by Tom Chattle
Unable to restrain himself, Bennett's fist flew out and connected with Chen's face. She staggered back but was caught by her friends on either side.
"I will put you in a hole so deep you will never see the light of day for the rest of your life," Bennett screamed, his blue eyes wild with rage. He scrambled for the remote to the neural dampener clamped to Chen's neck and ripped it from its pouch, waving it around in front of him. Chen winced, prepared for the incoming pain, but it was interrupted by Scott and a cohort of Marines entering the bridge.
"What's going on?" Scott asked, gaze taking in the situation.
"Ah, Lieutenant Scott." Bennett stepped back and smoothed down his hair. "Please take Lieutenant Chen, Ms. Wilde, and this...alien into custody."
Scott's eyes narrowed. "May I ask why, sir?"
"Insubordination and threatening a senior officer," Bennett replied.
Scott pushed past Bennett and faced Chen, a frown of confusion on his face. "Care to explain?"
Chen dabbed gingerly at her bruised cheek and jerked her head toward Bennett. "This asshole wants to take command of the Valiant, to try to undo this mission and get himself back to safety."
"I am the senior officer—" Bennett started again.
"You are not fit to command a trash freighter," Scott snapped, then spun to confront the man. "You should be lucky I don't shoot you myself for what you put my Marines through down there, sir."
Although she had hoped for his support, Chen would never have expected the Marine lieutenant to oppose Bennett so vehemently. "What did he do?"
Scott eyed the NI officer warily before he responded. "When we lost contact with you and the Marines you were with, Bennett told us he had seen you already pass us. By the time we got to the shuttle, you were nowhere to be found, but the lieutenant commander here insisted we take off regardless." Scott pursed his lips. "Of course, I ignored him. We don't leave people behind."
Bennett's jaw ground back and forth. "It would have been easier to leave those two behind. They are dangerous."
"Even if I agreed," Scott snapped, "the fact you would have sacrificed my Marines to do so is unforgivable." He stepped back. "Lieutenant Chen should take command." The Marines gathered behind him, their faces set firm. They glared at Bennett and his guards, and their well-muscled arms flexed menacingly.
His fists clenched, and Bennett took stock of his situation. Between the Marines, Sina, and the rest of the bridge crew, he and his two guards were far outnumbered. "You will all pay for this," he hissed and backed toward the door.
- 42 -
2208.10.22 // 16:05
UVS Valiant, Altheos orbit
When the door shut behind him, relief flooded through Chen, and she let out a sigh. Despite the objections to his command, Bennett was the most senior officer, and there had been no guarantee the others would side with her.
Wilde grinned, nodding to the command chair. "All yours, Auri."
Chen stared at the chair for a moment. It was hers now, but it didn't feel right, not so soon after Arnesen's death. "No, we have other things to attend to first." She searched around for a helm officer, but with Vega in the medical bay and the ship still in chaos, there was no one. "Moreau, until a replacement for Vega arrives, can you take the conn? Set a course for...I don't know, Sina's world, I guess. Wally, Scott, we need to talk."
She motioned for Wilde and Sina to join her as well and strode across the bridge to the compact briefing room off one side. She circled the oval table, and the deck shifted slightly—an indication the Valiant was on its way to rift-space. Chen pulled out a chair at the far end and slumped down into it. She massaged her temple with the palm of one hand. It throbbed again; she needed rest badly.
The others gathered around. Most sat, but Sina leaned back against the bulkhead.
"What's going on, Auri?" McCann watched Chen carefully, and she got the impression he could tell there was more.
Chen motioned to Wilde. She didn't much feel like reliving the painful discoveries of just a few days before. "Katrina here can fill you in on the details."
Jade eyes widened when she realized what Chen meant, and Wilde leaned forward in her seat.
Her eyes slipped closed, and Chen tuned out the woman while she recounted the information she'd discovered about Bennett, Naval Intelligence, and Auri's father.
The old missions, the cover-ups, the scrubbed archives, everything. When she opened her eyes again, there was shock on everyone's faces.
"We need to do something," McCann breathed.
"Not a lot we can do right now other than survive and see how we can stop the Syrax," Chen said. "Hopefully, this virus we paid so dearly for is enough."
She looked at each person at the table in turn. "When we get back to Earth, there's going to be hell to pay, but I need all of you to stand with me so nobody can sweep this under the rug again. We all have too much at stake for that to happen. Dismissed."
Chen let the others file out, but Sina didn't move and Wilde hung back in the doorway. Another wave of pressure spiked in Chen's mind, and she winced.
"Auri, you need some sleep." Wilde moved over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Sina, could you help me?"
Chen didn't offer any resistance when the two women helped her up and supported her to her cabin. They stepped inside and placed her on the bed. Wilde dimmed the lights until the ever-changing glow from the swirling tunnel of void space outside provided most of the light.
"Try to rest," Wilde offered, perched on the bed next to her.
"I don't think I can," Chen groaned. "There's too much in my head."
"Too much?" Wilde curled her legs under her. "What do you mean?"
The question sent a flash of irritation through Chen. Used to the sensation now, she quashed it immediately. "I have so much rage inside me. The smallest things sometimes make me want to rip off people's heads." She glanced up at Wilde. "And I don't mean metaphorically. I literally feel like I have claws and fangs and want to kill them."
Wilde's eyes flicked to Sina. Chen could hear the nervous concern in her mind, and she couldn't push it away or ignore it.
A floodgate opened in Chen's chest and all the emotions she'd pent up for months began to flow. "I have constant anxiety that I can't get rid of. It comes with the anger; it comes any time Bennett triggers this damn implant; and it almost overwhelms me any time we're around the Syrax." She rested her head in her hands and couldn't help the muffled sob that escaped. "Especially those damn matriarchs we found."
Chen felt warm arms wrap around her in a hug. The room was silent, but Chen didn't need words to tell what Wilde was thinking. The young woman exuded concern, empathy, and compassion. The strength of it—something Chen didn't ever remember experiencing from someone in her life—threatened to throw her further into tears, but she swallowed and managed to continue.
"On top of that, I think being in close contact with the Syrax again broke through all the barriers I've tried to put up around whatever shitty powers that matriarch infected me with." She pressed the heels of her palms to her eyes. "I can hear everything, all the thoughts and fears around me." She turned her head and nodded at Sina. "Except hers."
Wilde raised her head from its position on Chen's shoulder. "Why not Sina's?"
"We are a null race," Sina offered. The turbulent maelstrom of light from the porthole played off her amber eyes. "The Syrax could never read our minds like with so many other races. They hated contact with us so much it drove them to massacre my people."
She stepped forward and crouched down before Chen. "It may be that whatever this matriarch imprinted upon you, some of its own feelings and anger came with it. It would explain the rage you described."
"Great." A teary hiccup escaped Chen's throat. "Like I needed more character flaws. Spending the rest of my life wanting to stab someone for saying the wrong thing doesn't really work for me."
"Hmm," Wilde drummed her fingers on her thighs. "Sina, do you mind if we try something? I
think it might help Auri relax."
Sina inclined her head. "Of course, anything to help Aurichen."
"Please, sit." Wilde pointed at the bed on the other side of Chen.
"Katrina, what are you going on about?" Chen grumbled while the lithe alien folded herself onto the mattress to mirror Wilde. She was emotionally exhausted, and even though she appreciated both of their concern, she almost wished the two would just leave her alone.
"Quiet, Auri," Wilde scolded. "Sina, could you try placing your hands on Auri's head?"
Sina hesitated for a moment, then reached out both hands. She flexed her long fingers and rested them gently across each of Chen's temples.
The moment Sina's lavender skin made contact, a cool numbness spread out across Chen's face. A wave of relief flowed over her, and the turmoil in her mind began to dull. The wider the sensation diffused across her skin, the more the pain inside her head faded and the less unstable she felt.
"Is that helping, Auri?" Wilde asked.
"It feels nice," Chen mumbled. The relaxation spread slowly through her body. "How did you know?"
Wilde leaned over and patted Chen's shoulder. "Just a hunch. I read a lot of the data files Sina had shared with us while you were off gallivanting around on the planet. There was a lot of data on how the Syrax psychic powers work—which the medical nerds will love when we get back, by the way—but hearing you say you couldn't feel Sina's thoughts put it together for me. The Talamar not only seem to be psychically null, but their abilities actually dampen psychic energy around them. I'm sure that's part of the reason the Syrax hate them so much."
"That's great." Chen yawned, and exhaustion threatened to overwhelm her. She squeezed Wilde's hand. "Thank you, Katrina."
Wilde started to say something else, but Chen was too far gone to hear it. The blissful quiet in her mind sucked her straight into the sleep she so desperately needed.
- 43 -
2208.10.23 // 08:20
UVS Valiant, Altheos orbit
Chen's eyes flickered open, dry, and heavy from sleep. She stared into the darkness for several seconds, trying to get her bearings. She was in her cabin, the lights off. How long had she been sleeping? Her back was stiff from lack of movement, and she shifted, trying to flex the aches out of it.
Her shoulder bumped against something warm, and she twisted her head to see Sina propped up against the bulkhead, eyes closed in gentle sleep. The woman's hands were folded on her lap, and her pastel-hued skin rose and fell silently.
Not wanting to wake the woman, Chen laid motionless, and her gaze drifted out the small porthole. The shattered remnants of Sina's home drifted into view—she must have been asleep for a long time if they were already at their destination.
Something inside her felt different, even if only slightly. The anxiety that had been her constant companion for months now felt duller, and the thoughts that leaked into her cabin from the surrounding ship were less raucous.
Sina stirred beside her, stretching out against the bulkhead. Chen saw her amber eyes open in the corner of her vision. "Good morning," she smiled awkwardly. "Or whatever time of day it actually is."
"Are you feeling better?" Sina sat forward and rolled her head to stretch out muscles that had probably been uncomfortably rested against the bulkhead for hours.
Chen pulled herself up and nodded. "Yes, thank you. I'm sorry if this was uncomfortable for you."
"It was not," Sina replied. "Katrinawilde asked I stay with you so you may recover." She brushed tousled hair back from her face, and they sat in silence for a moment.
"Well, thank you again." Chen smiled. "I, uh, need to have a shower." She leaped out of bed. "You can stay if you want. Or leave. I'll be right back." Chen hurried into the shower cubicle and pulled the alcove door behind her. Her mind was in a jumble. Even though she knew Sina had remained over as a concerned friend, the last time Chen had shared a bed with anyone, it had been Alex.
By the time she was done in the shower, part of her hoped Sina had left but the other half willed her to still be there. Chen wrapped a towel around herself and stepped out into the cool, dry air of the cabin. At first, she thought it was empty, but movement next to the window said differently.
Sina turned to face Chen. "It is not often I can gaze upon my home like this."
"I remember the first time I saw Earth from orbit." Chen rummaged for clothes in the drawers. "I can't have been much more than four years old at the time." She stopped, a frown on her face. "It was just after my dad died."
"I am sorry." Sina turned back to the window. "It has been more than ten standard cycles since I last had this view."
"Standard cycles?" Chen pulled on a pair of pants. She glanced to see Sina still contemplating the vista outside and pulled on an undershirt. She picked up a duty top in the bland, Naval Intelligence black and stared down at it. After a moment, she threw it aside and grabbed the Talamar vest Sina had given her instead.
"Based on the archives Katrinawilde provided me with, I believe a standard cycle would correspond to about three of your Earth years," Sina explained.
"So...thirty years?" Chen asked with a raised eyebrow. "How old are you?"
"Only eighteen cycles. I was the youngest elected lead of clan Sorotar."
"Fifty-four?" Chen did the math in her head. "Well, you don't look a day over twenty-five."
Sina narrowed her eyes as though unsure how to take Chen's words. "How old are you?"
"Twenty-six," Chen replied. "Umm, eight or so of your cycles?"
"Practically an infant," Sina muttered and folded her hands behind her back.
Was that an insult? Chen's lips parted, but she couldn't think of a response. She didn't want Sina to think of her as some kind of immature child.
Sina bared her canines in what Chen could only assume was a Talamar grin. "It was a joke, Aurichen."
Chen's face flushed. "At least you feel comfortable enough with us that you can try to tell jokes." She pulled on the leather jacket. "So, did you want us to drop you back off on your world?"
Sina glanced back out the window. The radiation storms and debris that encircled her world roiled and clashed in violent displays of light. "We have been hiding for so long...perhaps humans can find a way to defeat the Syrax that we could not." Her golden eyes locked on Chen. "I believe I will be of more help to you than to my world right now."
"I'm glad you said that." Chen smiled. "I've come to value your presence and insight." On the way to the door, she had a thought. "Hey, maybe you can teach me how to fight like you? With the swords and all?"
"The training is long," Sina said, dubiously. She no doubt saw the crestfallen look on Chen's face. "But if anyone can learn, it is a true warrior like you, Aurichen."
"Aww, you're going to make me blush," Chen joked. She thrust out a hand to open the door. "Come on, let's figure out our next move."
***
"Nothing yet, ma'am," Moreau called, studying her displays.
While Chen had been asleep, the Valiant had limped back to Sina's world. Chief Cartwright had done his best to repair the injuries it had sustained over Altheos, but major problems remained throughout the ship.
On approach to the ruined planet, they had picked up faint Syrax energy signatures at a distance but not close enough they'd felt the need to risk the journey back into the shattered planet. Now they skimmed the surface of the radiation storms, inching their way around the world to scan for enemy ships. Vega was still in the med-bay—his wounds serious, but not life-threatening—so another helm officer had taken his place.
"Wait..." Moreau warned. "Picking up something now."
"What is it?" McCann raised his head from his screen.
"Definitely Syrax, sir," Moreau replied. She glanced up. "It's big, a lot bigger than anything we've come across before."
Chen was about to tell her to put it up on screen but bit the command back with annoyance. The lack of primary screen was just another frustration she had to deal with. C
artwright had been very clear that repairing the main bridge was not a priority with the amount of other systems that were badly damaged.
She sighed and pulled the data up on the compact screen in her armrest instead. The long-range image was fuzzy, but she could just about make out the shape and major details of the ship. "Sina, do you recognize this?"
The Talamar crouched by Chen's seat, squinting at the image. "It looks like a carrier." She folded her arms, brow drawn close in concern. "The Syrax have no more powerful a vessel."
"Damnit," Chen muttered. She had hoped that their run-in with the Syrax on Altheos would have drawn whatever forces they had left here away. Instead, they had reinforced their position around the warp portal that the Valiant needed to pass through to make it home. "This carrier. I presume it has fighters?"
"Yes." Sina bobbed her head. "Many of the kind you encountered before."
Chen scowled. The Valiant was well armed, but a swarm of fighters could overwhelm its defenses rapidly. "And other weapons?"
"More than the last two ships you've fought combined," Sina said, firmly.
Chen rubbed her eyes and leaned on the arm of her chair. She glanced sideways at McCann. "Suggestions? We need to get past it, but even if we weren't badly damaged, we wouldn't stand a chance against something that powerful."
McCann thought for a moment before he shook his head. "I've got nothing."
"Uhh, ma'am?" Moreau interrupted.
Chen twisted to face the tactical officer and nodded for her to speak. "What is it, Ensign?"
"Well." She stepped around her console and approached the center of the bridge, fidgeting with her hands. "When we were in the Arcturus system, you had some luck controlling the Syrax technology, right?"
"That's right," Chen confirmed, warily. It had been the only way they had managed to escape that disaster. "Where are you going with this?"
"If we could get you aboard, you could take control of the ship and maybe destroy it?"
