by Casey Lea
Lamidia’s eyes widened and she pasted a look of bewilderment over her sneer. “What, me, Leader? Kidnap mighty kres? I deny your accusations and suggest you talk to the Lucks. I certain-sure shall. I demand instant communication with my embassy and-”
“You are under arrest for violation of kres territory, attempted theft, unprovoked hostility and suspected complicity in the snatching of seventeen kres vessels,” Freefall interrupted coldly. “Make ready to be taken.”
Lamidia tried a smile, forcing her lips upwards in an effort to look inviting, but saw instant disgust in her enemy’s eyes. She snarled in response and felt her bloodied lip curled back from her teeth. “Agreed, you win, kres. This time, cheat it. But I swear on my Luck that you’ll regret it. I’ll drakking make you sorry. Make you pay at any odds and make it deeply hurt. Do you hear, kres? Do you?”
***
Freefall shook his head wearily and made a curt gesture to cut the communication. His image of the dishevelled mermaridian Leader vanished. He watched his display intently until the Reaper was in tow and his strike teams had boarded it safely. The strike senior relayed an image of Lamidia being dragged to the hold, biting and cursing. Freefall sighed and finally relaxed. A faint murmur of relief and congratulations sounded around the nest.
“Well done, sah,” Clearwing said fervently, and he managed a smile for his newest officer before projecting his voice through the ship.
“It's never a solo effort. You all did super. I need to be able to trust my crew and I do. Completely. There’ll be a docking bonus from me on set down. Don’t spend it all in bars.” He waited for the murmur of amusement to subside. “I also need to thank our newest officer. I’m certain-sure you’ll congratulate our new sub-plus, Clearwing Pinion. Her gain in rank is deeply deserved.”
He looked down at Clearwing with a grin and she gaped back, while her hair stirred in embarrassment at the very public and unexpected promotion. Freefall laughed and the rest of the crew reached out with friendly minds or voices to express their pleasure. However, the general delight was marred by a touch of anger. Freefall managed to keep smiling, although he could feel his forehead crease. His mind traced the thread of malice into the link. He moved casually, as though stretching, and called up an ID. There were two crewmen floating there, just out of sight, Sub BackBeak and his older cousin, ex-Data Senior BackBeak.
No surprise there, he mused, but not good either. Why does the aristocracy think it owns the fleet and can simply buy rank for its useless offspring? He sighed and stretched as his chair returned to its default position. Because it does and it can. Drak, where did I glide off course with those two?
Freefall stretched again and almost groaned as fatigue hit him. Clearwing caught his eye with a shy smile, but he had no smiles left to return. “Good work, folks,” he stated. “You’re all on-rest. Shift crew has the nest.”
Freefall rose slowly and had to concentrate to push himself across the open space and into his quarters. He exchanged a few words while drifting across the nest, but didn’t pause as he usually would. Instead he pulsed straight to his quarters and stepped through his door without looking back.
6
Hopes and Dreams
Clearwing watched Freefall’s hasty departure with a frown. His unguarded emotions were easy to read and she was disturbed by his lack of satisfaction in their victory. He projected more than unhappiness. Instead, he was consumed by a sense of failure. The nest cleared and then started to refill as rostered crew arrived, but Clearwing floated beside her station without noticing. She was so preoccupied by concern for the Leader that she missed the greeting from Mid-Plus Plover, who was relieving her.
“Hey,” the Mid-Plus repeated loudly with a delighted grin. “I said congratulations, duckling. I’ve never heard of anyone being promoted during their first shift before.”
“Oh.” Clearwing’s blonde hair stirred and she silently cursed as more floated free. “Thanks. I guess I’m just lucky. Good shift.” She pushed herself quickly away from any more praise and entered the link so fast she almost pulsed herself into Senior Snowbeak.
He was floating just past the entrance and his mind admitted that he had been waiting for her. He raised his com to send a moderate surge that Clearwing copied and they wafted along the link together.
Gull nodded coldly to the two BackBeaks as the couple floated past, but Clearwing ignored them. She felt a breath of malice, like a cold breeze passing, before the pair were left behind. Most of her attention was on her Senior, floating at her side. They continued in silence, while she wondered what she’d done wrong.
“First blood,” Gull snapped and Clear flinched. “The first you’ve seen, yes?”
“Apologies, sah, I’ll be tougher-”
“Please, Sub-plus. Such would greatly concern me. Death is never pleasant and it never should be.”
The young officer shifted her thoughts to consider this as they floated slowly along the link. “I know other species call kres too peaceful. They often times say that because we hate to fight we make terrible soldiers, but I just don’t believe it. We can defend ourselves if we must. Arck Sharpeye proved that.”
“Certain-sure,” Gull agreed. “It’s all due to him that we hold more planets than any other sentients.”
“Those are interesting words, sah. Is that how you judge this? That we have to hold our planets?”
“Yes, young Clearwing Pinion, I do. That’s truly why I joined the fleet. Why did you join?”
“I wanted to travel,” Pinion said in the same irritatingly fresh tone as the fleet recruiting visual.
Gull laughed and she smiled in response. “Sah, I want to ask you somesuch.”
“Ask.”
“After we rammed that first Harvester, did you know I was distressed? I truly needed distracting when you told me to run data lock. How did you manage to be there at the perfect time?”
Gull grunted. “That’s a senior’s job, but sad to state I can’t take full credit this time. I knew you were upset, but only because Freefall frond-passed your emotions.”
“The leader noticed? In the middle of all else?”
“That’s his job. And he’s good at it.”
“He’s perfect,” Clearwing murmured, and Gull twisted sharply to study her, until her hair tugged against its braid again.
“He’s a fine leader,” the Senior said softly, “with huge potential. The best in the fleet.” Gull’s mind underlined his respect for Freefall, while reminding Clearwing to keep her own admiration strictly professional.
Her eyes re-focused amid a rustle of escaping curls. How utterly mortifying. She risked a glance, but it seemed the Senior hadn’t noticed her embarrassment. Well, he was old, already middle aged and possibly prone to sudden losses of hearing and sight.
“Sah,” she said loudly, forcing herself to make eye contact. “If Freefall’s the best, why does he always work so hard to prove it? He doesn’t seem to have any give in him and, despite his control, he’s wound terribly tight. He’s super critical of himself. It’s like he all times has to do more. Achieve more. Why?”
Gull winced then quickly scowled at Clear. “Interesting questions. You’re most dangerous when it comes to any data chase, Sub-Plus. That’s why the leader bartered for you, you know. He used his entire crew quota for three cycles, because you were the best graduate in your year.”
“Me? The leader bartered for me? But I was only fifty-sixth in my year.”
“Fifty-sixth in all, from twenty planets, but your data tests were far superior. Your console skills were the very best and Freefall needs a top data senior to match the rest of his crew.”
Clearwing felt an unexpected glow and her questions about the Leader vanished. “Truly? Me? Data Senior one day? Are you certain-sure?”
“I’m not noted for my random guesses.”
“Of course not, sah.” Clearwing gripped her main plait and held it still. “I’d like to win further promotion. Please thank the Leader for his c
onfidence.”
They wafted on in silence, but only briefly. Clear ducked her head and tried to sound casual. “Does he always bid so high with his crew quota?”
Gull twisted sideways to stare hard at her and the furrows in his brow deepened. She pinched her hair tight and tried not to panic. Why did her questions always cause trouble?
“You seem most curious about Freefall.”
“Of course. He’s a fascinating puzzle. For example, he must have been the best graduate in his year?”
Gull pursed his lips, but his frown eased. “He scored tens or high nines in every discipline. He was a most fine student and won the Honor Dagger.”
Clearwing’s com surged and she curved in front of the Senior, then stopped so quickly he ran her down. They collided and hurtled together across the empty link. They rebounded from a curving wall and she felt the brief tug of gravity as her foot slipped into a corridor. Their momentum freed her and she twisted slowly back to mid-link. Gull was now glaring at her, but she truly didn’t care. “Honor Dagger? Not the Honor Sword? Are you claiming someone bettered him?”
“Calm,” the Senior chided, and Clearwing’s hair stirred yet again.
She ducked her head in belated apology and her fronds tucked submissively against her neck as she awkwardly pushed away from her superior.
His cynically amused expression returned. “I’m afraid it’s true. Freefall got the Dagger. He was second in his year, not the leader. That seems to surprise you.”
“Mmmm. Yes, because he’s so brilliant, but in other terms, no. I guess that’s the person he seems driven to beat? But I still don't understand the guilt I feel from him. He yearns to atone for... something.”
And someone, Gull added, the bitter thought slipping past his mental control to make Clear draw a sharp breath.
Who?
This time it was Gull who slammed into Clearwing. She screeched when he grabbed her by the upper arms and held her hard while they collided with the wall, before spinning back to the centre of the link. His eyes held her’s, just as firmly as his hands gripped her biceps.
“My turn to ask, Sub-plus. What do you call someone full of questions?”
“A data tek,” Clear whispered, but he shook her by the shoulders.
“Or a spy.” Gull’s fingers dug deeper and she bit back a whimper. “How did you trick such a thought from me? Did you go any deeper? Are you a spy? TELL ME.”
His fronds flicked forward to wrap around one of Clear’s and she arched back. He shook her again until she floated limply, staring at her crazed Senior.
Do you work for the Arck? Or another faction? Do you plan to harm Freefall? Why such interest in him?
Clearwing felt her teeth lock and her mind closed just as tight. No-one rummaged through her head without permission. She heard Gull laugh, but all she could see were his eyes, as light as ash and filling her world. His voice filled her head too, but that touch was infinitely heavier. She gagged and tasted acid, along with panic. How could she fight such an experienced mind?
Don’t the Senior warned. Tell me what you want with the Leader.
It took less than a second for Clear to consider her options. “I admire him” she choked and closed her eyes while her mind admitted how much she liked Freefall. It was the most embarrassing moment of her life, which was truly saying something.
A minute passed before Clearwing noticed that her frond was free and the Senior was laughing again. “Apologies, chick” he finally managed and she opened her eyes. Gull looked rueful and offered her a deep bow. “I’m an old cynic and I’ve clearly lost all memory of being young. I regret scaring you and hope you can forgive me.”
Clear rubbed her upper arms and bit her lip. “I hope so too. But that was against all Fleet rules, Senior.”
“Regulations are just text, Sub-plus. This ship is real and it faces real dangers. I’m charged with its security, which means I will do absolutely anything to keep it safe. My job is paramount to me. Do you understand?”
Clear sighed to herself, but had to admit that she did understand. Her job had always come first too, at least until recently. She pushed her lips upwards in a faint smile and Gull responded by slapping her on the shoulder.
“My thanks, Clearwing. I see that we share a passion. For our work and I fear that trying to hide information from you is like trying to keep a wren from water. In apology for my earlier suspicion, I’m going to trust you, but you must show true discretion. This information was stripped from public record by Arck Sharpeye and must never be repeated. Understood?”
“Understood, sah.”
“Freefall drives himself fiercely in all ways, as you noted. He pushes himself so hard... because of treachery.”
“Treachery?” Clearwing was shocked and fascinated, her anger at Gull forgotten.
“That’s right, chick. A betrayal of the most total kind. Freefall was too trusting and aided the escape of a traitor who moved against his people, his family and his friends. He left Free behind, to carry the scars of a disHonor he never deserved.”
“Who would do such?”
Gull grimaced and his eyes, which were distant with anger, focused sharply again. “I’ve said more than should be spoken, but it was the top graduate in Freefall’s year who cut him so deep. That exile was once his most trusted family, but now fights for the other side.”
7
A Complication
Nightwing woke gradually and his mind eased into the new day. He gave a sleepy mental command to cancel the morning chime and raise the lights. He stretched and threw an arm across the mattress. The gesture reminded him of the puffy alien and he turned toward her, to find himself alone in bed. He swivelled sharply, scanning the room, but then relaxed when he saw her on the floor. She was still asleep, wrapped in what seemed to be his spare cover.
Nightwing smiled and swung himself out of bed. He moved to crouch beside the strange female and shook his head at the coldness of the floor against his bare feet. He leaned forward to wake her and then stopped, staring in surprise. Dark hair was spread around a face that looked very different without the strange clothing that lay in a heap beside her. Nightwing studied the tresses spread over her curled forearm and across the floor in surprise. Darsey’s hair was not the same black as the padding that had covered it. Instead, it was a deep red and he wondered if the odd shade could possibly be natural. His eyes strayed to her face and he rocked back on his heels.
The alien’s features were the most pleasant surprise he’d had in a long time. Without the bulky padding now discarded behind her, Darsey was strikingly lovely. Nightwing tipped forward again to balance on the balls of his feet and stared with unrestrained curiosity. Even in the low light of first-waking, her features looked subtly different to any he had seen before. Her face was unique and he bent even closer. Her skin tone and color were exotic, but other differences were less obvious.
Nightwing smiled with delight as he tilted his head sideways to continue his study. He had never altered his face to suit the prevailing fashion and he found Darsey’s unusual features refreshing. He tried to imagine them animated, with those blue eyes open, and grinned at the image. He leaned closer still until their faces almost touched. At this range, he could see the faintest of small, brown circles scattered across the smooth arch of her nose. She smelt equally exotic and he sniffed deeply, his nasal blade wrinkling as her eyes opened.
They were heavy with sleep and, for a fleeting moment, she answered his smile with one of her own. Dimples appeared beneath her strangely high cheekbones, but then Darsey’s eyes widened and she reacted with unexpected speed. Her hands flashed out to push him away and her fists hit so hard he rocked backwards and fell.
“What the hell are you doing?” she yelled, propelling herself away from him on hands and heels, to slither the width of the tiny atrium and skid to a halt against the door.
Darsey rose quickly to stand with her back to its field and wrapped his blanket more tightly around her. She bal
anced on the balls of her feet, poised and ready to strike again, but Nightwing rose slowly from the floor with his empty arms held out to either side and hoped she understood the gesture. She sank back onto her heels, so she seemed to accept that he wasn’t a threat, but her expression remained toxic.
“I don’t like waking up to find you doing a fitted sheet impersonation. You were all over me!”
Nightwing rubbed the heel of his hand against the spot where she’d punched his chest and grimaced. Was that going to bruise? Despite his com shield? He frowned, then pushed such oddities aside to concentrate on the angry girl. “Truly, I was just looking,” he explained. “In the most friendly of ways.”
“You are so arrogant. That’s not how friends behave on my world.”
Darsey tossed her hair back and Wing realized he was grinning. He covered the ridiculous response with a cough. “It is from now on. I’m your owner, recall? My world is now yours and my happiness should become your most vital concern.”
Darsey’s cheeks flushed and Nightwing stared, fascinated by the change of color. “Your happiness thrills me, Master,” she sneered, and he frowned at her sarcastic tone, but strolled to Pertwing’s curved gray console without responding. Looking too closely at the alien was strangely unsettling. Could she be some type of bio weapon?
His computer sent a silent caution, and he could sense her alarm at the latest addition to their quarters. Wing stroked the shimmering console in apology and called up the manual control interface. A tap on the arm interrupted him and he looked around to see Darsey, still draped in his spare cover.
“I’m not a slave,” she stated clearly, and he ducked his head in belated apology.
“I know. I spoke to joke.”
“It’s not funny, Nightwing.”