“Jeffro is a powerhouse,” Eliza said. “The whole galaxy knows it.”
“Because the whole galaxy knows Jeffro could blow it into oblivion,” Nathaniel pointed out.
Desmond cleared his throat.
“With all due respect, your highness, you should have given us this information before we departed.”
“Why?” she asked. “So that your entire organization could know Jeffro's business? I do not need to provide that information when I book a team.”
“You do not,” Desmond said. “We are bound by confidentiality, of course. But the type of team might have made a difference. We are not a combat team.”
Sienna looked at the table then, the words hitting her a bit hard. No, they were not a combat team, although she wished they were. Her Maestros used to be the best combat team in the Order, but that was before her.
“I don't need a combat team,” Eliza said. “I need negotiations, translation and diplomacy, which are the skills you have between you.”
“A situation like that could turn hostile quickly,” Desmond pointed out.
“It won't,” Eliza said, her eyes hard. “And if it does, have you wiped your combat experience from your mind?”
Sienna cleared her throat.
“It's because of me, Eliza. They couldn't fight and keep me safe.”
Eliza's gaze fell on Sienna and her heart softened. The girl seemed so saddened by this, her voice timid. Eliza knew that they were oath sworn to protect their Tiro first, ensuring the future of their order. But the words Sienna said made her realize that the girl felt guilty about it, hopeless.
“We will keep you safe,” Eliza said. “Don't you worry, little one.”
It was the same thing that Nathaniel called her, and Sienna met her eyes at that, the words resonating. This was the only family that she had ever known, the only mother figure she had, aside from Mariah.
“Are you thinking of back up?” Nathaniel looked to Desmond. “I am confident in our skills, but the numbers…”
“No back up,” Eliza said. “The more people involved in this, the messier it is going to get. I don't want anyone else involved.”
“Whoever we call in can be trusted to be confidential,” Nathaniel said. “Sybil and Kierry, you remember them? They are experts in undercover, in…”
“No back up.” Eliza rose. “There will be no need. Everything will go smoothly.”
Nathaniel sighed, glancing at Desmond. Although the younger was a Maestro in his own right, Desmond had seniority
“Check Sybil and Kierry's availability,” Desmond said. “But don't reach out to them. It's just good to know who is available.”
“It won't be necessary,” Eliza said, done with the conversation as she turned on her heel. “You'll see.”
“Eliza...” Nathaniel rose, as well. “I'll talk to her.”
“By all means,” Desmond said, and Sienna half-stood, as well. “No.” He put a hand on her shoulder. “You haven't even started eating.”
“But…” she said, so used to following Nathaniel whenever there was something to be done.
“Eat,” they both said at the same time, and she sighed, sitting.
She fell into silence with Desmond at her side, munching at a piece or two before speaking again. “Kierry will take the tests next month,” she said at last, and Desmond cocked his head.
“Really? Already?”
“Not already,” Sienna answered. “It's normal. If Devon was still here, he would have already taken them.”
“Do you still think about Devon?” Desmond asked, and she blushed.
“Sometimes,” she replied, putting another ration piece in her mouth to avoid answering any more on the topic. She chewed before speaking again. “If Kierry can take the tests now, I might have a shot.”
He sighed at that.
“Sienna....”
“We are almost the same age,” Sienna said. “And I've been training for longer than Kierry. I know my magic is blocked but there are other areas.”
“There are other areas,” Desmond answered her. “But you are not ready.”
The harsh reality hit her and she stopped eating.
“Will you tell me when I am ready?”
“It is a Maestro's responsibility to determine if a Tiro is ready for the tests,” Desmond answered. Her language skills were just weak enough to miss what he was actually saying. Desmond hated that he knew what words to use to confuse her, but he needed to in this moment.
“So you will decide together?” she asked.
“Nathaniel and I will talk,” Desmond assured her. “Please finish eating. You didn't eat anything this morning.”
“The pills make me feel…” She paused before the word. “Full.”
“That's because they are full of chemicals,” he said. “But they have no nutritional value. Remember that you have to be strong, Sienna, at all times. Nathaniel and I may not be here to protect you forever.”
“Why, where are you going?” she asked, and for that, he had no good answer.
“Finish eating,” he said, sternly, and she obeyed.
She fell into silence as she did, and he found the opportunity to lose himself into his thoughts. He used to sit with her like this years ago, when she was a child, and she would eat next to nothing. Her magic had been out of control then, and they had encouraged her to not to use it at all, until they figured out the solution.
The first time he sat with her like this, he felt Mariah's thoughts invade his head, questioning his choice. He wasn't supposed to take another Tiro, he was supposed to retire and be with her. But he had promised her just one more, if she would just a wait a bit longer. Although he had been drawn to Sienna, no one expected her to survive as long as she did.
Nothing had changed since that moment. She still couldn't use magic. She still didn't eat properly. She was no closer to the tests than she had been back then. It wasn't for lack of trying or lack of learning, of course. She was good at so many things. But being certified at a full witch was a different matter entirely, and it was a matter that she had not been born to fulfill.
Mariah was still waiting, still unsure, still questioning, even if she was supportive.
They were stagnant, stuck between a rock and a hard place.
And Desmond knew they had to move forward, one way or another.
Chapter 5
Sienna was sitting in her bunk, working on homework, when she heard the alarm. She had just gotten comfortable, hooked up to an IV that administered the Cinemron. Currently, she had untangled the wires and was enjoying full mobility as she scribbled on her tablet.
She looked up at once, to see the control panel at the door flashing bright red. The alarm wasn't piercing yet. It was in every room rather than overpowering the whole ship. However, she knew this was a precursor to something terrible happening.
She leapt off the bunk, wincing at the height as she moved toward the panel. The IV ripped out of her arm, leaving a bleeding gash. She covered the wound with her hand, her face contorting in shock as she rushed toward the panel. To her horror, the screen was flashing.
Engine at critical temperature Engine at critical temperature. Shutting down in four minutes.
She pushed the door panel open, leaving her things on the floor as she took off down the hallway. She was sure she cracked her tablet, but it didn't matter as she rushed into the cockpit.
Both Nathaniel and Desmond were already there, clearly aware of the problem by the panicked look on their faces.
“Maestro…” she started, and Nathaniel only glanced at her a moment.
“Just stay there,” he said. “I might need you in a moment.”
“Override code failed.” The ships computer felt the need to chime in at that moment and Nathaniel slammed the console in frustration. He swore, and Desmond took that as his cue to dial in a communications code.
“Christa isn't going to know it,” Nathaniel snapped at Desmond.
“She may not k
now it for this particular model, but she may have an idea, and we're about to lose power,” Desmond answered, trying to reach out as far as his bond would go for his former Tiro.
“What in Creator name is happening?” Eliza burst into the control room, looking annoyed.
“We're over-heating, your highness,” Nathaniel snapped at her. “Exactly what I tried to tell you would happen.”
“Well, fix it,” Eliza answered, and Nathaniel growled at her.
“We're trying.”
“Hi,” Christa's voice came through the speakers loud and clear.
“Christa, please tell me you can override an error code 543J,” Nathaniel said. “We're in a Koli u74.”
“543J?” Christa asked in shock. She was the best pilot in the galaxy. If anyone had the skills, it was her. “Take her down and now.”
“What?” Nathaniel demanded.
“You can't override that.” Christa's panic was only slightly apparent “You need to get everyone on that ship into the control room, and fast. That's going to be the last area to shut down the oxygen.”
“Sienna.” Nathaniel spun around. “Go, now!”
Desmond reached up, hitting the ship wide PA. He failed once to get it working, and Sienna noticed before she ran that his hands were shaking. Her Maestros were nervous, and that added to her fear.
She ran down the hall, trying to remember where she had last seen people. Her hand was soaked in blood, feeling hot and sticky underneath her palm. She had ripped the vein, and she was going to be in danger of bleeding out if she didn't fix it.
“All personnel to the pilot's cockpit, now. Repeat, all personnel to the pilot's cockpit, now,” Desmond's voice came over the PA. He sounded calm, but inside the cockpit, a second alarm was starting to sound.
“You should have hard warnings before this,” Christa said.
“We did,” Nathaniel said, through gritted teeth, “I ignored them.”
“Don't you blame this on me,” Eliza barked. “If the ship wasn't safe to fly, you should have said.”
“Did I say that?” Nathaniel asked her.
“Hey,” Christa's voice came back through. “I'm going to lock onto your ship and see if I can find the nearest planet. But you need to descend, Nathaniel, and now.”
“Descend with nowhere to land?”
“You're going to lose oxygen,” she reminded him. “You need to have the best chance of entering breathable atmosphere as soon as possible, and you'll do that by flying low.”
“Can't I override the shutdown?” he asked. “I know that you can do it on other models.”
“You can,” Christa said. “And it will lead to combustion, so don't even try. Creator, your engine is hot!” She had received their stats and Desmond could hear her fingers on the keys wherever she was, frantically searching. “Well, this is good. You're near Arborath.”
“Can you key us clearance for landing?” Nathaniel asked, frantically trying to keep the ship under control as it started to tremble.
“No need,” Christa said. “Arborath is not controlled by the Union. It's a snow planet, so you'll cool down right away, if you can get there fast enough. Stand by.”
“It's not a Union planet?” Desmond asked. “What is it?”
“It's…” Christa's wince could be heard in her voice. “Just be on your guard It's one of those misfit planets. But if you blow your engine, you should be able to pick up a new one around there.”
Nathaniel glanced to Desmond, but said nothing. They had been on those planets before, and it was anything but safe.
“Key it in,” Nathaniel said, knowing they were taking a huge risk. In addition to a fragile Tiro, they had the Queen of Jeffro aboard, and enough jewels to fund a planet for six months, it seemed. Planets like Arborath could smell money from miles away.
Sienna felt like she couldn't catch her breath as she motioned for the bewildered guards to make their way toward the front of the ship. She could feel her hand grow slippery and her head was fuzzy. It probably didn't help that her heart rate was over accelerating as she rushed from door to door.
“What's happening?” one of the frightened servants asked. “Are we going to die?”
“Not if my Maestros can help it,” she replied, pointing toward the front. She was keeping count, and she was pretty sure that was it.
Turning on her heel, she moved back to the front. The doors were open, and Eliza was frantically counting, naming names and making sure all were accounted for.
“There's 1 more,” Eliza said. “Jonah. Where is Jonah?”
“He was below, your highness,” said one of her other bodyguards, looking around. “Watching the view.”
“Where?” Sienna asked, feeling woozy.
“I'll go,” said the guard but she put her hand out toward him.
“No,” she said. “I'll go.”
“You're bleeding,” he said and Nathaniel's head whipped around.
“Sienna,” he said, in alarm.
“I—” she said, and then the alarm pierced their ears.
“There's no time,” Nathaniel said, and the doors started closing. “Everyone, find a seat or sit on the floor and hold onto something. We're going down and we're going down now.”
“No!” Eliza cried, but the doors slammed shut, sealing them in.
“Sienna, come here,” Desmond put his arm out as he scooted over so that she could sit. The seats were large, and the safest place.
“Eliza,” Nathaniel cried. These were the two most precious bodies on the ship – the Queen and the future of the Order. He took his hands off the controls because there was nothing more he could do. A million miles away, Christa had locked in a landing sequence, onto snow tufts that she hoped were soft.
Desmond strapped the belt over both of them, and put his hand over her wound.
“What happened?” he asked, as the engines began to fail.
“I ripped the IV when the alarm went off,” she answered, bracing herself against him. “I had to react, there was no time to remove it.”
He said nothing to that, bending down as the lights went off. But he realized that this was her life, how she had to react in emergencies. She couldn't just spring into action. There were such limitations. It wasn't fair to her to go through this.
There was a shriek from somewhere behind her, and then a giant crash. They hit the snow with a crack, plummeting forward and bouncing. Sienna was thrown forward, and the belt dug into her. She choked, but it was only for a moment before she was thrown backwards, her head hitting the headrest. There was another crack as the wing hit a giant ice tower. Sienna saw stars and felt Desmond's weight against her. She kept her eyes closed, trying to remain loose and move with the impact.
Finally, they came to a stop. There was silence in the cockpit, aside from ragged breathing.
“Everyone all right?” Nathaniel pulled off his head set with haste, spinning around as he pulled the buckle off. Eliza sat up at once, looking dazed but alive. “Speak up.”
The bodies on the floor were alive, although some were unconscious, shifting slowly back to life. Eliza threw herself out of the seat, moving between her people with concern. She checked pulses before moving on, her blue eyes wide and frantic.
“Maestro, you're bleeding,” Nathaniel said, stumbling over to them. “Are you all right?”
“As typical in battle,” Desmond said. “Not my blood. Little one?”
“I…” Sienna's arm had clotted slightly, so now she could see the damage she had done. It was a ripped vein, but not by much. It would stop bleeding in a moment, as soon as her heart rate went down. “It's all right.”
“Let me see.” Nathaniel reached out with his hand and then winced, turning pale.
“Maestro?” Sienna sat up in horror as his face changed. One look at his wrist told her the story. “Desmond.”
Desmond leaned over her, reaching out for his former Tiro's wrist. Like when he used to get injured as a child, Nathaniel pulled back with a hiss.
>
“Have you broken it?” Desmond asked, calmly, trying to keep a level head.
“Yes,” Nathaniel said.
“Wonderful.” Desmond took stock of what side he was on and saw that it was Nathaniel's dominant hand. Magic was about twists of wrists, flicks of fingers, and while Nathaniel could technically do magic with the other hand, and even pull magic to other parts of his body, this was a serious impairment. He met his former Tiro's eyes. He briefly forgot that Sienna was no longer in on their bond, and conveyed a message that was meant for the three of them – keep quiet. We're dead in the water.
I know, Nathaniel's mind responded. But we'll figure it out, we always do.
Chapter 6
When they unsealed the doors, Eliza jumped.
There, on the other side, was an incredibly angry looking Jonah, his arms crossed.
“What?” Eliza asked. “How?”
“We entered atmosphere in time for me to breathe, your highness.” Her captain of the guards raised an eyebrow. “All is well.”
“Well, thank Creator for that,” Eliza said. “It looks like you fared better than the rest of it.”
“I was thinking that all the food was out here, actually,” Jonah said. “And if you couldn't get the doors unsealed, I was going to eat all of it and make you listen.”
“You prefer your guards as comedians now?” Nathaniel asked with a smile. He had met Jonah years ago and he liked him well enough, although he did have a bit of a mouth on him. But then, Nathaniel supposed, he did, as well.
“I prefer them alive,” Eliza said. “If nothing else.”
“Let's take stock of the damage,” Desmond said. “If we can't repair enough to get power, it's going to get mighty cold in here eventually.”
Nathaniel had his arm cradled to his chest, and Sienna watched him as they walked. She had stopped bleeding, and while her own arm throbbed, it was nothing compared to what he was feeling.
“You can hold a wrench?” he asked her, trying to smile as they headed into the engine room.
“Aye,” she replied. “But I won't be sure of what to do with it.”
“That I can tell you,” he replied. “Or maybe we can get Christa back on the line.”
The doors to the engine room were sealed. Nathaniel put his good hand over them, feeling for heat.
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