Chapter 4
After Allegra made a left turn at the tail end of the Prousley's route they found the trip as painstaking as Lyra had imagined it would be. She and Tess poured over the astrogational readings every five or six hours. Even with military-grade sensors, they could only map the gravitics a few hundred light-years in front of them. Their attempts to locate hyperwave beacons became exercises in navigational frustration. If the Empire had placed waypoints, their transmitters were extraordinarily well-shielded. Varun thought that might reinforce the importance of the operation, but for Lyra it just slowed them down.
Tess and Taz were polite, but cool with each other. She spent most of her time in the cockpit, where she felt most comfortable. She and Lyra discussed everything from celestial mechanics, to the trainers they'd flown as cadets, to the differences in Imperial and New Republic doctrine for starship operations, and Tess ended up feeling at home in Allegra's copilot seat. The one subject she avoided was Taz. For one thing, she didn't know how much the former Imperial pilot knew, or didn't know, about their relationship. For another, Taz had made it clear that Lyra wasn't on his sensors as anything other than a fellow member of the crew. She also knew how private he could be— for a Filvian— and how easily wounded.
They spent nearly six days carefully picking their way through the sector, until finally the navcomp indicated that their last jump was nearing its end. Not knowing what to expect, Lyra had taken the precaution of plotting an exit from hyperspace that would put them well outside any standard Imperial defense line.
Sera sat with Taz at the gunnery stations. Like Lyra, Allegra's captain wasn't too keen on having passengers on the bridge of her ship, but Varun Numarkos and Tess Daro were hardly their typical fares. Varun stood near the back of the cockpit, leaning against the wall near the engineering controls. There was a folding jump seat opposite of the gunnery controls, but he didn't seem interested in sitting.
Lyra called the countdown to realspace: "Three… two… one… mark". She pulled on the hyperspace motivator levers. The perpetual light show dissolved to instant black, then an unfamiliar starfield appeared. In the lower-left corner of the viewport, a pinkish sun hung suspended in the void. A dark, round silhouette was closer, but still hundreds of thousands of kilometers away.
Taz began his sensor sweep while Sera powered up the weapons. "See anything, Doc?"
"Nothing between us and the planet," he pronounced after a few seconds.
"Did we end up where we wanted to be?" she asked Lyra, who was checking her nav scope.
"Looks like it, Captain." She turned to Tess. "Great work, partner."
"Back at you, Lyra," Tess replied. They shared a fist bump, and looked very pleased with themselves.
"Doc, can you scan the planet from here, see if you can locate this Rho two-seventy-seven?"
"Already on it," he said, working the controls. After a minute he said, "Nothing on the hemisphere we're currently facing, no energy signatures or obvious signs of technology. Might need to get closer, or wait for the planet to rotate. Could be an underground installation too. That'd make it harder to detect from this range."
"Okay, keep at it. Nice work, everyone," Sera said, turning in her chair. "Captain Numarkos, what's our next move?"
Varun drummed his fingers rhythmically against the wall. "If this installation is as important as it seems, we can't just drop down there unannounced, and any civilian ship is bound to raise their suspicions. I looked through the rest of the data you provided. There are reports about ancient structures scattered all over the planet. That works in our favor."
"I don't see the connection," Sera admitted.
"I've been building cover identities for us. Allegra's crew has it easy— most of you, at any rate; you've been hired to bring us here. Taz, Tessa and I are your customers."
"Me?" Taz looked surprised.
"You, Oktos-grasha, are researching paleological sites and ancient languages for the Tagge Company's Cultural Preservation Initiative."
"Tagge Company? You think that'll fly?"
"It has a fair shot. TaggeCo is one of the oldest, largest corporations in the galaxy, and one of the Empire's most visible corporate supporters. Their paramilitary forces even fought alongside Imperial naval and ground forces. They're a well-known element.
"They also happen to have a cultural preservation initiative. It's mostly for show, a front for exploring potential new markets and finding resources to exploit, but their researchers publish papers on all kinds of things— languages, customs, art, music, religion, you name it. If we put those things together, it should minimize their index of suspicion about us." Numarkos took a data cylinder from his pocket and handed it to Taz. "Memorize everything on that; you need to be able to recite it at any moment, without hesitation, and with the same assurance that you'd answer a question about your own family."
"How much is there?"
"Nothing we don't need. Tessa filled me in on your upbringing, family history, education, that kind of thing. I used as much of it as I could. The less you have to lie about, the more likely the lies you do tell will be believed."
Taz stiffened and stared hard at Numarkos. His eyes flashed, and he had to clamp down on the tirade he wanted to spew. She had no right to tell that man anything about him. But to divulge details about his family, his childhood? He felt like raging at the two of them, who thought it was okay to casually delve into his past. Instead, he clenched his jaw and gripped the code cylinder so hard it made his knuckles white.
Sera didn't miss his angry posture. "Listen, Doc," she said, grasping his shoulder. "Why don't you go get started on that. Like the man said, you'll need to have it memorized by the time we get planetside, and we've got more than enough hands up here to handle the approach."
"Yeah," he said through his teeth, trying to sound normal. "Good idea." He got up slowly and left the cockpit, shooting a dark glare at Numarkos.
"Have a seat, Captain," Sera said, patting the arm of the chair Taz had just abandoned. It wasn't a suggestion. Varun pursed his lips, then sat. "Know how to work a sensor cluster?"
"It's been a while," he said slowly.
"Let me show you," she offered and leaned over, reconfiguring the sensor controls to their default positions. In a quiet, calm voice, she said, "You and I are going to have a conversation later." Then more casually, "So Doc has his cover. What about you and Tess?"
"Good point," said Numarkos, just as casually. "I've maintained a cover identity at TaggeCo for a few years. Mid-level management in their industrial division, low enough not to have much of a profile, high enough to get me out of trouble, usually. I'll provide the impetus for our trip."
"And me?" Tess said, looking back at Varun with a bright smile.
"My assistant, a former pilot with the Mining Explorer division."
"And your girlfriend."
"It goes without saying," he said, smiling warmly at her. "In any case, with some help from Miss Nimor, I narrow-casted a burst transmission via encrypted hyperwave to Fleet Intelligence just after we left Baros. I instructed them to insert our covers into the TaggeCo records, just in case someone goes snooping to check our stories."
"Baros is pretty far from here. Do you think the message was received?" Sera asked.
"Hard to say. I wouldn't bet a sabacc hand on it, but if it wasn't, it's not the end of the world. TaggeCo's a sprawling megacorporation. Records get lost all the time, or mixed up, especially for the lower priority programs."
"Okay, so the covers are covered. But why are we here?" Sera probed. "Is Tess just going to magically discover her parents on a one in a hundred billion coincidence?"
"Excellent question. TaggeCo's mining division is one of its biggest. This is a mining operation; it's not out of the question to think that TaggeCo might have supplied some of the equipment being used. I also know that, being an Imperial corporation, TaggeCo likely has access at some level to Imperial reports and logs like the ones you provided. Our story is that Tess was reviewing some of those logs at my request, when she saw the names of her parents, which put us on the road here."
Sera pursed her lips. "It's a little thin but it might hold together."
Varun made adjustments to the sensor controls. "Would you look at that." He flashed a grin and projected the sensor return on the forward viewport. It showed a long, crooked continent running roughly north to south. A red dot flashed about a third of the way down. He magnified the image and it enlarged to display an industrial facility nestled against a range of mountains around two thousand meters high.
Sera gave him a tilt of her head. "Nice work on the sensors. You must be a fast learner, Captain."
"Well, I was in Razorclaw Operations for three years. Running scans was pretty much a daily thing."
"You seem to have most of this figured out."
"Most of it, but there's always unpredictable elements. We'll need to be on our toes the entire time we're there, but we can't look as if we're on guard."
"So, on our toes, but playing it loose."
"Something like that, yes."
"I can't think of anything that could possibly go wrong," Lyra quipped from the pilot's station.
Finding no sign of orbital defenses or starships, Lyra suggested that they wait until local daytime to arrive at the facility. She put Allegra's Heart on a static course to keep them outside of typical planetary scanning range. Varun configured the sensors for regular passive sweeps, and they left to get some sleep before tomorrow's landing. As they passed the starboard cargo bay, Tess caught a glimpse of Taz, bent studiously over his pad resting on the medbay bed. She waved Varun and Sera on. "I'll catch up with you in a bit. I want to see how Taz is getting on with his cover story."
Varun looked back at her with narrowed, inquisitive eyes.
"I'll be right down, sweetheart," she assured him, and turned into the cargo bay. She stepped to the door of the medbay and stuck her head in. "Still at home in a medbay, huh?"
"It's familiar, and usually quiet," he said with a glance, returning to study the fictitious background he'd been given.
Tess took a seat on the stool at the desk. "Thank you for doing this, Taz. It means a lot, to both of us." His flicker of a scowl was gone in an instant. If Tess saw it, she didn't let it dampen her rising excitement. She kicked her feet with nervous energy. "I wish tomorrow was here now. What do you suppose we'll find down there?"
"I don't know, Tess, really. Those logs are years old. Anything could have happened since they were written."
Tess's bright expression dimmed. "You could try being a little more optimistic," she suggested.
"What I'd like to try," he said tensely, "is memorizing this pile of w'lorta crap your boyfr—" He caught himself and took a second to moderate his tone. "Numarkos put together."
"What's wrong with it?"
"It's shoddy. It'll never hold up." Why is she here, needling me?
"You're upset."
"You're damn right I'm upset!" Taz exploded. "He thinks it's okay to use every detail of my life, my family, to get me to perform like a Kowakian monkey-lizard!"
"That's not fair, Taz. You need a good cover story."
"And I guess that makes my entire life fair game."
"I gave him those details, Taz, it was me!"
"I don't care! He's the one who used them."
"Because I told him to," Tess retorted, red-faced and as angry as he was. "You have to stop taking out your frustrations on him, Taz! It wasn't his fault. If you want to be angry at me, then be angry at me, not Varun!"
"And then to spring it on me in front of everyone— He did that on purpose, to goad me, just like he goaded you."
"No he didn't. Listen to yourself! A cover has to be believable. If he'd made up everything about your life, there's no way you could make it convincing, especially with just a few hours to prepare. Come on, Taz, you're smarter than this. Why are you letting this get to you?"
"Because that was ours, Tess, it was OURS!" He reverberated with outrage and hurt. His whole body buzzed, barely under his control. "I told you all those things because I loved you, and I wanted you to know everything." Taz jabbed his finger toward the passenger berths below. "He doesn't get to know that! It was ours to share!"
The anger was so visceral, like a physical presence invading the space, suffocating him. All at once he felt the Force rising unbidden in his perception. It called to him, seductive and strong, offering relief from the pain, and justice for the wrongs they'd done to him. He only had to surrender, give in to the hatred and betrayal he was feeling, and power would be his. Power enough to pull everything down around them.
Taz breathed hard while he struggled for control. He felt angry and hurt, but terrified of the potent energy simmering at the edge of his consciousness. Taz forced himself toward calm, pushed back against the dark thoughts and ugliness. He turned away from her, fearing his own rage and lack of control. To keep his hands from shaking, he gripped the edge of the bed so hard that the metal frame bit into his palm, drawing blood.
"Taz, I'm sorry. If there was another way I'd take it. But I need this to work. I want to rescue my parents and everyone else the Empire is holding in that facility, under who knows what kind of awful conditions.
"Varun's good at this. It's what he does, Taz. I know you don't like him, and I guess I can't really blame you for that. And I know you're angry and upset with me. I can't blame you for that either. But I'm asking for your help." She sounded dismal, desperate and pleading. "You loved me once, and you trusted me. I'm just asking you to trust me this one time, until I've taken my parents away from here. Then if you want to hate me, I'll understand." Tears pooled in her eyes. "Please, Taz. Please do this one thing for me."
Taz couldn't face her. He felt ashamed and scared. His throat was raw, his chest wouldn't work right, and he felt like gasping for air. He managed a stiff nod. "Alright."
"Thank you," she whispered.
"Leave me alone, please," he rasped. There was a pause, then Tess's footfalls on the deck plates as she fled. A moment later he heard the sound of the lift. When he was sure she'd gone he let go of the bed and pounded the wall until his hands were bruised, his knuckles bled, and his furor was spent. He sunk to the floor and sat there feeling miserable and alone.
Lyra ducked into her cabin, leaving Sera and Varun in the dim corridor. "Captain Numarkos, let's you and I have a chat."
"Of course, Captain Rendix. What can I do for you?"
"You blindsided the doc up there, and you did it in front of everyone. That wasn't fair to him. It won't happen again on my ship."
"I'm not sure I follow, Captain."
"I'm pretty sure you do, Captain; you're not a stupid man. Look, I know that you, Doc and Tess have a… complex history. He's getting back on his feet after some rough months, and you're not helping."
Varun smirked. "Oktos is a big boy. I think he can handle it."
"Tell me that after the woman you love dumps you, then brings her new boyfriend aboard your ship for a two-week cruise."
Numarkos looked unconvinced. "So you're here to fight his battles for him?"
"Doc can fight his battles just fine. But he's my crewmate. He's also my friend, and the man who saved my life on an actual battlefield. So his battles are my battles, whether he wants them to be or not.
"Listen, I don't have a lot of rules on my ship, but I do have a few. First, what I say, goes. Second, you hired us to bring you here, but you don't get to use my crew however you see fit. If you need Allegra or one of my people for something, you clear it through me first. If you have a problem with that, or any other rules I might inform you about, let me know now and I'll turn us back around and drop you at the nearest New Republic facility. Do you have a problem with that, Captain Numarkos?"
Varun pursed his lips and gave a slow shake of his head. "No problem at all, Captain."
"Good. I like Tess, and I think she's a good judge of character, so I think you're probably a good man. Do me a favor and prove me right. Doc's got enough to deal with having Tess onboard a twenty-two meter ship for weeks on end. Not saying you have to treat him with silk gloves, just give him some room, and maybe try not to rub in his face the fact that you took the love of his life away from him."
Varun wore a sober, if unenthusiastic expression. "Fair enough, Captain Rendix. You'll have my full cooperation from now on."
"Thank you, Captain Numarkos," Sera said, extending her hand. Varun grasped it. The lift dinged its arrival. Tess stepped out, looking haunted and upset.
Sera frowned. She could guess the reason for Tess's glum look. "Get some sleep, you two. Big day tomorrow, for everyone."
Sera palmed the door switch to her cabin. The lights were out, but she knew the room by heart. She let out a long, tired sigh, undressed, and slipped under the covers. She snuggled next to Reiko. "Long day, Rei-sha?"
The engineer stifled a yawn. "Not really. I adjusted the hyperdrive engagement sequencer, ran scheduled diagnostics on the etheric controls, fixed a glitch with the ventral turret traverse actuators, and flushed the sublight cooling system. Oh, and I installed a gunnery program for Yuzu. You?"
Sera smiled in the darkness and kissed the nape of Rei's neck. "I understood almost none of that, but it sounds really impressive." After a pause she added, "Doc got upset again today."
"Over what?"
"What else? I swear, he and Numarkos need to have a good old fistfight. Get it out of their systems."
"That doesn't sound like Taz," Rei said.
"No, I don't suppose it does. Think I'll have a talk with him tomorrow. I need him to be on his game. If he can't get Tess out of his head—"
"I couldn't get you out of my head after two months, if someone stole you away from me."
"That would never happen," Sera said with absolute certainty. "Want to know why?"
"Why?" Reiko turned to face her.
"Because you're my girl." Sera tapped Rei's nose with her finger.
Rei giggled, then said, "I think he'll be okay, though. He thrives when he has someone to save, and it sounds like there's going to be a lot of that going on soon."
"You see things so clearly. Maybe you should be the captain."
"I'd be as poor a captain as you'd be an engineer," Rei teased.
Sera hugged her close. "I love you, Reiko Hudson."
"And I love you, Serasana Rendix, with all my heart, until the universe ends." Her kiss smothered any further discussion.
The blaring proximity alarm jerked Taz out of the sleep he'd barely fallen into. The cover story Varun had concocted for him was still displayed on the secondary display at his copilot station. Blinking the sleep from his eyes and swearing, he got his bearings, activated the navigational deflectors and ran a wide-field scan to find the source of the alarm.
Sera rushed out of the lift, Lyra hard on her heels. Both of them were half-dressed. "What is it?" Sera demanded.
"Reading mineral and ice particles, from a few microns to a few meters in size," Taz said quickly, then added, "and traces of ionizing radiation."
"Passing through a comet tail? Rogue asteroid that got pulled apart by tidal forces?" Lyra suggested.
"Wouldn't explain the radiation," he replied. He pulled back on the control column and dialed up the ion drives, vaulting the freighter out of the debris field. He glanced back at the two women standing in their underwear. If he hadn't felt so self-conscious for having been caught asleep, he'd probably have enjoyed the moment. "I've got this. Go put on some clothes, at least."
Fifteen minutes later they were sitting around the big table in the salon. Taz tossed back a couple of stim tabs and chased them with a mug of the strongest khaff he could program the autochef to brew. The adrenaline dump he'd experienced when the alarm jarred him awake had worn off. His lack of sleep and the emotional toll of his fight with Tess had left him feeling lethargic and irritable. The meds and khaff were sure to help with one of those and make the other worse.
Tess, Varun and the crew— who were all dressed this time— surrounded him. Taz avoided her gaze. The shame he felt last night hadn't diminished. He couldn't face her, knowing how close he'd come to losing control. He set his mouth in a firm line and replayed the sensor readings from the collision on his pad.
Varun scratched his chin. He hadn't shaved yet and his dark whiskers made his face look like a villain from a holodrama. "Could you replay those radiation readings?"
Taz poked at the controls. The information scrolled by again.
"What is it, Varun?" Tess asked.
"After Alderaan was destroyed, Alliance Intelligence conducted a forensic analysis of some of the debris. They found ionizing radiation with a signature very similar to these readings."
"What does that mean?" Sera asked.
Varun looked unsettled. "It means they might have the same kind of superlaser that the Death Star used." Sera swore, a long, drawn out epithet. "We won't learn anything sitting up here, though. We need to get down to the planet."
"Well, this is your show, you two," Sera said. "Let's make contact and you can tell them why we've come. Lyra, take our passengers to the flight deck and get started plotting an approach. I'll be right there." Everyone started to leave. Taz slid around the big bench seat. "Hey, Doc, got a minute?"
"Sure, Sera." He stayed put and poured another mug of khaff. When they were alone he said, "If it's about this morning, I'm—"
"It's not," she interrupted with a wave. "Listen, Doc. I know Numarkos pushes your buttons, and I know it hasn't been easy having Tess here. But this isn't a stock run where we drop off some passengers and wish them well. We're going to an Imperial base— hostile territory. This job's tricky enough without you tiptoeing around Tess like she's got Ederic's disease, and getting Ysarnian rage fever every time Numarkos rubs you the wrong way."
Taz let out a long breath. "I know, Sera. I'm sorry. Nice use of pathology metaphors, by the way." He gave her a crooked grimace, took a drink and stared into his mug. "I'm being a jerk, aren't I?"
She smiled back. "I was going to say 'child', but yeah." She took a drink of her khaff and regarded him over the top of her drink. "I don't pretend to understand what goes on in a man's head, but I'm hopelessly in love with an amazing woman, so I know how I'd feel if someone took Rei-sha from me. I'm not telling you not to feel those things. I am asking you to put them on standby until we get out of this. Think you can do that?"
Taz drank his khaff and set down his mug, turning it on the tabletop. Finally he looked at her. "You've got it, Captain."
"It's Sera, Doc. It always will be, to you."
"I know, but sometimes I need you to be my CO, not just my friend." He straightened up. "Orders received. I won't let you down."
She smiled and cocked her head. "Get out of here, Mister Oktos."
Back in the cockpit, Varun stood over Tess's shoulder at the copilot's station. He was dressed in a smart-looking gray jacket and slacks that had just the slightest iridescent shimmer. Lyra tuned the comm to a standard Imperial hailing channel. "Imperial Facility Rho two-seven-seven, this is Varun Numarkos of TaggeCo's Cultural Preservation Initiative aboard Allegra's Heart. Please respond."
Varun repeated the hail twice more before he received a response. A male voice said, "Unidentified vessel, you are not scheduled for arrival at this facility. What is your business?"
He was prepared for that question. "Investigation and cataloging of paleolithic sites. A number of them were noted on this planet by a TaggeCo survey twenty-eight standard years ago."
The channel was quiet for a few moments, then another voice came on, female this time. "Twenty-eight years is a long time. Why are you here now?" She sounded skeptical.
"You know how it is. Big company, bigger bureaucracy. And we've been busy on other fronts, lending our fleet and troops in support of the Emperor's efforts to instill order throughout the galaxy, for example." He paused to let that sink in. "Surely that's earned us some leeway in making our survey a little later than planned."
"As we said, we have no record of a planned survey here. We're not—"
"I beg your pardon," Numarkos interrupted, adding some authority to his tone, "but we've travelled a long way to perform this work. I'm sure I don't need to remind you of TaggeCo's invaluable contributions to the Empire over the years. I would hate to have to report back to the Board of Directors that we were denied your full cooperation in this matter. I'll need your name, rank, and position for my report." Silence on the other end again. He'd made some impact with that.
"What is your planned itinerary and length of stay, Mister Numarkus?" The woman sounded less confident.
"It's NumarKOS, madam," he corrected politely. "I expect we shouldn't be here more than a week or so. I'm prepared to transmit a list of the sites we'd like to catalog, and I can guarantee we won't impact your valuable mining operation."
"I'll need to confer with my superiors. Transmit your ident code, planned itinerary and list of sites. Maintain your current position. I'll contact you again in an hour. Rho two-seven-seven Control out."
An hour later, the same woman called back. "Transport Allegra's Heart, this is Rho two-seven-seven Control. Acknowledge."
"This is Allegra's Heart, receiving you five by five, Control. Standing by," Lyra responded.
"Landing clearance has been granted by the Director. You are permitted to remain on-planet for eight local days. We're sending an escort to guide you through the defense shield." Two contacts appeared on Lyra's scope, the size of snub fighters. "Form up between the escort ships. I'm transmitting approach vectors and landing coordinates. Do not deviate from the approach or you will be fired upon. Rho two-seven-seven Control out."
"She seems nice," Lyra quipped, glancing over at Sera. A pair of black TIE fighters flew past them, then turned and drew alongside, bracketing Allegra's Heart between them. Varun found Tess's hand pressed into his. He squeezed it, hoping it felt reassuring and not anxious.
The descent lasted most of an hour. The sky was partly obscured by clouds that towered high into the atmosphere. At five kilometers' altitude they passed through a narrow window in the defense shield. The TIEs peeled away and circled while the freighter made its landing approach.
The landing site was an elevated permacrete platform adjacent to a hangar that was partially cut into the hilly terrain. Missile racks and four-barreled defensive laser turrets on the hill above the hangar tracked them as they approached. A half a kilometer from the pad was a sizable facility. Lyra could make out four or five blocks of living quarters with tile roofs, painted in bright colors— definitely not something she'd ever seen in an Imperial installation. A short distance from the housing units sat a tight cluster of buildings that looked like they might be administrative offices. Beyond those sprawled an extensive industrial complex. Long cylindrical structures made of cast duracrete extended like fingers from the buildings and disappeared into the nearby hillside. One thing she didn't see was any kind of communication tower. Every Imperial facility had one. The Empire didn't allow their bases to operate either independently or incommunicado. At least, she'd never heard of such a thing.
A man stood on the landing pad, directing her with illuminated wands. Lyra deployed the landing struts and adjusted power on the repulsors, touching down on the pad with a little thud. She reached overhead and flipped switches to power down the ship.
"Sure that's a good idea?" Taz asked. He felt a little better after grabbing a short rest while they descended. "Maybe we should keep her hot, just in case."
Lyra looked back at him. "Didn't you see those quad lasers and missiles, Oktos? Besides, their shield has us trapped. We're not going anywhere unless they want us to."
"Miss Nimor is right, Doctor Oktos," Varun said. "Get used to hearing that name, and the rest of you get used to saying it. Captain Rendix, I know this is last minute, but I wonder if I could borrow Kallista?"
"Kalli? What for?"
"Well, a man of my position at TaggeCo would likely have a droid for administrative and protocol duties. Plus, Kallista and I have known each other for over ten years."
Kallista, who had apparently been standing just outside the cockpit for the entire time, piped in, "I'd be happy to accompany Master Varun and Miss Daro, and of course, Doctor Oktos. It sounds like fun."
"Already getting into the spirit, Kalli?" Sera asked.
"I've taken the liberty of digesting all of the background information and cover identities."
"Oh? When did you do that?"
"It's ever so boring standing around plugged into my socket, Captain. I thought some light reading might be a nice diversion. I'm considered quite studious for my model, you know. Quite playful, too." The luxury droid's sultry voice gave her statement a decidedly provocative connotation.
"I'm sure you are, Kalli," Sera said with a lopsided smile. Then to Varun, "She's all yours, Numarkos."
Varun watched a half dozen people approaching. "Looks like our welcoming party is here. Let's go meet them."
"Lyra, Rei, why don't the two of you stay with the ship for now." Nimor acknowledged immediately. Reiko looked crestfallen. "Just until we've checked things out. And, if things go sideways, you two will need to figure a way off this planet."
"Be careful, Sera-sha."
Sera winked and kissed Reiko on her way out of the cockpit. They took the lift down to the lower deck and she swiped the switch for the boarding ramp. As it extended, Varun leaned over to Taz. "Remember, you're a researcher. Studious and non-confrontational. Leave anything that makes you seem like a Rebel in here."
"I know my job, Numarkos. Just do yours," Taz responded, but he slipped out of his combat utility vest and hooked his gun belt on the wall.
The ramp clanged against the permacrete. At the bottom stood a woman wearing the standard green-gray Imperial Army uniform. Behind her stood four guards in rust-colored coveralls, armed with DH-17 blasters. The woman looked up at them. "Welcome to Beta Fonidian Two. Which of you is Numarkos?" Her voice was the same one they'd heard from the control center.
"That'd be me," Varun said, raising his hand as he strode down the ramp past the others. Tess followed a step behind with Kallista, then Sera and Taz. Varun extended his hand at the bottom of the ramp. He received a snappy salute instead of a handshake. "And you are—?"
"Lieutenant Forstner," she answered perfunctorily. She looked them over, frowning. "Weapons aren't allowed. You can leave them in your ship or surrender them to us for safekeeping. They'll be returned upon your departure." She regarded Kallista warily. "Droids are restricted here. We'd rather you didn't bring your—"
"Kallista is my protocol and clerical assistant."
"Your assistant will be fitted with a restraining bolt while on this facility."
"Not likely, dear girl," Kallista responded, her sultry voice laced with an edge of menace.
"Or, she can wait on your ship," Forstner responded, sounding a little intimidated. "Your choice, Mister Numarkos."
Varun smiled. "Of course, Lieutenant. Kallista, be a dear and wait on the ship."
"But Master Varun, what if you should require my assistance?"
Tess said, "I'll take care of Mister Numarkos's needs, Kallista."
"Well, I doubt you can see to his needs as well as I," she said, sounding very much like she was pouting, and a little jealous, "but I will await your return in this stuffy ship, Master."
"You're sweet, Kallista, thank you." He indicated Sera. "This is Sera Rendix, Captain of Allegra's Heart. Sera didn't bother trying for a handshake. Varun continued, "I wonder if we could resupply before we leave? I'm happy to pay Imperial standard rates. I'll just need an itemized receipt for all purchases. For Accounting, you see."
"That can be arranged with the dockmaster," Forstner said, looking sour. "Your ship will be secured and placed under guard."
"Ah, I have instruments on board, equipment for my survey work. I'll need access to those," Taz said quickly.
"You may collect equipment as needed, Doctor, just let my office know. You will not transmit or receive any communications, nor use any equipment to scan this facility. Unauthorized use of your ship will result in its destruction and the immediate detention of survivors. Any questions?"
"None, Lieutenant Forstner," Varun said brightly.
Sera collected their weapons. "I'll take these back. Contact me if you need anything, Mister Numarkos. Come on, Kallista, back to my stuffy ship for you." They retreated up the ramp and Sera fixed the luxury droid with what looked like a very real frown.
"Thank you again, Captain Rendix," Varun said after her, then turned back to Forstner. "We're in your hands, Lieutenant. What next?"
"Director Tafo wants to see you."
"Wonderful, I was hoping to speak to him as soon as practicable."
"We'll arrange lodging for your party and the ship's crew while you're here."
"That's very hospitable of you, Forstner. By the way, do you have a first name?"
"Lieutenant," she said, without a trace of humor.
"Of course," he replied, the corner of his mouth twitching. "Lead the way, Forstner. I'm sure you have more important duties than chaperoning the likes of us."
The lieutenant executed a precise about-face. Two guards fell in behind her, the other two following the new arrivals. They walked along a permacrete lane that was broad enough for a speeder, but more likely intended for foot traffic. As they left the landing port behind the terrain flattened into well-manicured purple and green grassland. The lane was bordered by crushed white stone with lamp posts every fifteen meters or so. Atop every other post, a surveillance camera swiveled back and forth in what appeared to be a predetermined pattern.
Varun saw a few soldiers clad in the Imperial gray-green uniforms, but most of the foot traffic wore either the rust-red jumpsuits of their escort, or civilian clothes. He glanced at Tess, who was likewise taking everything in. He knew that she was searching the faces for two specific people, and might not be paying attention to other details. He could hardly blame her, but thought, I hope Oktos-grasha is being more comprehensive.
The workers moving about looked healthy, clean and by all outward appearances, content. They conversed among themselves, walking in small groups. None of the dozens of pedestrians seemed to be under duress. Varun noted no fences, overseers, guard towers, or guards for that matter. For a slave labor camp, security seemed to be unusually light.
They passed by the residential quarter. It was fronted by a broad park-like plaza full of stout trees with spiky multicolored leaves as long as Varun's forearm. Perhaps a dozen children played there, ranging from young toddlers shepherded by their mothers, to early teens. Just what kind of labor camp is this? Some of the children looked at the newcomers with intense curiosity. The adults, too, now that he thought about it, though they seemed more circumspect.
They turned toward the tight cluster of buildings they'd noted on their landing approach, all painted in Imperial gray. Traffic thinned considerably, and most of that was uniformed staff. They entered a long building that stretched back into the administrative cluster and branched into a tee. A square tower extended for several stories from the back of the building. It was by far the tallest structure in the camp. The top floor was glazed all around. Varun could just make out a few antenna dishes on the roof.
They entered a large lift. Two of the guards stayed behind. The rest of the party ascended to the penthouse office four floors up. The lift doors opened and the remaining guards exited. Lieutenant Forstner turned to Varun. "The Director's office is just there," she said, pointing at a set of double transparisteel doors that were a milky white. "Good day, Mister Numarkos."
"Thanks for your hospitality, Forstner," Varun said, giving her a casual wave as he exited. The others followed. He could see no cameras in the short antechamber, but that meant nothing. Undoubtedly their every step was being monitored and recorded.
The doors opened into a spacious office a dozen meters square. Three-meter high transparisteel glazing let the natural light flood in. Suspended on pairs of wires all along the perimeter of the office were black metal frames holding blueprints and engineering drawings of intricate devices. There might have been forty or fifty of them in the room.
The great space was empty save for a massive desk of black and brown lacquered wood. Behind it sat a middle-aged man. His brown hair was graying at the sides, where it was closely trimmed. He had a fleshy face with dark, inquiring eyes and heavy lids, wrinkled at each temple. His Imperial uniform was devoid of insignia or a rank plaque, although two code cylinders rode in each of his tunic's shoulder pockets. Undoubtedly the lack of furnishings other than the desk and his chair were intended to reinforce his status as one who is waited upon, not the opposite.
Behind him stood a woman, a few years younger than he. Her light hair was pulled back and tied. She had piercing blue eyes, a sharp nose and somewhat angular chin. Her thin lips had the slightest trace of a frown. Her uniform was the same grayish green. Like his, it lacked insignia. She wore a single pair of code cylinders in her left shoulder pocket. On her belt was a compact blaster pistol.
"Director Tillisk Tafo, I presume?" Varun said, striding forward to meet the man in front of his desk. He took his hand in a firm handshake. "I'm Varun Numarkos, representing TaggeCo's Cultural Preservation Initiative."
"Mister Numarkos, your arrival is most… unexpected."
Varun smiled. "So I've heard, Director. Of course when our explorer team made their initial survey some three decades ago, this was an abandoned planet. But when some logs from your mining operation found their way to our research staff, our team took a renewed interest. Isn't that right, Doctor Oktos?"
Taz made a little nod. "Yes indeed, Manager Numarkos."
"Ah you must be Doctor Tazbarada Oktos. Welcome to Beta Fonidian Two, Doctor," Tafo said, sounding genuinely enthusiastic. "You know, I'm an engineer by training, but research was always my first passion. I especially enjoy reading monographs. I have quite an extensive library of research journals. I can't say I recall seeing any of your works though, Doctor."
"Well, I'm pretty new to the field, Director. Truth be told, this is something of a first for me."
"Yes," Varun followed smoothly, "Doctor Oktos has been one of CPI's research assistants. He's only recently been recommended for independent field work. You might call this his debut."
"Wonderful!" Tafo clapped his hands together, then waggled a finger at Taz. "I do hope you'll enjoy your time here, Doctor. I'll look forward to reading the results of your surveys." He looked back and forth between the two men. "Oktos and Numarkos. Your names bear a passing similarity."
"We're both from Filve, as it happens," Varun said. "The colony ship that brought our ancestors there was seeded with a handful of clans from Ionia before its sun exploded, what was that, Doctor, thirty thousand years ago? Anyway, small galaxy, as it turns out, the good doctor and me finding ourselves in the same TaggeCo division and all." He turned to Tess. "And this is my assistant, Tessa Daro."
Tafo's eyes flickered. "Daro, you say?" He took her hand and rubbed it lightly with his thumb. The woman behind the desk stiffened in the slightest degree.
"Yes, Director," she answered, withdrawing her hand with what she hoped wasn't visible revulsion.
Varun slipped smoothly between them. "You might say we're bulls-eyeing a few womp rats with one shot, Director. The logs from your mining operation included entries for both Jerric and Amanda Daro. Those names happen to be a match for Miss Daro's parents. They were... detained by the Empire, some years ago. We'd like to meet with them during our stay, if that's possible."
"This is a busy installation, Mister Numarkos," Tafo said. He flashed the briefest smile at Tess, "but I'm sure we can reach some kind of accommodation. We'll see what we can do."
"Of course, Director. We've no intention of impacting what must be important work for the Empire. On that topic, I'd also like to discuss some new advances in materials processing that TaggeCo have developed. I'm quite certain we could increase the efficiency of your operation by a substantial margin."
"That will be an interesting topic indeed, Manager Numarkos." Tafo glanced at the woman behind the desk, then back to Varun. He swept his hand back to indicate her. "My adjutant, Vaniel Ruatha."
The woman nodded. "Welcome to Rho two-seventy-seven," she intoned coolly. Her face betrayed no emotion. She seemed inclined to listen, and let Tafo do the talking.
Numarkos put a hand lightly on Tafo's shoulder. He pointed at the framed illustrations hanging from taut wires that ran from floor to ceiling. "These seem most unusual, Director."
"Ah, you've noticed my collection, have you?" He walked over with Varun. Taz and Tess were a step behind. "What do you think of them?"
They moved from frame to frame, examining a half dozen of them as if they were regarding a gallery of artistic works. Indeed, there was a kind of beauty to them. Each appeared to be painstakingly drawn out by hand, illustrating in the finest detail the individual components of intricate mechanisms. Tafo looked most pleased at their impressed reactions. "An avocation of mine is to collect engineering drafts of ancient machines. This one illustrates one of the first successful hyperdrive motivators."
"Wow," Taz said, genuinely impressed. "Are these original plans?"
Tafo laughed. "Most of them are reproductions, Doctor. I've carefully researched each one from primary sources, though, then commissioned the prints from exceptional drafters throughout the galaxy. It is, I like to think, a labor of love, though an expensive one to be sure."
"They're certainly impressive," Taz said. "The research alone must have taken—"
"Efficient research techniques are imperative for this work. But it must be the same for your studies. Is that not the case, Doctor Oktos?"
"Um, absolutely, Director."
"I myself favor Taggert's Ablution method, but Viridias-Mor has also documented some intriguing algorithms. Being a man who undoubtedly spends many hours engaged in research, I'd be interested in your thoughts on the matter."
Varun smiled at Taz, but his eyes flashed a warning. "Yes, Doctor, do you have an opinion?"
"I, ah, prefer an holistic approach. I'm not the 'one size fits all' type."
Tafo frowned a bit. "Most unusual for a researcher, I have to say. Surely you have one approach, favored over the others."
Taz looked a little uncertain. He scrambled for an answer that wouldn't get him into more trouble. "There is the, ah, Nanvarr exploratory method. It's a Fereaxian technique."
The Director looked intrigued. "I'm not familiar with that method."
"The Fereax explored the galaxy some millennia ago. Their race has died out, as far as I know, though. I'm sorry to say that I left my recording of Nanvarr's Method back home."
Varun interjected brightly, "When we return, I'll be sure to have a copy of the doctor's recording sent to you, Director."
"I'd like that very much." Tafo led them around the rest of the perimeter, spending a few minutes at each one. Over two hours later he finally finished. He returned to his desk and read a notification on the display panel. "Quarters have been assigned to you." He pressed a button and the doors opened. The two guards who had accompanied them entered. "Carndash and Stetter will escort you back to your ship to pick up your belongings."
"Thank you, Director. Your hospitality and assistance will figure prominently in my report to the Board." Varun and the others turned to leave. They were nearly at the door when Ruatha spoke up. "Tell us about your ship."
Varun turned. "I beg your pardon?"
"Your ship. It doesn't appear to be a class used by TaggeCo."
Varun wagged a finger. "You have a discerning eye, Adjutant Ruatha. Allegra's Heart is an independent transport that I chartered for Doctor Oktos's survey work."
"Why not take a TaggeCo ship? They have thousands in their fleet."
"Indeed they do. But, truth be told, it's a failing of the bureaucracy. The left hand didn't know what the right was doing."
"Would you care to elaborate, Manager Numarkos?"
"We secured funding for the survey mission and scheduled the trip, only to find that there were no ships available to us. I regret to say that programs like the CPI often find themselves at the bottom of the priority list for transport assignments." Numarkos wore a disappointed look to reinforce the point. "Rather than lose our budget to other projects, we elected to charter a commercial transport. Have you ever been in business, Adjutant? I can assure you these sorts of things happen more often than any of us would wish."
Ruatha made no response, but flicked her hand in dismissal. "You'll clear your work through my office, Manager. You'll submit your survey findings to my office as well."
"Of course, Adjutant," Varun gave her a bland smile. "If you'll excuse us." He ushered Taz and Tessa from the office. The doors closed behind them.
"What do you make of them, Ruatha?" Tillisk asked when they'd left.
"Too many coincidences. Two of them are from the same planet, and the woman's parents just happen to be here?" Ruatha scoffed. "I don't know why they're here, but I guarantee it's not to investigate old ruins." She crossed her arms. "I'll tell you again, security is too lax, Director. If you're not going to detain them, then at least post security at the mine entrances, the data vault, and the defense stations. And that ship should be impounded and searched."
Tafo had always tolerated Ruatha's paranoia; she was as responsible for the success of Rho-277 as he was, in her own way. Moreover, as the highest ranking political officer on the facility, she wielded a lot of authority. But her irrationality annoyed him. "Beyond your suppositions, do you have any evidence that they're not who they say they are?"
"I might have if you would let me search their vessel, and interrogate them properly."
"I have no interest in earning the Tagge Company's ire if we use too heavy a hand. Eighty percent of our mining and processing equipment is TaggeCo. Their engineers are on our technical staff." He tapped his fingertips together. "If they are who they say they are, they'll run their surveys and be gone. If they aren't, I'm certain your surveillance will uncover something."
"What about the Daro woman?"
Tafo thought a moment. Tessa Daro's dark eyes were certainly compelling. She was the kind of woman who'd filled his dreams as a younger, less powerful man. And, for all of the advantages of his station as Director, it was a lonely job. Perhaps he could get something of value, in return for letting her see them. "I see no harm in a meeting. Assign Jerric and Amanda Daro to greet our guests. They are to say nothing about our operations here, though."
"And if they use the Daros to sow some kind of dissent?"
"Then you will have your excuse to arrest and interrogate them."
Ruatha moved toward the door. "We'll do things your way for now, Tafo. Just remember, responsibility for the secrecy and security of this operation lies with you. If these TaggeCo people aren't who they seem to be, you'll be the one to pay the price." Her glare seemed to linger in the air long after she marched out of the office.
Back in her own smaller office one floor down, Vaniel locked the door. She looked into the retinal camera, opened the cabinet behind her desk, and removed a shoebox-sized instrument. She plugged its data cable into a socket under the desk, then activated it and checked the display. It would be early morning where she was calling, but it was important enough. Ruatha keyed in a frequency and her ident code, then waited.
A little arm flipped up on the box with a camera pickup. Its recording light glowed blue. A couple of seconds later the holodisplay flickered. A man's face appeared in the holo. He wiped sleep from his eyes. "Admiral Jellick," Ruatha greeted him with as much enthusiasm as she spared for any man.
The delay while her transmission traveled through subspace to the Dominus sector irritated her. She drew a deep breath. When this operation was over, she'd be able to request any posting in the Empire, however much of it remained.
"Ruatha. I trust you're calling to tell me the Kantorius is ready for trials." His voice had a mechanical tone, thanks to the dozens of encrypted subspace relays through which the signal was passing.
"Not yet, Admiral. I told you we're at least a week away."
"Then why are you interrupting my sleep?"
"I need you to run some names." she slipped a data cylinder into the subspace radio's scomp port. "A team of researchers from TaggeCo arrived today. They say they're here to catalog ruins on the planet, but I don't know. The timing seems too coincidental."
She waited for the delay, then for Jellick to read the list of names she'd sent. "It'll take a few days to push these through ISB's archives and get an answer back. Arrest them for now."
"You know Tafo won't allow that," she hissed. "He's amused by them, and he thinks we'll earn displeasure from high places if they are who they say they are, and TaggeCo decides to make an issue of it."
Jellick scowled, though it was hard to see in the heavily rasterized holo image. "Well, at least limit their movements."
"Don't tell me my job, Jellick," Vaniel snapped. "Without my help, your little Sigma Nova side project would still be a figment in your imagination."
"And you don't fool yourself, Ruatha. You're dirt on ISB High Command's boot thanks to your failure at Raxus, and you're in Sigma Nova up to your neck just like the rest of us. Just make sure you keep the new arrivals, and Tafo, on a short leash until I can vet your list." He pointed into the pickup. "Don't mess this up, Vaniel. Your cat has no lives left to spare." With that, the display went dark and Jellick cut the connection.
Vaniel spat a curse, making an unfavorable comparison of Jellick with a crude bodily function. She unplugged the comm unit and returned it to the cabinet.
Other than Tafo, no one at Rho-277 knew of the Emperor's death at the Battle of Endor, nor of the Empire's surrender. Their work mining kyber crystals to build a new force of Onager-class Star Destroyers needed to continue, if for no other reason than to provide cover for their other work. Jellick was determined to lead the effort to reconquer the Imperial territory that the fledgling New Republic had taken in the past two years. They wouldn't be able to do that with a handful of Onagers, though. On the other hand, Sigma Nova could theoretically produce thousands of ships equipped with superlasers and reinforced shields powered by kyber-enhanced reactors. Those fleets would sweep the pitiful New Republic fleet and their local allies from space and reestablish Imperial dominance, as it should be. The Emperor may have died, but his dream lived on, and Vaniel Ruatha would see it fulfilled.
The two Imperial troops wearing yeoman's uniforms left with their repulsor cart after delivering the crew and passengers of Allegra's Heart and their luggage to the small bungalow apartments they'd been assigned. Tess and Varun had politely declined separate rooms, as had Sera and Reiko.
Tess had just finished putting her clothes away. Varun was doing the same, while surreptitiously scanning for surveillance devices. He found two voice recorders, and cameras in each corner of the ceiling. "Sweetheart, can you help me with this jacket? I'm afraid I'll wrinkle it."
Tess hopped off the bed and joined him at the small closet. "You men really can't do anything on your own, can you?"
"I'm hopeless without you, it's true," Varun said, kissing her on the cheek and showing her the display on his datapad when he moved his jacket. She took the jacket and hung it in the closet, smoothing the drape of the fabric. He switched off the datapad.
The door chime rang. Varun opened it. A man and a woman, middle-aged and wearing civilian clothes, stood in the doorway. "Hello," Varun greeted them. "Can I help you?"
"I guess we're the welcoming committee," said the man. "I'm Jerric, and this is my wife Amanda."
At the sound of their names Tess turned, a sudden knot in her stomach. Varun invited them in, looking expectantly at her. Tess looked at the faces. She'd escaped from her parents' salvage ship when she was fourteen, with nothing but the clothes she wore. Over the years the details of their faces had grown dimmer in her recollection, but now, standing before her, she had no doubt. She took an unsteady step forward, her hand at her mouth. "Momma?" she said, trembling.
Amanda took a moment, then her face softened as recognition dawned. "Tess?"
Tess let out a cry of unalloyed elation and leapt toward them. She sobbed, threw her arms around their necks and kissed them. Jerric and Amanda, suddenly overcome with emotion, broke down in tears, embracing the daughter they hadn't seen in a decade. Varun stood back, grinning ear to ear at the three of them.
When they'd had a chance to calm down, Jerric and Amanda took them to their house. Amanda insisted on cooking dinner in the small kitchen, and after they'd eaten, she poured warm amber liquid into little cups.
Tess took a sip. It was nutty, sweet and a little fruity. "What is it?"
Jerric turned the cup in his big hand. "It's called sarna, a local grain, honeygirl. We let it ferment, then dry roast it to bring out its natural alcohol and give it a toasty flavor."
"Honeygirl," Tess beamed. "I haven't heard that in so long, daddy." She squeezed his hand, then wiped a tear from the corner of her eye.
Varun drank his cup and Amanda poured him another. "TaggeCo could make an impact in the beverage market with this," he said thoughtfully, pretending to consider the possibilities.
Tess hated not being able to tell them what had really happened to her after she'd escaped their ship. Varun had shown her the surveillance analysis, and it confirmed what he'd suspected; the Daro's apartment was wired just like theirs was. So instead of her years fighting the Empire as a member of the Razorclaw rebel cell and her current position in the Dufilvian Sector Force, she dutifully repeated the cover story that she and Varun had devised.
"So, tell me what happened after the Scrapper's Dream was boarded," She asked, leaning forward eagerly.
"We were detained by Imperial Customs," Jerric began. "We lacked the proper salvage permits, they said. They impounded the Dream. We never did see her again."
Amanda looked wistful. "We put a lot of good years and hard work into that ship."
"They sent us to a detention center on Kentralus VII for a few months, then we were each sentenced to twenty years' labor. When they learned about our technical and professional backgrounds they started assigning us to scrap recovery and mining operations."
"Twenty years for permit violations? That must have been terrible," Tess said, raging on the inside over the injustice. Varun, perhaps sensing her anger, put his hand over hers.
"It wasn't pleasant, dear, but we were allowed to stay together. We had it a lot better than some, I can tell you." Amanda gave Jerric a loving smile, which he returned. "Anyway, about four years ago we came here. We helped construct the base, then when the mining started, they needed someone to do quality analysis. With my degrees in geology and mineralogy, I was the natural choice, wasn't I?"
"What about you, Dad?"
"Turns out your old man is a fair hand at logistics management. The Imperial officer doing the work fell ill. I'd been assisting her, so they gave the job to me temporarily while they brought in a replacement. The replacement never came, so I guess I just kept doing the job."
"Mister and Mrs. Daro, I'm frankly a little shocked to hear your accounts," Varun commented. "Most Imperial facilities use forced labor, but conditions here are… well, let's just say that most workers at Imperial work sites are not treated nearly as well as you have been."
"It's true that we came here under indenture, but Director Tafo has a different style. Maybe it's his engineering background, but he's not an ideologue. He's more of a technocrat, with a strong affinity for efficiency."
"You don't think he has ambitions for greater things?"
"Oh, I wouldn't say that," Amanda jumped in. "He's as ambitious as any Director I've seen. But he is also a realist. It didn't take him long to see that people held in servitude and working under threat of violence don't perform as well as those who are well treated. So he 'adjusted' the rules and made a deal with us. Our freedom, so to speak, in return for our willing cooperation."
Tess looked confused. "But Mom, Beta Fonidian is in the middle of nowhere, literally. It's outside Rep— Imperial space."
"That's all right, dear. We're not much interested in the doings of the Empire, and it's really quite nice here."
"So you're saying you wouldn't want to leave?"
"Leave? Heavens no, why would we want to do such a thing? All of our friends are here, and we're doing important work."
"Don't you want to get your ship back, Dad, start up your salvage business again?"
"Well, honeygirl, I enjoyed salvage work, but what I'm doing here is just as rewarding."
Between tight teeth she said, "You know there's a war going on, don't you?"
"Of course dear. Everyone knows that. The Emperor has to bring order, and root out those filthy terrorists and their so-called Rebellion."
"Quite," Varun interjected before Tess could say anything that might get them in trouble, either with her parents or the Imperials who were undoubtedly recording their conversation. "Still, if you did want to leave, I'm sure TaggeCo could make the necessary inquiries. You'd just need to let us know."
"Oh, that's a very kind offer Varun, very kind. But we're quite happy here, aren't we dear?" She patted Jerric's hand. He nodded agreement and sipped his sarna.
They spent the rest of the night reliving Tess's childhood. Varun was careful to steer the conversation away from recent events, and to keep them on track with their manufactured backgrounds. When they finally retired, Tess and Varun returned to their bungalow.
"Think I'll take a shower," he said. "Care to join me, sweetheart?"
"Um, sure," she said.
The bathroom was small, with a glass-enclosed shower in one corner. Varun stripped, aware that there were probably hidden video pickups even here. He turned on the water spray, filling the small bathroom with steam. For good measure he activated the masker on his Hush-120 comlink, hidden in the folds of his towel. Tess came in, already undressed, and got in the shower. He slipped in behind her, took the soap and a soft sponge and began washing her back.
"Mmm, that feels good," she said. "A little lower, to the left… ah, that's the spot," she said as he worked out a little muscle spasm in her back. He let his fingers linger on the small dimples at her pelvis.
Varun bent close to her ear. "I've got the masker on and the water spray should hide our voices."
Tess nodded. He began gently scrubbing her shoulders. "I'm so happy to see them, I can hardly stand it, Varun!" she uttered with a little cry of delight. "But, not wanting to leave here… do you think they're just saying that?"
"Hard to say." He rubbed his soapy hands on her arms. Tess took the sponge and set to work on his chest. "I'd bet they aren't normally surveilled. Somebody would have discovered that after all this time, and from what we've seen of the place I don't think the workers would take too kindly to it."
"You think the monitors at Mom and Dad's house were put there because of us?"
He nodded. "I also think that means your parents are genuinely not interested in leaving, at least not yet." He cradled her face in his hands. "I know you want to take them away from here, Tessa. Before you get too upset, let's give it some time. They might change their minds."
"I just want them to come home."
"I know you do, sweetheart. I know," he soothed. He caressed her throat, touching the big scar. "They could fix this you know."
"I know. I want to keep it, to remind me of what I've lost," she looked up into his brown eyes, "and what I've gained."
Varun kissed the scar, then nuzzled her neck until she guided him to her lips. After a long kiss he said, "we're probably being monitored, you know."
"Then let's give them something to watch," she whispered, pulling him close.