The New Republic's medical team finally arrived on Jakku to evacuate the critically wounded soldiers. The specialist surgical droid attached a cybernetic interface ring into Sera's thigh, bonded it to her femur, and established the delicate neural connections. Four days of bacta treatments later, the Ballista commando sat on the edge of the exam bed while Reiko fussed with the prosthetic she'd designed, making minute adjustments to the artificial musculature, reflex, balance, and sensation settings. When she finished, she rolled up the synthskin and pressed it into place against Sera's organic leg. The tone and supple texture were nearly a perfect match for the Ballista commando's tanned, lightly freckled flesh, though it lacked the special forces tattoos on her muscular thighs.
Rei held her partner's hand while Taz checked Sera's reflexes with a small hammer and hummed with satisfaction. The FX-6 medical assistant droid beeped and whistled quietly beside him. He used the end of the hammer to scrape lightly against the bottom of her foot, eliciting a little yelp from her.
"Hey! That tickles, Doc," she said, her cybernetic toes curling involuntarily.
"Good. Tell me if anything feels unusual," he said, pressing on her foot and ankle, then continuing up her calf, palpating with his fingers until he reached the middle of her thigh. "Any discomfort? Pain? Numbness or unusual sensations?"
Rendix shook her head. "None of the above, Doc—" Her green eyes twinkled and she wore a wicked smirk— "but if you keep that up you're gonna owe me dinner."
Taz smiled back, a little blush in his cheeks. He grabbed the datapad and busied himself making notations while she put on her sock and boot. She stood, flexed her artificial knee, rose on the balls of her feet, and hopped a few times. "Feels good as new, Rei-sha. You're a genius!" Then she wrapped her arms around Reiko's waist, lifted her off the floor, and planted a warm kiss on her lips. "And not just a genius; you're my girl."
"And you're mine," echoed the engineer, looking a little embarrassed. She glanced at Taz who smiled at both of them.
"You're cleared to return to duty, Senior Trooper Rendix," Oktos announced, closing out her medical record on the datapad. He angled his head toward the door. "Get out of my medbay, you two."
The following morning the Destiny Outpost holofeed posted the news that the base was being decommissioned in accordance with the recently passed Military Disarmament Act. Some reports claimed the New Republic would reduce its military forces by as much as ninety percent. Rumors swirled around the base in the absence of further facts. Word went out that Captain Fintargost would address all of SF-767's forces at midday.
Taz assembled with the rest of Razor Battalion, the Ballistas, and the combat support techs under a broad awning that kept the heat at bay, but not the blowing dust and sand. The Filvian commander of Razorclaw's forces attached to the New Republic army stood on a cargo crate and adjusted her microphone while the nearly two hundred humans and Filvians waited eagerly to hear what she had to say. Sera stood behind her along with the other staff officers.
"By now you've all heard the official transmission from New Republic High Command. Destiny Outpost will be decommissioned in ten standard days. Troop withdrawals at the New Republic bases will begin tomorrow."
A murmur rippled through the assembly. The military was moving with extraordinary speed. "Pipe down, troops," Fintergost said with a raised three-fingered hand. I know this is unexpected news but the Senate and Chancellor are determined to move the galaxy to a peacetime footing as soon as possible.
"Sector force Seven-Six-Seven's contribution to the defeat of Imperial forces on Jakku has been recognized by New Republic High Command. You've probably heard that the Dufilvian sector will be joining the New Republic in a few months. General Numarkos has stated that all Razorclaws in good standing are eligible to join the Dufilvian Sector Defense Force or any of the planetary forces at your current rank, pay, and position. You may also apply to join the New Republic regular military at your equivalent rank, although your pay and position may be adjusted to conform to their needs.
"Billets in the New Republic military will be very limited due to the pending demobilization, so those who are interested in continuing their military careers will have the best opportunity in the planetary or sector forces. In my opinion, sector forces will comprise the bulk of the New Republic's military capability for years to come since they aren't subject to the same strict limits imposed on the central military by the Disarmament Act.
"The Pride of Olminar will be arriving within the week to evacuate all Razorclaw personnel. Those who do not wish to continue their military service can apply for discharge certificates in person at the Adjutant's office, or online via holoterminal. Per the terms of the Disarmament Act, discharge certs will be granted to any Razorclaw member with a clear service record, regardless of your actual enlistment end date. Members with more than three demerits on their service record may apply for an adjudicated discharge.
"To further encourage demobilization efforts, the central and sector governments are offering severance payments. Actual payout will be based on length of service, final rank, and service record. Everyone who fought on Jakku will also receive a bonus payment of one thousand credits for each month of planetside service in recognition of the... difficult nature of this operation." The captain paused for a moment while another murmur, more excited, wafted through the crowd.
"Finally, I want to personally commend each of you for your fortitude, courage, and determination. I know how hard these months have been on everyone here, not just for the combat we've endured but for the dear kaashuub we have lost. Their sacrifices are not to be forgotten, but written in each of our hearts forever. It has been my honor to command the members of Razorclaw Cell these past months. Whatever your futures hold, I commend you to them and wish you good fortune."
She rendered a sharp salute and all of the assembled Razorclaws snapped to attention, returning the salute to their commanding officer. "Razorclaws, you are dismissed!"
Taz had been late to snap to. Frankly, he'd stopped listening as soon as he heard that the Olminar would be arriving. That meant Tess would be there. After more than a year, he'd be able to see her again! His heart leaped straight into his throat at the thought.
He turned to leave as the others milled around and ran into Rendix, who was finishing a conversation with her special forces platoon. She dismissed them and greeted him with a small grin. "What d'you think about the news, Doc?"
"To be honest, all I care about is seeing Tess," he blurted.
"Listen, Doc, I think that's great, and I'm really happy for you." She hesitated a moment. "Just remember that things change. Lieutenant Daro didn't go through what we did and the things she experienced over the past year and a half may have left their mark, just like yours have."
Taz's eyes narrowed. "What does that mean?"
Sera looked sympathetic. "You know, Doc. She's a terrific pilot, an excellent officer, and from what you've said, a great person. But she might not be the same Tess Daro that you remember. I can guarantee you aren't the same Taz Oktos she remembers." The tall commando put a hand on his shoulder. "I've seen it a lot—unrealistic expectations of loved ones we've left behind. All I'm saying is I'd hate to see you hurt any more than you already do."
Taz didn't want to believe any of the words she was saying but a little part of him, the cold, rational part, understood. "I, uh, I'll keep that in mind."
She squeezed his shoulder. Then in a more cheerful tone she asked, "So, what are you going to do? Our offer still stands, you know. You're welcome to join Rei and me. Travel the galaxy, get in a little trouble, maybe do some good in this crazy universe every now and then. Processing time for the discharge certs is gonna skyrocket if you don't move fast."
"I'll... think about it," Taz answered with an equivocal grin. He made an excuse about paperwork and headed back to the infirmary.
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When they weren't busy deconstructing Destiny Outpost, Sera and the others returned to the crash site as often as they could. Nimor accompanied them on and off, as did some of Reiko's fellow engineers and techs. With welders, cutters, cranes, and heavy equipment 'borrowed' from the base they stripped the Imperial vessel and walker. Reiko adapted the AT-ST's tri-barreled rotary laser cannons into point-defense turrets that they attached to the dorsal and ventral hulls. To balance the additional power for the turrets, the triple blasters on their fixed sponsons had to go.
The team gutted the Decimator for its power converters, sensors and comms, targeting computers, navcomp, and just about anything else they could lay their hands on. Most importantly, Reiko found the VT-49's hyperdrive had suffered only moderate damage in its crash. She felt certain it could be transplanted into the freighter with some work. Razorclaw techs cannibalized the Imperial ship's ion drive and repulsors to refit the YV-929's defective ones. They packed everything else into the freighter's spacious cargo bays. Working in hazard suits was exhausting even with active cooling systems; the sooner they could get out of the dangerous area and back to the relative safety of Destiny Outpost, the better.
With time counting down to the Olminar's arrival, the impromptu repair crew crowded into the ship. Lyra took the controls with Reiko in the copilot's seat.
"Ready to get her into the air?" asked the pilot needlessly.
Rei shot a nervous, excited glance at Sera who stood by her shoulder, then nodded.
"Here we go." Nimor applied power to the repulsors with the thumb dials on the handgrips. A satisfying whine responded and the boxy freighter lifted smoothly skyward. A cheer went up from the dozen techs and engineers as she nudged the throttle and felt the satisfying thrust from the ion drives. A wide grin on her face, she turned for the camp. "Next stop, Destiny Outpost."
The three-hour ground trip took just a little more than fifteen minutes of flight time. Since the ship wasn't registered with the New Republic and had no military clearance, they decided to land on the patch of bedrock at the scrapper's camp that had been groomed into a makeshift landing zone. Lyra set the ship down at the edge of the 600-meter oval, not too far from her shelter.
As the ship settled on its landing struts, Reiko powered down the vessel, threw her fists in the air and let out a yell of pure joy. Even Taz, who'd been feeling taciturn all day, couldn't repress a shout of his own as the techs exchanged congratulatory back slaps, hugs, and, in the case of the Filvians, the pressing of foreheads and rubbing of ears.
They exited the ship through the big cargo ramp and stood in the shadow of its bulk. Someone opened a cooler and handed around cold bottles of dark rimbuuk beer and they all shared a celebratory drink. The techs called for a speech obliging Sera and Rei to say a few words of gratitude for all of the help they'd received. The small gathering cheered enthusiastically and toasted each other with hearty cries of TOPAA!.
Taz and Lyra walked over when the crowd around the two women had thinned. "So, what are you going to name her?" asked the medtech.
"Well, we've been giving that some thought," Hudson said. "Finding and fixing up this ship has been the best thing that's happened to us since we got to this place."
"And to be honest, we couldn't have done this without your help," Sera said. "We're indebted to both of you."
"Anyway," Rei continued, looking like Sera had stolen some of her thunder, "we thought we'd give it a name that, you know, helps bring everyone together. We're calling her Allegra's Heart."
Lyra looked at them, shocked and amazed. "Allegra?"
"We both like the name," Reiko said.
Sera fixed Lyra with an even gaze. "Rei and the doc told me what happened to your family." Her expression sobered. "Listen, as a soldier I don't regret anything I did during the war with the Empire. I think it was evil and I'm glad we toppled the Emperor and his regime. But a lot of innocent people paid the price for it. We know what you've suffered. Soldiers know, maybe better than anyone, the price war makes us pay." Sera looked contrite and serious. "Anyway, we thought this was a little way for us to honor your family."
"I—" Lyra started, then blinked at the sudden moisture in her eyes. She'd never expected such an admission from the tough commando. In a smaller voice than she'd intended she said, "Thanks."
"You know," Reiko struck a more cheerful tone, "she's going to need a good pilot."
"We plan on getting ourselves into a little trouble every now and again," Sera added.
"But mostly just passenger charters and freight runs," Hudson quickly appended. "What we're saying is that if you wanted, you could join us." She gave Lyra a hopeful glance. "If you wanted."
Despite their unexpectedly touching gesture at naming the ship, Lyra wasn't sure she was ready to throw in her lot with the two ex-Rebels. "I have my Scrapper's license."
Standing nearby, Taz feigned disinterest. "Provisional, isn't it? Your license, I mean."
"We both know you'd rather be sitting behind the controls of a ship than filing salvage claims," Sera countered.
Nimor pursed her lips. "I don't know... A good salvage can pay—"
"Recruiter's drekh. They just want your guild dues. Unless you'd rather spend the rest of your most productive years baking away on Jakku."
Lyra looked back and forth between the two women. "What's my take?"
Sera made a show of counting on her fingers. "How about fifteen shares?"
Lyra smiled at the audacious offer. "I was thinking more like forty."
The commando barked a laugh. "You're crazy but you've got guts. Twenty."
"Thirty-five."
"Twenty-five."
Nimor considered for a minute. "Split the difference. Take it or leave it."
Sera and Rei exchanged glances. "Done," said the soldier, then added, "after expenses."
Lyra stared at the women for a few seconds before nodding. "Deal."
"Two more things. Since you have the guild license you get fifty shares for any salvage, with the rest split between the rest of the crew. And we renegotiate everyone's share if we bring on more crew members." She glanced at Taz for a second. He seemed not to notice.
Nimor drew a deep breath while she considered. "I can live with that."
Rei hopped and hooted gleefully. "Welcome to the crew of Allegra's Heart!" She clipped Lyra in a quick, tight hug. Sera was more reserved, but she wore a satisfied smile and offered her hand. Lyra took it, and after a moment, she smiled too.
----------------------------------------
The distant sound of a ship's thrusters built over a minute into a tremendous roar. Arriving ships were becoming more frequent on Jakku, but were still unusual enough to command the attention of most everyone within earshot. Its two chunky engine nacelles were rotated into a vertical orientation, the drive plumes kicking up huge clouds of dust and sand. As it closed the last few hundred meters the nacelles swiveled forward and the characteristic shimmer and hum of repulsors replaced the noise of the big ion thrusters.
Taz looked up from the gyro he was adjusting to see the vessel making its final descent. His eyes widened as he recognized the distinctive shape of a YY-96 sloop. He dropped his tools and hastened down the ladder he'd been standing on. Fifty meters away the landing struts touched down, flexing under the ship's weight.
Tess. She was the only thought in his head as he broke into a run toward the ship. A crowd of off-duty Razorclaws began gathering even before he got there. Filvians ambled over on their four dexterous legs, easily outpacing their bipedal compatriots. Taz drew up, huffing and sweating in the mid-afternoon sun. G'dep Dindrovost looked up at him, a wide grin splitting his long Filvian face. "I wonder if this means we're going home, Oktos-aktuu?" asked the deflector shield tech.
"Maybe," Taz answered, taking a drink from his water flask. The boarding door opened with a whooshing sound and the ramp extended. Pairs of sentries with blaster carbines emerged and took up positions at the bottom of the ramp. Then Dianthe Numarkos appeared from within the dark interior. She casually slipped a pair of shaded spectacles across her eyes. More people followed and the guards fell into step, placing General Numarkos in the center of their square. The shuttle's loading ramp opened at the rear and eight sentry droids flew out, taking up positions overhead.
Last down the boarding ramp was Tess Daro. Her long shiny black hair was gone, replaced with a bobbed cut that curled at the nape of her neck. She joined Numarkos and the others. Two of them wore uniforms of the New Republic military, the others in Filvian clothes. Admin and protocol droids rounded out the group. Captain Fintargost and Rendix exited an arriving command speeder. They saluted the officers present and stood next to General Numarkos.
Tess's jacket collar bore three, six-pointed gold stars on each side. Taz looked agape. When he left she'd just been commissioned as a lieutenant. Now, a year and a half later she was a captain. He wondered what had happened to warrant such a rapid promotion.
Numarkos touched her earpiece and spoke, her voice booming from the sentry droids' speakers. "Good afternoon, Razorclaw Cell. I'm here on behalf of the Dufilvian Sector Security Force. With me are Commanders Witterer and Valirun from New Republic Army Command, and members of Filve's delegation to the Senate. We have been authorized by our respective governments to inform you that under the terms of the Military Disarmament Act, evacuation of Destiny Outpost will commence beginning tomorrow." A chorus of voices erupted, some cheering, some less enthusiastic.
Numarkos continued, unperturbed. "Transports will arrive over the next few days to return you to your homes. As you have probably already heard, those of you with clean records are eligible for good conduct discharges and severance packages, as well as accrued pay, combat bonuses, and other remunerations due to you. Those who wish to continue in military service may apply with the Dufilvian Sector Force, the New Republic military, or one of the planetary forces. Those with significant demerits on their service records may also apply for early discharge. We will be evaluating those applications individually, and you may be subject to penalties, including reduction in rank and pay, or confinement to a penal facility until your case can be adjudicated.
"On a personal note, I urge you to carefully consider your future. We're no longer at war but the galaxy is far from secure. Your skills and experience could be invaluable in helping to keep the peace and restoring prosperity to the thousands of systems that have suffered the privations of the last decades. Should you wish to continue serving the people of the New Republic, I assure you that your work will be appreciated by uncounted trillions." She swept her gaze across the crowd of faces. "Details will be posted in the mess halls and on the base holofeed. Check with your immediate superiors for more information. That is all."
The crowd grew noisy as Numarkos and the others got into waiting speeders and headed for the base. Taz elbowed his way through the throng and broke out to see Tess walking up the shuttle's ramp with two of the guards.
"Tess!" he shouted, trotting toward the ramp.
The three of them turned. The guards leveled their blasters until they noted his uniform. As he ascended the ramp they looked wary. Tess dismissed them and they disappeared into the shuttle.
Taz remembered that she outranked him by quite a bit. He stood up straight and snapped a salute. "Captain Daro," he opened, trying to control his excitement.
"Officer Oktos," she returned his salute. "I wasn't expecting to see you out here."
He hooked a thumb toward the edge of the field. "Been working on a ship we salvaged."
"Oh," she said. "How are you?"
"I'm... good," he lied, hoping his smile looked convincing. "Better now. I—missed you so much."
"I know," she replied, but didn't go any further.
"You look great. Different. You cut your hair."
"Yeah. Easier to deal with this way. A lot has changed, Taz. We should talk, soon."
"Okay, sure. How about tonight? The cantina in the scrapper's camp isn't too bad. It'll be better than trying to talk in the mess."
"I have some things to do but I can meet you later, say, twenty-one?"
It seemed like a long time, but he nodded. "Okay, sure."
"Great," she said, smiling for the first time. "It really is good to see you, Taz. I'm sorry but I need to secure the sloop. I'll... see you tonight." Then she ducked inside.
Taz felt strange and a little confused, standing alone on the ramp. The wind kicked up the sand and he closed his eyes tightly until it subsided. In any case, there was nothing he could do about it now. He headed back to Rei and Sera's ship but he couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't quite right.
----------------------------------------
Tess sat across the small table from Taz in the dusty cantina. She'd changed out of her uniform into a billowy blouse and pale purple shorts. An ancient service droid rolled over, took their orders, and squeaked as it disappeared into the kitchen. Tess took a drink of cassula juice from her glass. Her dark eyes were hard to see in the room's dim light. "You look—different."
Taz scratched at his cheek involuntarily. "Helps with the sun and wind. The beard, I mean."
"I see," Tess replied. It seemed like she wanted to say more but she didn't.
"You too," Taz observed. "Not just your hair. That scar on your throat is new."
"Yeah," she said with an unenthusiastic chuckle and rubbed the white mark. "Since Jakku we've been chasing Imperial forces out of Dufilvian space, and being chased in turn. It got bad a few months back. We got a chance to test the theory that the Olminar could take on an Imperial-class Star Destroyer. She was called Hammer of Vengeance and she was on a planetary bombardment mission. The general said she didn't want another Vrast, so we intercepted her."
Taz swallowed hard. "The Old Ghost took on an ISD? What happened?"
"We won, if you can call it that." Her face was clouded with anger and sadness. "Lost both sloops and most of the A-wings to TIEs. The bridge took a missile barrage from their bombers. If not for the emergency containment fields everyone would have died. As it was, a lot of them did. Even attacking from behind where they were weakest, nearly half the crew were casualties before we scored a hit on the Hammer's main reactor and disabled her engines with the mass drivers. In the end, missiles finished them off. We limped away on our backup hyperdrive before reinforcements could arrive, but if we hadn't had support from a couple of New Republic squadrons their TIEs would've finished us. The Olminar's spent most of the last four months in spacedock to repair the damage. Even General Numarkos admitted it was a mistake to challenge the Star Destroyer alone but at the time we were the only ship available."
Taz was nonplussed. "I—I'm sorry I wasn't there for you, Tess." His fists balled up under the table. It was one more grievance against Jakku and the New Republic that he'd never be able to assuage.
She waved her hand vaguely. "After the damage control teams cut me out of the wreckage I spent two months in an infirmary. I was one of the lucky ones though. I lost a lot of good friends that day. I was glad you weren't there or else you might have been one of them."
"Still—"
"Anyway," she interrupted, forcing a smile, "everyone tells me you're either a wizard or a hero." She leaned in closer and lowered her voice, as if anyone could hear them through the noise of the wind and the clamor. "You used the Force to heal people? I thought you didn't want anyone to know."
He shrugged. "It was either that or let them die, and there's been more than enough death on this rock."
"That's incredible," she quietly exclaimed. "I... feel like I'm talking to a completely different person."
He shook his head. "It doesn't matter," he said, feeling unsettled. It's usually so easy to talk to her. Tonight he felt like he was struggling for every word. And she seemed guarded, for all of her curiosity.
The server droid with the noisy motivator wheeled over and deposited bowls of stew on the table. It beeped insistently, looking back and forth between them until Taz swiped his credit chip across the reader on its torso. Satisfied, it rotated and rolled away.
Tess dug into her bowl right away. "I'm starved. Haven't had a thing to eat since breakfast on the Old Ghost," she said. They ate in silence for a while.
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After a couple of minutes Taz set down his spoon. He took a deep breath. "I—sent messages, these past months. You never replied."
Tess paused, her spoon halfway to her mouth. She finished the bite of stew, then looked across the table at him. "I got them, but... I'm sorry to say it, but the time just slipped away."
"I missed you, Tess. A lot. That hell you went through with the Star Destroyer? That's been life here for six months straight. Every raid, every bombing run, every reconnaissance in force—I didn't know if I'd come back, or survive the next attack. It feels like every day there was another funeral. And as many as we lost in action against those Imperial holdouts and whatever desperation drove them to their senseless attacks—we lost almost as many in suicides.
"Jakku... It drives you mad." He was breathing hard, his heart pounding in his chest. Taz wanted to speak calmly to her but the words came tumbling from his mouth with a desperate edge. "The only thing that kept me going was the thought that I'd get to see you. When you stopped writing back I figured the holonet was down, or comms were restricted for some reason. But it's been months, Tess. Four months! Do you know what it felt like, to fight the constant terror of this place, to need you, and—" His voice cracked and he inhaled a long breath before he could go on— "to have to talk myself out of putting a blaster to my head night after night to get rid of the pain?" He was shaking now, his voice barely a whisper. He opened his mouth, but then clamped down his jaw before he said something he might regret.
Tess went pale. "Taz, I didn't—" she started, but was interrupted by the buzzing of her comlink. She pressed the Ignore button, removed the small headset from around her ear, and set it on the table. She looked up at him, her dark eyes troubled. "I can't pretend to know what you went through, but I'm... sorry I couldn't be here when you needed me."
Taz nodded his head, but Tess's answer brought him no solace. They'd always faced the danger of their lives as rebels together, listening, and comforting each other when the stress and death and the constant running got to be too much. She was saying the right words, but they didn't feel right.
"Taz, there's something I need to tell you." She drew a deep breath "I wanted to write, to let you know that I was okay, but I couldn't figure out how."
"How to write?"
"How to say what I needed to say," she said, her voice halting, with none of her normal confidence. "You see, I... I met someone."
Taz felt his heart beat even harder and his chest got tight. "What do you mean?" he uttered, disbelieving.
Tess looked as sad and miserable as he'd ever seen her. "You know what I mean, Taz. Don't make me say it."
He could only stare mutely. Even when his voice returned, he barely managed, "Who?"
"You don't know him," she said, sighing and looking away. "Varun is in the intel section. He came aboard a few weeks after you joined the planetside forces." She looked back at Taz with something like remorse. "We both nearly died during the action with the ISD. We recovered together. He—helped with my rehab when I was learning how to use my voice again. I..." she trailed off, seeing the pain on Taz's face. "We didn't plan it. It just sort of... happened."
Taz nodded, distracted and numb. It seemed like a strange whistling filled his ears and darkness clouded the edges of his vision. He wanted to clear his head but a confounding haze kept lucidity at bay. Struggling to process what she was telling him, he finally stammered, "D-do you love him?"
"Taz," she quietly pleaded. In the dimness there might have been tears in her eyes.
He took a deep breath that did nothing to ease the agony in his chest. It felt like time was moving very slowly, yet rushing by him. "I see." She reached for his hand but he slipped it into his lap, as much to keep her from touching him as to hide the violent tremors that suddenly started. He felt he was clinging to his sanity by a bare thread, and a tinge of unexpected anger began building inside him.
"I know this isn't what you wanted."
"No," he rasped, afraid to say anything more. She looked so beautiful, and farther away than ever.
"Taz," she repeated, more insistently, "Come back to Filve. This place is chewing you up."
"Come back to what?" he cried. "What is there for me on Filve?" His voice rose loud enough that some of the other patrons turned their way.
She started to respond when her comlink buzzed again. The alert light flashed insistently.
She put on the earpiece and listened. Her face fell and she looked even sadder. "I have to go," she said, getting up from the table. "Please, I want you to know this isn't what I wanted. I'm sorry, Taz. I'm so sorry." Tears rolling down her cheek, she got up and strode stiffly from the cantina.
He watched her go, breathless with sudden rage that collapsed into despair, wishing he could just fade away. Dimly he heard the noise of the cantina and realized the world was still moving. He remembered to breathe and dragged Jakku's dusty air into his lungs.
Taz didn't know how long he sat there but eventually he heard a scraping sound. He looked up to see Sera standing behind the chair where Tess had been.
She gave him an even, probing look. "You okay, Doc? I saw Captain Daro on my way in. Did you two have a chance to talk?"
He made a mute nod, afraid to meet her steady, piercing gaze.
"Guessing it didn't go well."
"She, uh..." He swallowed hard, building up the courage to say the words. "She decided to move on," he managed, his voice breaking.
"Aw, Doc."
He looked up into Sera's sympathetic face. It felt like a huge weight hung around his shoulders.
"Come on, Doc," said the warrior returning to her customary, commanding tone. "No use sitting here. If you're gonna be miserable at least do it where there's something decent to drink."
She beckoned in a way that signaled she'd make him come if he didn't do it on his own. He stood, the legs of the chair chattering across the rough floor. They left the noisy cantina, Taz following woodenly behind her. After a while he decided to ask, "Where are we going?"
"Allegra. Rei-sha installed the food synth from that VT Forty-nine we scavenged." She looked back to make sure he was following. "Seems it was a diplomatic courier so it's got top-shelf programming. It even makes passable Lithingow whisky."
The air was rapidly cooling with Jakku's sun down, though the sandstone beneath his feet still radiated some warmth. They went up the boarding ramp and walked to the parlor. "Sit," she ordered, disappearing into the small galley alcove.
She came back a half-minute later with a pair of tumblers and a decanter full of dark amber liquid. She poured double measures into the glasses, handing one to him. When he just stared at it, she said, "Listen, Doc, I know you're hurting. Drinking's probably not the healthiest thing but it'll at least dull some of the pain." Sera lifted the glass and drank. After a second Taz did too, letting the smoky liquor burn its way down his throat.
They sat in silence broken only by the sound of the glasses sliding on the table, or the decanter glancing off the rim of a tumbler as they refilled, then refilled again.
"You were right," Taz said carefully. His mouth had trouble forming the words. "She wasn't the same." He was vaguely aware of a clicking sound nearby that repeated at a slow, steady cadence.
Sera made a sympathetic noise. "I wish I'd been wrong, Doc."
"Me too," he said, shuddering. "What was I doing holding onto her all this time?" He threw back the whisky in his glass, swallowed past the hard lump in his throat, and poured another. The odd clicking started up again, or maybe it had never stopped.
"What everyone does, Doc. You were hoping things would go back to the way they were before you or I ever heard the word Jakku."
"You knew, Sera. You knew what would happen. How'd you know?" The clicking noise seemed very close but in his anguished state Taz couldn't quite figure out what was causing it.
"Soldier's life, Doc. Happens to us ground pounders more often than we deserve." She took a sip from her glass and set it down. "Say, Doc, you weren't thinking of doing anything with that, were you?" She nodded toward his leg.
Taz looked down at his hand grasping the butt of his PP40c blaster. His thumb flicked rhythmically at the holster's safety release and he lifted it halfway out, then slid it back home with an audible click. His eyes widened a little. He looked up at the commando. "I—I didn't realize—"
"That's alright, Doc," she assured him with an easy smile. "How about I hold onto that for you?"
"Uh, yeah, sure Sera," he said. His hand shook as he removed the holster from his belt and passed it to her, feeling ashamed and scared. She casually ejected the power cell and pocketed it, then clipped the empty weapon onto her belt.
"I don't really feel too good," he slurred, his shoulders drooping even more.
"I know you don't, Doc," she replied and helped him up. "You can bunk here tonight." Sera half led, half carried the medtech to one of the crew births and lowered him onto the mattress. "I'll bring you some water. You're going to have one hell of a headache tomorrow, I'll bet."
He rolled toward the wall and tucked his legs up. Then in a plaintive voice he uttered, "What do I do without her?" After a moment he started trembling and quietly sobbing. Sera put a hand on his shoulder, then backed out of the room, lowered the light, and closed the door.
----------------------------------------
Taz's eyes cracked open, then shut again as a phalanx of spears stabbed at the back of his head. He groaned, forced his stiff legs over the edge of the bed, and sat up despite the angry throbbing. It hurt to move at all. Even his eyeballs felt like they were on fire.
Near the bunk on a small table sat a glass of water beside a half-filled pitcher. Taz took it in his creaky grasp and slowly drained the tumbler. He poured another and swallowed all of that, too. Then he sat as still as he could, his aching head cradled in his hands, and tried not to do anything but breathe.
He'd been sick the night before; he had a vague memory of it but the noisome remains of his dinner were evident on the bedsheets and his shirt. The conversation with Tess played through his mind over and over. Had he let her go too easily? Should he have fought, or let his building rage take over? Would that have spared him the agony in his heart?
Barely suppressing tears and feeling every bit the invalid, Taz stripped out of his clothes and balled up the soiled bedding. He dragged himself into the cabin's sonic shower and palmed the activation switch, whispering thanks that Reiko had gotten the ship's domestic systems online. He emerged ten minutes later, surprised to find a fresh set of fatigues hanging beside the bunk. The bundle of soiled laundry was nowhere to be seen. He drank more water to soothe his raw throat, splashed some on his face, then got dressed.
When he walked into the salon Rendix was sitting at the table where she'd been the night before. "Did you?" He gestured at his clothes.
She nodded by way of an answer and took a sip from the steaming mug of khaff in her hand. A thermoflask and another mug were on the table. She tilted her head in an invitation.
Moving like an old man, Taz sat across from her, poured the dark bitter liquid into the mug, and took a drink. "And the laundry?"
"Yep."
"Sorry about the mess."
"I've seen plenty worse." She pushed two small blue capsules across the table.
"Ralmenodrine?"
"Raided your stash. I hope you don't mind. This is yours, too." she handed his pistol back to him.
"Thanks," he mumbled sheepishly, returning the weapon to his belt. "Sorry for the way I acted last night."
Sera flicked the thought away with her fingers. "No worries, Doc. I never had a brother as far as I know. If I did, I like to think he'd be like you. I'm just glad you're still here."
Taz tossed the hangover pills to the back of his throat and chased them down with more khaff. He rubbed his temples, wishing the turbolasers assaulting his head would cease firing. "You're... surprisingly caring, Senior Trooper Rendix."
"It's just Sera now. My discharge cert was processed yesterday. And I wasn't always," she said all at once, dismissing his look of surprise with a casual flip of her hand. "It was all about Number One until I met Rei. It's gonna sound funny, but she's got this... thing. It makes me want to take care of her, from the very first day I saw her at Arclight. Guess it rubbed off." She lowered her voice conspiratorially. "Don't tell the troops, Doc. I'd never live it down."
"I'll take your secret to my grave. Which feels very close by," he groaned and refilled his mug, then took a couple of sips. "Actually, I'm not surprised. Good leaders take care of their people."
Sera grinned. "Then you'd make a great leader, Doc. You're always taking care of everyone. Maybe you should think about taking care of yourself a little more."
"Maybe," he echoed between sips. After a while, he chanced, "Are they... still here?"
She shook her head. "Left a little after sunrise. Clearing the way for the engineering battalion to finish dismantling the base, and the transports to get everyone off-world." After a pause, she added, "I saw General Numarkos and Captain Daro before they took off."
Taz didn't speak for a while. "How'd she look?" His hand started to shake and he curled his fingers tightly around his mug.
"Hurt, Doc. Just like you."
He nodded, a taut gesture. "I'm sorry," he uttered, thinking of Tess. It would've been a lot easier if she'd simply been cold and heartless, discarding him when her use for him had expired. But he knew better than that; she'd loved him once, as much as he loved her. He also knew that he'd lost his chance to do anything about it.
Taz got slowly to his feet. "Thanks for the khaff, and for letting me bunk here."
"You're welcome to stay, Doc, for as long as you want."
He lifted a corner of his mouth. "I know, Sera, and I appreciate it." He tapped his fingers against the pistol, his face stiff and grim. "You saved my life again last night."
She nodded, looking serious. "Don't waste it, okay?"
"Yeah," he sighed, then left Allegra's Heart before she could see how much he was still hurting.
Lyra Nimor was coming up the ramp as he headed down. She said hello and he mumbled a reply, but brushed past her when she started to ask why he was there. He trudged back to the outpost as fast as his heavy legs would carry him.
An hour later, the effects of last night's binge finally faded to a dull ache. Oktos tapped out the keystrokes on his discharge application. His finger hovered over the transmit button. Leaving Razorclaw and the military meant he'd likely never see Tess again. He was surprised how much that thought troubled him after last night's events. But with a few minutes of consideration he realized that nothing he did was going to change that. Tess had made her choice; her life didn't include him any longer. With a shaky finger he pressed the button on the keyboard.
The raw wound left by her rejection stung worse than a pyrkasz wasp but maybe Sera was right when she said that Jakku had changed him. Maybe he didn't need her as much as he thought he did.
No, that isn't right.
He did need her; he loved her desperately. But he thought that maybe, in spite of that, he could live his life. Travel like he'd always wanted. Learn more about the Force. Do something besides fight.
He tapped out another note addressed to Tess. An hour of writing and rewriting left him with just a couple of lines to say he was okay, that he understood how much things had changed for both of them, and how he hoped for her happiness. He didn't mention the anguish he still felt, or the hole in his chest. He sent the message before he could change his mind.
Taz filed his duty reports and started rummaging through his desk to see what he could throw away. He was in the middle of cleaning the third drawer when a knock at the door was followed immediately by Captain Fintargost's entrance. One of the outpost's administrative droids filed in behind her. Taz did his best to snap to attention.
"Have a seat, Officer Oktos," said the imbish.
Taz sat and used the toe of his boot to close the desk drawer. "Can I help you, Captain?"
"How long have you been with Razorclaw Cell?"
"Eight standard years I suppose ma'am, give or take."
"Your record of service is excellent. You could transfer to the sector force, even take the commissioning exam. With your skills and experience you could make a good career for yourself."
Taz decided his discharge application must have been routed to her for review. She'd been on Jakku for just a few months and they'd only spoken a handful of times. "I appreciate the vote of confidence, ma'am but the military isn't the place for me anymore."
"May I ask why, Oktos-aktushu?"
Taz nodded deeply. It was a rare compliment for a Filvian to address her junior with such a lofty honorific. "I joined Razorclaw because I wanted to drive the Empire off of Filve and out of the sector. After Vrast I decided I wanted to drive them from the galaxy. I was enraged at what they'd done to my family, to all of us. But Jakku..." He fell silent, contemplating. "Jakku took everything I had to give, to Filve and the New Republic. If I'm being honest, ma'am, I'm tired of it all. I want a fresh start."
"I see," said the captain, standing. Taz stood as well. She took a data cylinder from the droid and handed it to him. "Your discharge cert, severance, and back pay. Your access to unrestricted areas on-base will remain active for three days but as of now you may consider yourself relieved of duty." The shorter officer saluted him, then offered her hand. "I commend you for your honorable service, senior warrant officer third-class Tazbarada Oktos-aktushu, and I wish for you good fortune wherever your future takes you."
"Thank you, Captain," said Taz, bowing his head again.
She nodded and left, the droid close behind. When the door had closed Taz slipped the rod into the data terminal's scomp port. The discharge cert appeared on the screen. At the bottom were signature codes from Captain Fintargost and General Numarkos. The discharge date was three days hence but the details made it clear that his official duties as an officer in Sector Force 767 had ended. Along with it were letters from both officers.
The captain's congratulated him for his service in an efficient, pro forma way that Taz immediately recognized as a standard form. In contrast, the letter from Dianthe Numarkos was entirely personal. She likewise congratulated him for his service but admitted her suspicion that he might be looking for a new life outside of the military. He shouldn't have been surprised by now at how well she seemed to know little details about all of her fellow Razorclaw members, or her prescience in writing a lengthy note, seemingly long before he himself had decided on his future course. She'd always been uncommonly perceptive when it came to her Rebel cell.
He continued reading. She spent paragraphs recounting details of their time aboard the Pride of Olminar. The note closed with warm wishes and a promise that she would be there for him if ever he needed help. She signed the letter Dee Numarkos. Taz smiled, comforted by the unexpected rush of warmth he felt from reading the general's missive.
He breathed a little sigh that was part relief but mostly remorse. Eight years that had irrevocably shaped his life were coming to an end. The enormity of that reality hit Taz with more force than he expected. He suddenly felt as if there were momentous changes in his future and wondered if his hit and miss connection to the Force was trying to tell him something.
He opened the file labeled Demobilization Severance. The page displayed a transfer code for an account underwritten by the finance division of Karanos Transport Systems. He answered the prompts to validate his identity and set up security authorization for the account.
A new screen opened and he read the account ledger, his eyes going wide. It showed a balance of just over forty-three thousand credits. Taz sat back and whistled. He'd never worried about money or even thought much about it, but the sum on the screen was more than he'd ever seen. It was enough to buy a decent ship, a luxurious house, or travel from one end of the galaxy to the other a couple of times over. He thought about what he might do with those funds and that kind of freedom, the first he'd had in his life. After a time he leaned over the keyboard and got to work putting his affairs in order. As he did, he noticed that the tremor in his hand had nearly disappeared.
----------------------------------------
Lyra wiped sweat from her forehead and left a greasy mark from the wayward glob of thick lubricant clinging to the back of her hand. The mid-morning temperature was already over thirty degrees so she doffed her jacket and hooked it on the boarding ramp's actuator column, careful to avoid the lubricant she'd applied. For the millionth time she touched her arm where Taz Oktos had healed her with nothing more than willpower and the mysterious Force. It was starting to take on the creamy chocolate hue of the rest of her skin, though there remained a flush of pink. She shook her head, still half disbelieving the evidence in front of her. Her mouth curled into a wry grimace. If not for the obstinate, sometimes infuriating medtech, she'd probably be nothing more than desiccated bones buried in Jakku's scorching, unforgiving sand fields.
When he brushed past her on his way out of the ship this morning he'd looked pretty unsteady. She'd asked Rendix about it; the two of them seemed nearly as thick as siblings. But Sera was tight-lipped, stating only that he'd had a rough few months. That pretty much describes everybody on this rock, she thought and got back to work.
Stretching up on the balls of her feet, Nimor strained to adjust the boarding ramp's linear actuator despite the long-shafted driver in her hand. She cursed under her breath but after a few tries she finally indexed the stop bolt close to where she wanted it. She dropped the tool into the loop on her belt, grabbed her jacket and strode up the ramp. She waved her hand in front of the switch sensor. The ramp rose smoothly, its double segments retracting. It closed with a satisfying hiss as the air seals engaged. She checked the pressure reading on the display panel.
"Good job, Lyra," she quipped to herself with a congratulatory air. Over her shoulder she shouted, "Boarding ramp's adjusted!"
"Seal status?" came the return shout from Reiko in the engine room.
"Within nominal parameters," she called.
"We do have an intercom, you know," came Sera's voice over the speakers. "When you two get a chance, come up to the portside hold."
Rei emerged from the engine room, the reactivated L-1 droid following in her wake. Its pelvic joints made a noise halfway between a rumble and a buzz as it moved. "What's in the cargo hold?"
Nimor shrugged. "Chuffed if I know." She looked at the droid. "I see you've got him up and about. What are you calling him?"
Hudson turned back to the droid. Its pale yellow and olive paint was scuffed and worn but she'd scrubbed off the greasy grime and spiffed hiim up as much as she could. "Yuzu, say hello to our pilot, Lyra Nimor."
"Hello, pilot Lyra Nimor," said the droid without affect, bowing slightly at the waist.
"I thought you said these models had high-end processors?" Nimor commented, none too impressed.
"Oh, they do but he was neglected by the last crew and his memory core was damaged, probably during the crash. I had to install a new heuristic program and reinitialize his personality matrix, so it might take a couple of weeks for it to emerge."
"The last crew didn't have a backup?"
"They did but it was pretty old and I needed room to install cargo-handling and some other skill modules. Plus I wanted to be sure he hadn't developed any bad habits from hanging out with a bunch of spice and gun runners."
"Good thought. We don't need a droid onboard that'll murder us in our sleep."
Rei laughed nervously, unsure whether Lyra was being serious. She took a rag from her pocket and rubbed the grease stain from Lyra's forehead. "Anyway, let's go see what Sera-sha wants."
Lyra hung her tool belt on the wall. They took the lift to the upper deck and entered the bay.
Sera had a plasma welder in her hand. A solid-looking locker was newly fused to the wall. "You got the L-One running," observed the ex-commando as the three of them entered. "Nice work."
Rei smiled proudly. "This is Yuzu."
"Yuzu?" At the sound of its name the droid bowed and greeted her as it had with Nimor.
"Yep. For the way his pelvic joints sound when he walks."
Rendix cast an amused look at Lyra, who just shrugged.
"What's in there?" asked the pilot.
Sera looked into the lock sensor. The doors clicked and made a whirring noise as they rolled open. Inside were sets of combat armor and a motley assortment of blasters in every configuration from tiny holdout models to long-barreled rifles. Below the guns sat crates labeled Magazines and Grenades.
"By the two moons!" Lyra gasped. "Are you starting another war?"
The taller woman smiled. "We're in the charter business. You never know when we might run into trouble."
"Where did all of this come from?" asked an incredulous Reiko.
"An armorer friend of mine." She took a heavy, well-used PP40 from the rack and slid it into the holster that rode low on her thigh. "I had him tune up my baby here—" She patted the butt of the pistol lovingly— "and when I went to pick her up he said these were 'extras' he had laying around. The Republic was just gonna scrap 'em so he let me take the whole lot for seven thousand, plus the credits he owed me from game night last week. Some of them need work, but..." She crossed her arms, looking like she'd scored the deal of a lifetime.
"That's military-grade stuff," Lyra frowned. "If we get boarded for inspection—"
Sera's smile broadened. "We're covered." From her sleeve pocket she withdrew a pair of silver code cylinders with green tops. Black enamel inlay on the side marked the stack of three inverted triangles that symbolized the Dufilvian Sector Forces. On the opposite side their names were inscribed. She handed them out.
"They're programmed with your chain codes so keep them secure. General Numarkos caught up with me before she left. She said she wanted to do something for us." Sera waved around at the ship. "She got Allegra's Heart registered as a special purpose transport with the DSF auxiliary fleet. We owe them ten weeks of duty each year. In exchange," she wiggled her code cylinder, "we have permits for all of the weapons and military systems on Allegra's Heart. And during our duty cycle we'll have auxiliary fleet ranks as acting Senior Warrant Officers, First Class."
"Wow," Lyra blurted.
"It gets better," Sera promised. "Preferred rates at KTS depots for repairs, fuel, and consumables."
"Are you serious, Sera-sha?" Reiko exclaimed.
"Yep. One more thing." She raised her voice a notch. "Kallista, will you come here?"
Into the cargo hold walked one of the Olminar's four BD-3000 luxury droids. Her glossy black body and golden limbs reflected the bright lights. "Of course, Captain Rendix," said the droid. Her voice was melodious with a sultry edge. She bowed to the others. "Greetings, Mistress Reiko, I'm very happy to see you again."
"Ooh, hello Kalli!" gushed Reiko.
"And you must be Mistress Lyra. I'm most pleased to meet you as well. Captain Rendix informs me that you're a very capable pilot."
"I'll... try to live up to that," Nimor answered.
"Kallista, would you play the message?" asked Sera.
"Of course, Captain." She held up her palm and a holo image appeared.
> "Dee Numarkos here, sending my warmest greetings to you, Sera and Reiko. I can't tell you how proud I am of the work you both did for Razorclaw Cell and the critical role that you played in our success. It's no exaggeration to say that you saved the lives of every Razorclaw member during Operation Strongbox but your contributions go far beyond a single mission.
>
> "Sera, your courage and skill as a warrior are hard to come by and they were both so desperately needed during our fight. Over the years I watched you transform from a soldier into a true leader. You've been tough but fair, beloved by those you command and respected by your peers. And your first concern seems always to be for the troops who follow you without hesitation, regardless of the danger. But for all that I know how big your heart is, how much you felt the loss of every member of your team, and how much of their burdens you took on your own shoulders. I'd never ask you to put those burdens aside. I'm not a warrior but I think I understand what they mean to you, at least a little. I do hope that you won't let them consume you though. I don't think you will. You're one of the strongest people I know."
>
> Numarkos's image on the holo smiled kindly. "Reiko, I remember when you first came aboard, brilliant but hesitant. Your great knowledge about nearly every shipboard system, your enthusiasm and earnestness, won over your fellow crew members. And you blossomed into a mentor, a teacher, and a friend to everyone. Never in all of our time on the Old Ghost did I hear a bad word spoken of you. It's a rare gift to cultivate such universal goodwill, crammed together with scores of rebels on a small ship under constant threat for months on end. I've no doubt you're making new friends even now.
>
> "And the bond the two of you share has been such an inspiration, especially in our darkest hours. You reminded us that even in the midst of war, love could truly thrive. You also made me realize that I ought not to put aside my feelings for those I care about. I'm going to take your example to heart.
>
> "In honor of your years of invaluable service to Razorclaw Cell, the Alliance, and New Republic, I'd like to gift you with my droid, Kallista. Consider her a token of my appreciation and affection for you both. In addition to handling clerical and protocol duties she's programmed for executive protection, speeder piloting, and passenger service. She'll also act as your liaison with KTS and the Dufilvian Sector Force. And if you should need it, she has emergency subspace and hyperwave channels directly to me.
>
> "I'll close by wishing you all the best as you embark on your new lives together. If there's ever anything I can do for you I hope you'll reach out to me. Please accept my fondest regards and my hope for the success of your charter business."
The holo ended and Kallista lowered her hand.
Reiko sniffed and wiped a tear from the corner of her eye but she was glowing.
"Thank you Kallista," Sera said a little gruffly, wrapping her arm around Rei's shoulders. She cleared her throat. "Will you check our departure plan, then post charter notices with the for-hire holonet boards in the Mid and Outer Rims?
"Right away, Captain Rendix," the droid finished with another bow and left.
"Wow," Lyra repeated. "That was your CO?"
Reiko nodded. "Dianthe Numarkos. She led Razorclaw Cell."
"She's... impressive," Nimor said. "Looks like she held you both in high esteem."
"She's an outstanding leader," Sera said fondly, then turned again to the weapons locker. "Back to the business at hand." She looked at Lyra. "See one you like?"
"Me? You sure you want to arm an Imperial?"
"You're one of us now, Nimor. Besides, every pilot needs a good blaster at her side."
Lyra looked over the dozen pistols on the rack. "I qualified with the SE-Fourteen and DH-Seventeen in the service, but they're bulky." She skipped over the bigger weapons and picked up a pistol with graceful lines. The fine checkering on the sablewood grips was worn smooth in spots, and only traces of luxury chromium plating remained on the frame and barrel but it looked to be in decent shape. She weighed it in her hand, then sighted down the barrel. "This one feels pretty good."
"BlasTech A-One-Eighty, a custom 'K' model with a chopped barrel. Elegant, and it has decent power." Sera grinned as she took a dark brown gun belt from a hook on the door. She fastened it around Lyra's waist, adjusting the fit with a click of the brushed nickel buckle plate. Lyra slid the pistol into the holster. "It suits you," said the ex-commando with a definitive nod.
"Um, thanks, I think." The fact that Sera, a Rebel special forces soldier who'd have put a plasma bolt in her chest without a second thought only a few weeks ago, now trusted her with a weapon of her own, was unexpectedly touching in an odd sort of way. With more emphasis, she said, "Thanks, Rendix."
Sera grinned and gave Lyra's shoulder a squeeze, then nudged Reiko. "You always liked the smaller ones, right Rei-sha?"
"I don't like any of them," she countered.
Sera pursed her lips, took a diminutive pistol from the rack, and slipped it into a molded polymer cross-draw holster. "Filvian Victory Arms PK-Five. It's a holdout model so it doesn't pack a big punch but it'll get you out of trouble with anything that's not armored." She clipped it to Rei's belt on her left hip with the butt facing forward. "There. Now it's easy to draw without getting in the way of your bag of gizmos." She wore a big smile.
"If you say so," Reiko said, looking dubious.
Sera took a step back and gave the other two a satisfied grin. "Now we look like a crew that's ready to take on whatever comes our way!" Sera laughed and Reiko grinned. Even Nimor cracked a smile. "So, who wants lunch?"
"Cantina?" Lyra suggested.
"Why not?" Reiko agreed. They took the lift down to the boarding ramp. Lyra swiped the control switch. The ramp hissed, then lowered and extended.
"Nice," said the engineer, acknowledging Lyra's repair work. Standing at the bottom of the ramp was Taz Oktos with a big duffel slung over his shoulder. "Oh, hello, sir!"
"No more 'sir', Reiko, it's just Taz. My discharge cert came through." To Sera he said, "Leth Aurek Jenth."
"Life After Jakku, Doc," she responded with a grin.
"Feeling better, Officer Oktos?" Lyra asked.
A troubled look crossed his face. "Not yet but I'm getting there, Ensign Nimor."
"One day at a time, Doc," Sera reminded him. "So, thought about what you're gonna do now that you're a free man?"
"Well," he said, scratching his freshly-shaven cheek, "I thought I might see if there's a ship that needs a medic, sensor operator, gunner, pilot trainee, cargo handler, or all of the above." He squinted up at the three of them. "Know where I can find one?"
At the top of the ramp the women smiled.