She laughed long and loud. “It’s a bet.”
In the end, she ate the dessert, no one had to see Hawk’s ass, and she’d get a good laugh at some future date.
It was a good night.
When Fallon woke, there was a face centimeters from hers. Since she had gone to bed alone, she immediately tried to punch it.
Raptor caught her fist. “Easy, Chief.”
“You seriously have to stop sneaking into my room.”
“But it’s fun.” He flopped back onto the bed and tried to snuggle up to her, but she was already sitting up and hitting the light panel.
“For you.”
“That’s why I do it. Besides, the Ghost has to keep his skills shiny, right?” When she glared at him, he added, “Fine. I just wanted to see you for a few minutes, privately, before we left. Once we have Colb, shit is going to come at us fast and hard. I wanted a chance to exist in the same space together before all that happens.”
That was actually kind of sweet, but she wasn’t sure how she felt about sweetness from Raptor. It was…different.
They stared at each other.
“So this is weird.” His eyes crinkled at the corners, but she saw uncharacteristic uncertainty in him.
“Very.” She smoothed nonexistent wrinkles out of the blanket.
He bumped her shoulder gently with his fist. “We’ll figure it out.”
“Yeah?”
“Sure.” His humor was back full force. “Assuming we don’t die in the coming days. But then, if we do die, we don’t have to figure it out. So, you know. Silver linings.”
She snorted and got up, headed for the necessary. “Thanks for the pep talk.”
“Anytime, Chief.”
She paused. “You seem to have switched to calling me that rather than Tempest. I noticed the others have too.”
“Have I?”
“Yes,” she affirmed.
“I guess I like it better. It fits you.”
“I think so too.”
She stepped toward the necessary, but paused again. “Do you need to shower?” She lifted a provocative eyebrow.
He was on his feet immediately. “Yes.”
The awkwardness between them disappeared. This was the part they did well.
It was go time. Fallon sat in the pilot’s chair of the Nefarious, pointed toward Zerellus and glad to be alive. The thrill of flight and the mission ahead made her feel like a supernova. She’d been waiting so long for this. The first real step in taking over Blackout.
“She’s got that look again.” Next to her, Hawk wore a long-suffering expression.
“What look?” Fallon demanded.
“Like you’re going to eat planets and shoot laserbeams out of your eyeballs.” He added, “Freaks me out.”
She grinned at him. The idea of freaking out that mountain of a man was laughable.
“What freaks you out?” Ross stepped onto the bridge.
“Spiders. Soap. Very small rocks.” She pinched her index finger and thumb together.
“Well, who isn’t afraid of spiders?” Ross stood between her and Hawk.
She smiled. Ross fit in well with her team. He seemed much more relaxed now. Maybe he appreciated the chance to get the job done as much as she did.
“What can we do for you?” she asked. She’d expected him to be in the ship’s mess hall, playing card games with Raptor and Peregrine.
“Thought I’d take a shift up here. No need for you to be glued to the bridge. It’ll take us almost two days to get there.”
“That’s thoughtful. I’ll pull up a shift schedule. You can start the next shift in two hours, but I’m fine for now. Glad for the chance to fly, actually.”
“Gotcha. I guess I’ll go take a nap so I can be fresh for my shift.”
“You’re not too keyed up to sleep?” Fallon was, at the moment.
Ross grinned, reminding her of the roguish instructor she’d once known. “It’s the benefit of age. I’ve had a lot of experience taking things one step at a time.”
“I’ll see you in two hours, then.”
After he left, Hawk stood, stretching his arms. “I’m going to give his wisdom thing a try and see if I can sleep for a while.”
“I’ve always said you could use some wisdom.”
He lightly bopped her on the head on his way out. That left her staring out into space, flying them toward their goal.
Which was how she liked it.
A day and a half later, they made it to Zerellus.
As soon as the airlock to the docking station opened, Avian Unit pushed through it. They rode the orbital elevator down to the planet’s surface, primed and eager.
All five wore a backpack, carefully filled with the items they’d need. Raptor had planned this maneuver in intricate detail. Since Ross had no transmitter tattoo, he’d stick with another team member at all times.
Wearing casual clothes, they followed Peregrine’s lead. Since she was a native Zerellian, it made perfect sense for her to bring a group of friends to her home planet. They chatted casually through the transport station and during their taxi ride, with Peregrine telling them about the planet as if none of them had ever been there.
As they neared their destination, Peregrine promised, “You’re going to love this restaurant. Best rastor dumplings in the quadrant.”
“Ugh,” Fallon said. “Maybe I should wait outside.” The stench of them seemed to fill the air already.
“In the dark?” Peregrine teased. “No way. Seriously though, don’t worry. They make plenty of other things.”
“If you say so.”
Peregrine paid their driver, and they stepped out in front of the Blue Elephant restaurant. “Ready?” she asked. When the rest of them nodded, she said, “You’re on, Raptor.”
Their jovial façade faded as he led them into the restaurant. They nodded to the hostess and walked past the main dining area, toward the wing where VIPs entertained private parties. They followed the hallway, turned left, followed another long hallway, and entered the last room.
Fallon’s attention went to a long table, already laden with food. Mashed root vegetables covered in heavy sauce, glistening cuts of juicy meat, and
