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Molly thought about that, her fingers resting on the keyboard She understood co in her bunk at night in the Acadeersshe understood She used to lie in that state and drea her
She never iined it could be the other way around Or reciprocal
Molly considered the things she’d like to have heard from her parents when she was alone and confused She wondered what her ain, the realized drea a conversation with herout through the carboglass, gazing at the stars, her fingers hovered over the keys while her mind raced
Maybe just tidbits to start with Rando that came to mind while Cole thumbed the hyperdrive
Outside, the constellations shifted
Ever so slightly
5
"Ssandwich?"
Molly turned fro out soed between chunks of bread like geological strata
"Mmm No, but thank you," she said politely
Cole reached for the refused victuals "Thanks, buddy"
Walter snapped it back "It’ss for Molly," he hissed, his eyes narrow slits
"I appreciate it," Molly told hireat Cole can have it if he wants" She looked over fro "And why don’t you check in on Edison, see if he needs anything And find out if Anlyn’s improved any"
Cole took the reluctantly offered sandwich, "Thanks, man"
"Don’t mention it," Walter spat as he slunk out of the cockpit
"That boy adores you," Cole said around his first bite of sandwich
Molly nodded "I knoish he didn’t Not so much" She checked over her shoulder, then leaned toward Cole "He creeps me out so xenophobic" She straightened back up and pulled the keyboard close She considered telling her mom more about Walter, but she wasn’t sure she could stick to saying nice things
"He h Oh--" Cole sed, then continued, "The Bel Tra have a general layout of Drenard, but they don’t have an orbital schedule We were kinda expecting Anlyn to guide us in Do ait for her to coers and hope we don’t jump into a small moon or a satellite?"
Molly typed: ONE SEC­_ to her mom, then switched over to the chart
"Hmmm" She studied the Drenard systenized in an instant Students pored over the plans for a massive invasion that would end the war
Drenard was a binary star systee for systeh binaries are an extreuration, they lead to orbits nonconducive to the evolution of large and complex life-forms
Without an orbital schedule, Molly could only see where the planets and stars had been when the Bel Tra scouted the systee points in uesses, which wasn’t good enough for the exactitude safe ju required
"Why don’t we coested "We shoot for the L1 between the two stars, a point we know doesn’tout"
"Good idea," said Cole, "but it’ll be a long burn to Drenard froambles with all our lives And we could risk another short jump once we’re in-system and have a visual"
"Good point Okay, the hyperdrive should be spooled up in a few minutes And just so you knoe’ll be down to less than two percent on fusion fuel e arrive These quick cycles areour fusion supply"
"We’ll worry about that after we get Anlyn some help Go ahead and jump as soon as you can" Molly switched back to her mom and scanned the screen to see where she’d left off
"What’re you ladies gabbing about over there?" Cole asked
"Glemot," she said
Cole looked over, his eyebrows raised "Really? Huh I’ her about the planet we found, not the mess we left behind"
Cole turned back to the nav co himself
A sad silence fell over the cockpit before Molly’s loud and rapid typing broke the spell She concentrated on the good, withholding the bad
A style of communication her mother knew quite well
••••
The strangest thing about the jump into Drenard--the home system of Molly and Cole’s sworn ene with the hubris of their youth, rather than the caution of their training, they had ju unproven routes and arrival points Desperation, and the pursuit of their own Navy, had pushed the, the rest of the way
The only thing on Molly’sher with her people--was getting a friend some medical assistance For Cole, trust had beco prices Running fro allegiances, but forgetting where they once lay
Still, there was no rational justification for what they’d just done: ju their crew unconscious and unable to communicate Of course, Drenard’s Orbital Defense Patrol saw their unexpected arrival much more clearly It was a dire threat A suicidal attack A GN ship come to rain bombs on their home planet
Such was their fear as the DODP jumped out to the unidentified contact on their SADAR units, weapons ar