Coalescence (Dragonfire Station Book 3)

eye was evident even from where Fallon stood.
Hawk had not disappointed Fallon by toning down his big personality for Arin’s benefit. If anything, Hawk had been more suggestive than usual. He also always ended up next to Arin. Fallon was fairly certain that her legate had no interest in dating men, but it was fun to watch Hawk try.
Raptor and Peregrine seemed to like Arin well enough. Fallon had a harder time interpreting Ross’ sentiments. He was friendly, but gave little away regarding his thoughts. He walked next to Peregrine, appearing to enjoy the stroll.
The path curved gently around a copse of trees. The group halted when they encountered Dr. Brannin Brash coming the other direction.
“Oh, hello.” The Bennite doctor smiled and engaged in pleasantries with everyone, saving Fallon for last. “And how are you feeling?” He had good reason for asking, given the brain surgery he’d recently assisted with, which had returned her memories to her.
“Great. No apparent side effects.”
“Glad to hear it. You’ll be at your appointment tomorrow?” He watched her expectantly.
“Of course. And Brak will also check me out when she returns.”
Brak had been the one to pioneer the surgery. She also knew about Fallon’s struggle with Blackout, while Brannin remained in the dark about it.
“Excellent.” He included the others in his smiling glance. “Well, I won’t keep you. Have a good evening.” He gave them a quick bow, indicating the proper level of respect, but with an air of casualness.
Fallon and her companions also bowed, then continued on their way. Raptor and Peregrine joined the conversation, probably to relieve Arin of Hawk’s unwavering attention. Fallon and Ross were content to listen, responding only when spoken to directly.
Fallon wanted to observe Arin with her team, but she didn’t know Ross’ reason for being quiet. Maybe he was just tired.
Overall, she was pleased with the evening. Arin got along well with her team and they seemed to like him. She’d talk to him in private later to see what he thought of them. If he had the right instincts, she might recruit him into her rebellion. Assuming she could trust him not to go running to Jamestown Station, also known as PAC headquarters.
In the meantime, she had a station to protect and an insurgency to plan.

2
The next morning, Fallon gathered Avian Unit in her security office on Deck Four to discuss their next mission: making contact with Admiral Colb. As soon as Brak gave her the medical green light for business as usual, Fallon wanted to start sticking it to Blackout. That meant finding all the allies they could, and Colb would be a powerful one. They’d located him, and he seemed to be isolated and on the run, just as Avian Unit was.
“What he’s doing is smart,” Raptor said. “He’s made his presence on Zerellus publicly known. With his high profile, people would immediately notice if he disappeared, and they’d start asking the kind of questions that Blackout doesn’t want people asking.”
“The kind that might just lead back to them,” Peregrine mused, chewing on her thumb thoughtfully. “But it means he’ll be difficult to reach. He’ll have a fortress of security to make sure he doesn’t suffer any unfortunate ‘accidents.’”
“Difficult, but not impossible,” Raptor countered. “I’m finding out as much about the situation as I can.”
Hawk shifted to face Raptor. “We don’t have much to prove he’s an ally, other than the fact that he seems to be flying solo. No offense to Fallon, but I’m not taking her parents’ faith in the guy as proof that he’s on our side.”
“Neither am I.” Old family friend or not, Fallon wouldn’t trust him blindly. “Until we’re sure he’s not working with Krazinski, we treat him as a potential threat.”
From the corner of her eye, she saw Ross’ frown deepen. He’d said little all morning and his withdrawal had begun to concern her.
Raptor leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. “I’d like to do a scouting mission. Check out the situation in person. That will give me a lot more to work with.”
It was the right move, and Fallon’s team could use something to do. They weren’t tasked with running Dragonfire as she was. The timing would sync nicely.
Travel between the station and Zerellus would take more than a day each way. By the time the rest of Avian Unit returned, Brak would have arrived and given Fallon the medical all clear. At least, she hoped she’d get the clean bill of health she needed. If not, she might have to defy doctor’s orders, even if it strained her relationship with Brak.
“Who would you take?” she asked Raptor. As their hacker and infiltration specialist, his expertise would be paramount.
“Hawk, I guess.” Raptor looked to Peregrine, as if apologizing for not choosing her. “His tactical assessment would be helpful in making our plan.”
“Take Peregrine too. She’ll make sure no one recognizes you.”
Hawk frowned at her. “That would leave you here alone, and we agreed we’d stay in pairs.”
“Ross will stay here.” She’d have liked him to serve as their pilot. The others would do fine with a basic flight, but Ross was better qualified to deal with anything out of the ordinary.
Ross met her gaze, then nodded. She wasn’t sure how he felt deferring to her, given that technically speaking, he was her superior officer. While the rest of her team did their scouting, she’d have a talk with their former instructor. She needed to know what was going on inside his head lately.
Hawk, Raptor, and Peregrine exchanged glances, then nodded. She sensed their reluctance, and she appreciated it. Those three were her family, and she was theirs. Even though she’d recovered her memories of her parents and brother, her bond with her team was the most significant one she had, and she liked it that way. Her world would make a lot less sense if it were any other way.
“Good. You can work out the details and let me know when you