5
Mia
All I sawof the battleship was Graves’s back and lots and lots of corridors. To say that I felt as if I’d stepped into a sci-fi movie was an understatement. I felt like I was on a battleship. It was massive. I’d need a GPS and a compass to work my way around, and we’d only switched floors twice.
People—Velerions and others most likely in the Galactic Alliance—passed and nodded their heads respectfully. I felt as if they were eyeing me funny, but I had on the same uniform they did. Well, except theirs didn’t have exactly the same Starfighter emblem. When I’d first put the new uniform on, I’d felt like I was dressing up for Halloween. I’d twisted my hair into a knot and slid my feet into the pair of boots exactly like the ones my character wore in the game. Except this was real. The fabric was soft but strong. Apparently both fire- and bulletproof, at least partially.
I would have refused to wear it, but Kass sported the same clothing, both of us in fresh uniforms he’d had ready on board his shuttle. A matching date costume then. But when we’d descended the ramp and ran into that jerk Sponder, it had all become real.
We’d barely stepped foot into our new quarters, which looked like an expensive suite in a five-star hotel. Really posh living quarters for soldiers. When I asked Graves about it, he’d shrugged.
“Starfighters are rare. Special. We take care of them the best we can.”
I didn’t have time to explore, but the rooms Kass and I would, apparently, be living in from now on were luxurious, far better than my apartment in Berlin. And we were in space. On a battleship, for God’s sake.
“How many Starfighter pairs are on this ship?” I asked.
Graves didn’t hesitate. “Two pilot pair bonds and the two of you.”
“Three?”
“Yes. After the Starfighter base attack last year, the pilots were shared strategically. You are the first and only Starfighter MCS pair we have.”
“On the ship?”
“In the Velerion fleet.”
Oh shit.
“Your arrival is fortuitous. The general is anxious to task you with discovering the source of the new attacks. With no MCS team, we have been unable to track Queen Raya’s forces or pinpoint the location of their production facilities.”
Kass walked through the rooms as I spoke to Graves. “They’ll bring our belongings?”
Graves nodded. “Your personal items have been removed from Eos Station and will arrive shortly. Starfighter Mia Becker, your items will be off-loaded from the shuttle and delivered before you are done with the general.”
“Very well. Let’s go talk to the general.”
Graves led the way through another maze of corridors and down two more floors to Jennix’s office. He hadn’t spoken more, thankfully. I would have been overwhelmed if he’d given us a running commentary. I was aware Kass was new to this assignment as well, but I had no idea if he’d ever been on this ship before or if he was mapping in his head as I was.
The entire time he was at my side. Holding my hand. Watching me. I hadn’t missed how he’d blocked Sponder’s access to me, but I didn’t need protection from a guy like him. I worked in the law enforcement and intelligence communities. Assholes didn’t exist solely in space. Even then, better to deal with an asshole than an evil monster. We had those on Earth, too.
I kept firm control of my mind, refusing to allow my tendency to overanalyze everything to take over. The ship, the crew, the reality we faced was a lot to absorb. This wasn’t Germany. This wasn’t Earth. This wasn’t even Velerion. We were on a battleship floating in outer space!
“Starfighters, General,” Graves said as we entered her office, then disappeared to tackle some other duty.
“Mia!”
Before I could even nod to my new commanding officer, I was wrapped in a huge hug.
“Oh my God, I can’t believe you’re here! Isn’t it crazy we had to meet in space instead of on Earth? We were supposed to take this meeting via comms, but I refused. I had to meet you in person. I mean, it is crazy but—”
“Let your friend breathe, bonded one,” a voice gently chided.
I was pushed back, and I could now see more of the hugger than just her brown hair. It was the voice that was familiar first, but then the face. Or it was the avatar of her I knew.
“Jamie?” I wondered, eyeing my long-lost friend up and down.
She had dark hair, a round face, and a huge smile. Bouncing on the balls of her feet, she could barely contain herself.