by Amy DuBoff
Afterward, they lay entwined on the bed, tracing along the curves of each other’s naked bodies with their fingers.
A chirp from the viewscreen intruded on the moment. They startled.
“What is it?” Saera asked, sitting up.
Wil looked at the screen. “A call.” The subspace communication was coming from his father’s quarters. “Trying to check up on us.”
Saera looked concerned. “Do we need to get back?”
Wil reached up and declined the call. “Not yet. I’m not ready for this night to end.” He pulled Saera back down into bed.
*
It was nearly 06:00 by the time they made it back to Saera’s quarters. Wil and Saera stood in the hallway, knowing the goodbye was temporary but still struggling to find the words. They held each other in silent understanding. Already, Wil could feel the bond between them, born from deep love. The connection would span any distance and any time.
“Send Katz to my parents if there’s any trouble about you being out all night,” Wil told Saera.
“I will.” Saera held him closer.
I don’t want to go… “I have a ship to catch.”
She smiled up at him. “I know. Good luck. I know you’ll do great.”
“I’ll try.” He tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “With the bond between us, you’ll be able to know I’m okay, no matter where I am, just as I will for you.”
Saera looked up at him, tears in her eyes. “Still, be careful, okay?”
“Of course.” Wil leaned down and kissed her, holding onto the moment as long as he could before duty pulled him away.
CHAPTER 16
Wil carried a single bag. It felt strange to consolidate his life into such a small space, but he didn’t need anything more where he was going. His handheld—loaded with the mission details—and a solar charger were the only electronics, along with a few changes of clothes, some toiletries, and a pulse gun stashed in a hidden compartment that would only be used in a dire emergency.
As he walked through the halls, Wil felt a twinge of homesickness like he’d never felt before. His departure on the internship was much more than an extended stay from home—it was the beginning of a new stage in his life. As a graduated Agent, he would have senior rank to everyone who had been a friend and mentor for as long as he could remember. Will our history be enough to sustain that friendship, or will I become just their superior officer?
On his way to the spaceport, Wil saw few people yet up and about for the day. He stifled a yawn as he exited the elevator. The lack of sleep from the night before was catching up to him.
“There you are.”
Wil looked up to see his father waiting. “Hi.”
“I hope you made the most of your little excursion,” Cris said as Wil approached.
“Dad, please don’t start. I know I shouldn’t have gone out on my own like that, but I couldn’t take it anymore. For just one night in my whole entire life, I needed do something for me.”
Cris shook his head. “I wasn’t going to reprimand you. You are very much my son. I would have done exactly the same thing in your situation.”
Wil relaxed on the surface, but he was ready to go on the defensive. “I didn’t expect you to be so understanding.”
His father eyed him. “Me, or a senior TSS officer?”
Wil thought for a moment. As my dad, he’s never failed me. “The TSS.”
“Well, Banks certainly wasn’t pleased with you running off,” Cris acknowledged. “It is dangerous out there.”
“Not that it’s completely safe here, either.”
“True enough,” Cris admitted. The Bakzen infiltration would never be forgotten. “However, I do have to say that you’ve done yourself a bit of a disservice by bonding to someone so soon before departing. It will make being apart that much worse.”
Is it that obvious? “On the contrary, it will give me a tie to the only home I’ve ever known. If I start to feel lost, I’ll have that grounding.”
“So you did,” Cris said with a slight smile. “I had my suspicions, but I wasn’t sure.”
Tricky. Wil stood his ground. “It seemed like the right thing to do, given the circumstances.”
“I agree,” Cris replied. “I have always found my bond with your mom to be a source of strength when I needed it.”
He’s taking all of this so lightly. I not only disobeyed TSS regulators but also went against every Tararian tradition related to partnering. “You’re not mad?”
“About Saera?”
Wil nodded.
“No, not at all. She’s an incredible girl—I couldn’t imagine anyone more perfect for you. It means everything to me to see you so happy.”
“I know there’s TSS protocol…”
“It’s already been taken care of. Don’t worry, we’ll look out for her while you’re away.”
Did they want this? “Thank you.” Is nothing in my life of my own design?
Cris checked the time on his handheld. “Banks and your mom should be here any minute to formally send you off.”
Wil’s chest tightened. “What happens if I fail this mission?”
Cris was caught off-guard. “That won’t happen.”
“But what if it does?”
“Then we’ll figure it out together,” Cris assured him.
The elevator doors opened and Banks emerged with Kate. It was time to go.
Kate silently walked up and embraced Wil. He hugged her back. After a few moments, she released him and held back tears as she went to stand next to Cris. Cris, likewise, gave Wil a heartfelt hug.
Banks waited patiently for the family exchange to conclude. When Cris nodded his assent, Banks began, “Junior Agent Sights, due to your exceptional performance record, you have become eligible for early graduation from the TSS training program. This internship is your one remaining task, and you have been offered a far greater challenge than any other aspiring Agent. However, I am confident that you have the experience and skills to be successful.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“Your mission is to reach a treaty among the people of Orino. Agents will be monitoring your progress from orbit. They will send a message to your handheld when the mission parameters have been met. Otherwise, they will intervene only if you are in imminent danger. Do you accept this mission?”
As if I have a choice. “Yes, sir.”
* * *
Saera groaned when the alarm went off. She’d been in bed for maybe an hour, and the pitiful amount of rest had only made her feel more tired.
In her weariness, it took her a few moments to realize that all of her roommates were watching her. She looked around at the expectant faces. What do they want?
Elise finally broke the silence. “So? How was it?”
The party, of course. She forced an excited smile. “It was awesome. They had one of the training rooms all done up with decorations, and there was every kind of food and drink you can imagine.”
“Was everyone all dressed up?” Nadeen asked.
“Oh yes. It was funny to see some of our instructors in dresses,” Saera replied with a more heartfelt smile.
Leila observed from her bed. She seemed disinterested in the party details. “How late were you out last night? I heard you come in at some point and I thought you were going to bed, but then you left and I didn’t see you again.”
“Yeah, I noticed that, too,” Caryn added. “Where were you?”
Elise and Nadeen paused in thought, and then seemed to realize the others were correct. They looked at Saera quizzically.
“I came back here to change out of the dress and heels.” Saera got out of bed and made for the door to the common room. “I met up with some Junior Agents at the party who invited me to join them in the game room. You must have not heard me come back in.” She stepped out of the bedroom.
Her roommates followed her out. “No, I remember waking up at around 04:00 and you weren’t back yet,” insisted L
eila.
“What does it matter? My curfew was lifted for the night,” Saera said.
Leila was about to respond but was interrupted by a buzz at the main door.
Nadeen went to investigate. “It’s Katz,” she announced.
Saera swallowed hard.
Nadeen opened the door. “Good morning, Agent Katz.”
“Good morning, ladies.” She looked around the room. “Saera, may I speak with you?”
Oh no… “Yes, ma’am.” Saera looked down at her pajamas, wishing there were time to change. She shrugged off the feeling and followed Katz into the hallway. They entered a study room.
When the door was closed, Katz began, “I heard you left Headquarters last night without permission.”
Wil said everything would be okay. Stay calm. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Did you tell anyone about what happened after the party last night?” Katz implored.
“No, ma’am.”
Katz relaxed. “Good. They can’t know what’s going on.”
Saera didn’t say anything.
“Cris and Kate Sights pulled me aside this morning and informed me about your relationship with Wil,” Katz explained. “I knew he was tutoring you, of course, but I understand that the… nature of things has changed.”
Saera took a shaky breath. “Yes, ma’am, you could say that.”
Katz sighed. “This has placed all of us in an awkward position. Normally, any consorting between Agents and trainees is strictly forbidden. But, they have decided to make an exception for you.”
The tension in Saera’s chest dissipated. “Thank you, ma’am.”
“Don’t thank me. Only the High Commander can make that sort of call.” Katz paused. “He knows it’s not his place to stand in the way of succession for the High Dynasties,” she added.
Saera remained silent.
Katz looked Saera in the eye. “The other students will forget about this night eventually. You just have to be more careful once he’s back.”
“Yes, ma’am.” If only all of this didn’t have to be so secret.
Katz placed a hand on Saera’s shoulder. “Saera, off the record, I want you to know that we’re here for you. Kate is one of my best friends, and I’ve known Wil his whole life. He has chosen you as his partner, so that makes you part of our adopted family, too. I’ll do whatever I can to support you being together once he returns from his internship. Likewise, Kate and Cris are quite fond of you, and they wanted me to pass on that you should reach out to them if you ever need anything.”
Saera exhaled with relief. “Thank you, ma’am.” They approve of me? They’re really letting us be together? She couldn’t help but grin.
* * *
Water stretched all the way to the horizon. The shuttle was flying low across the vast sea, leaving a wake in its path.
Wil stood in the open doorway of the shuttle, breathing in the salty air of the strange world. It stung his eyes and nose. At first, he thought it odd that anyone would choose to eke out an existence in such an inhospitable environment, but then it occurred to him that life in space was far stranger. At least they don’t need advanced technology to keep themselves alive when they step outside.
The shuttle flew above a floating city. It was a ragged civilization, thrown together with scrap metal and twine. No land was anywhere to be seen. Around the perimeter of the tethered structures were various small boats and watercraft.
Wil’s stomach rose into his throat. This is where I have to spend the next several months? I didn’t even know people still lived like this.
The shuttle stopped two meters above an area of open decking.
“We can’t land on this,” Agent Aeronen said to Wil from the pilot’s chair. “You’ll have to jump down.”
Can’t even land the shuttle? What kind of place is this? “Yes, sir.” He grabbed his bag and swung it over his shoulder.
“We’ll be in orbit watching your progress,” Agent Merdes said from the other chair at the front of the shuttle. “You are to use your handheld only for making status reports and sending an emergency communication to us, if necessary. Otherwise, you must rely on the information systems used by this culture.”
“Yes, sir.”
“We’ll notify you when the mission parameters have been met to our satisfaction,” stated Agent Aeronen. “Good luck.”
Wil nodded and jumped out of the shuttle. He landed lightly on the metal deck plates. The platform was small enough that even though it was tethered to the larger structure, it swayed slightly under the impact and groaned as rusty couplings rubbed together. He took a moment to find his balance on the unfamiliar footing. The shuttle departed.
When Wil looked around to get a bearing on his new surroundings, he saw people encircling the platform. He straightened to his full height and examined the questioning faces. “My name is Wil Sights. I’m here from the TSS.”
A grizzled man stepped forward. He was perhaps in his late-forties, but all the years stood out on his weathered face. He favored his right knee as he moved, but he tried to hide it with a swaggering gate that seemed well suited to a life on the sea. “When they said they were sending someone for their Junior Agent internship, I thought they’d be sending a man—not a mere boy.”
“Don’t let my age fool you,” Wil responded. “The TSS doesn’t make exceptions for their performance standards. Reaching this position by my age just means I had to work all the harder to prove myself.”
“And you’ll have to prove yourself all over again to us,” the man replied. “But we reached out for help, and you’re who we got. I’ll try to keep an open mind, because we need you.”
“I’m here to serve.” There was fear in the eyes of the onlookers. They were just as ragged as the structures, their eyes dull from spirits broken long ago. How did they get to be this way?
“My name is Marlon,” the man said. “I am the leader of this community. As a sign of our thanks, we have a welcome gift for you, as a fellow warrior.” Marlon beckoned behind him, and a girl stepped forward. “This is my daughter, Mila,” Marlon went on. “It is time for her to know what it is to be a woman.”
Mila was around fourteen-years-old based on her face, but she looked at Wil with an air of maturity. She knew why she was being presented to him, and she had accepted that fate.
Shite, I was afraid of this. Wil’s stomach knotted. I don’t want anyone but Saera. “Thank you, I appreciate your generosity.”
“Mila will assist you with anything you need,” Marlon said. “She’ll show you to your room now.”
Mila stepped up to Wil and bowed her head before him. She was tall for a girl—close to Wil’s height—and her brown hair was cropped to chin-length. “I am yours,” she murmured.
Fok, I need to find a way out of this. “I will try to prove myself worthy,” Wil replied.
Mila led Wil through the crowd toward one of the stout structures adjacent to the central platform. She took him down a staircase into a low room just below the surface of the water. Only a slit of a window near the ceiling illuminated the room. There was a small bunk, a washbasin and a rickety table in the corner. All of the furnishings were worn, permeated by the smell of sea salt.
“Do you wish to have me now?” Mila asked. She reached for the tie at the bosom of her dress.
Never. “Mila, you don’t have to.” Wil held up his hand to stop her.
“It is our way,” she insisted.
I can’t do this. “I—”
“Are you dissatisfied with me?” she asked, her brow furrowed above her tawny eyes.
“No, it’s not that…”
She reached forward and took off Wil’s tinted glasses. Doing so was a great taboo on other Taran worlds, but Wil let her. She gazed into his glowing blue-green eyes. “Your heart belongs to another.”
“Yes.”
Mila sat down on the bed, contemplating. “Mine does, as well,” she admitted, looking down.
“Then what are you doing h
ere with me?”
She avoided Wil’s gaze. “My father doesn’t know of it. He thinks me to still be innocent, but I am not.”
Thank the stars! “I won’t tell anyone, Mila.” Wil crouched down in front of her so they were at the same level. “You can say whatever they will want to hear—that you pleased me. But, there is only one I want to know in that way.”
Mila’s eyes narrowed. “They will think you less of a man for having only one woman.”
What a different world this is. “So we both have a vested interest in keeping each other’s secrets,” Wil pointed out with a reserved smile.
“I guess we do,” Mila agreed. Her face softened, but an inner fire showed through. Whether she was fueled by anger or just an inner strength that few could ever find, she stared back at Wil with the kind of dedication he knew he could channel to win whatever fight they were up against.
“Now,” said Wil as he stood up, “I do need your help in other ways. I know very little of your culture and customs. I would like for you to advise me on how to proceed with my mission.”
“I’m not qualified—”
“You’re a native here, aren’t you? That makes you more informed than me.”
Mila inclined her head, causing her hair to fall forward on her face. “As you wish.” She picked at a callous on her hand. “What did they send you here to do?”
Wil took a breath. “I was informed that there are warring groups around the planet. Your community is considered one of the more ‘neutral’ parties, so you’re the best bet for brokering a treaty between the different peoples.”
Mila let out a coarse, bitter laugh. “Oh, that’s a good one.”
“Pardon?”
“I don’t know where you got your information, but it’s nothing like you said.”
“Then what’s going on?” Wil asked her.
“It’s easier if I show you.” Mila rose from the bed. She led Wil back up the stairs and down several rickety walkways to the other side of the village. They came to a structure that stood several meters above the deck, attended by a single guard. The man inclined his head to Mila and let them pass. Mila swung open a massive rusty door set on the front face of the structure. Inside, a handful of partially filled plastic crates were positioned around the room.
