by Taylor Smith
As she stood looking around the vast openness of Clew, Cade couldn’t help but notice she’d been allowed to change out of the rags they’d hastily dug up for her the day before. She now sported a black ship suit that fit her form much better and she looked more comfortable for it as well.
Her smile wavered slightly when her face grew puzzled. “So,” she said, her mouth twisting in playful curiosity. “Beautiful, open-aired view of the inside of a ten story space station over here,” she pointed over her shoulder. “And you sit facing a run-down, boarded up eye-sore over there,” she pointed to the shop Cade faced.
Even after what she’d done to him, there were times that Cade really started to like Haley. This was not one of those times. He took a deep breath and looked back to the shop.
Haley must have read his demeanor and frowned. She looked back to the shop and then to Cade. “I’m sorry did I say something –“. She stopped as she spotted the sign that hung above the door. “Cade family?” she asked curiously.
“I was hungry,” Cade ground out and ignored the question. He lifted the small cooler he’d been carrying all night from beneath the bench, its cooling motor still whirring quietly. He really didn’t want to talk to her about his past and especially not his parents. Even with all his anger, he wasn’t cruel enough to blame their deaths on her directly. He knew Haley would just be an outlet for the real murderer, and he couldn’t do that to her. He still couldn’t allow himself to consider her a friend, though. “I just couldn’t go in yet.”
Thankfully, Haley didn’t respond. She just looked back to the small shop and then moved to the rail to enjoy the view. It suddenly dawned on him that she had acted like she was looking for him, and he wondered if something had happened. “Did you want something?” he asked curiously.
Her head lowered as she leaned on the rail overlooking the station. “No,” she replied quietly.
Cade groaned. “Ok. That came out wrong,” he said and stood from the bench. He moved to stand beside her with his forearms on the rails and looked out over the openness of his home. The trees below that lined the first floor rustled slightly at the airflow now unimpeded by people and moving equipment. “I just meant was there any particular reason you were looking for me, or were you just missing this pretty face of mine?”
She laughed, seeming to cheer up a bit. “It’s not that bad, Cade,” she said, then tilted her head. “I was just restless. Saundi’s asleep, and I don’t know anyone here, so I thought I’d find out what you were up to.”
“Well,” he said, deciding he had sat outside the shop long enough. “Hungry?”
At her nod he led her to the closed shop and unlocked the door with a swipe of his hand. When he entered, he couldn’t help but stop just inside. He hadn’t been here in years, since the Grim Shoals’ last leave. Even then he would never go inside. He would always check up on the store though, wishing for the day they would be able to open it again.
The inside air was crisp and unused. Chairs lay upturned on top of the few tables scattered about and the front counter was oddly bare where it once was littered with menus, rolled silverware and account records. He made his way to the back with Haley in tow, passed the front desk and into the kitchen. He breathed deep and shook his head.
“What is it?” Haley asked.
“It’s too clean,” he said in a wondrous tone. He looked to her to find her expression confused and even a bit worried. He grinned at the memories. “It always smelled like good food in here, even when my parents made me help them open in the mornings, which I hated. There was always a hint of what was cooked the night before.” He shook himself out of his memories and unpacked the cooler on the main prep table.
“I’ve seen better tomatoes in my time but this one will do just fine,” he said placing it next to the onion and bread. He hefted a small packet of meat from the bottom of the cooler and held it up for her to see. “Hope you like burgers.”
Chapter 16
Haley tried not to wince. Her memories of hamburgers at the academy were not pleasant, but she nodded and smiled anyway hoping that he didn’t see her anxiety.
She’d felt silly upon meeting him. As they talked she realized that she really had no good reason for her seeking him out. Then he had called her out on that very point and she felt even more foolish. That moment had passed though and she was happy he had invited her in. The sign out front that read “Roger’s Jolly” hadn’t given her a clue as to what the shop was until she caught sight of the header just above the restaurant name that read “Cade Family.”
That was a curiosity that ate at her, but he was obviously unwilling to talk about it, and she wasn’t ready to start prying yet. She was just restless and didn’t want to be alone in a strange place.
“So you used to come here as a kid and help run the place?” she asked as she looked about at the stainless steel jungle of a kitchen as he worked.
“That’s right,” he answered as he retrieved several pans and placed them on the stove.
She made her way through the kitchen and found that it reminded her of the academy cafeteria. She’d only been back there once, but all the gleaming metal was a shocking contrast to just seeing white walls, white floors and white ceilings all day long.
“Hand me that chef’s knife,” Cade said who now looked at her expectantly.
She looked around and found that she was standing in front of a small shelf with multiple handles protruding outward. She pointed to one and at the shake of his head pointed to another. She grabbed the last at his nod and handed the long knife to him but not before the thought of using it to escape crossed her mind. She almost laughed at that but was able to hold her tongue. She’d sought him out, and it would be a useless attempt anyway.
“Thanks,” he said and began chopping vegetables up. “So we leave for Stormcall first thing tomorrow morning. The Reaper should be fixed up by then if the estimates were correct.”
Haley nodded and thought back to the ship that brought her here. “There was a lot of damage. Sorry about that,” she dared to say, but wanted to know what kind of reaction she’d get. She still wasn’t sure what it was about him that she seemed to need to dig at, but there was obviously a mountain of armor he pulled around himself when she came around. He wasn’t like this with anyone else, as far as Haley could tell.
Cade paused for a moment and then shrugged. “You didn’t know, right?”
She let out a deep breath and cringed. “Well, I was doing my job. Everyone was in shock after what you said over comms, but then you attacked. Hard.” She held her hands up. “What were we supposed to do?”
He stopped what he was doing and glared at her for a long moment then went back to work. “You didn’t know,” he repeated.
Damage was being done, she knew it, but she couldn’t help herself. She had no idea who this man really was but she hoped she could glean just a little insight into him so she pressed on. “Your pilot was superb, but he just made some dumb mistakes. It was a lucky shot that took your engines out, that’s all.”
Cade put the knife down and stared at the table, the sizzling sound of vegetables and meat was the only sound in the room for a moment. “You made that shot. The one that crippled us?”
Haley knew she was in trouble now and berated herself inwardly for pushing the issue. She watched as he took several deep breaths. “Cade, I’m sorry. I really am. If I would have done anything different, Andrelli would have shot me right there. Hell, he slapped me for doing a good job!” Her eyes went wide at her realization. “You were piloting the Reaper!”
He nodded but didn’t say anything as he returned to his cooking.
“Damn. One handed even. I’m impressed,” she said as she thought back to the fight. “You were good. Really good. Just don’t repeat yourself so much when –“.
“Just drop it please,” he cut her off, clearly agitated. “I really don’t want to think about him right now.”
Haley stared at him for a moment trying to
figure the man out. She could tell his face was reddened a bit, and it wasn’t because of the stove. He’d also said ‘him’, and she knew he was talking about Andrelli. She knew Cade was vengeful toward him for destroying his ship, but she wondered if she hadn’t underestimated his anger at the man. Who could have been on that ship with him? Surely not his parents.
She looked around the place with new eyes and wondered if that was the case. He had mentioned that he hadn’t been back to this shop in years, though, so she dismissed it. They were either long gone or long dead. Her heart went out to him at that thought. Another link they shared.
“Look. I’m not good at making friends, Cade,” she said, hoping to extend an olive branch as she watched him angrily cook hamburgers for them. “Saundi is the only person that has ever been able to put up with me for any great length of time. So I’m sorry for not knowing when to just shut up.”
Cade took a deep breath and stood straight as the food cooked. He seemed deflated, as if too tired to be angry any longer. “It’s ok,” he said, and turned to her. “I don’t think it’s your fault, Haley. But in my mind, you’re linked to him. And he did a lot of damage. So don’t be surprised if I get a little angry when his name comes up.”
Haley knew it was more than that, but she nodded, the issue finally tabled. She suddenly noticed the aroma of what he was preparing. “It smells delicious. Nothing like the academy.”
Cade actually let a small grin escape at that. “Yeah, I saw your eyes when I mentioned burgers. You almost ran out the door.”
They ate their burgers and Haley found them nothing like the dreadful things at the academy. She knew it wouldn’t be hard to outclass the cardboard nightmares, but Cade’s food was at the opposite end of the spectrum. It also impressed her that he used real meat, mostly. Not easy to come by, even on the wealthier planets.
They’d talked on about safer subjects and finally decided to call it a night. Cade walked her back to the room she was assigned, promising it wasn’t safe. Once they had arrived, he turned quickly away and was gone with nothing more than a “good night.”
She wasn’t really sure what she was expecting. Definitely not a kiss from the man, but something a little less cold would have worked just fine. She tacked it up to her earlier blunders in conversation, not to mention the fact that he was a pirate, and she had taken an oath to stop his kind from doing what they loved to do. She wondered if she would ever be in a situation that forced her to stop him from doing just that. Without doubt, she knew she would do her duty.
***
The next morning Saundi met her for breakfast at a small café that had put tables out onto the main thoroughfare amid the trees. Haley was due at the Reaper in an hour, but she couldn’t help but look out onto the promenade and dream of living aboard.
“What’s gotten into you?” Saundi said from across the table. “You have these weird doe-eyes going on.”
Haley laughed and shook her head. “Nothing. I was just wondering what it would be like to live here,” she said then cringed as she awaited the outburst that was sure to come from her friend.
“Oh,” Saundi said and looked around. “It’s not that bad, I guess.”
Haley felt her forehead wrinkle in surprise. She would have thought that Saundi would be in the brig again by now for one crazy infraction or another, just out of boredom. She knew her friend wanted to be anywhere else than here. Obviously she misjudged her. “Okay,” she drawled out. “Would you live here?”
Saundi shrugged. “It’s not like it’s much different than any other colony station, except for big ugly over there.”
Haley turned to look over Saundi’s shoulder at the set of stairs that ran up to two large wooden doors. A shining skull and crossed swords watched protectively from overhead. “Yeah,” she relented. “Not really a welcome mat for tourists.”
“Ready?” came Andy’s voice from behind her. She turned to see him and Cade waiting, both in their black long coats and looking all business.
Haley turned back to Saundi to find she had a small smirk that she hid the moment Haley turned back to her. “What was that?”
“What was what?” Saundi said innocently. “He’s cute in that rugged, scarred pirate way.”
Haley sighed and downed the rest of her tea. She stood up and pointed at her friend in warning and said, “Please don’t get into any trouble while I’m gone.”
“Yes, Mother,” Saundi said with her face all scrunched up.
Haley joined Cade and Andy, and they headed for the docking bay. As they walked, she glanced toward Cade several times to try and gauge his frame of mind. He seemed more focused than he had the night before, and she decided it was a good thing.
They entered the cavernous bay to find several workers wiping their brow amongst crates and machines that had seen a lot of use. Parts littered the bay as far as Haley could see, and she noticed the Reaper wasn’t the only ship getting attention.
Cade must have seen her curiosity and moved to stand next to her. “We’re getting ready,” he said confidently. “Those down there are being retrofitted with systems that aren’t decades old. They’ve been sitting unused for a while, not really worth taking out on runs. Now that we have a job for them though, they’re seeing some dock time. Finding crews for them is the other hard part.”
Haley nodded in understanding and gazed down the line of cradles in the bay. She hoped that Clew would make it through the fight, but she was ready to get back to the Alliance. That was where she belonged.
When they boarded the Reaper, Haley was impressed to see how clean and tidy it was. When she first boarded the ship it was under major in-flight repair from the fight with Valiant. Now she felt a sense of order on board.
Andy approached her before she could get to a transit tank and said, “We’re shorthanded. I don’t think we’ll need it, but I could really use you at tactical for this trip.”
She stared back at him for a moment and shook her head. “I’m sure there would only be about a hundred rules I’d be breaking if I did that.”
Andy laughed and nodded. “Probably, but we won’t tell if you won’t.” He let his voice drop a bit as he continued to say, “We really don’t have anyone else, and if we get in a pinch I can take over. We won’t tarnish your impeccable Allied Fleet record.”
Haley thought about it for a moment and sighed. “Fine, but I’m not wearing a skull on my suit.”
Chapter 17
Cade felt a small shiver run through the Reaper as it exited subspace on the edge of the Storm System. His console immediately alerted him to hundreds of navigational hazards. His brow knit as he tried to make sense of them all.
“Activate the Stormcall routine, Cade,” Andy said from his command chair.
He nodded and did as directed. Storm was a mess. Everything from solar flares to moving pockets of intense radiation and fast-flying asteroids overloaded his navigation systems. When he entered the sequence for what Andy had described as the Stormcall routine, the scene quickly cleared and concentrated only on several areas of space which seemed less chaotic.
“There,” Andy said as he approached and leaned over Cade’s shoulder. “There’s our flight path. You still have to be careful of stray rocks that are too big for our ship to handle but it’s relatively safe.”
“Relatively?” Cade asked unenthusiastically. “This is crazy.” He couldn’t see how anyone could live here. The idea that at any moment a stray asteroid or comet the size of Clew could intercept their path made him uneasy.
“That’s why we love it. No one bothers you here unless they’re as insane as we are,” Andy said with a smirk. “The planets carve safe lanes through the system. Over time it’s built several corridors through all the crap that makes Storm so dangerous. The station itself is protected by the moon it orbits.”
Cade shook his head and was still unconvinced this was safe at all, but he trusted Andy. “Whatever you say, boss.”
Andy and Cade had ridden the transit
out on the bridge. During the one day ride they’d discussed the family in which Cade had recently acquired. It was still odd to him, being adopted into a completely different family he knew next to nothing about, but it helped to partially fill a sizeable hole in his heart.
He’d found that Andy had another sister closer to his age that still lived, though they were estranged and it was clear he didn’t want to talk about her. Cade had realized quickly that it was a subject not to dig into and decided to drop it.
“Doc’s up,” Andy said, snapping Cade from his thoughts. “She’s waking up the rest of the crew.”
“All right,” he said and wished they had a full complement of crew aboard. With all the preparation being made back home, they’d decided the Reaper didn’t need a full crew for what was supposed to be a quick in-and-out to Stormcall Station. Cade hoped they were right.
A few minutes later, Criss Hulbert entered the bridge and sat down at the comms station with her coffee. Behind her, Haley walked over to sit down at tactical, flashing a quick smile to Cade and Andy. She looked more comfortable in a generic black ship suit than she had when they first arrived at Clew. However, she was still adamant about not wearing anything that bore the Jolly Roger. A dark outline where the skull and crossed swords once sat was plain to see.
“Good morning,” Andy greeted both of them. “Criss, as soon as you can get a clear line through the muck, get with Stormcall control and let them know we’re going to need to dock. Press them for a mooring in section two. That puts us closer to our destination, and don’t let them charge you more for it.”
“Aye, Captain,” Criss responded and went about her work.
“Haley, access tactical routine Stormcall Alpha,” Andy told her. “That should clear up most of the garbage.”
Haley worked her console for a moment then shook her head nervously. “It’s ok. I’m used to seeing all of it.”
