by Zen DiPietro
She wasn’t prepared to discuss Raptor with Wren, so she only said, “I don’t know.”
Wren gave a tiny nod, her expression full of understanding. She checked the time on the menuboard. “We should order. I’ll need to get back to the shop. I’m on a deadline to get that chamber ready.”
“Right. So we’ll have lunch. Like friends.”
Wren gave her a sunny smile. “Let’s give it a go.”
As Fallon punched in her order for Bennite stew and bread, she wondered if she could actually manage a friendship with her former wife. Platonic or otherwise.
Some missions were harder than others.
After lunch, Wren went back to work and Fallon lingered on the boardwalk. This had always been her favorite part of the station. The boardwalk teemed with life like no other place on Dragonfire, serving as a mixing bowl of everything the station had to offer. She could observe the commotion of travelers coming and going through the docking bays, and people doing their shopping. Fashion choices ranged from the flamboyantly eccentric to the deeply conservative. Yet all of these elements meshed and interacted in this space, forming a community of variety that Fallon found deeply satisfying.
She loved the smells as much as the sights. A deep breath drew in aromas from the delicious foods belonging to a wide variety of cultures. As she enjoyed it, she wandered from one storefront to the next, admiring the array of offerings.
More than anything else, it was the feeling of vibrancy and activity that brought Fallon back to the boardwalk day after day. Here, she had the opportunity to watch the people she protected. They shared meals with friends and colleagues, laughed with the shopkeeps, and created a sense of community that she’d found herself unable to resist. Despite her crazy life, she’d found a home here on Dragonfire. Being a part of a community had changed her. Opened her up to the idea of belonging somewhere.
The window-shopping and people watching recharged her for her next meeting. Fortunately, this one would not be fraught with emotional landmines.
She joined Arin Triss in the security office, where he had been the acting chief of security up to this point. Captain Nevitt had commanded that Fallon continue as the chief, so now Fallon had to reassert herself.
“Let me guess,” he said, smiling, as they settled on the two facing couches. “You’re here to return me to my life of leisure as your legate.”
They both knew that Arin worked hard every day, regardless of his title. He’d always been an above-and-beyond kind of guy. “Yes and no.”
“Oh?” He tilted his head slightly to the side.
“The captain does want me to remain chief. But I’m involved with other issues at the moment, and I’ll need you to continue to handle more of the day-to-day operations than you did in the past as my legate. So you’ll get a lot of the chief’s work, but not the title. How do you feel about that?”
He shrugged. “Great. It’ll be less than I’ve been doing, and it’ll be a heck of a boost to my duty record for my next evaluation. Besides, I’m glad you’re back.”
“You’ve done a great job in my absence.”
“Your security system and protocols made it almost easy.” He waved his hands in an all-encompassing gesture.
She knew that wasn’t true. It took more than protocols to handle altercations, smuggling attempts, potentially hazardous cargo, and unsavory traders. She’d already reviewed the records and knew that Arin had done tremendously well. If she were a normal officer, she’d have recommended him for a promotion and his own duty post right away, without waiting for his next evaluation. But she was far from a normal officer, and she needed his help.
He knew that she was involved in some variety of intrigue, but he didn’t know about Blackout. If all went as planned, she’d want to bring him in, but for the moment, it was safer for him to be on the outside.
“Well, for now, we can split the duty schedule between us, as before. I’ll want you to continue handling the security personnel and reports to PAC command. But I’ll be prone to missing shifts unexpectedly, or even being away from the station for days at a time. So I’ll need you to be ready to take over at any given moment.”
He nodded. “No problem. I’ve tapped Jenson as my unofficial second, and he’s really stepped into the role.”
Lieutenant Mat Jenson. Zerellian male, stationed on Dragonfire for the past two years. The information popped into Fallon’s brain along with an image of his face. “Glad to hear it. I’ve always liked him.”
An awkward pause formed between them. Arin looked uncertain. “What about you and Wren?”
Ah. Well, naturally, he’d want to know about that. Both as a friend, and as the legate of security. “We’ve agreed to give friendship a whirl. See how it goes.”
Sadness and sympathy showed clearly on his face, but he only said, “I hope that works out.”
“Me too.” She snapped back to business. “I’d like you to get to know my teammates. They’ll be on the station indefinitely. How about dinner this evening on the boardwalk?”
“I have a date, but I’ll cancel. I’d love to meet these people you’ve been working with.”
“A date?” She shouldn’t have been surprised. Arin was gorgeous in a way that only Atalans could be, and Dragonfire had relatively few eligible men.
“Nothing serious. You’re probably thinking about Kellis. I thought that might go somewhere, but before she left last week, she was pretty clear that she isn’t interested in more than friendship right now.”
Since the Onari’s mech engineer seemed to have an interest in joining a certain clandestine spy establishment, Fallon could see why Kellis had put Arin in the friend zone.
“They’re due back in a couple days. If that’s going to be awkward for you, let me know. You don’t have to greet the ship with me.”
“No. It’s fine, but thanks.”
“Good. Would you rather take day shift, or night?”
Arin shrugged. “Doesn’t matter, really. Whichever you’d rather not have, I guess.”
“I’ll take day. My team likes to have their nights free.”
“Why’s that?” he asked.
“You’ll see when you meet them.”
Fallon kept an eye on Arin throughout the evening, gauging his reaction to Avian Unit. Though her teammates wore casual clothes on Dragonfire, Fallon couldn’t help noticing a certain stealth in their movements, or the way they always remained aware of their surroundings. Fallon saw an edge to them that she didn’t see in other people, and wondered if outsiders like Arin could see it too.
After dinner, they all went for a walk in the arboretum. She trailed behind so she could observe.
“Do you visit Sarkan often? It’s got to be great being stationed so close to such a beautiful planet,” Hawk asked Arin as they led the group along a path that took them deeper into the carefully cultivated greenery. Fallon paused a moment to admire a purple leaf with almost iridescent veins in it. Or whatever those were called. Botany was not her strong suit.
“I take most of my leave time there.” To his credit, Arin didn’t seem overwhelmed by Hawk’s attentions. “The beaches are beautiful, and I love boating.”
“Doesn’t hurt that Sarkavians are particularly friendly, does it?” The wicked gleam in Hawk’s eye was evident even from where Fallon stood.
Hawk had not disappointed Fallon by toning down his big personality for Arin’s benefit. If anything, Hawk had been more suggestive than usual. He also always ended up next to Arin. Fallon was fairly certain that her legate had no interest in dating men, but it was fun to watch Hawk try.
Raptor and Peregrine seemed to like Arin well enough. Fallon had a harder time interpreting Ross’ sentiments. He was friendly, but gave little away regarding his thoughts. He walked next to Peregrine, appearing to enjoy the stroll.
The path curved gently around a copse of trees. The group halted when they encountered Dr. Brannin Brash coming the other direction.
“Oh, hello.” The Benn
ite doctor smiled and engaged in pleasantries with everyone, saving Fallon for last. “And how are you feeling?” He had good reason for asking, given the brain surgery he’d recently assisted with, which had returned her memories to her.
“Great. No apparent side effects.”
“Glad to hear it. You’ll be at your appointment tomorrow?” He watched her expectantly.
“Of course. And Brak will also check me out when she returns.”
Brak had been the one to pioneer the surgery. She also knew about Fallon’s struggle with Blackout, while Brannin remained in the dark about it.
“Excellent.” He included the others in his smiling glance. “Well, I won’t keep you. Have a good evening.” He gave them a quick bow, indicating the proper level of respect, but with an air of casualness.
Fallon and her companions also bowed, then continued on their way. Raptor and Peregrine joined the conversation, probably to relieve Arin of Hawk’s unwavering attention. Fallon and Ross were content to listen, responding only when spoken to directly.
Fallon wanted to observe Arin with her team, but she didn’t know Ross’ reason for being quiet. Maybe he was just tired.
Overall, she was pleased with the evening. Arin got along well with her team and they seemed to like him. She’d talk to him in private later to see what he thought of them. If he had the right instincts, she might recruit him into her rebellion. Assuming she could trust him not to go running to Jamestown Station, also known as PAC headquarters.
In the meantime, she had a station to protect and an insurgency to plan.
2
The next morning, Fallon gathered Avian Unit in her security office on Deck Four to discuss their next mission: making contact with Admiral Colb. As soon as Brak gave her the medical green light for business as usual, Fallon wanted to start sticking it to Blackout. That meant finding all the allies they could, and Colb would be a powerful one. They’d located him, and he seemed to be isolated and on the run, just as Avian Unit was.
“What he’s doing is smart,” Raptor said. “He’s made his presence on Zerellus publicly known. With his high profile, people would immediately notice if he disappeared, and they’d start asking the kind of questions that Blackout doesn’t want people asking.”
“The kind that might just lead back to them,” Peregrine mused, chewing on her thumb thoughtfully. “But it means he’ll be difficult to reach. He’ll have a fortress of security to make sure he doesn’t suffer any unfortunate ‘accidents.’”
“Difficult, but not impossible,” Raptor countered. “I’m finding out as much about the situation as I can.”
Hawk shifted to face Raptor. “We don’t have much to prove he’s an ally, other than the fact that he seems to be flying solo. No offense to Fallon, but I’m not taking her parents’ faith in the guy as proof that he’s on our side.”
“Neither am I.” Old family friend or not, Fallon wouldn’t trust him blindly. “Until we’re sure he’s not working with Krazinski, we treat him as a potential threat.”
From the corner of her eye, she saw Ross’ frown deepen. He’d said little all morning and his withdrawal had begun to concern her.
Raptor leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. “I’d like to do a scouting mission. Check out the situation in person. That will give me a lot more to work with.”
It was the right move, and Fallon’s team could use something to do. They weren’t tasked with running Dragonfire as she was. The timing would sync nicely.
Travel between the station and Zerellus would take more than a day each way. By the time the rest of Avian Unit returned, Brak would have arrived and given Fallon the medical all clear. At least, she hoped she’d get the clean bill of health she needed. If not, she might have to defy doctor’s orders, even if it strained her relationship with Brak.
“Who would you take?” she asked Raptor. As their hacker and infiltration specialist, his expertise would be paramount.
“Hawk, I guess.” Raptor looked to Peregrine, as if apologizing for not choosing her. “His tactical assessment would be helpful in making our plan.”
“Take Peregrine too. She’ll make sure no one recognizes you.”
Hawk frowned at her. “That would leave you here alone, and we agreed we’d stay in pairs.”
“Ross will stay here.” She’d have liked him to serve as their pilot. The others would do fine with a basic flight, but Ross was better qualified to deal with anything out of the ordinary.
Ross met her gaze, then nodded. She wasn’t sure how he felt deferring to her, given that technically speaking, he was her superior officer. While the rest of her team did their scouting, she’d have a talk with their former instructor. She needed to know what was going on inside his head lately.
Hawk, Raptor, and Peregrine exchanged glances, then nodded. She sensed their reluctance, and she appreciated it. Those three were her family, and she was theirs. Even though she’d recovered her memories of her parents and brother, her bond with her team was the most significant one she had, and she liked it that way. Her world would make a lot less sense if it were any other way.
“Good. You can work out the details and let me know when you plan to depart.” She leaned back against the couch. “That brings us to the last issue. Nevitt will be in the loop on our planning, and may attend meetings. Especially if anything pertains to Dragonfire. She’ll be an active member of our team.”
Hawk looked like he wanted to argue, so she cut in before he could get started. “That’s one of her terms for letting us use Dragonfire as a base of operations.”
Hawk grimaced, but said nothing. Raptor met her gaze, while Per frowned her usual frown.
“All right. We’re done here. I need to get to Deck Two to check out a faulty sensor.”
Peregrine said, “Nevitt’s terms are steep. Are you really going to be able to balance your job as security chief with what we need to do?”
“I’ve wondered the same thing,” Fallon admitted. “It depends on how difficult each of those jobs gets.”
“So no.” Hawk’s eyes were full of humor.
She smiled at him. “We’re going to find out.”
After her team left, Fallon sat in the chair behind her desk. With one foot, she sent both it and herself spiraling in a slow spin. She’d developed the habit as a child to help her blow off steam and center her thoughts.
She had a lot threatening to pull her off-center. Her loyalty to her team and her duty to Nevitt. Her concern about Ross and most of all, her need to figure out what was happening with Blackout and why her brain had been experimented on.
She knew now that she’d never consented to have illegal, experimental technology installed in her brain. She’d never been asked, either. She wanted to know how long it had been in there, and what had happened in that shuttle before the accident and her memory loss.
She remembered piloting the shuttle outside Dragonfire, then waking up in Dragonfire’s infirmary with Brannin and Wren standing over her. Clearly, some serious shit had gone down in that brief interim.
The way she figured it, there were three possibilities. Someone might have removed a device from her brain, causing brain damage in the process. There could have been some altercation that caused accidental damage to the implant. Or perhaps it was a botched attempt to install the device without her knowing.
The details weren’t important, in the grand scheme of figuring out who was to blame for subverting Blackout and developing illegal tech that violated the treaties at the heart of the PAC. Fallon’s experience was a speck of space dust compared to avoiding intergalactic war.
But it mattered to her and she hoped she’d get at least some of the answers.
For now, she had a malfunctioning sensor to see to.
By the time she recalibrated the sensor, she was due for her rounds on the boardwalk. She smoothed her hands over her uniform as she rode the lift down to Deck One. She hadn’t done this in an official capacity for over seven months now. And the last
time she’d done it, she’d been operating with only a couple weeks’ worth of memories.
Her amnesia seemed surreal in hindsight, but she was proud of herself for managing as well as she had. With her two realities now meshed, her identity in check, and her team on the station, she felt complete for the first time in over two years.
She watched for her young friends Nix and Robert, but they didn’t seem to be down here today. They must be having lunch at school.
She wasn’t surprised when Cabot Layne stepped out of his shop as she walked by.
“Chief,” he said warmly, bowing. “It’s so good to see you back on the job.”
“It’s good to be back,” she answered as she returned the bow, surprised by how much she meant what she said.
She expected him to refer to the covert work he had at least some inkling of, or to the favor he’d done her in securing a ship for her and her teammates. But he merely smiled and fell into step beside her as he’d done many times before.
“Has everything gone well on the boardwalk in my absence? Is there anything that needs my attention?” she asked.
“We’ve been well taken care of. Young Arin has done an excellent job.”
“That’s good to hear.”
“And you?” he asked. “You’re well?”
She searched his face for some hidden meaning, but saw none. “Yes. Very well, thank you.”
“I’m glad.” He halted and stood in place, causing her to do the same. “I’d love to walk the rest of the way with you, but I’m afraid I have an appointment with a customer. Perhaps tomorrow?”
His geniality made her smile. “That would be nice.”
“If you think of anything you or your friends need, let me know.”
Again, she suspected a double meaning, but his face gave nothing away. Either he was being straightforward or he was damn good. Given what he’d managed to do for her previously, she’d put cubics on him being damn good. “I will.”