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"I'll help the others." I stepped aside to let a couple of security officers and the four Freytauri step off the pod. The former hosts still looked dazed, but judging by the haunted looks in their eyes, their memories were returning. I didn't envy them for a moment. The anguish they would suffer for the next while would be immense. Likely, they would never fully recover.
Before they could take more than a couple of steps away from the pod, I stopped them to ask, "I don't suppose you know a Danec, son of Jaek, or Slek, son of Arron, do you?"
They all gave me the same blank look and faint head shake, before the security officers urged them to trudge on.
"Friends of yours?" Marshall asked. She seemed genuinely interested.
"Yeah," I said, but my guard was up. I decided against telling her more, in case she decided I was too close, emotionally, to handle the mission. Unlike J'avet, I didn't work for GASP, so technically I didn't answer to Marshall.
On the other hand, I was pretty sure if she wanted me out of the way, she would do it, and apologise to the medical arm of the IF later. Or not apologise. I didn't think she'd actually be sorry for anything she did. She didn't get to captain a ship without being confident with her choices.
"Go and help your teammates." She nodded toward the pod. "Then get some rest. You look like you need it. And make sure J'avet sees a doctor, or I will." She turned and walked away.
"I'm not his keeper," I said under my breath and to her back. I headed back into the pod.
"I don't suppose there's any chance of sneaking back off Gamma?" I asked.
Brinley glanced up from the bag she was placing tools into. "Probably not, no. Why?"
I told her what Marshall said. By the time I finished, Brinley was frowning. E'rel wore his customary scowl.
"I guess we're safer on here anyway," I said, as if I didn't feel defeated.
"Do you think she'll let us off when we reach Iri space?" Brinley asked. "She might be imagining the glory of defeating those nanobots." She grimaced.
"If we don't proceed with stealth, we will fail," E'rel said bluntly. "Her ego may doom the galaxy."
That would make a great tagline for a book or movie, but in real life it scared the shit out of me.
"We'll have to do whatever we can to make sure that doesn't happen," I said firmly. "This is bigger than her, too."
I turned my face slightly to see a security officer standing near the doorway. No doubt he'd heard everything we said. We'd have to watch ourselves. Although, we hadn't said anything we wouldn't want Marshall to hear.
Yet.
"Here." I reached for one of the bags and swung it over my shoulder along with my own bag. "Lucky we didn't unpack when we left the other pod."
Brinley smiled. "Yeah. We didn't even have time to get comfortable."
"No one could get comfortable on a pod," E'rel grumbled.
"Oh, I don't know," I said lightly. "It's better than a tent. Unless you're being fired on."
"I'd rather be fired on in a pod than in a tent," Brinley said. "The chance of surviving is slightly higher."
"Approximately 52 percent higher," E'rel said. "You cannot flee from a pod which is in space." He frowned as if annoyed at himself for taking part in our silly conversation.
"Good point," I said cheerfully. "At least we can flee from this one." I stepped back out of the pod and flashed the Agusian security officer a warm smile.
He gave me a funny look and his antennas bent to follow me as I moved away. For someone of the same species, he didn't look much like Zarex, but the antenna action made me miss the commander acutely.
I wanted to fast forward to when this was over and we were all safe. If only life worked that way.
We stepped out the pod bay doors, only to be greeted by yet more security officers.
"We'll show you to your cabins," one said.
I had a sense of déjà vu. After the attack on Infinity, we were 'guests' on board another ship.
