The Fringe Wars

1.4

Unfinished Business

Heid

Commandant Gabriela Heid stood before the monitor in her quarters and watched the Gryphon detach from the docking bay. The wheelchair-bound Terran's skills were impressive, especially considering the colonist's disability and lack of professional training. Heid was half-tempted to offer the pilot a job on the Arcadia. Heid could see to the repair of the colonist's spine, but she wasn't convinced that would be enough to sway the pilot to join the Arcadia's crew without conscripting the Terran into service. Still, she made a note to have Sebin add the pilot to her personal watch list.

Heid turned her attention back to the package resting on her table. Knowledge of its contents made her nauseous. When she first heard of its existence from sources far too reliable to be wrong, she knew it needed to be destroyed. Yet, despite the actions she and her counterparts had taken to ensure its demise on the Myrad hauler, it continued its path against everything Heid worked for.

She reached for the small tablet and entered her credentials. Once the machine ran through its series of encryption protocols, she fired off a message.

Mason ~

The cake is ready for delivery.

~ Baker

Within minutes, she received an encrypted response.

Baker ~

Driver will pick up the cake from you and deliver it to the party. Ensure he has it ten hours before the event.

~ Mason

She committed the message to memory and then deleted it. As she slid the tablet into her pocket, her door chimed, and her adjutant's image appeared on the monitor.

"Enter," she commanded.

The tall, well-built Alluvian strode into her quarters. "All biome kits retrieved from the fringe runner have been secured in cold storage, sir."

Heid nodded. "Let's pray the kits can be used for new settlements rather than to rebuild existing ones."

Sebin glanced at the wall panel.

She motioned to the same panel. "I already have the dampener on. The room is secure. You may speak freely."

"Any references to the package have been removed from the ship logs, Baker." He intentionally called her by the code name no one else on the Arcadia knew—a code name that would spell their deaths if it became known to the wrong person.

She sighed in relief. "Excellent work, Sebin. Today, we saved the life of Seamstress as well as the lives of thousands of Playans."

"Have you received instructions on what we are to do with the package?"

"I have. We'll be heading home to Alluvia. I imagine the crew is in need of some R&R."

His brows rose. "Alluvia? Isn't that too dangerous? What if the package breaks open?"

She shook her head. "It'll never touch Alluvia's surface. As soon as we reach orbit, Driver will relieve you of the package and see to the remainder of its journey back to its creator."

A smile crept up his face, but Heid didn't smile. Instead, she added, "We can only hope that our luck holds and that we're able to prevent the delivery of other packages."

He frowned. "Why would there be more? I thought Mason said this was an attack aimed at Vym Patel for her slander against the Collective."

She shook her head. "I believe that was merely an excuse for Myr's elite to finally initiate their efforts to take over the fringe. With the colonies under Myr's control, Alluvia wouldn't stand a chance."

Sebin thought for a moment before nodding. "Now is the perfect time for them to make their move. Anyone would be blind to not see the separatist attitudes spreading like floodwater across Myr."

She held up a finger. "And Alluvia." She sighed. "I'm afraid the time is here where people will be forced to choose sides. Those for Myr, those for Alluvia and the Collective, or those for entirely something else."

"The fringe will never support Alluvia in order to preserve the Collective. And, Alluvia will certainly never align with the fringe to bring about a new Collective."

Her jaw tightened. "Then, Myr will win." She took a deep breath. "But, let's leave that discussion for another time. Right now, we need to focus on the immediate mission of searching for other packages."

"Mason will find out if there are more," Sebin offered hopefully. "He has to."

"Let's hope he does so in time." She paused. "I'll secure the package in my personal safe along with further instructions. You know the access code. Retrieve the package the moment we reach Alluvian orbit. I'll count on you to handle it from there."

"I'll see it done." His gaze softened. "Is there anything you need?"

"No. Get some rest. You'll need it. I worry the CUF will be busier after United Day. And, as will you."

He frowned. "How so?"

She smiled warmly. "Mason said your training is near completion."

His lips parted before curling upward into a smile. Then, he stood taller and clicked his boots together. "For the free."

She clicked her boots in response. "For the Founders."