She collected her thoughts. “You know, sir. I’m not sure. I have a feeling in the pit of my stomach, like it’s all related. The talismans, the Moons of Orn he told me about, the Estarian traditions, and realm-walking. Even the stuff that I’ve been experiencing since my… upgrade.”
Lance frowned a little. “You think it might give you answers as to what you’ve been experiencing?”
Molly nodded before forcing herself to look him in the eye. “Yes. I think it might be related.”
The General wiped at his face with one hand, contemplating the new information. Finally, he started bobbing his head.
He got up, straightening his uniform. “Okay. I’ll see what I can do. However,” he said seriously, looking back at her. “You know that new leaders get one fuckup.”
Molly frowned with one eyebrow, tilting her head forward to hear better. “Sir?”
“Ah, you’ve not heard that one yet?” he smiled, folding his arms. He stepped back a little to see her better. “You get one chance to potentially fuck up. Is this what you want to use it on?”
I thought you already used that chance?
Shut up, Oz.
Molly disappeared from behind her eyes, computing the probabilities and the options in her head. Then she seemed to return. “So if I’m right, do I get to retain my chance?”
Ha! Unless they find out about all the fuckups you’ve already made that they don’t know about yet!
Oz, for the love of -
Shutting up.
Lance chuckled, his chest bouncing a little and jostling his folded arms. He uncrossed them. “Yes, Molly. You get your chance back if you’re right on this…” he conceded playfully.
Molly nodded earnestly. “Well, okay then. I’d like to use my chance on this,” she informed him, standing up to leave. “Do you want to tell him, or shall I?”
The General dropped his head, looking at the ground, contemplating. “Allow me… on this one. I need to make a few things clear to him, if he’s going to do this.”
Molly bobbed her head as she rolled her lips awkwardly trying to figure out how to end the meeting.
Lance made it easy for her. He extended his hand for her to shake. “Thank you for your service, Molly Bates. You did a great job out there… and I’m forever grateful to you for bringing Giles back in one piece.”
Molly took his hand. “Sir, it was a pleasure to be able to put this right,” she said.
For a moment, the two servants of the Federation looked into each other’s eyes in mutual understanding of what they were trying to achieve together, and in their relief that Giles had been returned safely.
Molly broke the gaze first, and Lance released her hand. “Let me know when you’re safe back at Gaitune,” he added, realizing that he probably sounded more like her mom than her commanding officer.
Molly mumbled. “Of course, sir. Thank you.” And with that, she made her exit across the office to the sliding doors.
Lance watched her go.
“ADAM,” he said, after the doors had closed.
ADAM responded over the intercom. “Yes, General?”
“Get Giles up here, would you?” he asked, turning to his private office.
“Of course, sir. It looks like he’s just getting up, after a night drinking with Ms. Bates.”
Lance shook his head, taking a deep breath as he disappeared from the reception room. “Of course he is…” he muttered, a slight smile playing across his lips.
Epilogue
Mocha shop near Spire Police Precinct, Spire, Estaria
Detective Chaakwa Indius picked up her mocha at the end of the counter, and, with her toasted sandwich in hand, turned to head out.
She caught a flash of blonde hair over the top of a booth against the far wall. She did a double take.
Can’t be… she thought.
It had been several weeks since that night when she and her father’s friends had arrested the men responsible for his death. She hadn’t had the chance to thank Molly. She was obviously staying out of sight - save for that appearance on the rooftop of the building across the street.
Chaakwa shook her head to herself. She was seeing things. It was her mind playing tricks on her, because she felt it was unfinished business. She strode down the length of the counter toward the doors, glancing back just to confirm it was someone else.
The woman had her head turned from view, but as Chaakwa’s gaze stayed fixed on her, the woman turned her head. Chaakwa slowed her walk, and then stopped.
It was her.
Without thinking, Chaakwa turned around and wove her way through the tables cluttered with people and mochas. She slipped quietly and uninvited into the booth, her sandwich forgotten on the seat next to her, and her mocha placed on the table.
The woman turned and looked at her. “Was wondering how I might get your attention,” Molly said, smiling at her.
Chaakwa was lost for words. She sat looking at Molly, with her mouth moving, but no sound coming out.
Molly waited patiently, understanding all too well what it took to deal with words and emotions at the same time.
Eventually, words started coming from her throat, her voice cracking. “Molly,” she started. “I can’t begin to tell you how grateful I am to you. What you and your team did for me - for my father - is incredible. I’m… Thank you.”
Molly lowered her eyes, feeling them well up with her own emotion. When she looked up again, she could see Chaakwa was choking up, too.
“Chaakwa, it was my pleasure,” she told the detective. “It was an honor to help you bring these people to justice, and we certainly owed you one for everything you did to help us bring down the Syndicate. I just wanted you to know that this wasn’t a favor. You earned this. And you helped us take those men off the street so they can’t hurt anyone else.”
Chaakwa nodded her understanding. The two women looked at each other for a moment longer, and then Molly slipped out of the booth.
“I’ll be seeing ya,” she said gently. And then she disappeared across the mocha shop and out the door.
Chaakwa sat for a few moments, relieved that she’d had the chance to thank her friend for everything she had done. She had justice. And closure. She could get on with her life.
She shuffled back out of the booth, mocha and sandwich in hand, feeling like a new person.
FINIS
Cloaked
The Ascension Myth Book 7
Chapter 1
Aboard the ArchAngel, Commons Lounge
Giles ambled up to the young man sitting with his back to the bar in a booth. The lounge was mostly quiet and empty, on account of the early morning hour.
“Uncle Lance?” Giles approached him, looking a little worse for wear.
Lance looked up from his coffee as if awoken from a day dream. “Giles. Morning. Er… do sit down,” he said, gesturing to the seat across from him.
Giles shuffled in, and nodded to the server at the bar offering him coffee. He turned his attention immediately back to Lance. “You okay?” he asked, noticing the chewed cigar abandoned on the table.
“I’m fine,” Lance answered. “I’ve just been up a while.”
Giles paused, waiting for more information.
Lance pushed his coffee mug forward a little, and wiped his hand over his face. “It’s the Federation stuff. It’s all getting a little… silly… if you ask me.”
Giles tilted his head, questioningly. The server had come over with a fresh cup and the coffee. He poured one for Giles and then topped up the General’s before quietly disappearing out of earshot.
Giles grabbed for some whitener at the end of the table and started stirring it into the tar-black nectar. “What’s going on?” he asked, concerned.
Lance shrugged. “Oh, the usual. The Leath for one. Pressures for us to disarm generally. Meanwhile, others are assembling their forces month by month, like they think we don’t know what they’r
e doing.”
He shook his head in disbelief. “Anyway,” Lance continued, “nothing for you to worry about. I just wanted to speak with you before you disappeared off on one of your goose chases.”
Giles eyes brightened in interest. He took a slurp of his coffee and then set the mug down. “Oh?”
Lance had a little twinkle in his eye. “Yes. And don’t pretend. I know you’re heading off to Orn with or without my blessing.”
Giles started to protest, but Lance held his hand up. “Ah, now, now. Come on. I’ve known you since you were in diapers. I’ve witnessed or had reports on every stunt you’ve ever pulled, remember.”
Giles settled his indignation and resigned himself to hearing the General out.
Lance smiled gently. “So, I was going to give you my blessing for Orn. But,” he continued quickly before Giles could get too excited. “I need weekly reports from you on this.”
The General paused, and Giles took the opportunity to clarify. “Meaning, it’s an official trip?”
Lance nodded. “It is. And if you’re right about this talisman stuff, it affects the Federation directly. But it’s a complex situation. The Zhyn are friends now, but they still haven’t joined the Federation, proper. Bottom line, you need to tread very carefully out there - which means no inciting hostility.”
Giles nodded obediently.
“Plus,” Lance continued, “after what you put us all through with getting yourself taken hostage, I’d be more comfortable being kept up-to-date with your whereabouts. Remember, the whole Federation may report to me, but when you’re on one of these hair-brained missions, I end up reporting to your mother.”
Giles sniggered, carefully placing his coffee mug down again, for fear of spilling or snorting it. He took a moment to compose himself. “Okay, Uncle Lance. I hear you. Loud and clear.”
Lance smiled. “Good. Coz heaven forbid, anything happens to you, we’d all have our heads on the chopping block.”
Giles bobbed his head and took another sip of coffee. “So… Moons of Orn, and then Estaria?”
The General suddenly looked a little confused. He frowned. “Estaria?”
Giles nodded. “Yeah. I mean, the parent talisman I had there and then took to Estaria was one I found on Earth. It’s a long story. That means we haven’t found any more pieces that originated in the Estarian culture proper. And with what I showed you and Molly about the similarities in the genetic make-up of the Zhyn and Estarians, it seems only logical that there will be one in Estarian culture.”
Lance grunted and Giles continued. “Well, Arlene and I both believe that there are cultural similarities too. Like similarities in their ascension myths…”
Lance frowned. “You mean, you think they’re both talking about the same phenomenon?”
Giles’s face lit up. “Exactly!”
Reynolds rubbed his chin, his elbows resting on the table. “Hmm. Yes, Molly had mentioned as much.”
“Molly?” Giles asked, curious.
Lance nodded. “Yeah, she was also interested in getting answers about this.”
Giles thought for a moment. “You mean, because of her realm jumping thing?”
Lance took a slurp of coffee, and then pushed the mug away, deciding he’d had enough. “Yes, I believe so.” He paused, watching Giles’s reactions carefully. “Do you think it’s related?”
Giles nodded. “Almost certainly. There’s a bigger picture we’re not seeing yet. I think gathering these two fragments, the oracle from Orn, and whatever the Estarian equivalent is, will give us some definitives to work with.”
Lance took a deep breath. “Well, you have my blessing.” He paused, settling back in the seat. “You’ll be taking Arlene with you, of course?”
Giles looked resistant for a moment before quickly realizing that the suggestion Lance had made wasn’t quite a suggestion. He gathered his thoughts. “Yes, Uncle Lance. I’ll be taking Arlene to babysit me,” he teased.
Lance’s face relaxed a little. “Very good,” he acknowledged. “So tell me, this ‘do’ your mother is organizing tomorrow. What time does it start?”
Aboard the ArchAngel, Comms Room AA19
Arlene sat immersed in her holo screens, her audio implants tuning out the sounds around her, and playing a brain synch track to help her focus. She scrolled through one of the holo documents, trying to figure out if there was a connection between that and the other account she had been reading.
She felt a nudge on her shoulder.
She turned, half expecting it to have been a random muscle spasm. Or even a sensation from the realm jumping she had been doing earlier. When she concentrated hard, she could sometimes lose her grounding.
But then she saw that there was someone standing there just behind her.
She flicked her audio to ambient and looked up. “Oh, Giles... you scared me!” she said, a hint of annoyance in her voice.
Giles pulled up a console chair next to her. “No, I didn’t,” he told her. “You could have an armed warrior sneak up next to you and you’d be ready to poke his eyes out with your elbow.
Arlene turned back to her document, her face perfectly straight. “That is true.”
Giles chuckled. “So, I have news,” he offered.
Arlene continued studying her screens, flicking between one and another as if she were on the brink of a meaningful breakthrough. “Uh huh,” she muttered.
Giles leaned back in his chair. “Yeah. You want the good news, or the bad?”
Arlene leaned up a little, and turned her head towards him. She narrowed her eyes. “Gimme the bad first. Always.”
Giles grinned. “The bad news is, I need to take you with me.”
Arlene tried her best to look annoyed. “And the good news?”
Giles’s grin spread a little wider. “The good news is the General has put us onto the Orn thing. We can leave whenever we want.” He rocked a little in the console chair, waiting for the praise to follow.
Arlene didn’t answer and went back to her screens.
Giles sat up suddenly. “What? What’s the problem?” he pressed.
Arlene put her holo screens down and turned to him. “What’s the problem?” she repeated his question, a hint of frustration in her voice now.
Giles eyes opened in bewilderment. “Yeah.”
Arlene clasped her hands together on her lap. “I’ll tell you what the problem is! Apart from the fact that not a matter of weeks ago you went and surrendered your sorry ass to a known terrorist organization. Apart from that, and the hell you put us all through... you left me.”
Giles’s eyes wrinkled up in confusion. “What? When?” he asked, searching his memory.
Arlene frowned at him. “Seventy years ago. We had a row, and I thought we were going to figure it out. And then I came home one evening and you were just... gone.”
Giles’s mouth dropped open. “I left because you told me to!”
Arlene scowled at him. “I did no such thing!”
Giles was caught completely off guard. There was a second’s silence while his brain scrambled to recall the events of that night.
“You did!” he protested. “You said that if I wasn’t ready to settle down, and stop the juvenile adventure trips where I’d disappear for weeks on end, you thought that it would be better that I didn’t come back. So, I took you at your word.”
Arlene shook her head. “Those things... we say things like that in arguments. That’s just what people say in the heat of the moment.”
Giles shook his head, taking his glasses from his face. “Well, I didn’t know that. I thought you wanted me to go …”
Arlene shook her head, her anger lifting to reveal the old pain. “No. It was... silly. And, in the Estarian way of doing discussions, it’s just a point of negotiation.”
Giles suddenly seemed to disappear from behind his eyes.
Arlene tapped him on the leg. “Hey. Where did you go?”
>
Giles’s mouth hung open for a moment before he returned to his senses. “I’ve just realized... a whole bunch of interactions have just made sense. Although …” he added, cleaning his glasses and putting them back on his face, “The common denominator wasn’t the Estarian thing. It was more the female thing.”
Arlene didn’t hesitate. She slapped the side of his leg. This time quite hard.
“Owwww!” He protested, rubbing the point of impact hard. “That’s-”
“No less than you deserve!” she said, finishing his sentence for him.
He looked down at his leg where he was rubbing. “That’s going to give me a painful lump,” he told her.
“Humpft,” she scoffed, turning back to her work. “Don’t forget, alien-boy, I know about the nanocytes. Your exaggerations and fibs aren’t going to work on me, like it works on your floozies.”
“Floozies?” Giles repeated, looking shocked, and yet vaguely amused at this revelation.
Suddenly his mood changed, and he scooted his antigrav console chair a little closer to Arlene. “So, er... do I assume from all of this that you still have…”
Arlene scooted her chair back from him. “No. No, it does not. Not even a little bit. That ship has well and truly sailed.”
Giles backed his chair up a little too. “Well, erm... okay then.” He removed his glasses again, and started cleaning them, a little embarrassed this time.
Arlene smiled. “No,” she concluded. “Too much water under the bridge,” she explained more gently now. “And though you’re easy on the eye, your boyish charm just doesn’t do anything for me anymore.”
Giles sighed and slumped back in his chair. His eyes looked a little dull, as if he’d suffered an actual disappointment.
Arlene turned back to her holoscreens. “Anyway, no need to look so glum,” she told him. “From the sound of it we have another mission.”
Giles eyed her carefully. “So, you’re okay with working with me again?”
Arlene nodded, still not looking at him. “Oh yes,” she answered simply. “I just needed to clear the air.”
The Ascension Myth Box Set Page 131