Athena's Ashes

by Jamie Grey

  She squeezed her eyes shut, willing the implant to turn off. That kind of information was not helpful right now.

  “Everything all right, Commander?” Lieutenant Blake asked. He walked gingerly toward them, like he knew he was approaching two fighting beasts.

  “I don’t know. Renna?” Jayla tilted her head, waiting for an answer.

  “It’s fine.” She rubbed the back of her neck. It really wasn’t, but the commander didn’t care about the implant taking over Renna’s brain. “I have a job to do, and I plan on doing it with or without you, so if you’re not here to help me, get out of my way.”

  The commander’s lips thinned. “Exactly what do you have planned?”

  “Nothing illegal,” she said, ignoring the woman’s worried frown. “But I’ll be impersonating someone else to get inside Titan Industries. If you can’t play along, I’ll be going by myself.”

  “Titan Industries?” Blake tilted his head and rubbed a hand along his jaw. “Never heard of them. What do they have to do with Finn and the Athena?”

  “That’s what I’m hoping to find out,” she lied.

  “Well, count me in.” Lieutenant Blake tugged at the lapels of his uniform jacket. “Cloak-and-dagger is my game.”

  Renna shook her head. “Not if you stomp around like an elephant like the rest of the MYTH soldiers I’ve met.”

  Blake shot her a wounded look. “I can safely assure you I’ve never stomped in my life.”

  “Really?” Jayla asked, her lips twisting as she tried not to grin. “And that’s not you making the whole ship shudder on the way to the mess every morning?”

  Blake held up his hands. “I can’t be held responsible for anything I do before coffee.”

  Renna interrupted before the two of them went any further. “Whatever the case is, I need you both to stay out of my way if you come. Understood?”

  Jayla’s dark eyebrows furrowed like she wanted to protest, but she finally nodded.

  “Good.” Renna turned toward the hatch. “Let’s go find us some intel.”

  Renna stepped out into the dusty hangar bay at the smaller of Hunda’s spaceports and pulled on her knee-length leather coat. Commander Jayla and Lieutenant Blake both followed, dressed in civvies instead of their MYTH uniforms.

  The spaceport was at the edge of the city, mostly used by mercenaries and people trying to stay under police radar. Totally her kind of place. She inhaled, letting the smell of the planet wash over her. There was the typical spaceport odor of starfuel and exhaust in the background, along with the scent of food from the nearby bazar and the steel-and-glass tang of the towering buildings at the center of the city. And beyond it all, something she’d never felt before—the faint hum of the communications systems on the planet.

  She didn’t know whether to be terrified or excited by that addition.

  “Where to?” Blake asked, squinting into the distance.

  Renna focused on blocking out the noise as she nodded to her right. “The Baji building. It’s the blue one over there.”

  Blake tapped an order into his wrist tablet. “Speeder should be here in a minute or so. You going to tell us what we’re up against?”

  Renna watched the busy street as speeders whizzed by. A crowd of laughing businessmen in orange suits hurried back to work at the stock exchange after some corporate lunch. A trio of stylish Delfine women in tight, black dresses walked past on their way to the shopping district. It all looked perfectly ordinary. But that didn’t mean it was safe. Blake and Jayla would be better off not knowing the truth, but if she knew anything about MYTH officers, it was that they were as tenacious as a two-headed moisu when it came to information.

  She shrugged. “I wish I knew. My research led me to believe there might be a lead on where the Athena went and what they’re planning. From what I learned, Titan Industries may be a front for a secret MYTH corporation.”

  “Why would MYTH need a secret corporation?” Jayla asked.

  “That’s what I hope to find out. I’m going to talk to the man in charge and convince him to give us some answers. Even better, I’m going to walk in through the front door.”

  Blake let out a noisy sigh. “So no super-spy action on this mission? I have to say I’m disappointed, Renna. I thought I was going to get to play James Bond.”

  “You realize if you were playing James Bond I’d be one of the villains, right? Spies are not the same as thieves.” Though sometimes their jobs overlapped a bit. There was that handsome spy she’d met several years ago. They’d had a fling after he’d fulfilled his mission: catching her.

  Renna shook her head. “Besides, why are you still reading that old-Earth stuff? Haven’t you heard of Chorwig Deni? He’s way better.”

  “Eh, Bond’s smoother. And has a few less tentacles.”

  Renna rolled her eyes as a speeder pulled up in front of them. “I’m just going to ignore your bad taste for now. Come on, the sooner we get this over, the sooner we can get back to the Eris.” And hopefully one step closer to Pallas.

  The speeder deposited them in front of the tall, blue building at the center of the city. She stared up at the metal girders curving skyward, twisting as they spiraled the building, and let out a low whistle. The whole thing was made of azure ore from Mali V. Someone had deep pockets.

  “So what’s the plan?” Blake asked, tucking his hands into the pockets of his dark brown trousers. He wore a cream, open-collar shirt that highlighted his muscled shoulders, and his blond hair was carelessly spiky. He looked like he belonged on a holozine cover somewhere, not in the middle of a military operation. If she wasn’t already halfway in love with Finn, she’d have been very tempted.

  She cleared her throat and dragged her focus back to the job at hand and not the sparkling caramel eyes waiting for her to answer. She preferred blue eyes anyway. “How about you two wait outside and guard the entrance. I can handle the inside work.”

  Jayla shook her head. “Not a chance.”

  “Come on, Commander. You know I’m not going anywhere. I just need a little space to do my thing.” She gave the woman her most convincing smile, but Jayla didn’t budge.

  “We’re going with you. Dallas asked us to keep an eye on you, and unlike Finn, I don’t disobey orders.”

  Unexpected hurt stabbed through Renna, and she looked away. Why did it suddenly matter to her either way?

  Jayla shook her head. “That’s not it. Dallas knew you’d try to do this alone. He wanted to make sure you had backup.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “He’s not stupid, Renna, and neither am I. We both know there’s something else going on. Why do you think he didn’t press you for details?” Jayla smiled. “So despite you trying to push us away, we’re going to do this together. Blake and I have your back.”

  Renna glanced at Blake, who nodded. “What the commander said.”

  Warmth blossomed in her chest, but she kept her face expressionless. Depending on other people had never been one of her strengths; she’d prided herself on being able to handle everything alone. But in the last few weeks, she’d started to feel…different. Like maybe being part of a team wouldn’t be so bad after all. Unfortunately, a weakness like that was a dangerous thing in her line of business. If she was smart, she’d put an end to it before she got hurt.

  “Fine.” She shrugged. “Follow my lead and keep quiet. You’ll know soon enough if we get into trouble.”

  She tugged her dark hair from its usual ponytail and shook it loose around her shoulders, then unbuttoned the top of her blouse to show some cleavage.

  “Let’s do this.” Renna pulled her tablet from the bag slung over her shoulder, then shoved through the doors into a marble-lined lobby and marched directly toward the pretty Ileth secretary sitting at the front desk. Behind her on the wall hung a large logo in gold metal—a human eye crossed by two spears.

  Renna squared her shoulders and spoke as fast as she could. “Excuse me, miss, Monet Green here to see the CEO. I’m wit
h the Costa Star News. I need to speak with him immediately on a galactic matter. He’ll want to see me at once.” Before the girl could protest, Renna pushed past her to the sealed door and tapped her foot impatiently. “Please hurry, young lady. There’s no time to waste.”

  The girl’s orange lips parted in shock, and she jumped to her feet to open the security door for the elevators. “I’ll…I’ll let him know you’re on your way up.”

  Renna smiled at her. “Good girl. What floor is he on?”

  “Six.” She backed away, and Renna, Blake, and Jayla stepped into the elevator.

  “Thank you.” Renna nodded at the girl as the doors slid shut.

  Blake chuckled softly. “Impressive. Remind me to never try conning you.”

  “Probably a good idea. I eat nice guys like you for breakfast.” Renna grinned at him. “Let’s just hope our CEO is as easily fooled. If not, I’m going to need you two to keep everyone out of his office as long as possible.”

  Renna tugged her shirt lower and flipped her hair again as the elevator stopped, depositing them on the sixth floor.

  Another secretary, this one a young blonde human woman with a nice rack, sat behind a large, glass desk. She half-rose to her feet.

  “Who are you?” she demanded, her gaze raking over the trio suspiciously. “Mr. Sherle is in a meeting. He’s not to be disturbed.”

  Renna leaned over the desk and stared the woman down, her voice as pointed as the knives hidden in her knee-high boots. “I’m with the Costa Star News. I need to speak with him immediately. This is a matter of life or death.” She glanced at the office door, and her implant surged on, returning two heat signatures in the next room. One had the slight purple tint of a Trezian alien. Great, just what she needed.

  The secretary shook her head. “He’s busy. You’ll have to make an appointment.” She tapped at her console, then said, “Looks like he’s free next week.”

  Renna frowned apologetically. “I’m afraid that’s not going to work, miss. Titan Industries is in danger. If I don’t see him immediately, you may not have a job next week.” Renna tapped on her tablet and pulled up an official looking graph. “See. There’s not much time.”

  The girl blinked and craned her neck to get a better view before Renna yanked the screen away.

  “Monet is one of our best reporters,” Blake said. “You’d better listen to her.”

  The girl turned to frown at him, eyes widening as she finally noticed who she was talking to. Her hand drifted up to smooth back her hair, and a soft blush tinged her cheeks. “Are you with her?” she asked.

  While Blake distracted the girl, Renna headed toward the office door fighting back a smile. Not bad for a soldier. Blake had a lot of things going for him, not to mention he was exceptionally easy on the eyes.

  Without pausing, she thrust open the wooden door and barged into the room.

  The tall man behind the desk shot to his feet, his shock of gray hair quivering with outrage. “What is the meaning of this? Lissa! Who are these people?”

  The girl appeared in the doorway, breathless and flushed—and not with exertion. She wrung her hands and cast a reproachful look back at Blake. “I’m so sorry, sir, I…”

  Renna approached the desk, hand extended. She ignored the angry glint in the man’s eyes. “Mr. Sherle, I’m Monet Green from the Costa Star News. We’re here on a matter of urgent business.” She glanced at the Trezian, then back to Sherle. “We need to speak privately. Now.”

  His face turned purple, and he opened and closed his mouth before finally exploding. “Get out! I will not have reporters in my office!” He pointed toward the door, finger quivering. “You have thirty seconds before I call security.”

  She stepped closer to him, lowering her voice. “Trust me, you’re going to want to hear this. I’m with MYTH. We have reason to believe you’re in danger.”

  The man’s jaw snapped shut. “Godsdammit. Lissa, show Mr. K’Zergi to my private waiting room and get him whatever he wants.” He turned to the alien with a bow. “My sincerest apologies, Relge, this will only take a few minutes.”

  The Trezian folded two of his arms across his broad chest. “You are trying my patience, Sherle. I will return tomorrow, and you had better be ready for our discussion.” He lumbered to his feet, towering over the humans in the room before stomping out.

  Lissa muttered her apologies and shut the door quietly behind him, but not before first shooting Renna a death glare.

  Mr. Sherle slammed a fist on his desk. “What the hell are you doing here? MYTH only contacts me over holovid. They’ve left me to run this business as I see fit.”

  Renna lowered herself into the chair the Trezian had vacated and crossed her legs. She smiled slowly, all urgency gone. “Please have a seat, Mr. Sherle. There’s no need to shout.”

  He froze, his face going a deeper shade of purple. After a long moment, he dropped back into the chair behind his desk.

  Jayla and Blake took up positions on either side of the door. The commander’s hand hovered close to her blaster, while Blake crossed his arms over his chest. Renna ignored the way his white shirt stretched over his muscles and his full lips curved into an amused smile. At least someone was having fun.

  “I demand you tell me what this is about,” Sherle said.

  “Then I need you to tell me who your contact is at MYTH.” Renna leaned forward and rested her elbows on her knees. The position also allowed a clear view of her cleavage.

  Sherle’s gaze didn’t even waver from her face. “Why?”

  Well, it had been worth a shot at least. Renna straightened again and tried a different tactic. “Mr. Sherle—or may I call you Epher?—your company is about to be investigated by the Coalition Association for Scientific and Technical Research for illegal research practices. MYTH wants to leave you swinging in the wind, deny all involvement, but I’m here to help you.”

  “And who are you exactly?”

  “I’m a MYTH special agent. I’m trying to track down whoever sold you out, and I think they’re inside the organization. You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours.” She let her gaze linger on him, slightly suggestive. The man flushed and dropped his gaze.

  Ah, good. She was finally getting through.

  Sherle pulled up a set of charts on his monitor. “MYTH funding accounts for sixty percent of our budget. We were formed from a startup company five years ago by the medical arm of the government, but our mandate changed three years ago to focus on manufacturing and design of networked computer systems that can be used for long-range communication.”

  She nodded, pretending to already know that information. “Correct. And tell me, how often do you have contact with the MYTH shareholders? Who directs your production and costs?”

  “Twice yearly we send a shareholders’ report on our progress to MYTH. As long as we keep making strides toward finalizing the comm plan, Major Larson leaves us alone.” He paused. “I don’t understand why we’re in trouble with the CASTR. We operate above board, within the rules of the Arlon Treaty. Why would they be investigating us?”

  Renna twitched with excitement. He’d named Larson as one of the contacts. She was on the right track. “I’m afraid there is some internal turmoil within MYTH that is affecting certain special projects. I suggest you search for new shareholders and reduce your dependence on MYTH funding. If you’re caught in the crossfire, it will destroy this company.”

  His eyes widened. “But…”

  “I am telling you the truth, Mr. Sherle. Don’t trust any communications from MYTH or their subsidiaries. In the meantime, I’ll do what I can to delay the investigation.”

  “Why do you care?” He placed his hands on his desk and leaned forward to study her. “Why are you helping me?”

  She smiled slyly. “This is where we get to the back-scratching part.” Renna stood up and moved toward the desk. “I need access to your files and network.”

  His jaw gaped. “What? No.”

  “Just for a
five minutes. I need to run a scan. I promise I won’t leak any of your info. I’m looking for something specific.”

  “What?”

  “I can’t tell you that. It’s classified. But I promise I’m not here to audit you. Your secrets are safe, Mr. Sherle.”

  The purple had faded from his face, turning it ashen. “Absolutely not. Those files are confidential.”

  Renna sighed and got to her feet. Why could people just never do as they were told? It would make everything so much easier.

  He glared at her. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some shareholders to contact.”

  “I’m afraid not, Mr. Sherle.” Renna crossed behind the desk and pulled out a small white packet. She opened it, and a small pile of light blue powder sat in the middle.

  “What is that?” Sherle demanded.

  Renna smiled and blew the powder into his face.

  He spluttered in panic and waved his hands around, trying to brush the powder away. “What did you do, girl?”

  “Took care of a complication. Goodnight, Mr. Sherle. It was a pleasure to meet you.”

  A moment later, he slumped over his desk, sound asleep.

  “Lieutenant, can you get him out of the way please?” Renna asked, glancing over at Blake who stood stock-still beside the door.

  His eyes had gone wide, but he nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”

  TEN

  “Did you really have to drug him?” Jayla asked, frowning at Sherle’s motionless body. Blake had stretched him out on the low couch in the corner before returning to his post at the door. “That’s not our usual method of handling these situations.”

  Renna had already booted up the computer, and her fingers drummed against the smooth wood as she studied the hologram of his family on some off-world vacation. A pretty wife and two cute girls. They looked nice and normal. Hopefully she hadn’t made him one of Pallas’s targets. The traitor would not appreciate Sherle giving up this data.