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 Jim couldn’t believe Spock was there, outside the window, hand outstretched toward them. He wore all black and blended in with the ominous darkness out the window.

Within the rest of the house Jim could still hear blasts and explosions.

Jim glanced toward the bedroom door, heart pounding.

“Tolar and his family.”

Spock gave barely a shake of his head. “They are beyond help. You must hurry. They will come your way within minutes, perhaps seconds.”

Jim swallowed down the sorrow at the thought of Desda, a daughter he never knew about, gone already. He could see the mirroring sadness in his mother’s gaze and also fright.

“Jim—” Spock began.

“Go, Mom. Now. Spock’s right. We have to get out of here now.”

Jim helped his mom scramble out of the window and into Spock’s arms to help her out and onto solid ground. Just as Jim was climbing through to follow her, the door to their room was blasted open. Spock pulled him the rest of the way out.

“I have a vehicle ready.”

“We need to get to Kinavvern to get my niece’s children,” Mom said as she hurried into the hover vehicle.”

“It is wise to leave the Orion colonies,” Spock replied.

“Sure is,” she agreed. “But not without them.”

Jim exhaled. “Yeah, she’s right. We need to get them.”

“Very well.” Spock’s hover car shot away from Tolar’s house and the massacre that had occurred there.

“What was that?” Jim asked, when he could find the words.

“I am not sure.”

Suddenly Desda popped up from the back of the hover car. “I can tell you.”

“Desda!” his mother exclaimed.

“It would seem we have a stowaway,” Spock remarked, speeding up ever faster.

“Yes. Jim’s daughter.”

Spock glanced his way, his eyes widening in surprise.

Jim shook his head and turned to Desda.

“All right. Spill. What did we walk into there when Tolar brought us there?”