“How did you become Prime-in-Waiting?” Reeve asked, leaning against a computer screen.
His eyes widened enough for her to see she’d startled him. “That’s for another day. Thank you for your time, Reeve. It was a pleasure to meet you, and to see the incredible Star Drive I’ve heard so much about.” Harris’ gaze lingered on the Drive, settling on the Bentom ball in the center.
He walked away, leaving her alone in the room. His presence had been a surprise, but after the way he’d stared at the Drive, and with news of the maintenance crew member who’d almost destroyed it all, Reeve initiated the most thorough scan she had. Someone had tried to prevent them from entering the wormhole, and she wasn’t going to let anything happen within her boiler room. Not on her watch.
Reeve patiently waited in her office, curious for the results. Tomorrow her full crew would be present, but for now, she could relish the sanctuary of the Star Drive, with nothing but the gentle beeping of her programs and the constant lulling hum.
____________
“Tarlen, for the millionth time, she’s fine,” Doctor Nee said with a frown across his brow.
Tarlen stared at his sister, unconscious on the bed in Nee’s medical bay. They’d moved here after word had come that Captain Baldwin and the others were acquitted of any charges. If they’d been detained, or worse, Tarlen would have been on the street with nowhere to go, and no one to care for his sister.
“You know I would’ve helped you regardless, right?” Nee said.
“Thank you. I’m glad you’re helping her.” Belna’s eyes were open, her pupils white. After being wiped by the Statu, she’d lost her brain function, and anything she did seemed to be mimicking or impulses.
“She’s showing signs of brain activity, Tarlen. I see a lot hidden in there, so keep talking to her. I’m determined to solve this puzzle. The Statu weren’t as advanced as we are, so if they were able to turn our people into slaves, we might be able to reverse it,” Nee said.
“You weren’t so confident before,” Tarlen told him.
“That’s because we have the warship in our custody, and I’ve been able to learn how they did it.” Doctor Nee clipped something onto Belna’s right index finger and smiled at Tarlen. “How are classes going?”
Tarlen perched on a chair and took a deep breath. “It’s unbelievable. Everyone’s been so kind. They have a program to introduce new Concord partners into the Academy, and I have another student assigned to me; Kriss is showing me the ropes.” Tarlen was confident she was only being nice to him because she had to, but she was a bit distracting for the teenager.
“Do I sense something other than a mutual interest in space exploration?” Nee asked, laughing.
Tarlen crossed his arms, unsure what to say. “She’s… human. Her parents are stationed on Constantine. Older than me. But she tells the funniest jokes.”
Doctor Nee sat beside Tarlen, leaning forward on his elbows. “Sounds like a good catch.”
“Have you ever been married, Doctor Nee?” Tarlen asked, suddenly embarrassed by how little he truly understood of the man he considered a friend.
“No. I’ve always preferred to float in the wind rather than be tied to a fence post,” Nee said, his gaze going to the far wall. “Anyway, you should work hard, because you’re being fast-tracked by a captain of a Concord cruise ship, and that isn’t a common occurrence. I have no idea what Baldwin sees in you, kid. Skinny runt, messy black hair.” Nee laughed again.
“Now you sound like Brax.”
“I like it; barbs have been traded. If you’ll excuse me, I have a clinic to prepare for our trek,” Nee said.
“Where are we going?” Tarlen asked. No one had advised him, and he wasn’t even sure if he was coming along.
“Leria. The Prime-in-Waiting has asked Baldwin to transport him to the Zilph’i home world. There’s a chance they want to depart from the Concord, and we can’t let that happen,” Nee said.
Tarlen’s heart leaped inside his ribcage. “One of the Founders? They can’t do that, can they?”
“Sure they can.”
“Am I coming?” Tarlen asked.
“That’s not up to me,” Nee said, turning his head as the door opened. Nurse Kelli walked in, smiling at Tarlen. He waved back.
“Kelli, how’s Treena doing?” Tarlen asked her.
“She’s doing as well as can be expected. It’s not easy on her, being trapped in her own body,” Kelli said.
Tarlen couldn’t imagine what it would be like. Was his sister feeling the same way? Was her mind active behind the catatonic state? “Can I visit her?” he asked, hopeful.
“I think she’d really enjoy that, Tarlen. Captain Baldwin made it so she can speak again. It’s much easier for her this way,” Kelli said.
Tarlen rose, giving his sister one last glimpse before heading to the door. “I’ll return soon. You’ll tell me if anything changes with Belna?”
“You’ll be my first call, Tarlen,” Doctor Nee said, and with that, Tarlen was off. He needed to learn if he was being left behind or if he was coming with Constantine to Leria.
Three
The ship lowered from the clouds, its thrusters burning brightly as it descended slowly toward her position. Relizi smiled at the incoming vessel’s approach. It had only been two days since the cavern, but already she was growing bored with this planet.
She tried to read the memories in the girl’s mind and found them a cluttered mess of insecurities and scientific endeavors. There was nothing remotely enjoyable.
Relizi stood as the vessel settled to the ground. It was much greater than her damaged ship, at least six times the size, but she was unable to determine what race it belonged to. Out here, it could be just about anyone, but she did recognize the Concord logo stamped on the side.
The doors opened, a ramp pushing out to the grass. The figure that emerged was clad all in black. Long hair made her think it was a woman for a moment, until she saw the outline of his jaw and the stubble along his chin.
“You sent the distress call?” he asked in perfect Standard.
“That’s right. Thank the Vastness you’re here,” Relizi said, pulling the term from the recesses of the girl’s mind. She didn’t know what it meant, but the man smiled at the words. She felt like she’d been in the cave for a long time. None of this was familiar, other than a vague sense of where she was.
The man marched over to her camp, and she watched as he assessed the situation. He had a weapon at his hip, but his hands went nowhere near it. Why would they? She was nothing but a lone wisp of a girl, here all alone.
“What happened to your robot?” he asked, pointing to the pile of mechanical pieces.
“I thought I could use him to repair the drive,” she lied.
He nodded along, as if that made sense, and his gaze settled on the spit over her fire. “You found food?”
The bones of two Screl were strewn about, the flesh picked clean off. “I did.”
“Resourceful. I don’t have a tether to bring your craft. Are you okay leaving it?” he asked.
She walked toward him and smiled, baring her teeth. “I’m good with that.”
“All right. Gather anything you want, and we’ll be on the way. You aren’t familiar; what are you?” he asked; his question had hidden undertones.
“I’m a Votal,” she said, unsure what that was either.
“Votal. From Outer Ador, right?” he asked.
She searched the girl’s mind and nodded. “That’s right.”
“Okay.”
She followed him to the ramp, and he stopped, glancing toward her ship. “And you don’t want to bring anything with you?”
She patted her pockets, where a tablet sat. “Everything I need is right here.” She thought it would be strange to him if she was empty-handed, so she’d slipped it into her jacket.
“How long have you been waiting?” he asked as they walked into his vessel. It wasn’t cramped like hers: crates were neatly lined
along the walls, each with a barcode on them.
“Not long.”
“Not very talkative for someone stranded on a strange world, are you?” he asked.
Relizi only smiled. “Not much to say.”
“Very well. I can’t bring you home quite yet, but maybe someone from Reepa can transport you home,” he said.
The name meant something to the girl, and she shuddered. “You’re not really with the Concord, are you?”
“I’m human, making me part of the Concord. I only choose to dabble in the procurement of specialized goods. I pay my taxes like anyone else; don’t worry about me. No harm will come to you… I didn’t catch your name,” he said.
“Relizi. My name’s Relizi.” The name was familiar, and comfortable on her tongue.
“Basel.” He extended his hand, and she stared at it, unsure what to do. He lowered it. “Anyway, I have a spare cot through that hall and to the left. Check the closet in the corridor, and you might find something that almost fits you.”
She appraised him. Dark hair, long fingers, strong body under the black clothing. His jaw was thick, his nose crooked, eyes brown and severe. “I don’t think I’ll be needing any of that,” she said.
“Suit yourself.” He turned away, and she reached for him, her fingers wrapping around his throat.
____________
It felt great to have everyone on board once again. The ship came to life; nearly all the same crew members were present, only a few having made the decision to search for other postings. Tom didn’t blame anyone for relinquishing their position, not after the danger they’d been in fighting the Statu.
Still, it was only a minor percentage, and the rest seemed fired up to continue working on Constantine. Most of them were even recharged from a nice two-month hiatus. Since everyone had been rushed to this posting from their previous ones, no one was given a chance to unwind before heading here the first time. Now the overall attitude was far more relaxed and self-assured.
Thomas Baldwin stepped onto the bridge, smiling as he saw them moving away from Nolix. He’d never understand the draw to living among so many people.
Ven was in his usual position, and Tom hadn’t found a chance to speak to the Ugna about what had transpired on the surface, other than Ven assuring him that there was no issue, that he wasn’t a deviant, and that Tom could trust him implicitly. That was enough to make it through the week, but Tom really wanted to have that conversation at some point.
Lieutenant Commander Brax Daak was at the edge of the room where the chief of security watched all radars, and was constantly prepared for anything unexpected. The big Tekol glanced over at him as Tom settled to his chair, and gave the captain a nod.
Tom found himself really liking the Daak twins. The brother was a lot more serious, but both were easy to get along with, and he’d rarely met a pair that worked so hard. Junior Officer Zare was beside Ven, her long hair braided and tucked into a roll behind her head.
There were so many implications if the Zilph’i did decide to default on their role among the Founders, including the fact that so many of his staff would be gone. Tom would do anything within his power to prevent that from happening.
Treena’s seat remained empty, but he’d been in touch with R-emergence, the company responsible for creating her android hosts, and they’d told him they were working on it. Tom hated to leave her in her current state, but they had no choice.
The Prime-in-Waiting was aboard Constantine, taking one of the suites meant for visiting dignitaries, and Admiral Benitor had elected to join the caravan. It felt like someone was constantly peering over his shoulder, and Tom suspected that was part of what they were doing.
“We all understand what the mission is about.” Tom stayed in his seat. “This is of great importance, so everyone obey the rules, follow my orders, and we’ll be able to put this behind us in no time. Constantine is meant for exploration, and I promise we’ll be searching the stars soon enough. In the meantime, we must ensure the Concord stays in one piece. Zare, set course for Leria, using hyperlight when we’re safely away from Nolix.”
“Yes, Captain,” Zare said, and soon the viewer showed stretching stars as they headed for their destination. Tom soaked it all in: the sounds, the smells, the feeling as the flagship sped through space unlike any other before it.
“This is an important mission,” Constantine said from behind him.
Tom peered at the AI projection and waved him forward. “Agreed. I don’t intend to minimize what we’re doing.”
“I spent so many years wishing I was only making routine delegatory missions, and by the time the War ended, I was no longer in command of a ship. Can you believe it?” Constantine asked, his voice light.
“I can. I suppose it’s all a matter of perspective, isn’t it?” They spoke softly, too quietly for the crew around them to pry.
“I was happy enough, though, at the start. Being with your grandmother and Cleo… that was all I truly wanted,” Constantine said.
Tom still found it hard to believe that this AI embodied his grandfather’s memories. “How long before you wanted to command another cruise ship?”
Constantine laughed. “Honestly? About a month.”
“Did it ever pass?”
“Not really. But I was there for your mother, and that meant a lot to me.”
As much as Tom wanted to discuss his family history, this wasn’t the place for it. “Can we continue this later?”
Constantine smiled. “Yes.” He flickered and vanished.
The bridge doors opened and Admiral Benitor strode in, her gaze finding the viewer. “Can we have a word, Captain?”
“Sure. My office is right here.” Tom led her to the space off the rear of the bridge, and the door closed behind her. He motioned to the desk, and she obliged.
The older Callalay admiral seemed like she was struggling with what she had to say. “Things are escalating, Baldwin,” she said.
“What do you mean?”
“The Concord is falling apart. We need to ensure the Zilph’i bond is strengthened. There are wars along the Border, races sensing weakness. Already Iruta Three has been attacked, the people slaughtered.” Her head hung low, her chin hitting her chest.
Tom’s breath caught in his throat. “I had no idea.”
“With our resources being spread so thin, we’re not going to be able to withstand attacks from the outside. We need to unite and send our fleet against these pests along the Border,” she told him.
“Then that’s what we’ll do,” Tom assured her.
“It won’t be enough. We need more of a fleet, and fast,” she said.
“Where will we secure a fleet? The Concord doesn’t allow private warfare crafts,” Tom reminded her. It had been over a thousand years since one man had amassed a fleet nearly the size of the Concord’s within their own space, and when he turned on them, trying to take over, it was the last time the Founders would allow such a thing to happen. They all knew this history.
“There is one.”
Tom thought long and hard about this, and remembered Ven’s words about their people traveling through a wormhole. “The Ugna. They have a private fleet.”
The admiral grinned. “You’re aware of it. How surprising. Few are. We need you and your Ugna to convince them to assist us.”
Tom laughed, but silenced his outburst when he saw she was serious. “The Ugna haven’t really been our allies, Admiral. You think one of their own and I can convince them to help an outside force?”
The admiral’s eyes danced as she spoke. “No. I think that Captain Thomas Baldwin, grandson of the famous Constantine Baldwin, the hero of Yollox, alongside the decorated first Ugna Concord crew member, Ven, can convince them to aid us in our time of need.”
“Why would we do it? If the Prime is…”
“Prime-in-Waiting,” she cautioned him. “And we’ll be busy enough with the Zilph’i leadership. The Ugna are their very own entity, even though the
y’re the same race. After spending time with Ven, you surely understand that.”
More than you know. He kept the thought to himself. “Fine. We’ll do what we can.”
“Not good enough. We need their assistance, Baldwin. Without it, we’ll be torn apart. Can you imagine what will happen if the remaining Statu find a way to replicate more warships and brazenly enter Concord space again? It will be worse than you can imagine.”
Tom pictured hordes of slave armies marching toward Nolix’s capital city, laying waste to the Tekol home world. He could only nod his understanding.
“We’ll be there in a few days. Speak with Ven before we arrive. See if he’ll agree to show you the way,” she said.
“Wait. We don’t even know where the Ugna are on Leria,” Tom said.
“No. As I said, they’re a secretive bunch.” Admiral Benitor rose, walking for the exit. “Make sure you succeed, and I’ll promise the same. We either depart Leria with both factions intact and working with us, or we don’t leave at all.” The door sprang open, leaving Tom alone in his office with his thoughts.
____________
Ven Ittix was glad his shift had ended. He’d grown used to long stints on this vessel, as it was nothing quite as strenuous as his training at home, but he was also becoming used to his time off. It was a luxury he hadn’t known while being trained as an Ugna. Once a week, they’d put aside several hours of their own time, mostly for quiet contemplation.
Ven walked through the ship from top to bottom and returned to the mess hall, where he hoped to find something to eat. There were many Zilph’i delicacies here, but he preferred the muted tastes of the Ugna. Spices distracted from the truth of the food; at least that was what Elder Fayle used to tell him.
The room was mostly empty, save for a few off-shift crew members lounging around, drinking steaming beverages and talking loudly. They laughed and joked until he stepped in, but their behavior changed at the sight of the Ugna. He was fully aware that no one understood him, and that he was different-looking than the rest of his counterparts. His eyes were pale red, his skin so white, it was almost translucent.
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