Per aspera ad astra

Sam burst out on to the street. God, Adam was infuriating. Pushing every button. He knew her too well. They'd shared everything for YEARS. And now he was using it against her. Petty, but effective. That was his go to in the Citadel too. He'd never cheat, not the golden boy, no not him, but he'd use every dirty tactic he could think of. It was hard to counter then, it felt impossible now. Sam ached for something to pound on, to vent her built up rage and other, more complicated emotions. Instead fates gave her Teller.

Actually the squishy ECD seemed to be looking for her, his faced unnaturally creased in worry, it only deepened into fright when he saw her. She wasn't that much of a bitch. And yet, Teller hurried toward her, not away. He locked eyes with Sam and rather dramatically tilted his head to a dark alley, then ducked inside. If he was going to try a **** ****, Sam would enjoy showing introducing his penis to her boot and his head to the ground. It wouldn't be the first time. Not for her anyway.

Instead Teller was crouched low near an awning behind The Bitter End, a local watering hole favored by Navy types, abandoned during this time of the day. Same cracked her knuckles, one beat down coming up, fattie.

But instead of jumping on her, Teller motioned her to get down and hissed, "Were you followed?"

This was taking a weird turn. Still, sometimes they liked to talk first, Sam was careful of her footing as she edged back against the wall and kept him squarely in front of her. "No?"

"I took another look at those signals."

"What signals?" Oh. Those signals. Not good. How was her luck this bad, that one of the laziest e3's on planet, started doing her job at the worst possible moment. If they Agnetti found out she had helped Adam and Cindi sneak on to the base, there would be hell to pay. "Actually, I checked on it myself and the signals were just asteroids, like you said."

"Asteroids that change course? Asteroids that travel on a schedule?" Teller shot back. "Don't lie. You know what they were. Ships."

Sam could practically see the holding cell in the brig where she was going to rot for the next few months before her trial. There was no avoiding. She did the crime, and it was done, time to pay for it. Maybe she could get a light sentence. It wasn't like Adam was a danger to the base, he was just a visiting family member. Before she could speak up to beg Teller to give her time to come clean to the brass, he spoke up again.

"I know you're not involved. You just got here and this thing has been going on since before I got here." He blurted out.

Wait what?

"Those signals are real. This has been going on for years. Hell that's why it doesn't raise any red flags, any new ECD tech, just thinks its SOP to ignore it, cause that's what the last one did. That's what the guy who replaced me TAUGHT me to do. And that's not all." Teller kept pausing to glance over his shoulder. Sam tried to keep up, this guy didn't know about Adam, he had uncovered something far more insidious.

"Ok so lets say they are ships. Why doesn't the transport see them?" She pressed him.

Teller paused, gathering his thoughts. "If I'm right, they've got stealth tech, we've all heard the stories about Confed Ghosts. Its probably one of them. Heat damping, maybe Lidar absorbing plates. Cutting edge stuff. The transports sensors aren't strong enough to detect them, and they aren't even looking. Our satellites are, but nobody here cares. Somebody is backdooring their way into Thiidian at least a couple times a year, and I don't know what's going on in the belt."

"So there are ships in the belt and sometimes they land here." Sam mulled it over, intrigued. "Why though?"

"That's what I said, there's nothing here!" Teller nearly shouted, then flushed and checked both ways again. He waited.

There was a definite pause.

Sam just stared at him. "I feel like you're waiting for me to ask you something."

"I am!" Ugh. Tech types. All brains and no sense of urgency. Teller seemed like he was a drama kid in secondary school. Still, it didn't seem like he was going to tell her. He kept waiting, then all of a sudden Sam GOT it. "Why aren't they showing up on sensors when they land. There's no way stealth tech could cover that."

"Exactly!"

He paused again. But Sam's patience had run out. "Teller, what's the answer!"

"That's the really interesting part. Our system is glitching. When the ships enter and leave the atmosphere our system registers them as atmospheric disturbances. Storm pockets. Only its not a glitch. Its a programing update that changes the specific variables for each ship. The same programing update also periodically wipes the data packets every 48 hours. Who knows how long this has been going on. The thing is that kind of programming change couldn't be a hack, it would get detected and flagged by the bases AI, so the only way to do it would be with-"

Command codes." Sam whispered. Her blood ran cold. Suddenly this was all too real.

"Specifically, the base commander's codes." Teller confirmed.

Agnetti.

"I guess it could have been someone else with his codes, but-"

Sam didn't even hear him. Instead her mind flashed back to yesterday. Agnetti who refused to look at the data. Agnetti who had refused to authorize recon missions. Agnetti the Confederate spy? This was crazy, only from the scared look on Teller's face, she wasn't the only one who believed it.

"We have to find out what he's up to." She whispered.

Teller just shook his head. "I'm sorry Sergeant. I'm just here to watch the blips until my GI bill kicks in. I'm not a spy and I'm definitely not a hero. I only told you this so you wouldn't bring it up at my desk where someone could overhear. Just...leave me out of it. Sorry."

His burden pushed off on her, Teller stood, shot her one last apologetic look and trotted off into the street.

Sam was on her own.

---

Which is how she found herself back in her home, less than an hour after she left. Her cousin dutifully scrubbing out the floors in the kitchen.

"Get up Adam, you're coming with me."

He gave her a wry look. "I'll get to the bathrooms, alright. I just started out here, 'cause Cindi's in the shower."

Still? How long did that girl need to rinse off? She put her water bill out of mind and grabbed Adam's arm and pulled. He was heavier than he looked. A LOT heavier.

"I have a mission. It's got to stay quiet. I need your help." She hated that he popped right up when she said it. Hated how it made her feel warm inside too, just like when they were kids. "Put these on." She'd stolen some military flight leathers from the laundry. They didn't have names stitched in, so he could probably get by without being questioned and the arrogant flyboy attitude wasn't a stretch either.

They trotted out into the rain, dashing from cover to cover, it was minutes before she explained her fears, and Adam just had to be so cool about it. He never asked what they were doing, just went along and followed her lead. She finally gave up on the petty games and told her what Teller discovered. And how she couldn't trust anyone on the base.

"And you trust me?" He asked when she was done.

"Not at all, but I know you aren't involved so you're all i got." That shut him up. Still the satisfaction of lighting him up, wasn't quite worth the unexpected pain from the brief look of hurt on his face. Damn him. "We're gonna stake him out and see if he does anything unusual. Meets with anyone not on his he shouldn't. Especially when the signals go active, which they're overdue for."

Adam looked thoughtful as the jogged over to outside of the officer's mess. Agnetti was getting a late breakfast. "Spit it out." Sam grunted. Why couldn't men just speak instead of hemming and hawing over every sentence.

"We won't be able to follow him, not anywhere worth going." Adam mused.

"I don't have a fix for that." She rolled her eyes. Of course. More hemming. "Do YOU have a fix for that Adam?"

"I have an ocular implant. Small, basically a contact lens. It's been giving me trouble since Gorgo, so its been turned off."

Sam's heart lept. A bug. They could see what him in his office. Watch his every step. "Transmitter?"

"Linked to my pad."

"I assume you know we can't get it in his eye." She

"That's the tough part. It could run for days without a charge, but if we want to see anything, we need to get it on his chest."

Sam thought about it. Or maybe they didn't. "Follow me." She stopped and looked him dead in the eye. "No one can notice you Adam. No one." He nodded.

They slipped inside quietly. The sentry at the door saluted Adam, who fired back on reflex. Sam had thought it helpful to have an officer with her, and so 'Flight Lieutenant' Adam had become, at least according to his insignia. She followed just to his left, pretending to be an aide. It wasn't a big building and they weren't going far. The rain slickers they all wore to stave off the inevitable soaking were hanging by the door. Once inside, she realized a flaw in her thinking, this room was so cramped and tiny, anyone doing anything suspicious would immediately be noticed. How to sort through them without causing a scene.

"I'm going to the head." Adam tapped the edge of his eye meaningfully. She nodded. Eyes searching for something to attract the brass's attention. She stood near the entrance, Colonel Agnetti was filling a bowl with their horrible instant oatmeal, Captain Valero was just behind him, apparently filling him in on something hilarious, both men laughing suddenly. 'Think, soldier.' She found herself walking towards the chow line, a vague plan involving starting a fire just forming, when she heard Agnetti speak.

"Sgt. Carter, what are you doing in the officer's mess?"

Adam strode back into the main room, left eye bloodshot. No! Bleeding. Way not to attract attention, cuz. Actually scratch that, everyone's eyes were on her now. Agnetti's gaze on her was not kind.

"I asked you a question, Sergeant."

Sam gave him a crisp salute, but before she could lie, Valero cut in. "I asked her to run a report to me, Sir. Told her she could get some chow afterwards."

Sweet blessed relief filled her, though she wasn't sure what the price would be from Valero. Agnetti let her go with an uninterested 'As you were.' and returned to his food. Valero, however stood up to meet her.

"Let me see that report outside." As Sam followed him out, Adam gave her a curt nod. The bug was planted.

Valero turned to face her. "Getting some extra food, Sergeant Carter?"

Sam swallowed, this was one hundred times worse than the Colonel, it wasn't like she could tell him, she was investigating Agnetti, hell for all Sam knew, he was involved. Valero's eyes studied her, seemed to read a dozen things just from her face. Sam thought back to Teller calling him one of their best and brightest. "I was hoping to see you, Captain. I wanted to ask you to review my score for the simulator, maybe see if you could help me get a transfer." It was a good lie, close to the truth, believable for a young idiot Sergeant to follow officers into their mess, then panic and pretend to get food. Only Valero wasn't buying it.

"I saw your scores. Very impressive, Carter." He seemed to sense she had fed him a load of bullshit. "Now how about you stop lying."

She had to give him something. Anything. If he didn't buy her next deception... "I believe military personnel are misusing equipment and maybe even skimming off the top." Sam's mouth kept talking, without any input from her brain. "I think there's a smuggler ring taking surplus military property, maybe even weapons and **** and selling it on the black market. Its going out on the transports. I just needed to see if any officer's were involved before I filed a report." Buy it, buy it, just buy it!

He bought it. Valero sighed. "It wouldn't be the first time. This planet destroys our soldiers. Between you and I, I don't even blame them for skimming. Command sent us here to die, as far as I can tell." Valero appraised her once more. "You're too good for this posting Carter. But even if you're right, a report won't get you off Thiidian."

"I'm not doing this to get off Thiidian, Captain." Sam swallowed her anger. First the man seemingly sympathized with thieves and scoundrels, now he impunged Sam's honor. "I'm doing it because its the right thing to do."

Valero smiled tightly. "Carry on, Sergeant. I'll expect your report on my desk by the end of the week." He returned a tight salute to Adam, who walked past them and around the corner. "And tell your 'Lieutenant' to return the uniform or he'll be sitting in the brig."

Sam's blood didn't know whether to freeze or inflame. They'd DONE it. And yet, somehow Valero had seen everything. They were right, this place did eat good soldiers.

---

"Uhhhh Aunt Kat, there's parts of this plan I just don't, well, understand."Kat stopped stirring her marinara sauce and turned back to her niece. "Could you be specific dear?"

"Well, if we aren't pretending I'm a soldier, why do you want me to dress up this way?"

'This way' had been to stuff Cindi's rather generous form into Sam's clothes, which were cut for a more slender frame.

"I mean, I look really slutty."

"That's the idea honey. If Halverson is staring at those gorgeous breasts of yours- thank your mother for those, I bet you've never bought a drink in your life (she hadn't) -he won't even notice me when I flash Dr Grant's ID. Then I just swipe my way inside the room and get what I need."

"Right, but what if he wants to, I dunno. Do something with me."

Sigh. So hard to get good lab assistants these days. Every little girl thought flirtation was foreplay. They were wrong. Flirtation was espionage. For women who weren't blessed with Sam's abilities, flirtation was a means to wage war. Kat almost wished they could switch places, she'd have that boys head spinning in a heartbeat. "Its just flirting dear. Isn't there some young gentleman at school you like that you tease a bit?" With the quality of the male crop these days, Kat wouldn't blame her niece if the answer was no, but from the burning redness spreading across her cheeks, it seemed she'd struck gold. "So just pretend its that boy and tease him a bit."

Cindi squirmed. "I don't think Adam would like that."

Is that what she was so worked up about? "Cindi, he's your brother, not your boyfriend. I don't think he cares what you do. Now, let me see you strut your stuff. Just like we practiced now."

Cindi strode into the room, hips popping with every step, her borrowed, far, far from regulation 'uniform'. It was a jumpsuit, mostly unzipped a camo bar underneath. A few select grease stains accepted her niece's flat belly and spectacular rack.

"Hmmmm. I love the little bits of oil. Nice touch there. Still, I think you're right. Halverson is a bit of a nervous nelly, and we don't want to scare him off. Let me see the other one."

Cindi came back moments later, with her shirt tied into a knot and pants that must have been skin tight.

Kat smiled and clapped. "I love it. Hmmm. Probably don't need the antique rifle though."

As she turned back to her sauce, Cindi came up behind her and fiddled with something, another antique, Kat saw. Some ancient pad that had seen a lot of rough love and way too many owners.

"Hun, I have a few spare pads from work. I can replace that old thing for you." She reached for the nearly broken tool only for Cindi to snatch it back with a fierce look. Okaaaaaay. She sensed some sentimental value. Cindi didn't fully relax until the pad was firmly back on her forearm and even then, Kat noted she kept her body between her aunt and the pad.

"Aunt Kat, how do you know if someone cares about you?"

"Boy trouble, yeah?" A furtive glance said it all. Her niece had been a little sheltered, growing up alone and then rushed off to higher learning. "Well if he wants to spend time with you and he shows you attention-"

"We've already slept together and I just need to know if its just sex or more than that." Cindi vomited the story all over her. A boy had come in to her life by surprise, and they had slept with each other, caught up in the moment. They knew each other, but they hadn't spent much time together. Apparently they'd skipped the talk and now Cindi was panicking wondering if she was just a convenient lay.

"That is a lot to take in, sweetie. Do you want to tell me who he is? One of Adam's friends, no I suppose not. Someone you met from school then." Kat reminisced on her misspent youth for a moment. "The first thing I'll tell you is you didn't do anything wrong. Some men, women too for that matter will try and tell you that if a woman has sex for the wrong reason,she's a whore."

Cindi looked taken aback. Kat had never had 'the talk' with Sam. Another milestone she'd felt unprepared for and thus, foisted off on her older sister. She'd missed a lot of those, realized, Kat had always wanted to be there for the fun moments, the happy moments, but the heavy stuff, that she had scrambled away from like a rat fleeing a trap. Kat snapped out of her reverie. Cindi was still waiting.

"The truth is a woman can have sex, for the right reason, the wrong reason, any reason or none at all, and it doesn't make her anything. You're still the same girl you were before your legs go spread, ya' know? Sex doesn't make you any more or any less a lady. And you are definitely not a whore." She met Cindi's wide eyes. After a nod, Kat continued. "Being with a man, letting him inside you it feels..."

"Like a piece of me that I didn't even know I was missing. It felt like, like I was whole for the first time in my life." Oh my, lil' Cindi had fallen hard. This might turn out ugly. Kat **** herself not to make an excuse to flee. Instead, she nodded, as if that was to be expected every time, no need to burst her bubble at age eighteen.

"But it might not feel the same for him. He might feel... differently."

"But how do I know? How do I find out how he feels?"

"It might not matter how he feels sweetie. You have to be the person who loves you the most." Kat deflected. "True happiness comes from within."

"Auuuunt Kat!" Cindi whined. "Please. I need some tips, not a philosophy class."

"Oh all right, just don't complain to me when it all goes over the side. You don't see me keeping any men about, do you?" Getting them, though, that was a talent she had in spades. "Men are simply, but they like to lie and hide and be all dramatic. So if you ask the boy directly, he might spook. With me?"

Cindi's unblinking stare was confirmation enough.

"I like to try this. I ask the fella, 'what's your favorite thing to do with me?', and if I don't like his answer, or worse, if he doesn't have an answer, well then I know he isn't after much besides my cute coochie."

"Aunt Kat!" Cindi gaped.

Kat laughed. Girls these days were so uptight.