15 – Trust“Sisters,” Frederick hissed through their comms connection.Hector snorted, amused at hearing a Royal invoke the mythological AI “sisters” who’d supposedly saved humanity in a distant past. “Not Empire?”Frederick was too engrossed by the sight that had brought forth the exclamation to respond; the bloom patch was just ahead, and the colorful blossoms were visible through a break in the trees.Hector moved closer to the kid, tracking his sightline. A huge, bell-shaped, iridescent blue flower arched up toward the dark sky. Motes of aura spiraled away from the flower, drifting into the blackness—shimmering silver and gold dust that painted a magical starscape in lieu of the one hidden by the thick atmosphere. “Still think they’re a fungus?”“Okay, maybe fungus is the wrong word,” Frederick agreed, his voice a reverential whisper.Hector clapped him on the shoulder and he would have given it a squeeze if not for the hard armor there. “Let’s scout it out. I’ll go left, you swing right. Meet you on the other side of the clearing.”He took a step to the left, but Freddy’s hand shot out and caught his arm. “Is that smart?”Hector knew what he meant, of course. If another pack of reapers came upon them, they’d be in trouble if they were apart. Hector didn’t think that was going to happen. A pack of reapers was right up there near the top of the food chain on the rift world, and if they’d been hunting together in those woods, there wouldn’t be anything else around. He didn’t know that to be true, but his gut told him he was right.To mollify the kid, he said, “Just keep your comms open, but I think we’ll be fine.”“Roger.” Freddy’s reply was still a cautious whisper, but he hefted his rifle and moved off to the right, circling the patch.Hector walked the other way, angling toward the edge of the clearing so he could scan the perimeter of the (...)