by Candace Sams
“Thank you,” he responded as he hugged her tight. “You don’t know how much this means to me.”
He kissed the top of her head, and Charlie almost melted into him. She knew he didn’t like lying but had likely been ordered to.
She looped her arms around his neck as he bent to kiss her. For him to publicly display affection in uniform—in front of his crew—was very unlike the man she’d come to know. That meant his stress level was high indeed, and he was hiding much more than she’d assumed. If’ she’d had any lingering doubts about her plan, he’d just removed them.
She enjoyed the heat of his full lips against hers. The touch of his mouth was so passionate and breathtaking she wondered if she’d be able to walk away when the time came.
In the end, Datron would need to get on with his life. He could think she’d found greener pastures. There’d be some way to leave without his ever knowing about her illness. For now, however, she could hold him and be with him for a few days longer.
Their sensual contact deepened, and she felt her entire body grow hot with need. When someone cleared their throat, the sound brought her back to reality. She quickly broke the embrace and backed away. But she did this without taking her gaze from Datron’s gorgeous face.
“Captain, we’re almost ready to clear the hangar,” Clitus announced.
Datron smiled down at her. “See you soon, meteor. Keep a warm place beside you.”
She nodded then tried to detain him for one moment longer. “Why do you use that silly nickname?”
He briefly touched her nose with his index finger. “Because you came out of nowhere, hit hard and left a deep impact.” Then he winked and strode toward the Hyperion’s gangway.
She made a great show of packing up her gear; an even bigger deal of walking toward the hangar doors with her tool chest behind her on an anti-gravity cart. When Clitus remotely opened the hangar, she waved while walking out into the sunlight.
Datron’s last gaze in her direction seemed poignant. He looked at her as if begging her to keep her promise. Even as she acknowledged his stare with one of her own, the doors to the hangar began to slowly close again.
Without hesitating, Charlie found a shed some twenty yards away, stowed her tool chest in the building and covered it with a discarded old tarp.
Using stealth and speed, she moved behind large crates, tractor levelers that maintained the airfield surface, piles of discarded scrap metal and old, empty munitions containers. These effectively hid her body. And just before the hangar doors closed once more, she slumped and hastily crept right back into the hangar again. No one the wiser.
Datron, Electra, Clitus, and Gilla were gathered now, deep in conversation near the cargo bay. Luck was with her.
Whatever they were up to she wondered how they actually intended to pass this voyage off as a simple test flight. It was nothing of the sort and she was as sure of that as she was her impending death.
Assertions to the contrary, no flight plan had been filed. She’d covertly checked using the onboard computer. That plan likely wouldn’t be completed until she was gone. Almost certainly, whatever the air traffic controllers received wouldn’t be the correct information.
Her belief in those faked flight plans had to do with what else she’d seen.
Earlier in the day, Clitus and Gilla disappeared for a short time, returning with a few large crates. The men told her the crates contained assorted goods that would make their flight more ‘pleasant’. She got the impression they were sneaking aboard alcohol or other unnecessary, recreational items. As busy as she was, she’d tactfully accepted the explanation and got on with work. However, those added bins were far heavier than the ones containing food or water. She’d eventually had to account for their extra weight in fuel calculations. After her upbraiding, she didn’t dare query their presence, but now believed the crates might hold short-range cannons, a bomb or even hand-held weapons. If the crew meant to fly somewhere hostile, what was in those particular containers could be their only means of protection. The Hyperion carried no weapon systems of its own. A ship of that class was meant to fly within a planet’s jurisdiction and with guards armed only enough to assure diplomats of their safety. Normally, a cadre of warships like the Valiant would cruise nearby to protect this type of vessel—standard procedure for all dignitary ships. She’d helped outfit others before and knew the protocol.
Any gossip on the outside of the hangar—about what was going on inside it—would remain fodder for inquiring minds and nothing more. It seemed to her their secretive interests would have been better met if they’d done all this right out in the open and not in a covert manner. But she had a good idea that someone high up was calling the shots on whatever mission they planned. Otherwise, Datron would have followed less suspicious procedure more in keeping with airfield behavior.
The controlling entity in charge of all this probably ordered the entire assignment be kept as covert as possible. But what the hell did Electra Galaxy have to do with anything covert? She, of all people, would be recognized by anyone in three sectors of space. Then again, only a few people probably saw her. She’d arrived extremely early. And the excuse for vetting the ship might be believable for anyone not knowing what she did. And except for Clitus and Gilla’s sojourn to retrieve their crates, there’d been no leaving the hangar for any other reason.
What are you guys up to?
Charlie shook her head in confusion then put everything out of her mind except her own agenda.
Using the same tactics that had already worked outside the hangar, she swiftly crept behind one crate to another. Her goal was to situate herself just outside the ship, near the Hyperion’s cargo bay where the crew now reconnoitered.
She crouched and made herself as small as possible. From her position behind a flat of old hull parts, she saw Clitus and Gilla nod their heads in response to some comment. Then the pair moved away leaving Electra and Datron behind.
Because of the echo within the building, their conversation was clear enough.
****
Datron accessed an electronic notepad Gilla had handed him. He carefully reviewed the data. A missive had just been sent to them via the pad. It contained their last-minute instructions.
This final update was the only way Kryllian Zatoe Doran could secretly communicate. They were not to leave the hangar, but were to lift off as soon as possible.
“Lucent’s moon is some thirty hours away,” Datron said. “It’s not officially listed on any chart, but the locals call it Chiron. That’s where the Ussarian thieves are located.”
Electra shook her head. “I’ve never heard of High Ambassador Radnor Caul. I find it odd he’s giving us this information and that I, as an Earth operative, have never been aware of him. He must have been a minor dignitary before all this blew up.”
Datron shrugged. “I’ve never heard of the man either. But then I try not to have anything to do with Lucent if I can help it. I’m sick of their inability to enforce their own laws. That being said, we’re to give Caul all due respect.”
“What about Lucent’s destruction?” Electra asked. “Is that still scheduled for three days from now?”
Datron studied more information on the notepad before answering. “Yes. All the mine employees and their families are being evacuated. Once I activate the stationary trungeon bomb we loaded, Chiron will be a memory as well. At first, I wasn’t sure why the king ordered the moon destroyed, but that’s the change in plans. It seems he and the ambassador decided since Lucent and Chiron are geologically similar, more of those damned stones might be uncovered.”
Electra nodded. “I agree with their logic.”
“The changes in this communiqué call for getting ten Ussarians out of that cave if possible, and making sure they still have the two crates of stones in their possession. After that, it’s a simple matter of activating the bomb before we lift off for home. The king will personally take care of bombing Lucent. Again, he’ll use the excu
se that there’re harmful gases erupting on the planet’s surface, and that he wants to keep anyone not familiar with the situation from inadvertently landing and getting hurt.”
Electra nodded. “Remember, we need get a look at the crates and their contents. There’s no room for error. We must make sure we’re destroying the stones. It’s just a pity we can’t put the bomb on the surface, evacuate the ambassador and his enforcers, and simply leave the Ussarians to be blown to kingdom come. After all the killing and looting they’ve admitted to that’s the best they deserve.”
Datron sighed and lowered his notepad. “The king wouldn’t mind at all. But the ambassador is adamant. He claims the Ussarians will insist their citizens were murdered instead of being taken into custody…as enforcers are sworn to do. Aside from that, there are other peculiarities about this mission I don’t like. The ambassador asking for the same exact team that put the Ussarian smugglers away during the Mr. Interstellar Feller pageant two years ago just seems…excessive. Surely Caul’s men and one or two of the original team would have sufficed. There are only ten of the bastards after all.”
Electra sighed heavily and shrugged. “You heard Kryllian. Caul trusts only those who cornered the smugglers with the Lucent Stones. He fears what will happen to his reputation if the galaxy learns the stones can induce mind control. His planet and his moon may be space debris once we’re through, but he now stands a chance of taking his people to another mining colony and re-establishing his diplomatic position. Who’d trust him if they believed he might be under Ussarian control?”
“I suppose you’re right, Electra. Far be it from me to glean how political appointees think. I strategize attacks and arrests, not diplomacy. But something tells me all this is overkill. Bringing you into this must have caused comment from personnel on the airfield.”
She nodded. “I did note a few eyes turning in my direction when I arrived, though I made a great show of wearing a tourists’ badge like so many others. I suppose the air traffic control center will be told some bogus story about us heading into space for a test flight, the same damned thing we told Charlotte.”
“They’ll quit tracking us once we’re in deep space. If, for any reason, they do follow the Hyperion’s flight path as far as Chiron, I’ll just say I was testing the landing controls on the moon’s surface. The problem is we have to take care of those Ussarians quickly. Test flights don’t last more than a few days. We can’t stay away without our absence being scrutinized by my own superiors. I suppose the king will account for our delay in that event, but I don’t want to force him into making any more excuses. I want those crates recovered and placed right beside the bomb. I want that moon destroyed, and the errant Ussarians swiftly dispatched one way or another. Our enemies have a fleet on their way to Chiron, and they know about the stones and want them as badly as we do. I think that’s the only reason the bastards have kept them a secret. They want the powers for themselves.”
“Undoubtedly.”
“At any rate,” Datron continued, “we don’t want to be there when the Ussarian admiral and his war ships arrive. We’ll be outgunned and outmanned. The trungeon bomb can’t be delivered from the air as it’s meant to drill into the surface. It’s inappropriate for defense. It took every bit of skill Gilla and Clitus had to get it out of the weapons’ storage area and into this hangar without being noticed. They had to lie like Rigellian yard dogs.”
“Is there anything else in the airfield arsenals we can use besides the side arms in the crates?”
“No. We’ll be scanned by air traffickers when we take off. Their sensors would detect too much tyratanium metal which is what’s used on larger weaponry these days. In such an event we’d be ordered to stand down for a search. That kind of artillery isn’t meant to be on this class of vessel. The Hyperion, as a diplomatic and entertainment ship, is supposed to eventually be escorted by starfighters, not become one.”
“So there’s nothing else we can take?” Electra asked.
“No. Other than loading one organically constructed and therefore undetectable ground trungeon bomb…carrying anything larger than hand blasters is just impossible. If we run into any problems and have to call for help—”
“I know. There’ll be hell to pay in the way of explanations to all this planet’s dignitaries and counselors. His Highness has put his trust in us to keep that from happening and to keep the stones and their powers a secret,” Electra finished. But then, she tilted her head and smiled slyly. “Are you sure your only interest in expediting matters hinges on the destruction of the Lucent Stones? Or do you have more personal business that motivates your swift return?”
“You know…in the year I lived in your hotel, you got to the point you could read me like a damned book! You might not have known what Keir, Sagan, Clitus, or Gilla were up to, but you could always see through me and any subterfuge I might have thrown your way. Why is that?”
Electra touched his cheek with one hand. “There’s something about those dark eyes of yours, Datron. You don’t lie well and never have. You have inherent honesty that defies description. You’re a good ship’s captain, but you’d never be an undercover agent for Oceanus the way I am for Earth Protectorate. You could have never spent years playing to crowds as a male beauty pageant diva as I have. You’re just too open.”
He raised one brow. “I thought I did a damned good job pretending to be a male beauty pageant contestant.”
She smiled and gave a so-so wave with her hand.
“All right,” he said with a smirk. “I’ll have to work on my covert technique. I can’t fool people about the nature of this supposed test flight otherwise.”
“The pretense you’re offering when speaking of a swift return is flawed, my friend. The mission be damned. You want to get back to Charlie. That girl has you enchanted.”
He shifted his gaze and pretended to inspect a nearby hatch. “What makes you think that?”
“The way you don’t look at me while we’re on the subject. And the way you kissed her in front of all of us might have been a clue.”
He quickly put his full gaze back on her and slightly bowed his head in acknowledgement. “Okay…maybe I’m a bit gone on the little thing. She’s…well…I don’t know how to describe what I’m feeling. It’s difficult to articulate.”
Electra smiled up at him. “Of all people, I think you can certainly talk to me. If this is the woman you’ve been looking for then I want to know why you feel that way, Datron. We’ve been through a lot together. I consider you as close as I would any family member.” She curled her fingers over one of his biceps. “While we’re waiting for clearance to take off, I’d like to know what you’re thinking.”
He paused then offered what he could. “She’s…when I look at her…I hear music. I see starlight in her eyes, and I can hardly reconcile such intelligence in a creature so lovely.” Datron quickly countered that last remark. “Oh, I know that women can be both beautiful and brilliant. You’re one example of that. And I shouldn’t be such a cad as to say otherwise. But Charlie is so different from other women I’ve known. She’s buoyant and almost whimsical in a way that makes me feel…free. Then she can turn right around and expound on some practical theory of mechanics that will blind-side you. She’s like an Earth spring and an Oceanus warm summer all rolled into one little ball of intellectual excitement and humor. She has this way of looking at me. It’s as if she can drill right into my head and know what I’m thinking.”
He sighed and nodded. “Yes. She’s the one. I wouldn’t have believed it possible that she existed among those Miss Milky Way contestants two years ago. But back then I wasn’t thinking about the future.” He sighed heavily and leaned against a crate. “I’ve had time to think about my life, the direction it’s going. My desire was to have the heart of a good woman. And now I think I’ve discovered a girl who makes me want to settle down. I want this mission over, and I want to get back to Charlie so I can tell her all this myself.”
&nb
sp; Electra shook her head. “You know, I’m sorry you’re finding it so difficult to express yourself.”
He grinned. “Yeah? Well, Charlie does that to me.” He would have turned away but Electra grabbed his hands in hers and forced him to stay a moment longer. He saw grave concern in her lovely face and tilted his head. “What’s wrong, Electra?”
“I-I…this is none of my business, Datron. But after what you’ve just said I have to ask. Has Charlie reciprocated these feelings?”
“Not yet. But there’s something between us. I can feel it. I can hear it in her voice when we’re alone together.”
She swallowed hard and gripped his hands more tightly. “You may tell me to go to whatever Valkyrian hell exists, but—”
“But what?” he prompted.
“Datron, loving her might lead to heartache. Charlie’s, well, she isn’t—”
“Isn’t what?”
“Well, there could be things about her you don’t know. You should have a long talk with her when we get back. An extremely long talk. You’ve only known the girl a few days.”
He put one finger under Electra’s chin. “I thank you for your grave concern, but I’d have thought you’d be happy for me. After all…I’ve found what I need. And I’m bound to convince Charlie of my sincerity.”
“I-I just don’t want you to get hurt.”
“We all get hurt, Electra. That’s part of life. But Charlie has a true soul, and I can see straight into it every time she looks up at me. I sense she cares for me as I care for her. As for not knowing her for very long, I’ve heard it said a love that defies all logic is sometimes the most logical thing in the world.”
He sighed and lifted his chin. “Now, let’s put all this wasted concern on our mission, get our heads rigged for that and nothing else.” He lifted his arm and spoke through his wrist communicator. “Gilla, Clitus, if the coordinates are programmed and you’ve made our excuses to the flight controllers, let’s get this assignment underway.”
