The Line of the Sol Empress

Chapter 29.3

[Hope]

"There you are. Lissa is upset with you going off on your own."

Startled by Stephen's voice, Hope jerked her head up from the tangled mess of wires and electronic parts on the small table before her, surprised that he had found her tucked away in the electrical maintenance closet. "I didn't go off alone. Amil is with me."

With a big grin, Amil peeked out from behind a dusty shelf partially filled with tools and electrical parts. He handed Hope a small plastic block with wire attachments. She said, "Oh, good. You found one."

Stephen shook his head. "I'll let you explain it to Lissa. But she might tie you to your bed, anyway." He wrinkled his forehead. "What are you two doing?"

"Fixing the power problem. Turns out a voltage regulator was going bad. Couldn't find a spare, so we are making one." Hope ruffled Amil's thick hair.

"You know how to do that?"

"Yeah. I repaired starship power systems with my dad. The system here is not much different."

He dropped his jaw. "Hope, is there anything you can't do?"

Looking up at him from a chair, Hope half-grinned and lifted her prosthetic leg. "Dodging plasma bolts. I kinda sucked at that."

Stephen smiled, but then the smile faded. "We might have some information on your brother."

After returning Amil to his room, Stephen led Hope toward a row of offices. Along the way, they passed Lissa, who pointed a finger at Hope, shooting a laser stare from narrowed eyes. Stephen laughed as Hope grabbed his arm and tried to hide behind him. "Yeah, you're in big trouble. It is not wise to piss off your physical therapist."

The scuffed wooden office door sat partially open and the placard above it said Angelique Boone, Director. Hope raised her eyebrows, to which Stephen replied with a shrug, "My mother."

An attractive middle-aged woman with shoulder-length blonde hair rose from behind a scratched plas-steel desk to greet Hope, smiling sweetly. Hope noted the family similarities, both with the same gentle facial curves and warm eyes. Stephen made the introduction as the women shook hands. "Mother, this is Hope, the one I told you about."

"Pleased to meet you, Hope. Please sit down." Angelique gestured toward two cushioned plas-steel chairs. "I understand you seek your brother?"

Hope scooted to the edge of her seat. "Yes. His name is Gabriel. Have you found him?"

"Perhaps." Angelique's smile faded. "We found no one named Gabriel, but there was one named Angel, an outsider who fought in the Ring."

Hope's eyes widened. "The Ring?"

Stephen replied as his mother scrolled through a tablet viewer on her desk. "Trespassers are sometimes sent to the Ring. It is a gladiator styled fighting arena." He frowned. "An abomination introduced by the Khan for sick entertainment."

Angelique lifted the viewer, which showed two men facing each other in an arena, one with a sword and the other with a staff. Hope gasped. "That's Gab! The one with a staff. Is he alright?"

"He won this fight, so I believe so."

On the video, Gabriel drew his staff through the sand, making a shallow furrow. Stephen wrinkled his forehead. "What is he doing there?"

A smile of recognition grew on Angelique's face. "He draws the symbol of the Sol Empress. Do you and your brother follow the Sol Way?"

"Umm, you could say that." Hope replied. Waves of warmth rolled up her spine as Gabriel completed the drawing, then stood ready for combat. He prepares the way of the Sol Empress. My brother believes in me. Hope turned her eyes up to Angelique. "Can you get him out?" Please...