Athena's Ashes

by Jamie Grey

  The flashing blue light on her tablet caught her eye, and she pushed away the sliver of fear and urgency that was her constant companion lately. Switching on her device, she scanned her messages.

  There were the usual sale ads—she saved one from the specialty boudoir underwear designer she liked to splurge on. Twenty-five percent off on bras and lingerie. Maybe MYTH would hold a delivery for her.

  There were two feeler emails from potential clients that she deleted without even reading. She didn’t have time for that sort of thing right now. Saving her own skin, ensuring Finn and Myka’s safety, and acting as Renna, Warrior Princess, for the galaxy was a bit more important.

  The last message was her weekly subscription to the Galactic Free News. Renna’s gaze lingered briefly on the article about the arrest of Kitty Cordoza, one of most notorious mob bosses in the galaxy. Good. The woman deserved to spend the rest of her life in prison. She was the one who’d crated Myka Aldani and shipped him all over the system. Too bad Renna hadn’t been there to witness her detainment in person.

  But what she was really interested in were the classified ads.

  Back when she and Viktis were together, they’d used a complicated code to communicate with each other while they were out on jobs. If he and Finn needed her now, that’s how they’d get a hold of her. As she read through them, her shoulders slumped. Nothing.

  Renna tossed the tablet on the bed and rested her head in her hands. In this situation, no news was good news, no matter how much she missed them. She should be happy they didn’t need her. But she ached to know Finn was all right. That he was safe from Pallas. Gods, when had she gotten so obsessed? Finn was a soldier; he could take care of himself. And she’d do no one any good if she worried about him instead of the job at hand.

  It had to be all the time on her hands. She had nothing else to think about besides Finn. The sooner she got out of here, the better.

  Renna slid off the bed, landing lightly on her feet. The room bobbed like a ship, and she swallowed back a surge of nausea as she clutched the edge of the bed. Evidently, Samil’s device had affected her more than she’d thought. Her head still buzzed at a low-level frequency, almost like a mosquito flitting around her head. That could stop any time now.

  She crossed gingerly to the washbasin and splashed her face with water. It helped calm the spinning a bit and she took a deep breath. The residual pain from the attack had finally started to fade, but her mind kept coming back to the fact that Samil’s device had felt like something crawling through her brain. Her skin erupted in goose bumps. The doctor better know what she was doing. Becoming a cyborg was not in Renna’s retirement plan.

  “Renna.” Her door slid open, and Dallas strode into the room. His eyebrows furrowed as he took in her pale face and shadowed eyes. “Dr. Samil said you weren’t feeling well after your test this morning. Any better?”

  Renna shrugged. “I’ll live. What’s the news?”

  “The admiral has assigned you a ship and crew. The Eris is one of the best small cruisers we have. Weapons functionality is limited, as this is a stealth mission, not an attack mission. But she’s a beauty. I’m sure you’ll love her.”

  “That was fast. What’s the admiral’s game here? Why does she trust me with this?”

  “I thought this is what you wanted.” He stood in parade rest, arms behind his back, but he watched her warily, as if he was analyzing her every word.

  Renna ignored the discomfort of being studied so closely and shrugged. “It was. I just didn’t expect to get it. I’m a thief, after all. Don’t you military people distrust me on principle?” It felt too easy, somehow, that they would just agree to her proposal.

  “The admiral is one of the smartest people I know. Finding Finn and the Athena is her top priority, and if you’re the one who can do it, she’ll go to any lengths to get you what you need.”

  She was glad they recognized that at least. Too bad they had no idea the problem was in their own organization. “How soon can I leave?”

  “This afternoon.”

  Renna’s eyes widened.

  “There has been some debate. Dr. Samil would like to keep you under observation for several more days, but the admiral outranks her. We can’t afford to waste any more time.”

  “I always knew I liked you, Major.” Renna grinned at him. “I’ll pack up my stuff and be ready to go in half an hour.”

  “Good.” He leaned forward, lowering his voice. “I hope you know you can trust me completely, Renna. Right now, my only concern is finding Finn and making sure he’s all right. I don’t care what other scams you might be running.”

  She tilted her head and studied his haggard face. “Based on that statement, I’m going to assume you don’t trust me.”

  “Renna, I know more about your background than anyone else in this organization. I chose you to rescue Myka because I believed in you. And I backed you to find Finn for the same reason. I think you’re exactly what MYTH needs, even if they don’t know it themselves yet.” He paused, his lips twitching at the corners with a grin. “But no, I don’t trust you outside my line-of-sight. I know better than that. You should be flattered.”

  She couldn’t help but return his smile. Damn, she was getting soft. A few kind words and she turned to mush.

  “That being said,” Dallas continued, getting to his feet, “the admiral and her staff don’t know you nearly as well as I do. As a condition for this mission, they are requiring ship status reports every twenty-four hours.”

  The happy glow faded. Dammit. So much for keeping her whereabouts secret from Pallas’s moles inside MYTH. “Of course. They’re worried I’m going to pull a Finn and steal the ship, huh?”

  “You’re going to tell me the thought didn’t cross your mind?” Dallas asked, tilting his head to study her.

  Renna chuckled. “Fair assessment. Fine. I’ll report in daily.”

  “See that you do. You do not want them to send a recall team after you if they decide you’ve gone rogue. We also equip all of our ships with a self-destruct button, and they’re not afraid to use it.” He turned to the door. “Finish gathering your things. You leave in an hour.”

  SIX

  “Ready to see her?” Dallas asked as he pressed his palm to the hangar bay scanner.

  Renna’s insides fluttered as she nodded. By the stars, she was as anxious as a teenager on her first date. It was just another ship, just another crew. No need to be nervous.

  The door to the hanger slid open, and Renna stifled a gasp at the shiny cruiser sitting on the landing pad. At half the size of the Athena, it was still almost as long as a city block.

  “The Eris runs with a crew of fifteen. It has a fully stocked med-bay and state-of-the-art stealth systems.” Dallas puffed his chest out. “One of the best new designs we have.”

  “Did you have something to do with the design, sir?” she asked, letting her gaze linger over the crisp lines and curves of the beauty.

  “I helped, yes, but it was a team effort.” He moved into the hangar, but his voice had softened and he smiled at her. “Come, my dear. You don’t want to keep your crew waiting.”

  A dozen men and women stood at attention in front of the ship, while the maintenance crew scurried around prepping the Eris for travel. They all wore the gray-and-gold uniforms of MYTH, and most of them were human, but she spotted a few alien faces in the crowd.

  Dallas’s boots clicked against the cement floor as they approached. “This is Commander Cori Jayla. She’s in charge of running the ship and making sure everything goes as planned with the mission.”

  A tall woman with angular features and a swoop of jet-black hair saluted them. Her dark skin was smooth and unwrinkled, but Renna guessed her to be in her late forties.

  “It’s an honor to be included in this mission, sir,” she said in a crisp voice.

  “At ease, Commander. Renna, Jayla has worked for MYTH almost as long as I have and is one of our most trusted agents. She’ll help you fin
d Captain Finn or die trying.”

  “I hope that’s not necessary, sir, but I’ll do my best.” A twinkle of amusement shone in the commander’s eyes as she turned to the handsome blond man standing beside her. “This is my executive officer, Lieutenant Alistair Blake.”

  He saluted smartly, but the grin at the end ruined the military effect. “Welcome aboard, Miss Carrizal.”

  Renna smiled back. “I look forward to working with both of you.”

  “Finn must be insane if he left you behind and went on the run with an Ileth pirate,” Blake said, with a chuckle. “Either way, his loss is my gain.”

  Jayla rolled her eyes. “Despite what the lieutenant says, Captain Finn is one of our best. We’ll do whatever it takes to make sure he’s all right.” Jayla’s eyebrows furrowed as she glanced at Dallas. “I’m assuming we still haven’t heard from him?” Dallas shook his head, and the commander’s lips thinned.

  Renna shifted on her heels. There was that stupid twinge of jealousy again. She wanted to know more about Finn’s life, about what he’d done after leaving Blur’s gang. She wanted to know how the commander knew him and if they’d gone on missions together. The urge to know everything about him left her breathless, and a surge of vertigo shot through her, sending the room spinning. She squeezed her eyes closed. Godsdammit. This could stop any time now.

  She sucked in a few deep breaths and opened her eyes again when the pain lessened.

  And then froze. Her implant had created a glowing text overlay with a full workup on Commander Jayla. Heart rate, blood pressure, height, eye color, birthplace, and rank all scrolled past as she studied the woman. She blinked, and the information shifted a level deeper, into a full dossier on the commander, including statistics, kills, military honors, and missions.

  She’d been Finn’s commanding officer for two years prior to being reassigned to the Eris.

  Renna glanced at Lieutenant Blake, and the data shifted instantly. According to the new information, Blake and Finn had been in boot camp together, recruited at the same time by Dallas.

  Somehow, when she’d connected with the MYTH database, all of their records had downloaded into her brain. By the blasted stars, maybe this implant thing was going to be useful after all. She blinked again and the heads-up display faded, the personal info disappearing from her vision.

  “Everything all right, Renna?” Dallas asked, watching her carefully.

  She quickly pushed away her amazement and nodded. “Yes, sir. Sorry, sir.” A twinge of panic beat wings against her temples, but she had to look on the bright side. Being able to pull up instant knowledge on anyone could be a real asset in her line of work.

  “Commander, is the Eris prepped for take-off?”

  Jayla saluted. “Ready whenever Miss Carrizal is.”

  “Very good.”

  There was a commotion at the hangar door as Dr. Samil darted through it, closely followed by Major Larson.

  “So glad I caught you,” Samil panted, her pale face flushed pink like she’d been running. “I forgot to give this to you during your checkup.” She handed a small silver box to Renna. “We had a breakthrough. It won’t stop the integration completely, but I was able to create a compound that should keep the implant stable and the neural connection at bay for now. This is a month’s worth of pills.”

  Renna closed her fingers around the box, the edges cutting into her skin. She glanced up at Dr. Samil, hoping the woman could see how grateful she was. “Thank you, Doc. I mean it.”

  The corners of Samil’s blue eyes wrinkled as she smiled. “Make sure you remember to take them every day. And come back as soon as you start feeling any side effects again. The pills may stop working as your system builds up tolerance.”

  “I understand. Hopefully, it won’t take me more than a few weeks to find Finn. I’ll be back for you to experiment on before you know it.”

  “I’m going to hold you to that, Renna.” Samil squeezed her arm. “Be careful out there.”

  Dallas turned to Major Larson. “Is there something you needed, Major?”

  Larson’s gaze wandered over the ship like he was looking for something, but after a moment he turned back to them. “I’d like to speak to Renna alone, if you don’t mind.”

  Wariness flitted across Dallas’s face, but he nodded. “Very well. Dr. Samil, Commander, follow me.” The trio headed toward the loading hatch, leaving Renna and Larson behind.

  Larson stood at ease, legs spread apart, hands behind his back. He studied her like he’d studied the Eris. Like Renna was just another thing to be used.

  She forced her body to stay relaxed. She’d be damned if she let him see how uncomfortable he made her.

  Finally, he smiled slightly, baring his teeth. “I’m glad to see I wasn’t mistaken about you back on Lenue, Renna. You did what needed to be done with Navang. You rescued the boy and destroyed the threat. I hope you’re willing to do the same to Finn and the Athena.”

  “I’m not sure what you mean, sir.”

  “I know the truth, Renna. I know you blew up the facility. I don’t disagree with your actions, but I wish you’d contacted me first.” The major shook his head sadly. “It could have saved us all a lot of time and trouble.”

  Renna stayed silent. The man was going to slip up; she only had to wait.

  “This mission to find Finn and the boy is even more important than your previous one. I can’t tell you how critical it is we bring Myka in.”

  She crossed her arms over her chest. “And why is that?”

  “Myka and his technology are the key to our future. To MYTH’s future.”

  She arched an eyebrow at him questioningly, but she held her breath. Could this be it? “How so?” she asked.

  “I saw your report. If Navang believed using Myka’s DNA could help him build his army, perhaps we can figure out how. We need every advantage we can get. The universe is a dangerous place.”

  “And you have no problem using an innocent little boy to create a super-soldier? No wonder Finn and Aldani went on the run. They’d want nothing to do with this.”

  Larson growled and took a threatening step closer, his cold eyes flashing. “You don’t understand, girl. There are some things even more important than protecting the innocent. Do you know how many species out there are waiting for the Coalition to slip up? To take over our territories? If that happens, life as we know it will be destroyed. We need to become better than anyone else.”

  A wave of something sharp hit her in the face. It smelled almost antiseptic, and she wrinkled her nose. What had he been doing in the med-bay?

  “If that’s what you truly believe, then maybe I don’t want to be a part of MYTH after all,” Renna said through gritted teeth. Her hands itched to punch the smug look off his face, but she held back. “Or do your superiors know you’ve been bending their rules to fit your own purpose?”

  Larson’s lips parted for a fraction before he slammed down his icy expression. “I don’t know what you think you know, but I’ve been a part of MYTH since it was founded. I know the real organization and what they stand for.” He lowered his voice. “I’m going to say this one more time, Renna. Your job here is to find the Athena and bring that boy back. Or I’ll make sure becoming a hybrid is the least of your worries.”

  Major Larson was nothing more than a bully and a thug, and she knew how to handle those. Renna smirked at him first—for someone like him, there was nothing worse than being laughed at. “Thanks for confirming my suspicions, Major. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a mission to start.”

  She mockingly saluted him, then spun on her heel and headed toward the Eris. She could hear him grinding his teeth as she walked away. The fucker was going to pay—for betraying MYTH, for experimenting on Myka, and for insulting her.

  “Everything all right?” Dallas asked as she joined him at the Eris’s hatch. He watched the major’s retreating form. “What did Larson want?”

  “He wanted to make sure I understood how serious t
his mission was. How important Myka is.”

  “Myka?” Dallas shook his head. “Of course we want to make sure the boy’s all right, but bringing Finn in is our goal right now. Where you find one, you’ll find the other.”

  “That’s what I thought, too.” Renna shrugged. “Perhaps he heard different orders. MYTH is pretty decentralized after all.”

  He cleared his throat. “Not that decentralized. I’ll follow up with Larson later and get this confusion settled. The man’s always taken too much upon himself. Are you ready to go?”

  Renna nodded. “Can’t wait.”

  Dallas’s face softened, and he held out a hand. “Good hunting.”

  She shook it. “Thanks for everything, sir. You won’t regret it.”

  She felt his gaze follow her as she boarded the ship. The urge to tell him the truth was stronger than ever, but she couldn’t risk it. She had a traitor to track down before any of them would be safe.

  SEVEN

  If Renna had thought the inside of the Athena was gorgeous, the Eris put her to shame. The sleek chrome walls, the smooth leather chairs in front of each console, the navigation map taking up one entire wall of the command center. It was as high-tech as it got. And when Commander Jayla gave the order to take off, Renna barely felt the ship move as they shot through the atmosphere and out into space.

  Lieutenant Blake leaned back in his chair on the bridge, grinning at the rapturous expression on Renna’s face. “She’s a beauty, eh? I won the lottery when I was picked as Jayla’s XO.”

  “I’d say.” She lovingly ran a hand along the control panel. “You’ve been assigned to her long?”

  She already knew from her earlier implant scan that he’d worked under Jayla for almost a year, but establishing relationships with the crew was going to be important. And she knew better than anyone that one of the easiest ways to build a relationship with a man was to get him talking about himself. They could never resist.

  “Finn and I served under Jayla on the Athena for two years. When they gave her this new ship a year ago, Finn got a promotion to captain and his own command. I got picked as XO for the Eris.”