A few hours later, Tom was in his quarters, lying on his bed and wishing sleep would finally get hold of him. The events of the last few months kept circling around his mind, replaying in a constant loop. So much had happened…
Someone was at his door, and Tom sat up. “Enter.”
“Captain Baldwin, I’m sorry for coming to your private quarters like this,” Admiral Benitor said.
Tom quickly threw a shirt on and motioned for her to sit on the couch. “Think nothing of it. I was just staring at the ceiling anyway. Can I get you something to drink?”
“Sure. How about something strong?” she suggested.
Tom wondered what that meant for a seasoned Callalay admiral and went to the cupboards, pouring two liberal amounts of a brown liquid into clear glasses. He passed one to her and sat on the chair beside her. He lifted his glass, and they clinked them. He’d already done this again with Treena, his tradition after a successful mission. This didn’t have the same feel to it. “What can I do for you, Admiral?”
“Call me Jalin, Tom.”
“Okay… Jalin. What has you walking the corridors of Constantine at two in the morning?”
She met his gaze, her eyes pale and sad. “We have three more flagships in production. As you’ve suggested, one of them will be made to replace Cecilia, using the Link you returned for her. We’ve managed to improve the AI from the old model, and you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the upgrades.”
“That’s good news. Surely that look on your face isn’t because of this?” Tom took a sip, the drink strong, and it warmed his throat as it went down.
“We’re short of good people, Tom. It’s the price we pay. We fight a war, and executive teams are torn apart with promotions and new ships. It happens every time.”
Tom had been so focused on this mission that he hadn’t spent any time considering that his crew might be separated. “Who is it?” He leaned back and stared at her intensely while he waited for the reply.
“We want Commander Starling to captain Cecilia. We saw how she’s handled her situation, and she continues to take charge, sticking her neck out and saving the day on each of your first three main missions.” She paused, and Tom felt her hand settle on his knee. “Tom. Show me your support.”
He did and gave her a small grin.
“This will be a good thing for the Concord. You know that.” Jalin Benitor was an honorable woman and a great admiral, and Tom had no choice but to trust her.
“Fine. I see there’s no way I can change your mind. I was getting used to things. With the Statu and Assembly behind us, I thought we could start to make a difference,” Tom said quietly.
“You don’t think you’ve made a difference so far?” She laughed; the sound was pleasant, and she sank deeper into the couch as she finished her drink off, setting the glass on a side table next to her. “You really are a big dreamer, just like he was.”
“Constantine?”
She nodded. “He was so much like you, but you have focus and drive for the missions that he never had.”
“Because of his wife and my mother.” Tom said it as a statement, not a question.
“That’s right. Tom...” She paused again, reaching out her glass. He took it and went to refill it, while she continued, “There’s more.”
He stopped as he corked the decanter and turned to her, both hands full. “More?”
“We want you to escort the Elders to Driun F49,” she said, taking the offered drink.
This was no surprise to him. “I thought we’d already discussed this.”
“When you return, you’ll no longer be the captain of Constantine.” She took another sip, and Tom’s arms felt like lead as they fell to his sides.
“What are you saying? I’m being let go? How can you do this?” The questions came fast and hard, his heart racing. He’d spent his entire life leading up to gaining a captaincy. “I know I’ve done some things with a little more… gusto than you might have liked, but the job…”
“Tom. Stop!” Her words were firm, and he obeyed, his expression somber. “We want to promote you to Admiral. We still have two openings, and the Prime and I agree that you’re the best candidate to accompany me on the board. The Founders are all behind the decision, even Longshade, who you seemed to have agitated with your last visit.”
Admiral? Tom slunk into his seat and grabbed the liquor, taking a drink. “Are you serious?”
“I am.”
“I’m too young…”
“You’re not that young. You’re older than your grandfather was…”
“Times were different. I…” So many emotions coursed through him, and he had no idea what to say.
“Say you’ll do it.”
Tom glanced up, meeting her gaze. The admiral was smiling, a rare sight, and he nodded. “Do I have a choice?”
“There’s always a choice, Tom.”
“Can I think about it?” he asked.
“You can have until you return from Driun F49. Is that fair?” Jalin asked.
He nodded and clenched his teeth, preparing for his next ask. “We never resolved Seda and Luci.”
Jalin surprised him. “I’ve been meaning to discuss that with you. We’ve come to a decision.”
Twenty-Five
The shuttle settled to the ground at the end of her mother’s driveway. It was a gloomy day, rain dripping over the viewer. Tom was beside her, and he’d been abnormally quiet for the entire trip, as if he had something important on his mind.
Treena powered the shuttle down and turned to her captain. “Look… say it already.”
He smiled at her, his perfect jawline and dimples making her wish for a moment that she wasn’t wearing a robotic body. “Treena…”
Something was wrong, and she panicked for a moment. Was it about her mother? Luci? She’d spoken to her mom only yesterday.
“There’s no easy way to tell you this, so I’ll just do it. They want to offer you the newly improved Cecilia.”
Treena sat motionless, letting the words wash over her like the rain that beat down on the hull of the shuttle. “Offer? As in…”
“Captain Starling. That has a nice ring to it, don’t you think?” he asked.
She started to panic, the last couple years of recovery from her near-death experience threatening to envelop her. Tom seemed to notice, and he grabbed her hand. “This is a great opportunity for you, Treena.”
“I know. But we were starting to be a real crew. A great one too.”
“You can start your own great crew,” he said.
Treena tried to consider it, but it was too much at that moment. “I don’t want to leave Constantine. I don’t think I’m ready. I don’t want to leave you, and Ven, and Reeve… even Brax.” She laughed, trying to imagine working alongside anyone but that executive team. They’d accepted her in a way she’d never expected, and she honestly felt like they were as much her family as the woman in the house at the end of the driveway. She stared toward the home, where her mother would be sitting with Luci, waiting for their entrance, and contemplated her future.
“If you like, you can come with us to Driun F49 and decide after that. We’ve been offered some time,” he said, and she caught his slip.
“We?”
His expression gave him away. “I haven’t told anyone, but they want me to take a role as admiral.”
If Thomas Baldwin was gone from Constantine, would that make her decision even easier? What if she stayed there as captain? Treena had too many questions and decided now wasn’t the time for an answer.
“I’ll come with you. Thank you for telling me. You really think I’d make it as a captain?” she asked.
“The best.” He smiled again, and it reached his eyes.
Treena headed out the side of the shuttle, and they jogged through the rain, avoiding puddles the entire way. As they neared the entrance of the house, the doors flung open to reveal the small blonde girl, with Karen behind her, a hand settled on the girl’s shou
lder.
“Captain Baldwin!” Luci said, rushing to hug the man’s leg. “Hi, Treena!” Treena received her own embrace, and she crouched, wrapping her arms around the small child.
Her mother waved them inside, where it was dry and warm; a fire crackled in the wood-burning fireplace across the living room.
“Thank you for watching her,” Tom told Karen, and Treena’s mom smiled.
“It’s going to be tough letting her go. I forgot how much I enjoyed having a little girl around.” Her gaze met Treena’s, and tears formed around her eyes.
“Mom, always so dramatic. Luci will be heading to a village on Leria with her mother,” Treena advised them.
Luci appeared torn. “My mom?”
“That’s right,” Tom said. “You’ll be with your mom in a few days.”
Luci cried now, and Karen held the girl as she let out two months’ worth of pent-up emotions. “It’ll be okay, Luci. Your mother misses you.”
Treena knew the Prime hadn’t wanted to change his original orders, but if there was anyone with the ability to change the Prime’s mind, it was Thomas Baldwin. He held a strange power over those around him, and it was difficult to tell him no.
“What will I do?” Karen asked, leading them into the kitchen where a pot of tea was boiling.
“You’ll figure it out, Mom. Maybe it’s time you thought about yourself for a change. Didn’t you always want to visit Kevis VII? Say the word, and you’ll have the nicest beachside villa for a month,” Treena said, and this seemed to brighten the gloomy mood emanating from her mother.
“That would be nice, dear.”
“Then it’s settled,” Treena said, and they all took a seat around the table, letting her mom pour steaming tea for them.
Luci asked questions about where she was going, if Karen was coming, if there would be trees and lakes and birds at their new home. Treena enjoyed the quiet afternoon, knowing there would be a lot of hard decisions coming up in the near future.
____________
It felt wonderful to be home on Greblok. Tarlen walked the streets of Malin, his home city, and Doctor Nee struggled to keep up. He was constantly gawking at the ancient structures, most of them being rebuilt with the assistance of the Concord’s construction drones. The city was really coming together, and Tarlen almost couldn’t tell that the entire place had been a pile of rubble a few months prior.
“What do you think?” he asked the doctor.
“I think the Bacal are a wonderful race of beings,” Nee said, huffing from their long walk. “But they need some work on the public transportation. Do you really walk everywhere?”
“Sure.”
“That explains why you’re all so skinny,” Nee said with a laugh, and Tarlen waved at Belna as he saw her outside their destination. “Thank you for the tour, son. It was enlightening.”
The sun was beginning to set, and the air was already cooling. Tarlen noticed Penter beside Belna as they approached, and the two were deep in conversation.
“Penter,” Tarlen said, nodding to the older man.
“Tarlen. I was just telling your sister about a great opportunity here in Malin,” the former guard said.
Belna met his gaze, and it was clear she was excited about something. She’d been given contacts, coloring her irises again, and it was almost strange to see her with something other than white eyes now. “What is it?” Tarlen asked.
“They want me to work in the new R-emergence clinic that Doctor DeLarose is setting up here,” she said.
“That’s amazing,” Tarlen told her, following his sister into the building.
There were a handful of Bacal inside, mostly family of the rescued slaves from the Statu world. At this point, half of them had been treated, with the rest being cared for while they waited their turn. Each of the surgeries had been successful, and they hoped that streak would continue.
Tarlen had searched through them on Casonu Two, trying to find his parents, but they weren’t among the group, and he was confident now that they were lost into the Vastness forever.
“Why don’t you stay too?” Belna asked, and he thought about the offer. “Come on, Tar. This is your home. These are your people. Plus, I don’t want us to be far apart. We’re all the family we have.”
Tarlen glanced at Nee, who was pretending not to listen in on their conversation, and he smiled at Belna. “I’ll think about it.” Tarlen would miss Constantine if he stayed on Greblok. He’d miss all his new friends, and he’d hardly had any time with Kriss to see what that kiss had been about. But the idea of spending his days waking up in his old home and working to better Malin was awfully enticing as well.
“Good. Now, how about we see where we can help?”
____________
“Ven Ittix, you look well.” Elder Fayle’s voice brought him out of his meditation, and he peered over the courtyard to see the Ugna leader walking toward him.
He stood in greeting as she arrived. “Elder Fayle, how do you like this space? The water reminds me of our meditation pools at home.”
She glanced around the courtyard. “I think it’s fine in a pinch. Where is the rest of the crew? The ship seems quiet.”
“They’re each attending to their own tasks, some personal, some for the good of the Concord,” Ven told her.
He hadn’t felt like himself recently, and he knew why. “Elder Hamesly told me some interesting information.”
It was difficult to shock Fayle, but this did it. Her eyes squinted as she regained her composure. “What did he tell you?”
“That you’re poison. That the Ugna seek power and are forcing children into drugs, and that it will only grow worse as you expand beyond the Zilph’i, bringing in other Founders.” Ven studied her face, which remained stoic.
“Elder Hamesly is not well.”
“He’s no longer albino. He looks like any Zilph’i. He claims that you cannot only refrain from En’or, but also from the Talent, and that after some time, I could be as him. Free from the Ugna.” Ven said the words without conviction, only fact.
“And is that what you seek, child?” she asked.
“No. But I wish to learn more. I don’t think your motives are evil, but I don’t understand them either,” Ven admitted.
“It is time, then, Ven Ittix. Come to Driun F49 with us, and I will complete your training,” she offered.
Ven had expected to confront her with the information and encounter some rebuttal, but not this. “I will consider the invitation.”
“Very good. Now, how have you been feeling?”
“I see a pattern. My senses are stronger than ever, and I no longer have need of En’or,” he said.
“You have brought a piece of the Vastness with you. Close your eyes and let me teach you something.” She sat beside him on the bench and took his hand.
Elder Fayle began to hum, repeating her mantra. He joined, and soon he felt them lift off the bench, growing weightless. He saw the lights, the pattern dancing in his eyelids, and she spoke, explaining so much, yet so little.
____________
After a couple of weeks away from the bridge, Tom felt like he’d returned home. Everyone was here, and he wondered if this would be his last mission as captain of the flagship. He smiled at Constantine’s AI, and the man only tilted his head in a knowing nod.
Brax Daak looked rested, and his sister was on the opposite end of the bridge: a rare occurrence, since she preferred the comfort of her boiler room. Commander Starling was beside Tom, and seeing all of the executive crew in one place felt… right.
Tarlen was still on Greblok, helping his people recover. Tom knew the boy would have a bright future in whatever endeavors he sought out.
Luci had departed aboard an unmarked freighter a few days ago, and she was likely reunited with Seda by now. He hoped the woman, who’d been an enemy of the Concord, understood and appreciated the bending of the rules for her. Tom hadn’t made the bargain for her benefit, but a child shouldn’t grow up
without a parent. He could attest to that.
Tom checked the radar, seeing the twenty or so Ugna vessels that were coming with them to Driun F49. The system was far from the Founders, twice the distance as Earon was from Nolix, and that was where the Concord had decided was the best fit for their newest member. Never before had a race that was technically part of one of the Founders been granted recognition as their own Concord partner, and now Thomas Baldwin was bringing them there. His resume was filling up quickly.
“Captain, the Ugna are prepared for departure,” Ven advised, and Tom remained seated. From here, Earon Station hung to their right, a giant structure with many purposes. He’d been glad to spend some time studying it, but didn’t plan on returning any time soon. He thought about being planetside, perhaps in Nolix with the other admirals, and a shiver shot through his veins.
Thomas Baldwin wasn’t meant to sit in an office, high above the ground in a skyscraper, stuck in the middle of a city with millions of bodies around him.
He was meant to be among the stars.
It was in his blood.
“Bring us out,” he told Ven, and Constantine led the way, moving from Earon Station, then the human home world.
Soon the Star Drive kicked in, and Tom smiled as they began their escort mission.
Epilogue
Elder Fayle checked over her shoulder, knowing no one was there. It was a habit when she traveled away from her village on Leria. She’d never trusted anyone but her own people.
Her console displayed a messaging system, and she sat motionless, using her mind to press the keypad. Rerouting the security on Constantine was simpler than she’d expected, and a minute later, she was confident the communication would be secure. There would be no record of the transmission, and she peered one last time to the locked door before beginning the call.
She cleared her throat, her mouth dry from hours of meditation.
His face appeared, the room he occupied dim and dank. “High Elder Wylen. I apologize for the delay in our interaction.”
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