Page 21 of Through Uncharted Space

Dare frowned. “The star chart doesn’t look familiar. I don’t see any planets that look like worlds we’ve come across on our convoy trips.”

She made a frustrated sound. “It doesn’t match anything. The only two points that I can reliably identify are these.” She touched a small star system on one side of the map. “This is close to the Galaxy’s Edge Space Station.” She touched a large planet at the other side of the map. “From the descriptions, this is Sierra.”

He nodded. “That’s how you knew this treasure planet was out here, somewhere, between these two points.”

“Yes. But nothing matches current star maps. It’s like things have been jumbled around. I’ve studied every map and scrap of information of this area of space.” She pointed at one planet. “There is a detailed description of this world in the map data. It’s described as a low-tech world, containing a beautiful city of white spires, arches, canals, and bridges.”

Dare sucked in a breath.

She sat up. “You know it!”

Yes, he knew it. He knew things about it she probably didn’t.

“We need to go there. I want to ask about Caleb Stock. He had to have spent some time there⁠—”

“We’ll see. You haven’t told me what the Southwind was carrying, Dakota. What’s the treasure?”

She fidgeted, her gaze dropping to the sheets.

“Dakota?”

“It’s called the Atocha Treasure. It came from a Terran shipwreck.”

He paused. “So it was already old at the time of Earth’s destruction?”

“Yes.”

Which meant its value would be immense.

“It’s valuable,” she said. “That’s all I know.”

He tilted his head. “You don’t know what the treasure is.”

“Not exactly, but Golden Nova protected this map like it was the key to the central system bank vaults. It has to be big.”

“It could be rusted metal and rotted wood.”

“No. Historical Terran shipwrecks carried gold, silver, jewels⁠—”

“It could be worthless.”

“It isn’t. I went through a lot to get this map. This isn’t nothing.”

Dare ran a hand through his hair. “Okay, okay. I know someone we can ask about the treasure. See if we can find out what it is.”

“Who?” she asked suspiciously.

“Her name is Eos⁠—”

Dakota’s eyes nearly bugged out of her head. “Dr. Eos Rai-Phoenix? Renowned Terran history expert and astro-archeologist?” Dakota’s voice rose. “Who just happens to be married to Dathan Phoenix, the galaxy’s most infamous treasure hunter?”

“They aren’t thieves, Dakota.”

“And Dathan’s brother also happens to be Niklas Phoenix. A director of the Institute of Historical Preservation, and one of the people in charge of acquiring new artifacts.”

“And we’re in uncharted space. The Institute has no jurisdiction out here. Our half-sister, Aurina, discovered Terran starship wrecks out here on her mate’s world. The Institute helped uncover them, it didn’t steal them. I assure you, the treasure is yours.” He lowered his voice. “You have an almost-worthless map and very little to go on, and you don’t even know what you’re looking for. We need to talk to Eos.”

Dakota sat back against the pillows, but he could see she was turning it over in her head. “I’m going to regret this.”