The Key

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The Key Page 29

by Pauline Baird Jones


  “Captain.”

  “Sorry, sir.” Sara shot it out through gritted teeth.

  Gaedon tried to explain. “He would not just be your bond mate, he is the leader of all the Gadi.”

  “How nice for him.” Sara could feel her temper still wanting to cut loose and she was too tired to completely control it.

  “Captain.”

  Sara reined in it back in—at least she hoped she did. Tired had thrown in with temper.

  “Perhaps you could explain to your leader I’m in charge of what I permit or don’t.” This came out through gritted teeth.

  “Clearly our ways are different,” Gaedon said, a bit weakly. His charm seemed to be running out of steam.

  “Clearly. And I know who won’t be changing her ways.”

  “In a…negotiation, both sides must…give ground.”

  Sara had to give Gaedon chops for trying.

  “So…what ground is Helfron giving?” Sara did her owl eyes thing, though it wasn’t easy. Her lids felt like ten-ton weights.

  Gaedon seemed to like this question. “In addition to supplying you with your own living quarters—” he placed a drawing of a palace looking thing in front of her “—he will also gift you with the Gadi gems.”

  Another drawing of jewelry that continued the royal-like theme. Yeah, she could see herself wearing that stuff. Especially the foot tall tiara.

  “There is also the traditional wardrobe, which he will provide.”

  More drawings. As Sara thumbed through them, her eyebrows shot up. Las Vegas showgirls wore more. She looked at the colonel. His lips twitched.

  Sara started to open her mouth, but Halliwell grabbed her arm this time. Sara wasn’t sure if he thought she was going to rip the drawings up. Or go for Gaedon’s throat.

  Sara wasn’t sure either.

  “And he will also provide you with your own ship.”

  Gaedon smiled hopefully as he pushed this last drawing toward her.

  Sara stared at it for a long time.

  “It’s…pink.”

  “It is the,” Gaedon seemed unsure how to explain, “…it identifies a member of the leader’s entourage, or the leader himself.”

  Identifies him as what?

  “Pink.” Sara couldn’t think of anything to add to this, but, “and pretty.”

  He nodded hopefully. “It is, is it not? No other Gadi female has a ship of any kind. This is one of the Leader’s personal craft he is willing to gift to you.”

  She opened and closed her mouth a couple of times. Finally she looked at Halliwell.

  “Can I say no now, sir?”

  Before he could speak, Gaedon jumped in.

  “In a negotiation, counter terms are offered.”

  Counter terms? He was so going to be sorry he said that.

  She smiled. It seemed to make both men nervous. Actually, they should be afraid…very afraid.

  “I want…my own Air Force. I’ve always wanted my own command.” She grinned at Halliwell. “All women. No men allowed. And no pink birds. Black. With red racing stripes. And uniforms that don’t shop the wares.”

  Gaedon opened and closed his mouth a couple of times, but nothing came out. Halliwell tried not to smile. At one point, he coughed.

  “And…oh, I know. I want Helfron’s job. I want to be leader. I think it’s time, past time actually, that a woman stepped up and made some long overdue changes around here. And no bonding with him.” She gave Gaedon a limpid look. “He can keep the house, the jewelry, the hooker clothes, and the girl bird. And he doesn’t even have to shove them up his—”

  “Captain!”

  Sara smiled sweetly at Gaedon. Gaedon tugged at the collar of his uniform.

  “That’s my counter offer.”

  “I can’t tell our leader these things. Surely we can find…better…middle ground?”

  “There is no middle ground between this—” Sara shoved the drawings back his direction. “And what I’d need to…survive. I realize you haven’t known me long, but did you really think you could buy me with that…foxtrot sierra?”

  The colonel coughed, but didn’t speak. What could he say? She hadn’t actually said the f-word or the s-word.

  “Is that…another…technical term?” Gaedon asked.

  “Very…technical.” She looked at the drawings and felt anger try to spike again. “The problem you have is that you’ve got nothing I want. I like my life. I love my guy. I didn’t ask for this and I don’t want it.”

  “You would be doing a great service for your people and for ours.”

  “Service? I do my service in the cockpit of my bird. I risk my life for my country. That is plenty to ask for.”

  She stared at him for a long moment.

  “You know, I don’t see a lot of…respect for women in this galaxy. You say he’d permit me certain concessions. How do I know he wouldn’t suddenly decide to unpermit them once he got what he wanted? Near as I can see, I’d have no rights, no freedom and no one to appeal to. He’s not giving ground, he’s giving…stuff. Stuff I’ve never asked for or wanted, by the way. A foxtrot pink bird?” Her temper started to slip its leash. “You say you’re better than the Dusan and I guess you are. Kind of. Adin thought I was prostitute. You think I’m a gold digger who can be bought for some trinkets and a piece of shit pink ship. Could you be any more foxtrot insulting—”

  “Captain.”

  Sara bit back the rest of the speech. It was a pity. It was a good one, practically Susan, foxtrot, B. Anthony.

  Sara couldn’t see either of them. She was seeing red. She took some deep breaths. Then she took some more. The red faded a bit. Now it was just a deep pink—same as his stinking girl bird.

  Gaedon tried a weak smile. “Perhaps the color could be changed. You seem to have a strong dislike for…pink.”

  Sara opened her mouth, but closed it again. She couldn’t even think of the euphemisms for the swear words that wanted to come out.

  “It was not my intention to insult you.” Gaedon sighed. “We are both soldiers and are called on to make…sacrifices for the greater good of our people. We do our duty. I merely wished to point out that there would also be benefits to you if you were to make this sacrifice for your people and ours.”

  Damn, no time to pack for that guilt trip. So she wouldn’t go.

  “It is not in the nature of our people,” Halliwell seemed to understand that Sara was choking on all she wanted to say, “to require this type of sacrifice from our people. Our alliances are based on trade and economics, not bondings between men and women. It is not even part of our history as a country. Personal freedom is at the root of our law and it is what we are proud to defend with our lives.”

  Sara looked at the Old Man and smiled. That was Bravo Zulu. She turned to Gaedon.

  “Surely you can see that I’m more likely to cause a war than end one.”

  He nodded slowly. “May I ask a…favor from one soldier to another?”

  “Maybe.” Sara wasn’t agreeing to anything without knowing what it was.

  “Will you meet with our leader? He would…understand better if—”

  “That’s not my call to make, sir.”

  Gaedon looked at the colonel.

  After a pause he sort of shrugged, then nodded.

  “As long as he knows I’ve already said no.” She grinned. “I’m sure he’ll leave thankful I turned him down.”

  Gaedon looked at her thoughtfully. “Actually, I think you would have been a very charming breath of fresh air.”

  “That’s a very sweet thing to say, sir.”

  “But you don’t believe me?”

  “No.” She shrugged. “My various foster parents and teachers called me many things over the years, but charming never made the list. Ever.” Even as she smiled at him, she could feel her lids getting really insistent about closing. “I really need to check for light leaks, sir. I’m so wasted.”

  “Dismissed, Captain.”

  Sara jumped to
her feet.

  “Are you going to tell her about the Dusan?” Gaedon said, as he rose to his feet.

  Halliwell looked annoyed. Sara felt a cold chill do its thing down her back.

  “What about the Dusan?” She looked at the Old Man, not at Gaedon, even when he answered the question.

  “Our sources tell us it will be the largest attack ever mounted against us. Your arrival in this galaxy is a stone thrown in a pool. Adin Xever clearly…fears you will ally with us.”

  But he didn’t fear that. He thought she was dead. What—

  He was afraid she’d given the key to her people. She probably shouldn’t have unlocked that outpost. Another reminder losing her temper was a bad thing. The attack would be directed against them, not the Gadi.

  “How…many ships?”

  “Reports vary. Nothing solid yet, but the news is troubling.”

  Sara’s throat dried to the texture of felt. She still looked at Halliwell. “That’s not…good.”

  Gaedon stepped into her line of sight.

  “My people will need all the courage and hope I can find for them.”

  They were going to need more than that.

  Sara looked at him, her brows lifted. “Sir, are you really trying to put the whole responsibility for this war on my shoulders? Because that doesn’t seem like your…style.”

  He jerked back. And then he sighed. “No, of course not.” He bowed gravely. “I should return to my ship and make my report.”

  Sara snapped to attention and saluted. She still didn’t know how to curtsey. “I am sorry I couldn’t be more help.”

  Though she really wasn’t.

  The Old Man nodded his head, like she should leave. He didn’t have to nod twice. Outside in the corridor, Fyn grabbed her hand. Before he could speak, she asked, “Did we get permission?”

  Fyn grinned, but quickly sobered. “He wants us to do it in the morning if—”

  Sara flung herself onto his chest, her arms around his neck. Her legs might have been involved, too. Her lips a millimeter from his, she asked, “If what?”

  His arms closed around her and he closed the gap between their mouths. Sara took it to mean he’d forgotten the question—or got his answer.

  Fourteen

  Sara wasn’t too surprised when Fyn steered her, not to her quarters, but to the Old Man’s wardroom. She was so whacked, she actually fell asleep while they were walking. She woke up with a jerk when the Old Man joined them.

  “Park it, both of you,” Halliwell said.

  Sara tried to get the fog out of her brain. It didn’t want to go.

  “So, did you tell him about the Dusan?”

  Sara shook her head. Fyn looked at Sara, then at Halliwell.

  “What about the Dusan?”

  Sara let Halliwell explain. Talking had become an effort. She was almost totally tapped out. Fyn came to the same conclusion Sara had.

  “They’re coming here.” His arm closed protectively around Sara.

  It felt so good to relax against him, to just be a girl for a moment and let him be in charge. She could hear the steady thump of his heart and felt the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed. It was incredibly comforting.

  She burrowed in, trying to memorize how it felt to be in his arms, memorize him and how it felt to feel safe, to finally feel at home. They were going to war. This might be all the time they had.

  She wasn’t asleep, but she was drifting between waking and sleeping. She could feel Fyn’s chest rumble with sound when he spoke and heard the distant murmur of the Old Man, but she wasn’t picking out the words until she heard her name.

  Sara straightened with a jerk, blinking a few times. She shook her head, trying to clear it. “Sorry, sir.”

  “I’m hoping the Gadi will withdraw, so you and Fyn can get to the city after the wedding. Sorry I can’t give you any leave, but I think its time to…extend our view.” He flicked a glance at Fyn. “Once you’re down there, you can brief Fyn.”

  “Thank you, sir.” She was quiet for a moment.

  At this rate, a briefing was all the honeymoon he’d be getting.

  Honeymoon. Her stomach fluttered a bit. Was she ready for the walls of Jericho to come down? She’d spent a good bit of time building them up. She peeked up at Fyn. He looked ready to climb them if they didn’t.

  She could almost hear Evie telling her, hello, girls and guys have been working this one out since the Garden of Eden. Get a grip.

  As if he sensed her sudden nervousness, Fyn’s arm came around her again and a slight smile flickered at the edges of his mouth. How come it was so easy for guys? They wanted it, so they did it.

  Punks.

  She stiffened.

  “Permission to raise the shields, sir.” She looked at the Old Man with wide eyes. He nodded sharply. “I’m doing it for the Patton, too.”

  The Gadi ships were still too far away for the ship’s internal censors to pick them up.

  “What is it?” Fyn asked, worry sharpening his voice.

  “Gadi. Five, no six ships. They’re coming in weapons hot.”

  The bridge officer contacted Halliwell. “Sir, the island outpost is reporting six ships incoming. And…our shields are already up.”

  “I’ll be right—”

  Sara was as surprised as they looked when a HUD suddenly appeared in the air before them. It showed the six ships, and then sort of folded in on itself, expanding to show one ship, with a technical display beside it, the words in Garradian.

  As Sara concentrated, she was vaguely aware Halliwell was talking to the bridge, giving them instructions. He also spoke with Emerson on the Patton. She felt a sharp stab of pain for a moment, then the display reformed in a format the Old Man could read.

  “I’m not even going to ask how you did that.” He studied the display. “How long until they are in weapons range?”

  “We’re in range of some of their weapons already,” Sara said. “That’s why I raised the shields. They’ll be in range of our weapons in about twenty minutes.”

  “They haven’t fired on us.” Halliwell looked grim. “I guess our meeting didn’t end as friendly as it seemed.”

  “Or Helfron overruled him.”

  “Helfron?” Fyn looked at her.

  Sara shrugged and tried to roll her eyes. They were so tired, they didn’t roll that well.

  “He kind of wants to marry me, too,” she admitted, feeling her cheeks flush. “I told Gaedon no.”

  “That’s probably why they haven’t fired then.” Fyn sounded as grim as Halliwell looked. He sighed when he looked at her, though.

  “What? I never even met the guy.” Maybe she should consider plastic surgery. Get a face that was hers alone.

  “They don’t know what weapons you’ve got, sir,” Fyn said. “They know you beat the Dusan and beat off the Gadi ship the Dusan were using. They’ll try to talk some more. The ships are to intimidate…for now.”

  “Hope you’re right. I’d just as soon not get into a fight with them.” Halliwell rubbed his face.

  Sara rubbed her face, too. This was not a good time for the Gadi to kick up the anthill. She was wasted and not thinking clearly. “Sir, I can’t meet this gomer tonight. I’m really hammered.”

  “Get her to her quarters, Fyn.” He still looked worried. “They couldn’t board us, could they? Without us knowing?”

  “I’ve never heard of them having that capability,” Fyn said, “but I’ll watch out for her.”

  Sara thought about being annoyed, but then decided she didn’t have the energy.

  “Even tired I could still take ‘em,” she muttered, as Fyn steered her toward the door. She felt Fyn chuckle and then things got fuzzy until she came to in her quarters. She was lying on the bed and Fyn was sitting on her tiny desk stool. It took her a minute to connect all the dots. “You can’t sit there all night.”

  “I’ll be fine.”

  Sara crossed her arms behind her head. “Fine, then I’ll stay awake, to
o.”

  “What do you suggest?”

  “Well, I’m fully dressed. You’re fully dressed. We’re both adults. I’m really tired. I think we could…safely share this bed for a few hours without anything…untoward happening.”

  “Untoward?” His brows arched really high. His chin went down, making his dreads fall forward, partly hiding his mouth.

  “Premature?”

  He looked at her for a long moment. For the first time, she wasn’t sure what he was thinking. She shifted uneasily.

  “What?” She looked around. “I know it’s not a lot of space, but I promise to stay on my half.”

  He got up and slid in beside her. It required some adjustments before they could both get their long legs comfortable. Sara wasn’t sorry it meant she had to be in his arms, with his heart beating steadily against her cheek.

  “My quarters have a bigger bed.”

  Sara murmured something semi-coherent. Or not.

  “You’re going to have to tell me sometime.”

  “Tell you what?” There were no light leaks in her lids, just blessed darkness.

  “About Adin Xever. About why you still have nightmares about him.”

  Maybe tonight she wouldn’t dream about Adin…

  * * * *

  Fyn didn’t mean to fall asleep. Now he was wide-awake and wondering why. Against his side, Sara muttered, her body twitching. No words, but the sounds she made sounded distressed.

  “Sara?”

  For just a moment she strained against him, against sleep, and then her hand touched his face. She stopped moving.

  “Fyn?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Fyn.”

  This time his name was a sigh of relief. Her body relaxed, too.

  He looked at the clock. It was almost time to get up. He could tell by her breathing she was awake, but her eyes were closed. He shifted so he could see her. Her hair was tumbled and her mouth curved slightly, the full lower lip a temptation he couldn’t resist. He rubbed it gently with his thumb and felt the curve get wider.

  Would they still be able to get married today? Halliwell hadn’t said what time, just that he wanted her off the market. But all that was before the Gadi showed up.

 

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