“Not so fast, asshole.” I rip the pistol out of his hands. “You don’t get to take the easy way out.”

  He hisses in anger and spits at me in reaction, tries to bite, but all that does is earn him a punch in the mouth. I enjoy the sound of my armored knuckles smashing against his fangs, then throw him out of the shuttle and right into Bryn’s arms.

  “Building’s been made safe now,” Ortan announces.

  From the far side of the courtyard also appear Krya and the others. Their weapons are smoking, their energy extremely high and, for a moment, I feel great as well. For a random troop of soldiers of all different species, who have only just recently come together, we performed brilliantly. True, I would not expect any less from professionals like us... The good feeling doesn’t last very long, though, and I soon experience a drop in spirit at the thought of Stella. It’s clear that she’s not here, so… Now, what can we do? Tali looks at me, eyes flashing intensely, as if in answer to my unspoken question. I watch her walk up close to the Krohn. She appears eerily calm and in control. I remember her earlier statement, and bite my lip in anticipation.

  “Where is she?” she asks.

  Bryn and Ortan hold our prisoner in a secure grip. He has to know full well what is at stake here, but that doesn’t stop him staring at her in defiance.

  “She?” he sneers. “Who?”

  There you go, another stupid mistake. In my world, we had one crucial rule regarding behavior in the event of capture. Do-Not-Engage. Obviously, the goal was never to let yourself fall into enemy hands in the first place, but if it happened, the only information a soldier was allowed to reveal was their name, rank, service number, and date of birth. After that, good luck to you, surviving long enough to tell the tale of your capture and evasion...

  “You will answer my questions,” Tali declares.

  The Krohn attempts to spit in her face. She avoids it, raises a dangerous eyebrow.

  “Fuck you!” he snarls.

  “You will tell me where she is,” she repeats.

  “You think I’m scared of you, Antalosian scum?”

  Indeed, some level of humility would be a more intelligent reaction. Even though I’m on her side, Tali still scares me a little. I appreciate her power. She flashes him a cold smile. Steps even closer, and she reaches for the dagger on her belt.

  “Hold him tight, Bryn,” she instructs.

  CHAPTER

  16

  Back onboard the ship, I sit on my own in the crew room, staring without enthusiasm at the food in front of me. I need to eat and recharge my batteries, to make sure I’m ready for the upcoming op. I know that, but still find it hard to swallow.

  “Yeah, fine,” I shrug, when Bryn comes to get his own food and inquires if I’m okay.

  “I don’t like to watch this sort of thing either,” he sighs.

  “Brutal interrogation and torture?”

  “Yes. Sadly, it was necessary to extract the information we needed.”

  Tali extracted more than information… Like all Antalosian warriors, she can create her own electricity field and manipulate it into anything she likes. Stella relied heavily on this trick when I fought alongside her. I watched her crispy-fry the enemy, slam energy balls into walls and flying shuttles, and she was also able to provide a protective field for our team whenever we needed a good one. During another, even more memorable occasion, she employed her gift to keep me pinned to the wall, as she finally delivered on days and days of relentless flirting. She lavished rough kisses all over me, used her tongue and teeth in sensitive places, and, all the while, her electric bonds held me in place.

  “What’s the matter, Red?”

  Bryn gives me a funny look, and I quickly wipe the smile off my face.

  “Nothing,” I assure him. “Yeah, it was hard to watch.”

  Tali used her electric powers to lock the Krohn’s jaw into place in a wide-open position. She then proceeded to drill holes into the top of his gums with the tip of her dagger. Needless to say, this had him screaming his head off before the blood even started to flow. I thought she might give him a break after a full minute of this kind of torture, but she did not. Before allowing him any respite, she went on to pull each of the four large fangs that the Krohn are equipped with out of his mouth. She was extremely precise in her work, intentionally slow. Throughout it all, she showed absolutely no emotion. When she finally let him close his mouth, and repeated her first question about Stella, the Krohn seemed on the edge of a heart attack. Hyper-ventilating and gagging on his own blood, he was only too happy to blurt out everything he knew. After he was done, Tali made him kneel in front of her. As he begged for his life, she turned to us. Locked her eyes on mine. Empty and cold... Detached, unreachable. Just a professional at work, and I understood that. I was in the same position many times before.

  “Any other questions?” she asked.

  We had none, so Tali ended the session by lodging a bullet into the back of the Krohn’s head. A merciful killing following a spectacular display of cruelty. Some might question her method, but I won’t. Yes, I believe it was required. I will not feel overly sentimental over the loss of one more bad guy, especially since he was intent on killing me and my crew. That’s not the reason for my sudden loss of appetite.

  “Tell me about that place, Bryn. Where the Krohn said that they sent Stella. Elcyok?”

  He grunts aggressively in reaction, sits back, and shakes his head.

  “Elcyok… Just the name leaves a bad taste in my mouth. It is the most renowned penal colony in the galaxy.”

  “Well, I haven’t heard of it yet.”

  “I don’t mean famous in a good way, you understand. It’s the most dreaded and feared.”

  “Tell me why.”

  “It’s outside of Alliance control, to begin with.”

  “Right…”

  When Sanchez opted to re-enlist, I decided not to. Personal reasons, with one in particular: after what the Navy had done to us, I did not feel that I could trust, be it the Myrr Foundation or the Galactic Alliance, ever again. This being said, I recognize that the Alliance has been a force for good on the whole, in our solar system and across large parts of the galaxy as well. Even though I am no longer officially a member of the armed forces, I share a lot of their values. I understand their mindset. Finding out that Elcyok is outside the Alliance circle of influence is not so good. Especially not in the way that Bryn says it.

  “Lawless, is it?” I wonder out loud.

  “Oh, there is a law,” he shrugs. “Law of the warden, that is. Inmates are stripped of all rights, including the most basic ones. One could argue they only get what they deserve, of course. But as we are experiencing now, with Stella, not everyone who ends up at Elcyok is guilty as charged.”

  I clench my fists at the thought of it.

  “The Krohn said that she was barely breathing when they sent her there...”

  “Don’t take his word for it, Red. The Krohn are notorious liars and a cunning enemy. They will say and do anything to try to throw us off our game.”

  “So,” I nod in agreement. “About Elcyok…”

  “It’s bad news,” he repeats. “A station on lockdown in a far-out part of the universe. Run by the Krohn, in case you were still wondering.”

  “No, I wasn’t.”

  “It’s the kind of place where people disappear all the time. If you were unlucky enough to end up there, and no one knew, it might be the end for you. There would be no way to escape. It’s in the middle of nowhere, in outer space.”

  I’m not claustrophobic, but this is triggering.

  “So, why are we still here?” I groan. “Stella needs us!”

  “Tali and her team are in the comm room speaking to their Queen right now.”

  “I didn’t think Antalosians would turn out to be such big talkers. What a fucking waste of time.”

  “There’s a lot at stake, Red.”

  “Yes. Like her life. We should—”

  Tali walks in and interrupts me with a pointed question.

  “Is there a problem, Commander?”

  “What?”

  “You seem agitated.”

  To snap angrily and tell her that she doesn’t seem agitated enough would be my preferred answer; but I would not want to appear overly human in my emotions, so I just shrug.

  “I’m fine, Tali. Just good to go, uh.”

  “Impatient,” she declares, which makes me stare darkly in reaction. “I understand that.”

  “So, you talked to your Queen?”

  “Yes. She gave us the green light to recover our operator.”

  “That was never in doubt, was it?”

  “No, but she had to be fully briefed, since our intervention is going to be in direct violation of Alliance protocol.”

  “What’s that got to do with Stella?”

  “Very little now.” She sneers. “But you know how they like to talk, negotiate, avoid conflict at all cost. Especially at such a sensitive time, and when everybody’s already so on edge.”

  The smile she flashes promises something else.

  “I’m all for no talking and zero negotiation on this one,” Bryn offers. “We just hit them fast and hard, and get Stella out of there.”

  He’s always so calm and reserved in his opinions, measured and reasonable, but his frustration is clearly showing now. The life of a good friend, and one of our people, is at stake. Of course, he is as impatient as I am.

  “Our team is onboard the Storm Dancer,” Tali says. “We’ve been cleared for departure. ETA to Elcyok is three hours. In that time, we must come up with a plan of attack.”

  She glances at me as she says this, which I take to mean that she wants my input.

  “I assume it’s not easy to even come close to the facility,” I reflect.

  “Correct,” Bryn nods. “They’ll do their best to shoot down an unauthorized vessel entering their private space.”

  “I like the way you say that,” I smile. “Do their best.”

  “Trust me, they wouldn’t succeed with us.”

  “But we want to fly under the radar until we’ve got Stella,” Tali reminds.

  “So, that rules out just showing up.”

  “Yes, Commander,” she nods. “It does.”

  “We’ll need to perform a Cleopatra-type entry, then.”

  “A what?” my Cyclopean friend frowns.

  “Cleopatra was a charismatic, resourceful human Queen.”

  I quickly fill them in on how she smuggled herself back into her Alexandrian palace, once upon a time.

  “Pretty clever,” Bryn approves. “That’s an option, for sure.”

  “The station must receive regular supplies of materials and food, right?” I continue.

  “All Krohn-approved suppliers,” Tali points out.

  “Fine. We can hijack one of the supply vessels.”

  “Yes, but that would take too long,” she decides. “Our goal is to rescue Stella, not lose focus on stealing vessels and what-not like a bunch of pirates.”

  “If we can’t do that, or go in with guns blazing, then what do you suggest we do instead?”

  I don’t mind others being in the lead, especially Antalosian warriors, but if she’s going to reject my options, she’d better give us a great one in return. Tali grins at the note of temper which I intentionally did not try to keep from my voice.

  “Don’t worry, Commander, we’ll do your queen Cleopatra proud.”

  “How, Tali?” Bryn inquires.

  Good question, that…

  ∞∞∞

  Over a holo-comm connection a little while later, Nerys informs me that she’s back at school on Pluto.

  “It’s full of children! You know?”

  “Yes. School tends to be like that, kid.”

  She chuckles, but I catch a tinge of regret laced with it.

  “Talk to me,” I invite. “How are you doing?”

  “Sure you’ve got time?”

  I don’t, really... I may be counting down to my own death, as well, but I’m not going to mention that to her.

  “Plenty,” I just say. “So, catch me up.”

  “Okay, Red. Well, it’s not all bad…”

  “What’s wrong with school?”

  She hesitates, glances over her shoulder as if to make sure that she’s on her own, and turns back to face me with tears in her eyes.

  “I don’t think the other kids like me anymore.”

  “Ah. Why not?”

  “They say I’m too serious. No fun to be around.”

  “Was it like that before?”

  “No,” she shrugs. “Before, I was always in with all the fun, but now I’m focused on what you told me: taking advantage of every situation, learning and growing, keeping my future career and the bigger picture in mind.”

  “Good, carry on with that. If the other kids aren’t mature enough to understand, don’t worry about it. Your life is going to change, girl. You’ll make new friends, more in-line with the new you.”

  “Okay, Red…”

  “It takes courage to break away from the pack, and I admire you for doing it. Stay with it, don’t listen to anyone else. Doing it your own way will bring you great results eventually.”

  “Yes, I am learning that people don’t like it too much when you change… And that’s true: going after your dreams is hard, but worthwhile.”

  “I think you’re awesome, Nerys.”

  She perks up considerably at that.

  “Thanks, Red. I want to make you proud!”

  “Remember what I said; make yourself proud, first of all.”

  “Roger that, Commander. Hey, you got more time to chat? There’s something else I want to tell you!”

  I check. Getting close to starting the op now, but I can spare a few extra minutes. Not like I have to prep weapons or armor this time, unfortunately...

  “Go ahead,” I invite.

  “I start martial arts training tomorrow!” she exclaims.

  “Ah, great! Who with?”

  Her excitement is easy to measure from the instant breath-less download that follows.

  “My mom asked around for me, and one of her friends who is a member of the Antalosian delegation recommended a good trainer. He’s Elusyan. Used to be an Alliance marine, but he was injured in battle. He saved the life of his teammate, received the medal of honor for it. That’s great, uh! And mom’s friend, she’s a warrior like you. I wasn’t shy with her, Red! I asked if she would be my mentor, and she said yes!”

  She pauses to take a breath, face flushed in pleasure.

  “Your mom’s Antalosian friend said that?”

  “Yes! The warrior.”

  “Excellent. What’s her name?”

  “Ewyn. She’s really cool. Like, a real pro.”

  “I’ll ask the Antalosian I’m with now if she knows her.”

  “You’re with a warrior right now? Working together? What are you doing?”

  “Helping out a friend,” I reply, keeping it vague.

  “Great… Hey, Red. You’ll stay safe, right?”

  What I’m going to do is about as unsafe as you can make it without shooting yourself in the head, but never mind that. I’m not planning on failure.

  “For sure,” I promise. “I’ll stay safe and you stay on track.”

  “Deal! Okay, gotta go back to my homework now! Thanks for the talk, Red. Good luck with your friend. We’ll speak again soon, okay?”

  “Okay, kid. Soon.”

  I sure as hell hope so.

  CHAPTER

  17

  Bryn comes to check on me as we are getting ready to leave the ship. We are about to make Cleopatra proud. Or, at least, I am. Just not quite the way I expected.

  “Are you okay, Red?”

  Okay would be pushing it a bit.

  “I’m ready,” I reply.

  He smiles, points to my fatigues.

  “What…? Oh. Right.”

  I pull out the blade hidden into the leg lining and hand it to him.

  “I wish you could keep it, but they’ll pick up on it with the entry scan.”

  “It’s alright, Bryn.”

  He sounds sorry for me, and I know that’s genuine. I sure drew the short straw on this one. Tali’s plan is simple: one of us needs to infiltrate Elcyok and locate Stella. Given that I am ‘just a human’, less likely to attract attention than a fellow Antalosian, it makes sense to volunteer. While I’m inside, the Storm Dancer will remain docked at the station, under pretense of fixing a set of defective thrusters. As soon as I’ve reunited with Stella, we will launch a full-on attack from the inside.

  “I can’t tell you what to expect in there, Red. I mean, there’s what I already described about the place, but…”

  He lets his sentence trail off, and I shrug.

  “Yeah, it won’t be sweet. I get it. I’ll stay on my game, don’t worry.”

  It’s a risky plan, but logical. I’ll make it work, for sure.

  “It’s best not to have set expectations,” Tali declares as she joins us. “Stay focused on the mission, Commander. Find Stella, let us know as soon as you do. That’s it.”

  Despite addressing me by my rank, she still talks like I’m a rookie fresh out of bootcamp. Well, that’s okay. I’ve grown used to this kind of arrogance from her people, and I no longer take it personally.