Chapter 55
CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE
Aiden had spent the last hour organizing supplies for the trip down to the planet.
Satisfied that the jump ship was as stocked for the coming mission as it was going to get, he glanced at the time display on the view screen.
Lillian had programmed them all with a running countdown to their departure for Tanalian airspace.
He poked his head into his quarters and heard the shower running.
Noting that the painkillers and the coffee were missing from the bedside table, he opted to let Evelyn steep in the shower alone.
He doubted getting railed with a hangover was a super pleasant activity and knew her well enough to know this was a wound she’d prefer to lick alone.
Stomach grumbling, he made his way to the kitchen.
Veselko was humming to himself, an upbeat earworm they’d picked up from Evelyn’s media collection that Aiden recognized.
He was chopping vegetables, making sure the prep for dinner was finished well before anyone would come into the kitchen.
He liked repetitive tasks like this. Chopping carrots.
Knitting. Anything that let his body relax into a motion that would allow his mind to wander through a problem.
The mundane version of Aiden’s own affinity for spinning objects in midair.
Aiden watched as Veselko scraped chopped carrots into a bowl and started on an onion.
Not wanting to startle the man when he held a knife — he’d only made that mistake once; luckily they’d managed to reattach the fingertip seamlessly, medical adhesives and nanotechnology were always worth the money spent in such cases — Aiden cleared his throat.
“What are you prepping for, a potluck?”
His friend grinned and shrugged as he started on the onion.
“Mirepoix goes in everything, Aiden. It can’t hurt to have it on hand.”
Aiden shook his head as he opened the door of the fridge.
He extracted a bottle of soda lodged behind a tower of small containers and cracked the seal.
He’d always appreciated Veselko’s streak of optimism.
Aiden couldn’t count the number of times his friend had reassured him that things would work out.
If coming home to an abusive father every day hadn’t shaken that faith out of the man, Aiden didn’t know what would.
Then again, things did work out for him there, too.
When Aiden and Veselko became friends at eleven, somehow the elder Fedorov’s knees both wound up broken the day after Elenor had taken Veselko home for the first time.
She refused to answer how that could have happened. “Must be clumsy,” was all she’d say, and then change the subject, or invite Veselko to stay for supper or to visit the colony on Sirius Seven for the summer with them.
So maybe he had a point, after all. Things did always work out for him, eventually.
Even when everything seemed to be going wrong — like winding up with several hundred yards of expensive alien wool — he just smiled and kept plodding along to see what fate would spit out next, convinced it would be for the best.
“Uh, so you know how you get space anxiety? What’s that like? Because I have a bad feeling I can’t shake, and I don’t know if I need to find an antacid or if I just need to relax about tomorrow.”
Aiden did a slow blink. He recapped the soda bottle and pulled out a chair. “I take it you have some misgivings about this plan.”
“I mean, as far as plans go? I don’t know that it’s any worse than any other plan we’ve committed to.
Half the time, they consist of you or Veronique putting on some sort of disguise and walking into someplace with a snooty attitude that gets people to leave you alone, lest you start shrieking for a manager.
” He delivered the last few words in a shrill imitation of an upper-class matron.
Aiden leaned back in his chair, balancing on only the back two legs. “Never underestimate how much folks don’t want to deal with difficult people.”
“I don’t. And I see the point of pretending to be press, to get Evelyn’s actions in front of as many eyes as possible,” he said, sliding the chopped onions into the bowl with the carrots. “I just can’t let go of the feeling that something’s going to go wrong.”
“It complicates things trying to keep Evelyn’s actions completely above board.
A more stacked deck would calm my nerves a hell of a lot,” Aiden said.
He wobbled back and forth on the chair. “Letting Vinnie do all the shady stuff while we keep the optics on Evelyn pure as driven snow is uncomfortable for all of us.”
“At least I’m not the only one, then,” Veselko said.
He found a lid for the cut vegetables and slung the bowl into the refrigeration unit.
The bowl fit just fine if he angled it and propped up one half on a bottle of ketchup.
Aiden was always amazed at the manner in which Veselko managed to arrange items without anything toppling over.
Aiden set the chair on all four legs. “Let’s find you another distraction.”
They left the kitchen and found the crew, less the moms, in the lobby.
Aiden knew they’d be in their quarters, sharing a bottle of wine as they did the evening before every job.
Their rituals were sacred. Tariel was shuffling a deck of cards at one of the cafe tables, and Veronique was doling out chips to five places at the table.
Cairn was spraying a plant with a mister and giving it some sort of pep talk.
Veselko took a seat at the table and started playing with the pile of chips that were steadily growing before him. Aiden spied motion on the observation deck, saw the flick of blonde waves over the railing as Evelyn adjusted her hair.
That’s my preferred distraction sorted. Now, to settle Veselko.
“Nervous?” Veronique asked. She flipped a chip in the air and grabbed it with deft hands. Then she twisted her fingers, and it disappeared.
“I love watching you do that. You’re so clean,” Veselko said. “I don’t know if I’m nervous or if I have heartburn. Maybe both. One feeding the other.”
“I won’t make you a coffee, then,” Nannette said.
“You’re all so calm,” Veselko said.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen him worry. Vague concern, senior year. Nothing since then. It’s new for him, be kind,” Aiden said.
“You took all the anxiety points off the board. I had to be the calming ballast.”
Tariel shrugged. His movements were graceful, making the noncommittal response a dance of his limbs. “I have done everything I can do. All I can do now is provide support. Being worried isn’t helpful,” he said, dealing the cards.
“Steady hand steers the ship better.” Cairn brought over a tiny espresso cup and placed it before Veronique with a kiss on the top of her head. A few dark curls embedded themselves in his scruff as he pulled away.
“I’m going to be watching everything through Aiden’s glasses and giving Evelyn directions. I’m trying to harness any anxiety for future micromanaging,” Veronique said. She peeked at her cards, frowned, and picked one to return. “I have notes.”
Nannette snorted. “You and me both. Starting with about fifteen amendments for that dumbass Compromise Constitution.”
Veselko sighed and picked up his cards. Peeking over his shoulder, Aiden determined he was going to lose the hand. He watched Veselko throw chips into the pile to call.
Judging by the grin on Tariel’s face, Veselko was absolutely losing this hand.
Never knew about the next, though.
Aiden left them, an encouraging squeeze on Veselko’s arm his only notice of departure.
He wound his way up the spiral stairs and found Evelyn curled up on the banquette.
Her arms circled her knees as she stared out at the stars rushing by.
Every bright speck they passed counted down toward tomorrow’s seditious activities in time with the blinking of the clock on the displays.
Though, was it sedition if you were overthrowing an invading force?
He sat down next to her on the bench and curled a strand of her hair through his fingers. Aiden could hear the others playing cards in the lobby below, their banter comforting background noise bouncing off the marble.
“How’s the head?” he asked.
“I haven’t had any complaints yet. You here to lodge one?”
He chuckled and shoved his shoes off. When she shifted into him, resting her head on his shoulder, he abandoned the strand of hair and wrapped his arm around her, settling in.
“At this time I have no desire to consult with the complaints department,” he said. “You’re looking mighty serious, dollface. Whatcha thinking about?”
“Something Corrie told me earlier sent me down a rabbit hole.”
“Must have been quite the comment.”
“She told me to think the thing all the way through. And so I have been.”
“Planning your victory address?”
She snorted. “Absolutely not. That’s Veronique’s gig.”
Aiden was glad the joke made her crack a smile. The weight of the entire operation seemed to sit heavily on her shoulders. Any moments of levity he could provide her, he would.
“I’m sure she will jump at the chance,” he said. “She’s been enjoying working with you.”
Evelyn nodded. His heart swelled when she started fiddling with the buttons of his shirt as she worked out her next words.
No direct eye contact, leading questions, jokes. Repeat until she feels better.
“I’ve been assuming that we will be successful,” she said.
“A very reassuring place to start,” Aiden said.
“Seems pointless to assume otherwise at this point. If we fail tomorrow, it means we die.”
“Yeah, I don’t like that assumption. Best not to linger there.”
“Indeed,” she said. “So I’ve been thinking about what happens after.”
“And?”
“I think I’m going to need some help, if you’re up for it.”
Aiden smiled. As if he wouldn’t follow this woman to the ends of the known universe. He kissed the top of her head.
“Tell me your vision, and we’ll make it happen. It’s my specialty.”
Evelyn told him the plan she’d worked out in the shower. She was tentative at first, talking around her idea. Aiden kept asking questions, mining her for details. The more she spoke, the more he heard her conviction in her own plans grow.
It would take a long time, she warned.
Aiden assured her that he had time. He had a flexible schedule, he pointed out, and very understanding bosses.
He didn’t add that his plans for the foreseeable future amounted to attaching himself to her like a barnacle.
Felt clingy. He was trying to balance being as obvious as he could with his affections and intentions while not smothering her, as she very clearly did not want to talk about things yet.
It would be a lot of work, but she believed that in the end it would be worth it.
He agreed. It would be worth it to make sure Evelyn’s dreams came true.
“I’ve got you, dollface.”