I swiped the mission from my linker to hers. “We hunt, intercept, and return. I need someone to watch my six who isn’t actually Six, catch my drift?”

“Sir… I know I said I’d take no pay for the right training. Your mission isn’t it. I’ll make you an offer. I’ll watch your back, mind you, just watch it, not scrub it or some kinky shit, and you pay me a quarter point,” she said.

I sputtered my lips as if thinking long and hard. It was my ship, my skills, and she would be bugging me to sign off on her tactic certs. She would probably take the mission for five points.

“Quarter, no training. I’m not in the mood for babysitting and lecturing.”

“Oh, Sir, come-on. You know it will take me decades to get a tactics degree. You might turn that into years with a good recommendations, applied training, and some insightful lessons,” Gale countered.

Good, she can think on her toes.

“Ten points. I train you and you have to share a bed with me.” I held up a finger, halting her rebuttal. “I want a bigger ship. That is part of my long term plan. However, there is only one bed on my current ship. Sleep beside me if you want, or we can hot swap if you want, but then minimal training since we’re up at different hours.”

“You ain’t got pods!” the blonde added a bit of a drawl to her complaint.

I raised a single brow at her beer spitting comment. “I’m broke. The last iteration of me slung drinks instead of slinging rounds into Xenos. Fuck living like a peasant. I’m going places, Gale. A fancy ship is on the agenda. First, I need to do this mission. Best I can do is ten points. I’ll train you. Pillows between us unless you remove them. It’s five days out, five back and we’ll likely be on separate ships on the ride home. Take the gig. Earn a letter of recommendation, and move along if that’s what you want.”

“Fifteen, and I’m your gal, Sir,” Gale said.

She even offered a holographic hand through the screen for me to shake.

I shook my head with a stern gaze. “Ten. I’m a harass and it's best if you earn a raise then start off with too much.”

The lovely blonde didn’t blink or adjust, she kept her hand out. I rose off my small couch, kicking the cushion with a heel to close it, and clasped forearms with Gale.

At least she’s pretty. Like hell I’m going to let her get me killed though. Twenty three… I remember that age.

“When do we leave?”

I left the screen, taking the three strides to the archway that held the cockpit. “Five minutes ago. Pay your tab, get your ass in gear, and hurry to the docks. I’m in bay twelve, slip echo.”

“On my way, Sir.”

“Gee, Gale. Just Gee. For now anyway.”

“On my way, Sir.”

I closed the connection, sliding into the tiny space where all the controls rested. The moment I settled into the pilot’s station, Six materialized above the main screen.

“She needs what you can give her, Gee.”

“Ha! Said every woman ever.” The speaker should have groaned. The old versions understood dad jokes. I decided to try again. “I just need my blind spot covered. If only the eyes in the back of the head legislation passed,” I teased.

“Eden, may the All-Mother bless her soul deemed human modification above the skin illegal.”

I fake vomited. The sultry robot voice regurgitated propaganda. I firmly believed in Eden and what she represented to the human race. I almost died for her thousands of times. Humanity needed a common goal, a common guiding hand. A signal of faith that tomorrow would be better for the species than it was today. Due to the efforts of the Eden Councils, Marines, and Armadas, that simple principle rang true. Part of that guiding hand meant restrictions.

“Yeah, yeah, no four armed freaks or six eyed loons. I can have special blood though,” I said with a snicker.

I activated the engines, firing the two small boosters with just enough force to idle. I confirmed my intent to leave soon and paid the fee. While I waited for Gale, I began to relearn everything I had forgotten… again. There was a lot to absorb and a lot more had changed than I realized, but at the same time, a lot stayed the same.

I ran a scan of the Eden database. I sought derelicts, in need of rescue, and missing ships in this quadrant. I correlated the data against a year ago, two years ago, five and ten. The reality sunk in quickly. Largo Quadrant was being farmed by an unknown enemy. In the past hundred days, attacks were at a steep rise and climbing.

Who are you? And what are you up to?

Eden may play the role of an All-Mother who was compassionate and caring toward her citizens. You never wanted to cross Eden’s Legions. Heavens split and out poured the vengeful scorn of a united humanity whenever the xenos showed themselves as a threat. This… This was a hidden truth that no one seemed concerned about.

Based on the rate of ships going missing, the lack of caring would not last for long. If a war broke out, I’d find myself in some fancy armor and a worthy ship in no time.

I just needed to find out who was behind the nefarious activity. It wouldn’t surprise me if it wasn’t aliens and vile humans instead. I wouldn’t mind killing some criminals or pirates, that’d pay well also.

Five days. Five days in close quarters with a pretty gal. What could go wrong?