Athena's Ashes

by Jamie Grey

  “That’s tough. Did you want your own ship?” She studied him under the guise of paying attention. He was as handsome as Finn, but with spiky blond hair and warm brown eyes instead of Finn’s dark hair and blue eyes. But there was something similar about both of them. Maybe it was their military bearing or the upright moral fiber MYTH beat into them. But where Finn had a core of steel, Blake seemed younger somehow. More innocent.

  The lieutenant shook his head. “Hell no. What person in his right mind wants that kind of responsibility? I’m perfectly happy serving under a very able commander and not being on the hook if something goes wrong.” He pointed to himself. “Having your own command is stressful and I’d hate to damage this handsome face with too many wrinkles. Old age isn’t a good look for me.”

  Renna laughed—for the first time in days, it felt like. “Good point. Wrinkles would definitely take away some of that boyish charm.”

  “I knew I liked you,” he said, beaming. His glance slid toward the commander. “Jayla’s going to have my head if I don’t get back to work. And she is one woman you do not want to piss off. I think she has bigger balls than I do.”

  “You going to let me find out?” Renna asked with a seductive smile. She didn’t mean a word of it, but flirting was another sure way to hook a man and she’d slipped into her old, practiced personality with ease. She’d perfected Renna-the-flirt years ago after she’d seen how well it had worked in getting her out of tight situations.

  Blake flushed a deep red and stammered, “Uh…no…yes… I don’t know…”

  She bit back another laugh. Well that was unexpected. The guy could dish it out, but he couldn’t take it. “Relax, handsome. I promise I won’t bite.”

  Blake cleared his throat. “Er, I really need to get back to work. I’ll talk to you later.” He almost scurried back to his console.

  Commander Jayla crossed the bridge to stand near Renna. “Are you upsetting my XO?”

  “I didn’t mean to.”

  Jayla shook her head, her gaze following the man as he took his station. “Alistair’s a good kid. One of the best, actually. But he’s a lot…nicer…than you’d expect a military man to be. Go easy on him.”

  “You sound almost maternal.” Renna studied the woman’s dark skin, her angular jaw. Despite reading Jayla’s file, she didn’t know anything about her personal life.

  Jayla shrugged. “He had an easy life. I don’t think he knew what he was signing up for when he joined MYTH. Finn and I have kept an eye on him.”

  “Is that why Finn got captain and Alistair didn’t?”

  Jayla nodded. “Blake’s not ready for his own command yet. Don’t get me wrong, he will be, and he’ll be an excellent captain. He just needs a bit more experience under his belt. He’s got a different style from most of my crew, and I want to nurture that.”

  Renna tapped a fingernail against the railing. Interesting. Most military people she’d met were more than happy to beat any sign of emotion out of their recruits. She hoped she was around long enough to see how Jayla and Blake interacted.

  “Enough about my crew,” Jayla said, shaking her head. “Where are we headed?”

  “Costa system. I have a lead on a facility on Crius Beta.”

  Jayla’s brows drew together. “Why would Captain Finn be hiding there? It’s a manufacturing system. That doesn’t make sense.”

  “No idea.” Renna shrugged. “My research said it was one of the possibilities. Might as well start there.”

  The commander frowned but nodded. “Lieutenant Tevsi, set course for the Costa system.” When she was satisfied they were on their way, she turned back to Renna. “I’ll show you to your quarters now and you can get settled in.”

  Jayla led Renna from the command center through the middle of the ship. Crew quarters were a floor below, and instead of separate officer/crew areas, everyone bunked in the same corridor. It was a pretty ship, well-designed, with barely a noise from the engine room.

  “What’s it run on?” Renna asked as they passed a pair of engineers working at their consoles.

  “It’s a fusion core generator with a Peron reactor and an electromagnetic dampening field to help it move smoothly through space. It’s a prototype design, but if it works well in the Eris, it’ll be rolled out to the rest of the fleet.” Jayla patted the wall of the ship. “It’s quite an honor they assigned her to you for this mission.”

  “I understand this whole situation is a bit unusual.”

  “You could say that.” Jayla studied Renna, her gaze laser-sharp. “You are also not telling me the entire truth, are you? There’s something else going on besides finding a missing ship.”

  Great. Dallas had passed along his suspicions. Renna would have to tread carefully; she needed this woman on her side. “I promise, as soon as I know something, I’ll tell you.” She smiled at the commander. “Please know I’d never put you or your crew in jeopardy. I need this mission to succeed as much as you do.”

  Jayla studied Renna. After a long moment, the commander nodded once. “Fine. But I am the commander of this ship and the safety of my crew is the most important thing, even beyond your mission.”

  “I understand.” Renna turned and started moving again toward the sleeping quarters. “I appreciate you trusting me. I know this is difficult.”

  “I don’t trust you, Carrizal. I trust Major Dallas.”

  Renna bit back a smile. Now she sounded just like Finn when Renna had first come aboard the Athena.

  She really needed to stop that. Whatever she had with Finn would have to wait until she’d put an end to Pallas and figured out a way to stop herself from turning into a cyborg. She couldn’t afford the distraction, especially if she failed.

  And if she failed? Well, none of it would matter then anyway.

  Jayla stopped at the end of the corridor and pressed a button on the keypad. “Here’s your cabin.”

  The door slid open to reveal a small room with a single bunk, a table, and a small bathroom. Renna noticed her bag was already on the bed as she stepped inside.

  “It’s perfect, thank you. Please let me know when we get close to the Costa system, and I’ll fill you in on the next steps.”

  Jayla turned away. “One more thing?” she said, looking back at Renna over her shoulder. “Dallas told me who you are, Star Thief. I’ll be watching you.” The door slid shut behind her, leaving Renna to stare at the smooth chrome.

  Damn the man. Did he have to tell everyone? Being the Star Thief was dangerous enough, but if word got out it was her, she’d be done. Every merc in the galaxy and most of their armies would come after her. It was enough to give a girl gray hair.

  She sighed noisily. It would be fairly easy to escape MYTH’s clutches and disappear on the next planet, but with this stupid implant taking over her brain, they knew she was trapped. Her only option was to stay here and hope MYTH didn’t let the cat out of the bag.

  “Dammit,” Renna growled and threw herself down on the bed. Her head pounded, and as she rolled over, the hard edges of Dr. Samil’s pill box dug into her skin. She pulled it from her pocket and set it on the nightstand where the metal glinted in the overhead lights. Those pills might be the only thing standing between becoming a cyborg and getting a happily ever after.

  Renna felt her muscles relax as the pillow cushioned her aching head. She needed to get some sleep before they arrived on Crius Beta. Her thoughts drifted back to Finn. He’d been so angry at her the first time she’d stepped foot on the Athena. She snuggled further into the blankets and chuckled. She’d been pretty pissed at him, too, but that still hadn’t stopped her from enjoying the view of his ass as he’d marched away from her.

  Her body started to relax, and she felt herself drifting in and out of consciousness. The ringing in her ears grew louder, but before she could worry about it, she was asleep.

  EIGHT

  Fuzzy. Everything was so fuzzy. A strange dull throb made the back of Renna’s head ache, and the taste of metal an
d star fuel filled her mouth with bitterness. Her weight shifted as the ship around her fell out of light speed. The tension behind her forehead eased as the ship slowed.

  The Athena trembled as Flight Lieutenant Kojima disengaged the FTL thrusters and the flight dampeners re-engaged. On the bridge, Captain Finn frowned at a holomap of whatever system they were headed toward.

  Renna shifted, trying to get a better view of him. His dark hair was spiky, like he’d run his hands through it too many times, and the skin beneath his blue eyes was smudged and shadowed.

  “Lieutenant Keva, what’s our status?” Finn’s voice had a strange metallic tone, but she’d recognize it anywhere.

  Her chest tightened and she reached out a hand to touch him, but her arms felt leaden, immovable. When they didn’t obey, she focused her gaze on Lieutenant Keva, the Delfine alien who was Finn’s XO.

  “Krooss, Thasa system. Viktis has a safe house there.”

  “The third this week.” Finn’s hands curled around the railing of the CIC. “MYTH is getting better and better at tracking us since we left Forever Station. It feels like we’re running in circles, doesn’t it?”

  The lieutenant nodded. “I hope Renna can figure out what’s going on sooner rather than later. I’m not sure how we can stay ahead of the trackers much longer.”

  “We’ll have to try. Maybe our resident pirate has some ideas. He’s full of them.”

  Keva grinned, an unusual sparkle in her violet eyes. “Yes, yes, he is.”

  Finn shook his head, but a smile tugged at his lips. “Behave, Lieutenant. I’m going to go let Aldani know we’ve arrived. He needed some more supplies. Make sure he gets everything he asks for.”

  Keva saluted. “Yes, sir.”

  The scene faded, but a moment later, Renna watched Finn stride into an equipment-filled med-bay.

  Dr. David Aldani hunched over a microscope, but he straightened at Finn’s entrance. “Ah, there you are, Captain.”

  “We’ll be landing on Krooss within the hour, Doctor. Have you sent Lieutenant Keva your supply list? I’ve told her to do whatever it takes to get what you need.” Finn sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “I didn’t expect to leave Forever Station in such a hurry. We left too many supplies behind.”

  “I think taking down Kitty Cordoza was more than worth it,” Aldani said with a smile. “I saw on the holofeed that they found extensive evidence tying her to a massive slave ring. They said she’ll be locked away for life.”

  A slow grin twisted Finn’s lips. “Kitty found out firsthand that karma’s a bitch. I’m just glad I was there to help put her away.” His gaze fell to Aldani’s electron microscope, and the amusement slid from his face. “Any news on Renna’s condition?”

  Aldani shook his head. “Not yet. The tissue sample I took before we left is unlike anything I’ve seen before. The cells are changing and mutating faster than should be possible.”

  Finn shoved his hands into his pockets, shoulders hunching. “She’s not going to make it, is she?” Renna’s stomach twisted at the flicker of pure anguish that crossed Finn’s face.

  “Of course she’s going to make it. She has the best doctors at MYTH working on it. And me. Who knows—maybe MYTH has already found a way to stop the integration completely.” He put a hand on Finn’s arm. “You can’t think like that. Renna’s tough. She’ll get through this.”

  Finn nodded, but he didn’t look convinced. “Thanks for the information, Doc. I have to get back to the bridge. Let me know if you uncover anything else.”

  Renna followed Finn as he left the med bay and wandered through the ship. He trailed a finger along one of the smooth polythene walls, and Renna’s skin erupted in flames, as if he’d touched her.

  But that was impossible. They were millions of miles away.

  “Renna, where are you?” he muttered.

  She wanted to whisper to him, to tell him she was right there, but the dream had frozen her mouth as well as her body. She used every atom of her willpower to walk toward him, to raise her hand to touch his face, but her body wouldn’t obey. She felt impossibly heavy. Immovable.

  Around her, the Athena jerked and trembled, and Finn stumbled, catching himself on the wall. Renna shivered again at the searing heat of his hand. Sucked in a breath to say his name…

  …and was awakened by Commander Jayla’s voice filling her room.

  “Good morning, Renna. We should be in the Costa system in under an hour.”

  Her lungs felt like they’d been squeezed into a teacup, and she took a deep, shuddering breath before responding. “Thanks, Commander. I’ll be right up.”

  She forced herself to sit upright, waiting until the cabin stopped spinning before getting to her feet. Her blood pumped sluggishly through her veins, her mind thick with fog. It felt like she’d been attacked by a rabid moisu. The two-headed creatures rarely left their pray intact.

  But she’d seen Finn, even if it had only been a dream. That was almost worth feeling like this.

  Renna ran some cool water in the sink, splashing her face several times with the icy water. Damn, that was cold. But it wasn’t doing much to wake her up. She was still focused on the longing that ached within her, the touch of Finn’s hand on her arm. It had felt so real, so life-like. Like she’d actually been there with him.

  Renna studied her pale reflection in the mirror over the sink. Her caramel skin had lost its usual color, and her lips were pale pink. Exhaustion made her look like she was about to pass out.

  And then she peered deeper into her eyes. They were even darker than normal, almost black as the pupils swallowed her irises. But as she stared, something flickered deep inside them. A strange glow that wasn’t entirely human.

  Her fingers curled into the metal sink as everything hit her at once. Acid spiked the back of her throat, and she swallowed back the nausea. It was happening. Beyond the weird mental things, she was physically changing. Her implant was turning her into a hybrid.

  Renna’s knees gave out, and she slid to the floor, her back resting against the bathroom wall. She wrapped her arms around her knees and rocked back and forth. This wasn’t happening. Couldn’t be happening. She was going to solve this. Everything was going to be all right.

  But what if it wasn’t?

  An angry wail escaped her. It wasn’t fucking fair. This wasn’t supposed to happen to her, just when she was finally starting her life. She was fucking twenty-three years old. She’d worked her ass off to make it this far, and with one injection, it had all been snatched away from her. Her future, her relationship with Finn, even the money she’d spent the last ten years saving so she could retire and start a new life. What the hell did a robot need with credits?

  Bile coated her tongue as another wave of nausea twisted through her. Renna curled into herself further, resting her head on her knees. She’d spent her whole life working so hard to get past her childhood—to become something different, to leave her blasted mother and the tenements behind, to find her own path.

  And for what? To die alone and unloved somewhere in a MYTH facility while they experimented on her? Fuck if she was going to let that happen. She’d kill herself first. Maybe she should just do it now and save everyone the trouble.

  A sob ripped through her. Giving up would be so easy. She could disappear on Crius Beta. Find a quiet place. End it all. It might hurt Finn for a while, but he’d get over it. He’d understand. And then everyone would be free to move on.

  But what about Pallas? She’d promised to stop him, to keep Myka safe. A stupid promise, one she didn’t know if she could actually fulfill. One she never should have made in the first place. But it was out there now, haunting her.

  Renna raised her head from her knees and scrubbed away the tears wetting her cheeks. Whatever she decided, it would have to be soon. She was running out of time.

  NINE

  After she’d pulled herself together, Renna made her way to the bridge. Sitting around feeling sorry for herself wasn’t really h
er style anyway. She took up a spot just inside the door, out of the way of the rest of the crew.

  Commander Jayla sat in the chair overlooking the command center, while Lieutenant Blake was at his station to her right.

  “Entering atmosphere,” Flight Lieutenant Tevsi said, adjusting the ship’s speed and trajectory. The Delfine pilot glanced back at Renna, raising one of her pale violet eyebrows. “Where to?”

  “Hunda,” she said. Crius Beta was a modern, well-populated planet. As the ochre-colored ground rushed toward them, Renna could make out the huge manufacturing compounds, shining white and chrome in the late afternoon sunlight. Luckily, she didn’t need to worry about finding her way around one of those; they were headed for the main city.

  “Dock at Station Twelve, if they have space.”

  “I’ll contact the spaceport now,” Tevsi said.

  “Thank you, Lieutenant,” Jayla said, getting to her feet. “Make sure to keep us under the radar. No need to announce we’re with MYTH. Use the fake codes Dallas gave us.” Jayla motioned to Renna. “Can I speak with you?” Without waiting for an answer, Jayla marched away from the bridge.

  “Are you going to tell me what we’re really doing on this planet?” Jayla demanded, stopping in the middle of the corridor. “I did my own research. There’s nothing here but a few manufacturing companies and financial businesses. Why would Finn come here? It doesn’t make sense.” Jayla narrowed her eyes. “Is this some sort of trap?”

  Renna sighed noisily. “I’m not sure what else I can do to convince you people. I haven’t left yet. Haven’t betrayed anyone. In fact, I’m actively trying to help you. Cut me some fucking slack.”

  A zap of power shot through her brain as her implant kicked on, calculating the odds of her escape from MYTH. She shuddered and threw a hand against the wall to steady herself as the heads-up display appeared in her vision. Eighty-seven percent chance of success if she ran now—they’d never find her on this planet—but there was a ninety-two percent chance she’d never see Finn again if she did.