“Nari is here.” Zila’s eyes drift to the lieutenant. “But the more pertinent question is, How did you know she would be?”
“IT’S IN MY BRIEFING DOCUMENT. WHICH IS STILL PARTIALLY ENCRYPTED AND UNPACKING INTO MY CPU. BUT I KNOW SHE’S A PART OF THE PLAN.”
My mind is racing, and Scarlett’s staring at me like the whole galaxy has just turned upside down. My throat feels so tight I can barely speak.
“What plan?”
“THE PLAN TO SAVE THE MILKY WAY GALAXY, SASSYBOY! ALL THIS HAS BEEN A PART OF IT. EVERY MOMENT YOU’VE LIVED FOR THE LAST YEAR. EVERY MOMENT SINCE CADET ANTON BJ?RKMAN’S SNORING KEPT CADET TYLER JONES AWAKE THE NIGHT BEFORE THE DRAFT. EVERY MOMENT SINCE CADET JONES MADE HIS WAY TO THE LAUNCH BAYS, WHERE SECOND LIEUTENANT LEXINGTON ALLOWED HIM TO TAKE A PHANTOM OUT INTO THE FOLD IN DEFIANCE OF AURORA ACADEMY REGULATIONS. EVERY MOMENT SINCE HE DETECTED AND RESCUED AURORA JIE-LIN O’MALLEY FROM THE RUINS OF THE HADFIELD.”
Total silence.
“HELLO? IS MY VOX UNIT FRITZING?”
“Ty told me about that,” Scarlett murmurs. “His roomie snoring when he never usually did. The lieutenant he flirted with so he could hit the Fold without officer escort. He thought it was weird in hindsight, but—”
“BUT IT WAS ALL PART OF THE PLAN,” Magellan says, with a jaunty little spark. “SO WAS TYLER’S GIVING ME TO AURORA. AURORA STOWING AWAY ABOARD YOUR LONGBOW. THE ZERO WAITING FOR YOU AT EMERALD CITY. TO BE HONEST, MAKING SURE SASSYBOY’S COUSIN DARIEL HAD SEEN THE POSTERS FOR MR. BIANCHI’S ART EXHIBITION WAS THE TRICKIEST PART. HE’S NOT QUICK ON THE UPTAKE, IS HE?”
“All planned,” I echo.
“RIGHT DOWN TO THE DEPOSIT BOX IN THE DOMINION VAULT, WITH GIFTS FOR EACH OF YOU. LEFT THERE BEFORE YOU EVER ENROLLED AT THE ACADEMY.”
“Except for Cat,” Scarlett whispers, slowly frowning. “There was no gift for Cat. Just a ship named in memory of her. And now Tyler’s gone.” Her voice is rising, her hand squeezing mine to the point of pain. “They’re gone, and you’re telling us this was planned?”
“WELL,” Magellan replies. “IN AN EQUATION THIS COMPLEX, NOBODY CAN CONTROL ALL VARIABLES. AND OUR KNOWLEDGE OF EVENTS ONLY EXTENDED TO A CERTAIN POINT IN THE TIMELINE. BUT EVENTS WERE NUDGED, WHERE THEY COULD BE. YOU WERE ASSISTED, WHERE YOU COULD BE.”
“By whom?” Zila asks, and I can’t help admiring the fact that she’s maintaining her grammar while my brain’s going off like a fireworks display.
“ADMIRAL ADAMS AND GREATER CLAN BATTLE LEADER DE STOY.”
“But who briefed them?”
“IT APPEARS THE ORDERS WERE PASSED DOWN THROUGH THE HEADS OF THE ACADEMY, GENERATION TO GENERATION, FROM THE ORIGINAL AURORA LEGION FOUNDERS IN 2214.” Magellan flashes, maybe performing data retrieval. There’s a buzz to its circuits I don’t like. “ONE OF WHOM WAS ADMIRAL NARI KIM.”
Nari’s legs fold at that point, and she thumps down onto a tech’s stool that Zila shoves under her butt with only a millisecond to spare.
“Okay,” Dirtgirl whispers. “Okay, this is officially too much now.”
“It’s right,” Scarlett breathes. “Maker’s breath, it’s right.”
“Scar?” I ask.
“You remember the main hall on Alpha promenade back at the academy? The big statues?”
“The Founders … ,” Zila whispers.
Scar steps to Lieutenant Dirtgirl’s side, stretches one arm high over her head. “Imagine her made of marble. And older. And like a hundred meters tall.”
I stare at Nari, a frown deepening on my brow. “Maker’s bits …”
Scar turns to Nari. “We walk by you every day. I mean, in our defense, you’re way older. And in full Aurora dress uniform and, you know, solid stone. And really, you’re so big we’re really just walking by your feet. But damn, they made a statue out of you, girl.” She holds her hand up for a high five, but Nari leaves her hanging, still staring at Magellan.
“You’re one of the Founders of Aurora Academy,” I whisper.
“I can’t even find my keys most days,” Nari whispers.
“This explains the sensation of familiarity I have been experiencing,” Zila muses. “Your hair is shorter on the statue they built for you.”
Nari opens her mouth, then closes it again.
“I think I’m gonna be sick… .”
“You know,” I say, “you co-found Aurora Academy with your bestie. Who happens to be a Betraskan. So you probably shouldn’t call her a bleach-head or shoot her in the face when you meet her.”