Project: Firstlight
By
Lady MoonHawke
I will not fall in love, I cannot risk the bet.
'Cause hearts are fragile toys, so easy to forget
Just Another Day--Oingo Boingo
The sound wafting through the station drew Quicksilver's attention. He pushed aside the report he was touching up and began to track down the source of the noise.
His efforts led him to the door of the rec room, where he paused. The familiar off-duty area had undergone some serious changes in recent weeks. Krysten had lobbied hard for more comfortable furnishings, better entertainment and brighter decor, and Aurora, in her capacity as liaison officer, had been all too happy to oblige. Now the formerly bleak room boasted easy chairs, a state-of-the-art vid-screen and sound system and cheery prints of cities back on Earth. The one thing that arrived that Krys had not requested was an antique grand piano. That was Aurora's baby, and it was here that Jonathan found the source of the sound.
Aurora was seated on the bench, fingers racing across the ebony and ivory keyboard. He came closer to watch, fascinated, and realized with a start that she was playing from memory, as well as blind. The music perched above the keys was closed, and her eyes were lightly shut, a ghostly smile playing about her lips. Her fingers skittered out and in, then held some long, rich chords and were still. She sat for a moment as the music died away, then slowly allowed her eyes to drift open. She started when she saw Jonathan leaning against the side of the instrument.
"Oh, Lieutenant! I didn't know you were there."
"It's Jonathan, remember?" he prodded gently. "Or Jon, if you're feeling particularly friendly. I didn't know you played so well."
She dropped her eyes. "I suppose there are a lot of things you don't know about me," she murmured softly, a tinge of sorrow in her voice. Then she brightened.
"Do you want to try?" she asked. She scooted over on the bench and patted the space beside her. "Come on. I don't bite."
Jonathan reluctantly sat beside her. "I don't know about this," he temporized. "I was never very good."
"Oh, please?" she wheedled. "Maybe you just had to wait for your talent to emerge."
"I suppose," he sighed. "I find it almost impossible to say 'no' to you." He glared at the passage in the music Aurora opened, then pounded through it with little regard for tempo, key or volume.
Aurora stifled her giggles as Jonathan tangled his fingers in a tricky passage. "Not quite," she commented carefully, once he had finished hashing a perfectly good waltz into a march. "Let me show you," she said, smiling. She aligned her fingers over the keys, but before she could begin, a fiery cramp gripped her belly and she doubled over, gritting her teeth against a moan. She breathed shallowly through the pain, willing it away with each breath. When it finally subsided, she sat up, breathing normally.
"My God, Aurora. Are you okay?" Jonathan's voice was filled with concern.
"I'll be fine," she replied evasively. "Please don't worry about me. Just put it out of your mind."
Jonathan regarded her as if she'd lost her mind. "I am not going to put it out of my mind," he insisted. He rose from the bench and took her hand. "I want you to come down to sick bay and get checked out."
Aurora shook her head. "Really, there's no need. Nothing's wrong."
"People don't curl up in pain when there's no problem. Now don't force me to make it an order, Lieutenant."
Aurora sighed, then surrendered and stood.
Will looked up as they entered the Shop. "Aurora, what are you doing back? I didn't expect to see you again today."
Aurora tilted her head in Jonathan's direction. "The lieutenant caught me having a bad spell and insisted I come in to see you."
Will helped her up to the bed. "Okay. I'll take another look. Was it especially bad?"
"Not really. I've had worse."
Will turned his attention to Jonathan. "Lieutenant, can I ask you to wait over there?" he asked. It wasn't really a request, and Jonathan acquiesced quietly. For now, it was enough that Aurora would get some medical attention.
Will drew the curtain around the bed. "How bad is it, really?" he asked.
"Not very," she replied. "It was just very sudden. All of the others have come on slowly. This was like being stabbed, and was over just as suddenly."
Will recorded the heart rate and blood pressure he'd taken. "Well, I'd offer you some painkillers, but..."
"...but they'd interfere with the process." She sighed. "I understand. I'll be okay. Same time tomorrow morning?"
"Yes," he said. "Every morning until the process is over." He threw a glance toward the curtain. "Are you going to tell him?" Will whispered.
Aurora shook her head. "No. Everyone will know soon enough."
"I think he likes you, Lieutenant," Will said.
There was a far-away look in her eyes. "Yeah. I think so, too."
Commander Stargazer glanced around the table, mentally taking role. The pilot, Colonel Bluegrass was in place, speaking softly with the young Corporal Skyedansuer. The Copper Kidd sat working on some quantum equations Stargazer was certain he would never personally understand. The Steel twins shared technical papers back and forth, talking only in half-sentences, completing each others thoughts. Lieutenant Quicksilver surveyed all as a good-natured first officer, and at the commander's right hand was the one person who was not like the others. Stargazer's daughter sat like a patron among the statues, her blue UECS uniform out of place in the steel and gray world the was HawkHaven. Even the colors in the troop's armor were cool in the metal alloys. Somehow, Aurora always managed to catch her father's eye.
Stargazer cleared his throat. "Are we ready to start?" he asked.
"I still don't see the point of this shin-dig," Bluegrass commented. "I got work in the hanger waitin' on me."
Aurora looked up from the report she planned to present. "This station has experienced a 40% increase in personnel. It only makes sense that we spend a little time going over what's happening."
Stargazer took control of the meeting again. "Let's go by the numbers on this, people. Colonel, any report from your department?"
Bluegrass stood uncomfortably. "Um, the refit on the Maraj is on schedule. The Maraj will carry 6 team members when it's all done, plus the pilot, and the SprintHawk now carries two. This is all in response to that personnel increase Lieutenant Stargazer mentioned." He sat again quickly, glad to be out of the lime-light.
"Thank you, Colonel," Stargazer said. "Lieutenant Quicksilver?"
"Shift assignment is on-task, and I must say, much easier with extra bodies." He smiled at Aurora, and she dropped her eyes to the table, trying not to look flattered. "We still need to work on timeliness in some cases." Here, he threw a mock-stern look at Krysten, and she blushed.
The commander grunted. "Fine, fine. Let's all remember to keep an eye on the time. Lieutenant Stargazer?"
Aurora shuffled her papers nervously. "Yes, sir. I have a couple of items. First, the UESC will only offer 'comfort items,' as they choose to put it, for another two weeks without charge. After that, it's on your own dime folks, so see me soon if there's anything else anyone wants." Murmurs went around the room, and some made notes of items not yet ordered. "My other item is in the nature of an FYI. A new, second generation modification process has been developed, and is currently in final testing on a human subject. If it goes as expected, a partial demodification can be offered to all of you." Looks of astonishment shot around the table. Everyone had understood at the outset of the SilverHawks project that the alterations were permanent. Now, the opportunity to go back seemed like a dream.
"When will they know for sure?" asked Krysten. She had given up a lot to be here, going on faith that it was the right thing to do. The chance to go back to what she had been, after all the warnings, made it seem more and more like she had made the right choice.
"This last test is in the first stages. Once the final stage is complete, we will know almost immediately." Aurora looked around, and came to a decision. "I'm the test subject," she half-whispered.
The twins and the commander looked relieved of some terrible burden, and the Kidd whistled low in admiration. Michael raised an eyebrow, but Krys and Jon stared at her in amazement.
"You're the test-subject?" Jonathan repeated. "Aurora, you can't! What if something goes wrong? What will happen to you?"
"The lieutenant knows very well what she's doing," interrupted the commander with a stern look. "Including the risks." He glanced over at SteelWill. "Sergeant, why don't you fill us in on the details of the process, in the general sense?"
Will stood with a grimace. "Well, this process is a lot faster," he began. "It's designed for use at any of the front-line stations, so recruits won't have to make the trip to Earth anymore. The necessary internal modifications are made with drugs, then the cybernetics are implanted, and then the armor is fitted. Since it's only a partial modification, the armor is completely removable, and the subject can survive for extended periods without it. Personnel should experience no ummm... physical impairments after decompression."
"What do you mean, 'decompression?' Just what exactly is going on?" Jonathan asked, solicitude clear on his face.
"We were essentially compressed into these outfits," Emily explained, plinking on her arm. "To remove them, we need to be decompressed, as if we'd been deep-sea diving. It's relatively simple and safe."
Krys looked at Aurora. "And you're the guinea pig?"
"It's worth it," Aurora replied. "One for the records."
"What are the side effects?" Jonathan asked Will.
"For the partial demod? Some weakness and dizziness. They will pass eventually, though, and the transition will become seamless-"
Jonathan cut him off. "No. I mean for the partial modification. What are the side effects for Aurora?"
Will looked reluctant to answer, and the commander rescued him. "The side effects are private business between Aurora and the team conducting the test, namely Will, Emily, myself, and the evaluation team on Earth. You, Lieutenant, are none of those individuals, so you don't need to worry about it."
"But--" Jonathan started to protest, but the commander cut him off.
"Lieutenant Stargazer is an adult, and she made this decision knowing the risks. It's not our place to second guess her. Do you have anything to add, Lieutenant Stargazer?"
"I'm extremely proud to be the test subject in this procedure, risks or no risks. I've wanted to make a difference in this program since I first attended the academy, and now it's about to happen." She grimaced as pain contracted her muscles.
Will was instantly beside her, taking her pulse. "Are they stronger?" he asked.
She nodded tightly, jaw still locked in the effort to keep from crying out.
"Closer together?"
She nodded again, breathing in short, shallow gasps.
"Sounds more like she's having a baby," Krys whispered to Michael. Emily overheard, and shot her a chilly glance.
"It's a serious scientific investigation. If you can't keep that in mind, you should go."
"Hey," Krys protested. "She's my friend. I'm not going anywhere, so just sit on it."
"Corporal!" the commander snapped, and Krysten looked abashed. "I need an open line to Earth, UECS HQ, then Montana. Get it set up."
She stood and saluted. "Yes, Sir," she snapped, then left.
Jonathan scooped Aurora up from her chair. "Can you give her something?" he asked, following Will down to Sick Bay.
It was Aurora who answered him. "No," she said faintly. "Interferes with the process. I'll be okay, Jonathan, really. Worst part is almost over, right Will?"
"Pretty soon," he agreed, gesturing for Jonathan to set her on the diagnostic bed. He watched with concern evident on his face as the indicators rose into the yellow zones. "Looks like you're stuck here for a while, Aurora. At least until some of these numbers go down."
"Is she in danger?" Jonathan asked.
"Not right now, but if her vitals rise any higher, she could be in trouble. This isn't entirely unexpected, Lieutenant. The commander is sending for the project head to oversee the modification personally." He looked down at Aurora. "Will you be okay here?" She nodded, and Will guided Jonathan away. "There's not much you can do for her now, Skipper. I'm gonna see about putting her under, or at least pretty close, for a while so she can rest. If you want, I can call you when she's more awake, and you can keep her company for a while."
Jonathan looked back into Sick Bay, staring at Aurora's prone figure. "You're sure I can't do anything now?" he asked.
Will shook his head. "There's nothing to do at this point but wait."
Jonathan knocked on the commander's door as soon as he came on duty.
"Enter," came the gruff reply.
He went in and saluted, then sat at a gesture from Stargazer.
"So," the commander looked up at him. "What can I do for you this morning, Lieutenant? Still have a bee in your bonnet over my daughter?"
"I did want to discuss her, sir, if you don't mind," he confessed
"Well, Lieutenant, how did you want to discuss her? As an officer, or as something else?" Stargazer thought he'd noticed a certain affection for his daughter in the career-minded young man, and he wasn't too sure where he stood on that. He'd known Aurora for such a little time, and to share her affection with another man, even in such a different role, was a strange idea.
"Are the two separable, sir?" Quicksilver asked with a laugh. "I'll be honest with you, sir. She's the most capable young officer I've seen in a long time in a variety of programs. She's smart, she's efficient..." he trailed off, unwilling to continue and seem to forward.
"...She's attractive," Stargazer supplied. "I'm not unaware of it, Lieutenant. She's the image of my wife, for all her dark hair and eyes. She also seems to have Carolyn's icy exterior, or a good imitation of it. So why are you enumerating my daughters many sterling qualities to me?"
Jonathan cleared his throat. "I'd like your permission to see her, sir."
Stargazer played it obtuse, curious to see how determined Jonathan was. "See her, Lieutenant? You see her every day at Ops. How much more can you see her than that?"
"I mean in terms of courtship, sir. I'd like to court her, with your permission."
Stargazer leaned back in her chair. "Have you spoken to Aurora about this?"
"No, sir. I wanted your permission to proceed. My family is very traditional, sir. I wouldn't seriously pursue a lady without her father's approval," Jonathan explained.
"And you're interested in seriously pursuing my daughter." Stargazer was silent a moment, evaluating Quicksilver, not as an officer, but as a potential son-in-law. True, the lieutenant was a bit stiff and formal at times, but then, so was Aurora. Perhaps the structure she fought to find could be found in Jonathan. "In the end, it's entirely up to Aurora." He held up a hand as Jonathan's face fell. "However, I won't oppose the match if you convince her. That's that part that will take some doing." He studies Jonathan a moment more. "I'm going to share something with you, because you need to know it if you intend to court my daughter." He sighed. "Aurora's former boyfriend died tragically, and she saw it happen. I think she's locked a part of herself away and refuses to feel much for anyone. But, if you can win her heart, I will be pleased and proud for both of you." He stood as Jonathan did and they shook hands.
"Thank you, sir. I'll do my best to win your daughter's heart," Jonathan said. "Do you mind if I go sit with her for a while?"
"Not at all," Stargazer replied. "Try to get her to talk about Steven. She should tell you the details herself."
"I will sir, and thank you again." Jonathan saluted and left the office.
Stargazer turned and stared out the window as Bedlama floated past in the darkness. _Oh, my daughter. Have I just done you a favor, or made your life worse? I wish I knew._
Aurora woke in Sick Bay, blessedly free from pain. She used to button to tilt the head of the bed up as Will pulled back the curtain.
"How are you feeling this morning?" he asked, changing her IV bag and taking note of her vitals.
"I'm feeling much better, Sergeant, thank you. When can I return to duty?" She swung her legs over the side and tried to stand, but was rewarded with a wave of dizziness. Quickly, she sat back down. "Okay," she said. "Maybe not today. Can I have breakfast?"
Will made a show of examining her chart. "Well, I suppose so. Wouldn't do for you to starve in the middle of the process. I'll order a liquid diet until the procedure is finished, but other than that, feel free." He brought her a full glass from the Bay's food unit. "Bottom's up."
Aurora studied the pale, thick liquid in the glass. "What is it?" she asked, sniffing. It didn't smell like much of anything.
"Protein drink. 1/3 of the daily requirements of everything in one glass. How's that for advanced technology?" he said proudly.
"Looks like the stuff I used to drink during gymnastics season." She tried a sip. "Tastes like it, too." She gulped it down quickly. "Liquid blah." She handed him back the glass. "So I can't go back to active duty today?"
"Not at Ops or communications," Will replied. "Why don't you just think of it as a day off?"
"I can't. There's too much I have to do to be taking days off in the middle of the work cycle. Can I have a laptop terminal, at least? The comfort items won't wait."
Will appeared to think it over. "Okay. Half a day working, and that's it. You need to save your strength for the procedure. Take it easy today, and I'll let you up tomorrow. The commander has called for the medical team, so when they get here, we'll get you going. Sound okay?"
"I'll deal with it," she said. "Can I work out in the morning? I feel stiff as a board today."
"Let's cross that bridge when we come to it," Will temporized.
Jonathan finally appeared at the noon shift change, bearing a mess tray with a tall cover.
"Take a break, Sergeant," he instructed Will. "I'll sit with the lieutenant for a while. I know you want to review the procedure again."
Will smiled gratefully. "Thanks, chief. I hear the team is due in 24 to 48, so I would like to brush up on the playbook." He glanced over at Aurora. "See if you can get her out of the ether. She's been buried in that thing since this morning."
"I'll do what I can," Jonathan quipped. "Take off. Get some lunch." He clapped Will familiarly on the back as the big man left.
He settled on the side of her bed, and she looked up, brown eyes glazed. She blinked a couple of times to clear them, and smiled. "What are you doing here?" she asked. "Shouldn't you be on duty?" Her eyes slipped back to the screen, and he saw the surprise on her face. Then her eyes met his again, and he was struck by the sheepish look on her face. "I guess I was working a little longer than I thought."
He accepted the laptop she handed him, setting the covered tray to the side. "Working on the 'Net?" He fussed with the machine, wrapping the cord up and trading it for the tray.
She nodded. "I needed to get those last orders in, and there were some reports that I could write on-line and e-mail to HQ. I had no idea I'd been at it so long." She pushed herself upright a little further. "So why are you here?"
He presented the tray with a flourish. "I brought you lunch," he announced.
Her smile lit up the room, then the light seemed to dim as her face fell. "Oh, Jonathan. That's so sweet of you, but I can't. Will has me on a liquids-only diet until the procedure."
He whipped the tall dome off the tray, revealing a glass something resembling chocolate milk. "I know. Will left it on the menu for today. I thought I'd have lunch with you, if it's all right."
The illuminating smile returned. "I'd love for you to stay. Do you want to grab a couple of straws?"
"I'll pass on the protein drink, thanks all the same." He got up from the bed and moved to the wall's food service unit. Once it had delivered his sandwich and coffee he returned to the side of the bed. The look on Aurora's face made him stop, then he realized she was staring at his food.
"I'm sorry," he said. "I should have thought before I came down here. I should have realized-"
She cut him off with a wave. "Don't worry about it. You eat, and I'll enjoy it vicariously." To prove it, she took a big swallow of the shake. "Now sit down and tell me what's been going on today."
He obliged her gladly. "It's a pretty quiet day, to tell you the truth. Whatever Mon*Star and the Mob are up to, they're doing it somewhere outside out jurisdiction. I did speak with your father this morning."
"You did?" she asked, sipping her drink. "About what?"
"About you, actually." He took a deep breath. "Aurora, I'm worried about you. You're taking on an awful lot with this modification procedure. What if something happens?"
"Then it happens," she replied. "But if it works, I'll be in the record books next to my father. I'm proud to do it."
"I'm afraid for you, Aurora. I'm afraid something will happen and I'll lose you." He grabbed her free and held it.
Aurora turned frosty. "I wasn't aware you had me, Lieutenant," she remarked, withdrawing her hand.
"Please, Aurora. Don't shut me out. I didn't mean to upset you. I just... feel like we've gotten close since you came. It wouldn't be the same anymore without you."
The cold exterior broke down. "I'm sorry, Jonathan. I just haven't let anyone get... close to me for a while. I'm not sure I remember how. I'm not sure I want to," she added, almost as an afterthought.
"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked.
She shook her head. "No. Not right now. It's really personal. I told Krys, but it's different between women."
"I understand," Jonathan said, hoping he sounded like he did. In truth, females were like another species sometimes. But Aurora was the most level-headed, reasonable woman he'd ever met. If he ever figured out any of them, it would be her.
"So what did you and Dad have to say about me?"
"Just that I was worried about the modification. Will and Emily almost died, and Krys had a hard time with it, too. And this seems so much more intense. You're doing it all so fast."
"I'm also not going through such radical changes. When it's all over, the internal components will represent only some 1% of the total armor. That's a considerable reduction from the original set-up."
"I still think it takes a lot of guts to do what your doing, Aurora. And I admire you for it," Jonathan said, smiling at her.
"I'm just proud to be of service to the UESC. It's all I've wanted since... well, for a while now." She studies the dregs of her shake, then finished it quickly, then handed the glass back to Jonathan.
"Thanks for lunch, Lieutenant. Believe it or not, I enjoyed it."
"I hope we can enjoy more meals together in the future," Jonathan replied, setting her glass to the side.
Aurora affected a puzzled look. "We have several meals together, Lieutenant, since we frequently have the same duty schedule."
Jonathan laughed. "I was thinking of a little more private a milieu. Say on Bedlama, after the procedure?" He reached out slowly and brushed a few stray hairs away from her face.
She turned from his touch. "Oh, Jonathan," she sighed. "I don't think that would be such a good idea. I'm... committed to my career now."
"Don't say 'no' yet," he declared. "Think about it for a while. Leave yourself some options."
"I'll think on it," she acquiesced. "Do you mind if I rest for a while, Lieutenant? I'm feeling kind of run down."
He collected the tray he had brought in, as well as his lunch dishes. "Go ahead. I have to get back on duty anyway. Rest well, Aurora." He backed away, drawing the curtain around the bed.
Aurora lay back on the pillows and snapped the overhead light off, waiting for the dull ache in her heart to subside. It wasn't the procedure making her uncomfortable, but Jonathan's mention of going out. She had dedicated herself body and soul to the UESC and SilverHawks after Steven's death. Now the thought that there could be something more for her left her confused and afraid.
"Tell me what to do, Steven," she whispered. "Tell me what to do."
Krysten woke in the morning well before her alarm went off, a mad impulse ringing in her blood. She climbed quickly out of bed and studied her reflection in the full length mirror on the closet door. Lavender armor covered her body, leaving only her face, hair and arm exposed. She dropped the visor over her face, and saw her room replaced with a virtual-reality heads-up-display showing wire-frame computer-generated images of furniture the processors had never been designed to handle. The mirror was only a flat plane of glass, its reflective capabilities not processed in the display. A smile flitted behind the mask as she imagined being able to strip away the metal, and show Michael her true form again. The thought pleased her so much that she pirouetted before the mirror, then lifted her visor as another thought occurred to her. Without the armor, she could dance again, really dance, pointe shoes, leotards and all. It sent her skipping out her door, intent on finding out just how much flexibility she had to get back.
She skidded to a halt just inside the gym, discovering that it was already occupied. Aurora was in the middle of the floor, hands planted, and feet flipping back and forth over her head like the pendulum of a clock.
"Are you stuck or something?" Krys asked, bending over to the side to watch.
Aurora rolled smoothly through a backbend until she was upright. "Nope. Just working out a few kinks. The modification team is due in today, so I'm taking some time to stretch out before they confine me to bed again. What about you?"
"I got to thinking about ballet," Krys confessed. "I haven't had much of a chance to practice since I came up here, and..."
"..And the de-mod will make it possible. I know the feeling. The Academy didn't have much use for a former all-star gymnast, and I was too busy to get out and compete on my own." She moved with almost agonizing slowness through a string of back walk-overs.
"How do you do that so slowly?" Krys asked, moving to the wall where a barre had been installed. She propped one leg up and started stretching over it.
"Practice, like anything else," Aurora replied. She moved into a handstand and walked the length of the gym, pausing occasionally to balance on one hand of the other. "These were normal warm-up routines for a while. Steven could do a whole flight of stairs on his hands." She tipped herself back upright.
"Useful skill," Krys grunted, stretching a particularly stiff muscle. "Oh, I'm gonna be a wet noodle in the morning. That or a piece of dried spaghetti." She pulled her leg from the barre and rolled up to her toes, arms stretching overhead.
"Price of fame and glory in the Limbo Galaxy." Aurora allowed her feet to slide slowly out from under her, catching herself with her hands as she hit the ground, then bending and reaching over each leg in turn. "I feel like a bundle of dried twigs after so much time in Sick Bay, and it's not even over yet. I'm on free time until after the procedure, and stuck on the station." She pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. "Not quite what I expected my glorious UECS career to be."
"I thought you were proud to be doing this," Krys said, joining her on the floor. "'One for the records, make a difference, risks or no risks.'"
"I never thought I'd be at risk of being bored to death." She laughed, then turned serious. "I'll be useful soon. Really useful. More than just procuring some homey touches and guarding a monitor a few hours a day. Now, when I'm needed, I'll be able to be there."
"I don't think you realize how much those touches mattered. This place was pretty cold until you brought some life to it," Krysten assured her.
Aurora brushed it off. "That was in the works already. If my father hadn't pulled strings, you would have gotten another Liaison Officer doing the same thing."
"Well, she wouldn't have been a former Olympic-caliber athlete who caught the eye of the second-in-command, that's for sure," Krys laughed.
"Don't even joke about that," Aurora ordered. "I've given up on romance. It's just not in the cards for me."
"God, you sound so melodramatic. 'I'll never love again.' You have to get on with life. You're not at the bottom of a ravine, for pity's sake!" Krys insisted.
"No," Aurora replied hollowly, rising to her feet, "but there are days I wish I were." She moved to a corner of the floor mat, staring across to the opposite corner. The she rolled up to her toes and raced for the corner, passing Krysten in a rush of air.
Krys watched as Aurora flipped through a series of acrobatic moves, faster almost than the mind or eye could follow, and dropping seemingly from the sky, one foot behind the other and hands raised. "More practice?" she asked when Aurora dropped from the pose.
"Something like that. I just wanted to know if I still could, really. I used to be pretty good." She pulled her hair back into a tighter pony-tail.
"You still are, from what I can tell." Krys assured her. "So what will you do now?"
"I wait. And when the medical team gets here, I go into the history books."
"And if it doesn't work?" Krysten asked, pushing up from the floor. "If the procedure is a failure, and, God forbid, you die in the process."
The smile on Aurora's face was eerie. "That much less time to wait before I see Steven again."
Krysten knew she should say something; that Aurora's feelings toward her lost boyfriend bordered on obsession, but for the life of her, she couldn't figure out what to say, or who she should say it to. But before she could make up her mind, the intercom crackled to life.
"SilverHawks to the hanger on the double," snapped the commander's voice. "ALL SilverHawks, on the double," he reiterated, relieving Aurora of any doubts she had about her place in the station.
Seymore's cab was just landing as Krys and Aurora made their way into the line of troops, both flushed and breathing hard. Krysten's pink warm-up suit blended with the outfits the other's wore, but Aurora's athletic clothes stood out, along with the fact that none of her limbs were obscured by alloy armor.
"I look like an example of 'What's wrong with this picture?'" she whispered to Krysten.
"It's hardly noticeable," Krys whispered back. They watched as Jonathan stepped forward to greet the visitors.
"Doctor, it's good to see you again. Nurse Mavis, welcome to HawkHaven." The next guest, however, had him stumped.
Aurora sighed softly. "I was afraid of this," she whispered, then stepped forward. "Hello, Mother," she said clearly.
Carolyn Stargazer slowly examined her daughter from head to foot. "Hello, Aurora," she said finally, kissing her on the cheek. "Well, your father certainly runs an informal ship up here, doesn't he?" she remarked eyeing Aurora's tank-top and spandex pants.
"I'm on medical leave, mother. My wardrobe is my own choice," Aurora replied, tossing her head back.
"Of course it is, dear," Carolyn agreed, patting Aurora on the cheek. "It always is. How are you doing up here?" she asked.
"I'm fine. And you? How is everything back on Earth?"
"Oh, as well as can be expected. Busy, of course. I hardly know where I am some days. But that's the business. So. Are you going to take me to see your father?"
Aurora bit back a smart remark. "Certainly, if that's what you want. If you'll excuse me a moment?" She moved quickly over to the others, gathered a short distance away. "Go ahead without me, and I'll try to catch up later, okay?" They nodded, and she turned to Jonathan. "Permission to be excused?"
"Granted, Lieutenant. Meet up with us when you can." He returned her salute and turned back to the other guests.
Aurora walked back over to her mother. "Any time you're ready, Mother," she said in a bright voice.
Once in the elevator, with the doors safely closed, Aurora turned to her mother. "Why did you come?" she asked.
"Your father filled me in, and I thought I should be here. He said quite clearly that it could be dangerous. You do know you're putting your life on the line?" she snapped.
"Of course I do. My life is on the line everyday out here. I'm making a difference to the safely of this galaxy and the universe. Defending the weak and endangered has always been a noble calling. I don't know why you don't like it," Aurora sniffed.
"I don't like that fact that it cost me 20 years with my husband, or the fact that it's taken you away from home. You hardly write anymore," Carolyn complained.
"There's not much to write, really. 'Ordered four cases of MRE's and two Earth prints today.' It's not that exciting."
"I thought there would be more excitement in 'defending the weak and endangered.' Are you having second thoughts about you choice of a career?"
"No," Aurora replied. "I'm where I want to be, doing what I want to do. If you're unhappy about it, it's too bad, but I won't change my mind."
"You would have changed your mind for Steven," Carolyn accused.
The blood drained from Aurora's face, leaving her pale as chalk. "Steven is dead, and no matter what I do, I can't change it. So I have to go on, and this is how I'm doing it. I promised him I would do this."
"You planned more than a year ago to join the UESC and become a SilverHawk? Somehow, Aurora Amanda, I doubt that." Carolyn's face was gaining the color that Aurora's had lost.
"Steven said I should find my father, and tell him how I felt. I did, and I'm here now because of it. Steven made it possible for me to be here," Aurora insisted.
"Steven left a king's ransom to someone little more than a child. It was an invitation to be foolish."
"It was an invitation to do what I needed to do, and I'm sorry if you don't like it." The elevator jerked to a stop, and the doors slid open. "This way," Aurora said, dropping the previous subject like a hot stone. She led the way into a narrow hallway and knocked on the door at the end.
"Yes?" came the commander's gruff voice.
"Dad, it's Aurora." She searched for a way to tell him the rest. "My mother is here," she related at last.
The door opened within seconds, and her father's face loomed before her, looking not at her, but past her, to Carolyn.
"You did come," he breathed. He ushered her past Aurora into the office, then looked at his daughter. "Are you all right?" he asked.
She smiled wryly. "I'll manage," she told him. "I always do."
He tried not to consider her cryptic remark too carefully. "Where is the medical team?"
"Reviewing the procedure with the twins. If you don't need me here, I'd like to join them. I should be aware of what exactly is going to happen."
He glanced back to his wife, standing tall and still in the center of the office. "Go ahead. I'll call if you're needed."
She nodded, then walked slowly away.
Now that he could actually see her, Edward Jahaziel Stargazer, creator and commander of the SilverHawks, had no real idea what to do. "Hello, Carolyn," he said at least.
"Edward," she replied coolly. Then her cool broke. "Edward, how could you possibly let that child go through with this? She could die!"
"I know, Carolyn. And when she came to me with it, I wanted to forbid her. But I couldn't. There is no good, official reason not to let her, and she seemed so happy to be chosen. She told me that now she could be a real asset out here, and not just 'The Commander's Daughter.'" He sighed heavily. "She wants so much to prove herself, and to be a real member of the team. I couldn't tell her no." He stood behind her, resting his hands on her shoulders.
She shook off his grip, stepping away. "Well, I could have. I spent 20 years telling her 'no.' Once more would have made very little difference."
He moved in front of her, cutting off her retreat. "Carolyn, she's 22. She's old enough to make her own decisions, even if we don't like them. We've been over it many times since she first got the offer, and her answer never changes. She wants to be the first second-generation SilverHawk, and she will let nothing stop her. The only thing we can do is support her in her efforts."
"I don't want to support her!" she ranted. "I don't want to stand bravely at her funeral listening to what a brave officer she was! I want her at home, where she's safe, working with me."
"She's no safer there than here. I think that should be obvious by now," Edward snapped back.
"Don't bring Amyrya into this. Her death is not part of this discussion," Carolyn hissed.
"I think it is," he responded. "We never had a chance to talk about it, and to grieve for her together. And despite all your efforts to protect her, she died. And it hurt me, too, Carolyn. Almost as badly as when Aurora shouted to me that she had no father." He sighed. "I never meant for things to go on this long, for what it's worth. And for what it's worth, I wished every day I could be home with you and the girls." He rested a hand on her face, wiping away a tear with his thumb. "And I wish we could start over," he finished.
"Why?" she asked. "We never ended." She stepped forward into his embrace, and for a moment, everything was perfect.
Aurora looked over the last of the schematics, _her_ schematics, then shut the folder. "It looks good," she said, looking up. "When do we start?"
Will and Emily exchanged a look and a nod, then looked across to the medical team. "Tomorrow morning?" Will suggested.
"If the lieutenant is ready," the doctor stipulated.
"The lieutenant is very ready," Aurora assured them. "The lieutenant is tired of protein shakes and medical leave."
Will checked his chronometer. "It's 1600 now, so how about we say 0600, and cut off her food at 1800, and liquids at midnight? Does that work?"
The doctor nodded. "Should be fine. Lieutenant Stargazer, you have two hours if you want another protein shake, and I'd suggest you have two, if you can stomach it. Then we'll ask you to stop all intake, including water, at midnight. Will you be all right with that?"
She responded with a nod, and walked over to the food replicator. "Computer, one large protein shake, vanilla." She looked over to the others. "I am so sick of chocolate I can't begin to tell you."
Dawn was never a real part of life at Hawk Haven, especially for the human team members, who knew a real sunrise, and missed them. But eventually the light from the Artificial Sun reached them, illuminating the dome, even if it cast no heat.
Aurora was already awake, having slept poorly the night before. She appeared in Sick Bay early, hair skinned back from her face, and dressed in plain black sweats, with no logo or name to identify them. Stripped of make-up, she was pale, and the dark rings under her eyes were all the more visible. She seated herself tiredly on the bio-bed. "Are we ready to roll?" she asked wearily.
Will came over to check her. "In just a few minutes. Your, uh, Mrs. Stargazer wanted to see you for a minute, before we started, if you're up to it."
Aurora sighed. "I don't know if I'll ever be up to it, but I'll see her."
"You know, if you need some more time, we can put this off a while," Will offered. "You look awfully tired. Maybe we should wait until tomorrow."
She laughed mirthlessly. "So I can not get any sleep again tonight? No. Let's get it done with."
Will nodded and left, clearly not happy with the situation, but unable to change it.
"Go on in," he said to Carolyn, as she waited in the Shop.
Carolyn slipped into the quiet room and walked on quiet feet to the bed. Absently, she pushed back a strand of loose hair from her daughter's face.
"How are you doing?" she asked, noting her pale visage and the dark rings under her eyes.
Aurora looked up, dismayed. "I'm scared," she whispered.
Carolyn hugged her. "I know, baby. I'm scared, too. But I'm also very proud of you."
"You are? I thought you hated the whole idea."
"I do hate it, because I'm scared. But you're father is right. You've worked hard for this, and you deserve a chance to do what you want with your life. And I have a feeling everything is going to be fine."
"Do you really think so?" Aurora asked, looking up.
"I do," Carolyn responded, wiping a tear from her daughter's cheek. "I really do."
"Then let's get it over with."
When Will returned, Aurora had stripped off the sweats to reveal the shiny black arming tunic that would make the primary connection between her body and the alloy armor.
"How does it fit?" he asked, helping her back up onto the bed.
"Like a second skin. Lucky for me, I'm used to it. It's like being back in gymnastics, for the most part. I wasn't sure what to do about the wire, though," she confessed.
"Nothing, yet," Will told her. "It plugs into the cybernetic implant to connect to suit to your neural net, and the suit then communicates with the armor. It's really a sophisticated system. So are you ready?"
"I'm ready. Let's go." She relaxed on the bio-bed, hearing it turn on and start tracing her vital statistics.
"'Hart, would you come start her IV?" Will called. "You're a better stick than I am."
Emily came in, making notations on a chart. "Are we starting, then?" Seeing her brother nod, she made another note on the chart. "Okay. Index procedure started at 0615 hours." She set the notes aside and deftly ran an IV into Aurora's arm.
"You are good at that," Aurora marveled.
"Practice" Emily acknowledged. "Now you're going night-night. Just relax and fall into it. We'll see you on the other side." Aurora felt a lethargy as the anesthetic slowly took over her systems, and she let herself drift into the swirling darkness.
An unmeasured time later, Aurora floated back toward awareness, uncertain of where she was. Gray mist eddied in all directions, and landmarks loomed from the darkness. Trees appeared sparsely, and twin lights glowed in several directions. Tall grass was trampled under her feet, and sounds filtered through as a dull roar. Slowly, the sound and light congregated in one area, and she moved toward it, uncertain if her feet were even touching the ground.
The mist thinned, and Aurora recognized the scene. Cars were parked in a ragged semi-circle, and people crowded into the area between the cars and the uneven edge of a ravine. A ravine that dropped more than 100 feet into a narrow trap-canyon, filled with heavy brush and dangerous overhanging boulders. It was the last place on Earth Aurora had ever wanted to return. It was Devil's Turn, and somehow, she knew, Steven's car was at the bottom in flames. She moved closer, and saw a black pall of smoke climbing towards the sky, where, distantly, birds circled on motionless wings.
Faces in the crowd shifted to look at her as she stood on the crumbling edge, staring down into the gorge. Heat rose in waves to sting her eyes, and she stepped back, watching a ball of flaming gas race past. She'd known it was coming, though the last time she had been here, it had nearly scorched her hair. Then it had been Geoff who pulled her back. Now he stood off to one side, his face blank.
She took one step back after another, then abruptly changed direction and raced for the edge. She rushed past Geoff, who had stopped her last time, and Gina, who had stayed next to her until the dam broke and she cried. Now she reached the edge unhindered, and pushed off from the cliff. She felt oddly weightless, columns of warm air buoying her up. And itching in her shoulder turned into pressure, then pain as bone and muscle seemed to re-form itself, becoming wings, and she sailed up effortlessly to the birds waiting above.
Aurora floated up out of the darkness, aware that the blaring alarm has awakened her. She struggled to pull herself up, only slightly aware of the mangled mess her modified right hand made of the bed rail. Her mother looked over at her from the transparisteel porthole, then rushed to her side.
"You shouldn't be up yet," Carolyn protested.
Aurora shook her head. "No. They need me out there. It's what I came here for." She snapped off the bio-bed, silencing its part in the cacophony. She managed to get to the wall, and leaned against it near the intercom. Activating it, she asked, "What's going on?"
Her father's voice was sharp and worried. "What are you doing up?"
"My job," she replied. "Situation?"
"Full-scale attack from the Mob," was the succinct reply.
"And?"
There was silence for a moment. "We're taking a pounding," he finally admitted.
Aurora wasted no further time in conversation, but instead made her was slowly to the command level, and the station at Tactical. There was no need to study the screen, though. The battle was clear, being played out above her head, and visible through the dome arching above. "Dad, are you seeing this?"
"Yes, I am," came his grim response.
"Then you're also not seeing what I'm not seeing?" she asked.
"Do you have a point?" he snapped.
"I don't see Mon*Star anywhere. Is he in this?" She could hear his ocular piece turning, surveying his data feed.
"He's out there. Good catch. But the other are tied up," Stargazer worried.
It was true. Bright spots wheeled and curved, and traceries of laser lit up the firmament. Aurora tallied the points of light, relieved to be able to account for all the SilverHawks, but this time, they seemed overmatched. "Mon*Star must have pulled every criminal he could find for this one," Aurora thought aloud.
Stargazer knew where she was going with that thought. "No, Aurora. You can't go out there. You shouldn't be out of Sick Bay," he objected.
"Look at them!" she shouted back. "They're out-manned and out-gunned! Mon*Star pulled in all his resources at once to overwhelm us, and it's working. I'm the only chance for success."
She heard his sigh. "Can you do it?"
"I have to." She slapped the 'comm off and ran for the elevator.
Klaxons blared in the hanger, and a trace of exhaust still hung in the air as Aurora raced for the launch tunnel. She had briefly considered the SprintHawk to join the fight, but her piloting skills still needed polish. She exalted in the power and speed the modification lent her legs, feeling the air slip past her. The opening grew larger and the stars brighter. For an instant, she had the surreal feeling of being back in the dream, running for the edge of Devil's Turn. Then she broke through the magnetic shield, clapping her visor down at the last instant. "Wing it!" she commanded, and they appeared, anodized the same yellow as the rest of her armor.
She wheeled and rose across the face of the station, diving between the upraised wings of the hawk perched in solid stone. "Lieutenant Firstlight on-line," she called over the combat frequency.
"I should send you back to bed, Aurora," Quicksilver answered her.
"But you won't because you need me," she replied.
"Do you even have combat skill?" he asked as she evaded fire.
"I got out of the Academy, didn't I? Face it, Quicksilver. You need every body you can get flying out here." She pulled a loop, upending a limo of Mobsters. "This is taking too long," she muttered. "Quick, have you got a bead on Mon*Star? I think the others will cut and run if we can knock him out."
"You are not going up against Mon*Star your first time out. Get over there and help Skye if you feel the need to do something," he ordered.
"Got him!" she crowed. "Do you trust me?" she asked Jonathan abruptly.
"What?!"
"I trust you, Lieutenant. I trust you with my life. Now, do you trust me?" she demanded.
"Yes! Why?!"
She pulled into position between the battle lines. "You'll see. Call the others back behind the wings, and stay alert. I'll call when I'm ready." He waited, uncertain about her intentions. "Do it!" she shouted.
"SilverHawks!" he called. "Fall back behind the wings!" Quickly, they broke off their attacks and moved to the relative safety of the station's wings. "I hope you know what you're doing, Aurora," he whispered.
She hovered before the Mobsters, confounding them with her presence and confidence. Slowly, she drew her hands over her head, pulling her wings into perfect half-circles beside her body. Then, feet and hands crossed, she began to spin, slowly at first, then picking up speed. She spun at a dizzying rate, throwing off glints of light in the darkness.
"Are you ready?" she asked through the 'comm.
"What do I do?" Jonathan asked.
"Full power laser blast, for one second, straight at me," she explained.
"No way. It'll kill you," he argued.
"I'm designed to take it. Now just do it before I lose my lunch!"
He lined up the shot carefully. "You better be right, Lieutenant." He let the shot fly, his pin-point accuracy hitting her square in the chest.
She glowed brightly, the energy from the blast caught in her momentum. "Have to time this just right," they heard her murmur, then she stopped abruptly.
She was facing the Mob, and the power from Quicksilver's blast radiated out from her body. The majority overwhelmed the Mob, sending their vehicles tumbling back, upsetting occupants, and setting them to tumbling about inside, then out into space. The SilverHawks ducked back behind the sheltering wings, letting the backwash of the blast flow past them without harm.
Quicksilver looked back at the scene of the battle, seeing the vehicles left hanging at odd angles, and the Mob no where to be found. He let out a loud cheer that was quickly echoed by the others as they surveyed the damage. Their triumph was quickly stilled, however, when Aurora's arms dropped limply to her sides and she seemed to slip, then started tumbling bonelessly through space.
Without thinking first, Jonathan darted from safety and raced to catch her. She tumbled into his arms, and he flew for the hanger. "I'm taking her in," he radioed. "Meet me inside. If the Mob wants their stuff, they can come get it."
Aurora woke from the darkness for the second time with a raging headache. "What happened?"
The SilverHawks were clustered around her bed, joined by her mother, though her father was no where to be seen.
Krys smiled. "Oh, you single-handedly managed to rout Mon*Star and his goons, and pretty much saved the day. What was that trick?"
Aurora sat up slowly. "Supernova. It's still in the testing phase. Well, it was. I'm going to recommend some more fine-tuning, though," she commented, brushing at a scorched place on her armor. "Will, can you-"
He nodded. "Soon as you get to decompress, I'll work on it. It's going to be a couple of days, though. Still have to put in the chambers."
"That's why I like you. Doctor, defensive tackle and electrical engineer all in one." She winced as she laughed. "Guess I shouldn't throw all my power reserves into the next one."
"How did you know that would work?" Jonathan asked.
"I didn't, really," she replied. "But the math is sound. It was supposed to work. It just needs a little adjustment."
The door slid open, and the SilverHawks snapped to attention. Waving them off, Commander Stargazer entered.
"Well, Lieutenant. You seem to have jumped the gun a little here. I'm supposed to welcome you officially and announce your callsign, not have you go flying out of here and throw yourself into the heart of a battle." He placed a paternal hand on her head. "But you have never been a child to do things the way they're supposed to be done. So. Lieutenant Stargazer, it gives me great pleasure to welcome you to SilverHawk corps number 1, and announce your callsign, Firstlight. SilverHawks, present arms!"
The snap of everyone's salute made Aurora's heart swell. She returned it, albeit a bit gingerly. "Thank you, sir. I hope to make you proud."
He hugged her gently. "You already do. We're both very proud of you."
Epilogue
"Report from Limbo is in, sir."
The general looked up from his desk, already covered with reports. "On the partial modification?" he asked.
"Yes, sir. It was a success, and the Supernova works a little better than expected."
He smiled. "Excellent," he said, accepting the folder. "Thank you, Lieutenant. That will be all for now."
Left alone, the general opened the new folder, tracing one finger across the name printed at the top: Lieutenant Aurora Stargazer.
"Hang on, Angel. I'm coming."
SilverHawks, Narnia characters, Labyrinth characters, Beauty and the Beast characters and Gargoyles characters are the properties of their respective owners, and are used without permission. These stories are not for sale, and no money is being made from them. Original stories are the property of Lady MoonHawke, as are any original characters. Krysten Barter (AKA Krysten Merino / Skyedansuer) is the property of Lady Razorsharp, and is used with permission.
By
Lady MoonHawke
I will not fall in love, I cannot risk the bet.
'Cause hearts are fragile toys, so easy to forget
Just Another Day--Oingo Boingo
The sound wafting through the station drew Quicksilver's attention. He pushed aside the report he was touching up and began to track down the source of the noise.
His efforts led him to the door of the rec room, where he paused. The familiar off-duty area had undergone some serious changes in recent weeks. Krysten had lobbied hard for more comfortable furnishings, better entertainment and brighter decor, and Aurora, in her capacity as liaison officer, had been all too happy to oblige. Now the formerly bleak room boasted easy chairs, a state-of-the-art vid-screen and sound system and cheery prints of cities back on Earth. The one thing that arrived that Krys had not requested was an antique grand piano. That was Aurora's baby, and it was here that Jonathan found the source of the sound.
Aurora was seated on the bench, fingers racing across the ebony and ivory keyboard. He came closer to watch, fascinated, and realized with a start that she was playing from memory, as well as blind. The music perched above the keys was closed, and her eyes were lightly shut, a ghostly smile playing about her lips. Her fingers skittered out and in, then held some long, rich chords and were still. She sat for a moment as the music died away, then slowly allowed her eyes to drift open. She started when she saw Jonathan leaning against the side of the instrument.
"Oh, Lieutenant! I didn't know you were there."
"It's Jonathan, remember?" he prodded gently. "Or Jon, if you're feeling particularly friendly. I didn't know you played so well."
She dropped her eyes. "I suppose there are a lot of things you don't know about me," she murmured softly, a tinge of sorrow in her voice. Then she brightened.
"Do you want to try?" she asked. She scooted over on the bench and patted the space beside her. "Come on. I don't bite."
Jonathan reluctantly sat beside her. "I don't know about this," he temporized. "I was never very good."
"Oh, please?" she wheedled. "Maybe you just had to wait for your talent to emerge."
"I suppose," he sighed. "I find it almost impossible to say 'no' to you." He glared at the passage in the music Aurora opened, then pounded through it with little regard for tempo, key or volume.
Aurora stifled her giggles as Jonathan tangled his fingers in a tricky passage. "Not quite," she commented carefully, once he had finished hashing a perfectly good waltz into a march. "Let me show you," she said, smiling. She aligned her fingers over the keys, but before she could begin, a fiery cramp gripped her belly and she doubled over, gritting her teeth against a moan. She breathed shallowly through the pain, willing it away with each breath. When it finally subsided, she sat up, breathing normally.
"My God, Aurora. Are you okay?" Jonathan's voice was filled with concern.
"I'll be fine," she replied evasively. "Please don't worry about me. Just put it out of your mind."
Jonathan regarded her as if she'd lost her mind. "I am not going to put it out of my mind," he insisted. He rose from the bench and took her hand. "I want you to come down to sick bay and get checked out."
Aurora shook her head. "Really, there's no need. Nothing's wrong."
"People don't curl up in pain when there's no problem. Now don't force me to make it an order, Lieutenant."
Aurora sighed, then surrendered and stood.
Will looked up as they entered the Shop. "Aurora, what are you doing back? I didn't expect to see you again today."
Aurora tilted her head in Jonathan's direction. "The lieutenant caught me having a bad spell and insisted I come in to see you."
Will helped her up to the bed. "Okay. I'll take another look. Was it especially bad?"
"Not really. I've had worse."
Will turned his attention to Jonathan. "Lieutenant, can I ask you to wait over there?" he asked. It wasn't really a request, and Jonathan acquiesced quietly. For now, it was enough that Aurora would get some medical attention.
Will drew the curtain around the bed. "How bad is it, really?" he asked.
"Not very," she replied. "It was just very sudden. All of the others have come on slowly. This was like being stabbed, and was over just as suddenly."
Will recorded the heart rate and blood pressure he'd taken. "Well, I'd offer you some painkillers, but..."
"...but they'd interfere with the process." She sighed. "I understand. I'll be okay. Same time tomorrow morning?"
"Yes," he said. "Every morning until the process is over." He threw a glance toward the curtain. "Are you going to tell him?" Will whispered.
Aurora shook her head. "No. Everyone will know soon enough."
"I think he likes you, Lieutenant," Will said.
There was a far-away look in her eyes. "Yeah. I think so, too."
Commander Stargazer glanced around the table, mentally taking role. The pilot, Colonel Bluegrass was in place, speaking softly with the young Corporal Skyedansuer. The Copper Kidd sat working on some quantum equations Stargazer was certain he would never personally understand. The Steel twins shared technical papers back and forth, talking only in half-sentences, completing each others thoughts. Lieutenant Quicksilver surveyed all as a good-natured first officer, and at the commander's right hand was the one person who was not like the others. Stargazer's daughter sat like a patron among the statues, her blue UECS uniform out of place in the steel and gray world the was HawkHaven. Even the colors in the troop's armor were cool in the metal alloys. Somehow, Aurora always managed to catch her father's eye.
Stargazer cleared his throat. "Are we ready to start?" he asked.
"I still don't see the point of this shin-dig," Bluegrass commented. "I got work in the hanger waitin' on me."
Aurora looked up from the report she planned to present. "This station has experienced a 40% increase in personnel. It only makes sense that we spend a little time going over what's happening."
Stargazer took control of the meeting again. "Let's go by the numbers on this, people. Colonel, any report from your department?"
Bluegrass stood uncomfortably. "Um, the refit on the Maraj is on schedule. The Maraj will carry 6 team members when it's all done, plus the pilot, and the SprintHawk now carries two. This is all in response to that personnel increase Lieutenant Stargazer mentioned." He sat again quickly, glad to be out of the lime-light.
"Thank you, Colonel," Stargazer said. "Lieutenant Quicksilver?"
"Shift assignment is on-task, and I must say, much easier with extra bodies." He smiled at Aurora, and she dropped her eyes to the table, trying not to look flattered. "We still need to work on timeliness in some cases." Here, he threw a mock-stern look at Krysten, and she blushed.
The commander grunted. "Fine, fine. Let's all remember to keep an eye on the time. Lieutenant Stargazer?"
Aurora shuffled her papers nervously. "Yes, sir. I have a couple of items. First, the UESC will only offer 'comfort items,' as they choose to put it, for another two weeks without charge. After that, it's on your own dime folks, so see me soon if there's anything else anyone wants." Murmurs went around the room, and some made notes of items not yet ordered. "My other item is in the nature of an FYI. A new, second generation modification process has been developed, and is currently in final testing on a human subject. If it goes as expected, a partial demodification can be offered to all of you." Looks of astonishment shot around the table. Everyone had understood at the outset of the SilverHawks project that the alterations were permanent. Now, the opportunity to go back seemed like a dream.
"When will they know for sure?" asked Krysten. She had given up a lot to be here, going on faith that it was the right thing to do. The chance to go back to what she had been, after all the warnings, made it seem more and more like she had made the right choice.
"This last test is in the first stages. Once the final stage is complete, we will know almost immediately." Aurora looked around, and came to a decision. "I'm the test subject," she half-whispered.
The twins and the commander looked relieved of some terrible burden, and the Kidd whistled low in admiration. Michael raised an eyebrow, but Krys and Jon stared at her in amazement.
"You're the test-subject?" Jonathan repeated. "Aurora, you can't! What if something goes wrong? What will happen to you?"
"The lieutenant knows very well what she's doing," interrupted the commander with a stern look. "Including the risks." He glanced over at SteelWill. "Sergeant, why don't you fill us in on the details of the process, in the general sense?"
Will stood with a grimace. "Well, this process is a lot faster," he began. "It's designed for use at any of the front-line stations, so recruits won't have to make the trip to Earth anymore. The necessary internal modifications are made with drugs, then the cybernetics are implanted, and then the armor is fitted. Since it's only a partial modification, the armor is completely removable, and the subject can survive for extended periods without it. Personnel should experience no ummm... physical impairments after decompression."
"What do you mean, 'decompression?' Just what exactly is going on?" Jonathan asked, solicitude clear on his face.
"We were essentially compressed into these outfits," Emily explained, plinking on her arm. "To remove them, we need to be decompressed, as if we'd been deep-sea diving. It's relatively simple and safe."
Krys looked at Aurora. "And you're the guinea pig?"
"It's worth it," Aurora replied. "One for the records."
"What are the side effects?" Jonathan asked Will.
"For the partial demod? Some weakness and dizziness. They will pass eventually, though, and the transition will become seamless-"
Jonathan cut him off. "No. I mean for the partial modification. What are the side effects for Aurora?"
Will looked reluctant to answer, and the commander rescued him. "The side effects are private business between Aurora and the team conducting the test, namely Will, Emily, myself, and the evaluation team on Earth. You, Lieutenant, are none of those individuals, so you don't need to worry about it."
"But--" Jonathan started to protest, but the commander cut him off.
"Lieutenant Stargazer is an adult, and she made this decision knowing the risks. It's not our place to second guess her. Do you have anything to add, Lieutenant Stargazer?"
"I'm extremely proud to be the test subject in this procedure, risks or no risks. I've wanted to make a difference in this program since I first attended the academy, and now it's about to happen." She grimaced as pain contracted her muscles.
Will was instantly beside her, taking her pulse. "Are they stronger?" he asked.
She nodded tightly, jaw still locked in the effort to keep from crying out.
"Closer together?"
She nodded again, breathing in short, shallow gasps.
"Sounds more like she's having a baby," Krys whispered to Michael. Emily overheard, and shot her a chilly glance.
"It's a serious scientific investigation. If you can't keep that in mind, you should go."
"Hey," Krys protested. "She's my friend. I'm not going anywhere, so just sit on it."
"Corporal!" the commander snapped, and Krysten looked abashed. "I need an open line to Earth, UECS HQ, then Montana. Get it set up."
She stood and saluted. "Yes, Sir," she snapped, then left.
Jonathan scooped Aurora up from her chair. "Can you give her something?" he asked, following Will down to Sick Bay.
It was Aurora who answered him. "No," she said faintly. "Interferes with the process. I'll be okay, Jonathan, really. Worst part is almost over, right Will?"
"Pretty soon," he agreed, gesturing for Jonathan to set her on the diagnostic bed. He watched with concern evident on his face as the indicators rose into the yellow zones. "Looks like you're stuck here for a while, Aurora. At least until some of these numbers go down."
"Is she in danger?" Jonathan asked.
"Not right now, but if her vitals rise any higher, she could be in trouble. This isn't entirely unexpected, Lieutenant. The commander is sending for the project head to oversee the modification personally." He looked down at Aurora. "Will you be okay here?" She nodded, and Will guided Jonathan away. "There's not much you can do for her now, Skipper. I'm gonna see about putting her under, or at least pretty close, for a while so she can rest. If you want, I can call you when she's more awake, and you can keep her company for a while."
Jonathan looked back into Sick Bay, staring at Aurora's prone figure. "You're sure I can't do anything now?" he asked.
Will shook his head. "There's nothing to do at this point but wait."
Jonathan knocked on the commander's door as soon as he came on duty.
"Enter," came the gruff reply.
He went in and saluted, then sat at a gesture from Stargazer.
"So," the commander looked up at him. "What can I do for you this morning, Lieutenant? Still have a bee in your bonnet over my daughter?"
"I did want to discuss her, sir, if you don't mind," he confessed
"Well, Lieutenant, how did you want to discuss her? As an officer, or as something else?" Stargazer thought he'd noticed a certain affection for his daughter in the career-minded young man, and he wasn't too sure where he stood on that. He'd known Aurora for such a little time, and to share her affection with another man, even in such a different role, was a strange idea.
"Are the two separable, sir?" Quicksilver asked with a laugh. "I'll be honest with you, sir. She's the most capable young officer I've seen in a long time in a variety of programs. She's smart, she's efficient..." he trailed off, unwilling to continue and seem to forward.
"...She's attractive," Stargazer supplied. "I'm not unaware of it, Lieutenant. She's the image of my wife, for all her dark hair and eyes. She also seems to have Carolyn's icy exterior, or a good imitation of it. So why are you enumerating my daughters many sterling qualities to me?"
Jonathan cleared his throat. "I'd like your permission to see her, sir."
Stargazer played it obtuse, curious to see how determined Jonathan was. "See her, Lieutenant? You see her every day at Ops. How much more can you see her than that?"
"I mean in terms of courtship, sir. I'd like to court her, with your permission."
Stargazer leaned back in her chair. "Have you spoken to Aurora about this?"
"No, sir. I wanted your permission to proceed. My family is very traditional, sir. I wouldn't seriously pursue a lady without her father's approval," Jonathan explained.
"And you're interested in seriously pursuing my daughter." Stargazer was silent a moment, evaluating Quicksilver, not as an officer, but as a potential son-in-law. True, the lieutenant was a bit stiff and formal at times, but then, so was Aurora. Perhaps the structure she fought to find could be found in Jonathan. "In the end, it's entirely up to Aurora." He held up a hand as Jonathan's face fell. "However, I won't oppose the match if you convince her. That's that part that will take some doing." He studies Jonathan a moment more. "I'm going to share something with you, because you need to know it if you intend to court my daughter." He sighed. "Aurora's former boyfriend died tragically, and she saw it happen. I think she's locked a part of herself away and refuses to feel much for anyone. But, if you can win her heart, I will be pleased and proud for both of you." He stood as Jonathan did and they shook hands.
"Thank you, sir. I'll do my best to win your daughter's heart," Jonathan said. "Do you mind if I go sit with her for a while?"
"Not at all," Stargazer replied. "Try to get her to talk about Steven. She should tell you the details herself."
"I will sir, and thank you again." Jonathan saluted and left the office.
Stargazer turned and stared out the window as Bedlama floated past in the darkness. _Oh, my daughter. Have I just done you a favor, or made your life worse? I wish I knew._
Aurora woke in Sick Bay, blessedly free from pain. She used to button to tilt the head of the bed up as Will pulled back the curtain.
"How are you feeling this morning?" he asked, changing her IV bag and taking note of her vitals.
"I'm feeling much better, Sergeant, thank you. When can I return to duty?" She swung her legs over the side and tried to stand, but was rewarded with a wave of dizziness. Quickly, she sat back down. "Okay," she said. "Maybe not today. Can I have breakfast?"
Will made a show of examining her chart. "Well, I suppose so. Wouldn't do for you to starve in the middle of the process. I'll order a liquid diet until the procedure is finished, but other than that, feel free." He brought her a full glass from the Bay's food unit. "Bottom's up."
Aurora studied the pale, thick liquid in the glass. "What is it?" she asked, sniffing. It didn't smell like much of anything.
"Protein drink. 1/3 of the daily requirements of everything in one glass. How's that for advanced technology?" he said proudly.
"Looks like the stuff I used to drink during gymnastics season." She tried a sip. "Tastes like it, too." She gulped it down quickly. "Liquid blah." She handed him back the glass. "So I can't go back to active duty today?"
"Not at Ops or communications," Will replied. "Why don't you just think of it as a day off?"
"I can't. There's too much I have to do to be taking days off in the middle of the work cycle. Can I have a laptop terminal, at least? The comfort items won't wait."
Will appeared to think it over. "Okay. Half a day working, and that's it. You need to save your strength for the procedure. Take it easy today, and I'll let you up tomorrow. The commander has called for the medical team, so when they get here, we'll get you going. Sound okay?"
"I'll deal with it," she said. "Can I work out in the morning? I feel stiff as a board today."
"Let's cross that bridge when we come to it," Will temporized.
Jonathan finally appeared at the noon shift change, bearing a mess tray with a tall cover.
"Take a break, Sergeant," he instructed Will. "I'll sit with the lieutenant for a while. I know you want to review the procedure again."
Will smiled gratefully. "Thanks, chief. I hear the team is due in 24 to 48, so I would like to brush up on the playbook." He glanced over at Aurora. "See if you can get her out of the ether. She's been buried in that thing since this morning."
"I'll do what I can," Jonathan quipped. "Take off. Get some lunch." He clapped Will familiarly on the back as the big man left.
He settled on the side of her bed, and she looked up, brown eyes glazed. She blinked a couple of times to clear them, and smiled. "What are you doing here?" she asked. "Shouldn't you be on duty?" Her eyes slipped back to the screen, and he saw the surprise on her face. Then her eyes met his again, and he was struck by the sheepish look on her face. "I guess I was working a little longer than I thought."
He accepted the laptop she handed him, setting the covered tray to the side. "Working on the 'Net?" He fussed with the machine, wrapping the cord up and trading it for the tray.
She nodded. "I needed to get those last orders in, and there were some reports that I could write on-line and e-mail to HQ. I had no idea I'd been at it so long." She pushed herself upright a little further. "So why are you here?"
He presented the tray with a flourish. "I brought you lunch," he announced.
Her smile lit up the room, then the light seemed to dim as her face fell. "Oh, Jonathan. That's so sweet of you, but I can't. Will has me on a liquids-only diet until the procedure."
He whipped the tall dome off the tray, revealing a glass something resembling chocolate milk. "I know. Will left it on the menu for today. I thought I'd have lunch with you, if it's all right."
The illuminating smile returned. "I'd love for you to stay. Do you want to grab a couple of straws?"
"I'll pass on the protein drink, thanks all the same." He got up from the bed and moved to the wall's food service unit. Once it had delivered his sandwich and coffee he returned to the side of the bed. The look on Aurora's face made him stop, then he realized she was staring at his food.
"I'm sorry," he said. "I should have thought before I came down here. I should have realized-"
She cut him off with a wave. "Don't worry about it. You eat, and I'll enjoy it vicariously." To prove it, she took a big swallow of the shake. "Now sit down and tell me what's been going on today."
He obliged her gladly. "It's a pretty quiet day, to tell you the truth. Whatever Mon*Star and the Mob are up to, they're doing it somewhere outside out jurisdiction. I did speak with your father this morning."
"You did?" she asked, sipping her drink. "About what?"
"About you, actually." He took a deep breath. "Aurora, I'm worried about you. You're taking on an awful lot with this modification procedure. What if something happens?"
"Then it happens," she replied. "But if it works, I'll be in the record books next to my father. I'm proud to do it."
"I'm afraid for you, Aurora. I'm afraid something will happen and I'll lose you." He grabbed her free and held it.
Aurora turned frosty. "I wasn't aware you had me, Lieutenant," she remarked, withdrawing her hand.
"Please, Aurora. Don't shut me out. I didn't mean to upset you. I just... feel like we've gotten close since you came. It wouldn't be the same anymore without you."
The cold exterior broke down. "I'm sorry, Jonathan. I just haven't let anyone get... close to me for a while. I'm not sure I remember how. I'm not sure I want to," she added, almost as an afterthought.
"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked.
She shook her head. "No. Not right now. It's really personal. I told Krys, but it's different between women."
"I understand," Jonathan said, hoping he sounded like he did. In truth, females were like another species sometimes. But Aurora was the most level-headed, reasonable woman he'd ever met. If he ever figured out any of them, it would be her.
"So what did you and Dad have to say about me?"
"Just that I was worried about the modification. Will and Emily almost died, and Krys had a hard time with it, too. And this seems so much more intense. You're doing it all so fast."
"I'm also not going through such radical changes. When it's all over, the internal components will represent only some 1% of the total armor. That's a considerable reduction from the original set-up."
"I still think it takes a lot of guts to do what your doing, Aurora. And I admire you for it," Jonathan said, smiling at her.
"I'm just proud to be of service to the UESC. It's all I've wanted since... well, for a while now." She studies the dregs of her shake, then finished it quickly, then handed the glass back to Jonathan.
"Thanks for lunch, Lieutenant. Believe it or not, I enjoyed it."
"I hope we can enjoy more meals together in the future," Jonathan replied, setting her glass to the side.
Aurora affected a puzzled look. "We have several meals together, Lieutenant, since we frequently have the same duty schedule."
Jonathan laughed. "I was thinking of a little more private a milieu. Say on Bedlama, after the procedure?" He reached out slowly and brushed a few stray hairs away from her face.
She turned from his touch. "Oh, Jonathan," she sighed. "I don't think that would be such a good idea. I'm... committed to my career now."
"Don't say 'no' yet," he declared. "Think about it for a while. Leave yourself some options."
"I'll think on it," she acquiesced. "Do you mind if I rest for a while, Lieutenant? I'm feeling kind of run down."
He collected the tray he had brought in, as well as his lunch dishes. "Go ahead. I have to get back on duty anyway. Rest well, Aurora." He backed away, drawing the curtain around the bed.
Aurora lay back on the pillows and snapped the overhead light off, waiting for the dull ache in her heart to subside. It wasn't the procedure making her uncomfortable, but Jonathan's mention of going out. She had dedicated herself body and soul to the UESC and SilverHawks after Steven's death. Now the thought that there could be something more for her left her confused and afraid.
"Tell me what to do, Steven," she whispered. "Tell me what to do."
Krysten woke in the morning well before her alarm went off, a mad impulse ringing in her blood. She climbed quickly out of bed and studied her reflection in the full length mirror on the closet door. Lavender armor covered her body, leaving only her face, hair and arm exposed. She dropped the visor over her face, and saw her room replaced with a virtual-reality heads-up-display showing wire-frame computer-generated images of furniture the processors had never been designed to handle. The mirror was only a flat plane of glass, its reflective capabilities not processed in the display. A smile flitted behind the mask as she imagined being able to strip away the metal, and show Michael her true form again. The thought pleased her so much that she pirouetted before the mirror, then lifted her visor as another thought occurred to her. Without the armor, she could dance again, really dance, pointe shoes, leotards and all. It sent her skipping out her door, intent on finding out just how much flexibility she had to get back.
She skidded to a halt just inside the gym, discovering that it was already occupied. Aurora was in the middle of the floor, hands planted, and feet flipping back and forth over her head like the pendulum of a clock.
"Are you stuck or something?" Krys asked, bending over to the side to watch.
Aurora rolled smoothly through a backbend until she was upright. "Nope. Just working out a few kinks. The modification team is due in today, so I'm taking some time to stretch out before they confine me to bed again. What about you?"
"I got to thinking about ballet," Krys confessed. "I haven't had much of a chance to practice since I came up here, and..."
"..And the de-mod will make it possible. I know the feeling. The Academy didn't have much use for a former all-star gymnast, and I was too busy to get out and compete on my own." She moved with almost agonizing slowness through a string of back walk-overs.
"How do you do that so slowly?" Krys asked, moving to the wall where a barre had been installed. She propped one leg up and started stretching over it.
"Practice, like anything else," Aurora replied. She moved into a handstand and walked the length of the gym, pausing occasionally to balance on one hand of the other. "These were normal warm-up routines for a while. Steven could do a whole flight of stairs on his hands." She tipped herself back upright.
"Useful skill," Krys grunted, stretching a particularly stiff muscle. "Oh, I'm gonna be a wet noodle in the morning. That or a piece of dried spaghetti." She pulled her leg from the barre and rolled up to her toes, arms stretching overhead.
"Price of fame and glory in the Limbo Galaxy." Aurora allowed her feet to slide slowly out from under her, catching herself with her hands as she hit the ground, then bending and reaching over each leg in turn. "I feel like a bundle of dried twigs after so much time in Sick Bay, and it's not even over yet. I'm on free time until after the procedure, and stuck on the station." She pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. "Not quite what I expected my glorious UECS career to be."
"I thought you were proud to be doing this," Krys said, joining her on the floor. "'One for the records, make a difference, risks or no risks.'"
"I never thought I'd be at risk of being bored to death." She laughed, then turned serious. "I'll be useful soon. Really useful. More than just procuring some homey touches and guarding a monitor a few hours a day. Now, when I'm needed, I'll be able to be there."
"I don't think you realize how much those touches mattered. This place was pretty cold until you brought some life to it," Krysten assured her.
Aurora brushed it off. "That was in the works already. If my father hadn't pulled strings, you would have gotten another Liaison Officer doing the same thing."
"Well, she wouldn't have been a former Olympic-caliber athlete who caught the eye of the second-in-command, that's for sure," Krys laughed.
"Don't even joke about that," Aurora ordered. "I've given up on romance. It's just not in the cards for me."
"God, you sound so melodramatic. 'I'll never love again.' You have to get on with life. You're not at the bottom of a ravine, for pity's sake!" Krys insisted.
"No," Aurora replied hollowly, rising to her feet, "but there are days I wish I were." She moved to a corner of the floor mat, staring across to the opposite corner. The she rolled up to her toes and raced for the corner, passing Krysten in a rush of air.
Krys watched as Aurora flipped through a series of acrobatic moves, faster almost than the mind or eye could follow, and dropping seemingly from the sky, one foot behind the other and hands raised. "More practice?" she asked when Aurora dropped from the pose.
"Something like that. I just wanted to know if I still could, really. I used to be pretty good." She pulled her hair back into a tighter pony-tail.
"You still are, from what I can tell." Krys assured her. "So what will you do now?"
"I wait. And when the medical team gets here, I go into the history books."
"And if it doesn't work?" Krysten asked, pushing up from the floor. "If the procedure is a failure, and, God forbid, you die in the process."
The smile on Aurora's face was eerie. "That much less time to wait before I see Steven again."
Krysten knew she should say something; that Aurora's feelings toward her lost boyfriend bordered on obsession, but for the life of her, she couldn't figure out what to say, or who she should say it to. But before she could make up her mind, the intercom crackled to life.
"SilverHawks to the hanger on the double," snapped the commander's voice. "ALL SilverHawks, on the double," he reiterated, relieving Aurora of any doubts she had about her place in the station.
Seymore's cab was just landing as Krys and Aurora made their way into the line of troops, both flushed and breathing hard. Krysten's pink warm-up suit blended with the outfits the other's wore, but Aurora's athletic clothes stood out, along with the fact that none of her limbs were obscured by alloy armor.
"I look like an example of 'What's wrong with this picture?'" she whispered to Krysten.
"It's hardly noticeable," Krys whispered back. They watched as Jonathan stepped forward to greet the visitors.
"Doctor, it's good to see you again. Nurse Mavis, welcome to HawkHaven." The next guest, however, had him stumped.
Aurora sighed softly. "I was afraid of this," she whispered, then stepped forward. "Hello, Mother," she said clearly.
Carolyn Stargazer slowly examined her daughter from head to foot. "Hello, Aurora," she said finally, kissing her on the cheek. "Well, your father certainly runs an informal ship up here, doesn't he?" she remarked eyeing Aurora's tank-top and spandex pants.
"I'm on medical leave, mother. My wardrobe is my own choice," Aurora replied, tossing her head back.
"Of course it is, dear," Carolyn agreed, patting Aurora on the cheek. "It always is. How are you doing up here?" she asked.
"I'm fine. And you? How is everything back on Earth?"
"Oh, as well as can be expected. Busy, of course. I hardly know where I am some days. But that's the business. So. Are you going to take me to see your father?"
Aurora bit back a smart remark. "Certainly, if that's what you want. If you'll excuse me a moment?" She moved quickly over to the others, gathered a short distance away. "Go ahead without me, and I'll try to catch up later, okay?" They nodded, and she turned to Jonathan. "Permission to be excused?"
"Granted, Lieutenant. Meet up with us when you can." He returned her salute and turned back to the other guests.
Aurora walked back over to her mother. "Any time you're ready, Mother," she said in a bright voice.
Once in the elevator, with the doors safely closed, Aurora turned to her mother. "Why did you come?" she asked.
"Your father filled me in, and I thought I should be here. He said quite clearly that it could be dangerous. You do know you're putting your life on the line?" she snapped.
"Of course I do. My life is on the line everyday out here. I'm making a difference to the safely of this galaxy and the universe. Defending the weak and endangered has always been a noble calling. I don't know why you don't like it," Aurora sniffed.
"I don't like that fact that it cost me 20 years with my husband, or the fact that it's taken you away from home. You hardly write anymore," Carolyn complained.
"There's not much to write, really. 'Ordered four cases of MRE's and two Earth prints today.' It's not that exciting."
"I thought there would be more excitement in 'defending the weak and endangered.' Are you having second thoughts about you choice of a career?"
"No," Aurora replied. "I'm where I want to be, doing what I want to do. If you're unhappy about it, it's too bad, but I won't change my mind."
"You would have changed your mind for Steven," Carolyn accused.
The blood drained from Aurora's face, leaving her pale as chalk. "Steven is dead, and no matter what I do, I can't change it. So I have to go on, and this is how I'm doing it. I promised him I would do this."
"You planned more than a year ago to join the UESC and become a SilverHawk? Somehow, Aurora Amanda, I doubt that." Carolyn's face was gaining the color that Aurora's had lost.
"Steven said I should find my father, and tell him how I felt. I did, and I'm here now because of it. Steven made it possible for me to be here," Aurora insisted.
"Steven left a king's ransom to someone little more than a child. It was an invitation to be foolish."
"It was an invitation to do what I needed to do, and I'm sorry if you don't like it." The elevator jerked to a stop, and the doors slid open. "This way," Aurora said, dropping the previous subject like a hot stone. She led the way into a narrow hallway and knocked on the door at the end.
"Yes?" came the commander's gruff voice.
"Dad, it's Aurora." She searched for a way to tell him the rest. "My mother is here," she related at last.
The door opened within seconds, and her father's face loomed before her, looking not at her, but past her, to Carolyn.
"You did come," he breathed. He ushered her past Aurora into the office, then looked at his daughter. "Are you all right?" he asked.
She smiled wryly. "I'll manage," she told him. "I always do."
He tried not to consider her cryptic remark too carefully. "Where is the medical team?"
"Reviewing the procedure with the twins. If you don't need me here, I'd like to join them. I should be aware of what exactly is going to happen."
He glanced back to his wife, standing tall and still in the center of the office. "Go ahead. I'll call if you're needed."
She nodded, then walked slowly away.
Now that he could actually see her, Edward Jahaziel Stargazer, creator and commander of the SilverHawks, had no real idea what to do. "Hello, Carolyn," he said at least.
"Edward," she replied coolly. Then her cool broke. "Edward, how could you possibly let that child go through with this? She could die!"
"I know, Carolyn. And when she came to me with it, I wanted to forbid her. But I couldn't. There is no good, official reason not to let her, and she seemed so happy to be chosen. She told me that now she could be a real asset out here, and not just 'The Commander's Daughter.'" He sighed heavily. "She wants so much to prove herself, and to be a real member of the team. I couldn't tell her no." He stood behind her, resting his hands on her shoulders.
She shook off his grip, stepping away. "Well, I could have. I spent 20 years telling her 'no.' Once more would have made very little difference."
He moved in front of her, cutting off her retreat. "Carolyn, she's 22. She's old enough to make her own decisions, even if we don't like them. We've been over it many times since she first got the offer, and her answer never changes. She wants to be the first second-generation SilverHawk, and she will let nothing stop her. The only thing we can do is support her in her efforts."
"I don't want to support her!" she ranted. "I don't want to stand bravely at her funeral listening to what a brave officer she was! I want her at home, where she's safe, working with me."
"She's no safer there than here. I think that should be obvious by now," Edward snapped back.
"Don't bring Amyrya into this. Her death is not part of this discussion," Carolyn hissed.
"I think it is," he responded. "We never had a chance to talk about it, and to grieve for her together. And despite all your efforts to protect her, she died. And it hurt me, too, Carolyn. Almost as badly as when Aurora shouted to me that she had no father." He sighed. "I never meant for things to go on this long, for what it's worth. And for what it's worth, I wished every day I could be home with you and the girls." He rested a hand on her face, wiping away a tear with his thumb. "And I wish we could start over," he finished.
"Why?" she asked. "We never ended." She stepped forward into his embrace, and for a moment, everything was perfect.
Aurora looked over the last of the schematics, _her_ schematics, then shut the folder. "It looks good," she said, looking up. "When do we start?"
Will and Emily exchanged a look and a nod, then looked across to the medical team. "Tomorrow morning?" Will suggested.
"If the lieutenant is ready," the doctor stipulated.
"The lieutenant is very ready," Aurora assured them. "The lieutenant is tired of protein shakes and medical leave."
Will checked his chronometer. "It's 1600 now, so how about we say 0600, and cut off her food at 1800, and liquids at midnight? Does that work?"
The doctor nodded. "Should be fine. Lieutenant Stargazer, you have two hours if you want another protein shake, and I'd suggest you have two, if you can stomach it. Then we'll ask you to stop all intake, including water, at midnight. Will you be all right with that?"
She responded with a nod, and walked over to the food replicator. "Computer, one large protein shake, vanilla." She looked over to the others. "I am so sick of chocolate I can't begin to tell you."
Dawn was never a real part of life at Hawk Haven, especially for the human team members, who knew a real sunrise, and missed them. But eventually the light from the Artificial Sun reached them, illuminating the dome, even if it cast no heat.
Aurora was already awake, having slept poorly the night before. She appeared in Sick Bay early, hair skinned back from her face, and dressed in plain black sweats, with no logo or name to identify them. Stripped of make-up, she was pale, and the dark rings under her eyes were all the more visible. She seated herself tiredly on the bio-bed. "Are we ready to roll?" she asked wearily.
Will came over to check her. "In just a few minutes. Your, uh, Mrs. Stargazer wanted to see you for a minute, before we started, if you're up to it."
Aurora sighed. "I don't know if I'll ever be up to it, but I'll see her."
"You know, if you need some more time, we can put this off a while," Will offered. "You look awfully tired. Maybe we should wait until tomorrow."
She laughed mirthlessly. "So I can not get any sleep again tonight? No. Let's get it done with."
Will nodded and left, clearly not happy with the situation, but unable to change it.
"Go on in," he said to Carolyn, as she waited in the Shop.
Carolyn slipped into the quiet room and walked on quiet feet to the bed. Absently, she pushed back a strand of loose hair from her daughter's face.
"How are you doing?" she asked, noting her pale visage and the dark rings under her eyes.
Aurora looked up, dismayed. "I'm scared," she whispered.
Carolyn hugged her. "I know, baby. I'm scared, too. But I'm also very proud of you."
"You are? I thought you hated the whole idea."
"I do hate it, because I'm scared. But you're father is right. You've worked hard for this, and you deserve a chance to do what you want with your life. And I have a feeling everything is going to be fine."
"Do you really think so?" Aurora asked, looking up.
"I do," Carolyn responded, wiping a tear from her daughter's cheek. "I really do."
"Then let's get it over with."
When Will returned, Aurora had stripped off the sweats to reveal the shiny black arming tunic that would make the primary connection between her body and the alloy armor.
"How does it fit?" he asked, helping her back up onto the bed.
"Like a second skin. Lucky for me, I'm used to it. It's like being back in gymnastics, for the most part. I wasn't sure what to do about the wire, though," she confessed.
"Nothing, yet," Will told her. "It plugs into the cybernetic implant to connect to suit to your neural net, and the suit then communicates with the armor. It's really a sophisticated system. So are you ready?"
"I'm ready. Let's go." She relaxed on the bio-bed, hearing it turn on and start tracing her vital statistics.
"'Hart, would you come start her IV?" Will called. "You're a better stick than I am."
Emily came in, making notations on a chart. "Are we starting, then?" Seeing her brother nod, she made another note on the chart. "Okay. Index procedure started at 0615 hours." She set the notes aside and deftly ran an IV into Aurora's arm.
"You are good at that," Aurora marveled.
"Practice" Emily acknowledged. "Now you're going night-night. Just relax and fall into it. We'll see you on the other side." Aurora felt a lethargy as the anesthetic slowly took over her systems, and she let herself drift into the swirling darkness.
An unmeasured time later, Aurora floated back toward awareness, uncertain of where she was. Gray mist eddied in all directions, and landmarks loomed from the darkness. Trees appeared sparsely, and twin lights glowed in several directions. Tall grass was trampled under her feet, and sounds filtered through as a dull roar. Slowly, the sound and light congregated in one area, and she moved toward it, uncertain if her feet were even touching the ground.
The mist thinned, and Aurora recognized the scene. Cars were parked in a ragged semi-circle, and people crowded into the area between the cars and the uneven edge of a ravine. A ravine that dropped more than 100 feet into a narrow trap-canyon, filled with heavy brush and dangerous overhanging boulders. It was the last place on Earth Aurora had ever wanted to return. It was Devil's Turn, and somehow, she knew, Steven's car was at the bottom in flames. She moved closer, and saw a black pall of smoke climbing towards the sky, where, distantly, birds circled on motionless wings.
Faces in the crowd shifted to look at her as she stood on the crumbling edge, staring down into the gorge. Heat rose in waves to sting her eyes, and she stepped back, watching a ball of flaming gas race past. She'd known it was coming, though the last time she had been here, it had nearly scorched her hair. Then it had been Geoff who pulled her back. Now he stood off to one side, his face blank.
She took one step back after another, then abruptly changed direction and raced for the edge. She rushed past Geoff, who had stopped her last time, and Gina, who had stayed next to her until the dam broke and she cried. Now she reached the edge unhindered, and pushed off from the cliff. She felt oddly weightless, columns of warm air buoying her up. And itching in her shoulder turned into pressure, then pain as bone and muscle seemed to re-form itself, becoming wings, and she sailed up effortlessly to the birds waiting above.
Aurora floated up out of the darkness, aware that the blaring alarm has awakened her. She struggled to pull herself up, only slightly aware of the mangled mess her modified right hand made of the bed rail. Her mother looked over at her from the transparisteel porthole, then rushed to her side.
"You shouldn't be up yet," Carolyn protested.
Aurora shook her head. "No. They need me out there. It's what I came here for." She snapped off the bio-bed, silencing its part in the cacophony. She managed to get to the wall, and leaned against it near the intercom. Activating it, she asked, "What's going on?"
Her father's voice was sharp and worried. "What are you doing up?"
"My job," she replied. "Situation?"
"Full-scale attack from the Mob," was the succinct reply.
"And?"
There was silence for a moment. "We're taking a pounding," he finally admitted.
Aurora wasted no further time in conversation, but instead made her was slowly to the command level, and the station at Tactical. There was no need to study the screen, though. The battle was clear, being played out above her head, and visible through the dome arching above. "Dad, are you seeing this?"
"Yes, I am," came his grim response.
"Then you're also not seeing what I'm not seeing?" she asked.
"Do you have a point?" he snapped.
"I don't see Mon*Star anywhere. Is he in this?" She could hear his ocular piece turning, surveying his data feed.
"He's out there. Good catch. But the other are tied up," Stargazer worried.
It was true. Bright spots wheeled and curved, and traceries of laser lit up the firmament. Aurora tallied the points of light, relieved to be able to account for all the SilverHawks, but this time, they seemed overmatched. "Mon*Star must have pulled every criminal he could find for this one," Aurora thought aloud.
Stargazer knew where she was going with that thought. "No, Aurora. You can't go out there. You shouldn't be out of Sick Bay," he objected.
"Look at them!" she shouted back. "They're out-manned and out-gunned! Mon*Star pulled in all his resources at once to overwhelm us, and it's working. I'm the only chance for success."
She heard his sigh. "Can you do it?"
"I have to." She slapped the 'comm off and ran for the elevator.
Klaxons blared in the hanger, and a trace of exhaust still hung in the air as Aurora raced for the launch tunnel. She had briefly considered the SprintHawk to join the fight, but her piloting skills still needed polish. She exalted in the power and speed the modification lent her legs, feeling the air slip past her. The opening grew larger and the stars brighter. For an instant, she had the surreal feeling of being back in the dream, running for the edge of Devil's Turn. Then she broke through the magnetic shield, clapping her visor down at the last instant. "Wing it!" she commanded, and they appeared, anodized the same yellow as the rest of her armor.
She wheeled and rose across the face of the station, diving between the upraised wings of the hawk perched in solid stone. "Lieutenant Firstlight on-line," she called over the combat frequency.
"I should send you back to bed, Aurora," Quicksilver answered her.
"But you won't because you need me," she replied.
"Do you even have combat skill?" he asked as she evaded fire.
"I got out of the Academy, didn't I? Face it, Quicksilver. You need every body you can get flying out here." She pulled a loop, upending a limo of Mobsters. "This is taking too long," she muttered. "Quick, have you got a bead on Mon*Star? I think the others will cut and run if we can knock him out."
"You are not going up against Mon*Star your first time out. Get over there and help Skye if you feel the need to do something," he ordered.
"Got him!" she crowed. "Do you trust me?" she asked Jonathan abruptly.
"What?!"
"I trust you, Lieutenant. I trust you with my life. Now, do you trust me?" she demanded.
"Yes! Why?!"
She pulled into position between the battle lines. "You'll see. Call the others back behind the wings, and stay alert. I'll call when I'm ready." He waited, uncertain about her intentions. "Do it!" she shouted.
"SilverHawks!" he called. "Fall back behind the wings!" Quickly, they broke off their attacks and moved to the relative safety of the station's wings. "I hope you know what you're doing, Aurora," he whispered.
She hovered before the Mobsters, confounding them with her presence and confidence. Slowly, she drew her hands over her head, pulling her wings into perfect half-circles beside her body. Then, feet and hands crossed, she began to spin, slowly at first, then picking up speed. She spun at a dizzying rate, throwing off glints of light in the darkness.
"Are you ready?" she asked through the 'comm.
"What do I do?" Jonathan asked.
"Full power laser blast, for one second, straight at me," she explained.
"No way. It'll kill you," he argued.
"I'm designed to take it. Now just do it before I lose my lunch!"
He lined up the shot carefully. "You better be right, Lieutenant." He let the shot fly, his pin-point accuracy hitting her square in the chest.
She glowed brightly, the energy from the blast caught in her momentum. "Have to time this just right," they heard her murmur, then she stopped abruptly.
She was facing the Mob, and the power from Quicksilver's blast radiated out from her body. The majority overwhelmed the Mob, sending their vehicles tumbling back, upsetting occupants, and setting them to tumbling about inside, then out into space. The SilverHawks ducked back behind the sheltering wings, letting the backwash of the blast flow past them without harm.
Quicksilver looked back at the scene of the battle, seeing the vehicles left hanging at odd angles, and the Mob no where to be found. He let out a loud cheer that was quickly echoed by the others as they surveyed the damage. Their triumph was quickly stilled, however, when Aurora's arms dropped limply to her sides and she seemed to slip, then started tumbling bonelessly through space.
Without thinking first, Jonathan darted from safety and raced to catch her. She tumbled into his arms, and he flew for the hanger. "I'm taking her in," he radioed. "Meet me inside. If the Mob wants their stuff, they can come get it."
Aurora woke from the darkness for the second time with a raging headache. "What happened?"
The SilverHawks were clustered around her bed, joined by her mother, though her father was no where to be seen.
Krys smiled. "Oh, you single-handedly managed to rout Mon*Star and his goons, and pretty much saved the day. What was that trick?"
Aurora sat up slowly. "Supernova. It's still in the testing phase. Well, it was. I'm going to recommend some more fine-tuning, though," she commented, brushing at a scorched place on her armor. "Will, can you-"
He nodded. "Soon as you get to decompress, I'll work on it. It's going to be a couple of days, though. Still have to put in the chambers."
"That's why I like you. Doctor, defensive tackle and electrical engineer all in one." She winced as she laughed. "Guess I shouldn't throw all my power reserves into the next one."
"How did you know that would work?" Jonathan asked.
"I didn't, really," she replied. "But the math is sound. It was supposed to work. It just needs a little adjustment."
The door slid open, and the SilverHawks snapped to attention. Waving them off, Commander Stargazer entered.
"Well, Lieutenant. You seem to have jumped the gun a little here. I'm supposed to welcome you officially and announce your callsign, not have you go flying out of here and throw yourself into the heart of a battle." He placed a paternal hand on her head. "But you have never been a child to do things the way they're supposed to be done. So. Lieutenant Stargazer, it gives me great pleasure to welcome you to SilverHawk corps number 1, and announce your callsign, Firstlight. SilverHawks, present arms!"
The snap of everyone's salute made Aurora's heart swell. She returned it, albeit a bit gingerly. "Thank you, sir. I hope to make you proud."
He hugged her gently. "You already do. We're both very proud of you."
Epilogue
"Report from Limbo is in, sir."
The general looked up from his desk, already covered with reports. "On the partial modification?" he asked.
"Yes, sir. It was a success, and the Supernova works a little better than expected."
He smiled. "Excellent," he said, accepting the folder. "Thank you, Lieutenant. That will be all for now."
Left alone, the general opened the new folder, tracing one finger across the name printed at the top: Lieutenant Aurora Stargazer.
"Hang on, Angel. I'm coming."
SilverHawks, Narnia characters, Labyrinth characters, Beauty and the Beast characters and Gargoyles characters are the properties of their respective owners, and are used without permission. These stories are not for sale, and no money is being made from them. Original stories are the property of Lady MoonHawke, as are any original characters. Krysten Barter (AKA Krysten Merino / Skyedansuer) is the property of Lady Razorsharp, and is used with permission.