“No. The handful of conscious Starseers were holding hands and humming when I ran past. They may have recovered enough to figure out what was going on and try to save their home. Remotely.”
“What happens when the powder wears off?”
He could only shrug. Yumi was the person she needed to ask.
Alisa hit the comm. “Yumi, Alejandro? Where are you?”
“I am recovering from a fraught experience,” Alejandro said wearily. “Yumi is showing her sister her chickens.”
“How about you find a way to remove those headbands and make sure our Starseers are well—and unlikely to turn on us again?”
“As you wish, Captain,” Alejandro said, more amenable-sounding than he had ever been. Or maybe that was defeat. They had lost the staff again. And they hadn’t gained anything except irate hostages and some Starseer refugees.
“Check on Hawk’s soldiers too.” Alisa glanced at the unconscious form between the seats. “I’m sure he would want that.”
Alejandro offered what sounded like a grunt of assent.
Alisa banked so she could orbit the volcano for a few laps, watching it from above. The smoke was definitely thicker than it had been when they first arrived, but she hoped that the little explosion high up on the caldera wall wouldn’t trigger an eruption. At the least, she hoped it wouldn’t trigger an eruption that would turn into an earthquake that would rock the entire continent. Then she could feel that the trip had been worth it, that her people had done some good.
A series of chicken squawks came over the comm, which was still open to the cargo hold. It must be feeding time. A woman giggled. Yumi? Her sister? Well, at least
some
good had happened if they had rescued those Starseers.
“Let me know if you need your hand back,” Leonidas said as she banked again, peeking inside the caldera.
He had not released their handclasp and did not appear inclined to do so. Whatever had happened in those last few minutes that he had been alone must have rattled him. Or maybe the whole battle had rattled him.
She squeezed his hand. “I don’t. I have lots of experience with flying one-handed.”
Mica arched her eyebrows. “I didn’t know you two were far enough along in your relationship that you discussed your self-pleasuring habits openly.”
Alisa flushed. “I meant that I’m usually holding
coffee
with the other hand. Sometimes chocolate.”
“Ah, of course.”
Alisa glanced up at Leonidas, who merely returned a bland smile and nodded down at the unconscious form between the seats. “Is that Admiral Hawk?”
“Yes. He wanted to leave without you. I disagreed. When we’re done holding hands, you could carry him somewhere. To a locked cabin perhaps.”
“I don’t think that will be necessary.”
“Because you bonded over fighting Starseers? I remember him making nice comments about your ass.”
“You only heard the last one,” Leonidas said. “The first several comments about my ass involved moving it and kicking it.”
“Such uncouthness. One expects more from officers.”
“Not Alliance officers,” he said, meeting her eyes and smiling.
“I may have just been insulted,” Alisa told Mica.
“I think so. But you’re still holding his hand. You’re a glutton for punishment.”
“Clearly.”
Chapter 19
Alisa sat in the mess hall, alternating between sucking down coffee and licking her finger to pick up crumbs of chocolate left in the bottom of a tin that had once held unsweetened chunks for baking.
They needed to drop off the Tiangs, Hawk’s people, and the Starseers, preferably without being arrested or shot down in the process, and then she needed to sleep. Badly. Between coming in from space and dancing across time zones all over Arkadius, her day had been never-ending. It felt like it had been a week. The coffee wasn’t doing much to keep her eyes open, but she shouldn’t let herself sleep yet. They were on course for Laikagrad where, Alisa hoped, the chaos in the aftermath of the earthquake would keep the authorities from noticing her ship. She had not returned her guests’ comm devices or told them where she was heading. Even if Hawk found a means to communicate with his people, he couldn’t have a fleet of Alliance ships waiting for them.
Leonidas walked into the mess hall, out of his armor for the first time in what seemed like days. He wore his soft gym pants, a black T-shirt, and socks. The level of undress surprised her, considering the Alliance soldiers aboard. To Beck’s and Leonidas’s consternation, Alisa had offered them free rein if they removed their weapons and armor. It hadn’t seemed right to lock up people who had helped them fight, especially since Hawk had lost one of his men during the battle. He now spoke Tymoteusz’s name like a curse, his eyes dark with the promise of vengeance.
“How long until we reach Laikagrad?” Leonidas poured himself a cup of coffee, walked to her side, and rested a hand on her back.
“A couple of hours.”
“Where are we landing?”
“I haven’t decided yet.”
“Might I suggest a return to the junkyard?” Leonidas said.
“Any particular reason?”
“Yes.”
She waited for him to explain. He didn’t, but an enigmatic smile curved his lips. Huh.
She patted the seat next to hers. “Join me and help me stay awake?”
“How do you propose I do that?” He slid in beside her, his thigh touching hers.
“You could take off your clothes and dance on the table for me.”
“I would hit my head on the ceiling and probably knock over your coffee.”
“I’m sure
those
are the reasons you’re objecting to doing it.” Alisa leaned against his shoulder, relieved to have him beside her, and further relieved he had survived removing that bomb. She dreaded the thought of him not returning from a battle one day. “We could go to my bunk and spend a couple of hours kissing.”
He lowered his gaze to his cup. “I imagine you would ultimately find that disappointing.”
“It’s possible for two people to kiss without things escalating to sex. Or wanting sex. Sometimes, just kissing is cozy and intimate.”
He gave her a frank look, an eyebrow elevated.
“Yeah, I suppose you’re right. Every time I kiss you, I want to throw you up against a wall and have my way with you.”
His other eyebrow joined the first. Maybe he was amused at the idea of her throwing him.
“It’s a fantasy,” she said. “I can do what I want, including defying physics.”
“Ah.”
At least he wasn’t outright objecting to the idea out of some worry that he would hurt her. She might have found that encouraging if her plan to win over Admiral Tiang and get him fixed hadn’t backfired so horribly. She was fairly certain that the Tiangs wanted her dead now. And after she had stunned Admiral Hawk, he probably wanted her dead too. Maybe she could find another cybernetics specialist out there with experience working on imperial cyborgs. Somewhere. After she found Jelena. She needed to check on Alejandro and Durant—and Stanislav, too, she supposed—but she was too tired to deal with anyone difficult. After she dropped everyone else off, that would be the time. After she had rested. She wished she could curl up in a bunk with Leonidas, even if there wasn’t kissing.
He was still gazing morosely into his cup, and she wondered if he had believed for a while that her crazy scheme might work, that she might talk the admiral into helping him.
Voices sounded in the corridor. Alisa debated if she wanted to scoot away from Leonidas. Her regular crew and passengers knew they had a relationship, but those were not their familiar voices. Should Alliance soldiers see the captain snuggled up to her security chief? Was that professional? For that matter, was picking slivers of chocolate out of a tin professional? Maybe she wouldn’t cross the line until she started licking the powder in the bottom.
It turned out to be Admirals Hawk and Tiang, Hawk wearing the rumpled uniform trousers and T-shirt he’d had on under his combat armor. His people had brought many weapons along on their assault of the
Nomad
, but not any spare clothes. He limped slightly as he maneuvered into the mess hall.
“Coffee dispenser is over there,” Alisa said, waving toward the counter. “And you’re welcome to use the rec room if you want a place to talk.” She waved toward the hatch, hoping that was a subtle and polite way of inviting them not to linger. She didn’t want to deal with glares and accusations right now.
“Actually, we came to talk to you,” Hawk said. “And
you
.” He nodded toward Leonidas.
“Oh?” Leonidas said warily.
“You wish to have your sexual function returned, correct?” Admiral Tiang said, waving a hand toward Alisa, or perhaps the way they were sitting next to each other. Intimately.
Leonidas grimaced, glancing at Hawk. It had taken weeks—months?—for him to admit his deficiency to Alisa. It wasn’t something he liked to talk about, and Hawk was still a stranger, even if they had fought in battle together.
“As I said earlier, I wish to have the ability to have children,” Leonidas said.
Tiang's eyebrows drew together.
“And sex,” Leonidas added before Tiang could point out that there were ways children could be accomplished without “sexual function.”
Hawk didn’t look surprised by the conversation. Had he and Tiang been discussing it? It was hard to imagine the star pilot caring about Leonidas’s penis status.
“Going in and physically returning erectile function would be a simple enough matter,” Tiang said. “The brain synapses that were destroyed may be more difficult to regrow after, what’s it been for you? Twenty years?”
“Yes.” Leonidas was hard to read now. Like an android.
Alisa didn’t know if she should lay a comforting hand on his, or if he might glare at her if she did, for causing this uncomfortable conversation to come about. But Alisa found the discussion encouraging, even if it was making him uncomfortable. Why else would the admiral have brought it up unless he was contemplating offering his services? Would he have a price? Alisa didn’t know how much money Leonidas had, but the dinosaur-hunting funds should still be in his account, and he had imperial morats back on Perun.
“And then there are the failsafes in your brain,” Tiang added.
“The what?” Alisa asked.
“The empire didn’t want anyone going in and tinkering with captured cyborgs, possibly finding a way to reprogram them to work against the empire,” Tiang said.
“
Reprogram
?” Alisa said. “He’s not a computer.”
“No, but there are ways to control anyone.”
Alisa thought of the Starseers who’d been turned into zombies and shook her head bleakly.
“The empire preferred to lose its soldiers, even its valuable cyborgs, rather than risk subversion.”
“Lose?” She gaped and gripped Leonidas’s arm. “You mean if someone tries to operate on him without knowing better, it could kill him?”
Without answering her, Tiang met Leonidas’s eyes again. “I assume you knew about the failsafes.”
Leonidas nodded, not appearing as alarmed by all this as Alisa. He’d known? Truly? How could he be so blasé?
“It’s why I would prefer someone experienced do the surgery,” he said.
“I do have the experience, with cyborg brain surgery and more,” Tiang said. “If anyone could avoid the triggers and reverse the connections, I believe I could.”
“Would you consider doing it?” Leonidas asked, sounding detached and clinical, not eager.
Alisa assumed that was an act, but she couldn’t be sure. He might still feel conflicted by the idea of them having a romantic relationship, of him being in a position where he might hurt her one day.
Tiang looked to Hawk. Alisa hoped he wasn’t going to ask the pilot to assist him in surgery.
“Admiral Hawk believes a deal could be made,” Tiang said.
Leonidas had to be curious, but he did not ask for details. He waited in silence. But Alisa could tell from the way he held motionless, eyes intent, that he was interested. He might have said he had to give up on this dream, but perhaps he had been lying to himself. He still cared. A great deal.
As the silence continued, Tiang and Hawk each looking like they wanted the other one to make the offer, Alisa fiddled with her coffee mug. There
was
going to be a price. How high?
“Tiang is willing to do his best to address your issue,” Hawk said, much less blunt than Tiang, “but we want you in exchange for the surgery.”
“Me,” Leonidas said, his tone flat.
“The Alliance has been trying to get the information in his head for a while,” Alisa said. “He’d be a fool to walk into your arms.”
“The Alliance wants the prince’s location, right?” Hawk raised his eyebrows, clearly privy to what happened among the higher ups. Hells, he
was
a higher up. As a researcher and medical expert, Tiang’s rank had little to do with command power, but Hawk was a different story. He’d risen through the pilot ranks and then above. If he had plans to get into politics, he must be well-connected, both inside and outside the military. The fact that he thought he had the sway to have this negotiation and cause Leonidas’s bounty to be lifted spoke to that. “Am I correct in assuming that you no longer know where he is?”
Leonidas hesitated, as if debating if he should give away even this tidbit of information, but then nodded once.
“We know now that he was on Cleon Moon recently, but we’ve lost the trail again too.” Hawk shrugged. “Regardless, you misunderstand me. We want
you
, not necessarily what’s in your head, beyond command experience. You’re an asset in battle, clearly. Even if you drop ceilings on your allies.” Hawk smiled slightly.
Leonidas did not respond.
It slowly dawned on Alisa what they wanted, and excitement welled up from deep inside of her. They were trying to
recruit
him? For the Alliance army? Did that mean they would forgive all of his past actions? Everything he had done in the name of the empire? If he would simply work for them?
“Times change,” Hawk said. “Just as Admiral Tiang and I came to the Alliance from the empire, we would like you to do the same. We’ll equal your rank, and in time, you would have men to command again. Even cyborgs, if you want to spearhead our program. Tiang says he mentioned to you that we intend to start one up.”