Mya walked beside Aurora as they made their way through the throng in the main corridor. “Are there any other secrets I should know about?”
Mya was gazing at her with the same expression she used to have when Aurora was a child and had talked Mya into joining one of her many adventures, which often included bending a few of their parents’ rules. But there was a deeper meaning to the question. After all, Mya had experience keeping secrets, too.
For one thing, neither of her parents were human. They belonged to the same virtually extinct race as Aurora’s mother, having barely escaped the destruction of their homeworld fifty years ago. It was a topic that had only been brought up in the household once, the day her mother had sworn her to secrecy about her abilities. Neither she nor Mya had been given any details.
However, Mya’s parents hadn’t placed the same restrictions on Mya regarding keeping her ancestry secret. Instead, they’d used logic to obtain obedience. Because Mya could pass for a human, revealing she wasn’t one would invite questions she wouldn’t be able to answer. And since her special abilities didn’t draw attention the way Aurora’s did, they weren’t a burden.
In this instance, however, the secrets were all positive. Aurora smiled. “A couple more.”
Mya studied her. “Any heart-stoppers?”
Aurora chuckled. Mya knew her well. “Nothing you can’t handle.”
She led the way through the station’s main hub and into the corridor for the Starhawke’s docking berth. At the entrance to the airlock she stepped in front of the security scanner. The doors parted, the windowed upper half of the spacious cylinder providing them with a stunning view of the ship rising above. From this perspective, it looked enormous, though in reality it was less than a tenth the size of a standard Fleet ship. It didn’t take nearly as many crewmembers to manage it, either—just a very special one who never left the ship.
They reached the end of the airlock and Aurora placed her hand gently on the ship’s hull. Her fingertips tingled as the cargo bay doors materialized out of the smooth surface and slid open to reveal the spacious interior.
“Nice.” Kire followed her onto the ship.
“Coded touch sensors?” Celia asked as she, Mya and Jonarel joined them. Her gaze swept over the doors and interior walls, which were smooth as glass with no visible controls.
“Not exactly.” Aurora stopped a few meters into the cargo bay. “The entire ship registers biological signatures, so almost any surface can function as an interface.” She glanced at Jonarel. His golden gaze was focused intently on her. This was the big reveal. “But the Nirunoc directs the ship’s response.”
Celia frowned. “Nirunoc? What’s that?”
“Not what. Who.”
“Who?”
Aurora focused her attention on her security-minded friend. The next bit of information might increase her unease. “The Nirunoc are a race of non-biological beings that were created on Drakar just as artificial intelligence entities were developed on Earth. However, unlike the power struggle that developed between humans and the AI race, the Nirunoc and Kraed have a familial relationship. The Nirunoc are raised like children, the clan providing for their needs and encouraging them to choose their own path. As a result, the two species are intertwined as an extended family. They work together for the betterment of all.”
She swept her arms out. “One of the factors that makes Kraed ships more advanced than anything humans have achieved is the presence of a Nirunoc onboard. Essentially, they bring the ship to life.”
Celia looked stunned. “Are you saying the ship is alive?”
Aurora nodded. “The Nirunoc is a living, sentient entity, and she has integrated with the ship’s systems. Whatever happens to the ship will impact her.”
“Then why haven’t we heard of them before?” Kire asked.
Jonarel spoke up. “Human history with sentient non-biological entities shows a decided lack of understanding for their individuality. My people have seen no advantage to sharing the existence of the Nirunoc, at least until human attitudes toward AI move toward a desire for partnership rather than dominance.”
His tone indicated that might take a while. She agreed. Even the most recent attempts at communication with the AI homeworld had failed to open a dialogue, largely because the Council still believed they had a right to dictate how the relationship would develop. The AI had been firm in their assertion of self-governance.
“Meaning this knowledge stays here?” Kire asked.
Jonarel nodded. “Yes.”
“You keep saying she.” Mya’s gaze swept around the room. “Do they have gender?”
Aurora smiled. “They can. Since the Kraed have gender, and the Nirunoc are part of their families, they have the option of choosing a gender to help identify themselves. In this case, she wanted to be viewed as female. She’s also chosen a vocalization and visual that matches her choice.” She glanced to her left, where a very realistic holographic image of a Kraed female with long dark hair and deep green skin had appeared. “Haven’t you, Star?”
The image’s lips moved, but the melodious voice came from everywhere and nowhere, the ship acting as a speaker. “Yes.”
Celia tensed, her hand dropping instinctively to the weapons belt concealed beneath her tunic.
Aurora placed a reassuring hand on her arm.
Kire, however, looked like a kid in a candy store. “So your name is Star?” He stepped closer to the three-dimensional image.
“Yes and no,” she replied. “My given name is Tehar, but when I made the decision to bond with this ship, I chose to accept a new name that echoes my own. Star, rather than Tehar.”
Kire glanced at Jonarel. “So when you said the second name of the ship was its essence, you didn’t mean its function. You literally meant her.” He indicated Star.
Jonarel inclined his head.
Kire grinned. “That is so cool!”
Aurora hadn’t known how her crew would feel about working on a ship that had a mind of its own, but Kire’s reaction delighted her. She suspected he and Star would have a lot to talk about. And now that the shock had worn off, Celia seemed more relaxed as well. It wouldn’t take long for her to realize the security benefits that such an arrangement presented.
As for Mya, she was shaking her head in amusement. Jonarel stood next to her with his arms folded loosely over his broad chest, enjoying the moment. And this was only the beginning.
Aurora stepped toward the far wall, the doors parting to reveal the corridor beyond. “So, who’s ready for a tour?”
5
Three hours later, Aurora was ensconced in the captain’s chair on the bridge, reading over the information Admiral Schreiber had provided about Gaia. Kire sat at the communication console, monitoring all messages from the crew, station command, and Council headquarters. Jonarel was in engineering working with Star on priming the engines, Celia was in the cargo bay overseeing the delivery of their supplies, and Mya was settling into her office in the med bay.
“Roe?”
She looked up as Kire pivoted to face her. “Yes?”
“Our pilot’s here. Cardiff’s escorting him to the bridge.”
Finally. She’d been trying, rather unsuccessfully, to ignore the vacant chair on the lower level of the bridge ever since she’d sat down to work. But as the minutes had ticked by, anxiety had crept in. Uncertainty always made her twitchy.
She’d considered going down to the cargo bay to ask Celia for a quick rundown regarding their new pilot, but she’d held off. Celia had plenty to do without handholding her. Still, it would be nice to know the pilot’s name before he showed up on the bridge. “Did she upload his bio into the system?”
“Let me check.” Kire turned back to his console.
She glanced at the readout on her comband. They still had a couple of hours before departure, so the pilot would have time to look over the navigation controls before he had to take the helm.
“Looks like it’s here,�
�� Kire said.
But as she rose to join him, Kire abruptly hit the console and it went blank. She froze. “What’s wrong?”
His expression was carefully composed. “You’re not going to like this.”
Judging from his reaction, he was probably right. “Tell me.”
“The pilot is—”
He halted, his attention shifting to the open lift doors as Celia stepped onto the bridge. A broad shouldered man in a Rescue Corps uniform followed her, his gaze sweeping the bridge, stopping when he spotted her.
Aurora’s heart stopped at the same time. “No.” The word was barely a whisper, more exhalation than speech as all the air evacuated her lungs. But that one word echoed in her head over and over as she stared at a man she had hoped never to see again.
He was taller than she remembered, or maybe he just looked taller because he’d filled out in the intervening years. Youthful softness had been replaced by the hard muscle and lean physique of adulthood. He still wore his blond hair short on the sides but longer in front, which gave him a roguish look.
He was watching her, and that realization broke through her paralysis. She slammed the door on the wave of emotions his arrival had triggered and took a calming breath. Adopting the neutral expression she had perfected in her years as a Fleet officer, she stepped forward to greet her new pilot.
Celia started the introductions. “Captain, may I present Cade Ellis from the Galactic Council Rescue Corps. Mr. Ellis, may I present Captain Aurora Hawke.” Celia’s words flowed smoothly, but she had a speculative look in her eyes. She had definitely registered Aurora’s initial reaction.
Cade, however, didn’t look the least bit surprised to see her, which made sense. The Admiral would have informed him that she was the captain of the ship he’d be piloting. He’d had time to prepare for this meeting. She had not. The fact that he’d still agreed to take the assignment, knowing she would be his commander, posed some interesting questions. Maybe she’d ask them later. Right now, she was at a disadvantage.
She forced herself to meet the sea-green gaze she knew so well. She extended her hand. “Welcome to the Starhawke, Mr. Ellis.”
A flicker of surprise crossed his face, but after a slight hesitation, he reached out and enveloped her hand in his. “Thank you, Captain.”
The brush of his palm against hers caused an instinctive reaction that sent rivulets of warmth up her arm. She fought the urge to jerk her hand away, determined not to show any weakness in front of this man. Not now, not ever.
“I appreciate your willingness to fill in on such short notice.” She managed to keep her voice steady as she extricated her hand from his grip.
The corners of his mouth lifted slightly, although no humor showed in his eyes. “It was an impossible offer to refuse, especially from the Admiral. I’ve studied Kraed technology for years, but I never expected to have the opportunity to pilot a Kraed ship myself.”
“The Admiral mentioned that was a selling point.”
His gaze shifted to her right. Kire stood next to her, his posture relaxed but his eyes as hard as flint as he stared at Cade.
“You may remember Commander Kire Emoto from the Academy. He’s the ship’s communications chief and my first officer.”
The two men locked gazes for a few heartbeats, neither making a move as tension snapped between them. Finally Cade nodded in acknowledgement. “Commander.”
Kire returned the gesture. “Mr. Ellis.”
For a man who usually had a hint of laughter in every syllable he spoke, Kire’s voice was pure ice. He wasn’t any happier to have Cade onboard than she was. That was comforting.
She glanced at Celia. “Have Mr. Ellis’s personal belongings been delivered?”
Celia nodded. “I have them in a transport crate in the cargo bay.”
“Good. Then please show Mr. Ellis to cabin G4 and deliver his belongings there.” Guest quarters, including G4, were located on a mid-ship deck, while the crew cabins were on the upper decks. Aurora had originally planned to put their interim pilot in the navigator’s cabin on the crew deck. Not anymore.
Celia didn’t seem surprised by her choice of accommodations. “Of course.”
Aurora turned to Cade. “We depart at nine hundred hours, so you have a little time to get settled in your quarters before you report back here.”
If he realized he’d been downgraded, he didn’t show it. “Thank you, Captain. I’ll do that.” He headed back to the lift, with Celia right behind him.
As soon as the doors slid shut, Aurora closed her eyes and willed the muscles in her neck and jaw to unclench.
Kire placed his hand on her shoulder. “I’m so sorry, Roe.”
Opening her eyes, she gave him a mirthless smile. “The universe has a wicked sense of humor.”
6
Aurora stood in front of the wide viewport in her office, her hands clasped behind her back, watching the ships that moved across her field of vision. But she wasn’t seeing them. Not really.
Cade Ellis onboard her ship. She still couldn’t believe it. If anyone from her crew could fill in as the navigator for this mission, she would have ordered him off the moment he set foot on her bridge. With a little help, Star could get them away from the station, but she didn’t have the skill required to navigate through their interstellar jump. Neither did anyone else onboard, except Cade. Like it or not, she needed him. That was a bitter pill to swallow.
The door chimed. “Come in.”
Mya stepped into the room, the doors sliding closed behind her as she joined Aurora in front of the viewport.
“Kire contacted you.”
Mya nodded. “Yes.”
She waited to see if Mya would elaborate, but her friend just gazed out the window at the passing ships, her demeanor completely unruffled.
Finally, the silence became unbearable. “And?” She crossed her arms over her chest. It was a defensive gesture, but dammit, she was defensive.
Compassion warmed Mya’s brown eyes. “This is your battle, Sahzade. How can I help you?”
A million thoughts raced through her mind while emotions played tug of war in her chest. Mya would understand, as she always did, but now was not the time to dredge up the past. She went for irony instead. “How would you feel about shooting a member of the Rescue Corps out of the airlock?”
Mya laughed. “Tempting as that might be, I don’t think that’s in anyone’s best interests at the moment.”
A smile tugged on her lips. “No,” she admitted. “I suppose you’re right.” She gazed at the buzz of activity beyond the window. “But thinking about it sure makes me feel better.”
Mya nodded, her eyes sparkling with amusement. But her voice held a note of concern. “Will you be all right working with him for the next twenty-two hours?”
It was a fair question, given the history she and Cade shared. But she wasn’t a starry-eyed Academy cadet anymore. “This is my ship. I may need him at the navigator’s console, but he’s still under my command. Either he will respect that, or…”
“He’ll have an unfortunate run-in with an airlock?”
“Something like that.”
Mya studied her for a moment. “You’ll be fine.”
She hoped Mya was right.
As they stepped onto the bridge she motioned Mya to the console to the left of the captain’s chair. Celia was already seated at tactical on the lower level, with Cade to her right at the navigator’s console. They both looked up as Aurora approached.
“All supplies have been delivered and stored, Captain,” Celia said. “The exterior doors have been closed and secured for departure.”
“Thank you.” She turned her attention to Cade. “Any issues to report, Mr. Ellis?”
He was the picture of efficiency, without a hint of emotion shadowing his expression. “None, Captain. The course and heading are laid in and navigation systems are online.”
“Very good.” Whatever she might think of Cade personally, he’d been
an exceptionally skilled pilot even before they’d parted ways. She had every reason to believe he’d spent the past ten years adding to his knowledge and experience. For the next few hours at least, she needed to trust him to do his job.
She moved over to Kire’s console. “What’s our status?”
He checked the panel. “All diagnostics have been completed.” He scanned the incoming messages. “Station command has given us clearance to depart.”
Excitement strummed along her nerve endings. She settled into the captain’s chair and opened a comm channel. “Hawke to engineering.”
Jonarel’s deep voice rumbled over the connection. “Clarek, here.”
Did Cade just flinch? Or was that her imagination? “We’ve received clearance for departure.”
“Engines are primed and all systems are fully functional, Captain. The ship is ready on your command.”
Her pulse shifted into high gear. She’d been thinking of this moment since the day Jonarel had brought her onboard. Now that it was here, she had so many things she wanted to tell him, so many thoughts and emotions she wanted to share. She settled for the one thing she could say.
“Thank you.” She put emphasis on her words, hoping that Jonarel would understand. He wanted to be in engineering just in case something went wrong, but it felt strange that he wasn’t on the bridge for this moment.
A ping sounded from the arm console, and she glanced down.
You are welcome.
Her heart squeezed. None of this would have been possible without him. And that made this moment precious.
Cade glanced back, his gaze locked on her. “Captain?”
“Mr. Ellis, you have the helm.”
“Roger, that.” He swiveled back around. “Disengaging mooring clamps and engaging thrusters.”
A nearly imperceptible vibration slipped up through the floor as the engines came to life. Aurora kept her gaze on the main screen, memorizing every detail as they maneuvered away from the station.
A freighter and a couple shuttles passed in the distance, headed for destinations unknown, but Aurora’s focus stayed fixed on the star field up ahead as the ship picked up speed.
The Dark of Light (Starhawke Rising Book 1) Page 5