The aged box truck rattled and squeaked as it rolled down the road. The landscape of Ceon 12 rolled by. Here, it was dry and rocky. Scattered sprigs of hardy green clung grimly to life in the low-water environment.

  Kinnit sighed, her face resting on one fist. She slumped in the passenger seat, bored. Techterra had long since vanished behind them, and the desert unrolled in front of them, a vast landscape of sameness. She glanced over at Dass, who was driving, hunched over the wheel, his focus on the poorly-maintained road ahead.

  She sighed again. She hated this crawling, tedious travel across the surface of the planet. She wanted to be among the stars, pushing the boundaries of light speed, whipping past planets, not stuck on the surface of one.

  She idly picked at one claw. She and Dass had worked out the rest of their plan. They were heading back to Duskwind, where she'd parked Digger. They would rent space on a commercial transport to get her back to Takkar with her shuttle. Dass had recommended against contacting anyone in the Navy again. He seemed strangely reluctant to use any Navy resources at the moment.

  Once she was safely back on Takkar, Dass would contact Grimthorn and send him the photos of the wire in Ordren's office. Grimthorn could figure out how to handle it from there. Kinnit didn't want to be stuck on Takkar while Grimthorn handled everything else, but she'd done her part in getting the evidence for him.

  Once all the dust had settled and she was clear to return to duty, Grimthorn could come pick her up from Takkar. Assuming everything went according to plan.

  Kinnit didn't like it. It felt dishonest. She wanted to call Grimthorn right away and tell him everything, but Dass was adamant that they should keep things under wraps for now. Keep Grimthorn in the dark about everything that had been going on.

  Well, Dass was the professional spy. She was sure he knew best. But she still didn't like it. She'd tell Grimthorn everything at some point, she didn't understand why it couldn't be now.

  She wanted to talk to him _right now._

  A furrow creased her brow as she picked at her claw. Something was off, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. She pulled on the tip of her finger.

  To her shock, it stretched out.

  She sat bolt upright. She pulled on the length of her finger, and the whole thing stretched out nearly an inch longer than usual, thinning slightly. Her eyes, locked in horror, stared at her distorted digit. With growing terror, she squeezed one hand with another. Her hand flexed and bulged in a way that hands typically don't, as though her bone rigidity had become an optional extra.

  "Dass?!" She turned to him, holding up her warped hand. He glanced over at her.

  "Huh. Oh, yeah. How about that?"

  "'_How about that?!'_" she screeched. "What's happening to me?"

  Dass rubbed the back of his head, keeping his eyes on the road.

  "Ah, I probably should have mentioned. Probably should have. Yeah."

  "Mentioned what? What should you have mentioned?"

  "Ah, some species, if they're in contact with a Mucilagean for a long time, they'll pick up a little extra body plasticity."

  "_Excuse me?!_"

  "Yeah. It's probably temporary, though. I wouldn't worry about it."

  "'Probably' temporary? And you just... _forgot_ to mention this?"

  He shrugged uncomfortably.

  "I mean, you were having so much fun. And we had to get the mission done."

  She threw herself back in her seat. She bent her finger side to side, watching the unnatural flexing, her expression warring between fury and worry.

  "Probably temporary," she muttered. "I'm starting to understand why Grimthorn feels the way he does about you."

  ---

  They pulled into Duskwind three hours later. The town was tired, dusty, and small, a shocking change from the gleaming, gritty city of Techterra. It was hard to believe they both occupied the same planet.

  Dass pulled into the spaceport and began arguing with the attendant there about fees. Kinnit seethed at the delay. She wanted to get off of Ceon 12, and back to Takkar so that she could get Grimthorn back.

  She'd give anything to see him right now.

  "Just pay the man," she hissed. "I'll cover the difference if a few credits is such a big deal."

  "It's part of my cover," he muttered back. "If I don't haggle with the guy, it'll look suspicious."

  She sat back and fumed. She had very little sympathy for Dass and his cover right now.

  After everything had been settled to everyone's dissatisfaction, Dass finally pulled in and parked. They got out and walked into the spaceport.

  The familiar dusty, smelly air assaulted them as they entered. The same scuffed floors, worn counters, bored passengers and tired attendants were scattered through the small spaceport.

  So much had happened to her, and she'd changed so much, but the spaceport here felt like a time bubble, as though she'd only walked out to catch a bus to Techterra five minutes ago.

  They walked over to the commercial transport counter. She and Dass paused to discuss their approach before they approached the attendant.

  "Okay, don't let them upsell you on the trip insurance," Dass said. "That's a scam, they'll never pay out if anything happens. Plus, your shuttle is military, so you'll have coverage through the Navy, anyway."

  "I don't care," she growled. "I just want to get this process moving."

  "Yeah, almost as much as I do," he said. "Don't take this the wrong way, but I need to get you off my planet and out of my hair. The sooner the better. Once you let me know you're back on Takkar I'll contact Grimthorn and get the process started."

  "Why can't you contact him now?"

  The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

  "I... that's delicate. I want to think through how to communicate our findings. I wouldn't want him to get the wrong idea about things."

  Kinnit pouted.

  "You're just trying to figure out how to keep him from getting mad at you."

  "You say that like it's unreasonable." Dass grinned uncomfortably. "Admiral Stonefist can be kind of, you know, difficult about things sometimes. Having half a galaxy between us when I talk to him is not a terrible idea."

  Kinnit frowned at him.

  "Look," Dass said. "I promise I'll get in touch with Grimthorn just as soon as you're back on Takkar, all right?"

  "No need," came a voice from behind them. "I'm right here."

  Kinnit and Dass spun around.

  "Grimthorn!" Kinnit cried. Her first instinct was to fling herself into his arms, but it would not do to have that reaction in public. She rushed to his side and stood as close to him as she dared, with the eyes of the whole spaceport on them. She lowered her head and blushed.

  Dass looked trapped for a moment, but quickly put on his best, most charming grin.

  "Grimthorn, my man! How good it is to see you!" he said, with as much sincerity as he could muster.

  Admiral Stonefist stood in the middle of the spaceport, tall and stern, with his arms crossed and a scowl on his face. His scowl softened when he looked at Kinnit, but re-scowled as he brought his eyes back to the Duroclade.

  "Dass," he said. "Why am I not surprised to find you in the middle of all this?"

  "Ahaha! The middle of what? There is nothing, absolutely nothing going on here!" he said with a fixed grin.

  Grimthorn raised one eyebrow.

  "Really?" he asked. "My lo-- my Assistant disappears from Takkar, goes silent, and somehow shows up on Techterra. With you. And 'nothing' is going on?"

  Dass looked like he desperately wished to be anywhere else.

  "You know, this is probably not the place to discuss--"

  "Oh, Grimthorn," Kinnit said, "don't be too mad at him. He only shot me with a tank the one time."

  Dass stood there with his mouth open. He could almost swear Kinnit was wearing a little smirk.

  Coldness radiated from Grimthorn. He glowered at Dass.

  "I definitely want to hear _all about_ what you've been up to," he said with a strangled fury. He turned to Kinnit. "And you as well. We have a lot to discuss about what you've done." She wilted a little under his disapproving gaze. "But you're right that this is not the place." The denizens of the spaceport were watching the drama unfold with increasing interest. "The Swordheart is in orbit. We will sort everything out there."

  Dass' saucy smile froze on his face.

  "Ah... but I hate space," he said.

  ---

  They sat around a round table in a small conference room on board the Swordheart. Kinnit and Dass took turns explaining their activities over the last few weeks. Dass, attempting to put the best possible spin on events, explained things in a roundabout, imprecise way that Grimthorn found exceptionally annoying.

  Kinnit was much more straightforward, laying out events as they'd happened, clarifying Dass' inaccuracies, and filling in gaps in his story.

  Grimthorn sat with a stony expression, taking it all in.

  At last they finished. Everyone sat in uncomfortable silence for a minute.

  "So, I want to make sure I understand," Admiral Stonefist said. He pointed at Kinnit. "Without leave or authorization, you left a CenCom-mandated suspension, traveled to Techterra, broke into CenCom, and infiltrated a high officer's office?"

  Kinnit drooped, lowered her eyes, and nodded.

  Grimthorn turned his finger to Dass. "And you, instead of either reporting her or helping her, _you_ set her to work as an undercover agent, _also_ with no authorization, and embedded her in a dangerous, violent street gang? Is this what happened?"

  "Ah, well, you put it like that," Dass said, "and I can see how it sounds bad. But she was _so good_ at it! Like, I hadn't even started the operation yet and she had already made inroads into the Collective, and then--"

  "Dass, please shut up," Kinnit said, burying her face in her hands. "This is not helping."

  "Aside from the danger, did neither of you realize that both of you could be court-martialed for this? If anybody else had found out about this little stunt, both of you would be in a prison cell right now."

  "I... I just wanted to help with the investigation," Kinnit said. "I was _sure_ that Ordren's office was the source of the leak, and I was right! I just didn't want to distract you or upset you. It was already hard on you, and with everything else going on, you needed plausible deniability--"

  "Right or wrong is not germane." Grimthorn's face took on a pained expression. "I'm deeply troubled that you didn't trust me enough to talk this through with me."

  Fat tears filled Kinnit's eyes, and she looked at the floor.

  "I'm sorry," she whispered.

  "And you. You of all people should know better," he said, turning back to Dass. "How long have you been in Naval Intelligence? You _know_ the rules about recruiting civilians. These safeguards are in place for a _reason._"

  "Ah, well, I figured that since _technically_ she was still Navy, just on suspension--"

  "Do you want to try that argument with a military judge in a court-martial hearing?"

  "Ah... no. Not really."

  Grimthorn stood.

  "Are you-- what are you going to do?" Kinnit asked quietly, tears still spilling down her face.

  Grimthorn frowned deeply. Then he sighed.

  "I'm not going to have you arrested, if that's what you're asking," he said finally. "The Imperium needs you both too much. _I_ need you both too much. You also succeeded at both missions, which I'm grateful for. With the EVC de-fanged, anti-SS sentiment should begin to die down, and with the evidence from Commander Ordren's office, we should be able to clear you for return to duty." He took a deep breath through his nose. "Both of those accomplishments... mean a great deal to me. But Kinnit, when I was trying to find you, and I didn't know where in the universe you had gone..." Grimthorn closed his eyes and turned away from them. He did not continue for a while.

  When he resumed speaking, his voice was low.

  "Beyond that, I don't know what I'm going to do about all of this." He paused, his hands clasped behind his back, thinking. "I have an idea what to do with the photos. We'll get that sorted out. Beyond that, I don't know." He pursed his lips. "Kinnit, go on to the office. I need to talk out a few more things with Dass."

  She nodded and scrubbed her eyes. She gathered herself up and walked toward the door.

  "I'm sorry, Grimthorn," she said, laying a hand on his arm. He stayed still for a long moment, but finally nodded shortly. She nodded back and left.

  "Would it make you feel better to hit me?" Dass said. "I can take it, if it would help--"

  "Dass, you're not stupid," Grimthorn said quietly, still facing away from him. "You know what she is to me?"

  Dass' jovial tone evaporated. His face grew somber.

  "I know."

  "You operate under a different set of rules," Grimthorn said. "I've always known that. That's why I look the other way so often when you get careless about what's legal and what's not." He turned to face the Duroclade. "You put Kinnit in danger."

  Dass could not meet Grimthorn's gaze.

  "I'm so sorry, Grimthorn."

  "Just like with Kinnit, I'm very disappointed that you left me in the dark about all this."

  Dass winced. The quiet reprimand was worse than yelling, somehow. It made it feel less like his usual mischief and more like the betrayal of a friend.

  "How can I fix this, Grimthorn?"

  "You can't fix some things, Dass. Kinnit's back safe, and I thank you for that." He took a deep breath. "Go back to Techterra. Do whatever it is you do there to protect the Imperium. But don't ever involve us again."

  Dass nodded glumly. Grimthorn turned and left the conference room.

  ---

  Kinnit sat at her desk in the silent office. Tears of overwhelm filled her eyes. She didn't realize how much she'd missed the office until she was back in it.

  Most things were the same. Her desk was precisely as she'd left it. Grimthorn's desk was messier, with piles of slips and old food containers encroaching again. Sol's desk had more on it now, orderly stacks of slips arranged just so. There were three coffee cups on the counter of the kitchenette now; Sol must have gotten a taste for coffee.

  Kinnit loved her home and loved her people, but she didn't want to go back to Takkar. The old, familiar office was home to her now. She wanted to stay here with Grimthorn.

  She sighed.

  The door gave a muted beep as it paneled open. Grimthorn walked in. Kinnit leapt to her feet. He walked over to her, looking at her with an unreadable expression.

  "Grimthorn, I..." she faltered unsure of what to say.

  "I missed you so much," he said, and swept her up into his arms, hugging her tightly.

  She barked laughter, weeping freely, clinging to him and showering him with kisses.

  "I missed you, too," she laughed in between kisses and tears.

  They melted in each other's arms, sharing their love. After the frantic initial reunion they settled down to some deep, passionate kissing.

  "I'll never let you go again," Grimthorn said, looking deep into her eyes.

  "What about my suspension?"

  "You break the rules your way, I'll break them mine."

  She smiled at his nonsense answer and turned her face up to him, silently begging for another kiss. Grimthorn descended on her lips, only too happy to comply.

  They were sharing a couple's moment when the door gave another muted beep as it was paneled open.

  They broke apart in shock, only to see the wide eyes and disbelieving expression of Lieutenant Sol Baric in the doorway.