Page 8 of Maar's Girl

I take a deep breath, then another. Slowly, I feel my mask of indifference sliding back into place. Raaj the wounded hero, not Maar the conflicted assassin.

"Just a few more days," I mutter, straightening up. "Then this will all be over."

I ignore the twinge in my chest at the thought. There's no room for feelings in this game. I've got a job to do, and I'll do it.

No matter what it costs me.

I slump back into my chair, the dossier on Alyssa spread out before me like a twisted photo album. My fingers trace the edge of a glossy image, her smile frozen in time on the red Martian landscape.

"Fuck me," I mutter, flipping through the pages.

Each photo tells a story, a journey across the galaxy. Titanus Vox: Alyssa in a lab coat, her face lit up as she examines some alien plant life. Gur: My home planet, but she looks more at ease than I ever did, chatting with locals in the bustling market.

Erebus: A stark contrast, Alyssa bundled up against the planet's eternal winter, determination etched on her face as she helps set up a refugee camp.

My breath catches as I turn to the next page. Kiphia. The lush, green world seems to mock me through the photo. Alyssa's there, of course, knee-deep in some godawful swamp, grinning like she's having the time of her life.

"You just had to be a fucking saint, didn't you?" I growl at her image.

Earth is last, a handful of shots showing Alyssa at various charity events. Always helping, always smiling. Always making my job harder without even trying.

I toss the dossier aside, rubbing my temples. "This is bullshit," I groan, reaching for my drink. The whiskey burns going down, but it doesn't dull the ache in my chest.

The comm unit on my desk chirps, making me jump. Alyssa's voice fills the room, warm and concerned. "Raaj? You missed your PT session. Everything okay?"

I stare at the blinking light, my hand hovering over the response button. The smart move would be to ignore it, to put some distance between us. But I'm tired of being smart.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I rasp, hating how easily the lie comes. "Just... lost track of time."

"Want to reschedule? I've got a break coming up, we could grab coffee instead."

Coffee. Such a normal, innocent thing. As if we're just two people, not predator and prey caught in this fucked-up dance.

"Sure," I hear myself say, even as alarm bells go off in my head. "Meet you in the cafeteria in ten?"

"Perfect! See you soon, Raaj."

The comm clicks off, leaving me alone with my thoughts and the damning evidence of Alyssa's inherent goodness scattered across my desk.

"You're in way over your head, Maar," I mutter, pushing myself to my feet. But as I head for the door, I can't shake the feeling that I'm walking towards something I can't come back from.

CHAPTER 6

ALYSSA

"And then the Odex fighters realized that their capital gunship wasn't giving backup anymore," Raaj says gesturing with his hands. "And they turned tail and ran. So fast that you'd have thought they had jetpacks!"

I clap my hands and laugh. Raaj laughs.

I haven't seen him loosen up like this since…well, ever.

He's made tremendous progress since he's been back.

I wipe tears of laughter from my eyes, savoring this moment of levity with Raaj. It's been so long since I've seen him this relaxed, this... human. The spark in his eyes reminds me of happier times, and suddenly I'm transported back to my childhood.

"You know, Raaj," I say, leaning back in my chair, "your story reminds me of growing up with the Admiral. Talk about high-pressure situations."

Raaj raises an eyebrow, curiosity piqued. "Oh? Do tell."

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