Chapter 31: Chapter 31: Secrets

Yvian stretched as she exited the medpod. She really needed to stop getting hurt so much. The damned thing was starting to feel almost as familiar as her own bed. She flexed her shiny new arm. It moved and felt the same as the one she had lost. These Venturetech machines really were top of the line. She hadn't known it was possible to regrow tissues, let alone entire limbs, before she'd met the Captain.

Speaking of the Captain, she wondered how things were going on the bridge. An argument had broken out shortly after the human had admitted to being a Federation spy. Lissa had taken exception to the idea that Mims had kept such a thing secret from them. It had started civilly enough, but Yvian knew her sister well enough to know it would escalate rapidly. She'd waved the stump that used to be her forearm and asked if things with the Vrrl had died down enough that she could treat her wounds. The Captain had sighed and said that might be a good idea. He could sense the storm behind Lissa's eyes as clearly as she.

Yvian stripped out of her mangled voidarmor. She hadn't dared remove it before entering the pod. Seeing a lost limb and hole in her abdomen had been disturbing. Feeling it without the suit's PAIN REMOVAL was an experience she'd preferred to avoid.

To her surprise and delight, a new GR17 sat neatly folded on the med table across from her. A note in the Captain's clipped, precise handwriting asked her to put the old damaged one in the repair station in the armory. Yvian did as she was told before making her way up to the bridge.

Mims was sitting alone, watching the sensors. He looked up when she walked in. "The Vrrl are almost out of the system. Another half hour or so and they'll be gone."

Yvian nodded, looking out the viewports. They were in a hangar bay. She guessed they were docked in the Ancillary. "Where's Lissa?"

"Sleeping." The Captain yawned. There were bags under his eyes. Yvian realized he hadn't slept since before they'd brought Blingy to the hub. What was that, thirty hours ago? Forty?

"You guys work things out?" Yvian was a little hurt he hadn't told them he was a spy for the humans, but not nearly as mad as Lissa had been. That wasn't the sort of information one shared casually. If the Confed got even a hint he was a spy, they would hunt him to the edge of the void. That he'd admitted it at all was huge show of trust.

"Not really." Mims yawned again.

Yvian took a seat and pulled sensors up on her own console. The Vrrl fighters were gathered around the capitol ships, moving for the Gate at a leisurely two hundred meters per second. "Why didn't you tell us earlier?" she asked.

Mims shrugged. "Wouldn't be much of a spy if I did." He stood, stretching. "Keep an eye on the Vrrl. I'm going to make us some breakfast." He shuffled off the bridge with another yawn.

The Vrrl went through the Gate. Yvian wandered down to the kitchen. Mims had just finished laying out breakfast. Yvian's mouth watered at the smell. Bacon. Scrambled eggs. Fried potatoes. Bright Lady, yes.

Lissa was already sitting down, nursing a beer. Mims handed one to Yvian as well. For himself, he poured a glass of orange juice and a cup of coffee. Yvian had tried coffee before, but she still didn't understand why the human like the stimulant so much. Beer was far superior.

They ate in silence. Lissa glared daggers at the Captain. Mims ignored it. Yvian watched them both, trying to come up with a way to ease the tension. She couldn't think of anything.

When they'd finished, the Captain sat back. "Alright, here's the plan. There's a Federation outpost in Unclaimed Sector 137. It's disguised as a pirate base. We'll dock there and meet my contact. She should be able to get us a meeting with command."

"Are you sure you want to take us to your secret base?" Lissa asked, glowering. "Mr. I'll Only Tell You When It's Relevant."

"My handlers won't like it," the human admitted. "There's a chance they'll try to kill you. If you don't want to take the risk, you can stay on the Ancillary and I'll go alone in the Encounter."

"Why are we taking the Ancillary, anyway?" Yvian asked. "The Encounter's faster."

"I didn't want to leave her at Migo's shipyard after what happened with the Paradigm," Mims explained, "Also, we can't access the Nex outside of the Confed, so we can't remote access her once we leave. Ancillary's a good support ship. I'd rather keep her with us."

"Are we seriously not going to talk about this?" Lissa interrupted. "You lied to us."

"I did not lie." Lissa opened her mouth to speak again, but the Captain raised a hand to forestall her. "But I would." Lissa blinked, confused. "I'll lie to both of you if my reasons are good enough. I won't do it lightly, but I will if I need to."

The Captain leaned forward, addressing Lissa. "You're angry because you don't feel trusted. I understand. I do. But you're wrong. Right now, the recorders in your voidarmor hold undeniable proof that I am a spy for the most hated nation in the verse. If the Confederation learns of such a thing, they won't just kill me. They'll start a war of extinction with humankind. You don't just hold my life in your hands, Lissa. You hold the lives of my entire species. And that's not even counting what we've done with the Xill, what we're doing now" He reached out, placing a hand on Lissa's shoulder. His eyes softened, face still grim. "You are not the one that cannot be trusted, Lissa." He released her, eyes hardening again. "I am."

Lissa stared at him. "Mark..."

The human continued: "I have secrets. A lot of them. Some I'll tell you. Some I won't. You want to know if you can trust me? You can't." He picked up his coffee. "Not completely. Not the way I trust you." He turned the cup in his hands, then set it down, meeting Lissa's eyes, than Yvian's. " I'm a privateer. A killer for hire. Secrets and lies are part of the life. That won't change no matter how much I...no matter how important you are to me."

"Mark, are..." Lissa glower had been replaced with confusion, hurt. Her eyes were moist. "Are you saying...?"

"I'm just trying to be as honest as I can," Mims told her. "For what it's worth, I am sorry. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings." He stood abruptly, gathering dishes to take to the sink. "If you want out, I'll understand. You can take the Ancillary. If you want to stay on the crew, but end our relationship, I'll try to accommodate you. I can't guarantee I can keep things professional, but I will try."

Lissa stared for a moment, tears dangerously close to falling. She wiped her eyes and said, "Mark, you dumbass. You should have lead with that." She got up and hugged him from behind. He set down his dishes and clasped his hands over hers. "So. How long were you working on that speech, anyway."

"Some secrets I'll tell you," he said. "Some I won't."

"Ok, then tell me a secret." She let go of the human and went back to the table, smiling.

"I am filthy stinking rich."

"I already know that one," she chided. gathering up her plate. "Tell me a better one."

Mims considered. "When we first met, I was more interested in Yvian that I was in you."

Yvian's eyes widened. Did he just...?

Lissa's eyes narrowed. "You were what?"

Ten minutes later found them back on the bridge. "You were using wiles on me," Mims explained. The ship's computer counted the Jumpdrive's progress in the background. "It was off-putting. Yvian was more...earnest."

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"She tried to kill you," Lissa pointed out.

"Exactly," Mims agreed. "Her reactions were completely honest, which made her apology more impactful. If it had been you, I would have assumed you were trying to manipulate me."

"I was trying to manipulate you." Lissa admitted. "So if you'd met me first, instead of Yvian..."

"I'd have dumped you both in cryopods and left you with the others," Mims finished.

"Huh." Lissa thought for a moment. "So who do you like better, now?"

"Are you sure you wanna know?" Yvian couldn't see his face through the helmet, but she knew the grin was there. Lissa smacked him on the shoulder, also (probably) grinning. The Jump Effect took hold.

Yvian pulled up sensors while Lissa ran a system check. The Captain pulled up flight control and prepared to maneuver. Yvian's console flashed a warning.

"We're being targeted," she warned the Captain. "Confederation military cruiser, distance thirty kilometers." The cruiser was flanked by two frigates, along with eighteen fighters and a dozen interceptors. "They've got a fleet with them."

"What the hell?" Mims reached for the comms, but they were already being hailed. "Attention vessel, this is Captain Varna of the Confederation Military. Identify yourself." The voice was female. The name told Yvian that the speaker was a trelg.

"This is Captain Mims of the Ancillary," Mims replied. "What can I do for you?"

"You can... wait, did you say Mims?" The voice was surprised. "As in Madlad Mims?"

"The one and only."

Yvian panned the sensors out, looking for the pirate station. She found it surrounded by Confed Military ships. They were pounding down it's shields in a coordinated assault.

"I had an uncle at Milvari!" Captain Varna gushed. She paused. "Wait, I heard you were dead."

"I've been getting that a lot." Yvian sent her sensor display to the human's console. He gave her a nod. "So what are you guys doing out in unclaimed space?"

"Hunting smugglers," she told him. "We got a tip that a lot of illegal weapons make their way through this sector. We think it's the main source for the Freedom Republic Pirates."

"Interesting," Mims remarked. "I would've thought the Trelg Militia would be handling something like this."

"They should be," said the trelg. "But that asshole Tharn's keeping them close to home. He's terrified Barillas is gonna make off with another one of their stations."

"Yeah, that sounds like him." Mims agreed. "So does this mean the Military's hunting the Commandant?"

"Beats me," Varna told him. "I'm just here to catch any stragglers that come off the station. Speaking of which," her voice sharpened slightly. "What business brings you to this sector? You gonna tell me you're out hunting smugglers, too?"

"I hunt pirates," Mims asserted. "Smugglers are kind of beneath me."

"Then why are you here?"

"I was on my way to that Pirate base," the human confessed, "To buy illegal weapons."

"And you're just going to admit it?" Varna asked, nonplused. "I can see why they call you the Madlad."

"I have a license to carry them," the Captain explained, "But there aren't many places that sell them legally. Buying them in unclaimed space doesn't technically break any rules."

"I see." Yvian's sensors showed the cruiser had dropped its target lock. "Well, you're out of luck, Mims. We're turning that station into dust. If I were you I'd get out of here before someone takes you for a smuggler."

"Good idea," Mims started to turn the Ancillary around. "Thank you for your time, Captain Varna. It was nice to meet you."

"Of course it was," Varna preened. "I'm pleasant and very likable. Stay safe, human, and keep your nose clean. Varna out."

The Captain made sure the comms were off, then issued a blistering series of curses. "Now I know why they weren't answering comms."

"Do you think your contact got out?" Lissa asked.

"Don't know," Mims muttered. "No way to check."

"What do we do now?" asked Yvian.

"Something I'd hoped never to do again." The Captain pulled up his nav console, typing in a sequence Yvian hadn't seen him use before. The screen changed, panned out, revealing a map of systems she hadn't seen previously. She leaned over for a closer look. It was a map of the Terran Federation's Gate network.

"We're going to Aldara."

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