Mindee Arnett - Avalon

“Did he just pick you at random?”

“Nope.” Jeth slid the wrench over a bolt and started loosening it. “He determined a list of candidates based on these aptitude tests that all the kids at Peltraz are required to take. Everybody on the list was exceptional in one way or another. Like with Flynn, the tests predicted how good a mechanic he could be. Then once I picked him for the crew, Hammer sent him through a specialized training class.”

Sierra grinned. “I see, although I’m surprised his tests didn’t indicate he should be a chef.”

Jeth chuckled. “They probably did, but I think Hammer thought the mechanic stuff would be more valuable.”

“Good thing. I’m amazed he stays so skinny.”

“Yeah, we keep asking Milton to check him for worms, but he hasn’t found any yet.”

Sierra snorted as she finished removing one of the bolts and moved onto the next. “Then I guess Lizzie’s talent is her computer skills. But what about Shady?” A note of skepticism colored her voice. Jeth wasn’t surprised. Only a rare few would ever spot Shady’s talent without help.

“He’s good with firearms and explosives. That, and he’s brave enough to do anything, no matter how stupid.”

Sierra laughed. “I suppose that’s a vital skill in a thief.”

“Yep.” For some reason, her humor at this bothered him. He didn’t want her to dismiss them all as just thieves. They were more than that. He was more than that.

Are you sure?

Something like shame roiled in his stomach as he remembered the next bit of thieving he planned to do.

“What about Celeste?” said Sierra. “What’s her area of expertise?”

“She’s kind of the exception to the rule.”

“How so?”

“I convinced Hammer to make her part of the crew after I caught her trying to pick my pocket. I was already working for Hammer by then, but we hadn’t finished putting the crew together yet. I got to pick the members from the list of candidates he complied, that’s how it worked. But in the meantime, Hammer had me stealing personal comm units from people at the gambling halls on Peltraz. I’d pick one up, run it through a cloning device, and then return it before anybody realized it was missing.”

“What for? It’s not like those things are valuable.”

“They are to a man like Hammer. He uses them to spy on high rollers. Once he has a unit cloned, he can tap incoming and outgoing calls on the ship. You’d be surprised the kind of dirt you can get on people just through casual conversation.” Jeth stopped speaking, embarrassed by the way he’d sounded, like he was in awe of Hammer’s criminal ingenuity. He supposed he was, in a way, but he didn’t want Sierra to know that.

“Anyway,” Jeth continued, “Celeste tried to steal one of the units I’d just stolen. She got so mad when I caught her in the act, she punched me in the face.”

“That’s a heck of a first impression,” said Sierra.

“That’s Celeste.” Jeth often suspected that punch was half the reason he’d chosen her. You had to respect a girl who could hit like that. “Anyway, I shoved her back, and we ended up causing such a scene we both got hauled off by security. Hammer was pissed, because the comm unit belonged to the son of some big-shot politician he was hoping to put the squeeze on. But when Celeste and I started fighting, the guy saw what was happening and took the unit back before I could clone it.”

“What’d Hammer do then?”

“Nothing to me, but when he found out Celeste was an orphan and ward of the station, he decided to, ah, put her into a different line of work.”

“What kind?”

Jeth grimaced. “Oh you know, one that involves young girls and rich older men. Celeste always has been a looker.” Jeth had been furious about it. Even now the idea made him want to hit something.

He felt Sierra give a little shudder next to him, and thoughts of what had almost happened to Celeste vanished from his mind at the reminder of Sierra’s close proximity. She smelled good, flowery and entirely female. He turned his head and realized she was looking at him.

She glanced away at once and started twisting the wrench again. “That’s horrible.”

Jeth stared at her misshapen hands grasping the tool. She held it awkwardly as if the position hurt. “Are you sure you’re all right doing this?” He had a sudden urge to take the wrench from her. He didn’t want her to be in pain. In his mind’s eye he saw himself running his fingers over hers.

Sierra glanced at him again, surprise on her face. “I’m . . . I’m fine. Really.”

Jeth nodded and returned his attention to his work. What was wrong with him? He shouldn’t let her distract him so much. She wasn’t a lost, helpless kitten in need of protection or sympathy or whatever this thing was she made him feel.

“So how did Celeste end up on the crew?” Sierra asked.

Jeth clenched his teeth as he struggled with a particularly stubborn screw. “I managed to convince Hammer that she would be useful at distracting marks. We’ve been together ever since.”

“You mean together, together?”

Jeth’s grip on the screw slipped and he almost hit himself in the forehead. “No, nothing like that. At least not for a while.”

“I see.”

They fell into silence for a couple of moments. Jeth searched his mind for something to say, but everything sounded stupid or too personal. He felt an insane urge to tell her about his dream of settling down on Enoch, but he didn’t dare. Why would she even care?

Finally, Sierra broke the silence for him. “So, did Hammer recruit you through an aptitude test, too?”

He exhaled, relieved to be talking again. “No. I wasn’t quite eleven when I started working for him. I don’t think I remember how it all started, but I first met him after Milton lost Avalon to him in a card game. When I found out about it, I snuck into the casino and tried to attack Hammer with this pathetic little pocketknife. I thought I could force him into giving us back the ship. Yeah, it worked about as well as you can imagine. But I started doing odd jobs for him not long after. He must’ve been impressed by my bravery or attitude or maybe my sheer stupidity.”

“It’s not stupid to fight for what’s yours,” Sierra said, quietly.

Something moved in his chest again. What’s yours. Like the right to live your own life, the way you want to live it .

“And she’s a great ship,” Sierra went on. “An entire world unto herself.”

Jeth’s breath caught at the compliment, a pleasant shiver going through his body. He cleared his throat. “Are you finished with that other wrench?”

“Yeah.” Sierra reached down beside her, picked up the wrench, and turned back to him. “Well, I suppose Ham—uh!”

Jeth rolled toward her. “What is it?”

He saw the answer at once. A big drop of system coolant had fallen on her face, right beneath one eye. “Crap, let me get it. Keep your eyes closed.”

Sierra dropped her hand from her face and held still. Jeth reached for her, but he couldn’t quite manage it in the tight space.

“We’ve got to do this out there. Can you scoot out?”

“Yes.”

Jeth slid out from underneath the station and then helped her do the same. He pulled her into a sitting position. Then he cupped her face in his hands to hold her steady as he wiped away the coolant with his thumb, being careful not to push it into her eye.

Sierra smiled. “That tickles.”

A flush of heat enveloped Jeth, and he shivered again. Somehow he managed to make his tone playful as he said, “Shhhh, don’t tell me that. Or I might have to tickle you on purpose.”

Her lips parted. “You wouldn’t dare. I’m a highly-trained ITA agent. I can hurt you with nothing but my big toe.”