1.15.1

Intermission

Regrouping in the War Room led to a long recounting of the events on Penelope Station.

Astrid described in great detail the security involved with Benson’s operation, as well as the vast selection and variety his man, Orion, promised.

“His supply chain is already in place? They’re ready to move,” Romo presumed.

Astrid couldn’t help but notice the rough scuffs and bruises on the agent’s knuckles. It served a stark reminder that her comrades were still trained soldiers, and in Romo’s case, a professional interrogator.

It unsettled her to see someone she’d grown comfortable with capable of such things. But deep below the surface, she felt validated that she still wasn’t necessarily the most deadly member of their squad.

“He’s going to discover our visit wasn’t his real meeting, if he hasn’t already,” Anders posed.

“If we intercepted the delegation and they’re currently in our hold, he may be none the wiser,” Tenya replied.

“The S.O. will just send another.” Captain London stood at the head of the table. “They still need their order completed. They may not recognize Rue or Hale in the cams, but when they realize their detachment has gone missing, they’ll eventually put two and two together that someone is on to them.”

“They’ll still have no choice but to move forward. They can’t secure another supplier, not for what they’re looking for. Let alone the bulk,” Anders surmised.

Karth nodded. “So, they’ll be more careful. But we’re still an unknown to them. For the moment, we have the advantage.”

“Still, to take enough pride to mark their gear, and to openly seek partnership, is pretty bold.” Anders looked to the captain. “Benson knew the name of his clients. For that kind of reputation, they must be well-organized.”

Tenya’s dark brows pulled together. “It can’t be that easy to amass a force of that size unnoticed.”

“People go undocumented all the time. The more we expand, the less oversight there is on where everyone lays their head. It’s easy enough for people to disappear,” Romo shrugged. “And besides, we did notice. That’s why we’re here.”

“What about Benson?” Astrid asked. “He must have made contact with someone in the real S.O.”

The captain shook his head.

“He’s still just a broker. He didn’t even know enough to tell that you and Rue were not members of his partnership. And targeting him doesn’t stop the growing problem. We need to stop this at the source.

“Romo. Did your interrogation turn up anything useful?”

“Not directly, but I did notice that three of the four men had prison tattoos. It could just be a coincidence. Or maybe that’s how they knew each other. But it could indicate some kind of alliance. Or path of recruitment.”

“Prison isn’t exactly where I’d go for recruits.” Tenya crossed her arms in thought.

“So maybe they’re agents of convenience?” Karth wondered.

“A lot of private prisons double as mining operations to support themselves and turn a profit,” Dell suggested. “They use the inmates to work the quarries. We could look for facilities that serve up the kind of raw material the weapons are made of, and cross reference with convict-based labor. We might get a lead.”

“We should proceed carefully,” Captain London warned. “Just because these armaments are illegal does not mean the mining of their materials is not without sanction. If the S.O. truly has friends with power, the facility may be acting well within full consent of their superiors.”

“Should we not try to find the buyers, instead?” Astrid questioned.

“We will,” London assured. “But it seems likely this force is larger than can be eliminated in the fell swoop of a single target. Once we step out of the shadows and confront them directly, things fall in motion that cannot be undone. Cutting off the S.O.’s supply before we strike allows us a chance to skew things in our favor before it gets that far.”

“About that,” Romo interjected. “While these men aren’t talking, they were definitely aware of the weapons we’re looking for. It’s safe to say we haven’t foiled every shipment.”

“So, there’s more out there,” Tenya supposed.

“And probably already in the hands of the enemy,” Romo concurred. “At least, in small quantities.”

But when did they plan to use them? Astrid wondered. And where?

“Hale.” Captain London interrupted her thoughts. “Did you see anything that might suggest how they planned to deploy these munitions?”

“They had grenades,” she answered, “and promised they were developing new projects.”

“Explosives and firearms aren’t enough?” Tenya huffed.

“Against my people? There’s several things they might try. The Guardians themselves researched plenty of tech to stifle our abilities, or even use them against us. Like the pulsar sticks. Most were considered too cruel or restrictive, but I doubt that would dissuade a group like this.”

“We can speculate all day,” Captain London redirected them. “But if we move quickly, perhaps we can prevent worse. Let’s focus on the next step.”

“I’ll reach out to our friends in Intel. See if patrols have noticed anything new in the private prison sectors,” Romo offered.

“And I’ll compile a list of likely site candidates,” Dell volunteered. “It shouldn’t be too hard. They’d need the right chemicals, elements…”

“And a reactor,” Astrid added.

Eyes turned to her.

“For the power source,” she elaborated. “I told you, they’re using the tiniest trace amounts of fusion energy to power their weapons. It’s very complicated technology. They’re likely using deuterium and tritium. Deuterium is most commonly found in oceans, and tritium is especially rare. They’re probably using a refinery to make it themselves from lithium, which can also be found in sea brines. I’d look for something coastal.”

All at once, everyone peered at her as if it were her first day again. Foreign and unknowable.

“How do you know this stuff?” Romo praised.

“Textbooks.” Astrid shrugged.

Tenya snerked. “Simple. Why didn’t I think of that?”

“Isn’t tritium used in radioluminescence?” Dell asked.

“Yes. That’s probably what the plant was originally used for, if it helps.”

“I’d say looking for a refinery that glows in the dark, with a prison facility adjacent to seawater, narrows the search,” Dell joked.

“It’s probably not literally glowing…”

“Just let him have his fun,” Tenya chided in mirth.

“Well,” Captain London spoke over the chief, “I’d say we have a start, anyway. Come to me when you have something worth pursuing.

“In the meantime, Romo, I want you to oversee transfer of our captives to a military detention center. And minimize their contact. We don’t know who they might reach out to.”

“Yes, sir.”

“And Hale, I want you to see what you can do with that new ability of yours.”

“I… yes, sir.”

~~~

The Aldebaran sped off to rendezvous with a location to deposit their captives. Under Doctor’s orders, Astrid took the rest of the night off. But restless by the next morning, she marched herself to the cargo hold to practice.

With Romo and Dell occupied with their own tasks, Karth and Anders offered to accompany her for her exercises.

But her presence only seemed to agitate Rue, who kicked crates out of her way and she trudged to her station, jaw clenched.

Astrid watched the woman upheave a box on her workbench. Tools clambered out noisily, and the soldier immediately went to work on her own gun without a word to anyone.

“She didn’t say anything the whole briefing…” Astrid commented.

“It’s a just a tantrum, she’ll get over it,” Anders muttered.

“What did I do?”

“It was a joint-assignment, but you were the one that saw the goods. You were the one the captain looked to for details.”

“It had to be me!” Astrid defended. “I drained everything in there I could get my hands on!”

“We know,” Karth assured her. “Rue knows her worth. The captain does, too. She’s just… used to more validation.”

Astrid frowned. She wondered if she’d been foolish to think working with Rue one on one would solve all their problems.

“Astrid, come on,” Anders prodded her onward. “It’s not about you.”

But she wasn’t so sure.

Karth pushed a battery pack into her hand and led her to the center of the room.

“We don’t want to drain your life energy. Now that we know you can, we need to keep you supplied with alternatives. For now,” Karth added, “let’s just see if you can repeat what you did.”

Astrid clenched her fingers around the batteries, their dormant power nestled inside.

“In the ship? You sure that’s a good idea?”

“We trust you.”

The men fell back to give her space. Their static still buzzed inside her perception. At risk of being drained themselves and within range of any power she summoned.

“Further, please,” she insisted.

The men exchanged a look but obeyed.

Astrid drew a deep breath.

She tested a small pull of energy and pushed it outward, with no particular aim, but her crystal lit instead, an eager receptacle.

No discharge, no blast. And not nearly enough power. Astrid paused, breathed again, and made a second attempt.

Again, the power manifested only in her necklace. Alight, but harmless.

Thankfully, her companions didn’t press. Patiently, they stood back, quiet, and Astrid closed her eyes.

Following Dell’s guidance, she resolutely waded into the emotions and feelings she’d bottled behind her self-control.

Memories of being separated from Gi quickly morphed when affected by her recent discovery that he was gone, likely killed or caught in the eruption of whatever followed Argos’s fall.

Her fingers flexed around her power source.