Tundra, Standard Year 404 After Founding

  She was sitting by Tony’s side, near the back of the shuttle transporting them down to the planet. Behind them, the last few rows had been removed, to make room for antigrav wheelchairs. Danil and Gregory sat one row back. Upon landing, Danil would be taken to a local hospital, and the Gray Serpent’s doctor said it would be at least a week before he was fully released. The other Sarayans were still on the Gray Serpent. The prison transport would pick them up later, and take them directly to the prison. Alanna closed her eyes, thinking back on the first time she saw Tundra, the first time she saw the fleet of nuclear warheads encircling the planet. Remembering the weight of those manacles around her wrists. She flexed her hands, subconsciously reaching for the gun at her side. This trip was better.

  “So, no job.” Tony said from his seat by her side.

  “No job.” Alanna agreed. She had thanked captain Arden, truly and sincerely, for the offer. But she had declined. And now, she was headed back down to Tundra. To James. The planet below them was now completely covered in ice and the gray swirl of storm clouds, lit up by flashes of lightning so bright she could see it from the shuttle, thousands of miles above the planet. And she was engaged. Officially. Nothing short of screaming no at the top of her lungs would have stopped James from doing what he intended to do. Perhaps not even that. But then, she hadn’t tried. She was engaged. And alive. She wasn’t sure which of those two outcomes was the more surprising. “Thanks again for, you know.” She turned to Tony, not quite sure how to finish that thought.

  “You’re welcome.”

  “Moving up in the world, lieutenant commander.” Danil called out from behind her.

  “Sure. I could still be serving under Bernard Bernhard.” Alanna called back.

  “Unemployment’s looking better by the minute.” Danil agreed. “How long will half a million Tundran credits last?”

  “A few years, if you’re careful.” Gregory said from his seat next to him. “You’re all gonna have to get jobs at some point. Well, maybe not her.” He nodded towards Alanna. “But Samantha Hawk has a job.”

  “His mom.” Tony explained helpfully.

  “What does she do?”

  “Kills people.” Gregory responded, deadpan.

  “Professionally.” Tony nodded.

  “More professionally than you? That’d be pretty damn professional.” Alanna muttered under her breath. She vaguely recalled James mentioning that his mother was a sniper. But the way everyone was talking made it sound like there was more to it than that. Alanna had been sniper trained. No one ever described her as professionally killing people.

  “More professionally than anyone.” Tony responded.

  “Ok seriously, what does that mean?”

  “It means you should be very polite to Samantha Hawk.” Someone called out.

  “No one makes Sarayans disappear better than Samantha Hawk.” Someone else added.

  “She bakes great pie.” Alanna said weakly.

  “She really does.” Tony agreed.

  They were past the nuclear warheads now, and she could see the texture and swirls of the gray storm clouds below, the green lightning illuminating entire sectors of space as it flashed across the planet. And then they were there, hitting the turbulent clouds at a smooth angle, but nothing could protect the shuttle from the ferocity of the Tundran storm. Pale, Alanna grabbed her armrests, holding on with whitened knuckles as the shuttle was tossed by the wind. Her stomach lurched. Once they were through the clouds, the whole world was gleaming white snow and ice, and the hulking gray structures that made up Megalodon City, reaching out like giant fingers towards the sky. The lights in the windows of the buildings below were already on, in spite of the weak Tundran sun shining through the clouds from high overhead. The landing itself was surprisingly smooth, but the shuttle continued to rock, battered by the wind, as it coasted on towards the elevator banks that would take them all back into the space port. She was alive, she was engaged, and she was home.

  “Welcome home.” Tony said. “Let James handle the press.”

  ---

  She had to leave Danil behind. Those in wheelchairs would get taken out last, and the captain herself had ordered Alanna to go first. She walked down the center isle of the air transport shuttle, luggage in hand, trying to ignore the whistles and cat calls of the rest of the crew as she headed out.

  “Pike!” Someone called out, for no discernible reason she could think of.

  “Pike, Pike Pike!” Others echoed.

  Alanna closed her eyes for a brief moment. Clearly, she was not living that down. It was captain Arden who turned around, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Let me handle the press.” She said.

  Alanna nodded. This time, a heated tunnel connected the shuttle to the elevator banks. She assumed that this deep into the Tundran winter, it was no longer safe to be exposed to the elements, not even for the few steps it would take to get from the shuttle to the elevators. The smaller group inside the elevator banks was quieter. So quiet, she could hear the whirr of machinery as the elevator made its way down, and further down, towards the space port below. It took longer this time, and Alanna realized the depth of the snow must be even greater than before. Dozens, maybe hundreds of feet of snow, laying over her head as they made their way down. Jonno would have made a great joke about going down into your own grave, Alanna thought. Just how much press was there going to be?

  And then the elevator doors opened, and James was there, and she forgot everything else. His arms wrapped around her, holding her so tight she couldn’t catch her breath. She didn’t care. She hugged him back, holding on as tight as she could, listening to the beat of his heart as she pressed her head against his chest.

  “Walk out with me.” James whispered against her ear. He grabbed her by the hand, his fingers crushing hers as he reluctantly released her from his embrace. “And let me handle the press.” He added.

  Somehow, her instinct to question every order and suspect every motive failed her. Unthinkingly, Alanna followed. It was nothing like the press that met her on her way to the prison. That had been a handful of journalists, a few cameras flashing from a distance. This was not that. Lights flashed, illuminating the dim interior of the spaceport, the sound of dozens of voices echoed through the space that was too small to contain the crowd.

  “Don’t hide.” James said, his hand tightening on hers.

  And again, Alanna followed orders, stepping forward to stand by his side.

  “I’m going to make a statement.” Captain Arden’s clear voice rose up over the noise. Quiet descended.

  Her voice is made for this, Alanna thought as she stopped to listen, along with everyone else.

  “Lieutenant commander Summers served honorably during her mission on Titan.” Captain Arden paused, letting the silence descend and ensuring the rest of her words would not be missed. “Both times.” She added. “In the first battle of Titan, she led the Sarayans to their only victory. The forty three who took our ship did so under her command. And this time, it was our people she led to victory. A secret Sarayan station orbiting Titan has been taken, intact.” Captain Arden paused again. “And not a single Tundran life was lost. We all extend our gratitude to the lieutenant commander, who led this mission, for her bravery and valor in the line of duty.”

  Captain Arden stopped, nodding to one of the reporters in the crowd. “You have a question?” She asked.

  The woman leaned forward slightly. “Captain Arden, why did you permit a traitor to serve on your ship? Why should any of us believe that Alanna Summers deserves our trust?”

  Silence descended over the room, as everyone held their breath, waiting for the response.

  “Alanna Summers was never a traitor.” Captain Arden spoke into the silence. “I am authorized to disclose that after her decision to surrender on D12, the Sarayan government formally renounced their association with Sarayan Navy Lieutenant Alanna Summers, releasing her from her military oath and remanding her unconditionally into our custody.” Captain Arden smiled slightly, giving the press a moment to digest this news. “A full record of the exchange will be released by the end of today, with the support and endorsement” Captain Arden gave a meaningful smile towards James Hawk and Alanna, standing side by side, their hands intertwined “with the full support and endorsement” she continued “of President Hawk’s administration. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, that will be all.”

  Still somewhat in shock, Alanna followed James as he made his way towards the press. Seemingly out of nowhere, a group of people in unfamiliar gray uniforms appeared, the letters TSS embroidered in black on their gray sleeves. James continued walking without pause, trusting the Tundran Secret Service to do their job and clear the way as he walked down towards his car.

  “Captain Hawk!” A dozen voices called out.

  “Will you fight all her battles for her?” Someone shouted the question, without waiting to be called. Alanna turned to look into the eyes of another reporter, his face surprisingly close. His voice carried. The man raised an eyebrow. The question had been directed to James, but the reporter was looking directly at Alanna, knowing he hit a sore spot, challenging Alanna to break her silence.

  “Yes.” James said, stepping between them. “Yes, I will.”

  Doing her very best to channel Tony’s poker face, Alanna showed no reaction.

  “Does she need you to?” The man pressed. Sensing the potential for drama, the other journalists once again quieted down, letting the intrepid reporter take the lead. “Why the head on a pike, lieutenant commander?” The man called out into the silence. “What kind of a monster are you, to do this to your own people?”

  “Captain Bernard Bernhard was never my people.” Alanna said into the silence. “And he had it coming.”

  This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  ---

  Alanna sat quietly as James pulled out of the parking garage, onto the ice tunnel road beyond the space port. The journalists left them behind, as if there were some unspoken rules about where they could ask their questions. The front seat of the sleek black vehicle embraced her, the heated leather feeling nearly alive under her hesitant touch. She sat back, listening to the soft purr of the engine and staring out at the gleaming walls of ice towering all around her. Her hands were shaking. She studied his hands on the steering wheel as he drove with easy confidence. A stranger, and the person she trusted most on this giant, ice covered planet.

  “Still alive.” She said.

  The smile he shot her way made her feel just a little warmer. It wasn’t a stranger’s smile. It was something else. “Team effort.” He said shortly. It had not been easy, keeping Alanna alive. Keeping them all alive. But they had done it. They had won.

  “Did I screw that up?” Alanna asked, turning towards him. “With the journalists?”

  James shook his head, placing one hand along the exposed back of her neck, smiling slightly as she shivered, leaning towards him. “You were honest. And it was perfect. With the journalists, on Titan, in prison. You were perfect, Alanna. And if you had been anything less, every one of us would be broken beyond repair. Me, Tony, my father. You were perfect. And you belong here.”

  Alanna looked up at the ice towering all around her. An endless tunnel of ice. “You’re insane.” She whispered.

  James smiled. “I’m right.”

  “What I said to the reporters…”

  “Father will release a record of what we found in the brig. It will make you look like a hero, which you are, and help silence those who question the sincerity of your commitment to Tundra.” His hand reached higher, winding through the mass of silky hair along the back of her head. It was good to be home.

  “Why would your father help? I don’t know if you picked up on the subtle cues here, but he hates me.”

  “His personal views are irrelevant.” James said. “Father will protect the family. And whether he likes it or not, that includes you.”

  “Insane.” Alanna shook her head.

  “I’ll take care of my father. Trust me. I know that’s a lot to ask, under the circumstances. But believe it or not, I don’t make mistakes often.” James sighed. “I didn’t see him coming. I should have, but I didn’t.”

  “What if…”

  “No what ifs. He’s made mistakes too. And I want this more than he does. Trust me to win this, Alanna. Please.”

  “I trust you to win.” Alanna said, somewhat hesitantly.

  “And everything else?” James asked, looking over at her out of the corner of his eye. She still looked small and scared, he thought. And then, because he wanted to, he pulled her closer, until she was halfway out of her seat, the warmth of her pressed up against his side.

  “Everything else I trust less.” Alanna said softly into his shoulder, breathing in the now familiar scent. She pressed in closer.

  “What do you trust least of all?” He asked.

  Alanna shook her head, no longer looking out at the road.

  “You don’t want to tell me?”

  “Not especially.”

  “You can tell me later.” James said, his voice softening. “I’m going to take you home.”

  “With the big bathtub?” Alanna asked, somewhat wistfully.

  “Huge. More than big enough for two.”

  “More than?”

  “Mhmm.”

  “Do you often have more than two people in your bathtub?”

  “This feels like a trap.” James murmured, his hand stroking down her side, towards her hip. “Does it hurt?” He asked. She had been shot. His other hand tightened on the steering wheel. She had been shot. And if his father wasn’t the only hope Tundra had of beating Saraya…

  “No pain. The skin still doesn’t look quite right, but there’s no pain. It was just a flesh wound. I’m fine.”

  A flesh wound that burned off over two square feet of her skin, James thought. He had seen the medical records. His arm tightened around her, before he forced himself to loosen his grip. He wasn’t accustomed to feeling this kind of rage. It was unlike him. “My mom had a similar wound.” He said suddenly, surprising himself. It was easy, talking to Alanna. “Not just a flesh wound. Further in.” He moved his hand from her hip, further down until it covered the lower part of her stomach. James smiled in satisfaction as she shifted her body towards him, welcoming his touch. But even that couldn’t distract him. The fear rode with him, impossible to forget. “And that’s why she only has one child.” He continued. “My existence, is inexplicable. She shouldn’t have been able to have children at all. Just a few inches over.” Once again, his hand tightened around her. “No more military service, Alanna. Forget what I said. Forget about serving on the Black Hawk. Forget all of it. I want you home. I want you safe.”

  Alanna looked out as the road passed by before her eyes, and thought about the planet that was Tundra, and the people that lived there. Only two hundred years apart from Saraya, they spoke the same language, came from the same distant planet that was old earth. They were so similar, and yet… very different. She wasn’t so foolish as to believe she understood Tundrans. But she understood some things. “Are your parents close?” She asked.

  “Yeah, they’re close.”

  Alanna closed her eyes for a moment, feeling the chasm between them. He wasn’t just Tundran. He had grown up wealthy, loved. What could he have in common with a Sarayan orphan? “What did your mother do?” She asked, not wanting to voice any of her other thoughts. “No one will give me a straight answer. Like it’s some sort of a great mystery. What did she do?”

  “It’s not a mystery.” James said with a slight smile, taking an exit off the main road as they neared his apartment. “You know the William Thornhill administration? His cabinet?”

  “Sure, they were the ones that…” Alanna paused. “they were the ones that died.” A professional killer, Tony had said, laughter in his voice. Every member of William Thornhill’s administration had died under suspicious circumstances. Someone had hunted them down, one by one. The killer had never been found.

  “Yeah, that was mom. William Thornhill made the decision to attack Tundra. To attack Dragon City.” James looked out at the road, listening to the soft purr of the engine. “So, she killed them. Every single one. It took her nearly a decade.”

  Some of them probably didn’t agree with it, Alanna thought. But she said nothing, ice creeping up her spine. It took her nearly a decade. But she had killed them all.

  “Some of them probably didn’t support the decision.” James said out loud, echoing her thoughts. “I asked mom about that once.”

  “What did she say?”

  “She said they should have tried harder.”

  Alanna shivered. “What does she do now?”

  “She teaches at the academy. Sniper training.”

  “So if I were to disappear…”

  “You won’t disappear. My mother will love you.”

  “Because if she didn’t…?”

  “She will.” James said firmly.

  “She’s been to Saraya.” Alanna said, trying to keep the wistfulness out of her voice. “Did she hate it?”

  “Sweetheart, it’s not like she was there for fun. But she didn’t hate all of it.” James turned in again, this time into a covered garage inside his building. “She’s told me a lot of stories, about Saraya. She liked the food. She even made me some of it when I was a kid.”

  “Really?” Alanna looked over at him, her eyes brightening. “What did she make?”

  “Ah.” James smiled as the memories returned, sitting at their dining table with his parents, his mom in the kitchen, his father watching her from his chair by the fire. “She made that bread, with the green stuff in it. Dad wouldn’t stop making fun of her over that. He kept saying, green things don’t go in bread. But I liked it.”

  “Herbed bread?”

  “That sounds right. Come on.” James pulled into a parking spot and held out his hand. “Are you ready to see your new home?”

  Alanna took his hand, stopping him as he was about to exit the car. “Do you think your father wanted her in danger?” She asked quietly. “Or you?”

  James leaned across the front seat towards her, framing her face with his hands. “No.” He said. “And I know the point you’re trying to make. But that was then. We were weaker, then. Weaker and angrier, as we all rose up from the ashes of Dragon City. Father does what he does, so we don’t have to make the sacrifices he made. And I won’t. I won’t put you in danger again. I do enough. Now come on, it’s time to go home.” He got out of the car, walking around to let her out. Drawing her out by both hands, James closed the door and pressed her up against the car, trapping her easily. “Soon.” He added. “We’ll go home soon.”

  A while later and still somewhat flushed, Alanna followed James up through the parking garage, towards what she assumed would be the elevator. James carried her bag in one hand, his duffel slung over his shoulder as his other hand held her tightly, leading the way. There were none of the crowds she had seen on the first floor of Tony’s building. The garage was private, and mostly empty. They saw two people on their way to the elevator banks, both of whom nodded in their general direction, but made an effort to remain polite and avoid staring. Alanna breathed a sigh of relief as they entered the elevator alone. James scanned his wrist comm, and then they were carried up, towards what would be her new home. Maybe. Maybe for a little while.

  “I’ll get you a wrist comm tomorrow.” James offered. “There won’t be time tonight, but I’ll take care of it before I head back out.”

  Alanna glanced over at him, startled. “When?” She asked, unconsciously tightening her grip on his hand.

  “Not long. Not this time. I’m sorry.” James looked away, suddenly avoiding her eyes.

  And that terrified her more than walking onto Bernard’s ship. Because she could see that James, arrogant, self confident James, was worried about his next mission. And then they were there, walking out of the elevator into a neglected looking indoor garden, towards three sets of double glass doors. And winding down the middle of the garden, was a stream. Alanna walked across the small arched wooden bridge, shivering in the cool air. It was far colder than what the temperature had been on the Black Hawk or the Gray Serpent. She peered into the stream, finding the water teeming with life. A glowing something that looked like a cross between a flower and a tentacled monster floated by, pulsing softly. A large silver fish swam by so quickly it looked like a streak of lightning across the surface of the water. A multicolored snail moved slowly along the bottom, carrying an intricately twisted shell on its back. “Wow.” She breathed.

  “You like the garden?” James asked. “It hasn’t gotten a lot of attention lately.”

  “It’s beautiful.” Alanna said without reservation, leaning down to pick up mint from an abandoned mint patch, she breathed in the clean, fresh scent. In spite of the cold, it smelled like life. Like living, growing things. The smell she had always, until now, associated with Saraya. “I love it.” She looked up at the lights overhead. Since they were inside, the lights must be made to mirror the spectrum of their sun, or perhaps even the earth’s sun, so that the plants could grow. The warmth they exuded felt wonderful on her skin, and it was already getting warmer. She suddenly wanted to peel off that damn uniform and bask in the light.

  “You’re thinking it’s just like Saraya right now, aren’t you?”

  “Yes.” Alanna nodded. “Yes, I am.” It was certainly more like Saraya than anywhere else she had been over the past several years.

  “Fine.” James shook his head, pulling her along towards the apartment. “Just don’t tell anyone.” He led her through the middle set of glass doors, towards a hallway that was only slightly larger than Tony’s. By Sarayan standards, it was small. The hallway was lined with doors on each side, dark Tundran wood finished to a gloss so bright it felt like walking past a wall of mirrors. Opening the door on her right, Alanna was unsurprised to find that James had his own armory, in the same location as Tony’s. Barely thinking, she reached out towards what looked like a custom long range rifle. She picked it up, feeling the balance as she ran her hand along the custom, textured wood grip.

  “My mother’s.” James looked down at her, clearly bemused. “I never liked it.”

  “It’s the most beautiful gun I’ve ever seen.” Alanna breathed.

  James shook his head. The bathtub Alanna, let’s focus on the bathtub. He threw down their luggage and led her to the door directly at the end of the hallway.

  Alanna started laughing. She couldn’t help it. The glowing white tub was sunken into the floor, deep and big enough for four. The size was, as promised, completely ridiculous. The floors were poured gray concrete, the large faucet, a rich, polished black. Hesitantly, she walked towards the double sinks, running her hand along the beautiful granite beneath. Shot with veins of silvery gray that reminded her of a Tundran snow storm, the granite itself, was green. It was a small thing but it comforted her, that small bit of green among the very standard Tundran color scheme of black and gray. And there, over the ridiculously oversized bathtub, was a floor to ceiling window, opening up to the city beyond. A thousand flickering lights looked back at her underneath the darkening sky. Hundreds of hulking gray buildings blocked out the stars and the sky all around them. And beyond those gray structures, in the far distance, she could see an expanse of uninterrupted white ice that must be the frozen ocean.

  James turned on the faucet and the natural gas powered fireplace above the tub, before turning all his attention to her. Just for a moment, Alanna hesitated, the old fears coming back as she stood alone in the middle of the bathroom. And then his hands were around her and she forgot everything else. She couldn’t be afraid of James. She wanted whatever he wanted.

  Much, much later, Alanna floated in the deep, warm water, looking out towards the city lights beyond. “In the sink.” She said suddenly, and started laughing. “You were bathing in the sink.” Alanna turned around, looking over at him. And froze. “Your arm!”

  “It’s fine.”

  “It is not fine.” She traced the artificial skin running all the way up to his shoulder. “You carried the bags.”

  “If it weren’t for the damage, I would have carried you.” James grinned at her as his arm wrapped around her waist. “And I still will.” He added, with typical stubbornness.

  Alanna shrieked as he picked her up. “James!”

  “You see? No problem. Now stop struggling, I want to show you the bedroom.”