Chapter 25 Lacy
Lacy
The vibe on the ship had changed since we picked up Burn. It was no longer me and Dax, trying to figure each other out. Burn’s presence tipped the scales toward Dax.
I got it. They had history. They were already on the same team. Spoke the same language and had the same inside jokes.
But it made me feel like the outsider I was.
Fortuna may have been Dax’s ship, but she felt so much like my Mako, that I guess I’d gotten lost in the fantasy that she was.
With thirty-six hours to kill before we met up with Finn, I’d holed up in either the engine room or my cabin, making lists, making plans.
As long as Dax’s team didn’t convince him to kick me off the ship, I intended to keep my end of the bargain and identify lucrative cargo opportunities.
Rigel Naught, where we were meeting Finn, was a hotbed of trade.
The moon station orbited a dry, barren planet.
Normally the moon of a dead planet wouldn’t be a good place for trade because the planet below had nothing to offer, but Rigel Naught was extraordinarily lucky: it was almost perfectly equidistant from three inhabited planetary systems.
Need engine parts? You could probably find them on Rigel Naught. Rare spices? Anything your heart desires—for a price. High-value trade goods? Opportunities so thick on the ground you’d trip over them.
The opportunities for cargo were endless.
Navigating it all—the legal, the shady, and the dangerous—was tricky for a newcomer.
I’d outlined the best of the cargo options available online and added a few that were invitation only.
With the right word in the right ear, I was pretty sure I could get an invitation for Fortuna.
I was finishing a different kind of shopping list when Dax’s voice crackled through the intercom. “All hands to the bridge. We’re on approach to Rigel Naught.”
Show time. Nerves fluttered in my stomach.
Burn hadn’t been very welcoming and I was afraid I’d face the same from Finn.
Add in worry about my sister, and my anxiety threatened to boil over.
These last few days in space, putting distance between me and what had happened on Elegium, felt like stolen time.
No time for worry. I had a job to do. Shoving the tablet with my lists in my pocket, I slipped out of my room and approached the bridge.
Dax and Burn were already seated. He had his hands on the controls, but as soon as we got closer, the station’s automatic docking system would take control and pull the ship in.
“Have you been here before?” Burn asked, her attention never straying from the console in front of her.
“A few times. With my sister and our father. It’s been a few years, though.”
Burn hmmed. “And you think your information is still good?”
I rolled my eyes since she couldn’t see me. “Haul cargo long enough and you’ll learn that things out here don’t change quickly. Sure, the technology might get a little fancier and the names may change, but the work stays the same.”
There was a clunk and then a shudder ran through the ship as Dax steered us into the docking mechanism. I held my breath as he bobbled the controls a tad, but his oversteering was quickly corrected by the automated system.
“Where’d you learn to drive this thing, Sarge?”
“Trial and error.”
Burn laughed, but I saw the way Dax practically peeled his hands off the controls. I didn’t think he was joking.
“So what’s the plan?” Burn asked. She swiveled in her seat. “Can we go meet Finn now?”
I shook my head. “We won’t be cleared to leave the ship for at least an hour. Docking takes time and there’s registration paperwork to take care of. Once you’re in the system, it will be a little shorter next time.”
Dax turned to face me. “Paperwork?”
I nodded. “Yep. You’ll face it on most stations. The more legit ones, at least. The shadier ones don’t tend to care.”
He sighed. “I guess that’s what I’ll be doing.”
“I need to place a supply order.” I pulled my tablet out of my pocket and opened up the master list.
“What’s your favorite meal, Dax?”
He shot me a startled look. “What?”
“What’s your favorite meal?” I asked again.
“Spaghetti and meatballs,” Burn said.
I looked at her in surprise then back at Dax. “That’s your favorite food?”
“No, that’s my favorite,” Burn said. “I assumed you were going to ask me too.”
“Good to know,” I said evenly.
“Why are you asking?” Dax wanted to know.
I held up the tablet. “Making a supply order. Figured you all might like something other than ready-to-eat meals. We can probably get the ingredients here on Rigel Naught.”
“Hell, yeah.” Burn snatched my tablet out of my hand and ignored my protest. Her finger scrolled over the list. “Veggies? Yeah, I suppose we might as well. Chocolate? Thank god. Coffee. Good, good.”
Annoyance spiked as she continued to check my work. I didn’t see her thinking ahead and making a supply list.
“Oil? Spare parts?” She peered up at me from my seat.
“Never travel without replacement parts if you can help it. We should be able to get what we need at a good price here. Which is better than spending too much later—or not being able to find it at all.”
“Okay. That makes sense.”
Oh goodie. So glad she approved. I tried to grab my tablet back, but Burn moved it to her other hand, farther away.
“Underwear? Clothes?”
Color flared in my cheeks. “I’ve had one outfit for almost a week now. I want—no, I need—a change of clothes.” I just might burn my whole outfit once I purchased replacements.
“Oooh,” Burn said. “That’s why you were wearing Dax’s clothes. Not because you were banging him.”
My cheeks blazed hotter.
“That’s enough, Burn.” Dax finally reined her in. “Give Lacy her tablet back.”
Burn handed it over. “Make sure you add spaghetti and meatballs for me.”
I dutifully added the ingredients to the ship’s order.
“My favorite meal is pizza,” Dax said.
I looked at him. “That’s pretty vague. What kind of pizza?”
“Any kind.”
“Seriously?”
“He’s telling the truth,” Burn said. “He’s never met a pizza he didn’t like.”
“Pick one, please.” I was not shopping for whatever pizza.
“Meat and veggie.”
“That I can do.” Those ingredients went on the list.
“Add the ingredients for your favorite meal, too,” he added.
“Oh, no, that’s okay,” I stammered.
“No arguments.”
I nodded.
“Now, Sarge,” Burn tried to interject, but he ignored her.
“Add steak and potatoes,” Dax said. “That’s Finn’s favorite.”
I typed in the ingredients for noodles for me and Finn’s steak, though I added a price limit for that. Dax and Burn had no idea what fresh meat could cost out here.
He grabbed my wrist to get my attention. Tingles danced over my skin where we touched. “It’s a good idea. Making a list, I mean. I wouldn’t have thought of it,” he said. “Or even ordering supplies.”
I smiled back at him. “Little things like that can make the time in space feel not so bad. Some stuff will be fresh, some will probably be frozen. Once we have cargo loaded and booked, we can plan the meals out.”
“How do we order supplies?”
“It’s easy. You log on to the station’s system and send your order. The software will direct it to the appropriate sources. They’ll send a quote and once you approve it, they’ll deliver the supplies to the ship.”
“Show me.” He stood up and gestured me into the captain’s chair. “Enter the order and show me how I accept a quote.”
I sat slowly. This had been my seat on Mako. Part of me missed being in charge, making all the decisions. Except for when my sister tagged along, I hadn’t had a crew on board. Long term, I preferred spending my time in the engine room rather than on the bridge.
I walked Dax through how to safely connect to the station’s network, then showed him how I connected my tablet to it.
“First we need to create an account.” I swiftly keyed in Fortuna’s name. “Now create a password.”
He leaned over the back of the chair, arms going around me to the keyboard and typed one in. His breath feathered over my ear and I shivered.
His shoulder brushed mine and I fought the ridiculous urge to lean into him. If I turned my head, I could sink my teeth into his meaty biceps.
Wait, what the hell was I thinking?
I shoved that thought away and tried to find a semblance of professionalism. That struggle wasn’t helped when his hands brushed over my upper arms.
Or when Burn muttered, “Just when I believed you weren’t sleeping together.”
Dax rested his hands on the back of the chair. I kept my back ramrod straight so I wouldn’t accidentally brush against them. “What now?” he asked, his deep voice sending butterflies through me.
“Now we just transfer our list.” With one click, the list on my tablet populated on the screen. “Sorry. Let me remove my clothes from this. I’ll place that order separately.”
“Leave ‘em,” Dax said.
“What?” I swiveled my head to look at him. “I’ve got an account. I can order them from there.” I’d just have to be careful that they didn’t see it. I couldn’t afford the questions they would have.
“Consider it payment for the work you’ve done on the ship. I noticed the sink in the mess isn’t leaking anymore and the air purifier is running smoother, too.”
My cheeks warmed. I’d wondered if anyone had noticed the tweaks I’d made while keeping my distance from the two of them. “Ah, thanks.”
“Does that mean I can order clothes too, Sarge?”
I sensed, rather than saw, Dax draw up to his full height. His hands released my chair. I tilted my head back to watch him. He glanced at Burn. “Are your clothes covered in grease from making repairs?”
Burn shook her head.
“Then buy your own damn clothes,” he said with a laugh.
“It was worth a try,” Burn said. “What’s the shopping like?”
I thought back to the times I’d wandered the station with my sister.
When my father hadn’t been in a hurry. “It’s fine, I guess.
Pretty utilitarian. You’re not going to find much fancy stuff.
” I gestured toward her high-heeled combat boots.
“What you do find will probably be either legit but expensive, or a cheap knockoff.”
Burn rubbed her hands together. “Good hunting, then. I can’t wait.”
“Burn . . .” Dax dragged out her name with exasperation.
“It was one time, Sarge. I’ve never been late for a shuttle since you left me on Sardo.”
While the two of them negotiated, I removed my clothing from the master list. It felt weird—intimate, even—for Dax to purchase my underwear.
I subbed in a dozen coveralls in a range of sizes and requested customization with the ship’s name on the breast pocket.
I figured that was something neither of them would have thought of.
Then again, maybe they were tired of uniforms. Either way, they’d probably be grateful to have them at some point. I finalized the order and sent it. I could show Dax that part later.
“I’ll reach out to Finn and find out where he wants to meet us,” Burn said. “Can we get dinner on the station?”
Dax nodded. “I could definitely use some time to stretch my legs. Is it better to arrange cargo online or on-station, Lacy?”
“I’d go in-person, since you’re a new outfit. Put a face to a name and people will remember you. Once you’ve established a reputation, either should be fine.”
Burn slapped her hands on her thighs. “It’s a plan. Let me know when it’s time to go.” With that, she exited the bridge, leaving me alone with Dax.
I stood too and found myself standing closer to him than I expected.
Close enough to feel the heat of his body.
“I, um, placed the order. You’ll be notified when there’s an offer.
Once you accept it, you can enter payment details and arrange delivery.
You can log in on your comms. You’ll want to keep an eye on it when we’re on the station and at dinner. ”
“Thank you,” he said. His voice rumbled through me and his gaze held mine. “You’ve taken care of issues we didn’t even know about.”
“You’re new at this. You’ll get the hang of it.”
I didn’t want his thanks. I wanted . . . him. My body leaned toward Dax.
His head dipped toward mine. “Lacy,” he whispered, his lips brushing over mine as he said my name.
The radio crackled to life. “Welcome to Rigel Naught, Fortuna. We see it’s your first visit to our fine establishment. Please take some time to acquaint yourself with the rules and regulations.”
“Dammit.” Dax stepped back.
“You should take care of that,” I whispered regretfully. I moved out of his way, so he could resume command of the ship.
Tablet clutched to my chest, I left the bridge to finish my own preparations.