by Zen DiPietro
“You did keep that from me, and I was horrified! That part was true. But if I had revealed myself at that point as a liar in league with your enemy, you wouldn’t have believed me. I was in too deep.” Wren’s eyes were wild. “Colb had told me the best way for me to protect you was to say nothing until he could take on the person who had been after you and finally get everyone on the right side together.” She pressed her hand to her eyes. “I just wanted you safe.” Her voice was a ragged sob.
Fallon tried to poke holes in Wren’s story, but couldn’t. Wren had been duped by a master who had put time into grooming her. She’d thought she was protecting Fallon.
“So you know I’m a BlackOp, then?”
Wren laughed—a wet, manic sound. “I’m naïve, not stupid. I knew things weren’t right early on when your abilities didn’t match your record, though I didn’t realize how deep that went. But now there’s this supposed coup, and the PAC command scuttling Jamestown and going into hiding. And you, in the thick of it all. Appearing, disappearing. Showing up with these friends of yours who look like they eat rocks and belch fire. There’s no other answer but that you’re one of the people involved in everything that’s happening. And…and your head. That’s part of it all, isn’t it?”
Fallon didn’t answer. Didn’t feel like she owed Wren any answers at the moment. “Do you still believe Colb?”
“I did. I thought he cared about you and wanted to protect you. But I trust you more than I trust gravity. So tell me what I should believe and I will.”
Oh, Prelin. Wren’s innocence and blind trust stripped Fallon bare. She rose, went around the desk, and opened her arms.
Wren broke into sobs and clung to Fallon like a child. “I’m sorry,” she croaked. “I was so stupid.”
Fallon guided her to a sofa. “We’re both sorry. We thought we could protect each other by keeping secrets.”
They lay back with Wren’s head against Fallon’s shoulder. After many long minutes, Wren sat up and took a deep breath, her eyes red. “I didn’t pursue you because he told me to.”
“I know.”
“You do?”
Fallon had to smile at her look of surprise. “You’d never do that.”
“Of course not! That’s horrible.”
Fallon laughed. Somehow, this eager, gullible woman’s disgust for duplicity seemed hilarious. In spite of what she’d done, she was a better person than Fallon would ever be. “I guess it’s no wonder you freaked out and dumped me when you realized I was involved in covert operations.”
Wren sighed. “I had no idea what to think. Colb was out of touch, and you had no memories.”
“I can only come to one conclusion,” Fallon said.
“What?” Wren’s face was full of worry.
“That you are truly awful at picking wives.”
Wren smiled. “I picked a great one. I just wasn’t strong enough to…to watch the world burn so I could be with you.”
Fallon found her own words romantic, when coming out of Wren’s mouth.
“And now?”
Wren held Fallon’s hands in hers. “Let’s burn it all down. Whatever this is, I’m in it with you.”
Fallon usually had a few different options marked out at any given time. Strategies. Plans. But looking into Wren’s eyes, she made the only choice she could—she kissed her.
“Good news,” Fallon announced when she assembled Avian Unit, Ross, and Hesta in her quarters that evening. “I know how Colb escaped.”
“And the bad news?” Hesta asked.
“Wren broke him out.”
A long pause allowed Hawk to get all the swearing out of his system.
When he was done, she held up a hand to the questions being thrown at her. “She thought he was the right side to trust, just as we did at one point. She thought she was doing the right thing. But I’ve worked it through, and this could work in our favor.”
“How’s that?” Ross asked.
“He doesn’t know we’ve flipped her. Therefore, he should still trust her. We can work with that. All we need is an idea.”
Silence fell, and she knew they saw the opportunity.
“What do we do about Wren?” Hesta asked.
“She now understands the basics of the situation, and I’m certain we can trust her.”
“You’re sure you’re being entirely objective about that?” Peregrine looked curious rather than doubtful.
“As sure as I can be. You’re all welcome to question her. In fact, I want you to.” She gave them a moment to think about it before she moved on. “Arin’s going to be training Kellis, now that I’ve brought him on board. He’ll be invited to meetings like these in the future too. It’s going to get tougher to get us all together, since someone’s bound to be on duty at any given time.”
“You know…” Hawk scratched at his beard. “I’m thinking of chucking all of this top secret shit and taking up farming on some little planet.”
“No you aren’t.” Peregrine smirked at him.
“No, I’m not,” he agreed. “But it sure sounds nice, every now and then.”
“You’d be bored in no time,” Fallon pointed out. “It sounds like we have no ideas on how to reel Colb in. I want you all to think about it and we’ll meet tomorrow to discuss it.”
Nobody looked thrilled with their assignment.
“Cheer up,” Fallon said. “This is good. We have a way in.”
She wondered if they were thinking about Wren and her trustworthiness, but they’d just have to talk to her themselves. Then they could be sure.
Raptor was the last to leave, and he fixed her with a look before he did. He’d said nothing the entire meeting, and she could only wonder what he was thinking. She needed to talk to him to explain her previous need for space, but his look told her that he now wanted some distance. They were the same, the two of them. What always drew them together also pushed them apart. She hoped that soon, he’d be ready to talk.
Fallon woke up with Wren the next morning, feeling happy but guilty. On one hand, she had Wren, pink-cheeked and brimming with gaiety, peeping at her over a quick breakfast. On the other, her heart felt heavy about Raptor. Her relationship with Wren hadn’t bothered him before, but she’d told him she needed to not have relationship stuff clouding her vision. Then she’d almost immediately taken her relationship with Wren to another level. Raptor deserved better, and she couldn’t have felt more shitty about it.
“Busy day ahead, right?” Wren asked.
“You could say that. Bunch of spy shit. You know.”
Wren laughed at her. “You’re awful.”
“You’re probably right.”
Wren shook a chopstick at her. “You’re not supposed to agree.”
“How about you?” Fallon asked. “A lot to get done today?”
“Routine stuff. Some basic maintenance on incoming ships.”
“Well, maybe you’ll get lucky and someone’s ship will blow up, requiring you to make unusual and difficult repairs.”
“Don’t tease. But that would be nice,” Wren admitted. “Not that I want anyone to get hurt.”
“You just like the more interesting jobs. I know.”
Wren smiled and took the last bite of her blistercake. “Want to watch a holo-vid tonight?”
“I’d love to, but I’ll have to see how the day goes.”
“Right. Spy shit, and all.” Wren began clearing the table.
“That’s my life.” Fallon finished her own blistercake and gathered her dishes, taking them into the kitchenette.
“Yeah. I’m okay with it.” Wren leaned back against the cabinet and pulled Fallon into a hug. “I’m sure I don’t even know what that really means yet, but I’ll learn.”
“You’re sure you want to deal with that?” Fallon didn’t know what this conversation was leading to.
“Yes. I love you. Whether your name is Em or Fallon or Rikivontagu. I love you. Your heart, your humor, your way of being all hard on the outside
but all soft on the inside. I’m in this long term. You’ve never been just an amore to me.” Wren fixed her with an intense look. She clearly needed Fallon to know that their relationship had never been a casual affair to her.
There are some statements and questions that, no matter how you answer, you’re screwed. Even taking too long to answer means you’re screwed. And as much as Fallon didn’t want to be quiet for too long, she wanted even more not to say the wrong thing that she could never take back.
But rather than be offended, Wren smiled and kissed Fallon’s nose. “Relax. I’m not asking for anything. Married, not married, monogamous, free…I don’t care about all that. You humans have the worst time appreciating what you have. You have to put all this energy into owning someone, or being owned. That’s the one thing you never really understood about me. I thought you’d started to loosen up, considering that good-looking teammate of yours.” She gently traced her fingers over the back of Fallon’s neck. “I don’t need any more than to know that we have this, and that we’re going to keep having this.”
“So what you’re saying is that you have other people you don’t want to stop seeing naked.” Fallon couldn’t say it without laughing, even though she’d intended to be deadpan.
Wren pressed closer and kissed Fallon’s earlobe. “You’re my favorite person to be naked with, the only one I love beyond reason, no questions asked. And if you really wanted to go back to monogamy we could. But I think we’d both be happier if we didn’t. Don’t you, Lady Spy Shit? With all of your stunts and intrigue, don’t you want to be able to live on the edge without worrying about petty jealousy?”
“Well, when you put it that way, it does sound more convenient.”
Wren leaned in for a feather-soft kiss. “Why do humans measure different loves against one another, then limit themselves to only one? Why not take all the passion you can get? Our lives are short. Shouldn’t we enjoy all the love we can while we have the chance?”
It sounded kind of familiar, if Fallon replaced “love” with “adventure.” And in some respects, the two weren’t that different. “I guess I can work on it.”
“Would anything you did mean you loved me any less?” Wren dropped a line of kisses along Fallon’s jaw.
“No.” Fallon’s answer came out on a soft breath. She steadied herself and spoke deliberately. “Wren, you’re a better person than I am. Always have been. You’re kinder, warmer, and so full of love that you’re like a pillow and a supernova all at once. And you’re so strong. You’ve bounced right back from every hard thing that’s ever come your way. You’re everything I’m not, and being with you makes me better. Even Raptor said so.”
Wren’s lips parted and her eyes grew shiny. “You’re better than you think. You could have refused to believe me after what I did. I should be in a brig, not here with you. Don’t think I don’t know that. You have more heart than you let on.”
Fallon found the bottom seam of Wren’s lounge shirt and slid her fingers beneath, feeling the soft warmth of her skin. “I don’t think you have an accurate perception of me.”
“I do,” Wren breathed against her neck. She pressed her lips to Fallon’s pulse. “And you know what else?”
“What?” Fallon was as fascinated as she was apprehensive.
“You’re going to be late to work for the first time in your whole, damn, disciplined life.” She cupped Fallon’s face and drew her into a deep and entirely disorienting kiss.
And she was absolutely right about that one.
Fallon skipped her morning run, enabling her to make it to work only a few minutes late. She preferred to maintain a routine, but she lived in strange times when her enemy turned out to be her lover and the person who felt like her other half wasn’t talking to her. Not to mention that her government was tearing itself apart, her uncle was a monster, and the captain who had hated her now chugged drinks with her at the pub. Up was down, down was sideways, and what the hell. She was just riding the tide.
She’d barely begun her morning tasks when she received a call from the Deck One security office.
“Chief, we’re getting a strange request to dock. No flight plan filed, no previous intent to dock received, and this ship’s registry isn’t on record.”
Fallon sat up straight. “What did the message say?”
Her officer’s face scrunched up. “Just a docking request. No data, none of the normal protocol. It’s like he’s never done a docking before.”
“A refugee?” Fallon suggested. They occasionally ended up at Dragonfire.
“Maybe.” The officer frowned. “There was something about it that felt odd.”
“Give him permission to dock, but don’t open the airlock until I arrive.”
“Understood.” The officer gave a quick bow and her image blinked out.
Fallon stood and smoothed her uniform. “Well, this should be interesting.”
Fallon sat in Deck One’s security office. Her staff stood nearby as she connected to the communications system of the mysterious cruiser. “This is Chief Fallon, head of security. What is your purpose for visiting Dragonfire Station?”
The response was immediate. “I’m looking for someone. I heard he might be there.”
Someone tracking a criminal, maybe? A law enforcement official would know proper docking protocol, so perhaps a bounty hunter? “What’s his name? Perhaps I can be of assistance.”
“He doesn’t seem to have a last name. People just call him Hawk.”
Fallon kept her face expressionless. “Unidentified vessel, a security team will come and admit you through the airlock. Be aware that Dragonfire’s security is second to none. We will tolerate no infractions.”
“Believe me, Chief, the last thing I’m looking for is trouble.”
Fallon closed the circuit, puzzled. “All right. Orowitz and Chen, you’re with me.”
They were two of her higher-ranking staff. Good weapon accuracy. Chen had a particularly high aptitude for code breaking, while Orowitz had a knack for languages.
They followed her down to Docking Bay Six. As she entered, she could see their visitor on the other side of the airlock, peering through. He appeared to be a few years older than her, human, and a little rough around the edges.
She touched the voicecom panel. “I’m going to open the airlock, Mr…” She let a pause draw out, inviting him to fill in his name.
“Lim.”
“Mr. Lim. Then—”
“Just Lim. No Mr.”
“Fine,” she continued. “I’ll let you through, Lim, and then you can tell me why you’re here.”
He nodded, and she activated the airlock’s opening sequence.
He stepped through, his wariness clear in his stance and expression. He wore fine clothes, but his hair was unkempt and he had a generally haphazard look about him. Her instinct told her there was something peculiar about this guy.
She bowed.
“Oh, right. Bows.” He bent at the waist, a little too deeply for the circumstances.
“Welcome to Dragonfire Station, Lim. I’m Security Chief Fallon, and these are two of my staff, Lieutenants Chen and Orowitz.”
Lim nodded to them, but his eyes remained on her. “Just Fallon? No other name?”
“Yes. Why didn’t you transmit your credentials prior to docking?”
“I lost them.”
Fallon frowned at him. “Misplaced, or revoked from you by the government?”
His eyes flicked from her to the other two security officers. “My story’s a little unusual.”
“You’d be surprised how many unusual stories I’ve heard.”
“Can we talk alone?” He fidgeted.
Fallon didn’t want the situation to escalate into something adversarial. That would only make matters more complicated, and she had enough complications on her hands already.
“Do you mind being searched for weapons beforehand?”
Surprise replaced his wary expression. “No. I’m no threat to
anybody.”
Her officers did a thorough scan of him and performed a physical pat down. An archaic check, but a good one when you were watching out for spies.
“We can go to my office,” she said, nodding at her officers to dismiss them.
She watched his eyes as they walked. They darted around, as if they’d never viewed a space station, noting every detail. He was in good shape. Athletic, and a few centimeters taller than her. He was a mix of genetic backgrounds that she had a hard time identifying. Part human, probably. She guessed him to be in his early twenties.
They said little on the trip up to her office. She watched him study the lift, the door to her office, and finally, its interior. There was a hypervigilance to him.
“So.” She sat on one couch and indicated that he should do the same on the other. “What brings you to Dragonfire?”
“I’m looking for a guy named Hawk.”
“You know him?”
“No. Someone told me that he’d help me.”
“Who?” Fallon asked.
“I don’t know who she was. A doctor, but I didn’t know her name. She helped me out of a situation, told me to find Hawk.”
“What makes you think he’s here?”
He chewed on his lip before answering. “I’ve been looking for him for about a year and a half. It’s not easy finding someone when you know nothing but a name.”
“So what led you here?”
“I figured if the guy can help someone who’s in trouble, he might have been in trouble in the past, or at least know people who are. So I started thinking about multi-planet operations, the kind of stuff that isn’t terribly legal. Smuggling. Bogus identification. Things people keep off the books.”
Very smart. Fallon was impressed. The pieces fell right into place and made his story ring true so far.
He continued, “I did a little off-books trading. Nothing illegal, just untraceable. But I made some contacts and a little money to live on. Eventually I met a guy named Arcy. Said he knew Hawk and would tell me where he last knew Hawk to be if I did some work for him.”
