by A. K. DuBoff
Kira sighed.
Kira softened.
Jasmine tsked.
Kira stared out the viewport for another three minutes before she decided to go down one deck to the recreation level, where most members of the crew were congregated.
As she hopped off the ladder, Kira spotted the three soldiers on her team, along with Sven, and Gil—the Raven’s mechanic—lounging on the couches around the main screen in the rec room. Some mindless comedy movie was playing, but Kira didn’t recognize it.
The group erupted into laughter at a joke that must have been referencing something earlier in the film.
Nia happened to look over and notice Kira watching them. “Join us!” she called out.
Kira moseyed over, stopping behind Sven where he was seated on the couch. “I didn’t realize there was a party going on down here.”
Sven tilted his head back so he could see her. “You hurried off from our chat earlier before I got the chance to tell you.”
“Oh, you two had a heart-to-heart?” Ari raised an eyebrow.
“I demoed all my best dance moves for him,” Kira shot back.
“She did, and it was glorious,” Sven said, playing along.
She patted the engineer’s shoulder. “Good bonding time. The rest of you shouldn’t have been so quick to nap.”
Kyle pursed his lips. “Aren’t you the one who told us to always rest when we get the chance because we never know what’s ahead?”
Kira smiled. “Do as I say, not as I do.”
“Great leadership, Kira,” Nia ribbed.
“It’s a gift.”
“Approaching Gaelon System heliopause,” said a female voice Kira recognized as belonging to Aleya, the Raven’s first officer.
“Social hour is over,” Kira announced.
“Work, work, work.” Kyle rose from the couch, followed by the others as they let out weary sighs.
“Don’t sound so enthused, everyone.” Kira’s gaze passed over the team. They looked far more worn and tired than usual.
She felt it, too. They’d been on the go for almost two weeks straight, which was significantly more intensive than their usual routine. Add in the disproportionate number of firefights, and they’d experienced at least two months’ worth of action in that short span.
Kira wished she could offer them some relief, but there was no one else. They were the best team for the job; beyond that, she trusted them. There simply wasn’t anyone else with whom she’d walk into such an unknown, dangerous situation.
“We’ll rest easy when we know the bad guys are no longer a threat,” Nia said on behalf of the group.
“You and me both,” Kira agreed. “I’ll go see what we’re working with and report back in the galley.”
Being such a small ship, there wasn’t a designated briefing area on the vessel. The galley served double duty as a meal space, card table, and a gathering place to discuss mission details.
Before they could have an effective conversation, however, Kira needed to learn what they were up against. She scaled the ladder to the operations deck, where Major Sandren was waiting outside the bridge.
“Get any rest?” he asked her.
“A little. Jasmine and I have been bonding.”
“Best of buddies now,” Jasmine said over the audible comms.
Sandren smiled. “Glad to hear it. Let’s go talk with Aleya and Rodrick to see if they can tell us any more about this system.”
“Sounds like a plan, sir.”
Sandren stepped forward and knocked on the door.
The hatch popped open.
“Come in,” a male voice stated.
Kira hadn’t interacted with Rodrick, the Raven’s captain, on many occasions, but the quiet ex-fighter pilot had always struck her as a measured force to have in command. Whatever observations he and Aleya might make during the upcoming discussion, Kira vowed to listen.
The bridge of the ship was surprisingly spacious, compared to the other accommodations. It consisted of two control panels in the front, accompanied by ergonomic chairs, a central holodisplay used for course plotting and displaying scan results, and two workstations along the side walls, which offered space for additional crew members to directly interface with the ship’s advanced sensor suite.
“What kind of backwater hole did you bring us to this time, sir?” Rodrick asked Sandren from the captain’s seat.
The major chuckled. “We thought getting a reminder about our place in the universe might do everyone some good.”
Kira didn’t know the details, but she’d heard that Rodrick had trained under Sandren when he had first joined the Guard. They’d maintained a good-natured rapport over the years, and she’d often observed their interactions to be more casual than most conducted with the major. Then again, her own relationship with Sandren was on the casual side, so maybe that was just how he was. Sometimes a personal connection trumped rank when it came to face-to-face, but everyone knew the chain of command when they were in the thick of it.
Sandren stood in the center of the bridge with his hands clasped, and Kira took up a position next to him.
“We’re processing the initial readings now,” Aleya reported. “As long-range scans had indicated, there’s some strange radiation in the system. We haven’t identified a source yet, but these first readings may help narrow it down.”
Kira watched the data populate on the central holodisplay. It was by no means her specialization, but something about the readings looked strange.
“Does this seem unusual to anyone?” she asked to no one in particular, pointing to a dark patch on the visual representation of the system. The map included an overlay of the radiation, electromagnetic, and other relevant properties in each area.
“I was thinking the same thing,” Aleya agreed.
“The readings make it look like there’s a dwarf planet there, but the gravitational models indicate that there shouldn’t be anything there,” observed Rodrick.
Kira frowned. “So, mystery planet?”
“Or something else.” Rodrick sighed. “We’ll need to get close enough to get visual confirmation.”
“Only problem with that is getting close to something that may be dangerous,” Sandren cautioned.
“Isn’t that what we came here to do, sir?” Kira questioned. “We crossed over that danger threshold when we decided to come here in the first place.”
“Our stealth tech is solid,” Rodrick added. “There are no guarantees they can’t detect us, but we’re certainly not waving a flashing sign saying that we’re here. It’s possible we can get closer for an inspection without being spotted.”
“Then we have to try,” Sandren said. “What else are we working with in the system? Any other anomalies?”
“Nothing else that distinctive,” Aleya replied, “though there is a gas giant on the other side of the system.” She frowned.
“What is it?” Sandren prompted.
“It may be nothing.” The first officer crossed her arms. “The odd, dark spot
that may be a dwarf planet and this gas giant are exactly opposite the star from each other right now.”
“So?” Kira asked.
She nodded. “It’s probably coincidence, but given the weird readings, it seemed worth noting.”
Sandren stroked his chin. “We’ll keep it in mind.”
Kira scowled.
Kira chuckled in her mind.
Sandren was still studying the system map on the holodisplay. “Are you able to overlay the data we gathered when the control signal was traced from Jared to the system?”
Aleya nodded. “Yes. Not surprisingly, it traced back to the strange, dark area.”
“I’m going to venture that’s not a coincidence,” Kira chimed in.
“Certainly not.” Sandren agreed. “The question is, what’s capable of creating that kind of distortion?”
“It might be some kind of stealth technology,” Rodrick suggested. “We couldn’t detect anything anomalous from a distance, and what’s more, we can’t determine the nature of the body—just that there’s something strange going on there.”
“That would be more than enough cloaking if they’re able to keep people out of the system,” Kira assessed.
Sandren tapped his index finger beneath his lower lip. “Very true. And what about the radiation?”
“It’s a relatively low level, but it’s almost everywhere,” Aleya replied. “Nothing our shields can’t handle, but it’s a high enough concentration that some civilian vessels might have trouble, if they hung around for too long.”
“A deterrent?” Kira asked.
“Irradiating an entire system is a tall order,” Sandren replied.
“But not unfeasible.”
“True,” the major conceded, “and these Gaelons have demonstrated that they’re willing to go to great lengths.”
“We’re going to make a push to call them ‘Trols’,” Kira interjected.
Sandren thought about it for a second. “That does sound way better.”
Kira smiled. “Sometimes it’s all about the branding.”
CHAPTER 7
The situation on Mysar was more concerning than Ellen had anticipated. She raised her gaze from the personnel records displayed on the table in front of her.
“This isn’t why I came here,” she stated to Trisha. “We would have sent someone else—or a whole team—to help, had we known.”
The other woman wrung her hands. “I know, but we weren’t sure if we could trust Elusia. If we requested you—”
Ellen groaned. “I’m no one special.”
“You’ve lived on Mysar! Most Elusians either hate this world or are indifferent, at best.”
“Trisha, you have a serious issue with government stability right now. I can’t fix this alone.”
As Ellen had dug into the present state of affairs, she’d made an alarming discovery. While a number of the government officials were still physically present, many had never been in full control of their actions for the duration of their tenure. Far more people than she’d been led to believe. When Leon had asked her to look into the testing, she never dreamed that almost everyone who’d been working for the government would be flagged as a potential risk.
Aside from that concern, there was the political component. When she volunteered for the assignment, her assumption had been that there were frontrunner candidates already lined up to take over as chancellor. Now she wasn’t sure anyone wanted the job.
They want me to make recommendations for new leaders, but how many of these people truly know how to do their jobs—or even want this as a career? She wasn’t sure how to proceed.
“We didn’t mean to mislead you,” Trisha continued. “If there are people you can trust, bring them in.”
“You’re missing my point. I shouldn’t be the person leading this effort in the first place. And how can you possibly trust me when I’ve switched allegiance?”
“Because you changed your views in the interest of bringing our people together.” Trisha looked her in the eyes. “That’s the mindset we need right now.”
“But still.” Ellen massaged the bridge of her nose. “All right, look, we need to gather a better baseline for what people remember while Reya was in control.”
Trisha’s eyebrows drew together. “Reya?”
“That was the name of the presence controlling Chancellor Hale,” Ellen explained.
The other woman’s face drained. “I didn’t know it had a name.”
“That’s how it identified itself, anyway. We’ve only encountered one other being like it. That one could only control one person at a time, except for short bursts in which it could influence others to perform a specific task.”
“But Reya was…?”
“That’s what we need to find out,” Ellen continued. “We know it was using Hale as a hub, but what was the nature of the control over the others? I have a list of three dozen people here who held the most senior positions in the Mysaran government, and all admitted to having at least one memory gap that suggests they were subverted by Reya. Did they ever actually do their jobs, and do them well? Or did their political prowess come from Reya’s influence? I can’t begin to make recommendations about anyone’s fitness to lead until I know more about what was done to them.”
“What do you need? How can I help?” Trisha’s eager tone had a hint of desperation that concerned Ellen, but she’d take that enthusiasm over indifference.
“I guess we need to have interviews with some people and see what insights they can share,” Ellen responded. And, hopefully, someone will express interest in their job.
“Do you have anyone in mind, or should I make some selections?”
Ellen looked over the personnel list again. “Bring in Garett Steckler and Fiona Wyles, then select three others at random.”
Trisha nodded. “One at a time or in a group?”
“Individually,” Ellen instructed. “I’ll wait here.”
“I’ll send Fiona in first,” Trisha acknowledged and departed to summon the requested people.
Ellen rose from the table and turned around to gaze out the window at the city below. People were still going about their lives like nothing had changed. Would they be so calm if they realized no one was really running this world right now?
She knew she’d be freaking out. If she weren’t in the inner circle regarding the matter, she’d consider cutting her losses and moving somewhere with less drama, where she could live out a peaceful life. But, people were counting on her. Not to mention she was beginning to suspect she was addicted to drama.
Five minutes later, a knock sounded on the door. A petite woman with dark complexion entered.
Ellen recognized her from the photo in her personnel file. “Hi, Fiona, my name is Ellen Calleti. I’ve come from Elusia to offer my support while you rebuild the Mysaran gover
nment.”
“Yes, I’ve heard about you,” Fiona replied. She closed the door behind her.
“Word travels quickly,” Ellen said with a smile.
“There’s been a lot to talk about.” Fiona slowly walked to the table and placed her hands on the back of a chair. “What’s the particular matter you wanted to discuss with me?”
Ellen mirrored Fiona’s stance on the opposite side of the table. “I wanted to learn more about your past work experience and your aspirations going forward.”
Fiona raised an eyebrow. “To see if I’m qualified to do my job?”
“I’m not here to pass judgment on qualifications. But I do want to make sure people land where they want to be.”
“That’s an interesting distinction,” Fiona said, tracing the seam in the fabric along the top of the chair with her index finger. “I always considered qualifications to be the most important factor when selecting someone for a job.”
“Skills and experience don’t carry the same weight when the person isn’t committed to their position.”
“I’ll give you that.” Fiona evaluated her. “Let’s just cut to the heart of the issue. You want to know if I’m interested in being chancellor?”
She’s certainly sharp, but I’m not getting the warm fuzzies from her. This might not be the kind of person we need right now.
Ellen flashed a curt smile. “That isn’t the reason for this meeting. I only wanted to discuss your time working with Cynthia Hale.”
“Ah.” Understanding passed across Fiona’s face. “Was I myself or was I subverted?”
“That’s the ultimate question, yes.” Ellen gestured to the chairs for them to sit.
Fiona pulled back the chair she had been standing behind and lowered herself with the grace of a dancer—or at least of someone who knew how to put on a good show. “Self-report doesn’t make for an ideal evaluation tool.”
“It doesn’t,” Ellen agreed, “but that’s all we have. I hope that people are willing to be honest, for the sake of creating a good future on Mysar.”
“You won’t find any opposition from me. To that end, I’ll tell you that I shouldn’t be chancellor.”
