Then, Kendrick walked Fiona to the next cabin and opened the door, gesturing for her to enter the room. “Figure you’ll need an actual cabin besides just the med bay,” he said. “Go ahead an’ git your things rounded up, an’ make yourself at home. I’m off to git my gear put away and change. Got me some last-minute preparations to do before tomorrow mornin’. Mars is a long trip.”
“I have never been to Mars, but I know that it is Alliance,” said Fiona.
“Every planet inside the asteroid belt is technically Alliance, Fiona,” said Kendrick crossly. “What do you suggest we do? Float in space? Anyway, they give out licenses to build private colonies to terra-forming groups. Phoenix Station’s one of ’em; it’s fairly independent and very shady and won’t ask any questions. Which is why I need to make some last-minute preparations.”
Captain Kendrick Royce sat in his chair on the bridge, looking out at the beauty of the Earth hanging in the lunar sky. He never tired of the view, no matter how mundane the nature of his visits was. The delivery of food came shortly after he had shown the doctor and engineer to their cabins. Once it was received, Kendrick was essentially ready to leave. He removed the flask from his pocket and took a draught of the Jameson inside, enjoying the whiskey’s smoky, floral aroma as it filled his nostrils. Captain Royce savored its earthy flavor before swallowing, appreciating the warmth as it went down. The dock personnel had already refueled him, so they could take off at any time. Until departure, they could relax.
Though Kendrick was planning to get a good night’s sleep, he was not ready to turn in just yet. He got on the web, sent an e-mail to Isao Fujita, and posted the message on the Flier’s board. It was pure happenstance that Fujita was on Luna, and Kendrick was heading to Mars the next morning. If Fujita wanted this race, it would be his one and only opportunity.
Fujita had been challenging him to a race for almost a year now, telling everyone that Kendrick Royce was a chicken because he had not accepted the challenge. So, Kendrick issued his acceptance in the form of a one-time, take it or leave it, offer: a race from the Moon to Mars.
With that taken care of, Kendrick had time to ponder the doctor. Fiona was definitely attracted to him and he knew that the attraction was mutual. Holding the older woman on the way back felt very comfortable, natural, and Kendrick was surprised at himself when he had realized that he had been running his fingers through her hair as she had napped with her head on Kendrick’s shoulder. It’s been five years since Selene died and I’ve had no real relationships, he thought. Would it really be so bad?
Kendrick had no easy answer to his own question. The idea of being with any woman but his beloved Selene for more than a night had only seriously crossed his mind once and that ended up being barely more than a one-night stand. He had put the idea of a committed relationship from his mind entirely until now; it had certainly been long enough since her death. Taking Fiona to his bed would not dishonor Selene’s memory.
So far, Kendrick had dismissed the idea of a relationship with Fiona, partly out of suspicion, but after opening up to the doctor and holding her on the train, he was now tempted to reconsider. Jillian would be less complicated, he thought. While Jillian would have been pleasant, there was no attraction to her on his part. He was not sure why; Fiona was no better looking and infinitely more complicated, but somehow, Kendrick felt like they had a connection and he was indeed attracted to her.
When he had originally found her in his cabin, Doctor Kinsale had her glasses on, glasses that had been missing when he saw her in the pub. With her glasses on, Fiona did not squint and her eyes were a very beautiful blue, and pleasingly shaped. Perhaps that was the moment that she had ensnared his affection. He went over it repeatedly, but came to no conclusions. Deciding that he simply was not going to figure it out tonight, Kendrick kicked back and turned on his music, the bridge filling with the sweet sounds of early rock and roll, rockabilly and blues.
Xing sat reading the dossier Colonel Tracht had given him on Captain Kendrick Royce. In spite of himself, Xing found it fascinating. Royce was an academy graduate, not too terribly shocking in and of itself, but he had graduated at the very top of his class. No academy pilot had ever been rated higher. Ever. Royce was of a humble background, musically talented and had enjoyed a career in the theatre, cinema and as a rock star.
There was a note that a Master Katsugan had trained Royce. Katsugan was a pseudonym for a Caucasian man whose real name was William Bannon. Xing had a very low opinion of American martial arts instructors, especially when they adopted Asian names, but the way Royce handled the two Zduhać was amazing. Borislav and Yaroslav were known to him; both were considered very dangerous men, highly trained and, as all Zduhać, genetically enhanced. Xing was very highly trained himself and was not sure that he could have taken either bounty hunter unarmed, let alone take them both on. Royce had won mainly on surprise and strategy, wisely avoiding a prolonged fight. Still, Royce’s teacher had done a good job, by any measure.
Aside from a brief marriage to a terminally ill starship and AI engineer, the only other remarkable thing about Kendrick Royce was that he had spent much of his fortune to obtain a ship that she designed for mainly sentimental reasons. Of course, the ship was damn near impossible to catch, so sentimentality had served him well. Royce spent still more of his fortune lavishing a dojo upon his former sensei, as well as giving the man enough money to take care of him for the rest of his life. Extravagant, though Katsugan Sensei’s training had likely saved Royce’s life with the bounty hunters, so Xing could not fault him. Loyalty to one’s sensei was uncommon this day and age, especially amongst Caucasians and Xing had to admit that he admired the singing captain on this count alone.
Royce’s career as a space transporter was sterling. No botched jobs and very few questionable ones that anyone knew of. His side hobbies included performances in small venues and the occasional race. His main rival was a man called Isao Fujita. Fujita had never lost a race and most thought him unbeatable until Royce appeared on the scene with Selene. Royce had broken all of Fujita’s records and only the lack of a formal race between the two allowed Fujita to maintain that he might be as good as Royce. Royce’s ship was the only one around that was any kind of match for Fujita’s newer, speed-focused vessel. Selene was advanced enough in its day that it was still ahead of most modern ships. Between his main job as a transporter and his side gigs, Royce made a respectable living and he still had money left over from his days of stardom.
So why hook up with Doctor Keane? Royce was known to have a religious affiliation, another uncommon thing in this day and age, though not as uncommon in the southern U.S. where Royce hailed from. However, Kendrick had no record of being particularly involved beyond Sunday services and had no affiliations with any religiously motivated organizations. Perhaps she had fed him some sob story about being chased by thugs or some such. Just then, his door chime went off.
“Come in,” Xing said as he granted access.
It was Agent Amanda Keyes, the lone American on his team. She entered and stood at attention, saluting him. Agent Keyes was the most physically fit of his team. Tall, athletic and very well trained, both as a pilot and in hand-to-hand combat, he considered her an asset, in spite of her relative inexperience. She wore her hair in corn rowed braids pulled back to a short ponytail, her one affectation. Her African heritage had given her robust facial features and mocha skin. She did not have the beauty of a model or a pop diva, but she was attractive nonetheless. Most importantly, she exuded an aura of confidence. If he gave her an order, she never questioned its feasibility. She simply got it done, knowing all along that she could. Thus far, she had not been wrong.
He returned the salute. “At ease, agent.”
“Sir, yes, Sir!” she barked.
She tries too hard though, he thought, annoyed with the gung-ho attitude. “I trust that this is not a social call.”
“No, Sir,” she said, barely hiding her broad smile. “I have a lead for
the team Sir. I have found Royce and know his destination.”
That got Xing’s attention. Gung-ho or not, he thought, she gets results. “Where is he?”
“Tranquility Base, Sir. And, Sir, he’s announced acceptance of a challenge from Isao Fujita. They’re going to race to Mars. Race starts in two days’ time at eight in the morning.”
This is good news, he thought. “How firm is the intel?”
“Firm? Sir, don’t you surf the net at all?”
“I have not been on tonight, agent,” he said. “Why?”
“Because he answered the challenge by posting it all over the Flier’s Board,” Keyes explained. “It’s all over the web. Even some of the larger music sites have picked it up. ‘Rocker takes on interplanetary challenge on eve of rumored comeback,’ is how they’re pitching it. They leave at eight tomorrow and it’s about eleven there now. For me to do what I need to, I have to get there by one a.m., two at the latest. With the time difference between us and the Moon, I might actually be able to get there before he leaves if we hurry. I have a contact in the Tranquility Base control tower who’ll help me make this happen.”
“This is good, no, great news! Excellent work, Keyes!” Finally, his frustration had lifted. “We’ll never beat him to Mars, but we can activate our agents on the Moon to delay him long enough for us to get there. If we can’t catch him there, we can activate our agents on Mars and have them try to delay or detain him in some way until we can arrive at either location. Get to the Alliance Interceptor Verona immediately! She’s not supposed to put out for Luna for another day, but I’ll see to it that she leaves in fifteen minutes; she’s the only ship afloat that can get you there that quickly.”
“I’m on it, Sir!” With that, she saluted.
He returned the salute and she left.
“Resourceful girl,” he said aloud as the door closed. He had discounted the woman’s efforts and realized that his own prejudices had blinded him to her true value. Had he not relented on his opposition to having an American on the team, Amanda Keyes would not be on the mission. His unit would still be chasing its tail. If she continued to produce as she had been, Xing felt that a promotion would be in order.
Agent Amanda Keyes left Xing’s office with confidence and a spring in her step. So far, she had been able to really stand out on this mission and she hoped that this would reflect in her record and ultimately, in her career. She knew that Xing did not want her on the team; he had a dislike for Americans. She had tried very hard to overcome his prejudice, overcompensating in many areas, but this just seemed to alienate him more. Sick and tired is his dismissive attitude, she took to affecting a gung-ho demeanor just to annoy him.
Then, she began producing results in the Joyce Keane case. If Xing appreciated anything, it was results and Amanda Keyes knew how to produce results. Getting to chase after Captain Kendrick Royce was an added bonus; she loved his music and had respect for him as a pilot. Now, she was curious as to just how worthy an adversary he would prove to be.
So far, she had been able to keep up with their quarry, but keeping up was not the kind of results that Xing was after; she needed to get ahead of Royce and Doctor Keene, and she knew just how to do it.
Terri Jenkins had just had the most eventful eight hours since she began working in the control tower of Tranquility Base Spaceport. The U.S. government had run some operation with two small interceptors, though the entire tower was sworn to secrecy; the ships were to be reported as pirates. The two interceptors then attempted to intercept the Selene, a regular visitor. She hated telling the Selene’s Captain Royce that it was pirates, but she had little choice. Terri had even attended his gig out of guilt, though she was glad she did; he was excellent. The announcement that Royce would take on Fujita hit the web less than an hour after Royce’s gig and it seemed that Tranquility Base had erupted into one giant party.
Now, the night had blurred into morning and with the commencement of the Race at oh-eight-hundred, the partying would be dying down, at least until a winner was announced and that would not be for weeks, though she was certain that updates would be posted in the interim. She was just about to start getting ready for bed when her door chime sounded. Terri went to the door and looked through the viewer, wondering who would be calling on her at one-thirty in the morning. When she saw Amanda Keyes, she was overjoyed and quickly opened the door.
“Amanda!” Terri embraced her old friend and schoolmate. “What brings you here? I thought you were off working with the Alliance.”
“I am,” replied Agent Keyes.
“Oh.” Terri deflated as she realized that this was a business call, not a social one. “What do you need?”
“Aw, Terri,” consoled Amanda, “don’t be like that. Yeah, it’s business, but it doesn’t have to be just business.”
Terri was downcast. “Amanda, we had something once …”
“I know, Terri, I know. Look, I ship out at oh-eight-hundred on the Verona and I desperately need your help. I also wanted to see you. I know it sounds lame, but this was just about the only way that I could see you without making plans well in advance.”
Amanda pulled her close and kissed her on the cheek, Terri all too willing to hold her tightly. Amanda began rubbing Terri’s back, just the way she had when they had been together years ago. Then, she whispered in her ear, “Will you help me?” Amanda kissed her again and her efforts yielded the desired effect.
“God help me, Amanda, but yes. What do you need?”
“Time enough for that later, Terri,” said Amanda seductively. She kissed Terri passionately on the mouth, pulling her close and gliding her hands down the trembling girl’s back. Terri yielded, reciprocating and allowing Amanda to begin undressing her.
Fiona had settled into her cabin, and then returned to the Med-Bay, now awake after her dozing on the train. She was particular about how a Med-Bay should look and wanted to take care of some finishing touches before turning in. The doctor spent about a half an hour getting things in order, picking up where she had left off when they had been attacked and finally felt satisfied with the set up. She was about to leave for her cabin when she heard a gentle knock at the door. It opened, revealing Kendrick, holding a folded white garment of some type under his left arm.
“Man, the place looks good,” he said with admiration. “Like an actual Med-Bay now.”
“That’s what happens when you have a doctor in the house.” she teased flirtatiously, “What brings you to the Med-Bay? Do you need to see a doctor?”
“Only to say goodnight, Fi.”
It was the first time he had called her by a diminutive, signaling a greater level of comfort and closeness to her. Fiona suddenly wanted to tell him everything, for him to know the real woman, but she held her tongue, allowing him to continue speaking.
“That, and to thank you; we really sang great together. Best gig in … well a long time.”
“We did,” she agreed. “Thanks, Ken. I never could have performed like that before.”
Kendrick smiled wistfully at her, his cheeks reddening slightly, then he looked down bashfully. “Anyway,” he said, recovering and looking back at her, “we hit the road at oh-eight-hundred, so it’s time for me to git to sleep. I suggest you git some too; I assume you’ll wanna be on the bridge.”
Fiona nodded and smiled back at him. “Good night, Ken.” Emboldened by their newfound closeness, she had stood up on her tip toes and kissed him lightly on the lips. It was not a deep, romantic kiss, but as the doctor sank back down onto her feet, her hands had gone to her mouth and she turned a deep crimson.
The captain smiled and reached over and touched her cheek. “G’night, Fi.” He turned to leave, then stopped suddenly, saying, “Oh yeah, you might want this.” Kendrick handed her the folded garment. “It’s a nightshirt. Just sittin’ there doin’ nothin’, an’ I figured you needed it more than I do. She was about your size …” His voice trailed off as she accepted the gift.
“Thank you,
” she said softly. “It … it means a lot.”
Kendrick nodded, then kissed her on the forehead and left, saying no more. As the door closed behind him, she sat down, suddenly overwhelmed by the day’s events. Her own boldness both surprised her and worried her. Fiona was falling for him, which was exactly what she had told herself not to do.
The doctor walked down the hall to her cabin and as soon as the door closed, she unfolded the nightshirt. It was really a nightgown, descending to her ankles and had full-length sleeves. The floral lace design around the collar formed a ‘V,’ even though the collar was round, showing nothing below her neck. The lace continued to the gathered waist of the garment, which had an integral sash sewn in. It was a beautiful cotton nightgown, and substantial enough to be appropriate for wearing aboard a starship. Fiona held it close for a moment, as though it were a keepsake and then laid it on the bed and went to the bathroom to brush her teeth, all the while thinking about the Captain.
Afterward, she changed into the nightgown, appreciating how comfortable it was and how well it fit her. Fiona imagined that it must have been very hard for the captain to give the gown to another woman, which made the gesture even more touching. Climbing into bed, she hoped to find sleep and put an end to her inner conflict. The day had been so full and eventful that Fiona should have been sound asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.
Instead, she tossed and turned for another full hour, unable to find rest. Somehow, in spite the fact that the doctor had managed to keep herself from falling for any man she had met, Fiona found herself falling for the dashing Captain Ken. The doctor had been very picky about whom she would date, scaring most of them off with deeply held religious beliefs and her stubborn refusal to go to bed with them on the first couple of dates, and boring the rest into leaving by refusing to go to bed with them after more than a year of dating. Fiona wanted to be married as a virgin, have kids and grow old with her soul mate.
The Silver Liner: Takes Flight! Page 6
