Settling into the alien captain’s chair, Remi struggled to make himself comfortable before turning to his bridge crew. “Are we ready?” he asked them.

“Gyrfalcon’s course is laid in,” Xuilan assured him. “Just need to send the signal.”

“Still familiarizing myself with this ship’s weapons systems,” Slavko spoke up. “I’d really like to take a few potshots at something to get comfortable with them.”

“We’ll try,” he answered, “but that’s going to depend on factors out of our control.”

The crew was still familiarizing themselves with the Eleexx vessel they’d captured, but even with the help of Samara and her Cognates, it was a struggle. The ship… christened Heuristic Fealty, they’d discovered… was incredibly advanced, far more so than any Terran craft. The Eleexx prided themselves on being the technological vanguard of the Troika, and with good reason. It was the brainchild of their intellect that defeated the Yīqún two centuries earlier, though sadly, too late to save ancient Terra from its doom. They jealously guarded their secrets with a passion, and coaxing the ship into giving them up was like wrestling with a hydra. Mashad Dillosh, the Precursor-In-A-Box that Samara trotted out for anything engineering related, got them through the worst of the learning curve, but even with their help, issues still cropped up with an almost depressing regularity.

Taking a moment to study the controls built into the chair, Remi eventually located the intercom switch and toggled it. “This is the captain,” he announced. “Are we ready to get this show on the road?”

“We’re good to go on my end,” Isi reported back. “Ship stores are all topped off and secured. Still trying to figure out the galley, though,” he added. “We might be eating cold food for a while.”

“I’ll have Mashad take a look,” Samara piped up. “There’s probably a hidden control or something.”

“Our stomachs would all appreciate that,” Remi chuckled, “though I’m a little surprised you’re not on the bridge.”

“Still recuperating from my injuries,” she demurred. “I’m mostly healed up, but Guardian says I need some downtime. After my enforced hibernation, he doesn’t want to take any chances, not to mention how draining my shapeshifting is. I still have that upcoming command performance as Doctor Axchxairx, don’t forget.”

“Good point,” the captain agreed, before switching to engineering. “Mairead? Where do we stand on your end?”

“I’m showing green across the board,” the Tinker reported, “assuming I’m reading the gauges right. She’ll get us to Terra Nova.”

“And Gyrfalcon?” Remi prompted her.

“Her course is pre-programmed, awaiting activation,’ she assured him. “4.3 light years, on a heading of 138 by Mark 297. I’ve got her set to run silent, and once she arrives at the final coordinates, she’ll go dark until we awaken her. Assuming no one stumbles across her first,” Mairead conceded. “I’ve done everything I can to keep her hidden, but I can’t promise she won’t be discovered before we retrieve her.”

“I know,” he said gently. “Gyrfalcon has been our home for a long time, and none of us want to lose her. If the worst happens, at least it will be for something noble.” He wanted to believe that, but it still felt like a lie.

“Aye, Cap’n,” she whispered. If anyone bonded more deeply with a ship than its captain, it was the Tinkers who kept them flying. Mairead had to be feeling the loss even more than he was, and it showed.

“We’ll get her back,” he vowed. “Whatever it takes.”

“Yes, sir,” she agreed, her voice stronger and more resilient, “I know we will.”

“That’s the spirit,” he smiled. “Whenever you’re ready, Mairead.”

“Aye, sir,” she acknowledged. “Sending the signal… now.”

The bridge crew kept a close watch on Gyrfalcon, moored off their starboard bow, waiting for the engines to come online. As the seconds ticked by with no movement, Remi sighed. “I think we have a glitch somewhere,” he advised the Tinker.

“Damn it, that should have worked!” Mairead snarled. “Give me a few minutes to track down the problem, Cap’n,” she said in a rush. “Probably just a bug in the software.”

“The sooner the better, if you don’t mind,” he agreed, before closing the circuit and leaning back in his chair, shifting awkwardly once more. It hadn’t been designed with Terran comfort in mind, and she’d been far too busy to look at it. Maybe en route to Terra Nova, she could adjust it.

It was ten minutes later when he finally heard from his engineer. “Okay, I’m pretty sure that’s got it,” Mairead assured him. “Software was buggy like I figured, but I whipped up a patch that should do the job. Let’s try this again.”

Peering at the main viewer, Remi breathed a sigh of relief as he saw Gyrfalcon’s drive light up, the ship retreating from their position as it disappeared into the black.

The moment was bittersweet. He hoped they could retrieve her. Someday.

“She’s on course,” Xuilan confirmed, “right where she’s supposed to be headed.”

“Well done,” the captain smiled. “Now it’s our turn.”

“Course is plotted and laid in, Cap’n,” the pilot confirmed as she prepared to make the jump… when a light flashed on his console. Like everyone else, he was still playing catch up with the ship’s systems, and this one wasn’t ringing any bells.

“Hold on… I’m getting some kind of warning indicator,” Remi informed them, toggling engineering once more. “Mairead? What do you know about this caution signal that popped up?”

Silence.

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“Mairead?” he asked again, louder this time.

Nothing.

Mashing down the intercom toggle, he shouted into the mic, “Isi, get to engineering ASAP! Mairead’s not responding to hails!”

“On my way!” the purser answered… when an odd noise pierced his subconscious at last. He hadn’t noticed it at the outset; between his concern over his engineer and his lack of experience with the Eleexxi ship, he’d missed it. Jerking his head around, he searched for the source, as Xuilan and Slavko began doing the same. It seemed to come from all around them, but nothing seemed out of place. Plus, the noise itself was odd, while registering as something on the brink of familiarity. If forced to describe it, he’d have to say it almost sounded like… hissing.

Remi leapt to his feet. “We’ve got a leak!” he warned the others, as the bridge crew began scrambling for their suits. Air Loss Drills were something Terrans were well acquainted with, given the dilapidated condition of their ships. Most humans could don and seal their suit in less than thirty seconds, more than enough time to overcome even total atmospheric loss. He’d inserted his arms and legs and was fastening the suit proper when his knees unexpectedly buckled, dropping him to the deck. Gasping for air, he struggled to pull himself back upright, reaching for his helmet when his vision blurred, greying out completely as his face slammed into the unyielding metal.

And then darkness.

----------------------------------------

His head was pounding.

Remi’s eyes fluttered open as he fought to make sense of his surroundings. Where was he? Nothing looked familiar, though judging by what his body was telling him, it must have been one hell of a party.

Only he didn’t remember actually attending any recent festivities.

A wave of nausea hit him as he fought to sit up, forcing him to wait until it passed. As his eyes slowly focused, he spotted Xuilan and Slavko laying on the deck, both apparently amid donning their suits…

… and suddenly, it all came rushing back with a vengeance.

Gripping a nearby console, he pulled himself upright, staggering to where the others were sprawled out. Kneeling beside the pilot, he grasped her shoulder, shaking her. “Xuilan. Xuilan! Can you hear me?”

One eye cautiously pried itself open. “Cap’n?” she said groggily, “what happened?”

“I don’t know,” he answered, helping her to sit up. “Hypoxia, I’m guessing. Oxygen loss must have made us blackout.”

She thought hard for a moment, glancing over at the gunner, who was stirring as well. “If that’s so… then who fixed the leak?”

Good question.

“Maybe Mairead…?” he began, only to shake his head as he recalled those last few seconds. “No, couldn’t have been her,” Remi corrected himself. “She wasn’t answering coms, which means she must have gone down first.”

“That leaves Isi… or Samara,” Xuilan said with obvious distaste as she mentioned the Protean.

“I’m betting it’s Samara,” the captain nodded, even as Slavko groaned and carefully sat up. “Considering how hard she is to kill, she’d be the last one standing when the air ran out.”

“Then where is she?” the pilot demanded. “Why aren’t we getting a comm signal from her?”

Yet another good question.

“I don’t know, but we need to find out,” he told her. “Check on Slavko, then I need the both of you to scan the sector. I don’t know how long we were out, but if there are any Troika ships in the area, I need to know.”

“... I’m all right,” the gunner mumbled, struggling to stand up. “Just give me a minute.”

Remi began peeling off his suit. “I’m going to find the others,” he informed them. “If you spot anything, page me.”

“Aye aye, Cap’n,” she nodded, before making her way over to Slavko. Shaking himself free of the suit, Remi exited the bridge and headed aft, searching for the rest of his crew. The last he’d heard from Isi, he was headed for engineering, so that was his first stop.

Seventy meters short of the engine room, he located the purser.

Like everyone else he was lying on the deck, though he was also stirring. Squatting beside him, Remi took his hand. “You okay?” he asked.

“... fuck… what happened?” he grumbled. “Feel like I’m hungover.” Isi rubbed his eyes and then squinted at his captain. “The crew all right?” he asked.

Remi started to answer, and then froze, staring back at him in sudden realization. Hypoxia, or oxygen deprivation, was an all-too-common occurrence aboard Terran ships, and the warning signs were pounded into their heads from childhood.

The problem was that hypoxia caused pupil dilatation… and Isi’s eyes were constricted pinpricks.

“God damnit,” he swore, “someone gassed us.”

Isi rubbed his face. “That explains the headache,” he shrugged, “but who…?”

“I’ll give you one guess,” Remi snapped, grabbing his arm and pulling him to his feet. “Come on, we’ve got to find Mairead.”

The pair headed for engineering, supporting one another as needed. As the hatch slid open, they spotted the Tinker lying on the deck, but unlike the rest of the crew, she had been bound and gagged. Hurrying over to her, they quickly freed her from her bonds, recoiling slightly as she came up swinging.

“... where is she?” Mairead shouted, madder than could remember ever seeing her. “I swear to Terra I’ll rip that bitch’s fucking lungs out!”

“Samara, I presume?” the captain sighed, a complete lack of surprise in his expression.

“Goddamn right Samara,” she spat back. “Crazy fucking Protean bitch jumped me.”

“Tell me what happened,” he ordered, as a feeling of icy dread appeared in his gut.

It took her a moment to compose herself. “I was getting ready to send Gyrfalcon on its way when something went wrong. I was tracing the problem when she came in,” Mairead growled, her eyes filled with hate. “I figured she was gonna call her Cognate buddy to help, but she knocked my ass out!” Her entire body trembled with barely restrained fury. “Next thing I know, I’m trussed up, like I’m being sold to the highest bidder.”

Remi froze. “Wait a second… I spoke to you after that. You went over and fixed the problem!”

“The hell I did,” she fired back. “Sounds like Samara was up to her old tricks, pretending to be me.”

That one hit a little too close to home. The last time they’d sailed together, they’d shared an intimate relationship, and she’d teased him by shifting into various other forms… including a spot-on match of Xuilan, something he still felt guilty over. If she ever found out…

“Near as I can tell, she gassed the rest of us,” Remi informed her, “but what I don’t understand is why. Why the hell would she do this?”

The Tinker gave him a pitying look. “Why do you think? She hijacked Gyrfalcon.”

The moment she said it, he knew she was right. It was the only logical explanation, but that still didn’t explain why.

“Cap’n, she was gonna impersonate Axchxairx, remember?” Isi reminded him. “Without her, the whole damn plan falls apart.”

The captain grit his teeth. “Then we go after her,” he vowed, “and drag her back here by the fucking throat.” Remi spotted an intercom panel and smashed the toggle with his fist. “This the captain,” he announced. “I found Isi and Mairead, and they’re both okay, but Samara is long gone. She’s taken Gyrfalcon and gone off Terra alone knows where. Please tell me you’ve got her on sensors.”

There was a brief pause, and then Xuilan’s voice came over the intercom. “Sorry Cap’n,” she answered, “there’s nothing on sensors. Wherever she went, she’s out of range.”

“We know the heading she took,” he fired back. “We can follow the same course and grab her.”

He heard his pilot sigh. “Cap’n, I guarantee you once she was past sensors, she immediately changed course. She could be anywhere, and we’d never find her. Face it… she’s history.”

“I’ll kill her, I swear to Terra I’ll kill her!” Remi shouted while the other two took a step back.

“Cap’n?” Slavko piped up over the com. “What do you want us to do?”

It took him some time to answer. Time to work through their options, which were vanishingly few when you got right down to it. Try to sneak away and take their chances… or finish what they’d started. Yes, the odds were worse than ever. And yes, if they were caught, what the Troika would do to them scarcely bore thinking on. The smart move was to escape all the way down the line.

“Lay in a course,” he said at last, “for Terra Nova.”