Dante’s son, Nico, wandered by with a plate stacked high with food. “Good food!”
“Did you leave any for the rest of us?” Eric teased.
The kid grinned. “Only if you get there before Dante.”
“We still on for a robotic repair session tomorrow? If you’re going to keep crashing that bot, you need to learn how to repair it yourself.”
“I’ll be there!”
The kid was gone a second later, no doubt to tell his parents about both the food and the training session. Tyra hugged him and directed a smile in Eric’s direction. The kid had been a street rat when Tyra found him, and he was still trying to find a way to leave that part of his life behind him. Eric understood better than most the temptation to fall into old habits, and he did what he could to keep Nico busy and away from trouble.
“What was that about?” Nyx asked, sliding in next to him and resting her head on his shoulder, though she was careful not to put too much pressure on the area where his new tattoo sat. It was a stylized image of a winged woman emerging from a storm cloud to ascend into a clear sky. Nyx had one just like it.
“Robotics repair session tomorrow. Dante wants Nico to learn about consequences. He broke his racing bot again, so I’m going to show him how to fix it.”
“It’s a good lesson. Good skillset, too. He’s a lucky kid to have people who care so much about him.”
“They care about you, too. Tyra already came by to ask how you’re doing.”
Nyx smiled. “You mean she wants to know if I’m ready to meet her friends at the Nova Club. I know it’s been hard on her, not telling them about me. Echo was their friend, and seeing me is going to bring up a lot of complicated feelings, but it can’t be easy for her to keep my presence here a secret, either.”
“That’s part of it. She’s still feeling guilty she didn’t know they deactivated your codes without telling you, too.”
Nyx shrugged dismissively. “It wasn’t her fault. Not everyone is as caring or careful, as she is.” She glanced over at Tyra. “I’ll talk to her. I don’t want her feeling bad about something she had no control over. As for the other issue.” She looked up at him and smiled a little. “I guess it’s time I met the cyborgs from the Nova Club. I can’t stay hidden from them forever. We’re all just going to have to work through the weirdness.”
“You sure?” He didn’t want her taking on too much, too soon. As strong as she was, he knew none of this was easy for her. Plus, he’d come across some worrying intel about the Nova club. Someone was spying on them. He’d sent his friends what he had, along with a warning, but he didn’t want Nyx getting caught in the middle of another crisis so soon.
“I’m sure. But not until after Shadow leaves.” There was a hint of sadness in her voice, but there was acceptance, too.
“She’s going to a good place. The Vardarians are decent beings, and the cyborgs there have formed a solid community.”
“I know.” She shot him an amused glance. “You keep telling me. And your friend Phaedra is there. I’m not worried about Shadow. She’s going to be fine. And we’ve got an invitation to visit once she’s settled in.”
“We do. I’m looking forward to it. I haven’t taken leave in more than a year. It would be nice to breathe real atmosphere for a while.”
She looked dubious. “Air is air, isn’t it?”
“You’ll see. Being on a planet is very different from being on a ship or a station like this one.”
Dax rapped his knuckles on the wall and everyone settled into an expectant silence. “Shadow, we all just wanted to wish you a safe journey, and a peaceful start to your new life on Liberty.”
There was a collective surge of well wishes and agreement, and Shadow ducked her head to hide a blush.
“We’re also here for another reason. Nyx, will you come over here, please?”
Nyx straightened and shot him a confused look.
“Surprise,” he winked at her. “Go on.”
“Nyx. You’ve been a guest of Nova Force since you’re arrival on the station. We thought it was time that changed.” Dax held up an ID badge and a keycard. “These are for you. You’re now officially registered as Erben’s partner, which makes you the bravest woman on the station.”
There was another round of cheering, this one louder and full of laughter.
“Thank you.” Nyx took the offered items and beamed at everyone around her. “But you’ve got it backward. Eric is the brave one.”
More laughter, and then Dax pulled out a data tablet and presented it to her.
“What’s this?” she asked.
“A job offer. You don’t have to give me an answer now, but you’ve been invited to join Nova Force, as a consultant. You’re the closest thing we have to an expert on the Gray Men.” Dax looked around the room, his expression somber. “The fight is only going to get harder from now on. I’ve spoken to Colonel Bahl. Things are going to change. The gloves are coming off, team. New rules. New goals.” He glanced at Nyx. “New allies.”
“I’d go on missions? Work with your team?”
“That’s the plan,” Dax said, and Eric nodded to her.
“We already picked out a nickname for you,” Dante announced.
“C’mon, Chaos. Say yes. This team needs more estrogen!” Aria added.
Nyx looked back at Eric, her gray eyes shining. “I could make a difference.”
The moment she said those words, he knew what her answer would be. Only she didn’t get a chance to accept before everyone’s comms went off at once.
It was a summons for a briefing. High priority.
“Well, at least we’re in the right place,” Dante muttered. He turned to Tyra and kissed her. “I got to go to work, Shortcake. See you at home, later?”
“Later. Come on, Nico. Party’s over. Yes, you can take your plate with you.”
Dax was still reading and spoke without looking up from his comm. “Nyx and Shadow, you’re going to want to stay for this. Blink, secure the room. Magi, the Colonel is going to need a holo-link, make it happen.”
In a matter of seconds, the table was cleared off, the chairs rearranged, and everyone took their seats. Nyx stood behind him, her hand on his shoulder, and Shadow leaned up against the wall behind Cris.
Colonel Bahl’s hologram shimmered into existence at the far end of the table. She looked around the room, wincing slightly when she spotted the decorations still in place. “Sorry to interrupt, but I wanted you all to hear the news from me, first.”
“What the fraxx happened, Colonel?” Dax asked, his voice edged in ice. He clearly knew more than the rest of them already.
“Five hours ago, Dr. Jules Absalom collapsed in his cell. Medics were dispatched immediately, but he has remained non-responsive despite all attempts at treatment.”
“Is he dying?” Dax asked.
“In some ways, he’s already dead. There’s almost no higher brain function at all.”
“How?” Dax asked.
Bahl frowned. “We don’t know that, either. Halverson is too busy declaring his innocence to be of much use. They were only a few hours away from IAF HQ when this happened, we’re doing interviews and trying to determine what happened, but it’s going to take time.”