Joe’s friend, Emery, leaned forward in the seat across from Joe. “Are you going to be all right, kid?” he asked Braedon.
Braedon nodded. For once, not trusting himself to speak.
“Thanks for your help in there. As soon as we get Joe to the infirmary, we’ll see you back to your ship.”
Braedon didn’t move. Not even when they filed off of the shuttle with Joe lying flat on a medical transport bed. Trix was silent as they waited for the pilot to return. He didn’t want to talk about what they’d just witnessed; he only wanted to close his eyes and forget what he’d seen.
— — —
“Well, that didn’t exactly go as planned,” Ian scoffed once they were securely back in the Command Center of the Conquest. He felt the wobble of the Gatekeepers peculiar transport system but compensated for it once he took in his surroundings. The sensation was like being back in one of the academy going through one of the gravity locks into a freefall training room.
“No, it seems we may have traded one malcontent for another,” Wil said, running a hand through his hair.
Saera stood at Wil’s elbow, waiting patiently for their account but not pressing them for information right away. Her eyebrows were drawn in concern.
“I get the feeling this is just the beginning,” Ian said, breaking the uncomfortable silence.
“I think you’re right.” Wil looked to his wife. “What about Joe? Did we retrieve him in time?”
Saera nodded. “Yes, they docked only a few moments before you arrived. He’s in the infirmary with Emery.”
“And the Verity?” Wil asked.
This time, Saera pursed her lips. “We haven’t had any contact since the explosion. I believe that’s because Skyler is still unconscious. They may have injured.”
“Emery will probably want to go over to get her himself,” Ian said, “I’ll deliver the news and accompany him.”
Ian made his way to the infirmary, remembering the last time he’d seen it. He shook of the remnants of memory and entered. Joe was conscious, it seemed; that was a good sign.
“Good to see my two troublemakers are still at it,” Ian said. He plastered a smile on his face though he’d never seen Joe looking so bad. He was gaunt and the bruising on his cheek and around one eye made him ball his hands into fists.
“Sir.” Emery straightened when he saw Ian approaching. “We were just catching up.”
Ian nodded. “Your fiancée was injured on board the Verity. I thought you might want to accompany me over to assess her situation.”
“Skyler?” Joe croaked. “She’s here?”
“Yes, as is your old crew. Do you feel ready to go back? We can give you some time with them before we discuss your future.” Ian didn’t want to elude to anything in particular. He wasn’t entirely sure what Wil had in mind, only that he’d said Joe would be more useful to the TSS on the Verity than anywhere else in the Taran Empire. No doubt it had to do with the fact that his girlfriend was a hybrid Gatekeeper.
Joe shook his head though, his eyes clouding over. “No, not like this.”
Ian swallowed. Of course, he wouldn’t want to go back in this state. He cleared his throat. “I’ll let them know you’ll be returning with us for your medical care.”
Joe’s face relaxed as if the thought had eased some internal pain.
Ian nodded to Emery in signal to follow him out. Once they were halfway to the shuttle, he broached the subject. “How is he, really?”
“Not well. His telepathy is—well—it’s like he’s defenseless. He keeps slipping into dreams and waking up disoriented. They did a number on him over there. I’m not sure what their end goal was, but he’s a mess.” Emery put a hand to the back of his neck as if to cool it. “About Skyler, do we know what happened to her?”
“Yes, it seems she was only knocked about by one of the Gatekeepers when she tried to prevent them from taking the captain. From what I know, she took a pretty heavy hit to the head and she’s been recovering in their infirmary.” At the sight of Emery’s wide eyes, he hastily added, “They have a Healer on board. I’m sure she’s doing all right.”
Joe would get the help he needed from the doctors at Headquarters. Perhaps they’d even learn the truth about what Arvonen was really after.
— — —
Once she had the strength to stand, Iza went down to check on Jaidyn sleeping in the infirmary. He deserved to know the truth about what happened to his mother as soon as possible. Three candles lit the dim room, and whatever Cierra had given him had eased the pain, as the grimace that had seemed permanently etched on his face had now faded into a more peaceful expression.
She hated to disturb his rest, but it needed to be done. She was reaching out to touch his shoulder when Cierra appeared in the doorway and spoke.
“Let him sleep for now. Whatever you need to say to him can wait. Braedon and Trix are back.”
Iza leaped to her feet, and Atano followed her out close on her ankles as she dashed toward the cargo hold. A TSS shuttle was docked and Trix was among the four individuals waiting for her when she arrived.
Iza ran forward, hoping that the fourth person was Joe, but she knew from his stature it wasn’t him. Joe was taller and his hair much straighter. Though she was glad to see Trix and said so.
“Thank you, it’s nice to be back. We were able to retrieve Joe Anderson from the ship before it exploded.”
“You did?” Relief flooded over Iza. Then why do I still feel hollow? She was grateful for Trix’s candor and at the same time surprised that he wasn’t with them. “Where is he?”
This time, Mandren spoke removing his dark glasses so she could read the entirety of his face. “He chose to stay on board the Conquest. He needs medical care—the kind he can only receive at TSS Headquarters.”
“I want to see him,” she demanded, unable to control the sound of desperation in her voice. A moment ago, she’d thought him dead. Now, they were saying he was alive but on their ship.
Ian raised a hand as if to slow her down. “He’s asked for some time to recover before he returns.”
“What?” Iza couldn’t put the words he was saying with Joe’s face. “I don’t believe you.”
“In truth, after we retrieved him, he remained unconscious most of the ride back to the TSS ship and he was taken directly to their infirmary,” Trix confirmed.
Iza nodded, though she didn’t understand. She dropped her gaze to the deck; she didn’t want him to see the anguish on her face after spending her first hour in shock and now learning he was alive but didn’t want to come back to the Verity. She wasn’t sure how to deal with all the emotions she couldn’t quite hide.
“I know how you must be feeling. I’ve been in a war, and there are always casualties, even in the small battles,” Agent Mandren said. “Don’t forget, this was a win. We got our people to safety and we averted a war. Eventually, Joe will be ready to see you again. You just need to be patient.”
The younger Agent with him stepped forward to greet her. “I’m Emery Valackas, Skyler’s fiancé. I was hoping I could see her.”
“Yes, of course,” Iza said leading him to the infirmary.
“And don’t worry,” Emery added, “we’ll get Joe fixed up. I know he’s missed you like crazy.”
Iza swallowed the lump in her throat.
When they arrived at the infirmary, she found that her cousin was awake but Skyler was still unconscious.
Emery rushed to her bedside. He stroked her hair and kissed her forehead—the kind of loving reunion Iza had hoped to have with Joe. Her heart stung, seeing them together.
After a minute of standing at her bedside, Ian spoke up. “We’ll arrange to transfer her to the Conquest. Thank you for the care you’ve provided.”
“My pleasure,” Cierra said, inclining her head respectfully.
Emery turned to Iza. “Joe didn’t exaggerate when he described you.”
“Oh, thanks,” Iza said not sure what kind of answer he was e
xpecting.
“I know you don’t know me, but believe me when I say, I’ll take care of them both.”
The Agents left with Skyler.
Cierra came in to clean up and light a new candle, the spicey scent tickling Iza’s nose. Then, she turned her administrations on Jaidyn, who couldn’t seem to keep his eyes on anyone else when she was in the room.
Braedon must have noticed it, too, when he joined her in the doorway. Iza watched him glare at Jaidyn with his eyebrows drawn close together as Cierra lifted his clothing to apply a salve to the abrasions on his skin.
“You still need more rest,” Cierra said to Jaidyn. “I’m going to insist that you stay here in the infirmary for a few hours so I can monitor your progress.” She turned to tend to the plants in the room with the same care she’d handled his injuries.
Iza cleared her throat to get Braedon’s attention, motioning him out into the corridor. “So, what happened?”
Braedon pulled his gaze away from Cierra and Jaidyn, focusing on Iza. “Well, when you disappeared, we didn’t know what to do. Instead of panicking we figured sticking with the plan would be better than going off on some random side mission. The TSS would back us up if we played our part, right?” He lifted his hands and paced the floor as he got into the story. “Once we figured out who had you, we had to choose a path. We didn’t know exactly what kind of danger you might be facing, so we moved fast. The goal was to get Joe off the Arvonen One as quickly as possible.”
“You got to him before the explosion. For that, I’ll always be grateful.”
Braedon’s face fell and his eyes darkened. His father had been on that ship.
How could I be so callous thinking only of Joe? “I’m sorry about your father,” she said hasty to make amends for her insensitive comment.
Braedon stared down at the floor as if he could see the man. “He wouldn’t listen. I tried to save him but, in the end, even when he knew it meant his life, he ignored me. The thing I’ll never get over is that he took all those people with him.”
Iza clamped her mouth closed, letting Braedon get through the story at his own pace.
“If it hadn’t been for Trix, Raquel, and the TSS, we never would have made it out alive,” he said.
“Raquel?” The ire rose up in her at the name.
Trix, Viper joined Iza in the corridor listening to Braedon’s account.
“It’s a long story, but she helped us, and we couldn’t leave her behind. We didn’t know what was going to happen, but we knew the TSS would have questions for her. They took her into their custody as soon as we arrived.”
“Joe was another matter altogether,” Trix said, jumping in to help Braedon with the story.
“Why didn’t he come back with you?” Viper asked.
“It’s complicated,” Braedon said, avoiding Iza’s stare. “They really messed him up, Iz. They basically tore open his mind, planted false memories. The TSS thinks my fa—” he swallowed, “that my father was planning to use him against you. But even they’re not sure.”
“His friend, Emery, said Joe’s mind was in pieces,” Trix added.
Braedon shook his head, “He wanted to go with the TSS, and I’m not surprised. If it were me, I don’t think I’d be ready to step back into my old life, either.”
“There are a lot of changes to adjust to,” Karter murmured.
Iza’s heart threatened to shatter. She took a steadying breath, trying to keep her mind focused on business. “We need to retrieve my shuttle from Douketis.”
“Agreed.” Karter nodded, quieter and more pensively than his usual confident self.
Viper rubbed her hands together. “Ooh, won’t that be fun. A new encounter for your comic book, Braedon?”
He shrugged. “We’ll see how exciting it is.”
“Speaking of which, now that we’re not all about to die, you owe me a peek at it.”
“Yeah, I guess you’ve earned it,” he yielded.
“Well, I’ll make the necessary arrangements to reacquire the shuttle,” Karter said. “I suggest we set a course for Beurias; Apex will make a suitable location for the handoff. And, now that my mother is gone, I’ll have to deal with the fallout of her hostile takeover.”
Iza realized what he was saying. She’d forgotten his mother had also been on the Arvonen One when it was destroyed. He didn’t seem to be taking it as hard as Braedon, but they all grieved in their own ways.
Iza wasn’t sure what the appropriate level of sympathy was required when an estranged or absentee parent was killed by aliens. She settled on the easiest response. “I’m sorry.”
Karter waved a dismissive hand in her direction. “She lived a good life. Though she’d gone rogue in the end, I admit I already feel the loss. I’ll have a lot of questions to field from our investors.”
Iza saw the pain in his eyes, despite his calm demeanor. It was fortunate that Becca was there with him.
“Captain,” Trix cut in, “I’m receiving a call from the TSS ship—for you, specifically.”
Is Joe calling? “I’ll take it in my cabin,” she said and jogged down the corridor.
When she answered on her viewscreen in her room, she was surprised to find herself face-to-face with the TSS High Commander—the High Dynasty heir himself. She struggled to gather herself.
“Um, sir, I—”
“Please, that formality’s not necessary,” he assured her. “I wanted to reach out, because I suspect you’ve had a rather poor opinion of me before today. And, despite what I hope have been some redeeming moments in the last few hours, I’m now about to leave again with the person you care about most in the universe.”
He’s astute, I’ll give him that. Iza simply nodded in response.
“I know this may be difficult to believe, but I understand what you’re feeling right now.”
“Sure,” she managed to force out.
“You were used for terrible ends. It’s an awful feeling.”
The emotion welled up in her chest again. Is that what he was trying to do—to get her to break? She fought back the tears. “It’s my fault all of those people are dead.”
“No,” he said, resolute. “I know something about the weight of guilt, when you’re caught up in a mess others created. It’s a horrible burden to bear. But I’ve come to understand that living the best life I can, and helping as many people as possible along the way, is how to best honor those who’ve died. When you’re placed in an impossible situation, there is no win-win. You were used, and it’s those who put you in that position who are to blame, not you.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
“Because you need to hear it, and I don’t know that you have anyone else in your life who understands the situation well enough to say it. I was lucky to have amazing people to help me through my darkest time. Don’t shove others away when you need them most.”
She looked down, not sure what to say.
“I won’t keep Joe from you,” he said after a pause.
Her heart skipped a beat. “You mean…?
“When he’s recovered, he’s free to return to the Verity as a civilian. At the time I sent him to Earth, I didn’t realize the bond he had with you. If you’re willing to trade him for that independent jump drive, you’ll be free to go on your way.”
“Yes! Of course. And I’m sorry about that… I didn’t even know he’d had it installed until—”
“I know. No hard feelings.” He looked away before turning his attention back to the camera. “Joe’s had a hard life, and I get the impression you have, too. I hope that together, things will be better for both of you.”
“Thanks. I hope so,” she said. “I need to talk to him, before you go. I need to hear for myself that he’s okay.”
“I’ll pass on the message. Take care.”
Iza stood motionless, trying to decide if the conversation had actually happened the way she heard it. She’d expected him to be a hardened military commander, completely out of touch w
ith an average person’s reality. If that’s the man leading the TSS, no one ever needs to worry about them.
She stumbled out into the corridor, still dumbstruck by the conversation.
Karter was stilling lingering in the corridor outside his cabin, and he gave her a questioning look. “What is it?”
“I just got off a vidcall with Wil Sietinen.”
Braedon, who was chatting with Cierra near the infirmary, jumped to attention. “You what?”
“Yeah, really nice guy, it turns out.”
Karter’s jaw practically hit the floor. “You didn’t happen to mention Apex, did you? A connection with Sietinen could—”
“No, Karter,” Iza cut him off. “Not everything is about business. Sometimes, you just need to connect with another person. In the end, we’re all just people trying to get through life.”
“Yeah, I guess so,” Braedon said reflectively.
“Speaking of which, our parents will be wanting to settle soon,” Cierra said with a glance at Viper. “If it’s all right with you, Captain, we’ll arrange to have them dropped off someplace safe.”
Iza shrugged. “Yes, whatever you like. Just inform Trix of your plans and she’ll adjust our course.”
With a nod, Cierra left to see to her parents.
“In the meantime, Trix, get us on our way,” Iza continued. “And if Viper’s sticking around, find her something to do on the flight deck.”
Viper beamed. “Thank you, Captain.”
The two of them headed toward the flight deck, leaving Iza alone with Karter.
“I assume you and Becca will remain on Beurias,” Iza said.
“Yes, now that my mother will no longer be a problem, I believe it is safe to return.”
“What about Becca? Will you do the right thing now?”
Karter’s mouth lifted in one corner. “It was a pleasure riding with you, Sundari. Take care of my ship,” he said turning on his heel.
“My ship,” Iza called after him with a smile on her face. With the contract fulfilled, now it really was hers, free and clear.
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