by Kass Morgan
He definitely didn’t feel equipped to tackle ordering in a restaurant, but he figured he should be able to hold his own in a bar. He wound his way down a series of side streets until he found an establishment that looked a tad shabbier than the ones on the main street. Cormak walked in and, for a brief moment, was relieved to see the seats filled with the Settlers who performed most of the service jobs on Tri—cooking, cleaning, and executing tasks that were better carried out by people with opposable thumbs than attendants. But then he noticed that everyone was staring at him, at his uniform in particular. Of course, he realized. This was the first year Settlers had been admitted to the Academy, which meant that he must look like a Tridian. A Tridian with the gall to strut into a working person’s bar in Evoline. “Ah, must’ve taken a wrong turn,” he said awkwardly before turning around and hurrying out.
He spent the rest of his walk in a strange mood. On the one hand, he was thrilled that he was going to stay in the Quatra Fleet. But on the other, it was a little frightening to enter such uncharted territory. Would people at home be proud of him? Or would they now count him as one of the enemy? He didn’t even know when he’d get to return to Deva. He’d stopped paying his rent when he left for the Academy, which meant that he’d surely been evicted from his apartment. And with his father and Rex gone, there was no one he was particularly desperate to see.
As he turned onto Vesper’s street, his thoughts were pushed aside by the overwhelming scent of flowering trees. Cormak closed his eyes and inhaled, marveling at the way the fragrance washed over him. Until he’d landed on Tri a few days ago, he’d literally never taken a breath of fresh air. He’d never been outside without a gas mask. He was looking forward to returning to the Academy, the only place where he’d ever felt like he truly belonged, but part of him wished he could spend a bit more time on a planet where the atmosphere actually sustained life.
Although he’d been staying with Vesper and her parents for a week, he still felt uneasy coming and going as he pleased. Whenever he’d make deliveries back on Deva, the wealthy tower residents had made him feel like a trespasser. But today, in his uniform, Cormak felt like he could enter any building with his head held high; no one would dare question what a Quatra Fleet cadet was doing in one of the most exclusive residences on Tri.
He strolled through the large lobby, admiring the black-and-white tiled floors and the enormous palm trees in the center atrium. He stopped and pressed his hand against the glass, and a moment later a large red-and-purple bird flapped over, tapping its curved orange beak against the enclosure. “Hello, Ralphie,” Cormak said. You like that creature more than you like me, Vesper had said affectionately when Cormak started making daily visits to the bird. He was partly driven by curiosity—he hadn’t seen a real animal since his visit to the zoo all those years ago—and partly by a strange feeling of kinship with the exotic, captive bird put on display for the residents’ amusement. For while Cormak knew he deserved to be a part of the Academy and was proud of his accomplishments, some people were already treating him like an oddity, as if a Devak in a fleet uniform were no different than a rare animal in captivity.
He stepped into the elevator and took a few deep breaths to keep his nausea at bay as he zoomed skyward. Perhaps this was what had given Vesper her edge as a pilot—she’d been training in stomach-churning high velocity her whole life.
Although Vesper had added Cormak’s fingerprints to the security system, he still felt more comfortable ringing the bell than scanning in. He buzzed, and a moment later the door slid open revealing Baz, the Hazes’ longstanding attendant. “Hi, Baz, it’s me… Cormak. I’m back,” he said awkwardly, remembering Vesper’s warning. Don’t take it personally if he pretends not to remember you. He acts buggy around new people, especially boys. Ward came over three or four times a week for two years, and Baz never acknowledged him.
Yet, to Cormak’s surprise, the attendant glided to the side in a gesture of welcome. “Of course. Please come in. Would you like a refreshment?” The compartment in Baz’s chest slid open to reveal a glass of the fresh spineberry juice Cormak had marveled over at breakfast a few days ago.
“Um, sure, thank you.” Cormak carefully removed the glass and took a sip. “This is delicious.” He wondered if Vesper had somehow programmed the famously prickly attendant to be extra solicitous to him. According to Dash, Baz had once thrown away a pair of shoes he’d left by the door.
“Ms. Haze will be home shortly. She suggests that you change into your evening attire now, as there won’t be time once you arrive at the Academy. May I show you to your room?”
“It’s the same one I’ve been staying in all week, isn’t it?” Cormak asked.
“This way, sir.”
Slightly confused, Cormak followed Baz through the immaculate apartment into a hallway he hadn’t seen yet. At the end, Baz glided to the side so that Cormak could step into the room. It was twice the size of the guest bedroom he’d been staying in, with a stunning view of the Evoline botanical gardens. Cormak reached over to touch the cloud-like white comforter on the bed, just like the one that had caught his eye the other day when he’d been out with Vesper. I’m going to get one of those someday, he’d said.
In a daze, he made his way to the closet, where a variety of civilian clothes hung—all new, and all in his size. “What is all this?” he asked Baz.
“Ms. Haze thought you might like a room of your own on Tri, for holidays.”
“Just when you can’t make it all the way to Deva,” another voice clarified. Cormak turned to see Vesper in the door, grinning at him.
“You did this?” Cormak asked, staring at her with wonder and disbelief. It’d been a long time since anyone had taken care of him. After Rex died, he’d been completely on his own. There wasn’t a soul in the solar system who’d cared if he had enough to eat, if he had somewhere to sleep. He’d managed. He’d survived. But the thought of Vesper going to all this trouble and expense for him made something in his chest crack open.
“Oh, Antares… I didn’t mean to upset you,” Vesper said, rushing over to squeeze his hand.
“I’m not upset.” He wiped his eyes quickly. “I’m just… I don’t know what to say.”
“You don’t have to say anything. I only wanted you to know that you have a home here if you ever need it.”
“Thank you.” He tilted his head to kiss her forehead. “Though home is anywhere you are, Vee.”
CHAPTER 28
ARRAN
“Cadet Korbet, please report to the launchport. Based on your current location, your estimated travel time is… twelve seconds.”
“Right,” Arran grumbled to himself. “Because I’m on the launchport.”
“Depart immediately. If you require directions, say—”
“Dismiss!” Arran ordered loudly enough that a few members of the construction crew turned to stare. As the engineer overseeing the reconstruction of the Academy’s launchport, Arran had to exude competence and expertise. Arguing with his monitor in public was not the way to inspire confidence.
“Korbet!” a booming voice called. Arran turned to see Sergeant Pond waving him over. Arran tugged on the hem of his jacket, trying to straighten everything into place. He wished he’d anticipated one of Pond’s “casual” inspections today so he could’ve prepared a bit. His team had made tremendous progress since Pond’s last visit, but it wasn’t immediately apparent, and he doubted he could convince Pond to put on a space suit to examine the supports they’d just finished installing underneath the launchport.
When he reached Pond, Arran saluted, then stood at attention. Pond fixed him with a critical stare. “Why are you standing like that, Korbet?”
“It’s the proper way to greet an officer of the Quatra Fleet, sir.”
“There’s no time for any of that nonsense. You have a launchport to build, cadet! Are you still on schedule?”
Arran nodded. He’d been charged with adapting the launchport to accommodate the Sylvan
ships that would soon be traveling to the Academy with considerable frequency.
“And did Admiral Prateek send along his requirements for the new simulcrafts?”
“He did. They’re a bit more complex than we anticipated, but we’ll get it done.” After Admiral Haze had succeeded Stepney as commander of the Quatra Fleet, Zafir had been promoted and named the new superintendent of the Quatra Fleet Academy. He’d wasted no time redesigning the school’s curriculum, and to support the new focus on cross-cultural studies, he’d requested that the simulcrafts have a “diplomacy mode” to allow cadets to practice problem-solving.
“Good. I’ll leave you to it. So I’ll see you at the dinner for the new ambassador?”
“Certainly, sir.”
“See you tonight then, Korbet. It should be quite the evening.”
Arran was still attending classes on top of all his new responsibilities, something he certainly didn’t resent, for as Admiral Prateek had rightly explained, “Just because you’re already one of the most accomplished engineers in the Quatra Fleet doesn’t mean we can let you graduate without knowing who settled Loos.” Arran did, in fact, know who’d settled Loos—he’d received the highest history marks on the Chetrian exams last year—but he agreed with Zafir’s general sentiment.
He was ten minutes late to Advanced Theoretical Cosmophysics and tried to sneak in without drawing attention, but the moment he slid into his seat in the back row, Brill’s head whipped around. “You missed the quiz,” she whispered. “Though I suppose it doesn’t matter now that the Edger-lovers are in charge.”
“Cut it out, Brill,” Frey snapped. “You’re making yourself look ridiculous.”
As they spilled out of the classroom at the end of the period, Frey sped up to walk alongside Arran. “I’m sorry about Brill,” he said, his voice equal parts exasperation and embarrassment. “She’s not going to last long here if she keeps talking like that, but I’m sure that’s not much comfort to you.”
“I appreciate that, but I have more important things on my mind at the moment,” Arran said.
“I’m sure,” Frey said with a knowing smile. “So I guess things are going well with you and Dash.”
Arran felt heat rise to his cheeks. “That’s not what I was talking about.”
“I’m just teasing you,” Frey said with a laugh as he slapped Arran on the arm. “Tonight’s the fancy dinner, right?” he asked as they turned into the residential wing. “You’d better get ready.”
“I don’t think my beauty regimen is quite as… involved as yours,” Arran teased.
“If I had skin like yours, I wouldn’t bother either,” he said, pinching Arran’s cheek playfully. “Dash is a lucky man. Have fun tonight.”
“Formal attire is required this evening,” the attendant said as Arran approached the entrance to the dining room.
“This is formal attire.” Arran gestured at his dress uniform. “Pretty much as formal as it gets.”
“I apologize for the inconvenience, but all guests at tonight’s event are required to wear formal attire.” The attendant’s voice took on a slightly superior tone, which was particularly infuriating given the fact that Arran had specifically told the engineers to remove that setting from the new models. The Academy was about to welcome a whole new group of Settler cadets, and Arran wasn’t going to let any of them be bullied by a robot.
When Arran didn’t move, the attendant continued, “If you do not have formal attire, you may attend in the nude. That is also acceptable.”
“What?” Arran sputtered, blushing as he stared at the attendant in horror. “What the hell—”
“That would be my preference,” a deep, playful voice called. Arran turned to see Dash striding down the hall in a slim black suit, a slightly upgraded version of the one that had made Arran’s heart flutter at their first Academy formal.
Arran tried to fix Dash with a disapproving scowl, but it was impossible to suppress the smile tugging at his lips. “You did this, didn’t you?”
“Did what?” Dash asked, eyes widening. “You can’t possibly be suggesting that I bribed one of your engineers to write a special program for this one attendant, could you? Because, frankly, I’m insulted that you think I have that much free time.”
“It was a pretty risky prank. What if I’d decided that it was better to strip and go in naked than miss the dinner altogether?”
Dash grinned and ran his hand down the front of Arran’s jacket. “Then the ambassador and her guests would’ve received the greatest treat of their lives.”
CHAPTER 29
VESPER
The shuttle docked at the nearly finished launchport. One of the walls was still unsealed, so the passengers had to exit through a temporary tunnel that had been erected in lieu of a real airlock. A few of their fellow passengers looked a bit wary as they walked through the tunnel, which appeared to be made of fabric. One tear and they’d all asphyxiate within seconds. But Vesper felt completely relaxed as she took Cormak’s arm. She knew that Arran had built this structure, which meant that it was perfectly safe.
“It must feel a little different this time,” Vesper whispered with a smile as they followed the well-dressed crowd through the construction site into the Academy proper.
“You mean because I’m not trespassing and committing identity fraud?” He smiled. “Yes, it’s a nice change.”
She and Cormak had only been away from the Academy for a week while he sorted out his paperwork, but when they reached the dining room, Vesper did a double take. The lighting was exactly the same, a soft glow that combined with the starlight to make the room feel both welcoming and elegant. The large, round tables scattered throughout also looked relatively unchanged. At first, it looked like all the regular portraits were in place, but as Vesper moved toward the wall for a closer look, her breath caught in her chest. Next to her, Cormak murmured something she couldn’t make out. She reached over and squeezed his hand without tearing her eyes from the wall. The portraits of the famous Quatra Fleet leaders had been interspersed with portraits of some of the countless civilians who’d been killed in the senseless war against the Sylvans. She felt a twinge of pain in her heart as she gazed at the faces of those who’d paid the ultimate price for a few people’s greed.
“Pretty amazing, isn’t it?” Zafir had appeared next to them, looking particularly impressive in his new uniform.
“Admiral,” Cormak said respectfully as he and Vesper saluted.
“I’m glad you two made it back in time. Everything in order, cadet?”
Cormak nodded. “Yes, sir.”
“Excellent. I have to say, I’m glad I was named superintendent of the Academy before anyone asked how the head counterintelligence instructor failed to notice that one of his students had fake papers and another was an enemy spy.” His mouth twisted into a shape that was half smile, half grimace. “I’d better keep circulating. Enjoy yourselves tonight.”
“We will,” Vesper said, looking around the dining hall packed with politicians and fleet officers in their finery. Across the room she spotted her mother, wearing her new commander’s uniform, talking to someone whose face was partially blocked by the crowd.
“I think she wants us to come over,” Cormak said. Sure enough, Commander Haze was gesturing for Vesper and Cormak to join her. “Who’s she talking to?”
“I’m not sure,” Vesper said as they wove through the crowd. “Where are we going?” she whispered as she followed Cormak on a circuitous route around a woman in dress whites.
“I didn’t want to spill this on her.” He held up his precariously full cup of deep red sparkling pearlberry juice, and Vesper smiled, feeling a surge of affection for the boy whose secret sweetness couldn’t be fully masked by his distinguished uniform. “Oh, Antares,” Cormak said under his breath as they approached. “Is that—?”
“Yes,” Vesper said as a current of nervous excitement shot through her. “That’s President Hobart.”
“I need to p
ut this drink down,” Cormak said, looking frantically from side to side.
“You’ll be fine. Come on, they’re waiting for us.”
As they approached, Commander Haze stepped to the side to make room. “Madame President, may I present my daughter, Vesper Haze, and Cormak Phobos.”
President Hobart was much shorter in real life than Vesper had expected, but that didn’t make her any less formidable. Her white hair was pulled back from her face in a smooth bun, and she wore a dark blue tunic affixed with a gold Quatra Federation pin. “A pleasure to meet you both. The Federation is grateful for everything you’ve done.”
“They have very promising careers ahead of them,” Commander Haze said, giving Vesper a smile that sent heat rising to her cheeks. “I couldn’t be prouder.”
One of President Hobart’s aides came over with another guest for her to meet, and Vesper and Cormak excused themselves.
“So that happened,” Cormak said. He sounded slightly dazed.
“Get used to it, Phobos. You’re a big shot now.”
An attendant glided up to them. “Please take your seats. The ambassador will be arriving shortly.”
Cormak grinned. “Though not as much of a big shot as some people.” He took Vesper’s arm in his as they searched the names on the table settings until they found their spots.
“Thank Antares you’re here,” Dash said as he slid into his assigned seat next to Vesper. “If I have to make small talk with one more seventy-five-year-old colonel, I’m going to throw myself out of the airlock.”
