19. The Immovable Promise
NINETEEN
THE IMMOVABLE PROMISE
The next morning, Charlie was in Engineering earlier than usual, running diagnostics she'd kept putting off. Rudimentary busy work that Cael kept assigning her.
The truth was, she hadn't slept well, though she wasn't sure why.
Earth Night had been a great success, more than she even expected.
Most of the crew had attended, many even stayed late, asking when the next one would be, even offering to help where they could.
Tavi had already started a list of topics for Charlie to cover, Borran had already started planning to food, and—
Reyna hadn't been there.
Charlie grumbled to herself, focusing back on the diagnostic.
It's okay, she told herself. I'm sure there was a perfectly legitimate reason.
Then why was it bothering her so much.
"Ugh," Charlie uttered.
"Trouble in paradise, Spark Plug?" Tavi asked, entering the sector from parts storage.
Charlie shook her head. "All good," she answered. Even if she wanted to tell Tavi something, she wasn't sure what it would be.
She heard the bay door open behind her.
Charlie felt her and knew, instinctively, who it was. It was becoming a problem, this sixth sense for Reyna's presence.
When she turned around, Reyna stood in the doorway. Charlie noted the Captain was ahead of her usual rounds schedule. She was in full uniform with her datapad in hand and her Captain presentation fully in place. But when Charlie looked to her, something in Reyna's expression seemed different.
"Charlie," Reyna addressed. Even her voice sounded odd.
"Captain."
Reyna walked over to Charlie's station, standing there at Charlie's side for a moment.
"I owe you an apology," Reyna said, putting her datapad down and giving Charlie her full and undivided attention.
Charlie blinked. "For what, Captain?"
Reyna blew out a breath. "Last night. For not being at Earth Night." Charlie studied her for a beat, still confused. "I told you I would be there, and I... wasn't."
"Oh. That." Charlie waved a hand dismissively, not wanting to let Reyna know she had noticed her absence. It was a few moments before Charlie responded. "It's fine, really. I figured something came up."
"Something did," Reyna grumbled. Actually grumbled. "Vondra sent a transmission requiring a full Aetherfin status report with a twelve-hour deadline for the Commissioner from the CASB."
"The 'CASB'?" Charlie asked.
"The Coalition Animal Strategy Board," Reyna said. "The Commissioner is visiting the Admiral today, and had specific questions that would help grant us funding we've been asking for for over two years. Torvax and I spent the evening preparing the data and formatting Coalition paperwork."
"But Torvax was at Earth Night?" Charlie questioned.
"I ordered him to go," Reyna replied. "I, at least, wanted one of us to be there."
Why wasn't it you? Charlie thought.
Then she made an attempt to legitimately shake the thought from her mind. Her gaze settled back on Reyna. "Well, then, see?" She said with a shrug of her shoulders. "Duty calls, Captain. I completely understand, I promis—"
"I know you understand," Reyna interrupted. Charlie heard the insistence in her voice, realizing Reyna was here to make this apology. She looked behind Reyna to the bay door and saw Torvax hovering. "But that's not the point, Charlie."
Charlie turned back to look at her closely. Everything about Reyna's demeanor made it clear she needed to say this, that it truly mattered to her, and she wanted Charlie to hear it.
"I said I would be there, and I wasn't." Charlie quieted at Reyna's word. "And Charlie," Reyna lowered her voice. "I really am sorry."
Charlie settled on her gaze, watching the seriousness play across Reyna's expression.
"Okay," Charlie said softly. "Okay, apology accepted. You're forgiven."
Reyna smiled, but it wasn’t full, and something about it caught Charlie. It wasn’t the one she was introduced to in Borran's kitchen in the middle of the night.
"Torvax told me it was quite something," Reyna said, her voice returning to normal.
Charlie is slightly shocked. "Torvax said that?"
"He did."
"'Turbo' Torvax?"
"He said the laughter was 'significant,'" Reyna answered. "And, between you and me, that's practically a standing ovation for Torvax."
"That is not entirely true, Captain," Torvax said as he walked towards them.
He jingled.
Charlie's head turned. Reyna's did too.
Torvax crossed the Engineering Bay with his usual measured, upright stride, and with each step, a faint, bright, entirely incongruous sound came from the small brass bell now affixed to the front of his uniform, just below his Coalition insignia patches.
It was precisely centered and regulation-neat, as though it had been standard-issue his entire career.
He stopped in front of them, hands clasped behind his back, and said nothing.
Charlie looked at the bell. Then at Reyna.
"Is he—" Charlie started.
"Torvax," Reyna said carefully. "You're wearing a bell."
"You indicated a bell was required," he said. "I acquired a bell. You did not jump this morning when I entered your office. It has proven effective."
Charlie made a sound like she couldn’t breathe properly.
Reyna pressed her lips together, hard. "I appreciate the thoroughness. Truly.” She cleared her throat. “But you don't need to wear it. It was, more of a figure of speech."
Torvax considered this.
"Understood, Captain." He reached up, removed the bell, and tucked it somewhere inside his uniform without further comment.
"Thank you, though," Reyna added. "For making it happen."
"Of course, Captain."
Charlie was still staring. "I have so many questions."
"No," said Reyna, looking at her from the side. But Charlie watched the corner of her mouth slowly slide up, the composure she'd been holding through the entire bell exchange beginning to give way.
Charlie laughed, she couldn't help it. Reyna's smile slowly became more expressive, but still not the one Charlie knew.
Since when do I know Reyna's smiles? The thought immediately stops her laugh. Charlie saw Tavi lean over from his console and look at her, but she pretends to ignore him.
"Well," Charlie said. "It did go well."
"That is entirely true," Torvax said.
"The crew really seemed to enjoy it, Captain. Of that, I think I can confirm. In fact, Tavi's already planning the next one."
"Of course he is," Reyna commented.
"You know it, Cap," Tavi said from behind her, causing Reyna to turn around slowly to regard him. He flashed her a smile that spread over half his face.
"And Borran cooked," Charlie continued.
"Of course he did," Reyna responded, turning back to Charlie.
"Maren ended up remembering every single song I played, in order."
Reyna laughed softly. "Of course she did."
Charlie smiled at Reyna's laugh. Then they locked eyes, and the sincerity behind Reyna's gaze caught Charlie slightly off guard.
"The next one," Reyna said. "I will be there."
"Captain, I've already accepted the apology. I know you're busy. You really don't have to—"
"I will be there, Charlie." Reyna's voice was stoic, quiet, and determined, with no room for argument.
Charlie nodded. "Okay."
"Okay."
Charlie watched as Reyna's eyes moved back and forth between her own. But then Reyna picked up her datapad again, tapping to pull up a screen. Something about the way Reyna moved back into "Captain Mode" made Charlie miss how Reyna usually spoke with her, their banter and fun.
Miss?
"Now, are you ready to conduct your updates?" Reyna asked, reigning Charlie back in.
"Uh, yeah. Sure," Charlie responded.
Reyna nodded once, looking back at her datapad. "Perfect. So what is the status of the propulsion calibration?"
And just like that, everything goes back to being professional.
But when Charlie turned back to her console, she couldn't ignore that she felt the same feeling that rushed through her when Reyna initially promised to attend Earth Night.
"Strange," Tavi remarked quietly from his station, out of earshot of anyone besides Charlie. She looked over in his direction.
"What's that?"
Tavi spun in his chair, turning to face Charlie. "I don't know if I've ever heard of the Captain apologizing for something like that."
Charlie wasn't sure where this was going. "What does that mean?"
"I'm not sure yet," he answered. "But, I'm gonna keep an eye on it." And with a smile and a spin back, he returned to his console.
She didn't think about it, any of it. All she though about were the updates with Reyna and moved on with her day.
What didn't work was she was too self-aware to notice she was consciously making herself not think about it. Any of it.