Coalescence (Dragonfire Station Book 3)

by Zen DiPietro

  Wren sat frozen, her eyes flickering with a half-dozen discarded replies. She wasn’t the only one of them who could read the other. Fallon saw everything she felt.

  Finally, Wren asked, “Does he feel that way about you?”

  Fallon didn’t have to think about who she meant, or how Raptor felt. “Yes. But it’s different with him. He and I are…raw. Visceral. Like a chemical reaction. A bond that never breaks. But it’s not…” Her eyes trailed over the quarters, remembering them again as a place of comfort and warmth. She and Raptor had never walked hand-in-hand on the beach, or had breakfast in bed together.

  Wren looked at her wine glass and blinked as if surprised that she still held it. She took a long time setting it on the table before meeting Fallon’s eyes again. “It sounds like, between him and me, you have everything you need.”

  “Maybe. But I married you. You were supposed to be everything all by yourself.” Fallon couldn’t keep a touch of bitterness out of her voice.

  “And you were supposed to be the person you said you were when I married you.” Wren’s words held no accusation.

  Whose wound was worse? Fallon couldn’t measure hurt against hurt, and she was tired of trying. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry.”

  “I’m sorry too. And I’m glad you have him. Someone who’ll have your back when you’re out there, doing who knows what.” Wren was quiet for a long moment, then she bounced to her feet. “I think dinner’s ready. Shall we eat?”

  “Seriously? You still want to have dinner after all this?”

  Wren shrugged as she placed a basket of bread on the table. “The only way through life is by forging through it. Let’s just move forward and let whatever happens, happen.”

  If it meant she could avoid having more talks like this, Fallon was on board.

  When Fallon returned to her quarters and climbed into bed, she was as alone as she’d been the previous night. But thinking of Wren and Raptor and how complicated relationships were, she was much more content to be that way.

  She’d become a PAC officer because she wanted to serve and to fight. She needed to shake off the other stuff and focus on that.

  Fallon woke up ready to attack her full schedule. She ran through her normal morning routine, then went down to Docking Bay Five to meet a new arrival. The Onari had returned.

  Jerin and Brak arrived through the airlock first, followed by Demitri, Kellis, and Trin. After a moment, more friendly faces spilled forth. Dr. Yomalu, Corla and her baby, Ben Brooks, and Endra. And they kept coming. Fallon felt a spark of pleasure at seeing each face that emerged. Most didn’t even bother with the bows that protocol indicated. They stepped right in and gave Fallon a hug instead. She found it all overwhelming, but in a good way.

  As usual, the boardwalk teemed with activity. The residents of Dragonfire held the crew of the Onari in high regard and delighted in their visits.

  “How was your trip?” Fallon asked Brak and Jerin as she escorted them down the concourse to their respective quarters.

  “Elective procedures on Dineb are always a pleasant experience,” Jerin answered. “Not only do we earn a good deal, but some of the crew also get to enjoy some shore leave.” As the captain and chief medical officer of the hospi-ship, Jerin took great care in seeing to the needs of her crew.

  “Were you working, or living it up on Dineb?” Fallon asked Brak, knowing perfectly well her friend was not likely to pass her leisure time on the party planet.

  Brak chuckled, a soft growl of a sound. Fallon smelled the sweet musk of Briveen amusement. “No cybernetics were needed, so I spent the time in my lab. I wouldn’t exactly fit in at the Dinebian dance clubs.”

  The three chuckled. No, a tall, scaled woman would definitely stand out. Not that Dinebians would mind that. Brak would probably have found herself a short-term celebrity. But Fallon couldn’t quite imagine Brak breaking out some dance moves among a crowd of strangers.

  “So long as you had a good time,” she said.

  “I did.”

  Fallon stopped at a door. “These are your quarters, Jerin. Let us know if you need anything.”

  “I’m sure I won’t, but thank you. I’m eager to put on my pajamas and have a good, long sleep.”

  It was barely midday. The doctor must have been exhausted. She disappeared inside, while Fallon and Brak stopped at the next door.

  “And these are yours,” Fallon said.

  “Thank you for walking with us. You didn’t have to.”

  “I wanted to. It’s a pleasure to have you all back.”

  “It’s nice to be back,” Brak said. “I’d like to take a brief rest and eat, but I know you’re eager for me to give you the medical all clear. Do you want to meet me in the infirmary at the end of your shift? We’ll get that examination out of the way.”

  “I’d love to. I’ll let Brannin know to expect us.”

  “I’m sure he’s anticipated our arrival already,” Brak said, amused.

  “I bet you’re right.”

  The good Dr. Brash was a highly astute fellow. He would know Fallon was eager to get back to pushing her physical limits in the gym.

  “I’ll see you this evening.” Brak entered her quarters and the door closed behind her.

  With renewed enthusiasm, Fallon went back to the security office for an afternoon of work.

  “Just relax,” Brak advised.

  There wasn’t much else Fallon could do, lying on a techbed. She tried not to fidget, wondering if Brak would give her brain a clean bill of health. Fallon needed to know if her head had healed enough for her to go with her team to make contact with Colb.

  She stared up at the ceiling, counting the tiles and making spatial-relations patterns out of them. The great thing about having a fantastic memory was that she had a lot inside her head to keep her entertained during times of boredom, such as this. That didn’t keep her from feeling itchy with anticipation though. She was far better at action than being still.

  “One more thing,” Brak said, sounding distracted. After a couple more minutes she said, “There we go. You can sit up.”

  Brannin stood alongside Fallon in case she needed assistance, but she didn’t. He smiled at her encouragingly, clearly knowing that waiting for Brak’s pronouncement had her on edge.

  “By every measure I can conjure, you are in perfect health.” Brak pulled her lips into a smile.

  “No issues you foresee with the inducer?”

  “It’s doing everything I’d hoped it would. You’ll still need to get regular checks—monthly, ideally—and let me know immediately if you have any confusion or issues with your memory. But otherwise, you’re cleared for duty, as well as all physical activity. Though I’d recommend against blows to the head, of course. But that’s pretty standard advice for all my patients.”

  Fallon and Brannin smiled.

  “I’ll do my best,” she promised.

  “I think this calls for a celebration,” Brannin said. “Would you two care to join me for dinner? I’m technically off shift.”

  “That would be great,” Brak said, “but I have plans with Kellis, Jerin, and Trin already. Why don’t you two join us?”

  “That sounds perfect,” Brannin said. He looked to Fallon, questioningly.

  “Absolutely. When are you supposed to meet them?”

  “Now. They’ll be having drinks already.”

  A drink sounded good to her. “Great. I’ll buy the first round.”

  “I’ve never been much of a drinker,” Brannin admitted.

  “Oh, well that’s perfect. This is absolutely the right night to start.”

  They laughed as they left the infirmary.

  “What a lovely surprise,” Jerin said as Brannin sat next to her. Fortunately, they’d chosen a large table in the back of the room that easily accommodated two extras.

  Brak and Fallon sat, with Fallon next to Kellis and Brak on Jerin’s other side.

  Fallon enjoyed the meal. Not only did she have good new
s for her team when they returned, she also had an opportunity to catch up with her friends.

  She’d never seen Brannin so relaxed and engaged in a social setting. She recalled him hovering around the edges of such gatherings, cordial, but slightly formal. He seemed more confident, more animated. Happier. He and Jerin talked most of the evening, often quietly having side conversations while the rest of the group discussed something else.

  All in all, it was a lovely evening.

  But Fallon couldn’t wait for her team to return so they could move their plan forward.

  Brak joined Fallon for a run the next morning. Despite not being able to exercise for the past two weeks, Fallon kept up with Brak as they ran around the track above the gym. Brak made her work for it though. As always.

  “So your team will be back in a day or two?” Brak wasn’t even winded. She simply looked fantastic, with her strong body and her iridescent scales.

  Fallon was sure she did not look fantastic. She was soaked with sweat and probably red-faced. “Yes.”

  “Can I assume that whenever they get done with whatever they’re doing, you have plans to do things I shouldn’t know about?”

  “Fair assessment,” Fallon agreed.

  “Ah.” Brak said no more, and Fallon appreciated her discretion.

  “I do have plans that involve the Onari, though. I’d like to talk to you, Jerin, and Kellis privately at some point today.” It took some effort to spare enough of her lung power to get such a long sentence out.

  “Ahhh.” This time, Brak sounded satisfied. “I can coordinate that, if you like.”

  “That’d be great.”

  “Okay. Are you ready to get serious about this run?”

  Fallon wondered how much more serious they could get, but she wasn’t one to pass up a challenge. “Let’s go.”

  Fallon invited her friends from the Onari to her quarters. Once they’d settled in the sitting area, she launched right in. She looked from Jerin to Brak to Kellis as she talked.

  “You know that I’m working an off-the-books mission. I’m also pretty sure you know that I’m working directly against all official and unofficial PAC departments.”

  She saw no flickers of surprise. She continued, “Anyone who wants to know nothing more of this should say so now.”

  Silence.

  “Okay.” She forged ahead. “Anyone who doesn’t want to get involved with espionage and, possibly, treason, should say so now.”

  Still not a peep.

  “Really? I’m talking about some bad shit here, and once you know about it, there’s no not knowing it. You’ll be in, whether you like it or not.”

  Kellis spoke up. “Could you move on? We didn’t have you on our ship for months because we thought you were selling muffins.” She glanced at Jerin and her cheeks grew pink.

  Jerin waved a hand at Kellis. “You said what we’re all thinking.”

  Fallon took a breath, preparing to say words that no BlackOp ever did. “My team and I, as you may have suspected, are part of Blackout. Someone corrupt has taken it over, and we’re trying to take control. If we don’t, every treaty the PAC has ever signed will be publicly broken, and we’ll be embroiled in war for decades to come.”

  She gave them a moment to process that, then dropped another bomb on them. “We’re setting up a rebellion, right here on Dragonfire. And we want the Onari to be part of it. I want you to make Dragonfire your home port. I’ll ensure that you’re properly funded, and in return, you’ll be our allies and, perhaps, run missions for us.”

  “What could we do to help? You already have a top-notch infirmary and CMO here on the station,” Jerin said.

  “We do,” Fallon acknowledged. “But we need Brak. Whatever Krazinski is planning, it involves the kind of dangerous technology that blew a chunk out of my brain. I need her, ready and able to analyze any data, or any medical technology I discover. Possibly to look after other test subjects, if we find them.” She shifted her gaze to Kellis. “Kellis has already expressed a strong desire to be of help, because of her abhorrence for corruption and the suffering it causes. She brings technological and mechanical expertise that could be invaluable to us.”

  Kellis nodded.

  “And me?” asked Jerin. “What do I have to offer?”

  Fallon smiled. “To be honest, I’m not sure. Yet. The Onari is a heck of a ship though, with a heck of a crew, and I need all the allies I can get.”

  “Fair enough.” Jerin looked satisfied. “Who all is in on this?”

  “My team, including Ross. Nevitt. Arin and Endra know something’s up, but none of what I’ve told you here. Wren knows I’m a BlackOp, but little else.”

  “That’s it?” Jerin’s eyebrows arched high. “That’s a pretty small rebellion.”

  “I guess I’m conservative when it comes to gambling with people’s lives,” Fallon returned dryly. “I’d like to bring Arin in, but I’m not certain he’d want to be involved, and once I reveal the situation, I can’t just let him say ‘no, thank you,’ and go on about his life.”

  “What if we’d declined?” Jerin asked.

  “I didn’t think you would. But if you had, I’d have had to kill you,” Fallon deadpanned. When no one laughed, she added, “I’m kidding.”

  Kellis and Jerin looked unimpressed with her humor, while Brak remained unaffected.

  “Tough room.” Fallon shrugged. “My team would have found that hilarious.”

  “I guess I’ll have to work on finding death threats amusing, given the people I’ll be working with,” Jerin noted.

  “You’ll get the hang of it,” Fallon assured her. This time, Jerin and Kellis both looked mildly amused. It wasn’t the reaction she’d have gotten from Peregrine, Hawk, and Raptor, but she had hope for these three.

  Fallon related the conversation she’d had with Jerin, Kellis, and Brak to Nevitt, then returned to her quarters. Once her team made it back from Zerellus, she’d arrange a meeting with all her allies. Her entire rebellion, together in one room. She couldn’t wait.

  She enjoyed a long, steamy hydro-shower, standing under the water for far longer than necessary. As she dried off, she traced the tattoo on her stomach, hoping her teammates would return soon.

  With her brain officially certified as ready for service, she finally felt like she had what she needed to take over Blackout. She still required the intel to make it all happen, but she’d get that. She was no longer the pawn in Krazinski’s game. She wasn’t even a mere king. She owned the entire chessboard.

  It was hubris to think that way. She knew that. But people like her needed an excessive ego to be able to do their jobs. Fallon wasn’t too good to let some healthy self-aggrandizement ease her way.

  As she got into bed she smiled, thinking about how much ass Avian Unit would soon kick.

  Fallon leaped to her feet almost as fast as her eyes opened, then froze, listening for whatever had woken her.

  She touched the back of her waistband, making sure her knife was in place. Creeping toward the doorway, she stayed right outside its sensor range. Waiting.

  The door opened and she raised her fists, prepared to take down her opponent by any means necessary.

  “Relax,” a familiar voice said. “How about you don’t attack me this time?”

  “Lights!” she called, even as Raptor snaked an arm around her waist and pressed against her. “How about you don’t sneak up on me when I’m sleeping?”

  “But it’s fun,” he argued.

  He was right. She loved the feeling of the adrenaline zinging through her. And she was glad to see him. But she scowled at him anyway.

  He grinned. “Miss me?”

  “No.”

  “Good. I didn’t miss you, either.” His other arm came around her and they leaned into each other. She let his warmth soak into her.

  “Where are Peregrine and Hawk?”

  His arms rubbed against her sides as he shrugged. “Off to the pub, I think.”

  “What abou
t the mission debriefing?”

  “It’s the middle of the night. They thought they’d let you sleep.”

  “I guess you didn’t tell them you were planning to wake me up anyway.”

  His smile was wicked. “Nope.”

  “Can you at least tell me if the mission was successful? You’re back awfully fast.”

  “Completely successful.”

  “Good.” She studied his expression, part playful, part intense. He seemed happy. “So this is an ongoing thing between us?” She hadn’t been certain of their relationship protocol when they boarded Dragonfire, and they hadn’t discussed it in the meantime.

  He looked down at her, suddenly serious. “You were the one who decided to change the parameters of our relationship when we were on the Nefarious.” He dropped his arms, stepping back. “I guess you’ve changed your mind, now that you have your memories back?”

  Without giving her a chance to answer, he launched into a stream of profanity that would have made Hawk proud, then spun on his heel and strode out the door of her bedroom. “I should have expected that. You’ve always run away from me,” he called back as he walked through the common area to the exit. “You know what? Fuck you. I’m done.”

  The doors to her bedroom closed in her face.

  “Security override,” Fallon barked, then gave her code to the computer.

  The doors whisked open and she charged in. Electricity streaked down her spine and through her limbs. She was more than ready to fight.

  Two surprised faces turned toward her.

  “Fuck me?” she hissed at Raptor as she stepped in close to him. “Fuck you. I ask one question and you storm out on me? Bullshit.”

  She glanced at Ross, who looked surprised but entertained. “Excuse us.” She skewered Raptor with a look and stalked to the nearest bedroom.