They came to Caldera by many different routes over the course of two weeks, from early morning to late evening, avoiding patterns that a suspicious eye might pick up. Amongst the usual stream of travelers there appeared cheerful, athletic women, either visiting family, pursuing business interests, or planning expeditions into the planet’s unexplored regions.

Most landed at the spaceport, their tickets stamped as tourists. Several arrived on freighters, disembarking at the industrial docks. Two were dropped off by a friend’s luxury star-yacht—a story they would later tell around bars and campfires to jealous audiences. Once they had landed, the travellers moved overland using different methods; some hitchhiking, while others took a chartered bus, or travelled with seasonal farmhands. All converged on an old and disused machine workshop, near the edge of the Lanstead plain, and close to the mountains.

Kayla watched the parade of arrivals from Urtiga’s mysterious unit. Hauling backpacks and carry bags into the main building’s cramped living space, they rolled out mats and sleeping bags onto makeshift pallets. Small non-descript bags were extracted from their cargo with exaggerated care. These were opened to reveal disassembled weapon parts that were quickly fitted back together, cleaned, oiled, and dry-fired.

Once the work was completed, the women got together in groups, cracking open cold drinks, to gossip about friends and memories. They treated Kayla like a servant, ordering food and making her clean up, and she tried her best to avoid them.

Only Urtiga, one of the first to arrive, treated her with any patience. “No-one hates you, Kayla,” she explained. “After your stunt in Rackeye you have to earn back your respect.”

Kayla had travelled to the workshop with Zhang and Christie soon after the discussions in Rackeye had reached a tipping point. The infamous Chieftain Smyrna had gotten involved, taking over command of the operation and assembling a task force.

Masey’s ODT team was only a small element, and as they were already familiar with the city, they had been ordered to stay there and watch for more activity. The senior chief’s anger at this news had echoed throughout the safe house, though Kayla was at least relieved that she was no longer a target for it.

Once the team got in touch with Jack, he quickly found them the new location in the farms, and arranged to buy it. Kayla hadn’t exchanged more than a few words with him since they arrived. She didn’t have the heart to tell him about what had happened in Rackeye, and what it might mean for her future.

Fortunately, she could confide in Urtiga, who wanted to hear the whole story.

“So, wait, you actually pretended to be a crazy stalker?” The master sergeant snorted with laughter. “Ten points for originality. Did they go for it?”

“No.” Kayla frowned, disappointed as she was by her acting abilities. “Something had them spooked about super women running around.”

Urtiga shrugged. “Yeah, it’s hard to interact with the population and not create a few rumors.”

“Shame. If it had worked, I wouldn’t be getting kicked out.”

“They’re not going to kick you out. If they kicked out every operator who did something stupid, they’d have nobody left to serve beer, let alone fight.”

“You think so?” Kayla barely dared to get her hopes up.

“Hey Gucci,” Urtiga called to someone nearby.

The woman stopped fiddling with the sights on her weapon and looked up. “Yeah ‘tig?”

“How many times did I do something completely stupid as a Ranger, and nearly get canned?” Urtiga asked.

“Um…” Gucci thought for a moment. “I lost count after a baker’s dozen.” She smiled evilly. “But you know what, I’m sure there’s an ass-kicking I owe you for something, so I’ll get together with the girls and figure it out—make sure that debt gets squared away.”

Gucci’s eyes met Kayla’s and she quickly looked away.

Urtiga laughed. “Awesome. See Kayla, you did a stupid thing, but there was no way for you to know what you were getting involved in. You didn’t go looking for a fight, so your battalion probably won’t hold it against you.”

Kayla felt her hair stand on end. Was she really going to be allowed to stay in Valkyrie? “Masey seemed like she wanted to mop the floor with me. Sorry, Senior Chief Laukkanen, I mean.”

Urtiga waved her hand. “Masey’s a powder keg. Likes to make noise. It was a bad situation for sure—I’d be pissed too. But again, not really your fault. Listen, you’re still here because I asked for you, and everyone in the chain of command agreed. Caldera is your homeworld, and I need your knowledge. Nobody’s called for your head,” she said with a warm smile, “so, pull it out of your ass and give the job your undivided attention.

Kayla nodded gratefully. Muscles she hadn’t realized she’d tensed began to relax. Maybe everything was going to be okay after all—and of course, she would work like a demon to support the task force however they needed.

A delivery truck rolled to a stop in the yard, and Jack emerged from the cab. Gucci’s head snapped up. She jumped to her feet, ran over, and embraced him before they both disappeared behind the main building. Kayla stared silently after them. What else had her adoptive father hidden from her?

Stolen story; please report.

She left Urtiga and wandered through the workshop’s main hall until she came to a small side office. Inside, Christie was seated in front of a laptop, hunched forward as she scrolled through reams and reams of data. She looked peculiar to Kayla now that she was no longer dressed in standard issue gym clothes or combat fatigues.

Everyone at the workshop wore whatever would help them blend in with the local farmers, but Christie looked like she had stepped straight out of the rustic section of an Earther’s fashion catalogue. Besides the crisp and spotless work trousers, she wore a silk blouse decorated with a pattern that looked traditional, but was probably divorced from any genuine cultural significance. Around her shoulders she’d wrapped a grey cloth scarf that might have passed with Calderans had it not been for the material’s subtle glitter effect.

“Fire!” Kayla called, quietly enough so that she wouldn’t be heard outside.

Christie’s head whipped around in surprise, but her startled expression quickly settled to one of forced patience. “If it isn’t the wunderkind. If you’re looking for something expensive to break, I’m afraid I can’t help you.”

Kayla shrugged. “That’s fine. Listen, a guy stopped by earlier asking if he could get a picture with the Earth girl—his friends didn’t believe we were a Helvet conspiracy out to destroy the whole colony. I said I’d give you his number.”

Christie clicked her tongue and turned back to her screen. “I was undercover in Rackeye, and I forgot to buy anything before we moved out here. I’ve had more than enough criticisms about it, so I’ll thank you to—”

“Is this how you used to dress before Valkyrie?” Kayla made a face.

Christie exhaled slowly. “Is there something I can help you with, dear friend?”

“I was just wondering what you were doing.”

“Serving out my time as the rookie. Zhang is touring the local communities gathering data on crime in the region, and I have been tucked away, out of sight, to sift through it. I aspire to find something useful to our hunt.”

“Don’t you get bored staring at numbers all day?” Kayla asked. She sat on the edge of the desk, grabbed a stack of data keys and examined them carefully.

“Boredom is a choice. If you are committed to getting your result, every detail is a potential lead,” Christie replied.

“I guess that’s what intelligence is all about.”

“I remain confident that with time and effort you’ll get some to play around with.”

“Uhuh. Did you find anything yet?”

Christie pushed her chair back and clasped her hands. “There is clearly something going on closer to the Sentry mountains. A pattern of deaths and disappearances is beginning to develop. Fortunately, your compatriot’s law enforcers appear to be quite organized, despite the lack of any formal institution. If they had better resources, they would probably be closer to solving the mystery of these attacks.”

Kayla nodded wisely. “It’s amazing what the spirit of man can achieve when a community pulls together with a common purpose, don’t you think?”

Christie arched an eyebrow. She leaned forward and clicked through the tables on the monitors. “Bar brawls, violent public disturbances, and firearm-related crimes,” she read. “A table that seems to extend without limit. How fascinating.”

Kayla winced. “Yes, well, sometimes tensions can build, and sometimes there are a few bad apples—”

“It’s a wonder you haven’t all killed each other,” Christie said.

“Why would we do that? Everyone’s just trying to get by.”

“But if they’re producing young adults with your temperament, the whole society is just a powder keg waiting to go off.”

Kayla sighed and placed the data keys carefully on the desk. “I bet you’ll find just as much violence on any other planet. Obviously, nobody’s perfect, but the reality is that we know we need to work together. It’s a dangerous world, even without the creature attacks. Most people grow up with a sense of duty to the community, and usually it serves to keep everyone on the same page.”

Christie smiled. “That’s why you wanted to join the organization, I suppose?”

“Yeah, I wanted to protect all the people I grew up with. I just don’t understand why there has to be someone to make you do that.”

“Still,” Christie said thoughtfully, “it’s a fascinating culture. Sort of a noble savage environment.”

Kayla clasped her hands together earnestly. “Can I just say, on behalf of Caldera, how grateful we are to have someone of your profound intellect among us?”

A wicked grin broke out on Christie’s lips. “Oh, but of course. I’m happy to give the commoners something to look up to.”

“Like a giant head stuck in the clouds, so to speak?”

“Rather, a heavenly body to contemplate.” Christie gestured to the night sky visible through an open window.

Kayla peered at the stars. “That’s the Fat Widow constellation.”

“Did you just make that up?”

“I really didn’t,” said Kayla, who really had.

Christie paused. “Well… rats. See what happens when you engage a woman on her own turf?”

“You know, I’m going to miss our talks when you’re off on your secret missions.”

“Oh, don’t worry, I shall seek you out whenever I am able. We can’t abandon your intellectual development.”

“Hmm.” Kayla wandered past Christie and settled her arms on the window frame. In the distance, a soft breeze was nudging the treetops back and forth. “I sometimes wonder if I’m really going to make it here,” she said.

“I felt much the same when we were going through Ranger school,” Christie said, in a sympathetic tone. “I wasn’t sure if I could really handle five years in an infantry unit. But when Zhang recruited me, she explained that Valkyrie functions best when individuals are placed where they can do the most good, regardless of what the rulebook says. Frankly, I’ve found a whole new sense of purpose in this unit.”

“That’s awesome.” Kayla turned back from her observation and flashed Christie a smile. “I’m happy for you. I love Mountain Rangers, but I don’t get the impression they’re going to bend to accommodate me.”

Christie arched an eyebrow. “I’m sorry, but that’s not at all what I was saying.”

Kayla shrugged. “Maybe not, but how am I supposed to be satisfied clearing out dead spaceships in the ass-end of nowhere when there is a threat here, against the people I promised to protect? And okay, we’re dealing with it now, but only because I nearly got myself thrown out of the organization. So what happens next time?”

“Your loyalty and dedication to protecting your home is very commendable Kayla. But I do believe one of your culture’s founding principles is the need to place ‘we’ before ‘me’? A noble sentiment that should certainly extend far beyond a single planet.”

Kayla sighed heavily. Even when she had been training with her new squad, Caldera had been foremost in her mind. The thought that she might have to one day leave her home behind entirely sat in her mind like a lead weight.

She said good night to Christie and left her to her work. Her friend could be as rational as she liked, but Earth had imposed its culture and people on every world in the galaxy. How could she know what it felt like for her home to be a secondary consideration?