Lieutenant Aria Pantel jolted awake. Her heart was trying to punch itself out of her chest. Icy sweat layered her skin. Panting echoed off the bare walls of her room as she threw off the sheets that constricted her. Surrounded by darkness, she could not make out her enemies. The glint of a datapad resting on an end table caught her eye. She snapped it up. Swinging it as a weapon of last resort, it cut through the air poorly.

“Where are you?” she screamed. “Where...where am I?” Her stomach was knotted. She could have vomited if not for the fear she held for her life.

Overhead, a blinking red light recentered her mind. It was her bedroom’s oxygen detector. She was alone. She was still in her private quarters aboard the starship Century. She was still second-in-command and orbiting in space with the companionship of her loyal comrades. There was no danger, no aliens chasing her through the hallways. No crashing ships or burning control rooms. Just another dream. Another one to add to her troubles.

The adrenaline slowly flushed from her veins. She carefully lowered herself into the chair of her austere metal desk. It took both hands, but she was able to jostle free a ventilation grate upon the wall. A bottle of liquor clanked against the edge of the hole as she pulled it out. The liquid disappeared before her eyes as she knocked back one swig after another. She felt sleepiness creeping up on her and hoped this time she would stay down. The bottle cracked on the floor as it slipped from her fingers. Sleep scooped her into its tender embrace and whisked her away, far away from the worst week in recent memory.

The next morning inside her office, Aria’s starport shade retracted, coffee machine whirred, and her seven monitors sparked to life. The local sun’s light filled the gray room. Her metal home among the stars seemed a touch less sterile.

Aria dropped into her zero-G chair and glided weightlessly across the floor until she could reach her coffee. This cold, artificial, energizing brew, only differentiated from water by a few skillful chemical compositions, held little resemblance to the warm nectar of the gods on her Martian home world. She should have purchased a crate in bulk during the crew’s last shore leave, but she failed to find the time to get off the ship.

Nevertheless, she held steady her favorite mug while she concocted a dangerous ratio of liquor-to-brew with a bottle taped under her desk. This mug was her oldest possession, having been with her even before the Academy. It was made from Martian clay and had taken its fair share of bumps. Little chips and scratches reminded her of herself. She admired it so much because, like her, it had the resilience to bounce back from almost anything. And that was an appreciated trait in a workplace that often sent tableware flying across the room.

She tolerated the thin liquid sloshing down her throat as she gazed out her port window. The stars twinkled behind the spectacular view of their celestial dance partner, Planet 748-B.

The lush jungle planet was painted with green and blue landscapes filled with natural resources both mineral and fauna. Thirsty rangeland and sparse jungles made up the majority of the planet’s topography. Just on the horizon, the star Polaris-22 was emerging and casting its blanket of sunshine across the globe. This planet was her mission. She assisted the Captain and his crew on the edge of Federation space to investigate newly discovered humanoid settlements. She was familiar with this type of high-pressure work after years of serving aboard this science vessel.

A mountain of morning reports awaited in her inbox. Every one needed to be reviewed, verified, and summarized for the Captain. And the clock was ticking. Her immense struggle to rise from bed and make it across the ship to her office left little to no time for easing into the day. She shuffled to her wall of monitors and brought the hangar camera footage into focus. She opened up the first report.

“Let’s see. No shuttles were used for overnight assignments.” She scrubbed the footage back and forth to confirm no vehicles left or returned during the night. But on screen three, one shuttle did dock at approximately four in the morning. She searched her reports. There was no record of this trip.

“Who are you and what are you doing, mystery person?” She zoomed in on the small craft’s door. A man stepped out. She dragged her palm over her face. “Why did it have to be you?”

Hansel Heinrich descended a ramp and shook hands with a ship handling officer. The officer was of no important rank, but catching Doctor Heinrich, distinguished guest of the Century, filled her with both satisfaction and annoyance. Her storied relationship with the good doctor could be described by either of them as extremely complicated.

Hansel, famous Biologist and ranking member of the Federation’s Governing Medical Board, was a tag-along aboard the ship. He had his own mission that casually aligned with their own, but Aria could not care less about that. His presence was bothersome. She was irritated seeing his face even on video. She wanted to punch him in his perfect mouth, with his soft lips, straight teeth, and slap him across his stupid head. Her palm could collide against his thick head of blonde hair, maybe her fingers slipped through his locks as they grazed his big brain, and it would not be entirely without merit if she said something nasty about his broad shoulders or strong arms. Again, their relationship was complicated.

She was anxious about the disciplinary conversation she would now need to have with him. While just a minor offense, this was a clear violation of the ship’s records policies. And she knew she would have little impact since, as a guest scientific official, he was not technically under her purview. But she was responsible for the safety and success of their mission and would be justified to challenge and correct unauthorized behavior. Despite this reality, she suspected any disciplinary outcome she handed down would not even matter. The Captain tried not to complicate the already tenuous relationship between the military and the galactic scientific community. He would probably let him off with a slap on the wrist.

In order to stick it to this pompous, self-absorbed prick, she would need to catch him in the act of something absolutely criminal. Upon closer examination of his figure, a revelation struck.

“Is that an expedition suit?”

She zoomed in on a garment in his hands. It was a little hard to make out, but the fabric was thick, white with gold trim. A glassy globe helmet hung from his fingers.

“You wouldn’t have dared!”

She whipped open her regulations manual and scanned the file. Ah, yes. There it was. A potential E-1 civilization violation. Cackling with delight, she rushed into the hallway. It was a long trek to the other side of the ship, but she finally stumbled into the hangar and scanned the ship bays, catching her breath.

There was no sign of Hansel. Of course he would not be there. The video was a recording. She was so overcome with excitement that she forgot that momentarily. Regardless, this was only a minor setback. She had the grainy footage and now she just needed to gather a few supporting pieces of evidence to make her case irrefutable. Footsteps came from the nearest docking station. That sounded like a lead to her. She approached the bay and spotted Officer Zenee Lazelday, who had greeted Hansel in the video, and noticed her marking records on her datapad.

“Zenee, right?” she greeted informally.

“Oh, Lieutenant Pantel!” Zenee saluted. “It’s a treat seeing you on my side of the ship. What brings you out here so early? I won’t have my morning report ready for another half hour or so.”

Aria smiled warmly. “No worries. I’m just making the rounds and checking on my fellow gals. How are things going down here?” She paced past Zenee toward the shuttle she saw in the video. She engaged the door handle. The ship’s ramp opened slowly with a swoosh of its hydraulic gears.

“Everything is peachy here, Lieutenant.” Zenee managed a slight smile. She was stiff. Her stance was formal.

Aria fostered this type of response from her crew. A culture of respect made command easier. Still, a tender hand had its place. She began this discussion with the facade of gentleness, but Aria was here to hunt. “Can you give me a rundown on the report?”

Zenee ran her finger along her datapad screen. “Of course. One repair drone and three shuttle recons are scheduled for later today.”

“Is that everything you’re reporting?”

“That’s the outlook for the rest of the day, sir.”

“That’s not what I asked. Is that everything from your report? Specifically, were there any other launches this morning?”

“Uh…”

Aria let Zenee flounder for a moment. She stepped inside the shuttle. Her feet echoed through the barren interior. The cabin was clean. Too clean. Someone went to extra lengths to ensure this shuttle looked unused.

“When was the last time this vehicle was taken out?”

Zenee stepped inside as well. Aria noticed Zenee’s fingers trembling ever so slightly as she consulted her datapad. “Maybe this morning? Let me check. Um...yes. This morning, sir.” She dodged eye contact. Her gaze was pinned to her datapad.

Aria studied the surface of the steering controls in the cabin. She felt like a forensic investigator in search of fingerprints. “Why didn’t you mention that when I asked?”

“I-I’m sorry, sir. I must have gotten confused.” She finally reciprocated Aria’s stare with a smile and a shrug of her shoulders.

Aria did not react. As the silence extended, the situation was growing awkward. She was making it awkward on purpose. She counted in her head until she was sure Zenee was sweating.

Zenee blinked twice. “Um…”

Aria waved dismissively. “Don’t forget to include everything in the report. I want it in twenty minutes.”

She stepped around Zenee and headed for the door. The barely audible sigh of relief behind her made Aria smile. It was time to go in for the kill.

She paused in the doorway blocking the only exit with her whole body. “Lazelday, who took this shuttle out this morning?”

“I...uh, I’ll be sure to include that in the report as you requested. I don’t remember off the top of my head…”

“Who?”

“I’m sorry, sir. I don’t…”

Aria turned. “What hold does Dr. Heinrich have over you?” She stomped toward Zenee. “You are a soldier first. Your loyalty is to this crew and your colleagues.”

She raised her hand quickly. Zenee flinched for the coming attack. But Aria cradled Zenee’s cheek instead. Her fingers were soft but her grip was firm.

“Your loyalty is to me. Tell me what Dr. Heinrich was up to. Espionage? Sabotage? Both?”

“N-no, sir! He said he was gathering samples of the fauna of the planet’s jungles! I’m sorry!” Zenee sniveled and choked back tears. “Please, I didn’t mean to lie to you! He was calling in a favor. I owed him for a plant salve that I asked him to make me a few starports back.”

Aria raised an eyebrow. “Are you involved in illegal drugs?”

“Gosh, no! Not like that. It’s for...uh, how do I say this?” Zenee’s face turned red. “It’s a topical substance that...um, makes me...helps me get in the mood.”

Aria rolled her eyes. “For goodness’ sake, Zenee.”

She released Zenee and stepped out of the shuttle. She stared out the hangar port at the stars and waited. Hansel had developed a few new tricks since their days at the Academy. Still the same old little chemical side-gig he used to run back then, but now he was branching into exotic substances. Surely there was money to be made, but it appeared he was accepting payment in other ways.

Zenee composed herself and exited the shuttle. “Lieutenant, again I am so sorry. Dr. Heinrich assured me nobody would care…”

Aria thrust a finger into Zenee’s face. “I am the one who gets to decide that! Not Dr. Heinrich! Not anybody else! You take orders from me!”

“Yes, sir!” Zenee straightened her back and saluted. She was shaking.

Aria released an exasperated sigh. “You’re going to submit a full violation report on Dr. Heinrich’s actions within the hour. You do that and I’ll see that you’re left out of the disciplinary process. Agreed?”

“Yes, sir!” Zenee hustled to her office.

Aria left the hangar. Her next battle was in the Organics Laboratory. Landing on a primitive E-1 civilization and engaging in unauthorized First Contact was grounds for dishonorable discharge, but in Hansel’s case that would probably result in immediate termination of his joint contract with the military and exile from his professional circles. Actions like his could end up violating hundreds of intergalactic regulations depending on how much he screwed up on the surface below.

What an idiot! But, oh how sweet this all was. Finally, she would have the last laugh after he orchestrated the ultimate embarrassment at the Academy’s Winter Ball their senior year. It was not enough that she managed to outmaneuver him for the top rank at the Academy. With this sting, she would finally have her full revenge.

“Hansel Heinrich!” Aria barked as she burst into the lab towing a cloud of malice. “Where are you, you dog?” She pushed carts of instruments out of the way and kicked open several small meeting room doors.

Lab technicians were rattled by her aggressive aura. They dropped their work and fled. Walking through a hallway as if he had heard nothing of the commotion, Hansel wandered toward her with his attention solely on a datapad.

“Hansel!”

“Lieutenant Pantel?” He looked up just enough to get a glimpse of her and then continued reading. “What are you doing here? I thought we agreed to keep our distance from each other. You’re a thorn in my side, and I of you, remember?”

She stormed into his path and blocked his way. He almost collided with her. His datapad bumped into her chest.

“What the heck!” she screamed, clutching herself. She wanted to ignore the slight titillation that brought back memories of long ago, but she certainly did not want him to know about it.

“Oh! My apologies. That wouldn’t have happened if you weren’t stupid enough to get in my way. Now, if you’re done doing whatever it is you’re doing…” He shooed her away.

She stepped back and let a wide grin cross her face. “Oh, ho, ho! Not today! No! Today I will settle our score when I stick it to you!”

“Aria,” he sighed. “Is this about our time together at the Academy our freshman year? Honestly, we gave it a shot. Sure, I think about it too from time to time, but we crashed and burned.”

She stuck her tongue out in disgust. She hated the memory of the two of them together. She was young and stupid back then. That had to be the reason she had long ago convinced herself.

“But that’s all in the past. Please don’t stick me with anything.” He maneuvered around her and stepped into his office.

“Wait a minute! I’m not done with you...”

Hansel slammed his door in her face.

Aria fumed. She swung the door open and slammed it behind her. She tried to let the anger go because she knew sometimes she could get a little carried away with her emotions. In fact, it was a real problem. But it was nothing she could not solve with the bottle once she returned to her office. For now, she needed to focus again on what his face would look like once it was being taken away in a military transport.

She smiled. “I know that you took a shuttle down to the surface without proper authorization! I know you tried covering it up, so you knew what you were doing was wrong. Don’t try any I didn’t know the rules crap with me!”

He sat down leisurely at his desk and connected his datapad to his workstation. As if barely aware she was in the room, he projected his datapad onto a blank wall and navigated spreadsheets on the screen with hand gesture controls. “How do people on this ship manage to get any work done without a projection interface? Honestly, Martian tech is so frustratingly antiquated.”

Why he thought it was a good idea to slip in a personal attack was beyond her. All relish in her body was gone and she was only filled with burning rage. Her face was hot and her blood was pumping. She clenched her fists and slammed them down on his desk. “Look at me!”

He jumped with a start and turned his chair toward her. “Aria! What the devil has gotten into you? You’re being completely unprofessional!”

“I’m taking you to the brig! You’re being detained until I can present the evidence against you and get you kicked off my ship for good!”

He arose and flashed a devilish smile. “Under what charge, little Pantel? Am I mistaken or do I not have the right to defend against accusations prior to detainment per military code?”

“You little…” She rounded his desk and grabbed him by his lab coat collar the best she could being that her head barely crested his shoulders.

She scrunched his coat in her fists and wrested him closer. A familiar, pleasant aroma wafted into her face. The same shampoo he had been using for years was still just as musky. She hated that she liked it. The cool vapors of his aftershave stung her eyes a little. But, she did not want to turn away while standing so close to his angular cheekbones. His boastful smile this close almost blinded her so she pushed him back.

He fell into his chair and floated backward turning in circles. “Aria! You’ve got nothing on me! Get out of my office and stop harassing me.”

“That technician you roped into your little joyride is submitting a full report. I’m going to bury you.”

“Oh, you mean that druggie who you’ll find 50 grams of Lucididal in her quarters after I blow the whistle?”

Aria stepped back with an inquisitive look.

He smiled. “What? You didn’t know? Some second-in-command you are.”

She huffed. “Whatever! I have you on video walking out of that shuttle. Your E-1 violation is going to put you away!”

“What E-1 violation? I didn’t fly anywhere near the planet.”

“Nice try! The shuttle’s logs will prove…”

“...absolutely nothing because they’re malfunctioning at the moment. I noticed it when I was aboard. I’ll get around to submitting a maintenance request as soon as I’m able. Or, maybe you could put one in for me seeing as it is your shoddy Martian equipment that’s failing.”

“I...you…!” Aria retreated toward the door. “You flippin’ ass.”

Hansel climbed out of his chair and skittered in front of her for the door. He opened it for her. “Such language. And, in case you’re wondering, I get no pleasure mingling so close to your business or your people. This is just the situation we’ve both found ourselves in for the time being. Your mission here will be done soon enough and I’ll hitch a ride on another vessel to continue my research elsewhere. There’s no need for us to dredge up old issues and begin antagonizing each other again.”

She slapped Hansel’s hand away and grabbed the door’s handle. “Don’t think I’ve forgotten about how you left me high and dry on that stage senior year. I had to leave the solar system to find somewhere I could work where people didn’t laugh every time I walked into a room.”

“Aria, everything we did back then was tit-for-tat. It was all little school children's games. You were no more a victim than I was a bully. Or have you forgotten that fateful morning of our final comprehensive exams?”

Her color drained from her face. “W-what of it?”

“You can’t possibly think I don’t know what you did. I never arrived so much as late to a study session, let alone slept past an exam time. I had my water bottle tested, you know. And I know you had access to sleep meds through that little weasel friend of yours, Gary.”

She avoided his steely glare. “I-I-I don’t know what you’re talking about. Academy was a very long time ago so whatever you're insinuating is probably just your insecurity projecting on to me.”

The irritation on his face was unfaltering. “Yeah. I guess I don’t remember ditching you on that graduation stage either. I heard your ad libbing of my part of the speech was a real cringer.”

He smirked with the most smug expression Aria had ever witnessed across the galaxy, and she had smoozed with presidents. “Actually, if I had done that on purpose, I suppose you could say I was doing you a favor. You needed to get knocked down a few pegs for your own sake. And besides, look where it’s gotten you now. That chip on your shoulder that’s so defined your illustrious career? You have me to thank for it.”

A thank you? He wanted to talk about the value of his pretentious jack-assery? She would show him how grateful she really was for their timeless rivalry.

“I hate you!”

She slammed his door as she exited. She immediately turned around and knocked. Through the frosted glass, she saw him reaching for the handle. She turned the handle first and kicked the door into him.

“Ow, Aria! Are you crazy?” He shuffled back to his chair with a huge bump on his forehead. “God! Is it huge?” He brushed it lightly. “Ow!”

She rolled her eyes. “Oh, don’t be such a baby. Just rub some gel on it and stop being so dramatic.”

He rummaged through his desk drawer and pulled out a tube of medical gel. He squeezed a small amount onto his finger and rubbed it onto his bump wincing the whole time. In just a few seconds, his forehead was looking much better.

“Just because there isn’t any evidence doesn’t mean one has the impunity to abuse another person.”

She scoffed. On her way out of the lab, she shouted, “Take your own advice, you ass!”