Starfire

by Imogene Nix

  What would happen now? The day that Duvall had met her and Raven in the mess, he’d said there was a change of plans. What could go wrong now?

  She ran a hand through her hair and noted the trembling. Damn! She should have been able to pull the Raptor back up rather than focus on ejecting, then she wouldn’t be in this position. Well, there was no time like now, she reminded herself, knowing that she had to be on time to Duvall’s office.

  The door pinged, and she started. “Identify,” she commanded of the unit tersely.

  “Fraser, Raven.”

  She puffed out her cheeks as the computer gave the identity of the man waiting on the other side of the door. She gave the “open” command. Her stomach flip-flopped as she thought about the coming dinner date. She trembled at the thought but thrust it aside, wondering why Raven would be at her door right now.

  “Raven, what are you doing here? We’re due in the captain’s office in less than ten minutes.” Her voice was firm as she queried him.

  “I thought we should go together. You know, first day back and... Well, I just wanted to say good morning.” He looked almost innocent with a bland expression on his face, wearing a freshly pressed uniform, his face clean-shaven, and his wonderful blue eyes twinkling.

  Suspicion rose inside her. He leaned in, and for just a minute she thought he was about to kiss her. She leaned away as he turned to drop a quick peck on her cheek. Her heart dropped.

  Jemma told herself she wanted this disappointment—forever wasn’t on her list of things to do or expect, and he was a forever kind of guy.

  “Well then, let us ‘once more unto the breach’ go,” Jemma quoted from memory with a small smile before indicating that he should lead the way. Never before had it occurred to her that she would need or use a Shakespearean quote she’d learned in school. She shrugged her shoulders at the odd turn life had taken.

  Raven shook his head with a confused smile then moved into the room. They walked together, neither seeming to be in a rush, so she relaxed slightly as they moved down the metal planking. The cold air raised goose bumps on her arms the closer they came to the door—or was it the nerves she refused to acknowledge? She raised her hand to the palm print, and the door slid soundlessly open.

  Captain Duvall McCord sat waiting in his office. Elara, Grayson, Chowd, and even Mellissa already filled the conference table in front. She looked back to see Raven was as confused as she was. Why was everyone here?

  “Good morning, Jemma and Raven. Come join us. I am about to take a direct link from Admiralty.”

  Jemma started. Were they going to court martial her for the loss of the craft by Interspace Link? Surely that wasn’t normal? Panic rose in thick, oily waves, leaving her stomach clenching. Raven placed his hand on her shoulder; obviously, she’d been radiating her discomfort, and the hand upon her shoulder not only grounded her, but gave a measure of reassurance.

  “I don’t…” Jemma couldn’t help the weakness, and she leaned into Raven, seeking his touch. His warmth and nearness supported her, and she soaked up his strength.

  “In a moment. You two grab a seat, and we can begin.” Duvall indicated two empty seats at the conference table, and Jemma gingerly made her way over and sat down, with Raven taking the seat beside her. The glances their way betrayed interest in their togetherness.

  Reading each face, she was sure they weren’t hiding some negative emotions. How can you be so sure? But there wasn’t any answer to be gained.

  The screen at the head of the table flickered briefly, then the face of Admiral Elphin filled the area. “Good morning, all. We’re here to discuss the issue of Crick Sur Banden making attacks on the Alpha Star Colony. As you would be aware, Captain McCord was originally required to travel with the fleet through to ASC, offering firepower should the fleet be challenged. However, in the last several months, the attacks have not only increased in frequency, but also in severity.”

  He paused as if waiting for someone to interrupt.

  “In fact, we’ve received intelligence that causes us great concern,” he continued. “It has been suggested that Crick Sur Banden has achieved a foothold on the planet. We believe the Alpha Star Colony is his preferred target for a number of reasons, including the current boom resulting from the mining of the Duschem mineral. We believe he has decided to focus on the mining sectors initially to slow down the Earth Empire’s ability to use the raw mineral in the energy matrix, as well as the use by the Ru’Edan in a refined form to increase shielding capacity of their ships. As a result, the War Council has met and your mission has now changed. You are required to travel with all due speed to the Alpha Star Colony. I believe, Captain, that you have recently had a run-in with them?”

  “Yes, sir. There was an issue with the energy matrix supports, which required us to drop out of the fleet and undertake repairs. Pilot Cardnew sustained serious injuries in the defense of the Elector and her craft was lost in the battle with the Phobos pirates. Furthermore, we have proof that Crick is working with them and actively attacking ships, most likely to damage our ability to transport goods and equipment to the various sectors along this route. We’ve forwarded a copy of her report to Commander Vors, and I ensured a copy was sent to you as well. We have managed to hold on to the shuttle, though it also sustained damage in the skirmish.”

  “You’ve lost your fighter? I will need to check that report, Captain.” Elphin’s gray, bushy brows narrowed together as he digested this information. His tone was terse.

  “Yes, sir, although I would like to point out that only her exceptional skills kept the Elector from direct attack and an attempt at boarding by the Phobos pirates.” Duvall looked uncomfortable with this, sparing a quick glance her way.

  Jemma sat a little taller in her seat. If the Admiral and council were going to carpet her, she would accept whatever they threw at her.

  “Fine, I’ll review the report and contact you from there.” His tone became dismissive of the information presented. “Your new mission is to infiltrate Crick Sur Banden’s base on Alpha Star Colony, retrieve our operative, who I believe has been compromised, and if possible get me a couple of the spook ships the pirates are using.”

  He dragged a hand through his shaggy mop of hair.

  “I also need you to clear out the Ru’Edanians that continue to cause us issues. You have authorization to do whatever it takes to make the area safe for the incoming fleet. Destroy their transmitters and sweep the area of ears and eyes. I need this completed before the fleet arrives, and time is running out. We have a senior diplomat traveling within the fleet who also needs to enter into final negotiations for the final cease-fire agreement between the Empire and the Ru’Edan. This must go smoothly, Captain.”

  “Yes, sir,” Duvall answered quickly.

  “In addition to those orders, Duvall, no more visitors are to be brought back with you.” His voice betrayed a hint of dry humor. “It played hell with the council and my digestion last time. Thankfully, the last time you brought back people who have committed to the Empire. I’m not so sure next time will be so positive though.” He grinned with this final comment, and Jemma was perplexed.

  Raven looked at her with something akin to worry on his handsome face. What was this discussion about? Did Duvall catch hell for bringing her and Mellissa forward in time?

  “Sir, I have a few questions,” Duvall started.

  “Yes, I thought you would,” Elphin responded, and not for the first time, Jemma wondered about the unspoken relationship between McCord and the Admiral. It had been whispered at the academy that Elphin had personally chosen Duvall to become his protégé.

  “How will we know the infiltrator?” Chowd was the first to question.

  “Chowd, good to see you. I have sent a coded intel briefing through to the captain. It has all the information you will require for making the identification, including codes that will override certain information sources. However, it’s likely he’ll have jammed any ability to transmit direc
t to the planet, which means you’ll need to find an alternative method until you can turn off the jamming device. Duvall, we need Chowd and Raven on this expedition. You are personally to remain on board the craft at all times. We will need your steady hand working with Grayson to pull this off.”

  Duvall frowned and Jemma sat forward, looking for any subtleties and nuances that would give a hint as to why the Elector crew were being given such a high-level mission.

  “Yes, sir,” Duvall replied. “We’ll need to make alterations to the shuttle to ensure it gets in unseen.”

  “I have specifications for some modifications that’ll be required to stay under the radar, as well as the holes in the radar that can be utilized. Cardnew, do you think you could handle flying a spook?”

  “Admiral, I believe I could bring one back for you, if that is what you are enquiring about.” Her words were stiff. Under the table, she felt Raven grab her hand.

  “Right. Duvall, I’ll leave you to brief your people. Once the mission is underway, you know to keep radio silence. I’ll need confirmation of mission commencement. Other than that, I don’t want to hear from you until the mission is completed. Be on guard. It’ll be dangerous, and while your team is the best, things can still go wrong. Our information points to Crick Sur Banden personally overseeing this operation. Look for the encoded transmission in the next hour. Elphin out.” With that, the screen darkened.

  Chapter 9

  The room was silent as every member of the crew in the office thought about Admiral Elphin’s parting words.

  Jemma spared a quick glance around the table, noting Mellissa and Duvall both grimacing. Never had she been privy to such a briefing, and she knew that the Admiral’s parting words were not the norm. As nothing more than a lowly combat pilot, her briefings had always taken place in the flight room, given by her commander, Vors. She had met the captain of the Star of Ishtar only when she joined the crew and since then, the captain had kept his distance, a distance appropriate for those of the junior officers and pilots. She understood and accepted the privilege of involvement in a briefing of this type.

  In the back of her mind, the knowledge that she could die on this mission bloomed. For the first time, she felt a stirring that maybe there was more out there for her, more than being disposable to the world, and that unsettled her. She pushed that to the side to concentrate on the briefing.

  “Grayson, how soon can you plot the new course?” Duvall, his face as hard as granite, pushed his chair out from the table, standing purposefully before striding around his office, the plush carpeting swallowing his footsteps.

  Palm units were now open and in use by Grayson, Chowd, and Duvall. Raven let go of her hand as he picked up his small unit from where it lay on the table. His blunt fingers flew quickly over the screen as he pulled up schematics and logistical algorithms.

  “Captain, I believe within the hour we should be able to set course,” Grayson muttered as he flicked a setting. “It may necessitate traveling through the beta hyperspace though. I believe it would be the fastest route, but we need to check that the weapons arrays were fortified sufficiently during the building of Elector to make that safe.”

  Duvall stopped. “Yes, the last ship that tried to use that beta hyperspace found that the arrays were totally destroyed, and they were the lucky ones. The ones that didn’t make any preparations…”

  He spread his hands expansively, and Jemma knew exactly what he alluded to. They’d been told in training that the remains of those ships littered the hyperspace channels.

  “Check the specs and get back to me.” Duvall looked at Raven. “I take it the repairs to the matrix will be able to handle hyperspace?”

  “Captain, you couldn’t tell it wasn’t the original work,” commented Raven. “The only thing is I need to check is that there is sufficient backup power should anything go wrong with the matrix. The last thing we need is a power outage either on entry or exit to the channel. Those transits must be clean transfers to protect our arrays.”

  Duvall nodded. “Chowd, when we’re finished here, I need you and Jemma to stay behind to look over the information we have on the Alpha Star Colony. Jemma needs to find the most practical orbit for us and plot the entry of the shuttle, ensuring we stay under the radar. I need your help planning the raid into the base.”

  Jemma had heard the terrain of the Alpha Star Colony made flying difficult under normal conditions. She looked forward to the challenge of flying without detection.

  Duvall stopped and looked at everyone at the table. He took a deep breath. “People, this is the most difficult mission for the Elector to date. Everyone needs to remain focused. I need you all back here at 1700 hours tomorrow, when we’ll conduct a full briefing.” He paused, spearing each member with a hard look. “This is the next step in shutting down Crick Sur Banden. We’ll only have one chance, and we need to make it a winner. Dismissed.”

  Jemma felt Raven’s hand grab hers and give a squeeze, then he was up out of his seat and gone. Suddenly, she felt very exposed. Jemma looked up to see both Duvall and Chowd watching her. She swallowed. Now it was time to prove that she could do this on her own. She sat up. “Okay, where do we start?”

  * * * *

  Raven knew the members of the crew were wondering what was going on between him and Jemma. Hell, even he wondered right now. He strode purposely through the door and moved to the side, out of sight, waited for Elara to wander through the door, and quietly signaled to her. She gave him a wary look, and he motioned for her to join him.

  The others walked by, casting glances in his direction, but he ignored them. He had something he needed to find out, and the sooner he started on an appropriate path, the sooner he could start his renewed campaign with Jemma.

  “Elara, I need to talk to you, privately.” He motioned toward the corridor that led to his office.

  She looked at him with a narrowing of the brows, but she followed him without question.

  Once they entered his office, he said, “Door, engage locks.”

  “Locks engaged,” the disembodied computer voice confirmed.

  “Please, Elara, sit down. Would you like a coffee?” A flick of his wrist indicated the carafe he reached for.

  “Yes, a coffee would be lovely. What is this about, Raven?”

  He reached over and placed the cup into her outstretched hands. “It’s about Jem.”

  Elara opened her mouth, and he waved a hand before she could go any further. “I know, patient confidentiality and all that, but seriously, I’ve been thinking about the issues with her anger. I think she has a problem with self-esteem.” He watched as her eyes widened. “Hear me out, okay? It’s been rattling around in my head for the last few days.”

  Raven gulped down some coffee, needing something to engage his mind while he struggled to find a way to begin.

  “She engages in risk-taking activities, cuts herself off from everyone who cares about her, she keeps telling me she doesn’t know how to do forever.” He sat down heavily. “I think she thinks she’s even expendable.” He looked down and breathed heavily.

  “Ohhh.” The way Elara dragged out the words betrayed her surprise. “Well now, that certainly is an interesting conclusion. Here I am the SurgiTech and yet you’re making a diagnosis based on your...what? Gut instincts?” She cocked her head and he waited, fingers tapping on the tabletop. “This isn’t a diagnosis to take lightly, Raven. This is something we usually notice in the early school years. We screen and engage in therapy before it becomes a problem.” He watched her face screw up as she pulled out a palm screen unit, tapping information into it. He waited quietly as her face clouded. “Damn. You could be onto something there, but if that’s the case...” Her voice trailed off.

  “Yeah. It’s a big call. But if that is an issue for her, then what do we do? How do we work with this?”

  “I don’t have experience with this. I mean, I’m a SurgiTech, not a PsychTech.”

  “I know, but it makes se
nse, right? She’s a loner, doesn’t trust anyone easily. She likely even has abandonment issues.”

  “Abandonment? Was she?”

  He nodded slowly. “Yeah. Left in an orphanage as a baby, then compounded by the way she was left at the academy. It makes sense, doesn’t it?”

  Elara swiped her hand over her brow. “Yes, it does.”

  Raven gulped down the sick feeling that rose. “Even when she was sick, she didn’t alert anyone. Elara, I love her, but I don’t have the skills to fight this on my own.” She blinked at his words, but her forged on. “I need your help to make her see that she’s beautiful, worthwhile, and worthy. That she can be loved and have forever. I did some investigating of the known indicators. But I don’t know what needs to be done. I know with children, we have therapy groups and drugs, but obviously, we don’t have that here, or even the knowledge. I was hopeful that even if you didn’t have experience, perhaps you could find appropriate treatment.”

  “Raven, firstly she has to understand that there is an issue. Accept it. Until she does, it’s just a waste of time.” She screwed up her face. “Look, leave it with me. I’ll see if there is some way to engage her and research the indicators and treatment. Until then, say nothing to her. Nothing I can do will help if she is expecting some kind of interference by me.” Elara reached a hand over and placed it on his.

  “Yeah. Sure.” There didn’t seem much else to say.

  “Leave this to me, and I’ll get back to you. Without details though. Patient confidentiality and all that.” She smiled, took a deep draught of the coffee, then handed the cup back. “Time you made another pot, I think. This one’s a little bitter, even by your standards.”

  Elara rose and started to leave.

  As she reached the door, she turned. “You know, if it’s any consolation, I think she loves you too. She doesn’t understand that just yet, but I’m pretty sure of it. Just hang in there, okay?”

  “Thanks, Elara. Let me know if you find anything or if I can help. Door, unlock.”