Exploring the universe at the helm of a flashy ship was supposed to be the dream, but now it's an ongoing nightmare for Noa. All but exiled from his loved ones, he's too far away when they need him most. The guilt and stress has finally broken him, though, and he's abandoned his mission to go home. But running from one horror sends him crashing into a new one. And this time, he can't escape.
It's Noa Matene's impeccable flight record which earns him the toughest missions the FGIA has to offer. But it's also what keeps him confined to the farthest reaches of the known universe, separated from everyone he loves for months and years at a time. He's well equipped to handle the solitude-until he has to watch from a distance while he nearly loses what's most important to him. Broken by fear, he goes rogue to take back control of his life. He's determined to make a change, no matter the consequences, to keep the promises he's made, even if it means giving up a lifetime of work. There are more important things than missions and acclaim. Like the one he almost lost, the one who's waiting for him. Everything he's dreamed of is nearly in his grasp. Until his hopes and dreams come crashing down, along with his incapacitated ship.
No longer a member of the Explorer corps, Skylar Chambers is happy as a navigation officer on the SB Eltanin. Spared the rigors and crushing loneliness of uncharted space, he prefers the more predictable routine of life on a base, with his daily expensive coffee habit and his small group of friends. His days aren't exciting anymore, but he likes it that way. The only thing that would make life better would be having his best friend back in it, but Noa's doing important work and Skylar would never ask him to give it up. When his happy mundane bubble bursts with the arrival of a couple of horrifying maydays, though, Skylar's flung back into the chaotic whirlwind of space travel. Accepting the rescue mission which puts him back in the pilot's seat, he hopes he can vanquish the mental demons which drove him out in the first place. This time, it's more than his life on the line.
Not even countless light years of space can keep these two souls apart. Noa and Skylar were always meant to be together, and neither of them is willing to succumb to the wild whims of fate. Despite their determination, though, circumstances beyond their control are sending them down the same fraught path their friends already trod. If history repeats itself, two more friends might go missing. They might never get home again.
This work is intended for a mature audience and contains mature content. For a more comprehensive list of content tags, please see this book's information page at the author's website.
