The Shadow Wing lived up to its name perfectly: it was a black object, shaped like a bird's wing, designed for speed and manoeuvrability, and fitted with dozens of hidden cargo compartments to go about its illegal business; compartments that were now filled with weapons, ammunition, explosives, medical supplies, and a whole host of other FMACO bits and pieces that Alex couldn't identify, didn't want to have aboard, and had been told in no uncertain terms to stay away from. There was a mutual animosity aboard: Alex didn't want to have the marines on her ship, and they thought her untrustworthy and dangerous.
It annoyed her most that they had a point there.
Fourteen hours had passed since she had left the Endeavour. She had taken the Shadow Wing close to the shipyard where the Daedalus was being held, and picked up on a warp trail, which she had been following ever since. She didn't know where it led, but Kana had said that she had a good feeling about it, and that was recommendation enough for her.
Major Tyler, on the other hand, was less convinced. He was six-foot three, in his mid-thirties, square-jawed, and wore his brown hair at bristle-length. His military precision had irritated Alex from the moment that she had laid eyes on him, and his personality had done nothing to improve her opinion of him. "We have been following this trail for hours, Lieutenant, without learning anything about our enemy. You don't even know where it leads."
She pivoted her chair away from the crescent-shaped helm console and smiled her most obnoxious smile. She didn't like Tyler, mainly because he didn't like her. "It leads somewhere."
"Somewhere? We should be using this time to ascertain the enemy's strength, monitor ship movements around that shipyard; not chase shadows."
"You know, maybe you're right. Tell you what, I'll drop you off by the station and you can keep an eye on it."
He was caught off guard, and he smelt a trap. "What?"
"I've got a space suit around here somewhere. You can borrow it. And I promise I'll be back before you run out of air. Scout's honour."
The dour marine scowled. "There's no need for sarcasm."
"But I enjoy it so much!"
The major refused to waste his breath on the young woman any longer. With a disgusted snort, he turned away from her and marched out of the cockpit. Kana watched him go, laughed contemptuously, and then turned her attention to her host. "You have far more patience than I. If that fool had spoken to me like that, I would have…"
"Killed him, burnt the body and salted the earth?"
"Something like that."
Alex chuckled and stole a glance at her instruments. Clear space all around and no sign of pursuit; she left the helm in the electronic hands of the autopilot, and conversed with her companion. "You're sure about this, though? Tyler's a wanker, but he's right that we shouldn't be wasting our time out here."
"We're not. This road leads to the Daedalus crew."
"You're sure?"
"Certain. They wouldn't have left the Daedalus crew too close to their ship, but they also wouldn't have sent them too far away, in case they were needed again. This warp trail terminates at a space station, large enough to function as a detention facility."
"How do you know all that?"
Kana ran a finger along her cheekbone. "These pretty red eyes see more than yours."
She had to take the entity's word for that. Certainly in the past she had demonstrated an ability to see and understand things that her host did not. Why shouldn't this be another example?
"I'll have to…do you hear snoring?"
Lieutenant Miles was waiting just outside the cockpit, and he fell into step at Tyler's side when the major stepped out into the short hallway. "Sir? She didn't listen?"
Something that the major had always liked about Miles: he was a mind reader.
"Not to one word. We're wasting time here, Lieutenant."
The other man was diplomatic. "Captain Drake seems like a sensible man, sir. He wouldn't given her this job if he didn't trust her."
"She's Drake's friend, he's not a marine. You can't trust his judgement when it comes to her."
"Yes, sir."
The lieutenant stopped walking and stood, listening to something, frowning. "Do you hear that, sir?"
"Hear what?"
"It sounds like…snoring?" He looked baffled, because it couldn't be. But he listened and listened, and there could be no doubting it. Snoring. Soft, fairly quiet, but audible and unmistakable. "It's coming from under the deck plates?"
The cockpit door opened and Alex walked out, her long blue cloak swishing around her. She noticed the marines standing around, and her sharp red eyes snapped to Tyler. "Major, is one of your people napping in one of my smuggling compartments? 'Cause I'll be pissed if they are."
"You can hear it too?" Asked Miles.
"That was kinda implied, wasn't it? All right, where's that coming from?" She lost all interest in the marines, and headed forward, straining her ears to follow the snoring. She stopped over one particular floor panel, bent down and pulled it open. Her eyes widened. "Susan?"
The child was curled up in the tiny compartment, wrapped around a box of grenades, sleeping peacefully. She had stolen a blanket from the ship's supply closet and wrapped it around her small body; her head was resting on a partially defrosted bag of peas. At the sound of Alex's voice, her eyelids fluttered open. She yawned and sat up, blinking the sleep from her eyes.
"Hi," she said perkily.
"Susan? What the hell are you doing here?"
She stood and stretched, before climbing out of the compartment. "I missed this ship. I hid in here from the Orions. It's cosy."
"Yeah, I remember. Susan, you shouldn't be here. We're heading into…well…it could be dangerous."
"I know. You'll need me. The Dark Soul won't be enough."
"Dark Soul?" Repeated Tyler, frowning.
Kana took control for a moment, her exotic powers lighting up Alex's eyes – something that went unnoticed by the marines. "She means me." She told Tyler, before focusing on the Augment child, smiling her least unpleasant smile. "What do you mean I won't be enough?"
"There are bad things there. Bad men. They'll fight us if they can, betray us if they see a way. You won't be able to protect her. Maybe not any of us."
"But you can?" It was obvious from her voice that she found that highly doubtful. If she couldn't protect Alex, what did this runt of a telepath hope to do?
The marines looked at each other, wondering what those two were on about.
Susan shrugged, and then her stomach rumbled loudly, to her embarrassment. "Sorry. I'm a little hungry."
"I'll get you something to eat," offered Lieutenant Miles, kindly. He had some experience with children; his sister had twins, about Susan's age.
"I want Alex," protested Susan.
The helmsman was more unsettled than she was flattered. She had never wanted to be a mother, never much liked children, and Susan's attachment to her was greatly uncomfortable for her. She took a step back, before the girl could touch her.
"I'd better stay near the helm. Go with Miles," she said, quickly reading the marine's name from his uniform. "He's not as bad as he looks."
The child considered for a moment, before doing as she was told. Alex watched them go, and then returned to the cockpit, Major Tyler on her heels. He waited until the door was closed, before he said again, "Dark Soul?"
"That's just what she calls me."
"Interesting nickname."
Alex spun her seat around so that she held the major in her icy gaze. "I have the distinct impression that you're going somewhere with this, Major. Spit it out. I have no patience for games, unless they involve cards, dice and big money."
He didn't smile. "You have a reputation for mischief. I know a bit about you, Nain. I keep up with the news. Whenever your name pops up, disaster's not far behind."
"Yeah, I'm cursed," said Alex dryly. "It's a real bugger."
"I don't know if you're exceptionally unlucky, or if it's something else, but I don't believe in coincidence. I had friends on Van De Berg."
"Ah, I get it now. You're playing the blame game. That doesn't have dice or cards, so I don't think I'll play."
"A friend of mine saw you down on the fuel deck, minutes before it caught fire. You were the only person he saw pass by. So if you didn't do it…"
Alex gave him a very thin stare. "Shoddy maintenance and a failure to follow safety procedures. That's what blew up Van De Berg."
The Major shook his head. "I read the inquest findings as well, Lieutenant."
"But you don't believe them?"
"No. Like I said, I knew people aboard that station. They wouldn't have been so careless. Something else destroyed Van De Berg."
Alex was starting to feel decidedly insulted, particularly as she had had nothing to do with the destruction of the fuel station. Well…very little, anyway. She hadn't actually started any fires. She'd just dodged the plasma bolt intended for her, and it had ruptured a fuel line, and…well…little sparks could lead to such big fires.
It wasn't like anyone had got killed. Except for the bastard who had taken a shot at her, and he had deserved it. Okay, there had been a lot of wounded, and there were some survivors who would never be the same again, but they were all alive. And things would have been much worse if that…what was it Kana had called it? She couldn't remember. Something starting with v. That whatever had been left to carry out its mission.
She didn't feel like admitting any of that. She hadn't said any of it to the board of inquest, and she sure as hell wasn't about to tell an irksome FMACO major. She hit him with one of her most chilly stares, one of the ones that made her red eyes seem as cold and hard as space, and advised, "If you're going to make an accusation, Major, come out with it. Else, shut the hell up and get out of my cockpit."
Tyler closed his mouth, not prepared to make an outright accusation without proof; but he made no move to leave Alex in peace. She could have forced him, she supposed. He was taller than she, and probably stronger, but she would bet that she could manhandle him through the door; and if she couldn't, Kana certainly could. But it wouldn't do her any favours to get aggressive with the major. He already had enough reasons to give her grief; she didn't need to give him any more.
Kana was perched on the flight console. She gave Alex a few seconds to get a handle on her temper, before teasing, "Great show. What do you do for an encore?"
"Shut up and play with your bloody yoyo."
"Good idea," approved Kana. She conjured the toy and sent it winding up and down, grinning with childish glee, which just made Alex all the more irritable.
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In the tiny mess hall, Sergeant Harrison and Captain Levin were tucking into a healthy lunch of military-issue ration packs. The synthesizers Shadow Wing carried were capable of producing much more appetising meals, but Major Tyler had forbidden their use. It was an order that continued to puzzle Harrison, and he asked his friend about it.
"He doesn't trust Nain."
They were alone, so he was free to speak fairly freely with the superior officer. "I noticed. Why not?"
The captain bit into his wafer and tried to imagine that it had flavour; any flavour was fine. "I asked him once. He said something about her being dangerous and untrustworthy and stuff like that."
Harrison could tell there was more to that comment. "You don't believe him?"
"No. I've read bits of Nain's service record – I read all the Endeavour officers before coming aboard their ship. She wasn't involved in the war effort. Well, not until right at the end."
Now Harrison understood, and he nodded; no more needed to be said. The major had always resented those people who had refused to fight in the conflict. Justifiably. How could any red-blooded human not have answered the call to take up arms against the aggressive Romulans? His brother hadn't, and they hadn't spoken since. He doubted that he would ever be able to forgive him.
Miles entered the mess hall, leading with him a little girl with blond hair, who broke away from his hand as soon as she was in the hall and raced to the synthesizers. Before the lieutenant could stop her, she had had the machine produce her a large chocolate sundae, and was digging in messily.
Harrison was bemused. "Hey…I recognise her. Isn't that that girl from the Endeavour?"
"I think you're right. What's she doing here?"
"What's she doing on the starship?"
Levin shook his head. "Beats me. I asked, but no one would give me a straight answer. Someone they rescued from the Orions, I was told."
"A passenger? Why wasn't she offloaded on VX-41?"
"I don't know. Like I said, no one would talk about her."
"I guess if I'd been in Orion hands, I wouldn't be too eager to leave the safety of a starship."
"Ain't that the truth."
"But then…why's she here?"
Susan looked up from her sundae, her face covered with ice cream. "This was the ship that rescued me. Alex rescued me. I like her. She makes me feel safe. The Dark Soul's kinda creepy, but she's funny too, so I like her."
None of the marines knew what to say to that, so they returned to their eating. Levin wondered again who this 'Dark Soul' was. Somehow, he couldn't get himself to believe that it was Alex Nain the girl was talking about.