Polaris Rising (Consortium Rebellion, #1)(72)

We were three hours out from XAD Six and still flying stealthed. I set us on a course that would put us into orbit if I didn’t alter it, set the sensors to maximum sensitivity, then went to grab a snack.

Veronica sat facing the door, staring into a steaming mug, when I entered the mess hall. Lin and Imma sat across from her. Lin was talking a mile a minute between bites of a grilled cheese sandwich, but Veronica’s smile was wan.

I waved her over, and Lin turned around when she stood up. “Lady Ada!” he said.

“Hello, Lord Lin,” I said. “Is that grilled cheese? Grilled cheese is my favorite.”

He beamed at me. “It’s my favorite, too!”

“Don’t talk with your mouth full,” Imma said gently. “And finish your lunch.” Lin pouted but turned back to his food without complaint. It was clear Imma adored the kid and Lin returned her affection.

I led Veronica over to the galley to give us a bit of privacy. “You okay?” I asked quietly.

“Yeah,” she said. “Just trying to revert to Universal. Lin barely slept, so we’re all tired.” She waved her mug. “Caffeine helps.”

So did adrenaline, but I didn’t think she’d appreciate the option. “You’re welcome on the flight deck, you know. Rhys and Loch were up there.”

“If we’re going to be blown out of the sky, I’d rather not know in advance,” she said with another wan smile.

“I hope it doesn’t come to that, but we are going to have to get closer. Looks empty, but it could be a trap.”

“I knew it was dangerous when I decided to come along. Imma and I are both armed. We won’t go quietly.”

I pulled an orange out of the fridge and peeled it slowly. The bright citrus scent lifted my mood and steadied my resolve. “None of us will go quietly. I’ll get you out,” I said, “whatever the cost.”

She met my eyes. “Don’t forget to get yourself out, too.”

“Of course,” I said easily. I popped the last piece of orange into my mouth before she could question me again. I waved goodbye to Lin and returned to the flight deck. Rhys and Loch were back in their seats. Rhys studied the navigation console.

“You’re taking us into orbit?” he asked.

“Probably not, but it was easy to plot. If the surroundings remain empty, I’m headed for the surface. If we meet a fleet of warships, I’m going to run like hell.”

I kept us cloaked and in stealth as we approached the planet. The sensors didn’t detect any other ships, but they were picking up various signals from the surface. Once we were in range, I scanned the surface. XAD Six was just as frozen as the von Hasenberg planet we’d left, but it teemed with radio activity.

“There’s a lot of something going on down there,” Rhys said, looking at the sensor data.

“Yes. Most of it seems to originate from a single point, at least on this side of the planet. Let me see if I can get a visual.” I pointed the ship’s long-range cameras at the most likely origination point for the signals. I piped the resulting images to the flight deck’s video screens.

A large spaceport surrounded by white landscape came into view. A single squat building sat off to one side.

“They’re underground,” Loch said.

“Of course they are,” I muttered. Infiltrating a warehouse on the surface wasn’t terribly difficult; infiltrating an unknown underground facility was.

“They didn’t bother to terraform the planet,” Rhys said. “If they’re mining, they’ll be underground anyway. Makes sense to just put all their buildings there.”

“I would’ve preferred an obvious, unguarded pile of alcubium sitting out in the open,” I said.

“Where’s the fun in that?” Loch drawled.

Rhys grinned at him. “I have to agree.”

I huffed out a laugh. “I’m glad you feel that way because if our path remains clear, we’ll be planetside in a little under an hour. Rhys, I don’t suppose you brought anything useful for this, did you?”

“Why, Lady Ada, I thought you’d never ask!” he said with a melodramatic flourish. He sobered. “I didn’t pack rebreathers or space suits, though. Didn’t think we’d be visiting an unterraformed planet.”

“The ship has plenty of suits,” Loch said. “Found them when I went looking for clothes.”

“I need a codebreaker to get me through the door and something to keep me alive on the other side. And, ideally, a distraction to let me slip back out again.”

“You seem to be under the mistaken impression that you’re going in alone,” Rhys said.

“It’s not a mistake,” I said sweetly, “I am going in alone.”

“The hell you are,” Loch said.

“I need you two to keep the ship secure and make sure I have a way out. In the event that I’m caught, I want you to promise to take the ship to Father. My sister Bianca knows all about this trip and she will let Father know if I don’t check in. He’ll expect you,” I said. It was as much threat as warning. “I don’t care how much you bend him over a barrel in negotiations, but the House von Hasenberg scientists and engineers need this ship.”

“All the more reason for me and Loch to enter the building while you stay with the ship,” Rhys argued.