Page 57 of Hunted By the Wraiths
The room erupted in discussion. Strategic planning, resource assessment, the logistics of attacking a facility that officially didn’t exist. I tuned most of it out, focused on Maris. She was processing, compartmentalizing, already running tactical scenarios.
“We’re not ready,” Serak said, cutting through the chatter. “We have the intel, but we’re one ship. A good ship, but still just one. Nexus Station, if these specs are right, is a fortress.”
“So we get help,” Alix suggested. “The colonies?—”
“Won’t believe us without proof,” Jessa interrupted. “And even with proof, they’ll debate for months while people suffer.”
“So what do we do?” Zevik asked.
Silence fell. Then Maris stood.
“We prepare,” she said. “We take this data and we analyze every byte. We find weaknesses. We identify allies. We build our case so airtight that even the Consortium can’t deny it. And then, when we’re ready—truly ready, not just angry and desperate—we move.”
“That could take weeks,” Ressh pointed out.
“Good,” I said. Everyone looked at me. “We’ve all been running on adrenaline and spite for too long. Serak’s right. We’re not ready. But we could be. With time, planning, and resources.”
“The Tamzari speaks wisdom,” Solren said. “Also, half of you are still healing from various traumas. Medical clearance for any assault would be weeks away minimum.”
Serak stood. “Then it’s decided. We have our target. We have our evidence. Now we take the time to do this right. Dismissed.”
The crew filtered out, discussing logistics and possibilities. Maris and I stayed behind.
“You okay?” I asked.
“I should have checked. I had the sensor data all along. I just... never looked.”
“You ran logs as insurance on a smuggling run, Maris. You weren’t a customs inspector. Your job was to move sealed containers, not to run forensics on them. They lied. The blame is theirs, not yours.”
She almost smiled. “When you put it that way.”
“There’s no other way to put it.” I turned her chair so she was facing me. “You were a victim, too. They used you. Now we make them pay for it.”
She stood, kissed me quick and fierce. “Let’s go watch stars and pretend we know how to be safe.”
“Sounds impossible.”
“So are all our best plans.”
“And yet we’re still alive.”
“Spite and stubbornness.”
“Our two most valuable assets.”
We left the briefing room, walked to the observation deck. The stars spread before us, infinite and indifferent. Somewhere out there was Nexus Station. Somewhere out there were answers, justice, probably more people trying to kill us.
But that was tomorrow’s problem. Or next month’s. Or next year’s.
Today, we were alive. We were together. We were healed.
For two people who’d spent years in various forms of hell, that was enough.
Maris took my hand. We stood there, watching the universe turn, the coordinates for Nexus Station still glowing faintly on the main viewscreen. The bond hummed between us, complete and content.
We’d won this round.
She didn’t look away from the stars. “They have no idea what’s coming for them, do they?”
