Spark in the Stars

by Foster Bridget Cassidy

  The Dalmin nodded. With Trish on lookout, Gin led the First into the hallway. Then he went to the opposite door. This time, his spark seemed to be waiting. It flew out of his fingers as soon as his flesh touched the metal buttons. The door opened.

  Gin glanced in, but the First walked through the opening. He called out in his native tongue and another Dalmin joined them in the hallway. He could barely tell the difference between them, save the black collar around the First’s neck and a bandage around his eye. The First stood a few inches taller, and his mouth was slightly lopsided. Other than that, their facial features were identical. Maybe they were related.

  Gin swiftly freed the remaining two Dalmin. Here, at least, he saw notable distinctions in their faces. One’s eyes were larger, the other had a pink hue to their skin. With them all accounted for, Trish hurried their way. She quickly nodded to the First, then went to the closest elevator. She got the Dalmin inside, then motioned for Gin to join them.

  He shook his head. “My hands, Trish. The spark is right at my fingertips. I won’t get in the elevator.”

  “If I go back down without you, Lian will kill me. Fold your arms and tuck them under your elbows. You’ll be fine for the short amount of time we’ll be in here.”

  Gin nibbled his lip.

  “Gin,” she said threateningly.

  Instead of waiting for her to finish her demands, he turned and ran in the opposite direction. She called his name, but he knew she wouldn’t leave the Dalmin alone. Luckily, the path back to Candi’s room was free. He entered the stairwell and gripped the handrails tightly. Time was of the essence, so he let his feet drop and he slid. He’d hypothesized the curve of the hull would allow him to descend down the well quickly and safely. Seemed it was true.

  When he reached the level of the bridge, he slowed, and stopped. Lian was likely still here. Hopefully Trish got the Dalmin to Base.

  When Gin climbed out of the chute, Lian was standing over the same console. He looked up as Gin approached.

  “Trish and the Dalmin are fine,” Gin said without preamble. “We need to get off the ship now.”

  “I need a few more minutes.”

  “Lian, they will figure out the way down. They’ll be here in no time.”

  Lian’s usually stoic face looked pale and worried.

  Gin touched his arm. “What’s the matter?”

  Lian met Gin’s gaze and Gin was shocked by the depth of horror within his green irises. “I can’t get rid of their ship. It’s lodged in the Bethany’s hull. The only way to escape is to blow up the Bethany.”

  Gin gasped and his fingers tightened on Lian. “There has to be another way.”

  “I’ve gone over it a dozen times. This is the only way that will prevent the Dalmin ship from killing us all. I have to do it.”

  Gin felt a tremor pass through Lian’s body.

  “No,” Gin said. “Give it another minute. We can think of something.”

  Lian shook his head and his eyes turned watery. His fingers pushed a series of codes into the Bethany’s system.

  No, no, no! Gin yelled in his head. He couldn’t let this happen. Lian would regret this till his dying day.

  With a frustrated growl, Gin put his hands on Lian’s arms and pushed. Hard. Not expecting the move, Lian let out a startled cry and fell sideways.

  Gin put his hands on the console and gasped. The Bethany’s entire system flashed inside his mind. It was like seeing the blueprints, schematics, reports, everything all at once. His spark, initial eagerness dimmed, stilled as Gin tried to wrap his mind around the information that unloaded into him.

  Self-destruct codes, he told the spark. We need to blow up the ship.

  He—or his spark—skimmed through the files until they found what they needed. The sizzle of electricity sounded in his ears as they shifted around a few things and added a time frame to the sequence. Job done, his spark returned to his fingertips.

  Hell and high heaven! He was exhausted. So was his spark. It retreated from his fingers, down into his bones, lower into his nerves, and disappeared from his perception. He knew it was still there, though.

  “We need to go now,” Gin said. He held out his hand to Lian.

  Blinking in surprise, Lian allowed Gin to pull him up. “W-what did you do?”

  “What needed to be done.”

  Gin pulled Lian along into the elevator. No longer afraid of what his spark would do to the Bethany, Gin pushed the button for Base. The elevator zoomed down.

  At the bottom level, most everyone had entered escape pods. When he and Lian emerged, Trish hailed them and gestured them over.

  “Everyone is accounted for, sir,” she said. “Waiting for your permission to eject.”

  “How much time do we have?” Lian asked Gin.

  “No more than five minutes. We better hurry.”

  Lian tapped his call badge twice. “You are given the all clear for launch. Set coordinates for Feiwei, 5273, 8871, 3652.”

  The hull vibrated as several pods left at once.

  Gin, with Lian’s hand still in his own, gave a tug and lead the captain into the pod with Trish. Not surprisingly, the Dalmin were already seated and buckled in.

  “T-Trish,” Lian commanded. “Take us out.”

  “Yes, sir,” she said, eyebrows drawing down. Like Gin, she’d caught the tremor in his voice. But she did as he asked. Within moments, their escape pod joined the other dozen that floated in space.

  “Fly quickly, Trish,” Gin said. He and Lian stood at the side wall, looking out the binder. The edge of the Bethany was barely visible from this vantage.

  “What did you do?” she asked.

  There was no need to answer. A flash of light filled the darkness, followed by a wave of debris. Pieces of metal zoomed by, faster than the escape pod’s trajectory. Some of the debris struck them, making the pod quiver and shake.

  “Pip!” Trish swore, though nothing she could do would cease the barrage upon the pod. “Did the Bethany just…?”

  Lian sucked in a breath.

  “I did it,” Gin said. “It was the only way to get free of the Dalmin ship. I’m… I’m sorry, Lian.”

  Lian swallowed, and his eyes looked haggard. But, as he turned and faced Gin, his shoulders were back, and his head held high. “It was necessary. You saved all our lives, Gin.” Then Lian looked to the Dalmin. He switched languages, and Gin assumed he was explaining what happened.

  When he finished, the First dipped his head. “Thank you,” he said in Federation Standard. “Your lieutenant effectively freed us from those rooms.” He met Gin’s eyes and a smile spread across his lips. “We owe you a debt.”

  Gin’s cheeks heated. “You misunderstand. I’m not the lieutenant. I’m the mechanic.”

  “Ah,” the First said. “That explains how you were able to override those doors. We tried but could not do it ourselves.”

  Luckily, Lian stepped in and saved Gin from giving more of an explanation. “We owe you a debt, First Capillto. We took responsibility for your safety when you boarded the Bethany, and we almost lost you. You have my heartfelt apology for any trauma which may result from this event.”

  The First waved a large hand. “It was my rebel people who attacked, Captain. You cannot claim responsibility for their actions. We are returning to Feiwei?”

  “Yes. From there we can get in touch with Regulation headquarters and issue a distress signal to other ships in the system. This may delay us a day or two, but we will get you back home soon.”

  “We are in no rush, Captain. Though I do hope you and I can still find some time to speak more plainly.”

  “Of course.”

  The First raised his right hand and made a fist with his ten massive fingers. He placed them over his heart.

  Lian mimicked the motion.

  Then he turned and gazed out into the darkness. Gin silently stood beside him.

  Chapter 28

  THEY HADN’T gotten far from Feiwei, but the pods travel
ed at a much slower speed than the Bethany. It took nearly two hours to retrace their steps.

  Lian forced his emotions to be calm. There would be time to mourn later. For now, he had to exude competence and strength.

  Quick glances he caught between Trish and Gin let him know they weren’t fooled, but hopefully the Dalmin wouldn’t sense his inner turmoil.

  The pod didn’t have a long-range communication system, so he wasn’t able to contact Admiral Alejaro directly. But he did get in touch with the closest Valor ship and passed along his report. It would reach her eventually, and she’d be prepared for Lian’s call once they landed on Feiwei.

  Despite the harrowing events of the day, the situation with Gin bothered him the most. The fight with the Dalmin, that was expected when dealing with rebels. He hadn’t wanted it to happen, but he accepted that it had. Gin being locked up for sabotage was not expected. It never crossed his mind that Alejaro would go behind his back and have Gin arrested. As much as he planned for the future, as much as he prepped for eventual problems, he never saw this coming.

  It all came back to love. He’d resisted. He’d lied to himself. He’d convinced his mind and heart Gin was fun, but nothing serious. Now he had to face facts. His judgment was clouded. He was in love with Gin.

  The man himself stood beside Lian, their arms touching, but not in an overly noticeable manner. Despite it all, Lian took comfort in Gin’s nearness. The man was incredible, escaping from the brig on his own, helping to free the Dalmin, and taking that final step to ensure their safety.

  That thought made Lian’s eyes sting, so he quickly pushed the topic away.

  But that question still lingered: Could he be an effective captain with Gin around?

  “Are they going to put me in federal prison?” Gin asked suddenly.

  Lian gave a start at being pulled from his deep thoughts. “Prison?” He glanced at Gin and was surprised to find tension around his eyes. He was worried and had likely stayed quiet so long to give Lian his chance to collect himself.

  “Not only was I arrested, but then I broke out of the brig, and I blew up the ship.”

  “No, you won’t go to prison. You’re a hero, Gin.”

  Gin shook his head. “I guess the best thing to do would be to end this now.”

  “End…?” Lian had honestly been teetering along that same edge, but hearing it from Gin sent a sharp spike of pain to his heart. “You can’t mean that.”

  “If I’m stuck on Earth, there’s nothing we can do. On top of that, I wouldn’t want to dirty your reputation.”

  Lian took Gin’s hand in his own and locked their fingers together. “If you want to end this, I will respect your decision. But I don’t want to give up on us. Not now. Not ever. I love you, Gin.”

  Gin’s startling gray eyes widened and his breath hitched visibly.

  “Loving you won’t affect my reputation. When the real facts are brought to light, the whole planet will praise you as a hero.” He swallowed and squeezed Gin’s hand tighter. “I can understand if this has turned you off from space travel, but I want you to stay with me. I can’t be without you.”

  Gin’s eyelids fell closed for a moment, but when they opened again, they shimmered with unshed tears. “I love you, too. I want to stay, I just don’t think I’ll have much of a choice.”

  “We’ll figure out something. I promise.”

  Gin barked a laugh. “I was thinking the same thing, but hearing it from you, I almost believe it.”

  First Capillto, who was standing from his seat, glanced over their direction. He noticed their joined hands. He approached them. “Captain, this is your mate?”

  “Yes,” Lian answered. “This is Ginnovi Oshwald, Third Class Mechanic.”

  The First bowed to Gin and Gin let go of Lian’s hand to bow back.

  “And I am Capillto Remarnio Pachilanto. Alpha of the Pachilanto beshwa and First of the Dalmin council.”

  “The pleasure is mine, First,” Gin said.

  “You two have been bonded for how many years?” the First asked.

  Lian chuckled. “We’ve been together for only a few weeks. A little less than a stretch.” Lian turned to Gin and added, “That’s a month or so in Earth time.”

  Gin nodded. “Not very long.”

  The First lifted his monstrous hand and rubbed at his chin. “And you will make the pledge soon?”

  “We haven’t discussed that yet,” Lian supplied. He could tell from Gin’s wide eyes that he got the gist of what the First was asking.

  “If you desire a ceremony when we get to Cathariz, please let me know. I would be honored to preside over it myself.”

  Lian smiled. “Thank you for your generous offer. We will let you know if we decide to accept.”

  The First’s hand clasped around Lian’s shoulder, an almost fatherly gesture. “I feel we will become good friends, Captain. A pact with Earth will help make the Dalmin stronger.”

  “I believe so, as well. There is much we can learn from one another.”

  “With that in mind, I would like to offer my services. My fleet will be much closer than your Kedler Federation ships. We can transport your crew to Cathariz within a few days. Your replacement ship can meet us there.”

  Lian didn’t even hesitate. “I will accept your generous offer. To continue with our mission would be preferable.”

  “Sir,” Trish said suddenly. “We’re approaching Feiwei. Everyone, please buckle yourselves in as we pass through the atmosphere.”

  Lian took his seat beside Gin and fastened his belt. Then, he placed his hand on Gin’s knee.

  He had not planned for this relationship, and he had no idea where it would go next. But he didn’t care about that. Being with Gin was like breathing. Lian couldn’t do without him now.

  Chapter 29

  GIN HAD never been on a foreign planet—even one technically artificial. It was wild. The pod had set down in a large clearing, outside a building that looked shockingly like Regulation’s headquarters in Franklin. The distress call had already been relayed to Feiwei’s inhabitants and as soon as the ships touched down, emergency crews and vehicles gathered in the area.

  It was chaos. A million and a half people seemed to be wandering around, checking on crewmembers, taking down statements, and inspecting the pods for damage. Gin felt tiny and insignificant in it all. The opposite of Lian.

  He stood at the center of the circus, issuing orders in a clear, commanding voice. He didn’t add to the confusion—in fact, the space around him seemed a calm pond. Gin understood. Being next to the captain soothed him. Why wouldn’t it be the same for others?

  Already, Gin had gathered each of the mechanics under him. He was their leader, after all. He confirmed their safety and briefly explained the situation. None of them had even been aware of his arrest.

  Sy clapped his furry hand against Gin’s back. “Despite what Regulation says, you have our support, Gin.”

  Angie nodded. “I’ll admit your methods are a bit unorthodox, but I won’t serve under any other Class Three. If they take you away, we’ll all strike.” She glanced at the others. “Right?”

  All nine of them echoed Angie’s assessment. “Right!”

  Gin smiled. “Thanks, guys. I’m sorry I lied to you.”

  “A name doesn’t change who you are,” Tesseen said. “You’ve shown yourself to be brave and intelligent. We respect that.”

  Suddenly, Lian’s voice called out, “Gin? Can you come here please?”

  “I’m glad you’re all safe,” Gin told them. “I hope I can stay with you.”

  “You will,” Angie said with grim determination. “I promise.”

  Grinning, Gin left them and headed toward Lian.

  A dozen people—well, some human and some humanoid—surrounded Lian, but he waved Gin to the front of the line.

  “Yes, sir?” Gin asked.

  “Trish informed me we have a connection with Admiral Alejaro. We need to get this straightened out with her.�
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  “Can you leave right now? You look pretty busy.”

  He nodded solemnly. “It’s imperative we speak to her immediately. I’ve put Spar in charge in our absence.”

  “Sure, Captain.”

  Lian gave quick instructions to Spar, then led Gin toward the looming building east of them. Once they got past the ring of people and vehicles, Lian’s tension lessened.

  “You all right?” Gin asked softly. They hadn’t been alone to discuss what had happened. What Gin had done in the end. Lian needed to let those emotions out, but he kept them suppressed at the moment.

  “I’m coping as best I can, under the circumstances.”

  “I’m sorry for what I did.”

  Lian shook his head. “I’m sorry I forced you to. If I’d been stronger, I would have done it myself. I hesitated, and that could have cost lives.” He lowered his chin, dejected. “I might need to resign, Gin.”

  “I’ll support whatever decision you make, Lian, but I don’t think that’s the best option. Your crew needs you. I’ve never seen such loyalty, even among families back in Tallahassee. If you left, so would most of the crew.”

  “We’ll see. I’m sure the admiral isn’t going to be happy.”

  Gin remembered her crisp voice and her no-nonsense attitude. He wasn’t sure he wanted to meet her. Definitely not in person.

  Lian walked into the building. The lobby was pretty empty as most of the workers were assisting the Bethany’s crewmembers. Gin spotted Trish and Candi standing beside a fluted pillar. They both waved at Lian—Gin assumed they weren’t waving at him—and Lian headed their direction.

  “This way,” Trish said once they reached her and Candi. “The com’s already connected to the admiral’s office.” She walked toward a side door.

  “Wonderful,” Lian said softly, and with much sarcasm. He went after her.

  Gin eyed Candi as he followed. Did she bear hard feelings for him breaking out? “You all right?” Gin asked her. Then he nodded to her protruding stomach. “Everything okay with the little one?”