Chapter 26 Dax
Dax
Lacy hadn’t been exaggerating about the paperwork required to dock at Rigel Naught.
After acknowledging the rules and regs of the station, there were questions about our cargo—none—and the length of our stay—unknown.
I was able to fill in the crew information at least, grateful that I’d seen Lacy’s ID that first night.
I stood and stretched, more than ready to explore the station.
The ship’s small gym took the edge off my restless energy, but it wasn’t enough.
And as much as I wanted to ask Lacy to help me burn off the rest, that felt inappropriate.
I was used to the massive decks of the battleships I was stationed on.
Running the length of them took twenty minutes.
I could walk from one end of Fortuna to the other in less than two.
I hadn’t considered the inactivity when we’d made our plan.
I didn’t think any of us had. Would hauling cargo from one star system to the next be enough?
Or would we need something more? Something like helping Lacy locate her sister?
“Hey, Sarge.” Burn popped her head into the bridge. “Finn’s got a table at a bar near the docks. Moya’s Place. Said it’s easy to find, just look for the giant alien head.”
“Great. I’ve got to change. Let Lacy know, would you? Meet me at the main hatch.”
“Can’t you tell her yourself? You guys were so close before I left you up here all alone.”
“She was placing the order for the ship.”
“Sure, Sarge. Sure.”
She disappeared back down the hall before I could reply. Which was fine, since I had no idea how to respond. There’d been that moment, that barely there kiss. The station’s interruption had been a good thing. At least that was what I tried to tell myself. Because I was pretty sure that was a lie.
My comms pinged with a message as I crossed the threshold of the bridge, locking it behind me.
I’d learned that from my visit to Elegium Station.
Though I couldn’t swear that a locked door would stop Lacy.
Before we’d picked up Burn, she’d shown me every backdoor into Fortuna’s systems and I’d changed the passwords. But would that be enough?
The quote from a place called Pop’s Deli appeared on screen. I scrolled through it, absently noting the ingredients for Burn’s spaghetti and my pizza. I frowned at the cost of Finn’s steak—that was robbery!
Several items looked like they could be turned into a spicy garlic noodle dish. I smiled. That had to be Lacy’s favorite. The other items looked pretty standard for stocking groceries for a ship.
The number at the end, on the other hand, was big, bigger than I’d expected. If that was only enough food for four people, what would the bill look like when we were feeding six?
I’d check with Lacy before accepting it. She’d have a better sense of what was standard than I would. Right now, that was just something else I needed to learn. When our squad had dreamed this plan up, none of us had considered the logistics.
The others were in for a rude awakening, because I wouldn’t be the only one tackling all this paperwork.
“Everyone ready?” I asked several minutes later when we met at the main hatch.
I’d stopped by my quarters to change clothes.
Burn had obviously done the same, pairing a black tactical shirt with purple cargo pants.
The heels on her boots looked lower too.
Based on that, and the blaster snugged against her back, she was ready for anything.
My blaster was strapped to my side. “Are weapons allowed?” I asked Lacy suddenly.
She nodded. “Yes, but if you use it on the station, you’ll need an extraordinary reason. Rigel Naught takes safety and security very seriously.”
“Are you bringing a weapon?” Burn asked her.
Lacy shook her head, her ponytail swaying behind her. “No. I don’t have one.”
Burn looked concerned. “Where’s the armory, Sarge?”
I blinked at the question, the looked at Lacy. “Do we have an armory?”
“Yes and no. The space for the armory has been incorporated into the cargo hold. I can show you where it used to be.” She started walking toward the rear of the ship.
“Wait,” I called after her. “You can show me, show all of us, after dinner. We’ve got to meet Finn.”
I studied her as she walked back toward us. Her coveralls were clean, but had definitely seen better days. She hadn’t worn the clothes I’d lent her since Burn arrived.
I wanted her to mesh with Burn and Finn so that they accepted her as one of the team. I wasn’t trying to replace Wilson, no one ever could, but she’d more than earned her passage in the last two days. Parts of the ship I hadn’t even known were broken now worked better and smoother.
For an attempted pirate, she was handy to have around.
“Let’s roll!” Burn slapped her hand on the palm reader and an unhappy beep sounded. “What the hell?”
I rubbed my hands over my eyes. “We’ll need to add you to the reader. Can we do it after dinner, though? I’m starving.”
“Fine. But right after dinner. It’s our ship, remember?”
I pressed my hand against the sensor and didn’t look at Lacy. If she’d granted herself access when Burn didn’t have it? Big problems.
The hatch opened and station-flavored air rushed in. It was at once stale and flat, but also alive with all the little things that made up a station: ships and exhaust and people and food.
Mostly, it made me appreciate the fresher air on the ship.
“Let’s go.” I ushered Lacy and Burn out first, then waited while Fortuna’s locks reengaged.
Burn took point position. In addition to the blaster, she also had a knife tucked into her boot.
I wouldn’t be surprised if there were other weapons I didn’t know about.
Next time I’d put her in charge of reviewing the weapons policies wherever we landed.
I crossed my fingers that everything she was carrying was legal on Rigel Naught.
Lacy, on the other hand, was quiet.
“I need to talk to you about one of the quotes.” I matched my stride to hers.
“Sure, which one?”
As I relayed the order and the price that they’d quoted me, Lacy nodded. “Yes, that sounds about right.”
My jaw dropped. “You’re kidding. It feels like robbery!”
She started to speak, then snapped her mouth shut and gestured for me to turn around.
Annoyed, I turned and realized we’d arrived at the customs desk.
“Purpose of your visit?” The bored customs officer on the holoscreen looked straight through me. It was eerie.
“Arrange for cargo pickup.” I used my best command tone.
“Name of ship?”
“Fortuna.”
“Number of crew?”
I looked at Lacy and shrugged. How was I supposed to answer that?
“Arriving with three,” she said, “adding one for departure.”
Apparently that was the right answer because it next asked for our IDs.
We held them up to the screen and a blue light washed over them, cataloging the data in the chips.
There was a long pause and I felt more than saw Lacy hold her breath. Then the gate opened and we were on the short walkway to the station.
The closer we got to the main part of the station, the louder and more crowded it became.
“This place is busy,” I said, looking this way and that to take it all in.
Next to me, Lacy nodded. “I told you. This is a major trading center. It’s a great place to pick up cargo.”
“Sarge, I see the bar.” Burn was already several feet ahead of us. She pointed to a neon sign depicting a large alien.
I lifted my chin, indicating that she should go ahead.
She nodded, then wove her way through the crowd.
Stepping close to Lacy so we wouldn’t get separated, I placed my hand on the small of her back. Her muscles stiffened beneath my palm. Then she exhaled and they relaxed. I ducked my head so she could hear me. “Is Elegium Station like this?”
I’d spent a few minutes off my ship, but I didn’t remember it being this busy.
She turned her head, her lips inches from my ear.
“Rarely. Maybe if we get a flotilla or a military ship docked there. This station is easily three times the size of Elegium.” Her words fluttered the fine hairs near my ear and a shiver ran through me.
“This is one of the station’s spokes. If we take the exit on the far end, we’ll end up in another corridor and then the heart of the station. ”
I raised my head and looked for the exit she mentioned. This section of the station appeared to be a large oval and I finally saw what looked like another passage at the far end.
People moved this way and that all around us. Some seemed to have a destination. Others appeared to be taking it in, the same as us.
Neon signs like the one that hung over our destination crowded the walls, advertising everything from lodging and food to supplies and company. I’d been on shore leave often enough that I wasn’t usually overwhelmed in situations like this.
But this time was different, I realized. In the past, I’d had my orders—be back on the ship by a certain time or else. Now I was the boss. The orders came from me . . . and I had no idea what they were.
While I’d been gaping, the crowds had moved us farther away from our target. “Burn and Finn are waiting,” I said. “We better catch up.”
Lacy nodded, but when I stepped in that direction, she didn’t move.
“Lacy, c’mon.”
She took my hand, lacing our fingers together. Then, with startling grace, she started to move.
Lacy wove us through the crush of people like it was a dance, occasionally muttering “Excuse me” when we cut too close, but we never hit anyone.
Content to let her lead, I kept my elbows tucked in and matched my stride to hers. One minute we were dancing through the crowd, the next I nearly plowed into Lacy when she stopped in front of the bar.
“Sorry,” I murmured as she placed a hand on my stomach to stop my forward momentum. My muscles flexed under her touch.
Heat flickered in her eyes.
“Finally,” Burn said, interrupting the moment.
Lacy’s hand dropped, but her fingers trailed over my abdomen before falling away. She shot me a bright, mischievous smile before she looked away. One of these days, we wouldn’t be interrupted. And I wasn’t sure my heart would take it.
Burn held the door open and ushered us inside.
It took my eyes a moment to adjust to the dim lighting. The interior of the bar was loud, but compared to the crowd outside, it was bearable. The bar itself was tucked along the back wall. Tables were scattered around the main room.
Some ceiling-mounted screens advertised specials and the on-tap offerings, while others streamed a variety of sports and news channels.
The air was thick with the scent of fried food, warm bodies, and spilled beer.
The combination should have been revolting, but instead it immediately put me at ease.
This could have been any of the bars on any of the stations we spent our leave on.
“I see Finn!” Burn grabbed my hand, dragging me away from Lacy and toward our teammate.