The Grey Serpent, Sarayan Space, Standard Year 404

  “Don’t go.” James said.

  Alanna shifted unhappily in his arms. They were lying in his giant bed back home, the lights of the alien Tundran city below sparkling in the darkness as she looked out towards the oversized window.

  “You said I was good.” She reminded him. “You said I was the best you ever went up against.” As it happened, James was the only one to have ever said that. Technically. But other people may have thought so. Probably. “I can do this.” She said out loud, ignoring the doubts.

  “Alanna, I’m not questioning your abilities. You are good. But you’re taking too many chances. There are too many variables here. Too many things that can go wrong. Sometimes being good isn’t enough.”

  “I have to try. I was never going to leave you there, James. Never.”

  “Sometimes the right thing to do is to not try. Sometimes the right thing to do is to let it be. Even if it’s hard. If you can’t win, you don’t go in.”

  “That’s not you. You never give up. Those are my words. And I’m trying to be more like you!”

  “You’re not me.” James said.

  “Well fuck you, James.” Alanna said stubbornly, pushing him off as she sat up in bed. She was awake now, but the dream was still sharp in her mind. Eyes open, she reached out with her hand and touched the ceiling of the bunk above her, just a few inches over her head. It was still early, but she knew she wouldn’t be able to go back to sleep. This was the day. They were leaving the relative safety of the Gray Serpent and soon, she would be back on Saraya.

  She was going home. And most of the planet’s population hated her and wanted her dead. Which was only one step down from where she was the last time she had been there, when they merely considered her utterly worthless. The truth was, it wasn’t imaginary James telling her not to go. It was her own subconscious mind making itself heard. And it wasn’t being especially subtle about it.

  The halls of the ship were still dim, the lighting reflecting the familiar cycle of a planet that was now days away. Alanna shuffled towards the bathroom. She didn’t have her own bathroom or her own quarters on the ship, but the public space was deserted, leaving her to stare at her own face in the mirror in private. Her green eyes stared back at her from a delicate, heart shaped face. She was small. And weak. By any objective measure, she was weak. Her hand to hand combat skills were nonexistent. She couldn’t do a pull up. She took a breath. “That’s not what matters.” She said out loud to the empty room before splashing water onto her face. Because it wasn’t. This mission didn’t depend on her ability to fight. This mission was going to depend on planning, strategy, and making sure everyone did what they needed to do, when they needed to do it. And she would damn well make sure that happened. And then they would go home. She took another deep breath. She was one step closer to Saraya. One step closer to James. And one step closer, to going home. And she was taking her family, her entire family, home with her. Failure, was not an option.

  ---

  Phoenix Penitentiary, Saraya, Standard Year 404

  “We need to move again.” James said, forcing his eyes open.

  For a long, drawn out moment, Will considered keeping his eyes closed and pretending he was still asleep. He didn’t want to move again. They had moved once already. The officer whose access codes they were using was left behind in a different cell. Naked and dead with his face smashed in and unrecognizable, he was just one more dead body in a prison filled with them.

  “Stop trying to pretend you’re asleep.” James added, sending a half hearted kick in Will’s general direction.

  Will opened his eyes. “I could disappear and sleep in peace.” He said somewhat wistfully.

  “You couldn’t. I’ve seen your act and you have a huge patch on your back that doesn’t even come close to disappearing. You’re too damaged. You’ve been getting by because people don’t recognize you for what you are. No guarantees that lasts. We need to move again.”

  “We need to rest.” Will countered.

  “You ever hear that saying about resting when you’re dead?”

  “It’s a stupid saying.” Will said with a deep sigh. Humans were just so goddamn energetic. Will needed things to be slower. “You really want to get back to your girl, don’t you?” Will said, relenting slightly.

  “Yeah, yeah I do.”

  “Nice girl.” Will nodded. “Within acceptable parameters.”

  “What?” James asked.

  “Nothing. Don’t worry about it.” Will stood up, failing to see the narrow eyed look James was shooting towards his back. “Fine. What’s the plan?”

  “As long as we’re using the code of an officer who’s disappeared, we’re at risk.”

  “So what, we need to use the access card of an officer that’s walking around in perfect health? It’s not like we can take a pass and give it back.”

  James held out the slim, card shaped pass of the second dead officer. “Slip this in to keep the cell door from shutting?” He suggested.

  Will released a long suffering sight before he picked up the pass. “Fine.” He said, not especially graciously.

  ---

  Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  They were sitting in another cell, this one occupied. There were two people, a man and a woman. Neither of them was dead. James forced his stiffened fingers to cooperate while unlocking the prisoners, both far too damaged and weak to cause any trouble.

  Will shot them both, his gun set to stun. At least that way they would get a respite from the pain. And then he half sat half collapsed onto the floor. The exhaustion was getting to him now.

  “You have kids, don’t you?” James said somewhat unexpectedly. “You mentioned it.”

  “Yeah. Two kids.”

  “They would want you to live.” James reminded him, trying to get Will to see the importance of the precautions they were taking.

  Will nodded. It was hard to argue with that. The boys were older now. They didn’t really need him. But they would want him to live. They would want it very much.

  “What about the mom?” James asked. “She going to have something to say about Lorelai?” He couldn’t quite resist adding. The comment about Alanna being within acceptable parameters, whatever the fuck that meant, had not left a good impression on him.

  “No mom. Just some genetic material.”

  “Why not?” James asked. And was met with silence. Apparently, that was one of the things Will wasn’t going to talk about.

  “What are they like?” James asked instead.

  “The boys?” Will smiled. “Impatient. And ready to see the world. It’s nearly time.”

  “You aren’t raising them here?”

  “No. The ship is raising them. And she knows what she’s doing. But they don’t want to stay on the ship anymore. They want to go down to the planet.”

  “Which planet?”

  Will smiled. “Any planet. And that’s a direct quote. They saved your girl you know, the boys.”

  “On Titan.” James said, filling in the blanks.

  “Yeah. On Titan. They shouldn’t have been there at all.”

  “They wanted to see the battle.” James guessed.

  “Yeah. How’d you know?”

  “I would have wanted to see the battle.”

  “I suppose we all would have, at their age.”

  “Will you tell them thank you? They saved Alanna. They saved everyone on that station.”

  “I’ll tell them.” Will said. “At least, I hope I will. We need to get some sleep.” He added.

  “Agreed. I’ll take first watch.” James offered.

  ---

  The Grey Serpent, Sarayan Space, Standard Year 404

  The docking bay was empty, the small shuttle camouflaged to look like an asteroid stood off to the side, while the main shuttle used to transport troops to and from the ship took pride of place in the center of the bay. Alanna skirted the main shuttle and walked up to the one that looked like the most unremarkable of asteroids, its surface realistically dented, an artistic rendering of impacts that never took place. She ran her hand lightly along the rough surface, which looked like stone because that’s exactly what it was. Silicate minerals, ground to dust and reshaped for the desired effect. It was well done.

  She pressed her hand against the controls that would let authorized personnel into the shuttle and somewhat to her surprise, it opened. They were giving her access, unsupervised. Automatically, her hand went to the grip of the gun she still held in her holster. She would have to give it up. In a few hours, before their Sarayan contacts came to pick them up, she would need to be chained up. To look appropriately bait like before she got traded in to the warden of Phoneix Penn. Who was sure to be a nice guy.

  The shuttle interior looked spacious enough when it was just her, but it would be cramped with the six marines plus her and Tony. It definitely wasn’t made for eight people. But then, it was going to be a short trip. Alanna looked down. She was no longer wearing her Tundran uniform, the heavy and warm fabric replaced by light cotton pants and a shirt that wrapped around her waist. But she still had the gun. For a little while longer, for all the good it would do her here on this shuttle. This was just something she would need to get through. And if she could have James back, it would all be worth it. Not that she cared or anything, she reminded herself. And really, what else did she have to do with her time? Alanna closed her eyes, sat down, and waited.

  ---

  Tony was the first to come in after her. Alanna watched him walk in, her face perfectly blank.

  “You’re already here.” Tony said. It was a statement of fact, no surprise.

  “Couldn’t wait.”

  “You talk to the captain?”

  “Nope.” Alanna wasn’t in the mood to talk to the captain. Networking opportunities weren’t top of mind for her just then.

  Tony sat across from her in the small shuttle and studied her silently. “We still doing this?” He asked after a while.

  “Yeah.” Alanna said sharply. “Yes we’re still doing this.”

  Tony nodded, accepting it. If Alanna was going to back out, this would be the time. Beyond this point, they were all in. “Congratulations.” He said instead.

  Alanna frowned. “On what?”

  “On your promotion. I think I forgot to say it. You know, earlier.”

  Alanna let out a short bark of laughter. “Yeah, I think you did too. As I recall, all you said was ‘James said win.’”

  Tony smiled slightly. “That was what he said.”

  Alanna nodded. “That’s what he said.” She looked up at the sound of footsteps as another person approached the shuttle.

  “Morning.” Prescott nodded to both of them, flanked by one of the female marines.

  “Morning.” Alanna said with a slight yawn.

  “What did who say?” Prescott asked.

  “James. James says win.” Alanna said, sitting up straighter. It was the sort of thing James said.

  “Good plan.” The female special forces marine said, somewhat unexpectedly. She had been resolutely silent until then.

  Alanna studied the woman. She was everything Alanna was not. Tall and athletic with a muscular build and a quiet self confidence she carried with her wherever she went. Her nose had clearly been broken at least once, the obvious flaw hiding a face that may have otherwise been beautiful. The woman spread her hands across the back of her seat, getting comfortable.

  “You sure you want loverboy back?” She asked, adapting the Sarayan drawl they were all supposed to use once they reached the planet.

  “Yes I’m sure.” Alanna said with a slight frown.

  “You don’t know what you’re getting.” The woman said, her blunt gaze focused on Alanna. “The only thing you can know for sure, is that he won’t be the same. Torture changes people. No one comes back from that the way they left.”

  “And that’s assuming he still has all his bits.” Prescott said cheerfully. “You want him back without his bits?”

  “We can regenerate those.” Tony said somewhat sharply.

  “I hear they never come back the same.” The female marine shook her head. “Once the ones you’re born with are gone, nothing compares.”

  “Hey.” Prescott shifted in his seat. “I heard they can grow them back bigger.”

  “You want to give it a try?” The female marine countered.

  “Mine don’t need to be any bigger honey.” Prescott replied immediately, as they all knew he would.

  Alanna closed her eyes, letting the banter flow around her as she sat. Her hands were still free. She still had her gun. Just for a little while longer. When she opened her eyes again, everyone was there, and the sharp sound of the captain’s voice was coming through over the speakers.

  “We are within range. You’re cleared for takeoff. Good luck.”

  Luck would be good, Alanna thought. And then she pulled out her wrist comm. They were well within Sarayan space now, and sending out comms would be relatively unremarkable. She looked down at the text Grant had sent her earlier.

  Grant: good luck. You will have help.

  Alanna typed out her reply.

  Alanna: lots of help please.

  “You have to trust Jonno.” She said, looking at her people as their shuttle was released into space. She turned to Tony, knowing he was the likeliest to hear her. “It might go wrong.”

  “It will go wrong.” Prescott said without hesitation.

  “And when it does” Alanna said inexorably, her eyes on Tony “when it does, trust Jonno. Once I’m bait, you’re the mission commander Tony. But not yet.” Alanna sat up straighter, her eyes meeting those of everyone on the shuttle in turn. “And those are my orders. Trust Jonno.”