Two hours later, she slowed, and Lark realized how out of shape he truly was. A couple of months at Wavor Manor had done him no favors.
“Sir, what’s that noise?” Teeb asked, stopping in his tracks.
Keen saw their spacecraft parked a good two hundred meters in front of them, and he tilted his head, trying to determine if Teeb was hearing things.
“What’s the holdup?” Coral, a short Zilph’i man, asked. A second later, Lark heard the man grunt, falling to the dusty ground. Lark’s gun pressed into his palm, and he spun around, searching for the attacker. Slane was backing up, and he tripped over a rock, landing hard on the ground. A blast struck a stone beside the man, sending shards of rock into dust. The next blast hit Slane in the chest, and the hole steamed, his eyes wide and dead.
Teeb was panting, his gun tracking the shadows, but they couldn’t see anyone.
“You can come out now!” Prophet shouted, and two masked soldiers emerged from the darkness beyond, pulling free their face coverings. “Keen, put the gun away. Those two fools were going to rat you out. We did some background checks, and they were working on delivering you to the Concord. Slane had communicated with Ridele twice before you met up with him, and the moment you were in Concord space again, you were returning to Wavor.”
Lark’s heart pounded in his chest. “And Coral?”
She shrugged. “They seemed tight. Thought they might be conspiring together.”
Lark stared at the dead bodies and started forward. Teeb followed him, but the two female Callalay soldiers shook their heads, aiming their long weapons.
“What are you doing, Prophet?” Lark asked.
“We don’t want loose ends.” She lifted a finger, dropping it in a slicing motion, and Teeb was shot twice. He fell to the ground in a heap, and Lark could do nothing but watch.
“Was that necessary?” he asked, his mouth suddenly dry and sticky. Teeb was the one who’d enabled the rescue from the freighter.
“Your benefactor doesn’t want any mistakes. Head to the ship,” Prophet said, sauntering away. The two soldiers moved behind Lark, and even though this woman was supposed to facilitate his next moves, he couldn’t help but feel like she’d just as soon shoot him and leave him for dead.
He was alone again.
Lark entered the modified freighter, noticing the soldiers didn’t let their fingers stray from their triggers.
Four
Reeve Daak grinned at Harry as the Bentom ball glowed in the center of the drive. “Today’s the day, Harry.”
“We’re not using the Nek until we’re outside of Concord space. You do realize that, right?” the engineer asked.
“Of course, but we’re starting a trip with the very first modified drive in Concord history,” she said.
“Don’t you ever tire of making history? We’ve been at this for a year, and all we do is endanger ourselves each day,” Harry said. “Wouldn’t you like to have something a little less… explosive?”
Reeve’s hair moved as she shook her head. “Nope. We’re going to be legends. Constantine will go down as the most infamous ship ever, and our names will be etched right there with it.”
“If you’re into that kind of thing,” Harry muttered. “We’ve done the tests, and we’re confident this’ll work, right?”
Harry was more hesitant about the technology than her. Reeve had been one of the engineers to create the shuttle used to race to Driun to warn the Ugna about the incoming Vusuls. With Hans’ assistance, they’d applied the same concepts to modify the Bentom drive, but instead of manipulating the Nek to jump long distances, they’d harnessed the energy into millions of micro-hops. A craft this size might tear apart if they attempted to make a long-distance jump. But with the adjustments, they were able to increase velocity by more than they’d ever dreamed possible.
Reeve had spent every day and night over the last couple of months preparing for this, and she was convinced it would go off without a hitch. There might be a couple of hiccups, but she was prepared to deal with anything that arose.
“Bridge to Engineering.” Lieutenant Darl’s voice carried through the computer. “The captain has requested Executive Lieutenant Daak join us on the bridge for departure.”
“I’ll be right there,” Reeve replied, patting Harry on the forearm. “Keep an eye on things. We don’t want any of your dreaded explosions before we depart the Concord’s capital.”
Reeve wound her way toward the bridge, taking the elevator from the bowels. She loved her boiler room. Even though Constantine had been through some very tough paces, it was in prime shape and was a pleasure to work on. She preferred her office in Engineering, but as an executive officer, she was fully aware that her presence was expected for bridge duty. Her brother reveled in the role, and Reeve was impressed with how much Brax had grown in his short time as lieutenant commander.
Her daydreaming ceased as she passed through the bridge’s entrance, and her gaze drifted to the seat beside Treena. The old man looked uncomfortable in his uniform, and she knew for a fact Teller hadn’t worn that orange collar denoting the rank of commander in something like forty years. The choice didn’t make sense to Reeve. Plenty of other people were qualified to assist Treena on this mission. There was usually more at play when it came to Concord politics than met the eye, and Reeve was going to pay special attention to this man.
“Executive Lieutenant, please take your seat,” Captain Startling said, and Reeve grinned at her as she passed across the bridge, moving to sit in Ven’s empty helm position. The role of captain looked good on her friend, and Reeve couldn’t have been prouder. She tried to think if she’d ever have the drive to seek a captaincy but couldn’t imagine it happening.
Her brother, on the other hand, might be better suited than her. Brax winked at her as she peered over at his station along the edge of the bridge, and the captain stood behind them.
“Strange seeing you there,” Darl told her. His dark hair was a little longer, his cheeks slightly thinner.
“I’m sure Ven’s looking forward to returning,” Reeve assured the man. She hadn’t spent much time getting to know him, not after he’d permanently replaced Zare, and set it in her mind to make an effort integrating him into their group. He was always thrown into shifts with the executive crew, leaving him on the outside, and none of them seemed to even consider this.
“Incoming,” Darl said, and the image on the viewscreen flashed from a view of Nolix and its heavy traffic to Prime Xune. His face was handsome, his expression stoic.
“Captain Starling, I wanted to wish you the best of luck in your mission. If Earth is what we’ve been told, this will be a monumental occasion for not only humans, but all of the Founders and partners alike. Seek out your ancestors, learn of your lineage, and return with a new ally.
“Commander Teller, on behalf of the Concord, we thank you for donning the uniform once again, and I hope you enjoy the task. Until we meet in the Vastness.” The message ended before anyone could reply, making Reeve wonder if the feed was live or pre-recorded.
“Darl, detach from the dock,” the captain ordered.
“Detaching.”
“Executive Lieutenant Daak, bring us out,” Treena said, and Reeve began guiding their giant vessel from the hectic space some distance from the capital, Nolix. She’d enjoyed time visiting her family below over the last two months, although it was much less than Brax, since she was in charge of the modifications to the drive, but it had been a welcome break. She noticed Shu out the right corner of the viewscreen, knowing they were leaving soon too. It was strange having Baldwin gone, but the crew seemed to be acclimating to the change. Treena was ready for this. They all were.
Ten minutes later, they were far enough from Nolix and the steady stream of incoming and departing spaceships for Reeve to have clearance for their exit.
“Set course for Driun F49,” Treena said, and Reeve did. She wanted to test the Nek mods, but they’d promised to wait until Ven was aboar
d and they’d vacated Concord space, so she activated the star drive as normal, and soon they were racing toward their last stop before beginning their journey to Sol.
____________
Tom had sneaked onto Shu late at night, avoiding any familiar faces as he’d sought out his quarters. They’d given him a huge suite, one meant for dignitaries, and he realized his newly appointed rank of admiral came with additional perks.
He wore the uniform this morning and rubbed his smooth cheeks before moving for the door.
“Admiral. It is good to see you,” Elder Fayle said, conveniently leaving her suite at the same moment as him. Tom wondered how long she’d been waiting behind her closed door for him to emerge.
“Likewise, Elder.” He smiled, playing nice, but still had an odd feeling about the Concord’s relationship with the Ugna. There were so many red flags popping up, but Benitor and the Prime were determined for him not to poke and prod over any of them. That alone set off more alarm bells in his mind.
“How are you enjoying the new role?” she asked as they walked through the corridor.
“About as well as can be expected.”
“You’re used to a little more freedom, I suspect. I always saw you as a ‘wind through his hair’ kind of person, not a man at a desk,” she suggested, and he laughed.
“I thought you were part of the reason for my vocation change?”
“I was. Just because you thought you were better suited to careening through space doesn’t mean that’s the truth. I think you will learn more about yourself as an admiral than you ever could have as the captain of Constantine,” Fayle told him, and when Tom was about to press her on it, the elevator doors opened, revealing Rene Bouchard.
“If it isn’t my favorite admiral, Thomas Baldwin.” Rene stepped to the side, allowing them space to enter.
“Rene,” Tom said.
“Elder Fayle and I caught up yesterday. Were you aware the Ugna are already terraforming their planet?” Rene asked, and Tom shook his head.
“I didn’t know that. Why terraform?” he asked.
Elder Fayle stared straight ahead as she replied, standing stiff as a board in the elevator. “We only want to make it as comfortable for our people as possible. Most of our training villages were on Leria, in the jungles, and we are seeking to duplicate that for the younger generations. It is really not that much of an endeavor.”
Terraforming wasn’t a new concept, but it was rarely done anymore. “I’ll be pleased to visit one day and see,” Rene told her, and Elder Fayle glanced at Tom, as if seeking his thoughts.
“I’m sure it will be up to the Ugna standards,” was all he said.
The elevator stopped, bringing them to Deck Six near the bridge. “Do you mind if we do a quick overview with the crew?” Rene asked.
Tom noted how she asked Elder Fayle, not him. To be honest, Benitor hadn’t explained the purpose for his trek to Aruto, and that was concerning. She’d told him she’d send the pertinent details, but they hadn’t arrived yet.
“By all means, please,” Fayle said, letting Rene take the lead onto the bridge.
Executive Lieutenant Conner Douglas was present, along with Commander Kan Shu. Hans, Rene’s chief of engineering, stood behind a helm console, and Tom couldn’t remember the name of her lieutenant commander. He stared at her, a young Callalay woman, and realized this wasn’t the same officer.
Rene introduced them to Elder Fayle, and Tom greeted the familiar faces, stopping on the newest member of her team.
“Admiral Baldwin, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I’ve been following your career since I was a little girl,” she said, making Tom frown. He couldn’t be that much older than her.
“Very good. What’s your name?” Tom asked, and Rene seemed to realize she hadn’t used her full name, only title.
“This is Lieutenant Commander Asha Bertol,” Rene said with a glint of trouble in her eye.
And it clicked. “You’re Cori Bertol’s daughter!”
She nodded enthusiastically. “I sure am. He would be proud to see me on board Shu. We idolized Yin Shu.”
As if the AI thought she was being beckoned, she appeared, smiling at the crew. “Hello, Thomas,” Yin said in her patented stone-cold tone.
“Hi, Yin,” he replied. It was odd calling his former captain by her first name, but no one expected an admiral to address an AI by anything but her name. She no longer held a title.
“This is going to be so much fun,” Asha said, grinning widely.
Tom took in the crew. Things were changing. It was once mandatory that one of each Founder was present on the bridge, but now there were three humans, two Callalay, and no Tekol or Zilph’i. Tom had seen enough of those two races working on Shu. Cedric had been Tekol, but he’d died fighting the Statu.
“I can read your mind, Admiral,” Rene said.
Tom raised an eyebrow. “Is that so?”
“It’s exactly what I thought when I heard Constantine didn’t have a Callalay executive officer. Precedents are shifting in this new era, and honestly, I kind of prefer it this way. I would rather build the best team I can, regardless of what race of Founders they belong to. How do you feel about it?” she asked, and Tom felt all eyes on him.
He really wished she hadn’t put him on the spot. “You know I’m for traditions, but I have to agree with you on this one.”
This seemed to break the tension, and Elder Fayle stepped from the edge of the room, reminding Tom she was there.
“Aruto. With so many Callalay”—Fayle motioned to Kan Shu and Asha Bertol, then to the AI of Kan’s mother—“it’s only fitting that we make this journey to your home together. I have been there. Once.”
Tom frowned, wondering when that would have occurred. He wanted to ask the question but bit his cheek instead.
“The Ugna have a history with the Callalay, and I look forward to revisiting those bonds over the next few weeks,” she said.
The trip to Aruto was a week, and Tom hadn’t expected to be there more than a couple days at most. He really hated that he was in the dark on this, but couldn’t say anything, or Rene would use it against him. Not that he needed her approval, but they were peers.
“Mother is going to love this,” Asha told them.
Her father had been a remarkable man. He’d died twenty years ago, when Tom was first graduating from the Academy. Border attacks had been increasing at that time, and the Concord was working at recovering after the great War. They were stronger than any moment in the previous thirty years, and had sent out a few of their refurbished classic fleet ships.
Cori Bertol had been the captain of Conquest for ten years, and was the closest to react to an attack on Hunirom Perso, a newer Concord partner who specialized in viewscreen manufacturing. Unfortunately, Conquest vanished, never to be seen again, but there were signs of battle everywhere. Tom remembered hearing about it a lot during the year of his first posting, and the other crew members dreamt of being out there, fighting off the pirates that had apparently destroyed Bertol’s ship, and recovering the Concord captain’s body. That didn’t happen, and eventually, Tom, along with everyone else, assumed the man was dead.
Tom almost forgot that Cori’s wife had taken the presidency in the next election, and since then, their borders had restricted visitation. Rumor was, she didn’t trust anyone and blamed the Concord for failing to find her husband. But the mystery behind the Callalay’s home ran far deeper than the last twenty years.
“If there’s nothing else, then everyone take the rest of the day to settle, and meet me in the morning. That’s when we depart,” Rene said.
“I thought we were leaving today,” Tom said.
“I found a couple of glitches in the systems, so my team is combing over them. We wouldn’t want anything to go wrong,” Hans told him, and Tom immediately thought of Aimie. Maybe he should give her a call, see if she wanted to meet up on the station.
Tom returned to his suite, noticing a file from Admiral Benito
r, and decided to peruse it later. He called Aimie, seeing it was mid-afternoon on Ridele. She answered in her office at R-Emergence and smiled when she saw who it was. That wiped away any trepidation Tom felt about their relationship.
“Hey,” he said.
“Hey.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t come home last night,” he said.
“Home?”
“To your place, I mean,” he said, catching her meaning.
“That’s okay. I understand you’re busy.” Aimie was in a white lab coat, her office walls adorned with abstract Tekol art.
Tom had a sudden urge and couldn’t stop his mouth before it said the words. He was feeling old, a little out of place in his life path, and with no real family left, he didn’t want to wind up regretting his decisions. “What if we made it our home?” The second he said it, he cringed, not wanting to sound needy or desperate.
“You want to move in with me?” she asked. Her expression spilled her true feelings. He’d made a mistake in bringing it up.
Was it too soon? Would she want to share her private home with a man, and one with commitment issues at that? “I mean, I am over there all the time, and this might be our solution to me always being late. But it was only an idea.” He laughed, making light of it.
Aimie watched him through the screen impassively. “That seems impulsive. I know you gave up a lot to move to Nolix, but I can see the longing in your eyes every time someone mentions Constantine. If you’re looking to plant roots, I don’t think it’s here. Take your trip, and we’ll discuss it later.”
Tom suddenly wished he hadn’t said anything but could only shrug. “Sounds good to me.” Maybe she was right about this. He wasn’t ready to make a commitment like that.
“I might be visiting with some Ugna representatives about our robotics,” she told him.
That was interesting. “Speaking of the Ugna, how’s Brion doing?” He’d meant to ask after her brother the other day, but it had completely slipped his mind.
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