Resolution Page 6

  Nickie felt her cheeks burn as the guilt of keeping them in the dark about Barnabas’ offer surged. “Sure, as long as we’re getting paid for it.” This was a choice she had to make for herself. There would be time for everyone else to decide when she had options to offer them.

  Keen harrumphed. “This is about duty, and don’t you pretend it’s anything else, lass. Don’t think I haven’t noticed you brooding more than usual.”

  Grim waved a hand. “It’s a Grimes thing. She’ll perk up once she finds someone to annoy.”

  Durq looked around at them. “Have you all gone insane? We’re headed into a war zone. Have you heard the stories about the Ooken?” He shuddered. “Tentacles, Nickie.”

  Nickie laughed, leaning back into her captain’s chair to put her feet up in their customary place on the console. “We are not headed into a warzone. We’re not going to see any action at QT2. You can bet with certainty that my Aunt Bethany Anne has the place locked down as tightly as High Tortuga and Devon.”

  Grim chuckled at that, mandibles clicking out of rhythm. “You haven’t forgotten how your aunt gets, then.”

  Nickie narrowed her eyes at her closest friend apart from Meredith. “Time to spill, Grimmie. We have a while to go before we get to QT2.”

  Grim shook his head regretfully. “Not yet. We’re going to need a long night and that bottle of whiskey I promised.” He got to his feet and headed for the door. “Besides, we’ll be there in less than an hour. Don’t you need to do captain-y stuff?”

  Nickie did, but she wasn’t going to give Grim the satisfaction.

  Keen waved his arms to break the building tension. “Grim’s story isn’t for us to hear. I have the perfect tale to pass the time.”

  “You mean ‘sea story,’” Adelaide modified.

  Keen grinned. “You know you love hearing about my adventures.”

  “What I would like,” Adelaide declared, “is a few hours in a spa, a decent meal—“

  “I don’t see you complain while you’re eating it,” Grim protested.

  Adelaide tilted her head at him. “Not what I meant,” she told him. “We eat here all the time. I want to get dressed up and eat somewhere different.”

  Nickie sat up and rolled her knotted shoulders, ignoring the bickering. Some relaxation would be perfect. What wasn’t perfect was that her mother and her grandma were aboard the station. “Maybe another time. We’re not staying any longer than it takes to drop this cargo.”

  Adelaide pouted. “What, not even a quick tour?”

  Nickie shook her head. “Nope. We’re headed straight back to Waystation to pick up our next load. The shipyard needs these materials.”

  Not a thing to do with avoiding your family? Meredith inquired.

  Nickie rolled her eyes mentally. Fuck my life, Mere. What do you want from me? You asked me to show responsibility and I do, and you’re still not fucking happy.

  Meredith sniffed as the Gate ejected the Penitent Granddaughter at their destination. Emotion has no bearing on my assessment, as you well know. However, I am more than able to spot deflection when I see it.

  Nickie rolled her eyes and focused her attention on the screen. “Are all those big-ass guns on those asteroid pointing at us?”

  “Looks that way,” Keen replied, nervousness causing his voice to sound hoarse.

  “That would be CEREBRO’s idea of a joke,” Meredith reassured them.

  “What the fuck, CEREBRO? Nickie demanded. “Are all of the EI groups assholes?”

  The EI group responsible for the QBBS Helena laughed. “Our little joke. Welcome to QT2, Nickie. We’ll guide you in from here.”

  Meredith handed over control of the ship and CEREBRO brought them in safely. “We are currently crossing a live minefield,” they informed the crew.

  Nickie dragged her gaze from the looming station to look at the space around the Penitent Granddaughter. Sure enough, the void was strewn with a thick blanket of smallish spheres. “So why aren’t we getting blown up?”

  The answer to her question became clear when the spheres ahead of the ship parted, making way for them to reach the shipyard.

  Durq and Adelaide were speechless as the Penitent Granddaughter nosed its way in to dock at a long external strut between two ships almost the size of the battle station.

  Keen let out on the whistle. “The military’s sure as shit improved since I was last around. I’ve never seen anything like them.”

  Nickie shook her head, the corner of her mouth curling in amusement. “You won’t have, Space Marine. Welcome to my Aunt Bethany Anne’s world.”

  CEREBRO guided them in through the translucent barrier, directing the Granddaughter to one of the smaller protrusions along the strut. The ship turned and descended as mechanical arms came up from the landing pad to cradle it securely.

  Adelaide pouted when they exited the ship and the ground crew moved in to unload the Penitent Granddaughter and her precious cargo. “This is going to take a few hours. Can’t we go and explore just a little bit?” She clasped her hands in front of her chest. “Please?”

  Nickie sighed, coerced by Addie’s earnest innocence. “Fine. Just be back by the time the unloading is done. Meredith will keep you informed.”

  The crew cheered and headed as one for the airlock leading to the station.

  “Sure you don’t want to come with us?” Grim asked.

  Nickie grimaced. “No, I’m good here. Once you’ve seen one battle station, you’ve seen them all.” She waved them off with a grin. “Go and enjoy yourselves. I’ll be just fine.”

  Nickie was soon in her beloved captain’s chair. She laced her hands behind her head and settled back in for an impromptu nap. Meredith, block my comm and seal the bridge.

  Aren’t you going to visit your grandmother? Meredith inquired a bit too snarkily for Nickie’s liking.

  Nickie closed her eyes. No. She waited for the rebuke from Meredith. Again, it didn’t come. “Nice to see you’re finally learning when to shut up,” she muttered.

  “Actually, Meredith Nicole Grimes, I muted your EI for the moment.”

  Holy-shit-my-end-is-here. Nickie opened her eyes and shot out of her chair, almost tripping on her feet. Her fear was forgotten when she saw the love behind her grandmother’s anger. “Grandma Jean.”

  Jean’s stern expression melted. She held out her arms, tears in her eyes. “Get your skinny ass over here and give your grandma a hug.”

  Nickie dashed to cover the few steps between them and all but collided with Jean, squeezing her tightly around the waist. “It’s good to see you, Grandma.”

  Jean held Nickie close for a moment, then stepped back to pin her granddaughter with her patented take-no-shit glare. “How are you really? Barnabas keeps me updated on your work, but you haven’t reached out, Nickie.”

  Nickie shuffled under her grandmother’s scrutiny. “I’m sorry. I’m good. Really.”

  Jean raised an eyebrow. “So… You have just forgotten you have a family who loves you?” Her words were hard, but her tone was soft. “A visit to your mother would put her mind at ease. She worries about you.”

  Nickie turned away. “Yeah, sure. I believe you missed me, and I’m sorry for not coming to visit sooner. But my mom only cares about her damned work.”

  “Lillian sold her company earlier this year,” Jean informed her hotly. “Your mother has done nothing except wait patiently for you to pull your head out of your ass. She’s been here for the last few weeks, waiting for you to show up.”

  “Good for her,” Nickie retorted. “She can stay in whatever lab is her home in this place.”

  “You can’t avoid her forever,” Jean cautioned. “Seven years and more in exile has changed Lillian as well as you.”

  Nickie snorted. “Thanks for calling it what it really was.” She ran her fingers over the back of her chair as a thought occurred to her. “Was it you who sent Grim? I know someone did. I’m not stupid.”

  Jean shook her head. “Nothing
to do with me or your grandfather.” She raised an eyebrow curiously when the expression she expected to see on her granddaughter’s face did not appear. “You decided to quit hating your grandad?”

  Nickie frowned. “No. Not a bit. But I have learned to appreciate the training he gave me—even if he had no business training me from such a young age.”

  It was Jean’s turn to snort. “You’re kidding, right? Training you was the one thing we all agreed on. You needed it, honey. Boisterous wasn’t a strong enough word for you as a child.”

  “Kids are boisterous, Grandma,” Nickie argued. “It’s not a reason to take them away from their friends.”

  Jean tilted her head. “Would that be the drug-dealer friends or the illegal fights friends?”

  Nickie’s mouth dropped open, then she nodded. “I guess I have to take that.”

  “Damn straight, you do,” Jean replied. “You don’t learn from your mistakes by pretending they never happened.”

  Nickie nodded, hearing a truth gained through experience in her grandma’s statement. “I guess I wasn’t the easiest kid.”

  Jean patted her cheek gently. “The best ones never are. Come on, I’ll show you around the station. Have you met Giselle or Qui’nan yet?”

  Nickie’s lip curled at the mention of the civilian resources manager. “Um…Giselle, yeah. I might have pissed her off a bit.”

  Jean raised an eyebrow at Nickie. “Just a bit?”

  “Okay, a lot,” Nickie admitted. “She wasn’t the nicest. What the hell did you tell her about me?”

  Jean rolled her eyes. “You can get your behind out of this ship and make it up to her at dinner tonight.”

  Nickie hesitated. Nobody had said anything about dinner. “We’re kind of on a schedule here, Grandma.”

  Jean turned the Look on her again. “Dinner tonight. Don’t argue.”

  Nickie held up her hands in submission. “Okay, not arguing. Can I get my EI back? I need to tell my crew we’re sticking around.”

  Chapter 6 Nickie and Tabitha

  QT2 System, QBBS Helena, Shipyard

  Nickie got into the small, chunky–tired vehicle her grandma Jean had arrived in. “These are cute,” she commented as the roamer set off.

  Jean nodded. “Even cuter is that they drive themselves, so my prodigal granddaughter has time to tell me how she’s been all these years.”

  Nickie cringed. This was exactly why she hadn’t wanted to see her grandmother. She didn’t want to go through this. “You really want to rehash?”

  Jean crossed her arms. “Mmhmm.”

  Nickie’s shoulders dropped. “Look, I’m doing okay now, Grandma. Why does any of the rest of it matter? You’re not going to be proud of me if you hear what I did for the first few years.”

  Jean turned in a seat and placed a hand on Nickie’s cheek. “Baby girl, I already know what you did and where you did it. I want to hear what you went through, not what Barnabas managed to get from the authorities in the places you passed through.”

  Nickie’s face burned beneath Jean’s palm. She looked down, unable to meet her grandmother’s piercing gaze. “It’s not news. I was pissed.”

  Jean snickered. “You are so like your grandfather, it’s not even funny.” She dried her damp hand on her knee. “I’m not judging you, Merry. You paid for your mistakes. I just hope to God you’ve learned from them.”

  Nickie turned away and leaned her head against the window, looking out at nothing. “I have,” she managed eventually. “I’m trying to be a better person, Grandma.”

  “You were always a good person, Merry.” Jean reached out and tilted Nickie’s face toward her with her finger. “You just needed to start making the right choices again. You’re doing that, and I’m proud of you.”

  Nickie pulled away and turned back to the window, her eyes stinging. “I’m doing my best.”

  “That’s all I ever expect,” Jean told her gently.

  The roamer pulled up in a charging alcove and Jean led the way down the corridor, which was clearly residential, judging by the warm decor.

  Nickie took in the soft colors. “This doesn’t look much like Aunt Bethany Anne’s taste.”

  Jean shook her head, opening one of the docks. “This was Giselle’s station from the construction stage.”

  Nickie nodded, already done with the subject. She followed her grandmother into her quarters. “No Grandad?” she inquired, seeing none of John’s belongings around. “He is okay, isn’t he?”

  “He’s out there with Bethany Anne,” Jean explained. “I’m based here full-time. He visits when he has a chance.”

  Nickie decided that being pleased she had her grandma all to herself wasn’t a bad thing. She threaded an arm through Jean’s and grinned. “Thanks for coming to get me, Grandma.”

  Jean snickered. “You’re a Grimes. You sure as hell weren’t going to come out of your cave by yourself.”

  QT2 System, QBBS Helena, Main Concourse

  Adelaide wandered along arm in arm with Keen. She took the last bite from the mystery food on a stick she held in her free hand and looked up at the former Space Marine. “Look at all this! It’s more than impressive.” She waved the bare stick at the finger of rock standing proudly in the center of the concourse to illustrate her point. “Let’s go see what that is.”

  Keen mumbled his acquiescence through a mouthful of his snack and allowed Adelaide to drag him over to get a closer look at the enormous polished black stone Adelaide had pointed out.

  Keen paused to read the plaque on the railing that prevented visitors from falling into the “fish” pond encircling the engraved stone. “It’s a memorial.” He lowered his head in respect for the lost, giving his silent thanks for their service.

  “That’s so sad.” Adelaide joined Keen and the others paying their respects, quietly reading the small plaque attached to the railing in front of her. “All these lives lost.”

  She turned to Keen, sadness clouding her usually bright face. “What we’re doing now is important. It has meaning.”

  Keen placed his hand on her shoulder. “It does, Addie. Just focus on that, not on lives that are already gone.” He indicated the two-legged Yollin by the base of the memorial, painstakingly adding names to the bottom of the list with a hand-held laser device and a pot of gold paint. “You’ll see more names than that before this war is done. Best thing we can do is keep up with our delivery schedule. Keep the shipyard supplied.”

  “Shipyards,” a voice came from behind them.

  Adelaide and Keen turned as one to the speaker, the blonde woman Nickie had taken exception to earlier.

  “Giselle Foxton-Thomas,” she reminded them. “Our Queen has ordered two more shipyards built. Fleet orders have been updated to reflect the changes to the shipping schedule.”

  Keen carefully kept his face neutral. “Has our captain been informed, ma’am?” he asked.

  “She has,” Giselle replied coolly, choosing not to mention that she’d had CEREBRO pass along the orders through Nickie’s EI so she didn’t have to speak to Jean’s intimidating granddaughter again.

  Keen dipped his head. “We’d better get going, ma’am. Our captain will be expecting us.”

  Giselle nodded, and Keen took Adelaide’s arm and propelled her in the direction of the elevators before Adelaide said something they would all regret later.

  “Nickie isn’t expecting us,” Adelaide protested once they were out of hearing range. She pulled her arm from Keen’s grip and put her hands on her hips. “What’s the deal?”

  Keen waved for her to keep walking. “Nickie wasn’t expecting to have her assignment altered without being asked, and she certainly won’t have taken it well, coming from Giselle.”

  Adelaide grimaced and hurried to keep pace with him. “I didn’t consider it from that perspective.”

  Open Space, Aboard the Penitent Granddaughter, APA

  Nickie laid into the punchbag without mercy. “Stupid. Fucking. Grrrr!”

&nbs
p; She supposed she was glad of the APA Barnabas had had installed on the mid deck. It was a sharp improvement on the makeshift workout area she’d set up in the old cargo bay, which was now filled with stacked coils of metal and plastic. Nickie had a punching bag that didn’t need to be repaired every time she went to town on it, and a fully equipped APA to put it in.

  I’m sorry, Meredith repeated for the fourth time. I can hardly refuse to take communications from Mrs. Foxton-Thomas.

  Nickie growled and started in on the bag again. It’s not your fault, Mere. It’s that bitch, Giselle. I told you she didn’t like me. Shame I don’t own this place too. I could have her reassigned to bio-waste management. Why can’t my handler be some dark-eyed hottie with muscles on his muscles?

  Because we live in the real world, Meredith countered. You have another chance to make an attempt to be pleasant at dinner this evening.

  Whose side are you on? Nickie switched her stance and began adding elbow and knee strikes to her repertoire. If you ask me, she’s too uptight to deal with someone who has no time for all the political “I hate you, but I’m going to smile as if I don’t,” nicey-nicey bistok shit people like her love so much. No, thanks.

  Meredith snickered. Her opinion was hardly helped along by the less than stellar first impression you made. Besides, I think you were rude enough that I don’t blame her for avoiding further conversation with you.

  Nickie snorted. What do you know? Your personality is made from ones and zeros.

  Meredith sniffed. At least I’m consistent.

  Nickie muted Meredith and got back to working on the punching bag. She lost track of time, only surfacing from the zone she’d dropped into when Keen and Adelaide entered the APA.

  Nickie looked them over, smirking at their flushed appearances. “What the hell has you two running in here like the apocalypse just landed?”

  Keen deflated visibly. “You already know?”

  Nickie nodded. “Mmhmm.”

  Adelaide shrugged. “You’re dealing with the changes to our route a lot better than we thought you would.”

  Nickie burst out laughing. “Oh, I’m plenty pissed, but I’m not running the show. If we want to contribute, this is the role we have to fill.” She shuddered. “Ugh, I think I just did the sensible thing again. What’s wrong with me?” She began stripping the tape from her wrists and hands. “Look, none of you are contracted. You can leave anytime you like.”