Sighing with relief, Yen spoke. “I was so worried I’d already missed you.”
“I didn’t see you at first, but I had faith that you’d be here eventually.”
Yen served with Keryn’s older brother, Eza, during his time on the covert operations team. On the same mission for which he received the Alliance Service Cross, Eza was killed trying to afford the rest of them time to escape the planet. Had it not been for the sacrifice of Yen’s best friend, he would have died on the planet himself. That moment had not been lost in the passage of time and Yen felt obligated to look after Keryn, to ensure she stayed safe during her service as a Cair pilot. Yen, though, found his task of watching after Keryn more of a boon and less of a professional obligation.
“Are you going to show me around,” Keryn asked, “or are we going to sit here all day in awkward silence?”
Yen shook his head as he realized he’d been staring. “I’m sorry. Come on, I’ll show you the highlights.”
They walked past the lift, choosing instead to walk the length of the ship. Their tour lasted for hours, though most of their time was spent examining the Duun and Cair ships that lined the enormous hangar bay. The hangar would be Keryn’s second home, once she got settled into her normal routine. She asked a ridiculous amount of questions, as they finished their tour and made their way toward the housing area where Keryn would be living. Though Keryn was curious about much of the ship’s day-to-day operations, most of their conversation remained solely on small talk: about Keryn’s experiences in the Fleet Academy, her temporary position in the replacement center as she awaited permanent orders onboard an Alliance Cruiser, and how she felt after receiving her orders assigning her to the Revolution.
“I meant to ask you about that,” Keryn said as they discussed her current assignment. “I was assigned to the Farimas Space Station while I was waiting for orders. All my fellow classmates were there. We were getting settled in for the long haul, since we were all told it would be up to six months before permanent positions opened up in any of the Cruiser Squadrons. Yet, miraculously, I suddenly get orders assigning me to the Revolution. No one else seemed to have received any orders except me.”
“I guess you’re just lucky that way,” Yen said with a smile.
“You wouldn’t have had anything to do with that, would you?” Keryn asked coyly.
Yen smiled mischievously. “Using my rank and position in such a way would’ve been unethical. Hypothetically, however, being one of the only war veterans onboard would allow me quite a bit of influence on a decision like that.”
Though Keryn’s smile still lingered, Yen could sense the pain behind her eyes at the mention of previous wars in which Keryn had lost a close loved one. Cursing himself silently at making such an obvious gaff, Yen casually tried to change the subject.
“It looks like this is your room.”
Keryn nodded softly, as she looked at the nondescript door sitting amidst a dozen others on a very nondescript hall. As Yen entered the access code, the door slid open, revealing the rather barren kitchen and dining room areas. Two bedrooms extended from the main common room. Keryn’s roommate, Yen already knew, had not yet arrived on board. For all intents and purposes, Keryn had her own room; another perk that Yen had coordinated specifically for her.
“It’s everything I could have hoped for,” Keryn joked, her sense of humor returning as she observed the empty room.
The air around Yen began to shimmer and dance, as though he were surrounding himself with a desert mirage. The cabinets in the kitchen opened and a pair of plates, glasses, and utensils floated out. Drifting across the room, they set down in their proper places on either side of the dining room table.
“Oh, yes,” Keryn laughed. “That makes it much better.” She turned toward Yen, arching an eyebrow. “You really have gotten better at controlling your abilities. What else can you do with that power of yours?”
“That’ll have to be a discussion for another time,” Yen chuckled, not letting Keryn know about the sharp pain he felt behind his eyes after using his powers. Ever since pushing his powers beyond their limit during his escape from the Seques, Yen suffered from headaches nearly every time he used his powers for anything more than mundane activities.
“So what do I have on my agenda for the near future?” Keryn asked.
“I wish I could give you a few weeks to really get comfortable with your new Squadron and find all the hidden nooks of the Revolution, but you’re coming in at a bad time.”
Keryn nodded, suddenly serious. “I had heard that we’re going to be going to war with the Terrans. I’m glad you got me this assignment, Yen. I want my chance at revenge.”
“Before you get your shot at the Terran Fleet, you have to go through the more mundane pre-combat training exercises,” Yen explained. “We have another rehearsal tomorrow, then a real time ship-on-ship combat scheduled for the day after. If the Squadron Commander blesses off on it, I’d like to put you in control of a Cair for that exercise.”
Keryn seemed surprised. “You have a Cair ship available for me already? I heard it usually takes weeks before a new pilot’s attached to a specific ship.”
“Normally, you’re right. But this ship happens to be special. Don’t worry, you’ll get to meet the Cair Ilmun tomorrow. Over the next few days, you’ll have plenty on your plate.”
Yen turned and started walking toward the door, not eager to overstay his welcome. Before he could leave, however, he had to try one last gambit. “Speaking of plates. I know you’re still getting settled, but once you’re comfortably established on the Revolution, I’d love the chance to take you out to dinner. My treat, of course,” he hastily added.
Keryn smiled warmly. “I think I’d like that.”
“Thank you for showing me around,” she said as she followed him to the door. As they reached the hallway, Keryn placed a gentle hand on his arm. “I know you put your neck on the line to get me this assignment, get me into a Cair ship right away, and really help get me settled. It hasn’t gone unnoticed. I won’t let you down during the next few days’ training exercises.”
“Believe me, Keryn. It was nothing.”
“Whether or not you think it was ‘nothing’, thanks again, for everything.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Goodnight, Yen,” Keryn said, giving his arm a gentle squeeze before stepping back inside her quarters.
“Goodnight, Keryn. Sleep well.”
The door slid shut between the two. Yen smiled broadly, feeling exuberant as he walked down the winding halls toward his own room.
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER TWO
Keryn’s head no sooner hit the pillow than she was awake again, going through the next day’s training scenarios on a ship simulator. Introductions to the rest of the Squadron had been rushed, leaving Keryn nervous about her first tactical outing with the other pilots. She had performed remarkably, though, and received accolades from Garrix on her piloting skills. Not all of the praise was hers alone, however. Yen sat in the copilot’s seat during the entire simulation, giving her pointers and advice. In the end, though, it was her own piloting abilities that helped her stand out.
“You did great today,” Yen praised as they walked back to their quarters. “I think you surprised a whole lot of the senior pilots.”
“Yourself included?” she asked.
Yen laughed. “Yes, me too.”
“It wasn’t really that hard,” Keryn explained. “The simulator here isn’t much different from the one at the Academy, and I was top of my class when I graduated.”
Yen’s smile disappeared, her words acting like a trigger for a more serious conversation. “Don’t start getting too arrogant. One of the reasons you did so well was because you were willing to take some uncalculated risks today. In a simulation, that’s fine because you can fly fearlessly, knowing that the worst that could happen to you is a flashing sign telling you that your game is over. The same risks that you took today may not work when your opponent is a flesh and blood Terran, one who might be just as crazy as you are.”