“I don’t care.” Masika shrugged. “I do think the idea of refunding their payment is dumb. You already bought the fuel and supplies to get us out here, so you’d be in the negative, and don’t you have a loan to pay off?”
Jelena grimaced. “Yes.”
“We could find another way to pay it off,” Erick said. “I see where you’re coming from, Jelena, and I’m not that keen to be marked an outlaw by the entire Starseer community, either. I vote we turn the ship around.”
Jelena looked at Zhou.
“Well, someone paid my ticket to Dalaran 5 specifically so I could go on this hunt, but every scrap of information I’ve dug up suggests there’s more going on here than a desire to explore a derelict ship lost in an asteroid. I know there’s supposed to be an artifact, but would that alone warrant their involvement? And someone—that Brody, I imagine—specifically wanted a mathematician and a scientist, even though he’s already an archaeologist himself. What is he anticipating? Why would you need a scientist just to take an artifact off a wrecked ship? And why did that ship come way out here five hundred years ago, anyway? There’s a mystery here and, I suspect, a threat. I’m curious, but I also want to make it home for grad school. I vote we turn the ship around before someone gets hurt. Or worse.”
“Austin?” Jelena prompted.
He blinked. “I get to vote?”
“You get to vote.”
“Are we sure he’s old enough for that?” Masika murmured.
“He doesn’t have a thrust bike in the race,” Jelena said. “He’s probably one of the few people who should be voting.”
Austin lifted his chin, looking pleased at this notion. “I vote to find the artifact. And see the ancient ship Erick told me about. That sounds brilliant. Five hundred years old. Do you think it can still fly? That’s got to be the oldest ship in the system, don’t you think? That’s left? I mean, I know one of the original colony ships is mostly saved in that museum on Perun, but this was a Starseer ship from when Kir was in its prime. I bet it’s amazing. I wonder what kind of engine it has. Do we know?” He looked around NavCom and at Erick, who only shrugged in return.
Masika nudged Jelena’s shoulder. “I bet you regret giving him that vote now.”
Jelena snorted. Possibly. She hadn’t counted on someone being more interested in finding the ship than the artifact. Though she should have known a seventeen-year-old kid would consider the opportunity for exploration and adventure over wisdom.
I can’t believe you just had that thought, Thor spoke into her mind. You, at eighteen. You, who are looking for a man to walk into trouble at your side.
Into trouble to obtain or achieve something important. Not to look at a musty old engine.
To him, that’s important.
And to you, this artifact is important. Even though you didn’t know about it two weeks ago.
Thor held her eyes, not remotely abashed. I need every advantage I can get.
“Since it appears we’re making this decision democratically, what’s your vote, Captain?” Masika asked. “We’re all tied up.”
Jelena was holding Thor’s gaze right back. Again, he didn’t seem to be trying to manipulate her. He was just being honest about his desires. If there was some powerful artifact in there, did she want to see it in Thor’s hands? She certainly didn’t want Brody to get his paws on it. She doubted some unborn son of Abelardus would be a good holder for it, either. Thor… Thor she trusted to fight at her side and protect her, but she also knew what he wanted, what he believed was his destiny. To take down the Alliance and reinstate the empire, something that would only happen in a long, bloody war that would kill hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people.
She could fear for him and want to protect him from his enemies, but she couldn’t help him get something that could turn out to be a super weapon.
“We turn around,” Jelena said quietly, holding his gaze for another second before shifting toward the others. His return gaze was hard to read. She felt like she was betraying him, but damn it, she couldn’t help him in this.
“Aw, we can’t even take a peek at the ship?” Austin asked.
“You know a five-hundred-year-old derelict is going to be brimming with ghosts, don’t you?” Erick asked.
Austin’s eyes widened. “Burnt, stale takka, you’re right. Starseer ghosts. They could be all manner of creepy and powerful. And angry about being stuck out here without a proper funeral.”
“Your ghostometer might explode with that kind of ethereal presence,” Erick said.
Austin left NavCom so quickly he stumbled over the lip of the hatchway.
Don’t you feel immature goading him about that stuff? Jelena asked Erick silently.
Why? You tease him too.
But I’m not the older sibling he looks up to. Didn’t you imply that you’re the reason he started believing in ghosts to start with?
That’s hardly my fault. I teased him with ghosts one time. I was working on my telekinesis and needed to practice on something, and he was being an utter pest. How was I supposed to know it would start a lifelong obsession? I didn’t think he’d even remember it.
You could have told him the next day that it had been you and that ghosts weren’t real.
I’ve tried to tell him ghosts aren’t real.
Did you tell him you were the one responsible for haunting him?
I doubt he even remembers it. He was six. Besides, if he does remember it, he ought to have solved the equation by now. Older Starseer brother plus things moving around the house equals no ghosts.
Erick waved a hand in dismissal and walked out.
“Guess we’re not making any money on this mission,” Masika said, also heading for the hatchway. “But I still get paid, right?”
“Yes, you’re on a salary. That’s how it works.” It was Jelena who would have to explain why she didn’t have a loan payment this month. But her parents had already said they wouldn’t be upset if she turned down Abelardus. Of course, they had probably wanted her to do it right away, not after flying for a week and wasting fuel.
Masika paused with her hand on the hatch jamb. “For the record, I don’t care that much about the money. Stellacor paid me, after all. I liked helping the Chollans. We made a difference there. It felt good.” She looked at Thor, who hadn’t moved from his spot yet. “That made it worth being a part of this crew.”
“I’m glad to hear it,” Jelena said. The words sounded inane, but they were all that came to mind. She was used to bluntness from Masika, but not approval. It was easy to forget that she cared, that she’d wanted to leave that corporation for a multitude of reasons. “I don’t think we can stop a war every week, but I’ll try to take on important missions whenever… my parents let me.”
She expected a snort from Masika at that, even though it was hardly Jelena’s fault that she worked for the family business and had to prioritize the cargo runs her parents arranged. But Masika actually smiled before nodding and walking out.
Zhou looked like he wanted to say something, but he glanced at Thor and rethought it. “Am I right that you don’t want me to inform the others?” he asked.
“You’re right. The closer we are to Dalaran 5 before they realize we’ve turned around, the less arguing there will be time for.”
“Sounds reasonable. Uhm, want to have a drink later? I brought you some of that sazz-razzle berry powder that you liked on Arkadius.”
“Oh, thank you. I’ve only had strawberry and dornberry lately, so that’ll be a nice change.” Jelena smiled at him, appreciating that he’d remembered what she liked to drink and thought to bring some packets along. She would have hugged him, but she was aware of Thor’s presence—and also that he was probably angry or frustrated with her. Or both. She also remembered that she needed to chat with Zhou about their relationship, in case he still thought they had one. Or had ever had one. Why hadn’t she made things clearer when she’d left Arkadius the year before?
?
??Good.” He returned the smile, waved, and walked out.
When she turned, anticipating a cool stare from Thor, she found he wasn’t looking at her at all. He had shifted his attention to the holodisplay of asteroids still floating over the console. She remembered that the reason he’d come down here was to see if he could identify which one held the artifact he sensed.
After scrutinizing them for a few seconds, he reached out and prodded the display, highlighting one of the blue asteroids to the left-center of the cluster.
“That’s where it is,” he said quietly.
Jelena checked their location and the coordinates. In less than two hours, they could fly there. She winced, waiting for him to point out that it would be easy to slip in for a quick look.
But he lowered his hand, stared a second longer—memorizing the asteroid?—and stepped away from the console.
“Let me know when you tell Brody—or when he figures it out,” Thor said. “He’s going to object. Obviously. I’ll stand next to you in case he tries anything.”
“You aren’t going to object?”
“No. I understand your choice.” He headed for the hatchway.
“You do?” Jelena stared after him. She felt like she was betraying him, and he understood? That didn’t seem right.
“Yes, it’s clear you’re terrified of the hundreds of angry Starseer ghosts.” He smiled over his shoulder before stepping into the corridor.
But as he walked away, he silently added, I’ve always known I would be alone in my quest to return the empire to power.
Jelena winced. She didn’t want him to feel alone. But she couldn’t help him with that goal.
Chapter 8
The comm beeped, and Jelena eyed it warily. They were almost out of the asteroid field, and she had a course plotted for Dalaran 5. Since they were leaving without any powerful artifacts on board, she’d been hoping the Starseer ships wouldn’t attack them again, but she couldn’t imagine who else would be contacting them out here. Unless a message was already coming back from Young-hee?
She checked the comm display. The message had come from the Star Nomad.
Her mood lightened. For once, she wasn’t doing anything she shouldn’t be—her parents had given her permission to say yes or no to Abelardus’s mission, so they shouldn’t be disappointed with her choice to reject it. They might be disappointed that she’d flown him all the way out here before deciding to do so, but she felt they would appreciate her uncharacteristic prudence. Maybe that prudence could even become characteristic eventually. As much as she enjoyed adventures, wasn’t it time for her to grow up?
She was on the verge of playing the message when she realized it wasn’t addressed to her. It was for Kiyoko. She felt a twinge of disappointment that it wasn’t Mom, but Kiyoko would be pleased to hear from her sister. Or maybe it was Grandpa comming to ask her about something in regard to little Hoshi’s training?
“Dr. Ogiwara?” Jelena said over the internal comm. “You have a message.”
She could have routed it straight to sickbay, but she admitted to curiosity about the contents. If it was Grandpa, he might have thrown in a greeting—or homework assignment—for her and Erick too.
Kiyoko appeared and slid into the co-pilot’s seat, her saffron and orange robes neat and unwrinkled. “Is it about Hoshi?”
“Maybe. You can take it here or in sickbay.” Jelena felt she should offer Kiyoko the option of privacy even if she was feeling nosy and wanted to know the contents.
Kiyoko leaned forward and pressed play. Jelena made a show of studying the navigation display, though there weren’t any asteroids in their path, and it should be a smooth ride out of the belt.
An image popped up over the comm panel.
“Hi, Kiyoko.” Ten-year-old Hoshi waved vigorously from a cabin on the Nomad. “I hope you’re healing lots of people and having adventures. I wanted to show you this, and Mr. Stanislav said I could. Watch!” Hoshi laid a pen on her palm and stared at it with an expression of intense concentration. She looked like she was trying to melt it with her eyes. After a few seconds, the pen floated a couple of inches into the air.
Jelena smiled, well remembering her first couple of months struggling to learn telekinesis. It was one of the harder Starseer talents to master, and it still wasn’t her strong suit. Half the time, she had to be angry or desperate to get it to work on objects larger than apples.
“See?” Hoshi blurted, and the pen dropped, bouncing off her palm and landing somewhere out of sight. “Mr. Stanislav says I’m a natural. But I have to study real hard. I have to catch up. He said I’m old to start training. But I’ll study lots. I definitely can. It’s so quiet here, Kiyoko. No bombs going off. And the ship is real big. You can run around and play with the cats and with Maya and Nika, even though Nika hogs the toys.” Her upper lip wrinkled.
A distant, “I do not,” sounded over the comm. “I just get to delegate how they’re played with because they’re mine.”
“They’re mine too,” came another distant voice—Maya. “And Dad said to share. Hoshi doesn’t have any toys. But Grandpa is making her something.”
Hoshi lowered her voice. “I really like Maya. She’s my new best friend. And Alex too. I better go. I miss you. Come by soon and tell me about doctoring. Bye!”
Jelena supposed she needn’t have listened in on that message, though it had been nice hearing her little sisters’ voices, however briefly. She smiled at herself, realizing she must be feeling some homesickness to think that.
Kiyoko leaned back in the seat and dabbed at one of her eyes. “Who’s Alex?” she asked.
“One of the cats. He’s big, fat, and gray, and purrs if you look at him. His ambition in life is to go from cabin to cabin to sleep in everyone’s bed and leave gray hairs all over your black clothes.”
“Ah.” Kiyoko closed her eyes. “I’m glad Hoshi has friends and isn’t just studying all the time. I’m a little sad…”
“That you’re not there with them?” Jelena had been the one to suggest to Grandpa and her parents that the Snapper could use a doctor, since she and Erick weren’t as well trained to handle medical emergencies as Grandpa was, but she felt guilty that it had meant splitting up Hoshi and Kiyoko. Since they’d lost their parents and other family during and before the war on Fourseas, that meant they only had each other now.
“Yes.”
“It’s kind of a Starseer tradition, from what I’ve heard, that young students leave their families to go off to study with tutors. I was an exception, at least once Grandpa took over my education, but Erick stayed on the Nomad, far from his family, to train with us. I think part of it is to minimize distractions during the years of particularly intense studies, and part of it, too, is to fully immerse kids in the Starseer culture, especially if they’re coming from families full of mundanes.” All true words, but Jelena still felt bad for being the reason those two were parted.
“Mundanes like me?”
“Yeah. Sort of. You must have the same genes as your sister if you have the same parents, but it’s not uncommon for one sibling to manifest the talents and for another not to. That’s how it is with Erick and Austin, for example.”
“I understand,” Kiyoko said. “And I believe Hoshi is safe on the Nomad, and that I’ll see her often. But… I have to admit that I do wish I had a little more work here to keep me busy. After the constant need for my services on Cholla, I was at first relieved and pleased to have a vacation of sorts, but I’m not used to lounging around. We had a battle, and nobody even needed a bandage.”
“Sorry. There could be bigger battles.”
Jelena glanced at the sensor display, hoping that wouldn’t be the case, but she didn’t plan to sleep again, or leave NavCom, until they were well away from the asteroid field. She had already started to turn back to Kiyoko when she spotted a blip at the far edge of their range. Frowning, she tapped on it for more information.
“I shouldn’t hope for that,” Kiyoko said. “Be
sides, I’m expecting Erick to come by later with a new concern. I overheard Zhou speaking with him about some of the bacteria that are able to survive in the void of space and how some germs thrive on spaceships.”
“Oh yes. Erick will be by, certain he has three kinds of cold and flu. One second, please.” Jelena lifted a hand as she reached out with her mind. Thor?
Yes?
He was in his cabin, playing with a holo puzzle.
I’m not playing with it; I’m solving it.
An important distinction. There’s a large ship outside of the asteroid field, not far from where we met those X-craft earlier. Can you sense it and tell if it’s the Starseer mother ship we expected earlier? Jelena’s own senses couldn’t reach out that far, but Thor was more skilled than she at just about everything. Except talking to dogs and dolphins.
Seconds dribbled by, and Jelena read the information the sensors had on the ship. There wasn’t much at this distance, but it was definitely a large vessel.
Another blip appeared at the edge of their range. This one was in the belt and flying toward them. It was half the size of the first ship, but significantly larger than the X-craft they’d fought.
“This part of the belt has suddenly gotten popular,” Jelena muttered. She glanced at the blue asteroid still floating in a holodisplay over the console on the co-pilot’s side. She hadn’t bothered to turn off the map.
“Can we avoid the other ships?” Kiyoko peered at the sensor display.
“If they don’t follow us, yes. We’ll just have to fly through the belt for a while before coming out. It’ll add to our journey, but we’ve got fuel and supplies enough for a long trip. I wasn’t sure how long the treasure hunt would take, so I purchased quite a bit extra. We should be fine.”
Assuming they didn’t run into any of the pirates and criminals she’d often heard about. If they were smart, they were hiding out elsewhere right now. Who wanted to mess with a ship full of Starseers?
It’s the mother ship for those fighter craft, Thor finally replied. Yes.