The journey to Avelis was a long one.
Even with the teleportation matrices, the distance between Kessrin Command and the heart of human civilization was vast enough that the transport needed nearly a week to make the crossing.
It stopped at hub after hub along the way, passing from one system to the next, and between the jumps, there were long stretches of ordinary travel as the transport crossed each system to reach the next matrix in line.
Ning had a small private cabin aboard, a courtesy arranged by General Choo, and he spent most of the journey there. He lay on the narrow bunk, watching the stars drift past the small window, and thought about very little at all.
It was on the third day of the journey that he realized there was a problem.
