.fivemoons.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/amazon_1-300x104.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.fivemoons.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/amazon_1-768x267.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 115px) 100vw, 115px\" \/><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/B08CP7GW68?ref_=dbs_m_mng_rwt_calw_tkin_1&amp;storeType=ebooks\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Five Moons: Convolute on Amazon as an eBook, Paperback, Hard Cover, or AudioBook<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fivemoons.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Book-Icon.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-1091 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fivemoons.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Book-Icon.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"74\" height=\"74\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.fivemoons.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Book-Icon.png 370w, https:\/\/www.fivemoons.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Book-Icon-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/www.fivemoons.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Book-Icon-150x150.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 74px) 100vw, 74px\" \/><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Five-Moons-Convolute-Book-2\/dp\/B08CPHFTK8\/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&amp;qid=&amp;sr=\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>\u00a0Paperback Version at Amazon<\/strong><\/a><\/h4>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Buy this book on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.smashwords.com\/books\/view\/1031899\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1117\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fivemoons.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Smashwords.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"48\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h5 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/books.apple.com\/us\/book\/x\/id1522973918\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">APPLE<\/a><\/h5>\n<h5 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.barnesandnoble.com\/s\/2940164181628\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Barnes &amp; Noble<\/a><\/h5>\n<h5 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gardners.com\/Search\/KeywordAnonymous\/eBook?Keyword=9781005020637\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Gardiners<\/a><\/h5>\n<h5 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/store.kobobooks.com\/en-us\/Search?Query=9781005020637\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Kobo<\/a><\/h5>\n<h5 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.scribd.com\/search?query=9781005020637&amp;language=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Scribd<\/a><\/h5>\n<h3><strong>Now available in audio book format <\/strong><strong>on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.audible.com\/pd\/B07DPVXL2Q\/?source_code=AUDFPWS0223189MWT-BK-ACX0-118904&amp;ref=acx_bty_BK_ACX0_118904_rh_us\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Audible.com<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Convolute-Five-Moons-Book-2\/dp\/B07DPW6VZJ\/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1529495430&amp;sr=8-2&amp;keywords=five+moons+convolute+bill+parker\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Amazon.com<\/a>, and in the <a href=\"https:\/\/itunes.apple.com\/us\/audiobook\/convolute-five-moons-book-2-unabridged\/id1400514558\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Apple iTunes Store.<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"\" class=\"bc-pub-block bc-image-inset-border js-only-element aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/m.media-amazon.com\/images\/I\/61eU8fMKPJL._SL500_.jpg\" alt=\"Convolute audiobook cover art\" width=\"225\" height=\"225\" aria-hidden=\"true\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Rated #1 New Release in Science Fiction and Fantasy by Amazon 3\/21\/2016!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-407\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fivemoons.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Convolute-Amazon-No-1-300x69.jpg\" alt=\"Convolute Amazon No 1\" width=\"439\" height=\"101\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.fivemoons.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Convolute-Amazon-No-1-300x69.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.fivemoons.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Convolute-Amazon-No-1.jpg 459w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 439px) 100vw, 439px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fivemoons.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Readers-Favorite-5star.jpg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-388\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-388 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fivemoons.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Readers-Favorite-5star-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"Readers Favorite 5star\" width=\"124\" height=\"124\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.fivemoons.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Readers-Favorite-5star-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.fivemoons.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Readers-Favorite-5star-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.fivemoons.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Readers-Favorite-5star-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.fivemoons.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Readers-Favorite-5star-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.fivemoons.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Readers-Favorite-5star.jpg 1830w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 124px) 100vw, 124px\" \/><\/a>Reader&#8217;s Favorite Rated Five Moons: Convolute a Five Star Read!<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>Reviewed by Charles Remington for Readers&#8217; Favorite&#8230;<\/strong><br \/>\n&#8220;Five Moons: Convolute is the sort of book that science fiction fans long for &#8211; a good, fast-moving plot, evil villains, faster than light inter-dimensional space travel, lots of gadgets, machines, sleek spaceships bristling with weaponry, and all liberally sprinkled with exotic ladies, some of whom are divinely evil. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and took to Dallas Blake, a character who seems to have elements of Han Solo, John Walton (if you can remember the TV series) and Pa Larkin (The Darling Buds of May). Bill Parker has created a science fiction classic &#8211; long may the series continue.&#8221;<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/readersfavorite.com\/book-review\/five-moons\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Read their review: Readers&#8217; Favorites review of Five Moons: Convolute<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Amazon Kindle<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>File Size:<\/b> 3680 KB<\/li>\n<li><b>Print Length:<\/b> 174 pages<\/li>\n<li><b>Publisher:<\/b> Five Moons Publications; 2 edition (July 8, 2020)<\/li>\n<li><b>Publication Date:<\/b> July 8, 2020<\/li>\n<li id=\"sold-by-merchant\"><b>Sold by:<\/b>\u00a0Amazon.com Services LLC<\/li>\n<li><b>Language:<\/b> English<\/li>\n<li><b>ASIN:<\/b> B08CP7GW68<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Amazon Paperback<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>Series:<\/b> Five Moons (Book 2)<\/li>\n<li><b>Paperback:<\/b> 208 pages<\/li>\n<li><b>Publisher:<\/b> Independently published (July 9, 2020)<\/li>\n<li><b>Language:<\/b> English<\/li>\n<li><b>ISBN-13:<\/b> 979-8665000855<\/li>\n<li><b>ASIN:<\/b> B08CPHFTK8<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Sample Chapters<\/h2>\n<h1>Prologue<\/h1>\n<p>\u201cWe come in peace\u201d is what we told the Anoza when human explorers first encountered them, but you would have to ask the Anoza how that worked out for them.\u00a0 Oh, it all started out with good intentions.\u00a0 The Anoza shared their advanced timequake starship technology with us, and a starship was even built from it, the Tesseract.\u00a0 But alas, the humans trailed evil behind them in their jump wakes like a foul stench, so the road to hell was surely paved with all of those good intentions.\u00a0 Union Fleet flew an unmarked ship into space docks after the Corporate War, intending to secretly scrap it out, intending to get rid of the evidence of the evil that was done.<\/p>\n<p>By the end of the Corporate War, Dallas Blake had lost everything: his wife, his daughter, his whole family, his home world.\u00a0 He was a man in need of far more than just a new beginning.\u00a0 What Dallas needed was a resurrection.\u00a0 Dallas went to those same Union Fleet space docks with good intentions.\u00a0 He intended to start his life over.\u00a0 He intended to buy a war surplus scout-class ship.\u00a0 Instead, he unknowingly bought the Tesseract.\u00a0 That is where this whole story began.\u00a0 It all began with a starship like no other, a starship with more enigmas than answers.\u00a0 It all began with artificials that seemed way too human.\u00a0 It all began with the guns-blazing rescue of Emma from the mercenaries.\u00a0 It all began with a single leaf in the wind.<\/p>\n<p>~~~<\/p>\n<p><em>I am he who stands at the center of Five Moons\u2019 shadows and I say, yes!\u00a0 By all means! \u00a0Ask us what we think of humans!\u00a0 By the evil in their hearts did I find the blood of four innocents on my hands! Clay of Earth, know this to the very core of you: yours were the people cast into the outer darkness because of the evil in their hearts.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>A gift was made to them of Tesseract, but they were found unworthy.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Leaf in the Wind, you were unexpected but exactly what we needed.\u00a0 At the very gates of hell, by my intercession did the one who was dead in his heart but still walking save the Tesseract from destruction.\u00a0 His resurrection was only the first step.\u00a0 He justified our choice of him by fulfilling the purpose for which the gift of Tesseract was made.\u00a0 In this, we do rejoice.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>To the one who flies the now convolute, once Tesseract I say: Leaf in the Wind, I sent you to save five moons.\u00a0 Instead, seven have you brought back from the edge.\u00a0 In this, we do rejoice, but our work has just begun.\u00a0 We have far yet to go, you and I.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Leaf in the Wind, the gift that was once made to the unworthy is now in your hands.\u00a0 To take the next step, you must see what is right before your own eyes.<\/em><\/p>\n<h1>Chapter One: Crossfire<\/h1>\n<p>Like a hunted animal, Bob Langart skulked from cover to cover through Habston, trying desperately to make it to the Pig and Whistle.\u00a0 Ahead of him, he saw two men.\u00a0 Those hunting him were in twos.\u00a0 He turned down yet another alleyway not knowing, not caring where it led.\u00a0 By now, he was all turned around anyway, so any direction would do.<\/p>\n<p><em>Why are they hunting me?\u00a0 Why me?\u00a0 But they are.\u00a0 I am just tech support.\u00a0 I am not a field agent<\/em>, he protested to himself, as if that would do him any good.\u00a0 More footfalls in the distance behind him pushed him ever faster forward but to where?\u00a0 <em>Remember your training,<\/em> he kept reminding himself, but that was years ago.\u00a0 <em>Change directions.\u00a0 Look for a place to hole up<\/em>.\u00a0 Onward he pressed, but he was not in good shape.\u00a0 The sweat running into his eyes burned.<\/p>\n<p>~~~<\/p>\n<p>Two small five sided stars, one red and one blue, tattoos on the hand, marked the men Nikola sent to do his bidding.\u00a0 Each man had knowingly signed his soul over to this devil who walked in human flesh.\u00a0 For the riches, for the drugs, each man had his own excuse and dared not question any other.\u00a0 Some needed no excuse.\u00a0 They were as evil as Nikola himself.<\/p>\n<p>All they knew is that the arrogant Special Forces agent tried to kill him, tried to kill Nikola himself would you believe, and failed.\u00a0 Nikola found that one.\u00a0 How this mark was involved, no one knew or even cared.\u00a0 They only knew that Nikola was so intent on the death of this one that they followed him to Panara-5 to finish what they were sent to do.<\/p>\n<p>Where the mark was headed, they hadn\u2019t a clue, but it was somewhere here in Habston.\u00a0 Harry set the snipers up in a pattern.\u00a0 Eventually, the mark would break cover.\u00a0 When he did, finish this ugly business they would.<\/p>\n<p>~~~<\/p>\n<p>Bob was on the move when he got his first break, a tablet left carelessly on a windowsill.\u00a0 He almost did what he knew he must not, but he caught himself at the last second.\u00a0 These people nailed Wayne so quickly, but Wayne was the best there was.\u00a0 <em>Why was that?\u00a0 How did they do that?\u00a0 <\/em>Wayne trusted something that he shouldn\u2019t have.\u00a0 Wayne was a brilliant field agent, but he was definitely not a techie at all.\u00a0 Before all of this, Bob so wanted to be like Wayne, a field agent.\u00a0 What a great honor it was to be selected as Wayne\u2019s field tech support, but neither of them saw this coming.\u00a0 How did this outworld gang of thugs track down and kill a highly skilled Special Forces field agent?\u00a0 How did they do that?<\/p>\n<p>Settings, Bob worked on.\u00a0 Make it not report its location.\u00a0 Now turn back on the GPS and let it guide the way.\u00a0 No messages, no wi-fi, none of that was needed right now. \u00a0<em>Just navigate for me<\/em>, he told it.\u00a0 That would be as good as it gets for now.\u00a0 <em>Okay, let\u2019s see.<\/em>\u00a0 The Pig and Whistle was just six blocks away, but six blocks to run this gauntlet of gangsters in broad daylight may as well have been six kilometers.<\/p>\n<p>Clothes hung out to dry!\u00a0 What a find!\u00a0 A light blue work shirt\u2026 too big\u2026 but it did fit over his. \u00a0He rolled up the sleeves.\u00a0 What he wouldn\u2019t give right now for a hat.\u00a0 Think.\u00a0 Look around.\u00a0 This alley was a treasure trove of carelessly discarded stuff. \u00a0Pick up a few tools left lying about, and you look just like any other workman.\u00a0 There were workmen everywhere in the streets.\u00a0 He was set.<\/p>\n<p>Out into the moving groups of people Bob ventured, now looking like he knew exactly where he was going.\u00a0 Match the pace of those around you, he remembered from his training.\u00a0 The tablet in his pocket told him, \u201cTurn left onto Merriam Street.\u201d\u00a0 And so he did.\u00a0 Walking briskly now, he followed a group of men all headed to work themselves, but this only got him three blocks closer, as the group of men was headed another way.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTurn Right onto High Street.\u00a0 The Pig and Whistle is 87 meters ahead on your right,\u201d the tablet told him.\u00a0 The sweat running into his eyes burned again.\u00a0 He wiped them with his sleeve while he kept on moving along with the other people going the same way.<\/p>\n<p>~~~<\/p>\n<p>\u201cUnit-three, High Street,\u201d the voice reported to Mick.\u00a0 \u201cPossible mark.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat do you mean by \u2018possible\u2019?\u201d Mick questioned the report.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRight size, right build, but I can\u2019t see his face.\u00a0 Possible mark is walking away from me,\u201d Unit-three came back.\u00a0 They sent Mick the video.\u00a0 He squinted hard at it for several long seconds looking at every little detail before he noticed the standard Union Fleet issue boots.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cUnit-three, you are go for the hit.\u00a0 I repeat &#8212; the hit is go.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The sniper set the mark\u2019s head in the reticle, while his spotter got range into the sniper rifle\u2019s computer.\u00a0 The computer ran its deadly calculations all the way down to a slight adjustment for Coriolis Effect and lit its green \u2018go\u2019 dot in the virtual scope display.\u00a0 But the mark was on the move now and not an easy target at over four hundred meters.\u00a0 The sniper rifle\u2019s miniature servos tracked the mark erratically as he moved amongst other people on the crowded street.\u00a0 The green \u2018go\u2019 dot lit and went out, came back on for a second, and blinked back off again.\u00a0 The tracking reticle jumped erratically from the mark to other nearby people and back again.\u00a0 It was just aggravating.\u00a0 Unable to track him on auto, the sniper had to re-aim the pulse-rifle manually.<\/p>\n<p>~~~<\/p>\n<p>Bob was almost there!\u00a0 He strode right up to the door to the Pig and Whistle.\u00a0 He grabbed the handle and pulled\u2026 just as the pulse round pierced his shoulder and shattered a hole in the door beyond.\u00a0 Stunned and in shock, he staggered forward to fall face down onto the table where Dallas and Kip had been quietly eating their lunch and sipping a Habston Lager.<\/p>\n<p>~~~<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSplash!\u201d the sniper reported. \u201cThe target is down!\u00a0 The target is down!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCan you see the body on the ground?\u201d Mick demanded.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo!\u00a0 Damn!\u00a0 The damned mark fell into the damned building!\u00a0 Huge blood mark on the wall.\u00a0 The mark is down, and you can take that to the bank,\u201d the sniper responded, damned certain that he had done the evil deed.\u00a0 He quickly began to repack his gun into its case.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTeam-seven! \u00a0Team-seven! \u00a0I want a visual!\u00a0 Get me a visual!\u201d Mick demanded, knowing only too well the wrath of Nikola for screw-ups.\u00a0 You didn\u2019t get the mark if you don\u2019t have the proof.<\/p>\n<p>~~~<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSpecial\u2026 Forces \u2026,\u201d the man lying face down on the table barely mumbled, before he passed out right on top of Dallas\u2019 sandwich.<\/p>\n<p>[Mariah, incoming wounded!\u00a0 Have Luke and Sam set up a secure perimeter!\u00a0 Shields up!\u00a0 Red Alert!] Dallas told her quickly, as Kip field dressed the wound with napkins.<\/p>\n<p>Seconds later, two men burst into the front door, guns drawn.\u00a0 That was all that Hack needed to see.\u00a0 The rail-gun pistol, tucked neatly into his right leg structure, was out in a flash.\u00a0 As the men raised their weapons to fire, Hack dropped them both where they stood.<\/p>\n<p>That was enough to force Dallas and Kip to move the man to the flatbed, parked in the alley behind the Pig and Whistle, the owner ushering them out quickly, glad that this battle was moving out of his establishment\u2026 or so he thought.\u00a0 He wasn\u2019t back inside for ten seconds when two more men with weapons drawn burst into his front door.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou just missed them!\u201d he told the men. \u201cThey just ran out the family entrance!\u201d \u00a0He pointed them at the family entrance on the opposite side of the building from the alley.\u00a0 They ran out in hot pursuit of that lie.<\/p>\n<p>~<\/p>\n<p>Dallas put the man between boxes and bags on the back of the flatbed.\u00a0 Hack covered it all with a tarp and climbed in next to Dallas.\u00a0 Dallas calmly drove the flatbed out of the alley.\u00a0 He meandered down the road past groups of men all running frantically around as if they just lost something.\u00a0 Kip circled around the other way, taking a different route.\u00a0 Dallas did really well getting as far as he did: all the way to the edge of town.\u00a0 The man under the tarp was stirring, but they appeared to be alone as Kip pulled in behind him.\u00a0 Dallas began pushing the flatbed down that road as fast as it could go.<\/p>\n<p>Then the red-alert warning went off. \u00a0The flatbed\u2019s shields deployed automatically\u2026 just ahead of a sniper round pulse impact.\u00a0 They had to make it back to the ship.\u00a0 The race was on.\u00a0 Kip pushed flares to confuse the auto-lock on the snipers\u2019 rifles, forcing them to aim and fire manually.\u00a0 That got them farther down the road, but behind in the distance, three speeders were advancing on them.\u00a0 The fire became intense, with multiple rounds landing on both the flatbed\u2019s rear shields and the assault bike\u2019s rear shields.<\/p>\n<p>A welcome sight, Kip\u2019s fighter came straight at them real low, Rachel at the helm, firing on all targets.\u00a0 She made short order of those speeders and was laying heavy fire down on the snipers as Dallas and Kip banked hard around the bend.\u00a0 Luke and Sam had held their ground, as well they should.\u00a0 It was Mariah that sent Rachel out to even the playing field.\u00a0 Mariah sat at Dallas\u2019 tactical display feeding Rachel targets until the firing ceased. \u00a0She heard the flatbed roll hard and fast up the gangway, and come to an abrupt stop.<\/p>\n<p>It was a mad scramble from there for Dallas and Kip to get the man into Medlab.\u00a0 For just a brief time, the man was wide-awake and realized where he was.\u00a0 \u201cNikola\u2019s men won\u2019t quit \u2018till I\u2019m dead,\u201d he warned Dallas and Kip just before Medlab put his lights out to work on him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cActually, they have,\u201d Kip reported to Dallas. \u201cRachel is telling me that the few that are left are scrambling elbows and assholes for their ship, to get away.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe don\u2019t have a choice,\u201d Dallas told him. \u201cTell her to destroy the ship.\u00a0 If they get back to that underworld scum, they will tell him right where to find us.\u00a0 We can\u2019t let that happen.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>A few minutes later Kip reported, \u201cRachel says it\u2019s done.\u00a0 The ship is down.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLuke and Sam,\u201d Dallas called them. \u201cTalk to Rachel.\u00a0 Recon that ship for survivors.\u00a0 Do a complete sweep.\u00a0 Get all the intel you can out of it that you can.\u00a0 You know the drill.\u00a0 Call Mom for help if you need to ID anything.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRight, Cap,\u201d Luke acknowledged.\u00a0 Dallas watched them lift on assault bikes and fly off into the distance.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGeez,\u201d Dallas said to Kip in the ensuing calm. \u201cI was waiting for a job to drop into our laps but not like this.\u00a0 Hell, the man ruined my sandwich.\u201d\u00a0 They both laughed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou guys have been in some real beauty bar fights,\u201d Mariah complained, her hands on her hips, \u201cbut this one really takes the cake.\u00a0 Did you have to pick a fight with a whole damned battalion?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That prompted Kip to recount the whole running battle while Dallas scratched his head.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe guy said something about Special Forces, just before he keeled over right on top of my damned Reuben,\u201d Dallas complained. \u201cI only had a couple bites before he wrecked it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGood Lord!\u00a0 All you think about is food!\u00a0 Maybe I should have Jane make us Reubens for dinner then tonight,\u201d Mariah told him in utter disbelief.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNah, that\u2019s okay.\u00a0 The moment passed,\u201d He said with a big smirk.\u00a0 She hit him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOw!\u00a0 Hey!\u00a0 What ever happened to my rule about not hitting the captain?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt went the same way as my ass rules I guess,\u201d she said with a smirk.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou still hit like a girl.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am a girl!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh, yeah,\u201d he agreed with an evil leer.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPow!\u00a0 Zoom!\u201d she threatened him with a clenched fist.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNot hit him!\u201d Sophie protested as she and Emma came to see what all the commotion was about. \u201cHe\u2019s my Ka.\u201d She came to Dallas\u2019 defense.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLike I said,\u201d Mariah reminded him. \u201cSomebody is a raging daddy\u2019s girl.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWorks for me,\u201d he said smugly. \u201cIt\u2019s nice to be loved.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ll love you all right,\u201d she threatened.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBring it on,\u201d he took up the challenge.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHenry love,\u201d Jessica asked Hack, \u201cCan you please get my boxes from the flatbed?\u201d\u00a0 Hack gladly fetched her boxes.\u00a0 As he unstrapped and unloaded each one, he held them up for her inspection.\u00a0 To Jessica\u2019s relief, despite the bloodstains, none of them had any damage from all the commotion, not even the one she bought for Hack.\u00a0 Well, it was for her too, technically.\u00a0 The boxes were the real reason that Dallas had gone into town in the first place, but then he just had to stop at the Pig and Whistle for that damned Reuben.<\/p>\n<p>This was what she spent some of her money on, the hardware she needed to go full-blown techno like Mariah.\u00a0 Hack put it all in neatly organized piles in the computer bay, except for the one Jessica bought for him.\u00a0 He put that one on the shelf with some of his other parts.\u00a0 Hack next followed Mariah\u2019s task list to unpack and arrange it all for her.<\/p>\n<p>~~~<\/p>\n<p>Rachel linked the tracking data on the downed ship to Luke and Sam\u2019s assault bike.\u00a0 Luke was flying in the right general direction as the nav popped up, so their bike only made a few minor course corrections.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThanks, Rachel Baby,\u201d he whispered to her.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPrrr,\u201d she responded.\u00a0 Fortunately, the gangsters\u2019 ship went down in a clear area with no people.\u00a0 Luke flew in low and slow for a general looksee and reconnoiter.\u00a0 Rachel had hit one engine of the gangster\u2019s ship under full power with a pulse round as it made for orbit, so that was pretty much a mess.<\/p>\n<p>~~~<\/p>\n<p>Mickey Mechanic and Johnny Knuckles were sincerely pissed when that ship had taken off without waiting for them, but they were much relieved that they weren\u2019t on it when they saw its fate.\u00a0 On foot, they were very close as Luke and Sam appeared overhead.\u00a0 Mick led Johnny under the cover of a group of some pine-looking trees to watch the boys land and go into the wreck of the ship.<\/p>\n<p>~~~<\/p>\n<p>Luke went after the computers while Sam collected tablets and took photos of everything.\u00a0 Having done this task enough times in the service, they pretty much knew what to go after.\u00a0 Sam found a couple of small boxes that he could not identify.\u00a0 He bagged and tagged those special and set them aside.\u00a0 All this was pretty gruesome work around the number of dead gangsters.\u00a0 Luke noted that each of the gangsters had the two-star tattoo on their hands and made sure to get photos of those for Dallas and Mariah.<\/p>\n<p>~~~<\/p>\n<p>All the while, Mick and Johnny Knuckles were working their way ever closer.\u00a0 They ran from cover to cover, making the final sprint across twenty meters of open clearing.\u00a0 Their goal was to steal the assault bike and get away.\u00a0 Mick took the controls, but Rachel saw what was going on from overhead and linked commands to the assault bike to lock them out.<\/p>\n<p>[Luke, two men are trying to steal your bike,] she alerted him, as Mick tried to figure out why the bike would not startup.\u00a0 What neither Johnny Knuckles nor Mick was expecting was the powerful shock that Luke triggered the bike to release.\u00a0 It threw them both off a couple meters away and left them gasping for air while Luke and Sam appeared almost on top of them, guns drawn.<\/p>\n<p>Dallas and Kip arrived seconds later, just in time to help the boys bind up the two gangsters.\u00a0 Just behind Dallas and Kip, a Union shuttle full of armed troopers finally made the scene.\u00a0 Dallas stepped forward to greet them, but at this stage, the troopers didn\u2019t know friend from foe.\u00a0 It was a bit tense for a moment, what with Dallas and company all armed to the teeth.<\/p>\n<p>Then Sergeant Erin O\u2019Rourke recognized Dallas.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCommodore Blake?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes I am,\u201d he responded.\u00a0 In the next five minutes, Dallas explained the whole thing to her from the running gunfight in the Pig and Whistle all the way to downing this ship.\u00a0 Luke filled in the last piece about these two gangsters trying to steal their assault bike.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is a Special Forces matter,\u201d Dallas began to explain to her.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt sure is!\u201d Mickey Mechanic blurted out. \u201cYou Special Forces pukes tried to kill Nikola.\u00a0 He says \u2018if it\u2019s war you want; then it\u2019s war you get!\u2019\u201d, as the troopers hauled off the two gangsters.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSergeant O\u2019Rourke, my team has gathered a lot of intel here that Special Forces really needs to see.\u00a0 I am treating one of their people in my Medlab right now.\u00a0 How soon do you think Special Forces can get here?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She made a couple of calls in their shuttle and came back out.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTwo days,\u201d she told him.\u00a0 \u201cThey told me they can get here in two days.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWell, you know exactly where to find me.\u00a0 I will hold onto all of this evidence for them.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd I will put these two on ice for two days.\u00a0 It isn\u2019t much of an outpost yet.\u00a0 We only got the four-man brig put up last week, and already you have it half full.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019re going to need a bigger brig,\u201d he advised her.\u00a0 She was afraid he was right.<\/p>\n<p>Hack arrived on the flatbed.\u00a0 \u201cMariah sent me,\u201d he told Luke.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGood thing.\u00a0 There is a lot more here than we can carry anyway,\u201d Luke replied.\u00a0 Luke and Sam began loading the flatbed.\u00a0 Dallas and Kip lent a hand.\u00a0 Dallas picked up the bag of small boxes.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI wonder what these are,\u201d Dallas said out loud, holding up one small white box to look at it real close.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was going to ask Mom to look at them,\u201d Sam told him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYeah, let\u2019s do that,\u201d Dallas agreed.<\/p>\n<p>But when they got back to the ship, Mariah was busy with Jessica\u2019s new hardware, and Special Forces wouldn\u2019t arrive for two days.\u00a0 The little white boxes could wait.\u00a0 Adding Jessica\u2019s new hardware was Mariah\u2019s personal priority and all else be damned.\u00a0 It was a very complex process to add all of the new artificial intelligence modules and get it all right, but before she could get to that, she had to replace all of the projectors on the ship with new ones that could handle multiple personas.\u00a0 The new projectors were handcrafted in the outworlds with ten times the memory, 1024 parallel processors, and ten times the range.<\/p>\n<p>Replacing the projectors was a fine dance, with Hack doing all the work to install a new projector while Mariah stood as close as she could get to a still working old one. \u00a0She had to load the equations into the new one and start it up before she could use it.\u00a0 Only after that was complete could she begin the upgrade of Jessica\u2019s hardware.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh dear,\u201d Mariah shuddered. \u201cAre you really sure you want me to do this?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes,\u201d Jessica insisted. \u201cYou are all freaked out over nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShutting you down is not \u2018nothing.\u2019 \u00a0It is damned scary!\u201d\u00a0 Mariah was all upset.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI love you dearly, Mariah, but sometimes you are a royal pain in the ass, and you make me crazy.\u00a0 It\u2019s just like going to sleep and waking up. \u00a0Now, will you please just do what you have to do, and stop your incessant worrying?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOkay.\u00a0 Are you ready?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYeah, yeah, yeah!\u00a0 Come on!\u00a0 Just do it!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHere we go,\u201d Mariah told her friend as she selected [Shutdown] and closed her eyes.<\/p>\n<p>Jessica went silent on the network.\u00a0 Mariah panicked inside.\u00a0 Her hands shook as she very carefully installed all of the new hardware.\u00a0 Hack recorded her every move\u2026 just in case she made a mistake she would be able to find it.\u00a0 When it was all done, she started back at square one. \u00a0She carefully inspected every connector and cable.\u00a0 She checked that she had performed each and every step.\u00a0 Only when she was totally, absolutely, and completely certain that every last bit of it was dead nuts perfect that she powered Jess back up.<\/p>\n<p>Boot Log\u2026.<\/p>\n<p>New Aux AIU_02\u2026<\/p>\n<p>\u2026 Testing\u2026 Good\u2026 Connected<\/p>\n<p>New Aux AIU_03\u2026<\/p>\n<p>\u2026 Testing\u2026 Good\u2026 Connected<\/p>\n<p>New Memory Module _02\u2026<\/p>\n<p>\u2026 Testing\u2026 Good\u2026 Connected<\/p>\n<p>New Memory Module _03\u2026<\/p>\n<p>\u2026 Testing\u2026 Good\u2026 Connected<\/p>\n<p>Techno firmware\u2026 loaded\u2026<\/p>\n<p>\u2026 Testing\u2026 Passed<\/p>\n<p>Searching for Atomic Field projectors\u2026<\/p>\n<p>\u2026 Found {list\u2026}\u2026 Loading Drivers\u2026 Connected<\/p>\n<p>Restoring Jessica Ann Miller\u2026<\/p>\n<p><em>Jessica Ann Miller?\u00a0 What the hell is that all about?<\/em> Mariah wondered.<\/p>\n<p>Jessica suddenly appeared next to Mariah totally nude\u2026 but definitely alive.\u00a0 Parts of her were firm, and parts of her wiggled just as they were supposed to.\u00a0 The cool air gave her goose bumps, and her nipples got hard.\u00a0 Oh, yeah, all of her was working just fine.\u00a0 It all felt so new and yet at the same time so familiar.\u00a0 <em>Why is that? Why does this feel so familiar?<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Mariah handed her a robe.\u00a0 She had anticipated this.\u00a0 After all, Jessica was the free spirit of the crew.\u00a0 What else should she have expected?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWell?\u201d Mariah asked her?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh, this feels sooo good,\u201d she decided after a few long seconds.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYeah, that\u2019s exactly what I said,\u201d Mariah remembered as she checked Jessica\u2019s diagnostic screens over.\u00a0 It must have been because Jessica\u2019s mental health numbers were as high as they could get.\u00a0 Nonetheless, you just had to know that Mariah wasn\u2019t satisfied with anything less than perfection.\u00a0 Today that was a good thing because there was definitely something wrong.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t seem to have my normal helm control,\u201d Jessica suddenly discovered. \u201cI have nothing but a slew of error codes.\u00a0 You can panic now if that would help.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo, it won\u2019t help at all to panic.\u00a0 I don\u2019t understand.\u00a0 I set all the pointers just like all the documentation says, to \u2018Core_Helm_Control#nn.\u2019\u201d\u00a0 She was scratching her head and looking back at the backup documents that she made before all of this when the solution jumped right out at her \u2013 that was not what the pointers were set to just before the move.\u00a0 The previous settings all looked like gibberish, but she faithfully copied them and restored each one.\u00a0 The whole time Jess worried that this would scotch all of the work they had done to get her this far.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOkay!\u00a0 Okay!\u00a0 I have helm control again!\u00a0 We are Golden!\u00a0 Whatever you just did worked!\u00a0 I feel like I am back to where I once belonged.\u201d\u00a0 Now Jessica really was happy.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMaybe so my naked Jay Bird.\u00a0 Let\u2019s get you some of your new clothes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou mean I can\u2019t walk around the ship naked?\u201d Jess teased her.<\/p>\n<p>Mariah just gave her one of her \u2018looks.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOkay.\u00a0 Clothes it is.\u00a0 I might even try some of sexy thong undies you made me buy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes, dear Jess, you must wear undies.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em>Sometimes I will and sometimes I won\u2019t,<\/em> Jess thought to herself.<\/p>\n<p>~~~<\/p>\n<p>Dallas sat on his bridge when he just wanted to be alone to think but was not one to miss a trick.\u00a0 When his helm suddenly went dead, he panicked for an instant, until he remembered that all helm control went through Jessica\u2019s artificial intelligence module, and Mariah did warn him that she was working on Jessica\u2019s new hardware.\u00a0 What did surprise him, though, is what he saw when it returned.\u00a0 On his display was a whole page full of the same alien pictographs that he remembered from Mariah\u2019s \u2018think tank.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p>He sat there for the longest time just looking at the pictographs until it seemed like they floated in the air in front of him.\u00a0 In that intense quiet\u2026<\/p>\n<p><em>I am He who stands at the center of Five Moons\u2019 shadows.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>He clearly heard that in his mind!\u00a0 But in that same instant, the quiet in his mind was broken.\u00a0 When he looked again, his helm control screen was back to normal.<\/p>\n<p><em>I am not hallucinating.\u00a0 This ship clearly has a mind of its own! <\/em>\u00a0One that he knew nothing about until this very instant.<\/p>\n<p>[Mariah Love, what just happened to my helm?]<\/p>\n<p>[Why? Is yours not working now, too?] she asked, this time in rather a panic.<\/p>\n<p>[It is now, but I need to see you when you are done with Jess.\u00a0 It\u2019s very important.]<\/p>\n<p>[Good, then turn around, and have a look at your new and improved, real-live copilot.]<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou are truly a wonderful sight to behold,\u201d Dallas said when he turned to see them enter.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThank you,\u201d she said blushing and all embarrassed.\u00a0 She was even more surprised when he had to get up to give her a big hug and a kiss on the cheek.\u00a0 Now that got her heart all aflutter.<\/p>\n<p>Jess took some time to let her new body get used to her place on the bridge.\u00a0 Her butt felt good in the copilot\u2019s seat where it belonged.\u00a0 In fact, that had an all too familiar feel about it, although her butt told her that it would feel a lot better without those damned uncomfortable thong undies.<\/p>\n<p>When he sensed that the time was right, Dallas did his best to explain to Mariah what had happened with his helm control screen, \u201cFor several seconds, it was blue with white alien pictographs.\u00a0 Then I heard a voice say, \u2018<em>I am He who stands at the center of Five Moons\u2019 shadows.<\/em><em>\u2019 Then all of that suddenly disappeared and the regular Helm Control screen was back.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p>\u201cWell, I did have some problems with Jessica\u2019s helm pointers,\u201d Mariah quickly surmised.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCan you query one of those strange pointers?\u201d Dallas asked.<\/p>\n<p>Mariah, never one to let a detail go unrecorded, set up to do just that and sent her first query down the network\u2026 but got no response. \u00a0So then, she sent the next, and then the next, and then the next, all to no avail.\u00a0 Nothing came back from any one of them.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSend them to me,\u201d Dallas suggested. Maybe it has to come from the captain\u2019s console\u2026 and that worked\u2026 a whole blue screen full of alien pictographs popped up for a few seconds. \u201cWill you look at that!\u201d he said as the screen dissolved.\u00a0 None of them saw anything more than that single screen of alien pictographs. Nor did they hear anything at all.<\/p>\n<p>Mariah just shrugged her shoulders and shook her head.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat was that?\u201d Dallas asked her.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWho the hell knows?\u201d she responded. \u201cNothing I have ever seen before.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Well, if Mariah didn\u2019t know what the hell it was, then Dallas was left with no other choice; he gave up for now and went down for diner.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow is this going to work?\u201d Dallas asked as they all sat down in the mess. \u201cWho will be in charge of the helm when Jessica isn\u2019t there?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s the beauty of this,\u201d Mariah explained to him. \u201cJess is always there\u2026 well, a part of her is anyway.\u00a0 She has multiple intelligence modules all running simultaneously.\u00a0 One of them is always running the helm 24\/7.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo your girl Jess is always on the job, sometimes even in person.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dinner was a pleasant celebration.\u00a0 Everyone could hardly wait to see Jessica.\u00a0 Even their new houseguest found her candy to his eyes.\u00a0 It was obvious from his expression.\u00a0 Feeding all these people had Jane so happy that she was actually humming a tune.\u00a0 Can you feature that, a happy android, humming a tune?\u00a0 Come on.\u00a0 How weird is that?<\/p>\n<p>Even Kip had to come see, and so did Rachel.\u00a0 Rachel was using this opportunity to convince Kip to let her go full-blown techno, too.\u00a0 Jessica cried to see how everyone celebrated the new \u2018her,\u2019 and it was good.\u00a0 Everyone hugged her and kissed her.\u00a0 She used every opportunity to feel them up close against her.\u00a0 Emma and Sophie were happy that now they could even touch Aunt Jessica.\u00a0 She even had a real lap for them to sit on now.\u00a0 How great was that?<\/p>\n<p>All along, Bob had not forgotten the business that brought him here.\u00a0 He was trying his best to be a polite, and patient and a proper guest.\u00a0 He looked at everyone in the mess, but he still hadn\u2019t put together this whole operation yet.\u00a0 It was like a military unit and then again not at all.\u00a0 It was a family, but in what he considered almost an open war zone, that was not the safest place for a family to be, and yet here they all were\u2026 and he thanked God for that, or he would be dead meat right now.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere is a question on your face,\u201d Dallas said to him as dinner faded away.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s not my place to ask what brings you all to settle here,\u201d he answered honestly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMaking a difference starts with me,\u201d Dallas replied. \u201cI am outworld flesh and outworld bone.\u00a0 I will make this a safer place if I can.\u00a0 I will lead by example for any willing to follow.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh, kind of like an outworld lawman?\u201d Bob ventured.<\/p>\n<p>Dallas laughed a little, a private joke of sorts. \u201cActually my wife, Mariah, is the one who serves the law.\u00a0 A proper Union lawyer, she was accepted to the bar, and a tigress of the law she is for sure.\u00a0 As for me, I serve only what is right, and what is just.\u00a0 Sometimes that\u2019s the law, and sometimes it\u2019s not exactly.\u00a0 Let\u2019s call that outworld law if you will.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI know what you mean.\u00a0 Special Forces is like that, too, in a way.\u00a0 That\u2019s why I joined.\u00a0 I wanted to make a difference.\u201d\u00a0 Bob was good with this.\u00a0 In fact, he felt a kind of kinship in this.<\/p>\n<p>Mariah joined them, tossing Bob one of the boxes Sam found in the wreckage.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou need to look at this,\u201d she told Bob. \u201cYou are tech support, right?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes, I am, but Dallas just told me that you are a lawyer,\u201d he responded now confused.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat I am by my own choice, but the problem was that Union Fleet didn\u2019t need lawyers during the war.\u00a0 What Union Fleet needed were Science Officers.\u00a0 They didn\u2019t give a rat\u2019s ass about what I wanted, they retrained me into what they needed, but it turned out okay in the end.\u00a0 I am actually very comfortable in either job now.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy do I need to look at this?\u201d Bob returned to her original statement.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s made to track down Special Forces agents by their special Mindlinks.\u00a0 It only works on those frequencies, but even worse &#8212; it has your Special Forces encryption protocol broken.\u00a0 It can eavesdrop on everything in your displays.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh crap!\u201d Bob said. \u201cThat\u2019s not good at all.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut why were they hunting me down?\u201d was his next logical question.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am going to guess that before they got your partner, he was sending you back images of what he was seeing.\u00a0 Please don\u2019t tell me.\u00a0 Just make sure that you store those images, and show them to your people.\u00a0 They were so important that Nikola hunted you across two worlds to get them,\u201d Dallas told him.<\/p>\n<p><em>Dallas is exactly right,<\/em> Bob thought. <em>I can\u2019t show them to anyone but Special Forces.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou are right,\u201d Bob agreed. \u201cI will do just that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Please visit my other site too <a href=\"https:\/\/fivemoonscifi.wordpress.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">fivemoonscifi.wordpress.com<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_48\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-48\" style=\"width: 183px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fivemoons.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/DDP_logo.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-48\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fivemoons.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/DDP_logo.jpg\" alt=\"Double Dragon Publishing\" width=\"183\" height=\"216\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-48\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Double Dragon Publishing<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>Double Dragon Publishing<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>2015 -2020<\/p>\n<p><b>Kindle Version<\/b><br \/>\n<b>ISBN-10:<\/b> 1-77115-291-5<br \/>\n<b>ISBN-13:<\/b>\u00a09781771152914<br \/>\n<b>Genre:<\/b> Science Fiction\/Dark Fantasy<br \/>\n<b>eBook Length:<\/b> 167 Pages<br \/>\n<b>Published:<\/b> March 2016<br \/>\n<b>ASIN:<\/b> B01CJ1H8UC<\/p>\n<p><b>Paperback Version<\/b><br \/>\n<b>ISBN-10:<\/b> 1530451450<br \/>\n<b>ISBN-13:<\/b> 9781530451456<br \/>\n<b>Genre:<\/b> Science Fiction\/Dark Fantasy<br \/>\n<b>Book Length:<\/b> 184 Pages<br \/>\n<b>Published:<\/b> March 2016<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Five Moons saga continues with Book 2: Convolute dropping you right into the middle of the action as the Syndicate\u2019s last mobsters hunt down a Special Forces agent in the streets of Habston, the biggest little city on quickly becomes a running gun battle as Dallas Blake and the crew of the Five Moons &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fivemoons.org\/?page_id=24\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Five Moons: Convolute<\/span> <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-24","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fivemoons.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/24","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fivemoons.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fivemoons.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fivemoons.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fivemoons.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=24"}],"version-history":[{"count":75,"href":"https:\/\/www.fivemoons.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/24\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1672,"href":"https:\/\/www.fivemoons.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/24\/revisions\/1672"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fivemoons.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=24"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}