“You want me to just let you go,” said Karkoski.
“Hell no,” said Nate.
“That’s a relief,” said Karkoski. “I thought you would be unreasonable.”
“I want you to let me go and pay me. And fix my ship,” said Nate. “And you’ll do it.”
Lieutenant Karkoski leaned back and laughed. “You’re delusional.”
“There are things you can do,” said Grace. “The Marines at your back can do other things. But there are things you can’t do.”
“Like what?” said Karkoski.
“Find the truth,” said Nate.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
Grace ran a hand through her hair. Too dirty. Too much grime and sweat. She needed a shower, and she needed a decent meal, not a couple of bites stolen between the rush job of fixing the Tyche. At least the hull was holding air now.
She stopped by Engineering. Hope had been ordering Republic Engineers around like a Guild Master. Karkoski had said they had six hours, no more, to get the Tyche bottled up and ready to fly. Six hours was the longest she could spin a story about searching the Tyche top to bottom. It helped that the industrial cutters and welders you’d use to pull the interior panels off a starship were the same you could use to repair one.
Grace was glad that Karkoski was, while not on their side, on the same page. Reading from the same song sheet, and wanting to sing the same hymn. Karkoski suspected what Grace was, but the lieutenant was clever. Yeah, bagging an esper for the Republic could put medals on her jacket. But bagging an alien race? Straight to the Admiralty.
Humans could be driven by greed. Grace thought Karkoski might be the rare breed who was also driven by wanting to do the right thing. As long as it didn’t interfere with her career too much.
“Where the hell did you go to school?” said Hope, standing over another Engineer.
“I—”
“That does not go there,” said Hope. “Were you trying to kill us all?”
“I—”
“Just take it out. Take it out now.” Hope didn’t even see Grace at the doorway to Engineering, didn’t see the smile split Grace’s face.
Because Hope was just fine, thank you very much.
• • •
Gravity.
It felt good. The Endless Drive could createcould create positive and negative energy fields. The first use Grace put gravity to: a shower. To clean the grime and sweat away, and the feel of having been played. To stand in the scalding water, and scrub her skin until it hurt.
Her body was a mess of bruises. She felt battered inside and out. Grace had been subjected to alien control of her mind. Been in a fight with a titan. Faced down the Republic aboard their own ship — bearded the lion in its den. She’d come through. Before, people had called her mongrel/disfigured/failure. Grace might have been all of those things to her old family, her biological family.
But here? On the Tyche, she was just Grace.
It felt good to be clean.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
Nate sat next to his Helm, flight deck alive around them. “You did good, El.”
“No,” said El. “I did great.”
“Let’s not get carried away,” said Nate, but with a smile. “Wave goodbye to our new friends.” He waved — even though no one would see them — as the Torrington pulled away. Off on Republic business, organizing new automated crews to repair — or rebuild — the Guild Bridge out here. Or maybe they’d just mothball this whole system, walk away and leave it like a silent graveyard.
That was a problem for another person, on another day.
El cleared her throat. “Where to, Cap?”
“We need answers,” said Nate.
“Sure,” said El, “but we need a beer first.”
“What?” said Nate.
“Beer,” said El, but slower this time. “We’ve been shaken up plenty, Cap. All of us could use shore leave. Even Hope. Especially Hope.”
“Huh,” said Nate. “You know, I think you’re right.”
“Of course I’m right,” said El, working her console. Coaxing the Tyche to life beneath her hands. “So. Where to?”
“I know just the place,” said Nate. He frowned. “It’s expensive though.”
“How big was the completion bonus?” said El. “You never said.”
“Big enough,” said Nate. In truth, the bonus had been embarrassing. Not just for the contracted job, but for the search bounty on the Ravana. There were families who knew now what happened to those who’d crewed on that vessel. Their account was flush with good Republic coin. “Big enough for a break. Need to find another job anyway.”
“That we do,” said El. “I’d prefer one with fewer aliens, if it’s all the same.”
“Hah,” said Nate. He pulled up a course on the holo. “There.”
“Seriously,” said El. “We’re going there?”
“We’re going there,” said Nate.
“That’s a lot of jumps,” said El. She frowned. “We need to test the Drive, come to think of it.”
“We do,” said Nate. “Captain to Tyche. Captain to Tyche. Helm is clear for jump. Confirm readiness.” He waited.
Grace’s voice, first again. Friendly, warm, like she was speaking just to him. “Assessor ready, Tyche.”
Kohl cleared his throat over the comm, a grating sound. “Let’s get the fuck out of here.”
The signal came through from Engineering. “This is Hope. Reactor’s hot. Drive’s ready. I don’t know why we’re still here.”
Everyone’s ready. Your ship is ready to fly. “Helm. You have control.”
“Aye, Captain,” said El. Acceleration pushed them through the hard black, his acceleration couch vibrating with it. “Burn is good. Keeping to a comfortable 2Gs, because we’re in no rush.”
“Thanks,” came Grace, over the comm.
“Negative space bow wave forming,” said El. “All hands, bow wave is stable. Route is green. In three.” Accompanying her words, the big number 3 lit the air between them. “Two.” The number shifted to a big 2, this time flashing.
“Wait,” said Kohl. “Where are we going?”
“One,” said El. “Jumping.”
Space in front of the window stretched, pulled, and Nate felt—
His crew, a family now. Forged in fire, stronger for it. Danger, behind them. Hope, ahead. The sword he carried, no longer a burden but the gift it was meant to be. Old friends and new, feet on the same trail. The titanic rush of the Jump, as they moved faster than light’s tired plod. He was everything. He was the universe.
Stars stretched, made points of light that streaked past the Tyche’s cockpit.
They jumped.
• • •
You’ve finished Tyche’s Flight. I hope you loved it!
If you want to continue your adventure with Grace, Nate, and the crew of the Tyche, grab the second in the trilogy. Tyche’s Deceit picks up right after the events of Tyche’s Flight. An excerpt is included at the end of this book.
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Glossary
Acceleration Couch Crew couches support crew members during high-G maneuvers. They are fitted with gimbals allowing free movement. Their dynamic gel system supports all points of the body in both positive and negative G, providing some protection against greyout, blackout, redout, and G-LOC (G-force induced Loss of Consciousness). They remove the need for G-suits in modern spacecraft, although many space suits are still equipped with anti-G technology anyway.