The Lost Star Episode One (19 page)

Harvey didn’t respond, which threw
Hunter.

For just a second, doubt crept into Hunter’s
mind.

“
And how do you know Meva wasn’t wrong? Why
are you so willing to trust Ava?”

“
And why aren’t you? What do you know?”
Hunter crumpled forward once more and pressed his hands on the edge
of his brother’s desk.

Harvey dropped his gaze. It was clear the
captain was trying to figure out whether to share some crucial
piece of information.

Hunter’s heart quickened. He could feel it
fluttering in his chest like a trapped bird.

His stomach started to sink.

Eventually Harvey looked up, the move
sharp, his head even jerking as his chin jutted forward. “I had no
say about Ensign Ava coming on board. She was assigned
here.”

“Excuse me? By whom?”

“
Her own government. She’s only on board
because of a diplomatic concession.”

Hunter finally understood the opaque
comment his brother had made when he demanded to know if Ava was
fit to be on board.

“
After the incident in the bar, I made
inquiries, tried to get her transferred off the Mandalay. I failed.
Her government wants her on board. So I would take the fact she
claims she will be extradited with a grain of salt.”

Hunter sat there, gut a bundle of nerves
as cold sweat slicked down his shoulders. His throat was so dry he
could barely breathe, but he pushed out a pressured,
“What?”

“
I shouldn’t have shared that information
with you. I’ll trust you’ll be discreet about it. I only told you,
because I think it’s relevant. I think you made a mistake with
Meva, Hunter. I’m sure you still have time to fix it.”

Hunter’s
head was spinning.

“
Now, I have no idea why the Avixan
government would demand that a physically weak and mostly
ineffective ensign be stationed aboard the Mandalay. It certainly
isn’t for our benefit. The only thing I can think of is if she’s
here for one reason.” Harvey looked directly at Hunter and paused.
It was clear he was waiting for Hunter to come up with some obvious
conclusion.

When Hunter didn’t respond, Harvey shook his
head and pressed forward, that same white knuckled hand spreading,
his fingers pushing hard into the desk as he stood up.

“Hunter, there is every possibility Ava is
here to spy on the other Avixans.”

“What?”

“
Think about it. That accounts for why the
other Avixans are so wary around her. It also accounts for… Shera’s
anger. And it’s the only reason why Ava would be stationed aboard
considering she has no real power. And you said yourself, Meva told
you Ava is from a higher level of society. She said Ava’s kind
oppressed the other Avixans and held them in place. So doesn’t it
make sense that they would station a spy on the Mandalay, the only
ship in the Coalition fleet with four other Avixans?”

Hunter’s mind spun. No, that was an
understatement, he couldn’t describe the way his thoughts and
feelings shifted and intertwined together, locking him in place
like chains around his throat and wrists.

Harvey took a step back from the desk,
locked his hands behind his back, and twisted his head to the
view.

Space flitted past outside. A dark swathe
split here and there with lines of light as they passed stars at
far beyond the speed of light.

“
Like I said, you can’t breathe a word of
this to anyone else. I won’t have dissent amongst the crew.” Harvey
didn’t turn, just kept his head angled towards the view, his
expression blank.

Hunter couldn’t sit still any longer. He
stumbled to his feet, ashamed his body was so undone by his reeling
mind.

For the briefest second he closed his eyes
and dragged his stiff fingers down his brow.

As soon as he did – as soon as his lids
locked close – he saw Ava again. Crumpled there on the edge of her
bed.

Lost.

Completely alone.

… Could it really be an act?

Maybe Harvey could see Hunter in the
reflection on the window, because Harvey turned, a stern expression
on his face. “Don’t be loyal to the wrong person, Hunter. That’s
got you in trouble before. Think. Be smart.”

That reprimand sent a flare of anger
arcing through Hunter’s gut. It was enough to see him curl his
hands into tight fists, enough to gain a moment of clarity from his
spinning, freefalling thoughts. “Aren’t you just guessing,
Harvey?”

That
smooth, calm control Harvey always got when he was playing
the competent captain cracked.

Hunter
saw his opportunity and took a sharp step forward, boots
squeaking across the polished floor. “Bottom line,” his voice
bottomed out low, reverberating hard through his chest and down
deep into his legs, “We know nothing about the Avixan people.
Nothing. Not a goddamn thing,” his voice arced up higher and higher
until it filled the room.

Maybe it was the intensity behind Hunter’s
expression or the force of his words, but Harvey swallowed, his
once direct gaze becoming momentarily confused.

“
This morning, neither you nor I knew that
those armlets Ava wears can kill her. We found that out the hard
way. Because you know what, Harvey? We don’t know a goddamn thing,”
Hunter repeated, voice punching out with so much power his words
were like shots from a canon. “Do you really want to keep finding
out the truth about the Avixans the hard way? Maybe you’re right
about Ava. Maybe she’s a spy,” he couldn’t control his voice and it
twisted with uncertainty and fear, “Maybe you’re wrong. But are you
really arrogant enough to base a command decision on nothing more
than a guess?”

It was the word arrogant that got Harvey’s
attention.

His brow flattened, cheeks becoming sallow
and slack. “This isn’t your call, Hunter,” he spoke through
clenched teeth, every movement of every muscle in his cheeks, jaw,
and neck visible like twanging springs.

“
You’re goddamn right this isn’t my call.
It’s your call. So for the love of god make sure it’s the right
one. You realize what could happen if you’re wrong,
right?”

Harvey’s jaw twitched again, this time the
move more violent, more erratic, as if that spring holding his
anger in check was about to snap. “What are you talking about?”

“
That the terrified ensign sitting in her
quarters is about to be extradited because you forced her to share
information she knew she shouldn’t. You happy to live with that,
Harv? You didn’t see her. I did,” Hunter’s words became slow,
snapped as his teeth locked together like magnets. “Maybe you think
she’s acting, but maybe she’s not. You really going to just stand
there when you have the power to find out?”

“What the hell are you suggesting I do?”

“
You
r goddamn job. Innocent until proven guilty, Harvey. One of
your crew members has come to you with a request for help. You can
either condemn her based on an assumption, or act like a man. Act
like a captain.” Again Hunter drove his teeth together so hard it
was a surprise he didn’t crack them. In his current mood he would
have torn his beating heart from his chest and slapped it on the
floor in front of Harvey if it would only get his brother’s goddamn
attention.

Harvey opened his mouth, the move stiff
like a stone door cracking open, but he didn’t get the chance to
speak.

There was a beep over the intercom.

“
Sir,” Commander Hastings said in a
clipped, quick tone, “You are receiving a priority one call from
Coalition Control. Patching it through now.”

Harvey stiffened, his body becoming so rigid
as he stood by the window, he resembled one of the struts holding
the wall in place.

He cleared his throat. “Captain McClane
here. I should warn you, I have a junior member of staff in my
office with me now. Is this message intended to be
classified?”

“
Even if we wanted it to be, it wouldn’t be
for long. You need to change your course and pick up Diplomat
Tarka.”

“Who? Why?”

“
The official Aide of the Ambassador of
Avixa. As for why: diplomatic concession.”

“
With all due respect, what the hell does
that mean, sir?” Harvey asked.

“
It means,” the Admiral snorted, “That the
Avixans have called and we’re jumping. Get used to it if we want to
keep them in the Coalition. And, captain, we have to keep them in
the Coalition. I shouldn’t need to remind you how trying times are
getting. The Milky Way simply isn’t what it was 10 years
ago.”

“
Admiral, the Mandalay has been plagued
with problems. I can’t advise this.”

“
We are fully aware of your current
condition. We advised the Avixans of this, but they don’t seem to
care. They want to get on the Mandalay to access their people on
board. Before you point it out, I already know how much of an ask
this is. That’s why it’s not an ask: it’s an order. Our
relationship with the Avixans is already on shaky grounds. We need
to please them. If rerouting and picking up one of their diplomats
is what they want, then it’s a small price to pay for their
help.”

“Shaky grounds?” Hunter asked before he
could stop himself.

“
Who just spoke?” the Admiral
demanded.

Harvey shot Hunter the kind of look that
told him he’d crossed the line.

Too late now.

So Hunter cleared his throat. “Lieutenant
Hunter McClane, sir. Sorry for interrupting. However, you mentioned
that our relationship with the Avixans is currently on shaky
ground. The last I heard, it was stable. If you don’t mind me
asking, what’s changed? The only reason I ask, is we have quite a
few Avixans on board.”

Harvey cracked his stiff lips open and
mouthed, “Shut up, don’t waste his time.”

Again, it was too late.

“
You have a point, son. The short answer
is: we don’t know. The long answer is: intelligence around Avixan
sectors suggests they may be heading into a period of civil
instability. It’s hard to tell, of course, because they’re the most
secretive goddamn race we’ve ever met.”

“
Civil instability?” Harvey and Hunter said
at once, tones displaying almost the exact same note of
tension.

“
Like I said, it’s a guess. But something
sure is happening behind their borders. We can only assume that the
reason this Diplomat Tarka is coming on board is to address the
concerns of the Avixans of the Mandalay.”

“… When do we pick up this Tarka?” Harvey
asked after a long, cautious pause.

“I’ve sent the coordinates. You’ll
rendezvous in the Harkan Sector tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow? Isn’t that a little quick?”
Harvey asked, surprise slackening his features.

“Whatever this is, apparently it can’t wait.
Make the proper arrangements,” the Admiral ordered.

“
Aye,” Harvey answered, features still
crumpled with concern. “But, Admiral, send through everything you
have on this civil instability. I want to know everything. We’ve
got too many Avixans on board for me to ignore this.”

“
I’ll send it through. Keep a close eye on
your Avixans. We don’t won’t the civil disturbance on their home
world to spill out onto the Mandalay.” With that, the Admiral
signed off.

Harvey stood there for several seconds, head
turned to the floor, eyes hooded by shadow.

Slowly he lifted his head and craned it
towards Hunter. “There’s your answer, Hunter.”

“What are you talking about?”

“
Civil disturbance. You want to know why
the other Avixans can’t stand Ensign Ava – there’s your answer.
She’s obviously from a different social strata. Maybe the others
are finally rising up.”

“… Listen to what you’re saying. You want a
civil war on your ship?”

Harvey stopped.

“Harv, bottom line: we know nothing.” Hunter
walked forward, footsteps resounding through the room. “Not a
goddamn thing. We have no idea what will happen next.”

Ava

She’d been confined to her quarters.

The order had come through from
the captain.

Nema had even been reassigned to a new
room.

No one had explained a thing.

Worse. Hunter, after promising to fix
everything – after staring her right in the eye and giving her hope
– hadn’t come to see her again.

It had been over 24 hours now.

She’d never felt so alone. Even in the
forever-dark tunnels of the Avixan temples, she hadn’t felt this
way.

Because now she knew what it felt like to be
free.

She sat in the corner of her room, back
pressed up against the wall, left arm locked around her knees as
she considered her right armlet with a morose expression.

… She shouldn’t have come here.

As another pang of guilt and sorrow crossed
through her gut, she moved to push a hand over her eyes.

She stopped.

Her hand tensed, her fingers curling in
together tightly and stabbing hard into her palms.

She wasn't meant to be weak. Goddammit,
she was a priestess of Avixa.

She shouldn't be pressed against the wall in
her quarters, dejectedly staring at her hands.

But what could she do?

Try to break out of her room, and she'd be
sent to the brig.

All she could do was sit here and wait.