by Gun Brooke
Ayahliss sat down on the bed, just beneath a viewport, looking at the silvery streaks outside. Traveling this fast made it impossible to see individual star constellations, but they were beautiful anyway. Ayahliss’s first deep-space journey had taken her from Gantharat, her home world, to the Supreme Constellations, to Earth, which was like Gantharat in so many ways and so incredibly alien to her in others.
She had tried to fit in, and after her initial anger and resentment, she had gained the trust and the affection of one of Earth’s most prominent people, Dahlia Jacelon. Chief Diplomat Dahlia Jacelon, she corrected herself. Dahlia had obviously seen something in Ayahliss. When Rae had treated her with suspicion, Dahlia had instead begun to teach Ayahliss social skills and such superficial things as fashion and table manners. Nothing surprised Ayahliss more than realizing that finding your stride when it came to such mundane matters helped you obtain respect from other people.
“So the surface is more important than what’s underneath?” Ayahliss asked Dahlia scornfully, clasping a silly little fork with strong, callused hands.
“Of course not. People tend to scan the surface first, before they even give you the chance to prove yourself, though. If you are impeccable in your exterior, as well as how you carry yourself, you’ll find that people will take you more seriously quicker.”
“So, what you’re saying is, if I learn to use this fork and wipe my mouth like a lady, I won’t have to kick someone’s teeth in to get them to listen?”
“Ayahliss!” Dahlia stared at her. “Ah. A joke.”
“I do have a sense of humor.”
“You have yet to prove it.”
Ayahliss was about to glare at Dahlia for being so stuck-up when she saw the twinkle in her eyes. “Ah. A joke. An Earth joke.” She huffed with emphasis.
“You’ll do fine, child.”
Ayahliss pressed her wrists against her forehead, burying her fingers in her short hair. She tugged at it, welcoming the prickly feeling when she deliberately hurt her scalp.
The door chime buzzed, making her jump. Trembling in the cool air from the ventilation unit, she padded over to the screen. “Who is it?” she asked.
“Reena. I need to talk to you.” Amereena Beqq’s face and wild red hair filled the screen. “Please.”
“All right.” Ayahliss didn’t bother to put her uniform back on. Instead she donned a thin robe, tying the belt haphazardly. “Enter.”
The door opened and Reena walked in, dressed in civilian attire, a soft blue dress with long sleeves. The fabric billowed around her and seemed to change between pale and navy blue depending on the light. Sandals with long, wide silk ribbons tied around her slender calves added an inch or two to her height.
“I assume you’ve spoken to Kellen.” Ayahliss didn’t bother making her statement into a question.
“No. Well, yes, but she came to me, not the other way around. I had planned to talk with you tonight anyway, and seeing how worried Kellen was only made me more determined.”
“And if I hadn’t let you in?” Ayahliss knew she sounded childish, but she didn’t care.
“I would’ve camped on your doorstep. Do I look like someone who gives in once I’ve made my mind up?”
“No.”
“Well, then.” Reena’s eyes softened. “Are you all right?”
“I’m fine.” Sarcastically, Ayahliss motioned toward the door. “There.”
“Ayahliss. Please.” Evident but indistinguishable emotions made Reena’s voice tremble faintly.
“All right.” Ayahliss cleared her throat nervously. “All right. I’m…I’m confused.”
“Talk to me.” Reena looked around, then sat on the small couch. She patted the pillow next to her. “Join me.”
Ayahliss sat down slowly. The couch barely seated two, which made their knees touch. Her body suddenly tingly all over, Ayahliss clenched her hands into fists and forced herself to breathe evenly.
“I know you think you failed Dahlia, and something tells me that you still beat yourself up about Armeo’s little stunt at the hotel on Corma.”
“You saved the situation. You were there and saw how useless I was.”
“I thought we were over that. We talked about it, Ayahliss. You did nothing wrong. You couldn’t be expected to physically restrain him if he had made up his mind to go exploring. Instead you stayed with him and made sure nobody got too close.”
“But they did. And I nearly broke that woman’s arm.” Ayahliss felt Reena’s hands on her shoulders as Reena shook her gently.
“Good for you. She should’ve known better than to crowd him. What’s done is done. Now we’re on our way to do something really important. You know more about this than any other civilian. You’re one of our most important subject-matter experts. You and Kellen. And your intel regarding the resistance movement is actually even more accurate than hers, so if we look at it that way…” Reena gestured with her palms up.
“I’m afraid.” This wasn’t at all what Ayahliss meant to say. Set on keeping up appearances, she dug her nails into her palms.
“Why?” Unbelievably soft, Reena’s voice lowered nearly an octave. She took one of Ayahliss’s fists between her hands. “Talk to me.”
“I’m afraid of what I’ll find when we reach Gantharat. I’m afraid that I’ll screw up and get people killed. Kellen, Dahlia…you.” Ayahliss drew another breath, but there seemed to be very little oxygen in the room. “I’m not an expert. I was just a regular resistance fighter in a small cell, which was ambushed and caught.”
“Don’t sell yourself short.” Reena squeezed Ayahliss’s hand firmly. “You’re a formidable fighter, and you think fast on your feet. You’re beyond brave, and if you’re at fault for anything, it’s that you’re a bit too impulsive and lack self-preservation. The things you believe about yourself are not true. Your own insecurities are playing tricks on you. I also think you really miss Armeo, and you’re afraid something will happen to him when you’re not there to take care of him.”
“He has protection.”
“I know. Level-one protection by the best security officers the SC can produce.” Reena gently pried Ayahliss’s hand open. “There. Relax, Ayahliss. You’re like a taut bowstring.”
“Bowstring?”
“It’s an ancient weapon that launched arrows using a bent branch and a string.”
Ayahliss tried to picture such a contraption, but her weary brain could only process the fact that Reena was sitting so close, caressing her hand and lower arm. Was she even aware that she was stroking Ayahliss in this way? Ayahliss didn’t intend to draw attention to it, in case Reena stopped. It felt so good—so soothing, comforting, and exhilarating at the same time.
“Better.” Reena slid impossibly closer. “You’re not quite as pale. Can I dare to hope that you’re starting to see things my way?”
“What do you mean?” Did Reena want her to reciprocate the gentle, insistent touch?
“I mean, can you see that you’re too hard on yourself?”
“Oh.” Ayahliss wasn’t sure why her chest stung with utter disappointment. “Perhaps.”
“‘Perhaps’ is a long way from your total conviction earlier.” Reena smiled broadly, which made her so beautiful; she looked years younger. She stopped caressing Ayahliss’s arm and gazed down at it. “You’re so strong, yet so slender. How’s that even possible?”
“Gantharians’ bodies are denser and have another metabolism than a human.”
“I’m Cormanian.”
“Same thing. I have difficulty distinguishing between Earth humans and Cormanian humanoids. If it wasn’t for your eyes and…eh…your freckles, I couldn’t tell.”
“Freckles? Oh, you’ve noticed them, have you? Damn. Here I thought I’d been so clever with the skin rejuvenator and makeup.”
“Why?” Why had her observation caused Reena distress?
“Why? To Cormanian women, freckles are a sign of aging. Not something we cherish, exactly. As for my eyes
, yes, they’re different from those of Earth humans.”
“Subtle difference. Your iris is sort of luminescent in the dark, and your pupils are slightly oval-shaped.”
“You’ve paid attention.” Reena began to massage Ayahliss’s other hand, even though she had already relaxed her fingers.
“I don’t think your freckles make you look older. I…I like them. They make you seem approachable. You know. Softer.” Ayahliss groaned inwardly. Surely it was Reena’s touch that made her say things she normally would suppress.
“Oh.” Reena grasped Ayahliss’s left hand tight. “Ayahliss. For stars and skies, this is insane.” As if she only now realized how little Ayahliss was wearing, her eyes glimmered in the muted light. Slowly she raised her hand and ran a light fingertip along Ayahliss’s lower lip.
“Reena.” Her mouth suddenly dry, Ayahliss wanted to throw her arms around Reena and hold her close. Instead she pressed against the armrest behind her, trying to put as much distance between them as possible short of standing up. Her legs wouldn’t support her right now.
“You’re gorgeous. I know you’re not for me, but I can’t help but see…you. All that you are. Or perhaps all that you let me see. You’re an enigma, a mystery, and it hurts that you’re not for me to figure out.” Reena let go of Ayahliss’s hand and looked regretfully at her.
“I know I’m not for you. How could I be? You’re amazing, famous, and acquainted with political leaders. You’re powerful.” Ayahliss tried to demonstrate that she understood and was puzzled at how Reena’s eyes darkened and how she suddenly scowled.
“And too old for you.”
“Old?” Ayahliss tried to understand where that comment came from. She had taken Reena’s comments about Cormanian freckles as a way for her to be evasive, an act. This second remark about age made Ayahliss think it could actually be a sore spot for Reena.
“I’m twice your age.”
“What does that matter?” Ayahliss could list a thousand reasons why she was wrong for Reena, but age?
“Normally I wouldn’t let it faze me, but—it matters.” Speaking with sorrow in her voice, Reena raised one of Ayahliss’s hands to her face. She rubbed it gently against her cheek, then turned her head and grazed it with her lips. “Now, please listen to me. I need you to remain focused on this mission. We all have our assignments, and I can’t worry about you exploding into dangerous situations.”
“I won’t endanger anyone.” It hurt to speak.
“That’s not what I mean. If I can’t trust you to act with all the knowledge and discipline Kellen has taught you, I won’t be able to concentrate on my own assignment. Don’t you understand? I worry about you.” Reena stood, letting go of Ayahliss’s hands. “So many things about this mission are difficult. We’ll reach Gantharian space in two days, and a lot of things need to be ready by then. Good night, Ayahliss.”
“Reena?” Rushing to her feet, Ayahliss shyly touched Reena’s arm. “I know I’m struggling with guilt. I’m not stupid. I need to work through it to be a useful member of this crew, of this mission, but it’s just…it’s not easy. This is not the only, I mean, the first thing I’m guilty of. I’ve seen and done a lot in my years in the Gantharian resistance. It took being rescued by Kellen and Rae to make me regard things differently.”
“A lot to take in during such a short time, isn’t it?” Reena’s eyes were warm again as she looked up at Ayahliss. “You’re doing much better than you give yourself credit for. If I can make one more wish?”
“Of course.” Her heart suddenly pounding, Ayahliss wanted to slide her fingers through the red masses of Reena’s hair.
“Don’t push Kellen away. Or Dahlia…or me? We all love you and want to help you reach your potential. Just bear with us, all right?”
Oddly disappointed, but also stunned that Reena would use the word “love” the way she had, even if she’d included Kellen and Dahlia, Ayahliss nodded. “I promise. Can I ask a favor in return?”
“Anything.”
“Don’t—don’t give up on me?” Ayahliss held her breath and barely dared meet Reena’s eyes.
“Oh, Ayahliss, how could I ever?” Reena flung her arms around Ayahliss’s neck and held her close.
Ayahliss acted without thinking, mimicking Reena by wrapping her arms around her and returning the embrace. She had hugged Kellen, Rae, and Dahlia, but none of those times had she ever felt this way. Every hair follicle on her body rose to attention, and the inside of her body seemed to melt into a buttery consistency. She felt hot and cold at the same time, and her heart thundered.
Reena smelled like the red flowers on the meadows beneath the mountains where she grew up, and of something more, something indefinable, yet all Reena. Her long, wild mane of red curls tickled the back of Ayahliss’s hands, igniting shivers along her limbs.
“Ayahliss, you need to let go of me. This was unwise. I shouldn’t have hugged you. Not like this.” Reena spoke fast. “Ayahliss? Let go of me, darling?”
Ayahliss took in the term of endearment more fully than Reena’s message. Reena had called her “darling”? Rae called Kellen this all the time. The potential significance was too much. Ayahliss let go of Reena as if she’d burned herself.
“I apologize also. I don’t know what happened.” Ayahliss tried to smile casually, but failed. “Good night, Reena.”
“Good night.” Reena left and the doors hissed together behind her.
Ayahliss felt the cool air from the ventilation against her legs and gazed down. Her belt had come undone and her robe was fully open in the front. How long had it been like that? Had she hugged Reena half-naked? No wonder the poor woman looked so flustered. Groaning, but also with a faint smile about how ridiculous the situation was, Ayahliss undressed and slipped into bed. Expecting yet another sleepless night, she was relieved that drowsiness overtook her almost immediately.
Chapter Six
Weiss never understood how some people could enjoy weightlessness as something to do for sheer fun. She hated it, and always had, despite being born in space. As a child aboard a generational ship, she had learned the basics regarding space walks by the age of four. Some of her friends loved it, but she despised not being in control.
“Pull the handle, Weiss. Stay on course.” Madisyn’s voice crackling in her earpiece startled Weiss back into present time. Cursing under her breath, she tugged at the handle and the fusion pack on her back ignited, propelling her toward the surface of the moon. The slight tug on her body reduced the eerie feeling of nothingness that engulfed her every time she was in weightless conditions.
“Landmark one in sight. Trying to pinpoint landmark two.” Weiss spoke sharply as she looked for the third rock formation they needed to triangulate their position. “I see lights two finger-widths from the first landmark.”
“I see them too. Might be the crew quarters.” Madisyn was not visible to Weiss’s left. “I have the third landmark in sight. Stay close.”
“On your tail, Pimm.” Pressing her hands close to her legs, Weiss followed Madisyn in a narrow spiral toward Nemalima’s jagged surface. The landscape appeared increasingly hostile and unforgiving as they got closer. They needed a reasonably smooth surface to land safely, but that hope was futile this time. Weiss didn’t like not being the front person, the leader, but Madisyn’s superior vision made her the best person for the job. Annoyed, Weiss corrected herself. Madisyn was an individual, not a person.
“Touchdown in forty-five seconds. Brace for impact. Engage radio silence and only acknowledge touchdown with two clicks.”
They would have to operate quickly and with as little communication as possible, since the miners possessed an elaborate security system. Podmer had based his plan on the theory that the grid around the mining colony was set to detect vessels, not something as small as a body.
The ground seemed to rush up to meet Weiss, and she engaged the anti-G thrusters to cushion the last of the drop. She hit the ground with her knees bent and staggere
d sideways, trying to remain on her feet. Not about to do the usual body roll on the sharp rocks, she was relieved when she found her bearings and didn’t bounce all over the small canyon. She clicked her communicator sensor twice. Next to her, Madisyn had performed a textbook touchdown and was already scanning their surroundings. Weiss pulled out her own scanner and saw they had landed a bit farther to the south than anticipated, but they could easily make up for it. She made sure the anti-G pack was turned off to conserve energy output.
Following Madisyn, Weiss tried to emulate her long strides, using the moon’s low gravity to propel her forward. She hated feeling clumsy and was relieved when she soon found the same rhythm as Madisyn. One crewmember joined them, and to their sides, Struyen and the other five members of their team fanned out in two groups, according to plan. Three hundred meters farther toward the illuminated side of the moon, Madisyn stopped and raised her hand, indicating they should halt. She clicked the communicator twice and Weiss heard two sets of double-clicks moments later. All were in position.
Weiss made sure her plasma-pulse rifle was set to heavy stun and moved carefully behind Madisyn as they approached the site of the security-grid beacon. Madisyn unhooked a small device from her belt and placed it on the ground a few meters from the beacon. They had to render it harmless for the rest of their mission to be successful. Being a Guild Nation BNSL android, she possessed more knowledge regarding technological solutions than any of them.
Madisyn backed up, using her scanner. Her broad smile told Weiss what she needed to know.
“Pimm to team two and three. Beacon is neutralized and sensors are scrambled. We can now forgo radio silence. Set weapons to heavy stun. Move into position.”
“Team two advancing.” The communicator buzzed to life.
“Team three moving in.”
“Affirmative.” Madisyn nudged the small device, which was responsible for scrambling the mining company’s sensors and projecting false readings, sliding it beneath a rock formation. “Team one moving toward storage area.”
