October 25, 2361 AIA

Rising’s Home Base

“Come in, Base Center. This is the Golondrina. Am I cleared to land?”

A voice came over the on-board com: “Yes, Captain Vas. Bay 5 is open and ready for you.”

Beside him there was a twitch of movement. Vas turned to his copilot. Robots weren’t known to waste movement. They didn’t hesitate, and they usually had to be directed to reconsider something. A twitch from Lynx was unnerving.

“Is there a problem, Lynx?” Vas asked, looking the bot up and down.

“No, Captain.”

“Then what was that?”

“Your question is not specific enough—”

“A second ago you moved a bit for no reason.”

“I was going to ask Base Center if there was a problem with the hangar, but then we came in low enough I could see that wasn’t the issue.”

Vas scanned the figures below. Everything looked normal. “Why did you think there would be something wrong?”

“They sent us to Bay 5.”

“And?”

“It’s normally reserved for ships setting up to depart.”

Vas felt a momentary blanch in his stomach. He dismissed it. “It’s probably the only one they had available at the time, and they knew how excited we were to get home.”

“Captain, I’m not capable of being excited.”

“They knew how excited I was to be home.”

“Sir, my scan indicated that there were three other bays—”

“Lynx,” Vas growled, “don’t pop my bubble.”

Lynx immediately began scanning the cabin as well as his person, checking each corner of his body and the few pointed edges on his frame.

Vas noticed what he was doing and clarified. “It’s an idiom, Lynx. It means don’t ruin my fun. Or in this case, don’t shatter my desperate and life-sustaining hope that we’re actually home and get to stay here for at least a few days—no, make that a week.”

Lynx’s processors worked to assimilate the new turn of phrase. “I see. You don’t want me to prove your hope wrong by pointing out meaningful information which may indicate an unwanted reality. And by noting a fact—”

“Facts are the worst. Keep them to yourself.” Vas pulled over the assigned bay and turned off his main thrusters.

“But how does preserving hope by ignoring facts make any practical difference in what may or may not occur?”

Vas spoke slowly as he eased the small ship to the ground. “Because I can reshape reality through the sheer force of my will, Lynx.” Once they touched down, he cut the engines entirely. “Didn’t you know that?”

Lynx turned his head. “Captain, I know I have talked to you about the cognitive bias regarding illusion of control, but your delusions seem to have only become more profound. Should I begin pointing out instances which disprove you?”

“I thought I told you not to pop my bubble.”

“It occurs to me that you might be attempting to illicit humor by stating exaggerated nonsense and waiting to see if I catch on.”

“Never.”

“Sarcasm registered. Did you find that amusing, sir?”

“I think it’s hilarious, but you don’t seem to think I’m funny.”

“I’m incapable of thinking you’re funny.” The robot looked out of the viewport and noticed a figure standing nearby. “It appears that Miss Reyer—”

But the captain had already seen her. Before the bot could finish the sentence, Adan vaulted down the three steps, landed on the main deck, and smashed his fist on the button to lower the ramp.

Lynx said to the empty cockpit, “I will power down the ship as required.”

Vas waited with barely concealed impatience, until the ramp had lowered enough he could jump out. Then he walked over to Alix Reyer. “Hello, troublemaker.”

“Adan.” A smile crept over her face.

Public displays of affection had originally been prohibited, but Vas had negotiated long and hard for the right to a welcome home kiss. When she didn’t pull away, he wrapped his arms around her. It wasn’t part of the agreement, but he was fairly certain he could get away with it. Again. He usually did.

“Miss me?” he asked.

“You know I did.” She put a hand on his chest and gently pushed him away. “Do you have to hear it every time?”

“I’m a needy man, Alix. You should know that by now.”

“Adan—Captain…”

Vas’s elation bleed away. “Oh, no. No. Please don’t do this to me.”

“Adan—”

“Alix, I just got back. Don’t pop my bubble.”

“What?”

“The only time you call me captain anymore is when you’re really mad at me or something official is going on. And I haven’t had time to piss you off yet.”

“Adan, you have to report into Jordan.”

“Because he wants to hear about how the hauling went?”

“Guess again.”

Vas let out a long sigh. “Is it important?”

“Yes.”

The seriousness on her face made the captain hesitate. “All right.”

He put his arm over her shoulders and kissed her cheek before leaving.

She watched him go, then turned to the ramp when she heard clanking footsteps.

“Lynx,” she said.

“Miss Reyer, am I correct in my assumption that we have another mission and will be leaving soon?”

“Amazing as always, Lynx. Yes. Crack open the back airlock. I’ll have Pete get some boys and bots over here to empty your cargo.”

While she and Lynx worked to unload all the supplies, Vas made his way through the halls to Base Center. He was pleased to see how much progress had been made while he was gone. Several of the new wings were nearing completion, and at least one was finished. Some of the tents the soldiers used as temporary homes had been moved to make room for the sprawling structure.

He found General Jordan in the heart of the building, talking to an operations officer. Vas stood by until they were finished. Before he could present himself, Jordan motioned for the captain to follow him over to a small office off the main room.

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General Falk was already sprawled in a chair next to the desk. The man was considerably smaller than Jordan, but he managed to take up more room when he sat down.

“Ah,” Falk said when he saw them enter. “You’re here. Welcome back, Captain. For now.”

Vas came to attention in front of both of them.

After Jordan sat down in the large chair behind the desk, he noticed Vas’s stance and put him at ease. “In case Falk’s greeting didn’t give you a clue, we have an assignment for you. You’ll be leaving immediately.”

Adan didn’t used to hate those words. He used to look forward to new missions, especially ones that started with the phrase “leave immediately.” Those tended to be the most interesting.

That was before he had a bunkmate he actually wanted to spend time with.

He tried to keep any disappointment or exhaustion from slipping into his voice. “Yes, sir.”

“Three days ago, someone on your brother’s team found a message lurking somewhere in all the qubits they monitor. General Emery Gardner, formerly of the Supremacy, is asking for refuge with the Rising. In exchange for getting him safely out of wherever he’s hiding, he’s offering to tell us anything we want to know—”

“Anything?” Vas realized that he was interrupting a general and shut his mouth.

“No,” Falk said, “go on, Captain. You seem surprised. Do you think he’s lying?”

Vas considered. “No, sir. If he’s seeking refuge, that means he thinks his life’s in danger. If that’s the case, I have no doubt he’d be willing to strike a deal like that. It was just a little overwhelming.”

“Why, Captain?” Jordan asked.

“Sirs, you do realize he was a general? For MI? Even if he’s been retired for a few years, it’d still be…” Adan shook his head, unsure of the word he wanted.

“Yes,” Jordan said. “We hope it’ll be worth the risk.”

The captain’s ears perked up. “What risk?” He remembered himself and added, “Sir.”

“His last known coordinates are on a highly controlled Supremacy planet,” Falk explained.

“And there is a non-zero chance this is a trap,” Jordan added.

“A trap? For who?”

“For you, Captain. You and Miss Reyer.”

“What’s Alix got to do with this?”

Falk and Jordan shared a glance. Then Falk leaned forward.

“General Gardner’s note was addressed to you and Reyer, Captain Vas. He said he’d only work with you.”

“Ah.” That would explain why they waited three days for me rather then send someone else out.

“Thus our concern about it being a trap,” Jordan said.

Falk continued, “But Reyer feels sure that it’s genuine and offered a plausible explanation for why the general would have been so specific about having you as his handler, so we believe it’s worth taking a chance.”

“What did she say?” Vas asked.

Falk looked away, but not before Adan was able to catch a glimpse of his grimace. “You can ask her that.”

Jordan also noticed Falk’s reaction. He leaned back with his arms crossed and gazed at his fellow general. There was a wide smile on his face.

This led Vas to believe that whatever Alix must have said something complimentary about him.

General Falk had watched Alix Reyer grow up from an adorable infant he called “baby-girl” to an imposing warrior he still called “baby-girl.” The fact she tolerated it from him was a good indicator of how close they were. She barely tolerated “troublemaker” from Vas.

The captain had never enjoyed that kind of close relationship with the general. There had been lots of insults and threats during the various times Falk had dressed him down, but no endearing nicknames. And while Falk had seemed to be less caustic of late, Vas was certain he’d still rather tear his own tongue out than say something nice about the captain to his face, even secondhand.

“I understand, sir.”

Jordan held out a nan-card. “Read through that as you get something to eat. You’ll have enough time to shower and repack your kit afterward. Then we’ll send you off.”

Vas came to attention again. “Yes, sir.”

“You’re dismissed, Captain.”

Reading the report as he ate helped dull Vas’s disappointment that Reyer hadn’t sought him out. As soon as he was done, he went in for a shower, repacked his kit, and went to go prep the Golondrina.

When he finished the inspection of the outside of his vessel, he moved on to the inspection of supplies. It was a habit more than anything. Lynx didn’t make mistakes, but as a human, Vas occasionally would, so he checked.

He opened the food bin and blinked.

“Lynx!” The door of the bin fell shut. “Lynx! Why is there so much food?”

“That’s my fault.”

That was not the mechanical voice of his copilot, but it was instantly recognizable.

“Alix?” Adan took a step back so he could see her standing at the edge of the ramp. She had a kit bag. She had her kit bag. He walked over to her as she came further into the ship.

“I warned Lynx that there would be more than one passenger on the trip and told him to pack accordingly,” she explained.

“Oh, did you now? I’m pretty sure that he only alters mission arrangements on my orders or the order of a higher officer along my line. How did you get him to change the plans?”

“I explained the circumstances and told him to predict what you’d say.”

Adan reached out and put his hand on Reyer’s hip. “And he felt certain that I would agree to another passenger?”

“He said that first you would agonize for a time over useless deliberations that wouldn’t change the outcome of your decision.”

Adan laughed, then swore under his breath. “That’s almost an exact quote, isn’t it?”

“Shall we get on with it?” Alix asked.

“Miss Reyer, it looks like you think you’re going somewhere.”

“I hope I will be. It’d be nice to get off base for a while.”

“Are the generals okay with this?”

“Since they can’t give me orders, all they would say is that they wouldn’t forbid it. If I want to go, I only need the captain’s permission.”

“My permission,” Vas grumbled. He let out a breath. “I know you’ve read the message. You probably know everything in the file, so you know it might be dangerous.”

“That’s never stopped me.”

“It stops me, Alix. I like to think you’re safe.”

“You also like having me close by because you don’t trust anyone else to protect me.”

“Well, god knows, you won’t bother protecting yourself!”

“That’s beside the point. This is an important military operation. A responsible captain—”

“Ha!”

“—should be asking himself if the burden of having me along would be worth the help I might be able to offer.”

“You’re not a burden,” Vas said.

“You’re a liar,” Alix replied.

“Humph. Well, I certainly find your help well worth the trouble of having you along. If nothing else, you’re a morale booster.”

Alix stared at the overhead. “All that training and hard work, and I’m a mascot. A mascot.”

There was a half-smile on Adan’s face. “Oh, I wish that were true, but you insist on getting involved! If I could convince you to stay on the ship—”

“Never going to happen. Not without security cuffs.”

Vas put his arm on the bulkhead and leaned closer to her. “I thought you said that if I ever used security cuffs on you again, it’d be the last time I’d ever see you.”

“I did. Good to know you remember.”

Vas put his mouth by her ear and murmured, “I have to admit, I may have one or two fantasies about having you back on board the Golondrina. Just like old times. You and me, cramped quarters—”

“How’s that different from our tent?”

He had no intention of allowing her to interrupt his flirting. In the same soft voice, he added, “Alone.” He breathed in her scent before laying his lips on the curve of her neck.

There was a quiet hum from low in Reyer’s throat. Vas was certain that it was the human equivalent of a purr, as well as one of his all-time favorite sounds.

“Adan,” she whispered, “I have some terrible news for you.”

There was a loud cough, then someone chirped, “Hey!”

Ciro Vas stood at the top of the ramp. His arms were weighed down by a large hard-sided case and his stuffed kit bag. He was grinning at them. “I’m not interrupting anything, am I?”

Adan Vas didn’t answer. He was too busy shaking his head. There was a pained expression on his face.

“Not at all, Ciro,” Reyer said. “Come on in.”

The younger Vas brother crossed into the interior of the small ship and looked around. “This brings back a few memories, doesn’t it?” He put the case down on a bench by the opening. “You did tell him I was coming, right?”

“I was getting to that. We were still at the part where he was arguing that I shouldn’t come.”

“That you shouldn’t come?” There was a huff of laughter. “Yeah. Sure. And judging by how close he was standing to you, he was arguing fiercely against your inclusion. Probably because he doesn’t like you.” Ciro tucked his kit bag under the bench. When he stood up again, he said, “I have to grab a relay kit. I’ll be a minute.” He was already partway down the ramp when he turned to yell, “Don’t leave without me!”

Vas pushed away from the bulkhead. “You’re a cruel woman. You know that, right?”

“What did I do?”

He motioned to her face. “It’s that evil little knowing smile.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Why is Ciro coming with us?”

“Are you saying I get to come?”

Vas glared at her.

“Think about it, Adan. Gardner is in hiding and he contacted us through a complex hidden code that was meant for Ciro to find. If we want to make contact with him as soon as possible, having Ciro with us means we’ll be able to follow his trail in real time.”

“Did the generals order this?”

“Kind of. Ciro told them he was going. They decided they didn’t want him to quit, so he’s going.”

“So nice of people to consult with me.” Vas turned away.

Reyer reached out and grabbed his hand. “I am consulting with you.” She tugged on his arm until he turned. “I do need your permission to go, Adan. Please?”

There was a hint of nervousness in her face.

Vas put his hand at the back of her neck and tangled his fingers in her hair as he pulled her into a short kiss. “One of these days, I am going to have to learn how to tell you no.”

She smiled.

Ah, the captain thought with frustrated amusement, that’s why I always say yes.

Vas went back to checking the supplies as she stowed her kit bag under the short bench she’d used during the two months she had practically lived on the ship with him.

“You know,” Adan said after glancing at her, “now that I think about it, the thing I remember most about the old times was endless sexual frustration because I wasn’t allowed to sleep with you.”

“At least this time I’ll appreciate the fact you’re suffering.”

Ciro came back with the relay and began unloading the hard case to set up his tablets. “I’ve got everything, and Lynx was right behind me.”

His statement was almost drowned out by the sound of heavy metal footsteps ascending the ramp.

“Ah!” Ciro said. “Are we all ready to go?”

“All preparations for departure are complete, Captain.”

“Thank you, Lynx.” Vas finished his cursory inspection of the ship’s interior. “You have Tranomine, Alix?”

“See,” she said, “now that’s what I remember—the nagging.”

“Well?”

“Yes, Captain.”

Ciro grinned. “Just like old times, huh?”

Vas slapped his brother across the back of his head as he passed.

“Ow!” Ciro cried. “What was that for?!”

“Sorry,” Adan said, climbing the three steps to get to his seat. “My hand slipped.”

When Ciro looked over at Reyer, she offered him a shrug.

Lynx was already in the copilot’s chair when Vas sat down. “I see my assessment of your probable response to the circumstances was correct.”

Adan sighed. “It usually is, Lynx.”