“No,” Cruz signed.
“Don’t tell me we’re in uncharted territory again. That was a nightmare.” Zadria looked like she might be sick just at the thought of it.
Cruz laughed. “No, this system was never named in GC mapping because there’s nothing here. Or so they thought.”
“That’s exactly right,” Howard added. “Where better to build a rebel base than in a corner of space no one cares about enough to acknowledge its existence?”
Dani maneuvered Osirion near the star and boosted power to the shields. “Well, why didn’t they just make this their main camp then?”
“Have you had a look outside?” Howard pointed at the screen. “There’s nothing here. And while that’s great for hiding, it’s quite a different story when it comes to needing supplies.”
“I’m hungry,” Jag grumbled as he tried to unclip his harness.
Dani and the rest of the crew watched him silently as he finally freed himself and stumbled out of the bridge.
“We should really do something about his drinking,” Zadria said to no one in particular.
“I’ll go talk to him. You guys keep an eye on things for me.” Dani stood with a sigh and headed off after Jag.
The bridge door slid closed after her, and Dani sighed again. Jag hadn’t gotten far. He stood, arm braced against the wall, staring down at his feet.
“Look, Jag,” she started.
“Hang on,” Jag said as he held up a finger. “Trying not to get sick.”
Dani wrinkled her nose and took a step back.
He slowly raised his head, blinked several times, and then gradually retracted his hand from the wall. Jag took a deep breath, then turned to her sluggishly. “Okay. I think I’m okay.”
Dani frowned at him. His bloodshot eyes had lost their charm as they looked back at her. Stubble on his chin, along with his disheveled hair and clothes, made it look like he hadn’t bathed in days. “This has got to stop.”
Jag bobbed his head up and down in defeat. “I know.”
Dani stepped closer to him, slipping under his arm to help steady him down the hall. But she led him right past the kitchen and on toward the showers. “Why do you keep doing this to yourself?”
He shrugged. “It seems like a good idea at the time. Like a good way to escape.”
She walked him into the bathroom and led him to one of the shower stalls before closing the door and sitting on a bench. She worried that if she left him alone he might fall and hurt himself, but she also knew this was a conversation they needed to have, no matter how uncomfortable.
“You know,” Jag said through the sound of running water. “I never really had anyone I could count on before. Never met my dad. My mom… well, you know. And then Talon was always tied up in the latest neighborhood scheme. If it weren’t for the GC’s scholarship program for impoverished kids on shitty planets, I’d probably be dead.”
“But you can count on us,” Dani replied, lying back on the bench to stare up at the ceiling.
“I know that, and when you say it, it makes sense. But then there are times like today when Cruz is off with Cassia, Howard’s training Z, and you’re gallivanting through space, getting yourself in trouble…”
Dani opened her mouth to protest, but Jag continued before she could speak.
“I don’t think you understand that I really can’t lose you, Dani.”
She knew what it was like to feel alone. “I can’t lose you either, Jag,” she muttered quietly.
“What?” Jag asked, turning off the water.
Dani cleared her throat. “There’s got to be a better way to deal with your… to handle things other than losing yourself in the bottom of a bottle.”
“And I know you’re right about that. But the bottle is just so easy.”
She sympathized with him. There were many times where she longed for an easy way out. A way to end the pain and loneliness that came with the job. “I’ll tell you what. Next time you start feeling like you need to escape, how about you talk to me first?”
“Deal, but only if you do the same. No more running off in spaceships with strange men. And no more kissing my brother.”
Dani couldn’t help but laugh out loud. “Deal. Now what is taking so long?”
Jag opened the door, leaned over, and looked down at her. “Well, for starters, I don’t have a clean uniform.”
She scrambled to her feet, standing in front of Jag, who was still damp from the shower and wearing only a towel around his waist. Jag’s well-built physique was less apparent than Cruz’s but still there, nonetheless. He had shaved, and much of the redness was gone from his eyes. “There’s the Jag I… know.”
He raised an eyebrow at her hesitation. “Is that what you wanted to say?”
Dani couldn’t stop her gaze from drifting over Jag’s body. His strong shoulders and arms led down to a well-defined chest with a tattoo reading ‘Stella’ over his heart. Lower yet were his chiseled abs. Dani quickly brought her eyes back to his face as alarms went off in her head and her cheeks grew warm. It wasn’t what she wanted to say, and she felt like he knew it as much as she did. But still, she couldn’t bring herself to do anything more than shrug.
“We’re technically not in the GC anymore, you know.” He took a step closer to her, drops of water running down his neck and shoulders from his hairline.
Dani’s eyes met his. Could this be it? Her pulse quickened. She had long desired to hear Jag say how he felt about her out loud and sober, but every time the potential moment arrived, her body and mind went into full panic.
Jag smiled again, but this time it was a different kind of smile. Instead of his typical cheeky grin that indicated he was playing around or up to no good, this smile was soft and had a depth that she felt surely meant more.
Dani took a short breath and opened her mouth slightly, not sure what she was about to say, but the words didn’t even have time to form in her mind before Jag suddenly hopped back and swore.
“Damn cat!”
Carl wove his way around and in between Jag’s damp legs, long, dark fur clinging to his shins, calves, and feet. Dani couldn’t help but laugh as Jag attempted to brush away the fur but only succeeded in spreading it to his hands.
“I guess I had better rinse off again,” Jag chuckled as he tried to shake the hair from his hand.
Dani, calming her laugh into a giggle, answered, “I’ll go grab a clean uniform for you.”
She hurried out of the room before he could answer and made her way to his quarters. It didn’t take long for her to retrieve the uniform from his wardrobe. In fact, the water was still running when she returned.
Dani hesitated a moment, looking between the uniform and the shower before placing it on the bench and hurrying back toward the bridge. She wasn’t sure what would have happened had she waited, but the previous moment made her realize that she might not be ready for anything to happen. At least not yet.
“Did you get the drunkard all straightened out?” Howard asked as Dani returned to the bridge.
“I hope so,” she said, slipping into her captain’s chair and pretending to busy herself by looking over scans that showed more of the nothingness in their current location. “How’s the ship coming, Howard?”
“It’s coming along. The glowshard really is incredible. We’ll probably need to hold our position for a while longer though. It might not be a bad idea to get some rest.”
“I can keep an eye on things while you guys get some sleep. I slept some at the hospital with Cassia.”
“Thanks, Cruz, I think I’ll take you up on that. Jag should be along any moment to keep you company. I feel like he’s slept enough.”
Dani retreated from the bridge along with Howard and Zadria. The two of them hurried to their rooms, but Dani stopped outside hers, remembering the breach and frowning. Carl meowed outside of Cassia’s room and Dani smiled, reaching down to pet him. “I miss her too, buddy.”
She opened Cassia’s door and st
epped inside. Carl ran and jumped onto the bed, curling up at the foot of it. Dani approached cautiously, but Carl didn’t protest this time. She snuggled up on Cassia’s side on the blanket, and Carl quickly nestled in against the small of her back, purring incessantly. His warm, furry body and the vibrations from his purring began to melt away her stress.
“I see why Cassia keeps you around now, you little troublemaker,” Dani said softly as her eyes grew heavy. Carl’s purring paused, then resumed as Dani drifted off to sleep.
Chapter 6
Dani’s eyes fluttered open as she felt warm breath on her face. It took her a moment to focus on the object in front of her due to its proximity, but slowly, a pair of feline eyes became clear.
“Carl, what are you doing?” Dani rolled over, but her actions only provided the opportunity for Carl to bite at her hair as he rolled in it. “Fine, I’m up.”
Dani wrestled her hair back from the feline, who seemed rather pleased with himself. She checked his food, water, and litter supplies, then headed to the bridge. Cruz and Jag sat on the floor on either side of a chessboard.
“Status update?” she asked as she approached her chair.
“Well, Cruz is kicking my ass in chess.” Jag frowned. “I blame the hangover.”
“I kick your ass every time we play,” Cruz signed with a smile and a shake of his head.
“Well I wouldn’t say that…”
“I would,” Dani interjected with a laugh.
“Don’t laugh too hard, I usually beat you,” Jag pointed out, cutting off Dani’s laughter.
Her eyes shifted between the two of them before she changed the subject. “So how’s Osirion healing up?”
“Should be just about done,” Howard said as he walked into the bridge, twisting from side to side before reaching back and massaging his lower back with one hand and scratching his chin with the other.
Dani pecked at her console and read through the data. “Everything looks good. Let’s head back.”
“You want me to go wake Z?” Jag asked.
“Nah, let her sleep. You can wake her when we get there.” She paused and added, “Nicely.”
Jag groaned, and Dani turned Osirion away from the star and back toward the water-covered moon. She rolled her head across her shoulders after engaging the autopilot and sighed. She wasn’t sure if her nap made things better or worse. She felt slightly rested, but her neck hurt and all she wanted was to slip into her own bed.
“Okay, Howard, what’s the deal with this place? Where am I supposed to go?” Dani asked as they drew closer to the blue marble-like moon.
“I’m not getting any life signs down there. Are we sure this is the place?” Jag scrunched up his face as he asked. “It certainly doesn’t look like a rebel base.”
“Just take her down anywhere,” Howard instructed with a grin.
Dani stared at him a moment before slowly looking back at the moon and then back to Howard. “Are you really going to make me figure this out myself? Can’t you just clue me in for once? I’m pretty sure you owe me a few after the whole ‘your father isn’t really dead’ thing.”
Howard cringed. “Perhaps you’re right.”
“Thank you,” Dani said, sitting back in her chair, folding her arms and waiting.
“The moon is actually not covered by water, at least not as much as it seems. It’s an illusion. Once you break through the atmosphere, you’ll see the base and be able to land safely.”
“Impressive… but where do I aim?”
“You see those three small islands there?” Howard pointed. “Shoot for that area. That’s not exactly where the base is but close enough that you’ll be able to hit it no problem.”
Dani took a deep breath. “Alright, someone go get Z and we’ll head down.”
Jag jumped up out of his seat and ran out of the room.
Dani waited for the sound of a scream, slap, or anything, but the sound didn’t come. Instead, Jag returned a moment later with a sandwich.
“Jag?” Dani asked, eyeing his snack.
“She’s coming. I think she’s just straightening up. You should have seen her hair.” He laughed between bites.
“It wasn’t that bad,” Zadria said as she hurried into the bridge and took her seat. She looked as put-together as always, and Dani had a hard time imagining her with anything less than a perfect appearance.
“Alright, we’re heading down,” Dani announced as she started their descent toward the planet. She led Osirion around the moon once before navigating toward the small grouping of islands. As they pierced the atmosphere, a dense blue fog surrounded them. Dani checked her sensors, but they weren’t reading anything at the moment.
“Howard?” she asked, starting to worry. If the atmosphere was thick, she may not have enough time to maneuver if she needed to.
“You’re doing just fine, my dear,” the grandfatherly mechanic replied.
Dani took a deep breath and reached out with her instincts, her hands light on the controls. Intuitively, she felt the need to pull up on the controls, and it was a good thing she did. They emerged from the cloud cover just as Dani pulled back, soaring above lush, green, mountainous islands. They were so densely populated with trees and other foliage that the land itself was impossible to see.
She slowed their approach as she caught a glimpse of the base on the horizon. It was quite a bit bigger than the one they had just abandoned, but from the movement on the ground she assumed there was also a greater population prior to their arrival. Dani spotted a landing area with several other ships and eased Osirion down into a clearing. It was only after she powered down the engines that she noticed the expression on Zadria’s face.
“What was that?” Zadria asked, trying to look out the windshield up toward the vibrant blue sky. “How is that even possible?”
Howard chuckled as he stood and stretched. “I couldn’t tell you how it works if I tried. A bit like a cloak, I imagine.”
“That… actually makes sense,” Zadria said, her attention now focused on the land and buildings around them. “There are a lot of people here, tons of children too.”
“More and more people are wanting to raise their kids away from the corruption of the GC, just like Roni’s mom, Vanessa.”
“Is she here?” Dani asked as they stepped into the hall.
Howard stopped walking a moment and took a deep breath.
Dani turned and walked back to him as soon as she noticed he was no longer with her. “What is it?”
“Vanessa was on the rebel planet in PS683,” Howard said quietly.
“Oh…” Dani trailed off, allowing his words to sink in. “I guess that explains some things.”
“Are you guys coming?” Jag called from the end of the hall.
“Yeah,” Dani answered, before biting her lip.
Howard patted her on the shoulder and tried to offer a reassuring smile, but it didn’t help Dani feel any better. So many people had died, and she still felt as though it were her fault. She had held the guilt about what happened inside of her for so long that it was difficult for her to completely shift the blame to the GC, even though logically she knew there was nothing she could have done to stop them.
Bob greeted Dani and her crew as they exited Osirion. “Everything patched up?” he asked, looking past them toward the ship.
Howard nodded. “Indeed. Only some cosmetic issues on the inside, but that won’t hurt her at all.”
“Good news. We’ll need every ship we have to liberate the Houston.” Bob turned and walked away.
Dani had to admit it wasn’t the welcome she had hoped for. It was so much different than when he’d return home after being away on a long mission. Now, she felt like a stranger to him and vice versa.
“You have to remember he hasn’t really been a father to you in a long time. It’s just going to take time.”
Dani turned to Howard and raised an eyebrow. “How’d you know what I was th—”
Howard smiled and
patted her on the shoulder before following after Bob.
“This just keeps getting weirder and weirder.” Jag stepped up to her side.
“I’m going to go find Cassia,” Cruz signed then walked away.
Zadria stood there, looking between Dani and Jag. “Er, I’m going to go with him.”
“See, weirder and weirder,” Jag said again, shaking his head as Zadria bounded to keep up with Cruz’s long strides.
“How are you feeling?” she turned to Jag and asked.
“Like I could go for a drink,” he started. “But, I won’t.”
Dani held back her glare after he finished his statement. “Good.”
“You?”
Her eyes widened somewhat. She wasn’t prepared for the question and had no idea how to answer it. Her father was back from the dead, and everything she knew about the GC was a lie, and that was just the broad view.
Jag smiled one of his genuine smiles and put his arm around her shoulders. “Everything will turn out just fine. You’ll see.”
“Are you guys going to stand around and make out all day or what?”
Dani quickly stepped away from Jag, her cheeks flushed, and spun around to face Roni. “I… uh… we… just got here.”
Roni wrinkled her forehead, looking between the two of them. “Geez, Dani, lighten up. This isn’t the GC. I don’t care what you do with your boy toy there. But we do have a rescue mission to plan.”
Now Dani and Jag were both blushing.
“Right, of course,” Dani mumbled. “When is the briefing?”
“In about an hour, over there.” Roni pointed to a platform set up in the center of a group of buildings. “So go, do what you need to do to get whatever this is out of your systems. We can’t have anyone distracted on this mission.”
Roni departed as abruptly as she showed up, leaving Jag and Dani in a cloud of awkwardness.
“Your sister… she’s… something else,” Jag said, scratching the back of his head and directing his gaze at the sky.
“Don’t call her that,” Dani muttered.
“Sorry,” Jag said, stepping close to her once more. He stood there a minute, then wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close.
The Complete First Season - Episodes 1-5 Page 43