Balaji rubbed at his eyes as he stumbled, still half asleep, onto the bridge at oh-three twenty the next morning. "What is it?" he asked of the third watch science officer.

Saburo pointed to a screen. "Scans picked up a cluster of solar winds. It’s moving fast, too, over eight hundred kilometers a second. It disrupted the instruments a short while ago, which is why I paged you. Our current course will bring us in close proximity. Thought you might need to know, in case there was any data you wanted."

Balaji stared at the reading with furrowed brows. Something about the behavior of the winds bothered him, but his head was still clogged with drowsiness, and he thought only of the ship’s safety at the moment. After analyzing a few more readings, he opened a link to the Captain’s quarters.

Hachinoko stood over the sink in her bathroom, her knuckles lily white as she clutched the sides. Her face had gone two shades paler, and she had difficulty breathing. Some minutes ago, an odd sensation had passed through her chest, rousing her from an otherwise pleasant sleep. What the hell, she thought. I had a clean bill of health when we left!

But as quickly as the moment of pain had come, it slipped away. Hachinoko slowly became aware that her radio was beeping. She eased her way to the console. "Hachinoko here. What is it?"

Balaji’s voice issued calmly through the speaker. "Captain, I recommend that we alter course in order to avoid a rather turbulent patch of solar winds. The electromagnetic gas could adversely affect our instruments." He gave her the coordinates.

Hachinoko took but a moment to consider his request. "Patch me through to the helm; I’ll relay the orders."

"Aye, sir."

When Hachinoko finished, she fired off a message to Command as well. Might as well be thorough, she thought. After the update was routed, she wiped her brow, and returned to bed. She felt a slight tug at the edge of her conscience.

I hope our good doctor doesn’t mind if I keep this little secret, she mused.

The following evening, long after the news of the solar winds had made the rounds, Mamoru sat casually against the back of his chair. His fingers made a tap, tap,

tap sound as he drummed them against the arm. A few minutes were left until the evening break, and there was nothing to do at the moment except stare idly out the observation window.

Mamoru slunk down further in his chair, as though he were in a bunker, and motioned for Tanaka to look his way. "You should make a move now," he told him.

Tanaka regarded him with an expression of mild anxiety. His eyes shifted to Kylie and back. "And do what?"

"Ask her to dinner."

Tanaka threw him a baffled look. "It’s not like I can take her to some romantic little spot by the beach, you know!" issued the beleaguered whisper out of the corner of his mouth.

"Just, well, ask her to sit with you or something. Make it casual, not too forced." Mamoru poked his head around the back of the chair. He saw Kylie removing her headset, and then stand up to leave as her replacement arrived. "Hurry, now’s the perfect time! I’ll sign off for you."

Tanaka nodded, and took a deep breath. Mamoru watched as he went over to Kylie, and they exchanged a few words. He saw the upsurge of Kylie’s cheek from behind as she smiled, and she allowed Tanaka escort her to the elevator. The navigator turned his head to look briefly back, and received from Mamoru a discrete thumbs up.

Mamoru laid back against the chair again, arms folded behind his head. My work here is done, he thought smugly.

Over the course of the next few weeks, Mamoru couldn’t help but observe with pride the budding relationship that had developed between Kylie and Tanaka. They were very discrete, and kept their affection so carefully concealed that Mamoru didn’t suppose he would guess they were an item, if he hadn’t had a hand in it himself. Soon, he found himself feeling like a third wheel at mealtimes whenever he sat with them. The sight of them together, whether it was on the bridge, or in the recreation room, soon made his heart ache, and he wasn’t sure why. One night, he had stumbled onto the couple in the small observation port. The lights had been shut off for some reason, and when a perplexed Mamoru turned them back on, found a very embarrassed Kylie peeking out from behind an equally flustered Tanaka.

"Sorry," Mamoru said as he backed out. Walking along the corridor, he found himself thinking about their flushed faces, and wondered how long they had been in there kissing. Wishing he could be in there, kissing…someone. Mamoru had been on more dates than he cared to remember, the women always pleasant, beautiful even, but never spectacular. He couldn’t help but think they were more attracted to his name, to the idea of who his father was, and had been. Mamoru sighed. At twenty-six, he was suddenly feeling very old, and very left out.

On the bridge one afternoon, Jun and Cedro were huddled by Kylie’s station. She was speaking to them in hushed, but excited tones. An occasional gesture punctuated the conversation. They had returned from break together over twenty minutes ago, but seemed to have forgotten they were back on duty.

After more than a few sidelong glances and clearing of the throat, Mamoru threw them an irritated look. "Um, excuse me, ladies, but if gossip hour is almost over, we’d like to get started on the warp preps over here."

With the acumen of a mother hen, Kylie shooed her companions away. "Yes, sir," she said crisply, and took her seat.

The Captain descended to the bridge a few minutes later. "Are we ready, boys and girls? A spectacular exercise awaits us; I just know it. Status report!"

The respective stations spouted off their current standings. Hachinoko nodded in approval. "Confirm the heading, Mr. Tanaka, and begin countdown to warp."

After the countdown ended, the warp exercise transitioned to a smooth completion. Tense expressions melted into ones of relief when the systems stabilized. The crew was on the verge of passing around congratulations when Jun leaped up. She pointed to the observation windows. "I don’t recognize those constellations. Where are we?"

Everyone turned to her in surprise. Even the Captain was quiet for a moment.

"Mr. Tanaka?" she inquired matter-of-factly.

Tanaka was staring intently at his console. "I had the right coordinates," he muttered. "I know I did. Uchira! Double check the calculations."

"On it!"

Mamoru looked at the navigator with concern. "This is hardly your first time. What’s going on?"

"A minute, if you please," Tanaka said sharply.

Mamoru threw up his hands and muttered an apology.

"Jun," said the captain, "you may not recognize the constellations, but I’ll bet we have a record of them somewhere. When in doubt, seek knowledge out, I say."

"Yes, ma’am!" Jun busied herself with the task.

Kylie had turned around and was kneeling on the seat. "Are we lost?" she wondered out loud.

Hachinoko’s eyes locked onto the communications cadet. "Might we see if anyone’s within listening distance, young lady?"

Kylie bit her lip and slunk back into a sitting position. "Roger that," she said, and adjusted her headset.

Tanaka swore quietly under his breath when he and Uchira confirmed that they had indeed entered the correct heading. Brow furrowed, he turned around to face the captain. "I can assure you, Captain, that we had the correct coordinates. I don’t know how we ended up here."

"Warps aren’t one hundred percent accurate," put in Balaji. It’s not inconceivable that it put us off course. There are at least ten precedents I know of. In fact, in 2207, a super freighter by the name of Bangkok—"

"I’m picking up an SOS!" Kylie suddenly shouted.

"Well, now we’re getting somewhere!" Hachinoko said. "Who is it?"

"The source code is old—really old! I don’t recognize it, but it checks out." She paused as the information scrolled down. "‘Daedalus Base’? It’s a weak signal, but close. We’re about a half hour away at full speed." She reeled off the coordinates.

Hachinoko looked thoughtful. The name sounded familiar, but she couldn’t put her finger on it. She looked toward navigation. "Did you get that, Mr. Tanaka? Set a course for Daedalus. Balaji, why don’t you get started unraveling this little mystery of ours? This is either a striking coincidence, or some greater force is at work here."

He nodded firmly, and turned swiftly back to his console.

When Yamato arrived, the Captain immediately put her crew to work collecting data after beginning the first of several passes near the severely damaged base. Here was a place that had never been mentioned in a classroom lecture, or written about in one of the Academy’s history texts. Even Hachinoko’s classified files of military operations revealed no clues about this Daedalus Base.

"Whatever happened there, it obviously sustained some heavy damages," Mamoru was saying as he watched the video panel. He turned to the Captain. "Should we put the crew on alert?"

Hachinoko nodded, and ordered everyone to battle stations.

Kylie’s brown eyes grew saucer wide as a message began to shoot across her screen. "Ahhh…oh, we’re being hailed! He reports the base came under attack, and he’s the only survivor. Captain, he’s requesting permission to come aboard and speak with you."

"His ID cleared?"

"Yes, ma’am."

"Then let’s roll out the red carpet. Kodai!"

Mamoru stood up to face her.

"Kindly greet our guest and help him get settled. I’m going to notify Command from my quarters. Bring him to me at 2100 hours." She exited the bridge.

Mamoru saluted. He helped Kylie tailor a response, then headed for the hangar. He arrived early, and found himself providing traffic control as every maintenance tech and Cosmo pilot suddenly seemed to be on duty. After a few minutes, he was advised of the final approach.

The fighter plane that taxied onto the landing strip was unlike any the crew had ever seen. Compact and efficient in design, its lustrous, deep black exterior only hinted at its capabilities. Its shape was mildly reminiscent of a dragonfly. Wings tapered to elegant points that belied their stoutness. The underside revealed twice the missile capacity of a standard fighter, and the engine burned with an unknown power source.

With cat-like grace, the pilot jumped down from the cockpit. Gloved hands unclasped the helmet, and pulled it off with a smooth, measured motion. Mamoru gasped along with the rest of the crew when locks of midnight-black hair spilled onto the pilot’s shoulders.

"I’ve never seen a chick like that before!" someone whispered.

Mamoru felt his heart beating rapidly. The rawness of the woman’s beauty stunned him. Piercing blue eyes swept like a beacon over the crew before her. They were set in a face marked by fair skin and delicate features. Bangs settled raggedly across her forehead, obscuring one side of her face. Their length was uneven; Mamoru thought it looked as if she had cut them herself. He found his eyes traveling down her body, weaving a path across her small, firm breasts, slim waist, and taut limbs. It was all encased in a sleek black shipsuit.

This took only a few seconds. Mamoru strode forward as if none of it had registered.

He saluted. "I’m Kodai Mamoru, Chief Combat Officer of Yamato. Captain Hachinoko asked me to invite you aboard and see to any personal needs before she meets with you." He looked at her expectantly.

"I’m Suya," she said in a smooth, low voice.

Mamoru noted her lack of salute, and wondered if she had ever trained at any of the Academies. "Well," he said, "why don’t you come with me, and we’ll get you settled in." He looked around with a stern expression, for a hefty crowd had gathered behind them. "Back to your posts!" he bellowed, and the crew dispersed in haste. Mamoru whirled around when he heard the gurgled cry.

Suya had changed position, and was now standing aft of her plane. She had a pilot’s forearm in a tight grip. His face grimaced in pain.

Mamoru ran over. "What’s the problem?"

"Keep away from it!" Suya admonished the pilot, and dropped his arm. A smattering of crew that had been admiring her plane backed slowly away. She turned to Mamoru, and the features he had found so delicate before were now locked into a formidable glare. "Let’s get one thing straight: No one touches my plane but me."

He gave her a measured stare, and kept his tone even. "Consider it done. Now, if you please?" He motioned with his arm toward the hangar exit. "Michinori, post a guard!" he called. Mamoru walked abreast of Suya as they left. She stole more than a few backward glances at her ship as they strode. This could get interesting, Mamoru thought.

"So, Suya, when did you enlist?" Mamoru asked her pleasantly as they rode the lift.

She ignored him, but was taking in their surroundings with interest as he led her to the mess hall for something to eat.

He grinned. "I can take you on a tour later, if you like."

Suya nodded. Mamoru was secretly pleased at the response. Once in the hall, he escorted her through the food line amid curious stares. "You know," he announced in a rather loud voice, "we run a tight ship here. Anyone suspected of leaving his or her post is subject to stringent disciplinary measures." The mess’ occupancy was reduced by nearly a third after his remark.

If Suya had any awareness of the impact her presence had, she didn’t show it. They took their trays and sat down. Mamoru mostly sipped at his tea while she ate. He wasn’t really hungry, and only picked at his food. Suya, on the other hand, attacked her victuals with relish. He marveled at the speed with which she tucked away the tray’s contents. She stood nearly at his height, but was very slim.

"I guess it’s been a while since you had anything decent to eat," he remarked.

Suya grunted, and followed her last bite with a long swig of water. "Two weeks," she said, and eyed his plate.

Mamoru smiled, and pushed it over to her. "Take your time. There’s plenty."

When he felt sure she was satisfied, they left to assign her to a room. He opened the door and showed her the amenities. It was one of the smaller cabins, but she would have it to herself.

"I’ll come back for you in a couple of hours," he said as he left. He turned around after stepping across the threshold.

Suya shut the door with nary a word.

Kodai sidled up to Kylie after entering the bridge. He leaned against the edge of her console, crossing his arms and legs. "You said it was a he."

Her brow furrowed in puzzlement. "What are you talking about?"

"The base survivor. It was a girl."

"A gir—you mean a woman?"

Kodai nodded.

"Well, what’s she like?" Kylie tried to catch his gaze, but his eyes were unfocused. He seemed distracted.

"She’s cute," was all he would say, and resumed his post.

Kylie’s jaw dropped open, and she swung a look at Cedro. "Did you hear that?" she mouthed at him. Her face glowed with anticipation of the gossip she could now unleash about a possible Kodai love interest.

Cedro stuck his fingers against his lips, which formed an O in mock surprise. He giggled like a schoolgirl until Kodai crassly told him to knock it off. It was all he and Kylie could do to keep from stealing curious glances at their combat chief for the rest of the shift.

Mamoru knocked at the Captain’s door a few hours later. Suya stood behind him.

"Come in," she said.

He swung open the door, and motioned that Suya should proceed him.

"Wait outside, please, Kodai," Hachinoko told him.

"Yes, ma’am." He stole one last glance at their new guest before shutting the door behind him.

Captain Hachinoko nodded to Suya, and showed her to a chair. She sat at the table opposite her. "Well, my dear, I can see you’ve had quite a time of it."

Suya started politely back, but said nothing.

Hachinoko cleared her throat, and folded her hands before her. "You should know that I’ve spoken with Command already. I was told you were the adopted daughter of the Doctors Zuran. I’m deeply sorry for your loss."

Suya lowered her eyes.

"I was also advised of the highly classified nature of this base. I had heard the rumors, but I didn’t know how true they were. Curious." She pressed a switch that caused a monitor to rise from one end of the table. An encoded message from Todo appeared at the tap of a key. Hachinoko entered the password to release it. "We’re under

strict orders not to board Daedalus, nor to do anything that would compromise a later investigation. Todo will be seeing to that himself. However," and here she waited until Suya met her gaze, "however, we have been instructed to try and find the perpetrators of this massacre, and to speak with you regarding anything you know about whoever is responsible. Todo seemed to feel you would cooperate." The Captain sat slowly back, her eyes lingering on Suya’s face.

Suya nodded. "I don’t know much, but I’ll help if I can. What do we do when we find them?"

"Whip their sorry asses into dust, I would imagine," Hachinoko said with a hearty laugh. "Oops, how unbecoming of me! Pardon my French, dear. But that was the answer you were looking for, eh?"

Suya’s mouth parted in surprise.

Hachinoko waved her hand. "Oh, it’s perfectly alright! When we know the enemy’s identity, I’m sure we can expect to engage them in battle at some point. What do you think they were after, anyway?"

"I honestly don’t know, except to say that it was probably related to some or all of the experiments that were being carried out. Ever since I’ve been there, I’ve been aware of expeditions that regularly left for sector nineteen. Some staff would return, others we never saw again. Then there were those who came back, but were in no shape to tell us what they found. The most recent was about four months ago. The crew returned intact, and I remember everyone being very excited, especially the Doctors."

The Captain leaned forward and placed a hand on the table for emphasis. "Were you one of the classified projects, Suya?"

Suya’s eyes grew wide; she didn’t know what to make of this Captain, or this line of questioning. "I…I don’t know. I don’t think so."

"What was your purpose on the base?"

"I’m a pilot. I tested prototype fighter planes. The one I arrived in is the latest model." Suya lowered her head as if in shame. "I was on Icarus when the attack happened." The Captain was unaware of how tightly Suya was balling her fists under the table. "I was an orphan. The Doctors took me in and trained me." Her voice wavered, and she fought hard to control it. "I owe them my life." She looked squarely at the Captain, and spoke in a hoarse, fierce voice. "I never even thanked them!"

"I’m sure you did, in your own way."

Suya shook her head. "Now I’ll never get the chance."

"Perhaps it wasn’t meant to happen while they were alive."

Suya narrowed her eyes.

"I mean that very philosophically, of course. I find your situation extremely curious. The Doctors seemed to have gone to a lot of trouble to find a pilot they could have simply plucked ready-made from the Academy. I’m not implying that you’re holding anything back, but any military project is almost never as simple as it seems. At any rate, for the time being, you’re stuck with us. There’s a ship full of cadets under my command, and we’re on a training mission. Your arrival paints a different picture for us, and now, with the new orders, it will be some time before we return to Earth."

"I’ve never been there, so it doesn’t matter."

Hachinoko had to check herself before her expression welled with too much pity. She had a feeling this young woman didn’t take too kindly to people feeling sorry for her. "Well, then," she said, "how convenient for us all! Suya, I’m assigning you to the Black Tigers. My hope is that you can integrate smoothly with our crew while collaborating with me regularly to learn the nature of the threat against Daedalus. You’ve been through a difficult time; let’s hope we can make something productive out of it."

Satisfied, the Captain nodded and stood. Suya followed her lead. At the door, Hachinoko stopped her. "Kodai Mamoru is Combat Chief. You will report to him as well, especially where it concerns any clues you recall that can aid with our mission. I want an initial report in forty-eight hours; Kodai can help you with that, and anything else you need. Any questions?"

Suya looked at the door, then back. "Captain," she said, "there’s one other thing you should know."

Mamoru sat at the bottom of the stairs that led to the captain’s quarters. He fielded inquiries of this crewmember or that who just happened to be wandering by on some pretense of business with the Captain. His responses were mostly "I don’t know" or "Don’t you have something better to do?"

After what seemed like an interminable wait, the door opened and Suya emerged. Hachinoko instructed him to take "our new crewmember" to sickbay within the next twenty-four hours. "I’m calling a briefing with the senior officers at 2300 hours," she added before closing the door.

Left alone in the confined stairwell, Mamoru and Suya stared awkwardly at each other for a few moments.

She crossed her arms. "I believe someone promised me a tour?"

"Uh, yeah, that’s right!" Mamoru rubbed the back of his head absentmindedly. Quit fidgeting, idiot! He yanked his hand down. "Absolutely. Well, this is the Captain’s quarters."

"You don’t say."

Mamoru laughed nervously. "Oh, right, you were just in there." Inside he was cringing at his foolishness. He made a half-hearted attempt at a joke. "I was just checking to see if you were paying attention!"

"I always pay attention," she said, in a decidedly non-jovial tone. She followed him down the stairs.

Mamoru walked slightly ahead of her until his blush ebbed away.

To cover his embarrassment, Mamoru chatted gaily about the ship and its history as they walked. He couldn’t tell if she cared or not, but she didn’t ask him to stop. He thought he answered competently enough the few questions she had, mostly about the engine and computer components.

He took her below to the engine room, and then they made their way to the decks above.

"This is the combat training area," he said as they entered. "You can reach the general weight and exercise room using that door over there." They passed a few men and women on their way in, and found the wide, deep chamber empty.

"Target practice?" Suya asked him.

"And other simulations. Wanna try something?"

She nodded eagerly. Mamoru instructed her on the target set-up, and stood watching from the small control room. Her arms flashed liked the wings of a hummingbird. He thought she was the most skilled fighter he had ever seen.

When she was done, Mamoru glanced at the monitor and did a double take: One hundred percent accuracy rate? Mamoru looked at her in astonishment, for the monitor had also revealed that Suya had bested the highest record since Yamato had been rebuilt. His eyes attached to her like glue as she left the chamber and joined him in the control room. She was only mildly out of breath.

"Nice system you got there, but can it go any faster? What level did you set it on?"

Mamoru tried not to stare. "I think you just aced the highest one."

Suya looked visibly disappointed. "Oh. That’s too bad. How often can we use it, anyway?"

"However much you like when you’re not on duty."

Suya nodded, and indicated she wanted to go back to her room. Mamoru started to escort her back.

"I can find my own way," she told him, and strode on ahead.

Oookay, he thought, surprised at her abruptness. Have a nice evening! Mamoru felt perplexed, but excited at the same time. He hoped a good night’s sleep after the briefing would help him to sort out his feelings.

Suya awoke after only five hours of sleep. She bathed and dressed, making a note to ask Kodai about laundering her shipsuit, as she had only brought the one. As unobtrusively as possible, she went to the mess hall for breakfast. She was ravenous, and didn’t notice the curious stares as she wolfed down the contents of two and a half trays. Being unsure what to do after she ate, she returned to her quarters.

Suya didn’t have long to wait. A loud knock indicated a visitor. Opening the door, she found herself staring into the deep-set hazel eyes of a tall man with a severe crew cut. A scar raked its way down his left cheek. Obviously a pilot, she thought, by the way he carried himself. His uniform bore the black and yellow design of a Black Tiger. His lips were pressed together in a no-nonsense manner, and he looked to be about in his forties.

"I’m squad leader Yakumo. You start your training today. Come with me."

Yakumo didn’t wait for a response. He turned adroitly and began walking. Suya almost liked that she had to catch up to him. Yakumo didn’t waste time with small talk, either. He immediately began to teach her details about the Black Tiger team, ship specs, command hierarchy, and so forth. Suya listened attentively as they headed to a briefing room.

When they approached the door, Suya asked him to wait. "What is it?" he asked.

"I can fly my own plane, right?"

Yakumo’s face imperceptibly softened, then reverted to its usual taciturn expression. "Of course," he responded, and passed through the door.

It was one of the larger briefing rooms, and filled to the brim with pilots. They lounged on chairs around the tables, or sat on the tables; some leaned nonchalantly against the wall. When Yakumo stepped through the door, they stood to attention in a uniform motion.

"As you were," he said quietly. With a nod of his head, he motioned for Suya to join them.

She avoided the blatant stares and whispered comments, and looked straight ahead as she made her way to the back of the room. Occasionally, a foot or a leg would block her way; Suya threaded the obstacles as gracefully as a deer wading through a stream. The room was deathly quiet. She leaned against an open spot on the wall and crossed her arms. Her gaze fixed sternly on the squad leader. Gradually, the other pilots lost interest, and turned their attention forward.

"I never knew you dotards could be so well behaved," Yakumo remarked dryly. He pulled up a chair and turned it around so he could lean on its back as he sat. "Thank you, then, for that warm and enthusiastic welcome of our new pilot. Care to introduce yourself, young lady?"

Just what I need, she thought, as all eyes in the room latched onto her again. "I’m Suya," she said dully. There was an awkward moment of silence. Yakumo raised an eyebrow.

"I received my pilot’s training on Daedalus and Icarus. I fly a prototype XL-5 plane, code named Fireball. It’s coded to respond only to me, so you’d be wise not to mess with it."

A ripple of laughter passed through the room. "Ooooo, it’s cold in here!" someone cracked.

"Settle down!" Yakumo ordered. "And thank you, Suya, for that…enlightening introduction. As you people may have heard, we have orders to find the enemy that attacked Daedalus. That means more training, and maybe some actual combat."

A few of the pilots whooped and clapped. Yakumo nodded. "Let’s hope you still feel that way after the delightfully whimsical battle simulations I’ve worked out for you."

The cries died on their lips. It was said in flight school that when Yakumo Ken joked, he was never really joking.

"Lights, please," he said, and began pulling up flight formations and attack strategies. After the presentation, the lights were turned back on. Yakumo began to give orders and assign pilots to their squads. He had begun a systematic rotation during assignments so that each pilot became familiar with every other pilot. A look of annoyance suddenly crossed his face as he spoke.

"My apologies, Suya, but are we boring you? Is there somewhere else you’d rather be?"

Suya opened her eyes and glared, but held her tongue. She had been bored, but not for the reason he thought.

"I don’t care what you do in other people’s briefings, but in mine, I own one hundred percent of your attention. Repeat the orders."

Suya ignored the snickers. Casually, almost indifferently, she began to reiterate what Yakumo had said over the previous five minutes. She imitated his manner word for word, capturing every intonation, every pause. The other pilots exchanged surprised glances.

"All right, that’s enough," said Yakumo, too long a professional to be ruffled. "I hope your memory serves you as well out there in the battlefield. Briefing’s over; let’s move out!"

Training continued as Yamato wove a path at full speed into Sector Nineteen, a partially uncharted territory extending light years beyond Daedalus, and beyond human knowledge. Like an endless stretch of desert, it was a ghostly, lonely terrain. From time to time, cadets and seasoned crewmembers alike glanced warily out the observation windows. They could almost hear the howls of the wolves.

Two days had passed since Suya had been rescued, and she had been thrust into a rigorous schedule under Yakumo’s reign. That afternoon, the Captain observed the Black Tigers regimen from her station on the bridge. A wide array of targets had been launched into the sectors around the ship. Some were immobile; others simulated moving obstacles such as ships or asteroids. The cadets watched with wide-eyed amazement, and spouted commentary as if they were at a sporting event.

Mamoru suddenly whistled. "Would you look at that!" he said. He punched up an enlarged image.

"What is it?" Jun asked.

He left his seat for a better view from the center of the bridge. Pointing to the right, he said, "There! See that one plane? I didn’t know a Tiger could bank like that!"

Balaji walked over to stand beside him. "What incredible agility! Is that the Daedalus survivor?"

"Gotta be," Mamoru said. "Jun, rig it to follow her group."

"Aye, sir." She tapped a few keys, and programmed the camera to keep up. The image zoomed in to Suya’s plane.

Mamoru turned around briefly to exchange glances with the Captain.

"Uh-oh!" Cedro exclaimed. "I think she just broke formation!"

All eyes were now on the video screen. They watched in awe and trepidation as Suya’s plane veered off from the group. Surging ahead, she fired at the targets in her path with superb accuracy. The prototype swooped and turned at apparently impossible speeds. Not a single shot was wasted. As for the squadron, it had scattered briefly with her departure. Soon, though, the other pilots pulled back to regroup a healthy distance from the target array. Less than ten minutes later, not a single one was left in that sector. Suya had destroyed them all.

"That was quite show!" said Uchira.

Jun pouted. "Too bad she’s not a he."

"Well, she is in so much trouble!" Cedro said, and looked over at the communications officer.

Kylie just bit her lip.

"Settle down, everyone," Hachinoko ordered. "I’m sure Yakumo has everything under control. You’ve got a bit of a firebrand on your hands, to be sure, she added to herself. "Show’s over now. Recall the Black Tigers, and begin preparations for a weapons drill."

"You’re up, big boy," Kylie told Cedro.

He shot her a lascivious grin. "Listen and learn, mama sita!" he crowed, and slid effortlessly into the dialogue with Mamoru that would transition to the exercises. Busy in its own work now, the crew briefly forgot about Suya’s sideshow. Later, they would hear that other audiences weren’t so appreciative.

"What…the hell…was that?" Rin shouted while struggling to remove his helmet as quickly as he could.

The second jumped down from his plane and left it idling on the runway, initiating a backlog of incoming jets. The air crackled with radio chatter and the shouts of maintenance technicians as they hurried to move his fighter.

Rin stabbed a finger in the air. "You! Suya! Who told you to break formation?" He lurched toward her in a mad rush as she climbed down the ladder, initiating the first of what would evolve to be many heated confrontations between the two.

Suya had already taxied her plane to its berth. Springing nimbly off of the last rung, she crossed her arms, and casually leaned a shoulder against the wall. She stared back at him with an arched brow. "The orders were to destroy the targets, so I did."

"You idiot! You could’ve gotten someone killed with those antics!" A scarlet cyclone of anger passed across Rin’s face. He impatiently flipped back a lock of dark hair that had fallen across his eyes. "This ain’t no one-woman show, you got that?"

Suya smirked. "Do I know you?" she asked.

Rin’s eyes widened with disbelief. "You bitch," he mouthed, only half to himself. He balled a hand into a fist and held it up. "I am second in command of this squadron. You were in my group, which means you follow my orders. We work as a team here. There’s no room for vigilante show-offs like yourself! Stay in formation from now on, little sister, or you’re out of the group. Do you understand me?"

Unruffled by his outburst, Suya stared calmly back. "When you learn to keep up with me, then I might listen to what you have to say. Until then, back the hell off!"

Rin slammed a fist against the wall. "Just who the hell do you think you are?"

"What’s going on here?" Yakumo inquired. He had approached the pair while they argued.

Rin tried to collect himself. "Sir, this impudent pilot thinks she can break formation any time she pleases. She told me—"

"That’s enough, Rin. I’ll take it from here."

Rin nodded, but swung his face close to Suya’s before abdicating to Yakumo. "You better listen to him, and listen good. I’m watching you!" With that, he backed off in a huff. Moving to stand behind the squad leader, Rin crossed his arms and eyed them with a sidelong glance.

Yakumo stared regally down at her, his face as calm and still as a pre-dawn lake. "I’ve worked very hard to train these pilots. I don’t appreciate your disruption of our happy little team. Break formation like that again, or otherwise ignore orders from your commanding officer, and I’ll see to it that you never fly again while you’re onboard this ship. Are we clear?"

The words you can’t do that were about to cross her lips, but Suya hesitated. She could see in Yakumo’s eyes the seriousness of his threat, and the depth of his affection for his fellow pilots. He was like a lion guarding a den of cubs; to cross him would only be to her detriment. Suya uncrossed her arms and half-heartedly saluted. "Yes, sir," she said, and held his gaze until he looked away.

"All right, then," he said quietly. "I’m glad we’re on the same page." Raising his voice, he announced, "We go out again at fifteen hundred hours, and practice this until we get it right." He motioned for the other pilots to disperse, but held Suya back. Speaking even more quietly, he said, "I realize that your abilities are quite profound. No one doubts you’re the best pilot here. But if you’re going to learn to work in a team, you’ve got to adapt your skill accordingly. Make it a strength, not a liability."

Suya watched for a few moments as Yakumo disappeared from sight among the crew. It was a while before she could shake off the effect of his penetrating gaze. I know your type, it had said. Don’t fuck with me.

Norihiko groaned. No matter to him that Yamato was twelve days into a dark and dangerous area of space; another problem had crept up. He sat at his station in the bowels of the main computer room, already past shift, and it was revving up to be another late night. Tapping doggedly at the keyboard with his right hand, he swallowed the last of his tea with his left. The list of open files on the monitor reflected a bright green on his lenses. "Somebody’s being naugh-ty," he sang to himself. "Yohei!"

The spindly-legged tech ran over to him. "Yes, sir?"

"Run a diagnostic on the database system complex. I think one of the crew fancies himself a hacker, but let’s rule out anything mechanical before I take it to the Captain. I’m going to start a trace."

"Yessir!" Yohei grabbed his kit and trotted off to the central computer chamber. It was bright, clean, and the relatively new components hummed pleasantly. Yohei found himself humming along as he made his way among the giant drives. At one point, he stopped, and cocked an ear. Something sounded differently. There seemed to be a change in the energy flow (Yohei prided himself on being in tune with such things). He rounded another corner, and then stared ahead with a horrified expression.

"What the hell are you doing?" he cried. Yohei stepped back instinctively, then forward as his indignation grew. "You’re that…that girl from the base!" Yohei started to sweat. Is she a spy?

Sitting on the floor with her bare left hand pressed firmly against one of the main drives was Suya. At first, her eyes were unfocused, and she remained very still. It was as if she didn’t even hear him. Eventually, though, as Yohei spluttered through his protests, her pupils shrank to their normal size. She pulled her hand away, and thought it best not to ask him what was wrong. She hadn’t meant to be caught.

Yohei tugged at his automatic; it stuck as he tried to loosen it from the holster. When Suya stood up, he panicked all the more. He finally shook the gun loose, and aimed it at her head.

"Stop right there. Hands behind your head. Do it now!"

Suya obeyed. He motioned for her to walk in front of him, and he prodded her forward with the muzzle of the gun. When they exited the room, Yohei shrieked for help, bringing half a dozen computer technicians sprinting in his direction.

Norihiko pushed the glasses up on his nose and frowned, hand on the butt of his own gun. "What’s going on?"

Yohei urged the other crew to maintain a safe distance, and kept his weapon aimed steadily with both hands. "I found her at the main computer." His voice carried more than a trace of indignation. "She was…touching it with her hand." He glanced quickly at his supervisor. "Someone oughta go check it!"

Norihiko nodded to a couple of men on his left, and they split off from the group. To Yohei and the other crew, he said, "Let’s bring this to the Captain."

Suya kept her face hidden by locks of hair, and allowed herself to be escorted to the bridge. Someone must have radioed ahead, because when they arrived, the senior officers were out of their seats and regarding them with bewilderment. Captain Hachinoko stood in the middle of the bridge.

Mamoru darted past Suya and over to Yohei, who led the pack. He pushed his arm down. "I hardly think this is necessary," he told him firmly.

"But she—"

"Holster it!" Mamoru ordered. "You too!" he said to the security escorts. He walked up to Suya, who still had her arms clasped behind her head. Mamoru laid a hand across her hands, and with a gentle tug indicated she could let her arms down.

"Are you sure?" she said. "I might bite."

"Don’t be so sure I wouldn’t bite back," he quipped. "What were you doing in the computer room?"

Suya shifted her gaze to the Captain, who nodded.

The exchange did not go unnoticed. "Well, obviously we’re the last to know something," Mamoru said. "What is it?"

Suya crossed her arms and looked at Mamoru with a measured stare. "I’m a cyborg," she said.

Exclamations of surprise circulated throughout the bridge. Mamoru felt as off-guard as the others, but kept his reaction in check. "And?"

"You were interfacing with the computer, is that it?" Norihiko asked. He turned to the Captain. "I was just about to make a report to you about some unauthorized access."

"I bet she was stealing data!" Yohei’s features were scrunched up with suspicion. "Did you come aboard to spy? To sell Yamato’s secrets to the highest bidder?"

"Oh, knock it off, you paranoid idiot!" Mamoru said, and flashed him an irritated look. "I believe we have things covered here. Why don’t you return to your post?"

Annoyed, Norihiko turned to Hachinoko. "Captain, since when did Kodai assume command of my department?"

Hachinoko snorted. "Since never! Really, people, how do you manage to lose focus so quickly? Listen here!" She went to stand near Suya, who had yet to take her eyes off of Mamoru. "Suya is indeed a cyborg. After a childhood accident, she was implanted with cybernetic components throughout her body." The Captain directed her gaze to Norihiko, who was listening with heightened interest. "Part of her brain works like a micro-computer, which explains her ability to interface with the main computer, or any computer, for that matter. What it doesn’t explain is why she accessed restricted files." With that comment, Hachinoko shifted her position and fixed her gaze directly on the cyborg in question. "You didn’t tell me you could do that." Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "I want an explanation."

Suya stared back at her unflinchingly. "It was part of my training," she said neutrally. "I wasn’t going to change anything, or steal anything. I interface with my ship when I fly; it’s how I attain the speeds and reaction times that I do. If you contact Icarus, I’m sure they’ll confirm it for you."

The Captain sighed. "I don’t need to contact Icarus. But the rules are different here, Suya. You need to inform me about things like this. The crew is very protective of this ship. But, even forgetting that, I can’t have my crew experimenting with any of the ship’s components without my permission. Next time, just ask."

"Captain?" she said softly.

"What?"

Suya pleaded with her eyes, and arched a brow.

"Are you asking me for permission to interface?"

Suya nodded.

"For what purpose?"

Suya opened her mouth to respond, and discovered that she didn’t have one. Embarrassed, she cast her eyes downward.

The Captain leaned in close and whispered in her ear. "Loneliness is not a compelling reason." Stepping back, she added, "Permission denied."

Suya nodded, her features locked in a grim expression.

"So what do we do with her?" asked Norihiko.

"Do?" echoed the Captain. "Do? You all go back to your posts, that’s what you do!"

"Yes, ma’am!"

"Aye!"

The bridge officers slowly returned to their posts as the other personnel trickled away, muttering derogatory comments as they left that were clearly targeted toward Suya. Different expressions swept across her as people passed by, some curious, some fearful. For her own part, she had found a nondescript spot on the floor, and was staring at it.

"Escort Suya to her cabin for the night, would you please, Kodai?" ordered the Captain.

Mamoru nodded. "Come on," he told Suya, and sauntered past her toward the elevator.

They rode in silence. As they walked, Mamoru thought of a hundred things he wanted to say, but feared she would think him intrusive or insincere. He stole a glance at her. Her shoulders hung down, and her stride lacked its usual confidence. This is really hard for you, isn’t it? Mamoru thought. You’re not used to all of these rules and regulations. It’s a totally different way of life from what you knew.

They came to her room. The door slid open.

"Suya!"

She paused mid-way across the threshold and turned around.

"What was it like?" he asked softly.

Her guarded look softened, then turned slightly vacant. Mamoru swore to himself he detected a faint smile.

"Yamato is more than you realize." With that, she disappeared into her room.

Speak for yourself, Mamoru thought.

Within hours, the news about Suya had spread throughout the ship. Over the next several days, many of the crew maintained an openly suspicious attitude towards her. She had lost a significant amount of their trust, and it was exacerbated in part due to her own amplified guardedness. The more the crew displayed their mistrust, the more guarded and distant Suya became. She missed her old companions terribly. At least they knew how to appreciate a comrade, she thought. What Suya didn’t realize was that a cyborg like her wasn’t yet the norm. The crew regarded her like a dangerous new species. But some of them liked a challenge.

A week had passed since she was caught interfacing. Suya soon learned that no one would sit with her anymore at mealtimes, where before two or three had at least done so out of curiosity. She sat alone at a corner table eating dinner in the mess. There had been a particularly rigorous training that day. The crew was tired, and therefore extra ravenous and noisy. It was crowded; every table but hers was fully occupied. Suya was working on her last few bites when a shadow passed across the table.

A hulking figure sat down opposite her and pushed aside the tray. Suya looked up warily.

"Name’s Bano," he said in a mock-friendly tone. Light brown eyes set in a face with a ruddy complexion ogled her. Suya thought she remembered him from the engine room.

A few of his cronies hovered expectantly in the background.

"You may have heard I’m a bit of a champ around here when it comes to arm wrestling," he continued. "I thought it might be fun if we had a go of it."

Someone behind him sniggered.

Bano rolled up his sleeve. A crowd had gathered loosely around them, and a few people were standing on tables and chairs to get a better view. Mamoru and Kylie watched from a nearby table. Suya looked to her right, then to her left. She was effectively blocked in.

"Let’s not, and say we did," she offered.

Bano threw his head back with a derisive laugh. "Little lady, I wanna see if you’ve got what they say you got!" His elbow landed with a thud that shook the table. He sneered. "Unless, that is, you’re part chicken too!"

Thumps and laughter echoed his taunts. Suya placed her right arm on the table and they clasped hands.

"Count of three," said one of the crew. "One, two, three…holy shit!"

With little more than a grunt to betray her effort, Suya slammed down Bano’s arm in a heartbeat. She withdrew, and stood up to leave.

"Wait a minute!" Bano snarled. His brow twisted into a massive knot of frustration. "I want a rematch. This time, don’t use your cyber arm!"

Suya studied him with a haughty expression. "I didn’t," she said, and flexed her left arm. "This is my cybernetic arm."

For a moment there was silence, and then laughter and mocking comments exploded into the air. Bano stared at her in disbelief, his expression switching to embarrassment, then indignation. Red faced and angry, he scolded everyone to knock it off (which only made them laugh harder) before making a hurried, bashful exit. Suya left shortly after amid her own chorus of shouts and hollers (some congratulatory, some snide). Mamoru laughed as heartily as the next person at Bano’s arrogance, but only had eyes for this mysterious woman with whom he was increasingly, hopelessly intrigued. His gaze followed her until she disappeared among the crowd.

And so it continued. Even the other pilots ignored Suya, except when they had to fly with her. An undercurrent of fear and distrust permeated the wake of her passing wherever she went. Suya spent most of her time tending to Fireball, endlessly, needlessly polishing its shiny exterior, or in her quarters. Before long, a few practical jokes were attempted. When Mamoru learned of these, he was outraged. You can’t force them to like her, the Captain had said when he brought it to her attention during a visit to her quarters. But they’re treating her like dirt! Hachinoko had shrugged. Maybe that’s how she wants to be treated. She’s not exactly the friendly type, you know.

Mamoru therefore decided that he would set an example, and sit with her during meals as often as he could. The first time, Suya picked up her tray and left as soon as he sat down. The second time, she tried to discourage him with a fierce glower. Mamoru ignored it. "This dish is pretty tasty!" was all he would say. After a few more days of this, her resistance began to lessen.

"There’s a lot of people on this ship, Kodai; you can’t find anyone else to sit with you?"

He gave her a lopsided grin. "Nope!"

Two days later, he plopped down across from her yet again. They ate in silence. When Suya stood up to leave, Mamoru grabbed her wrist.

He let slide the look that passed across her face, though it could scald lava. "There’s something I want to show you," he said. Gulping down the rest of his food, he snatched up the roll to take with him. "Come on."

"What is it?" she asked.

"You’ll see!"

They wove their way out of the mess and hung a right into the corridor. Suya pestered him with questions, but Mamoru would only shush her and wink. It was several minutes before she surmised their destination.

"Is there a new training? We just ate!"

Mamoru put a finger to his lips and guided her through the doorway into the anteroom of the simulation chamber. Both areas were empty. He squatted down and motioned for Suya to do the same. Opening up a panel beneath the console, he pointed a finger to a square, nine-key digital pad. Suya thought it looked to have been newly wired.

Mamoru cleared his throat. "The next time you want to run any of the simulations, flick this switch, and punch in your name. That’s your password. I think you’ll find the simulations more to your liking."

Suya looked at him in surprise. "You mean you built in more advanced levels?"

"Well…" Mamoru began, and chuckled, "my role was more facilitative. I asked one of the techs to add a back-end upgrade. Just remember to reset the switch when you’re done." He grunted. "Or some of our less-nimble mates will get the training surprise of their lives!"

Mamoru stood up, but Suya continued to study the array. Her thoughts were churning, and she remained silent lest they betray her bewilderment. You did this for me? Why? Why would you spend this kind of time on me? She had a feeling the upgrade had not been cleared by the Captain. The gesture was unexpected, but she felt she would have to trust it for the moment.

Suya stood up. The look in Mamoru’s eyes was hopeful, tender. She immediately averted her eyes. "Thanks," she said tersely, then immediately regretted it. She hadn’t meant to sound so abrupt.

"Well, I have to get back to the bridge," Mamoru said with his usual aplomb. "See you later!" He edged past her, and left the room.

Suya said something like good-bye to him, and remained there a few moments more. He’s just trying to be nice, said a small voice in her head. Don’t be afraid.

"Easy for you to say," she muttered. She went to join Fireball in the hangar.