Tundra, Megalodon City Penitentiary, Standard Year 404 after founding

  Tony Sicaro woke up from his doze to the buzz of a text coming in over his wrist comm. He looked down at the small screen to see two short words staring back at him.

  Protect Alanna

  “I saw you were on that one.” Dev said from the other corner of the breakroom, sounding surprisingly cheerful. Unlike Tony, he’d slept well.

  And why shouldn’t he? Tony thought sourly. His conscience was clear. Dev would forever be the hero of this story. Tony’s role was somewhat more… complicated. Over a week had passed since Alanna returned to her cell and only he and Dev remained on guard duty, with Benji the puppy as their somewhat dubious backup. He glanced over at Benji, who bared his teeth half-heartedly in his general direction. It was a small but substantial step up from Benji’s earlier response, which fell just short of a physical attack. Tony rubbed his still aching leg and glared back at the puppy. Phil had gone home when his shift ended, and Simon was getting shipped out later that day. Fiona stopped by late last night for another treatment and Alanna should be fully recovered, or close to it. “Today is the day.” Tony announced out loud, turning away from the dog and stretching somewhat stiffly. Wherever James had gone, he was on his way back now. Jim Hawk didn’t have much time. Whatever he planned to do, it would begin today.

  “Why isn’t he sending more texts?” Dev asked, frowning slightly.

  “I’d guess he’s hiding out in Sarayan space.” Tony said with a yawn. “Sending out too many transmissions will get him noticed.”

  “But he can receive?”

  “Sure. It’s just radio signals traveling across the solar system. Anyone can receive, and anyone with the right decryption key can read them. That won’t get you noticed. Sending out a signal will.”

  Dev stared at the elevator banks nervously. “Should we break her out?” He asked. “Realistically, he’s not gonna miss a third time.”

  Tony smiled slightly. The good news was, they could ask James. He typed in the message, and waited.

  “How long?” Dev asked, looking from his screen back towards the elevator.

  “Saraya is far right now. It’s over ten minutes one way. James might be a bit closer.”

  “So, about twenty minutes before we hear back.” Dev said flatly. “I’m going to see if Alanna is awake.”

  “She slept through half the day yesterday.” Tony said cynically. “Might be premature.”

  “You’re sure it’s today?” Dev asked.

  “I’m sure.”

  Dev got up. “Then I’m getting her. To hell with it.”

  Tony waved his hand in an ambiguous gesture, but he didn’t argue. It was Dev’s call. If the president was coming for them, it wouldn’t matter.

  Dev returned with Alanna a few minutes later, Benji following joyously at their heels. She was wearing her Tundran clothes, a pair of jeans with a black sweater, a stark contrast to her pale face.

  “You heard from James?” She asked the minute she walked in, her eyes focused on Tony.

  “We both did.” Tony said, smiling slightly at the intense look of relief he saw in her eyes.

  “He’s alive.”

  “As of ten or so minutes ago.” Tony agreed.

  “And all he said was…”

  “Protect Alanna.” Tony finished for her. “Man really knows how to stay on message.”

  “Nothing else?”

  Tony shook his head, unable to resist glancing back at his wrist comm. It remained stubbornly silent.

  “He’s in Sarayan space.” Alanna said, her green eyes now unreadable. “Can I make the coffee?”

  “No.” Dev said. He was nervous about having a prisoner out and about in the break room. “You sit and keep your hands where I can see them.” He paused. “No offense.” He added.

  Alanna shot a somewhat sour look his way but complied with the order, placing her hands on the table and sitting ramrod straight in her chair. Her eyes were on the elevator doors, clearly visibly from the break room.

  “It’s going to be today.” She said, looking down at her hands. “I’m sorry.” She added, not sure what else to say. In that moment, she sincerely wished James had sent her back to Saraya and let them deal with her. She had certainly caused a full-blown mess here on Tundra.

  “We’re asking James if we should break you out.” Tony responded, ignoring her apology. They all looked at his wrist comm, which remained stubbornly silent.

  “If he doesn’t respond, it’s a no.” Alanna said. “Hell, even if he does say you should, it’s a terrible idea.”

  “James is known for those.” Tony said drily.

  “Well, if he said you should break me out, that will be his first.” Alanna said stubbornly. “Thanks, Dev.” She added, accepting the hot cup of coffee Dev offered her. All three sat back in their chairs, staring silently at the elevator. Benji started panting nervously, sensing the tension in the air.

  “Poker?” Alanna suggested.

  Tony shook his head. “There won’t be enough time.”

  “How long since you asked about the breakout?”

  Tony glanced at the time. “Twenty three minutes.”

  “He’s not that far.” Alanna shook her head, breathing a small sigh of relief. “That’s a no.”

  Tony’s eyes narrowed slightly, but he didn’t disagree. It was a no. All they could do was sit and wait for President Hawk’s next move. He looked up at the soft whirr of machinery that signaled the elevator was moving. “Incoming.” He said softly. Reaching towards his ankle, he placed a small handgun on the table, carefully positioned behind the coffee pot so it would not be visible to anyone entering from the elevator, and just outside of Alanna’s reach. “Not yet.” He said, placing his hand over the barrel.

  Alanna’s eyes focused on the gun to the exclusion of everything else. She swallowed, forcing herself to look back towards the elevator. All she really cared about was getting her hands on that gun. She wasn’t sure what it was that caused her to look over towards Dev, but the look he gave her in return wasn’t reassuring. Reaching for the gun before Tony and Dev were ready, would be a mistake. Placing her hands in her lap, Alanna looked over towards the elevator doors as they opened. Benji growled softly.

  A tall, elderly woman wearing a Captain’s uniform exited the elevator, silver stirpes gleaming on her sleeves. She was carrying a flattened rectangular package in her arms. The woman walked forward flanked by two soldiers, their eyes unreadable, and headed towards them with an easy, confident stride. Her direct blue eyes were focused on Tony. “Sicaro.” She said with a broad smile. “Good to see you.”

  “Good to see you too, Captain.” Tony responded, and the warmth in his voice seemed genuine. Alanna slanted a sideways glance in his direction. Great. Good to see they were all friends.

  “And Hodgins, I presume?”

  To Alanna’s surprise, Dev gave a formal salute, although neither man bothered to stand up. Responding to Dev’s lead, Benji settled back down, thumping his tail uncertainly.

  “And you are?” The woman’s sharp eyes turned towards Alanna.

  A noticeably lengthy silence followed. She wanted to say ‘I’m no one important, don’t mind me’. But those weren’t her orders. Prove your worth, Tony had told her. Alanna sat up straighter and met the woman’s gaze head on. “My name is Alanna Summers.” She said.

  The woman nodded slightly in acknowledgement, before turning back to Tony, the unasked question evident in her eyes. Tony didn’t even bother to explain. Silently, he held out his wrist comm, showing her the message from James.

  “I see.” The woman acknowledged, pulling up a chair and joining them at the table. “Alanna, my name is Captain Tanya Arden, and I would like to speak with you. In private.”

  Alanna noted the two soldiers flanking the captain stirred in unison, obviously unhappy with the development, but neither man spoke to contradict their captain. Tony met her eyes and nodded slightly. The small handgun had somehow disappeared from sight. Right. For lack of anything better to do, Alanna drained the last of her coffee and got up. “I have just the cell for that.” She said. “It’s right this way.”

  A short minute later, the two women were back in Alanna’s cell, sitting on the lightly heated concrete benches and studying each other across the small space.

  “What’s in the package?” Alanna asked.

  “A Tundran uniform.” Tanya Arden responded bluntly. “Yours.”

  Alanna’s eyes widened. “I see.” She said. And she did. The plan was perfect, brilliant in its simplicity. She could fight and die for Tundra, or she could decline – and die twice a traitor. Either way, President Hawk won. Either way, she died. Either way, James would not be able to blame his father for asking of her what he had every right to ask. What every Tundran was obligated to give. To serve Tundra.

  “What is your decision?” Tanya Arden asked.

  Slowly, Alanna reached up with her hand, tracing the gold cuff along the top of her ear. Captain Arden didn’t flinch, her eyes on Alanna, waiting. “I accept.” Alanna said. “I will take the oath. And I will fight. But you should know, if I can save Sarayan lives, I will. I won’t be the only Tundran to make that choice. That’s who I am. Take me on those terms, or leave me here.”

  Captain Arden’s eyes widened ever so slightly, and a slight smile crossed her lips. “I accept.” She said. “Come with me.”

  Stall. Alanna thought. She needed to stall. Twenty minutes. She had to trust that Tony and Dev would tell James what happened. She needed her orders, dammit. “Can I bring my things?” She asked.

  “Of course. I’ll give you time to pack.”

  Alanna watched the captain walk out, without looking back. The cell door remained wide open. The unspoken message was clear. They were treating her as if she was no longer a prisoner. With a shake of her head, Alanna began gathering her things into the small bag Clara brought her. It didn’t take long. Nearly everything was already there. She looked blankly at the things James had brought her. The sleeping bag and camping equipment, none of which she was likely to need on Captain Arden’s ship. It was silly but she took the two metal mugs, a souvenir to remember an odd time in her life. Packing complete and for lack of any better ideas, she followed Captain Arden back down the hallway, towards the breakroom. Tony, Dev, and Captain Arden were sitting around the break room table, waiting for her. The two Tundran soldiers remained standing on the other side of the room, their eyes stone cold.

  Captain Arden stood up. “This, is for you.” She said, holding out the flat, rectangular package to Alanna. There was a certain ceremonial formality to her movements.

  Alanna turned to Tony and Dev. “It’s a Tundran uniform.” She said.

  “We know.” Tony responded, still sprawled in his chair. He seemed fully at ease, as if President Hawk’s third attack was nothing to worry about.

  “You have to put it on.” Dev said, removing whatever doubt may have remained. “If you reject that uniform, I’m out.”

  Alanna nodded in acknowledgement. The lines had been drawn. If she rejected the uniform, she would be truly alone. With a nod, she formally accepted the package. “I’m going to the bathroom to change.” She said, turning her back on all of them.

  A few minutes later, she saw her own pale face staring back at herself from the bathroom mirror, above the stark black fabric of a Tundran army uniform. The silver officer’s stripes shone dimly in the light. Just for an instant, her breath caught in her throat and she gasped, unable to draw air. The enemy. Alanna blinked, staring into the mirror for a long, drawn out moment, until her vision adjusted. Until her own familiar green eyes gazed back. She was who she was. The uniform couldn’t change that. And the president was coming for her. And yet, again, again he refused to kill her outright. Apparently, he still felt the need to play games. Well, then they would play. She had already won twice. She straightened her sleeves, pulling her shoulders back and taking out the gun to check if it was fully loaded. Alanna paused, the look on her face turning noticeably sour. Gritting her teeth, she spun on her heel and walked back out of the bathroom.

  “What took you so lo…” Tony paused mid-word, momentarily speechless. He started laughing.

  “What’s so… oh my god.” Dev put his head in his hands, trying to stifle the laughter.

  “Is that gun loaded?” Tony asked, controlling his laughter with some effort.

  “I would probably be better off with a fork.” Alanna said, not the slightest bit amused. “And what’s so damn funny?” Her eyes narrowed as she saw one of the soldiers ribbing the other and holding out a hand in a way that strongly implied payment due. “Did you seriously bet I wouldn’t check if my gun was loaded?”

  “I heard Sarayans got shit training.” The man shrugged, unrepentant.

  “Now, now, is that any way to talk to your lieutenant commander?” Tony asked between peals of laughter.

  Dev, who had just managed to look up to observe the exchange, put his head back in his hands.

  “What? I…”Aghast, Alanna stared at the stripes on her sleeves.

  “That brilliant, arrogant bastard.” Tony gasped, trying to catch his breath.

  “And that, Alanna, is why we all vote for him.” Dev said, eyes shining as he looked back up. “Allow me to be the first to extend” he paused, catching his breath “extend my sincerest congratulations, on your promotion.”

  If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  “You checked the charge on your gun but not the rank on your uniform?” The soldier who won the bet asked mildly, his gaze far from friendly.

  Alanna blinked. It was a brutally fair criticism.

  “Congratulations on your promotion, lieutenant commander.” Captain Arden spoke up, stepping forward. “Are you prepared to take your oath?”

  Twenty minutes, Alanna thought frantically. Had it been twenty minutes? She looked back at Tony, trying to ask the question with her eyes. He shook his head slightly.

  “Why isn’t my gun loaded?” She asked, ignoring the increasing looks of suspicion she was getting from Captain Arden’s men.

  “It was recommended for your own protection.” Captain Arden said, her eyes unreadable.

  Alanna nodded, her eyes sliding back to Tony. She was running out of ways to stall. Just then, they all heard the soft buzz that signaled a text had been received.

  Tony looked down at his wrist comm, and as unlikely as it was, his smile got just a little bit wider. “You have your orders from James.” He said, looking up at Alanna.

  “And?” Alanna asked.

  Tony paused, enjoying the drama. He waited until every eye in the room was on him, and then just a little bit more, before passing on the message. “James says ‘win’.”

  Captain Arden raised an eyebrow in Alanna’s general direction. “Are you ready?”

  Tony and Dev stood up in perfect unison. It was what you did. Alanna turned to face captain Arden, subconsciously standing up straighter. She had taken her Sarayan oath in a room full of people, one of hundreds. At the time, it felt like a formality. This time around it was a much smaller group, but the focus was on her. And somehow, in the small room suddenly filled with silence, it didn’t feel like a formality at all. It felt real.

  “Please repeat after me.” Captain Arden said.

  Alanna took a breath, and followed her captain’s lead. “I will protect the freedom and independence of Tundra and her people against all enemies. I will serve faithfully and bravely, to my last breath. I will” Alanna paused briefly, taking a breath before somewhat reluctantly continuing “I will obey the orders of the President of Tundra and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Military Code. I do so swear.” She turned to the two soldiers standing behind their captain. “I know I broke my Sarayan oath. You have no reason to trust this one.”

  “That can’t be fixed with words.” Tony said, stirring in his chair. “Let’s see what she can accomplish by her actions. Captain Arden, I request permission to serve on your ship for the duration of this mission.”

  “You want to serve during your time off?” Captain Arden asked, sounding bemused.

  “Dying to.”

  “Then we would be most fortunate to have you.” The captain responded graciously.

  Alanna cocked her head, noting the lack of hesitation. The captain was acting as if her only goal was mission success, rather than getting rid of one Alanna Summers. It was downright suspicious.

  “Dev.” Captain Arden nodded formally in his directions. “By now you should have received the orders. Do we have your permission to depart?”

  So, this was it. Dev shook his head, getting up somewhat sheepishly. He walked over to Alanna in her stiff new unform and gave her a hug. “Good luck.” He said. “You got this.”

  “Thanks, Dev.” Alanna said, hugging him back. “Thank you for everything.” She smiled down as Benji ran up, jumping on her legs and leaving gray fur all over her brand new uniform, and stroked his silky fur one last time before heading towards the elevator.

  “Good luck, Captain.” Dev said, taking a step back and watching them all walk out. He put a hand on Benji’s head. The place suddenly felt empty, and a lot more lonely than before. It had been interesting.

  A moment later, Alanna stood quietly, listening to the whirr of machinery as the elevator headed back down.

  “My name’s Gregory.” One of the two men flanking Captain Tanya Arden offered, stretching out his hand magnanimously.

  “Pleasure to meet you, Gregory.” Alanna responded, shaking his hand. “Thank you for having enough faith in my abilities to bet I would check the charge on my gun.”

  Gregory shrugged, looking distinctly unimpressed.

  “If only I’d realized you might not notice your own rank. Imagine the odds I could have gotten on that bet.” The other soldier said, clearly unrepentant. “My name’s Sean, and I’m the pilot.”

  “It’s nice to meet you, Sean.” Alanna responded, making an effort to follow the captain’s lead and remain gracious. “I’ll try to do better.”

  “The President doesn’t just hand out promotions.” Sean mused as they walked off the elevator. “Gotta wonder what you did to earn this one.”

  “No comment.” Alanna said with a sigh. The hall downstairs was empty, but she guessed a number of weapons were trained on them as they made their exit. The icy blast of cold felt like a physical force, the shock of it silencing any further response. It slammed into her body, leaving the exposed skin of her face tingling as if it had been hit with thousands of needles. Once again, everyone but her seemed unperturbed. Their transport was waiting only a few steps from the prison doors, and Alanna got in with a sigh of relief, feeling the warmth enveloping her. Looking out the window from the warmer and more protected interior of the ground transport, she saw that the road outside had changed dramatically. When they had driven in, the road was open, with walls of snow on either side. Today, the entire road was covered by a tunnel of gleaming ice. The muted, lavender gray light of the morning sun streamed down through the ice weakly. As they got onto the tunnel road, the warm orange lights of other cars could be seen gleaming in the distance, adding a false sense of warmth to the icy scene. Alanna sincerely hoped the Tundrans had a plan for keeping the tunnels structurally sound as the snow piled on.

  They sat two on each side, facing each other, with her and Tony on one side of the vehicle and Gregory and the Captain on the other. Sean the pilot had, predictably enough, taken the driver’s seat, and was driving the vehicle with calm precision, his hands relaxed on the wheel. Alanna looked down at her bag, wedged awkwardly in front of her in the small space. No one else brought their things inside the cabin. No one else was staring out the window. They were all looking at her. She shifted very slightly away from Tony, uncomfortable in the tight, confined space, and leaned forward. None of these things mattered. “What’s the mission?” She asked.

  Captain Arden gave a slight nod of approval. “We’ve discovered a hidden Sarayan base orbiting Titan. Our primary mission objective” she paused, her eyes focusing on Alanna “is to remove all remaining traces of Saraya’s presence from Titan.”

  Alanna tried not to flinch at the mention of Titan, but didn’t quite succeed. Her poker skills ran towards counting cards. When it came to bluffing or maintaining a poker face, Tony was your man. She looked over at him, to find his perfectly blank face staring back at her.

  “That mean something to you?” Gregory asked, his face far from blank as he observed her reaction.

  Alanna shrugged. “Home sweet home.” She said, somewhat glumly. “You do realize they can’t get resupplied? Saraya couldn’t even resupply D12, which is far closer to Sarayan space. Titan is in your backyard, past Tundra. It’d be a hell of a job sneaking in a resupply ship. And lately, Saraya doesn’t seem to have an appetite for it. Why not just wait and starve them out?”

  “Our orders are to do it now.” Captain Arden said. She softened her tone slightly before adding. “President Hawk believes that time is of the essence.”

  Alanna rubbed the back of her neck as a thought too vague to put into words flew through the back of her mind. “He may be right.” She said out loud, not sure herself why she was saying it. She shook her head. Whatever it was her subconscious had been trying to tell her, it was gone now, and she had to focus on the mission. “What are our resources?” She asked.

  “One ship, sixty man crew.” Captain Arden responded, before nodding with a slight smile in Tony’s general direction. “Plus one Commander Tony Sicaro, volunteering over his time off.”

  “Enough to make all the difference.” Tony responded with a slight grin. “Permission to get my things before we head out, Captain?”

  Captain Arden nodded, and Tony passed on his home address to Sean.

  Alanna frowned, ignoring the exchange as her stomach clenched. One ship versus a secret military outpost orbiting Titan? She suddenly had a very bad feeling about this. “Do we know the size of the Sarayan station?” She asked.

  “Historically, these stations hold about sixty in military personnel. We don’t expect any civilians.” Captain Arden responded. “We also have reason to believe Captain Bernard Bernhard is in command.”

  Alanna paused, a look of surprise crossing her face.

  “A friend?” Tony asked, studying her closely.

  “No.” She shook her head. “Definitely not a friend.” It occurred to her that she had mentioned Captain Bernard Bernhard when she summarized her somewhat colorful military record. James said he wasn’t the one who requested it, so her summary must have gone higher up. There was every reason to believe President Hawk knew of her history with Bernard Bernhard, before selecting her for this mission.

  “An enemy?” Tony asked, a slight smile crossing his face.

  Alanna avoided Captain Arden’s attentive stare and looked out the window, towards the walls of ice and the vehicles moving all around them. Sean turned the wheel sharply, steering around a large, slow moving vehicle. “I’m not important enough to have enemies.” Alanna said quietly. “And it doesn’t matter. Here’s what matters. Bernard Bernhard is one of the more competent Sarayan commanders. A typical Sarayan military outpost will have a crew of about sixty military personnel, turret guns to protect the stationary target, and supplies for up to two years. Bernard Bernhard is not typical. He’s related to President Lorelai Achly herself, and he’s a capable and intelligent commander. He will have more people, better trained people, better equipment. This will not be an easy target.” Alanna turned slightly, finally looking her captain in the eye. “Captain, I want to take down Bernard Bernhard. But if the plan is to go one on one and win…” She shrugged, unsure of how to finish that thought. It wasn’t her place to point out that the mission was impossible. But it was impossible.

  “Why do you hate him?” Tony asked.

  Alanna hesitated. “I have my reasons.” She said shortly.

  “Tell us about the man.” Captain Arden said. “What’s he like?”

  Alanna forced herself to relax, ignoring the flood of unpleasant memories returning with a vengeance. A face, seen outside a crack in the door when she was a kid. And later, she recognized that same familiar face when she saw one of the commanding officers on Titan. Her superior. And Bernard had recognized her. ‘I never forget a face’, he said as his eyes bored into hers. Bernard, was the lone survivor of the nine people they had tried to kill, back at the orphanage. “Sadistic, cruel, and intelligent enough to get away with it.” She said out loud. “And a patriot, I think. Loyal to the current government. The kind of man who will torture and kill his own people, for the glory of Saraya.”

  “And himself?” Captain Arden asked. “Will he get himself killed for the glory of Saraya? Or might he take the opportunity to save his own life?”

  Alanna shrugged again. “If he could get away with it and go home a hero? Just possibly, although even then I’m not certain. If we’re talking about an offer of asylum on Tundra, he will die first.” She said with certainty.

  “Can we send in a fake re-supply shuttle?” Gregory suggested, stirring in his corner of the ground vehicle. “Pack it with enough explosives to at least take out some of them and even the odds?”

  Alanna shook her head. “Fake resupply shuttle is a classic, predictable, and in this case, unworkable. Saraya is not resupplying stations in their own space. No one in their right mind will believe they’re going to resupply Titan. It’s too far.”

  “But Bernard Bernhard is connected.” Sean said from the front. “Sure, they might not bother with D12, but maybe they’d do it for him. And the timing is right, isn’t it? You said typically supplies are for two years. He’s been there over two years. They’re starting to run out.”

  “It would take President Lorelai Achly herself to make that happen.” Alanna said dubiously. “And he’d expect her to tell him all about it. Can we fake that message?”

  “Not easily.” Captain Arden said with a shake of her head. “Can we get someone on the inside?”

  “Or can we get Alanna in?” Gregory asked.

  Alanna raised an eyebrow. If that was their plan to get her killed, they weren’t even trying. “They’ve all seen the video and Bernard hates my guts. You could send me in but I don’t see how much help I’m going to be once I’m dead.”

  “Would everyone on Bernhard’s crew hate your guts?” Captain Arden asked.

  “Well, the Alanna the traitor video hasn’t helped but…” Alanna shrugged. “Probably not everyone, no.”

  “Based on the man you’ve described, there might be people who hate their Captain more than you, video and all.” Captain Arden observed. “Being under the command of someone sadistic and cruel, for over two years, with no way out. It’s not the kind of experience that inspires loyalty.”

  Alanna crossed her arms. “So, Jim Hawk thinks I’m a one trick pony, is that it?”

  Tony stirred. “Mutiny?”

  “So predictable.” Alanna said with a roll of her eyes. Just for a moment, she let herself imagine it. Leading Bernard Bernhard’s crew to mutiny, seeing the look on his face as his own crew turned against him, following her lead to tear the bastard limb from limb… she snorted. “I was on D12 for nearly two years. That’s how long it took to earn their trust. And Captain Mace, the only other military officer on the station, was weak, incompetent, and half mad. That’s what it took for the mutiny to happen. I appreciate the vote of confidence, but the reality is I can’t replicate that here.”

  “A unanimous mutiny.” Tony noted.

  “So?”

  “So, we don’t need this to be unanimous.”

  Captain Arden nodded in agreement. “Even one person on the inside may be enough. Can you get us that?”

  Alanna’s eyes narrowed slightly. James said ‘win’. And Captain Arden was correct. Someone on the inside was likely their only chance. “Maybe.” She said, with some reluctance. “Do we have the names of the crew?”

  “No.” Captain Arden admitted. “We only have the name of the commander. Is there no way to reach them?”

  Alanna sighed. “There might be a way.” She admitted. “But you’ll have to pay for it. How much access do you have to Sarayan credits?”

  “How much do you need?” Captain Arden asked.

  Alanna perked up slightly. Of course, the president was trying to get her killed. But he also wanted the mission to succeed. She could work with that. “One and a half mill.” She said, looking at the captain to gauge her response.

  In the other corner of the ground vehicle, Gregory whistled softly.

  “James got three buckets of gold.” Alanna said defensively. Gold wasn’t cheap.

  “James is known to get results.” Captain Arden said mildly. “Tell me what you plan to do with the credits and we’ll think about it.

  “There’s a finder’s fee.” Alanna said. “I know someone who might be able to get us the names of the people on the station. I don’t know what we can do until we see the names.”

  “And once we see the names, you think you can pay someone to betray their people?” Sean asked from the driver’s seat, doubt heavy in his voice.

  “To betray Bernard Bernhard? After two years under his command, with no oversight?” Alanna smiled grimly. “We might be able to work something out. We’ll need to make it look like they died in action, and guarantee asylum. Formally approved by the president, and in writing.” She added pointedly.

  Tony nodded in understanding. “Anyone who goes back will be questioned.”

  “And they’ll get answers.” Alanna said grimly. “More than that, any known traitor will be putting their families at risk.”

  “Why is that our problem?” Sean asked cynically from the front.

  “Because you don’t want your allies to be stupid, or to realize at the wrong time that their cooperation will get them screwed.” Tony spoke up.

  Alanna nodded in relief. She was thinking the same, but it sounded better coming from Tony.

  “And if we ask and your source betrays us, the Sarayans will know we’re coming.” Gregory said, eyes narrowed as he looked at her from across the vehicle. There was no way to ask for the names of Bernard Bernhard’s crew without giving away their plans. If Alanna’s contact wanted to betray them, he could. “And whatever names we get,” he continued, “whatever we’re promised, no way to know if it’s real, until we have Tundran boots on the ground on that station.”

  Captain Arden nodded in agreement, her eyes on Alanna. “Lieutenant commander, what is your recommended course of action?”

  “We ask.” Alanna said, meeting Gregory’s suspicious gaze head on.

  “Well then.” Tanya Arden nodded. “Let’s ask.”

  “Don’t we need to get the requisition approved?”

  “If we get what was promised, we can pay.” Tanya Arden said shortly.

  Alanna swallowed. She had no choice but to trust the Tundrans to pay up. She could be asking Jonno to risk his life for nothing. And if she asked, her brother would help. She knew that. Just as she knew the risks and the price. To ask now, when he might already be under suspicion because of his association with her... she sighed. It was the only way. And it was what Jonno did. “500K finder’s fee and one million for our inside man.” Alanna said out loud, watching the captain closely.

  “Just who are you negotiating for?” Gregory asked, eyeing Alanna.

  “The going rate is the going rate.” Alanna said, crossing her arms.

  “Ask.” Captain Arden repeated, her face unreadable.

  Alanna wasn’t sure why she turned to Tony. Maybe because he was closest, maybe because she had known him the longest of any of them. He was the one James trusted. “I need access to my personal email.” She said. “I don’t suppose anyone wants to get my old wrist comm, or get me a new one?”

  “No time.” Tony said. He raised an eyebrow in her general direction. “You can use mine if you’d like.” He offered generously.

  Alanna nodded glumly. This day just kept getting better and better. Tony Sicaro wanted access to her personal email. What could possibly go wrong? Of course, James already had access, so why not more? Before she could respond, she was distracted by the change in ambience, as they pulled off the larger road, where they had been surrounded by vehicles and towering walls of ice on all sides, onto what appeared to be a smaller side tunnel. The walls of the tunnel were now interspersed with additional exits, cold gray tunnels of concrete, lit by warm orange lights. She looked out as they made another turn, pulling into what appeared to be a low ceilinged, concrete bunker. The orange lights lit their way, and parking spots appeared on either side, numbered in ascending order. They drove on. With a slight squeal of tires, the vehicle pulled into a tight spot, into an area labeled guest parking.

  Tony turned towards Alanna. “Help me pack.” He said.

  Alanna’s eyes widened as she instinctively moved further away from him. “Um.” She said intelligently.

  “Up to you.” He said with a shrug. But he remained seated, clearly waiting until she agreed to follow.

  “It is up to you, Alanna.” Captain Arden said. “You are a free member of the Tundran military. You can come or go as you please. Our shuttle departs from the spaceport in two hours.”

  “Can I freely go get some ammo for my gun?” Alanna muttered, not quite under her breath.

  “It would be rather difficult for us to stop you.” Captain Arden responded, seemingly unconcerned.

  So, it had occurred to the Tundrans that it would be very difficult indeed to prevent her from finding ammo on a military ship. Alanna sighed. “Help you pack?” She repeated.

  “That’s right.” Tony nodded, still waiting expectantly.

  He may have gotten another text from James when he glanced at his wrist comm, Alanna thought. “Right. I will just… I will go do that.” She said, wiping her suddenly sweaty palms on her uniform and following Tony out of the car, diligently ignoring the suggestive way Gregory raised his eyebrows in her direction. It wasn’t as if her reputation could get any worse.

  Gregory shook his head, watching them both get out of the vehicle “Why are we putting up with all this again?” He asked, turning towards his captain.

  Captain Arden watched Alanna and Sicaro as they walked away. “The knowledge in her head is pure gold.” She said out loud. “And James Hawk himself thought she might be worth saving. The rest…” She shrugged philosophically, accepting the inevitable. “The rest is going to be a total shitshow.”