Page 109 of Journey to the Forbidden Zone
He hadn’t betrayed her. He’d trustedhergamble, the insane plan to bluff Corso, and played his role perfectly. He’d trustedher, even when she’d had to surrender command, even when it looked like the ultimate defeat.
She returned the nod. Curt. Meaningful. No words were needed. The bridge of theAntilleswasn’t a place for emotional speeches. But the silent exchange spoke volumes:
We survived. We did it together. Even when it looked like hell.
The tension that had held the bridge in a vise since Corso’s first taunt seemed to leach away, replaced by a profound, weary quiet. The adrenaline crash was brutal. Carmen felt it in the trembling of her hands, the deep ache in her shoulders where she’d slammed into the bulkhead in her quarters, the gritty exhaustion behind her eyes.
They were safe. For now. The assassins, whomever they were, hadn’t pursued them. Corso was likely space dust clinging to the wreckage of his pride. The immediate, crushing threats were gone.
But the Forbidden Zone was a vast unknown. TheAntilleswas a wounded bird, shields patched but weak, weapons stripped for parts to fix the jump-drive, Zed … integrated.
The debt to Velasco still hung over them, a noose just temporarily loosened. Safety was an illusion. Respite, fleeting.
“Right,” Carmen said, pushing herself out of the command chair. Her legs felt like lead. “Status reports. Full diagnostics.
“Sark, keep us drifting steady on minimal thrust for now.
“Letitia, passive sensors only, wide sweep. I want to know if anything bigger than a dust mote sneezes in this sector.
“Norvik, see what the Collective databases have on this region. Anything. Navigation hazards, known patrols, cultural protocols, fairytales, I don’t care.
“Zed—” She paused, the name feeling strange now, inadequate. “—monitor internal systems. Prioritize structuralintegrity and life support. Flag anything unusual with you … in there.”
“Understood, Captain,” the ship’s voice replied. “Processing.”
The crew moved. Slowly, stiffly, but with purpose. Sark adjusted the sub-light thrusters, his movements cautious. Letitia bent over her sensor console, her brow furrowed in concentration. Norvik settled at his station, his blue fingers already tapping interfaces, accessing the vast, encrypted networks of the Collectivist data-pools.
Carmen leaned heavily against the back of her chair, watching them. Her crew. Her battered, brilliant, infuriating family. They’d stared down mutiny, assassination, and cosmic oblivion. And they were still here. Still flying.
A fierce, protective warmth bloomed in her chest, momentarily eclipsing the exhaustion. It wasn’t control. It was something deeper. Trust, earned in fire.
She hadn’t led them to slaughter. Not this time.
“Captain?” The voice was soft, close beside her.
Carmen turned. Mila stood near the bridge hatch. She must have come up from Engineering while Carmen was absorbed.
She looked composed. Her green eyes held their usual calm focus, but there was a new depth there, a watchfulness. Her fur, the striking yellow and red stripes made her glow faintly in the dim light of the bridge.
That scent – sweet, cloying, demanding – washed over Carmen, stronger here away from the engine smells. It wasn’t just an anchor now. It was a lure. A promise. A reminder of the terrifying intimacy they’d shared amidst the chaos, the surrender that had felt like flying.
“What is it, Mila?” Carmen asked, her throat dry.
“With Zed’s consciousness now fully integrated withAntilles, engineering protocols will be … different. I suggest you andI work with Zed to optimize the interface under our new circumstances.”
Carmen stared at her. Was she asking Carmen to assist her in reprogramming the engineering station? Or did she want something else?
From the weapons console, Letitia threw her a knowing grin. Carmen blushed. She rose from the command chair.
“Good thinking,” she said. “Mila, let’s head down to Engineering. Everyone else, as you were.”
She followed Mila off the bridge, shutting the hatch behind her before she could perceive anyone’s reaction. Heat rose in her skin. Desire pooled in her belly.
“This is a complex problem,” she said. “I may need some help thinking it through.”
She let the come-on hang in the air. For a moment, she wasn’t sure Mila understood what she was proposing.
“Yes, Captain,” the Xena said, her gaze flicking over to Carmen. A wicked grin slid up her face. “I assumed you would. Perhaps your quarters would provide a better environment for working through options.”