Tierney scrambled for her shirt. She was pulling it over her head when she heard Tausson say, "It was entirely my doing. I was forcing myself on her."

"No, you weren't!" she snapped, not willing to let him take the fall. She stood beside him and said, "It was consensual."

Aspri just stood in the doorway, staring agape at them. Tausson crossed the space to stand close to the Senior Medic. Tierney followed, panic welling up in her throat.

What were we thinking?

Out in the open with nothing to hide them but an unlocked door? Everything was ruined.

We'll never see each other again.

"You'll tell no one of this."

Tausson's commanding tone snapped Aspri out of his shock. He scowled and said, "Even if you were still commander, you'd have no authority to give such an order. You've broken not just a prime rule, but one of our sacred tenets!"

"What are you doing here, anyway?" Tausson demanded.

A muscle in Aspri's cheek twitched. "You have no right to ask me that either."

Stepping closer to the doctor, Tausson stood at his full height -- a full head taller than Aspri -- and glared down at him. "I may not be commander anymore, but there are many in Control who would like me to be again. It's just your word against ours. Who do you think they'll side with?"

Tausson's intimidating stance did nothing to scare Aspri. He cast a dark look at them both and said, "You've already been charged with malign acts -- with her."

"That was rejected as baseless," snapped Tausson.

"By her testimony," countered Aspri. "Two accusations will be enough to rouse suspicion among the crew. Even if your friends in Control did get you back into the chair, it's hard to imagine who would follow you."

"I saved you," growled Tausson. "When the Vreem attacked us in Clot sector. If it weren't for me you'd have died in your lodge!"

"Protecting your crew is your obligation! Just as mine is to heal them."

This wasn't going to work. Aspri couldn't be strong armed. As a small, weak man living in a world of titans, he would never break the rules -- they were his only source of power.

"Aspri," Tierney said, stepping forward, "Tausson and I are in love."

His outrage was replaced with confusion and dismay, and he took a step back from them, as if they were contagious with some sort of disease.

"I know you know what that means," she continued, speaking softly, but trying not to sound patronizing, "just as you know what it is to love someone you're not supposed to."

His eyes narrowed, but there was a spark of understanding in them.

"I respect the culture and history of the Relican people -- I do," she added, at Aspri's frown. "And you must know how devoted Tausson is to the mission of the Relican Squad. Neither of us is trying to undermine the Relican way of life, but there is no law in the universe that can regulate love. Any civilization that tries is fighting a battle it can't win."

She could tell he was considering her words, although he still looked unconvinced. She reached for Tausson's gloved hand, and reluctantly he gave it to her. Aspri eyed their joined hands warily.

"We didn't meet here tonight intentionally," she continued, "but the only way for us to be together -- and still show our respect for Relican sensibilities -- is to hide: to hide who we truly are and how we feel. It's not easy, but I'm sure you can see that it's our only option. If I were in your place, I would never reveal you. As long as they do no harm, our secrets should stay our own."

Aspri's hard eyes studied hers, and she hid nothing from him. She would have been more blunt, mentioning Hoff by name, but she didn't want to out him in front of Tausson. She hoped the doctor would have the same discretion with her relationship.

Without a word, Aspri suddenly spun around and stormed out of the training room.

"He'll expose us," said Tausson, staring grimly at the open doorway. "He's always been a loathsome, spiteful little man. If he weren't the best doctor in the fleet, I'd have reassigned him years ago."

Tierney wasn't so sure what Aspri was going to do, but she was pretty certain he'd gotten the message that she wasn't just talking about her and Tausson. She'd done her best to reach out to him, but he could just as easily report them merely to get rid of her and her knowledge of his secret.

Tausson embraced her, but the heat of their moment together was gone, and they both kept an eye on the door. With a final goodnight kiss, they each went to their rooms, unable to do more than wait for the morning.

* * *

Tierney woke up sore, exhausted, and starving. Although the Relicans preferred their food cold, Trajectory had given her a kind of hot plate that used strobe lights from below to warm up her meals. Dreaming of eggs, she quickly ate the tray that Elic had sent to her room the night before. Maybe it was the power of her imagination, but it did taste different. She knew it hadn't gone bad, since she'd kept trays overnight before, so she figured she'd finally come across a different flavor and welcomed the change -- eating the same thing for breakfast, lunch, and dinner had become tedious pretty fast.

After a hot oil shower she felt more awake, but her stomach was twisting from worry about what the day would bring. No one had come to arrest her yet, so that was a good sign, although it was only seven in the morning. But what about Tausson? Was he already suffering consequences that she didn't know about?

She dressed and was nearly at the Medic Lab before she remembered that Nelle was on the cart. They'd decided to keep up their morning conversations, but she'd have to use her sightscreen. In her room.

With a groan, she turned back, and nearly bumped into Rasmus. He leered down at her, but she was in no mood to endure his behavior. Her stomach was churning, and she wasn't entirely sure anymore that it was just emotional turmoil.

"Excuse me," she muttered, pushing past him.

Rasmus fell in step beside her. "I've been told you're an Asteroid Mate candidate," he said, his deep voice almost crooning.

"Congratulations," she said. Was this about last night? Was he coming to gloat that Tausson was no longer on the Irral, and no longer a possible pair for her?

Sweat broke out all over her body. The hallway suddenly felt stiflingly hot. This couldn't just be nerves, could it?

"So you're aching for a little Relican in your life?" Rasmus asked, then added, "Or maybe a big one?" He laughed at his own joke.

Tierney couldn't laugh. She could hardly breathe. A blinding pain shot through her stomach. Crying out, she stumbled to the ground.

"What are you doing?" Rasmus asked, standing above her.

Tierney could only sob in reply. Her heart felt like it was stretching and pounding so hard it would burst, and the pain was like being stabbed repeatedly in the gut.

Someone must have called for medical assistance, because Aspri was beside her. He tried to talk to her, but Tierney couldn't understand his words, though she heard the monotone voice of the translator.

Suddenly her flailing and writhing body was being held down on the ground, and someone was prying her eyes open. An orange light flashed several times hardly an inch from her face, and then there was nothing but blissful darkness.

* * *

"The meal was a child's portion, but according to the Medics there were higher levels of arsenic and iron than there should have been."

It had been three days since Tierney collapsed. Aspri had kept her unconscious for over a day while they drained, detoxified, and restored her blood. Thankfully the Senior Medic had prepared for such a scenario when he knew humans would be staying aboard the Irral, and had recognized the symptoms immediately. Tierney had been too weak and ill after waking up to do more than sleep and throw up, so the interview with Protection about the poisoning was only just taking place.

"I've spoken to the Scrub who brought it to you," said the same First Tin Protection Officer who had interviewed her after her room froze, "and she insists that the meal she left for you was sealed. Is this the case?"

"I thought so," said Tierney, "but maybe not. My thoughts were elsewhere. It definitely tasted different, but I thought it was just a new flavor."

"There's only one flavor," said the Relican.

Of course there is.

"You saw no one touching the meal when you arrived?" asked the woman.

"No."

"It must have been contaminated before being sealed." The officer swiped at her sleeve. "I've notified the supply source, and they'll inform us if they discover any other tainted meals."

Giving Tierney a warm smile, she said, "Hopefully your luck will improve and we'll see each other again only informally."

"Agreed," said Tierney, with a weak laugh that still managed to make her sore stomach hurt.

Nelle had been notified shortly after Tierney was brought into the Medic Lab, and had requested that she contact her as soon as possible. When Tierney got back to her room, she turned on the sightscreen and entered the ID number of Nelle's screen.

"You're looking haggard," said the President after they'd connected.

Tierney held in her laugh. "Thanks. You look lovely, as always."

"Any ideas on who could have done this?"

Tierney shook her head. "I can't see how Caleb could have had the access, and frankly, getting me out of the way might be a fantasy of his, but the reality is it wouldn't do him much good. I think the Protection Officer was right: just bad luck."

Although it wasn't all bad. As far as she could tell, Aspri hadn't said anything about her and Tausson. The Senior Medic had hardly spoken to or looked at her while she was under his care, but that wasn't all that unusual. When Lutari and Inlan had visited with her after their pairing, Tierney had casually asked about Tausson's upcoming fight. They hadn't said anything about him no longer being on board or facing additional charges.

After Nelle and Tierney finished their call, Tierney was too wiped to do anything, and even though she usually didn't like naps, she curled up in her small bed and slept. Maybe she dreamed about Tausson, because when her eyes popped open a couple of hours later, her first thought was of him, and her second thought was that she needed to talk to Aspri. She needed to make sure he understood what she'd been trying to say that night in the training room, and that she would never expose who he was. Hardly feeling sore at all after her rest, she put her shoes on and opened her door to find a Relican woman in a pale yellow mechasuit on the other side about to knock.

"Oh, hi," said Tierney.

"Greetings," said the woman, her own voice sounding far less confident than her emotionless translator. She was the youngest person Tierney had seen on board. Apparently you had to be at least eighteen to become a member of the Relican Squad, and this girl was barely that. "I wanted to ensure your health."

"Um, I'm fine, thanks. Did the Senior Medic send you to check on me?"

"No, I'm the Scrub who was assigned delivery of your meal." It sounded like an apology.

"Oh, don't worry about it," said Tierney, stepping into the hall. "They said it was probably contaminated before it was sealed. It wasn't your fault."

"I feel terrible about it, and I'm sure First Rasmus does too."

"Rasmus?"

Nodding, the woman said, "Yes, he saw me standing by your door and offered to deliver your meal to you personally. Didn't you see him?"

"No, I didn't."

The same chiming sound that had preceded Tausson's trial now rang out again, pausing their conversation.

"Kulu matha shunalmazafi saf jara meja vi ta liwu wakal."

"All... something something... in the... what?" asked Tierney. "Are we going to the assembly again?"

"No, the prime corridor," explained the Scrub, starting to walk in the direction of the nutrient supply.

Tierney followed. "Why?"

"To honor Commander Arrat as she leaves," the woman called over her shoulder, walking more quickly than Tierney wanted to.

Tierney froze, watching as the Scrub turned a corner and disappeared.

Between her time in the Medic Lab and the anxiety about her and Tausson being discovered, Tierney had completely lost track of time. Today was Carterra's last day. As of six tonight, Rasmus would be commander of the Irral.

She shuddered at the thought.

But that also meant today was the first possible day she could become an Asteroid Mate and be paired with Tausson. If she'd been approved, surely someone would have told her when she was at the Medic Lab today, right? Had someone tried to reach her while she was sleeping?

Well, she'd already been on her way to the Medic Lab, so she continued in that direction. The hallways became crowded, with everyone looking for space to stand along the wall. Even though there wasn't really a "prime" corridor, since all of the main rooms of the Irral -- command center, conveyance chambers, Medic Lab, nutrient supply, etc. -- were in different parts of the ship, there was one circuitous path that connected them all, and it was this path that was filling up. It had been one thing to see all three hundred Irral crew mates in a giant room, but walking the ship now, its halls lined with an unceasing row of Relican Squad, Tierney truly got a sense of how many people were on this vessel. And even though almost everyone was still polite, the weight of their eyes fell heavily on her human shoulders.

When she finally arrived at the Medic Lab, she saw Aspri standing with the others right in front of the door. She was the only one not standing with her back to the wall, and Aspri glared at her as she approached. Before she could say anything, the chime sounded again and everyone went silent. Tierney realized she was right in the middle of this ceremony, and that there was no way she was going to be able to speak with Aspri now. Her cheeks grew warm as she managed to awkwardly insert herself snugly between two nearby Relicans.

"Ic likyad anday li rimta ila iad kas."

Commander Arrat's voice came over the loudspeaker, and though Tierney only understood a couple words here and there, the sentiment of a goodbye speech was one she easily recognized. The distant sound of music floated down the hall. It had the full, mellow tone of a clarinet, but the notes being played were unlike the standard clarinet repertoire. Not that she listened to clarinet music on a regular basis, but Clementine had been playing the cello since she was nine, so Tierney had sat through her fair share of classical music recitals and, when Clem was older, youth orchestra concerts.

The music now drawing closer reminded Tierney of when she'd joined Nelle on her first visit to India. The Prime Minister had hosted a banquet in their honor with local musicians performing folk songs on traditional instruments. This Relican song was similar, in that the notes flowed in between -- what had Clem called it? -- standard Western musical tuning, resulting in an exotic, haunting quality. The song itself didn't sound particularly mournful, but it certainly wasn't peppy, with long, low phrases, and slow rhythms.

Listening to the calm, sweet music, coupled with the commander's voice flowing along in Relican, Tierney looked around at the crew surrounding her. They were all concentrating on the commander's message, some obviously saddened by the transition, others stoic soldiers. When Tierney's gaze met a familiar set of silver eyes down the hall, she had to bite her lip from calling out.

Tausson.

His eyes smiled at her, while his lips maintained a neutral pose. She tried to do the same. Then his gaze darkened with concern and questioning, and she knew he was thinking of the poison, and asking if she was alright. Nodding ever so slightly, she wished she could tell him what she'd just learned, about Rasmus, but it would have to wait.

She felt another pair of eyes on her, and glanced over at Aspri. There was less hostility in his expression than usual, though he certainly didn't look happy like he did when Hoff was around. No, there was something else in his eyes, something like... jealousy.

Motion drew her eye back to the hall, where Commander Arrat was walking towards them. She was still talking, her voice echoing in the ceiling speakers, but all heads turned to her, watching her pass by.

Rasmus was trailing behind the commander, with Inlan following him, playing an instrument that definitely resembled a clarinet, but was made out of a cream-colored metal, much longer, and curved downward. Inlan's face was a little flushed, which wasn't surprising, since he'd been playing for at least a solid ten minutes already, but when he saw Tierney smiling at him, he closed his eyes for a moment in acknowledgment, and lightly dipped his instrument in her direction.

Carterra didn't stop walking or talking, but she met the eyes of every person standing at attention, lowering her head in a deep nod. She did the same to Tierney, but there was a touch of worry in the commander's eye that Tierney doubted was present for the rest of her crew. Rasmus, the most likely cause of that concern, was staring at Carterra with an uncharacteristic sobriety and thoughtfulness. For once, his lustful grin was absent, but when he caught Tierney watching him, his expression changed instantly, and the demand, the ownership, in his eyes was unmistakable. In his mind he had already won. She was his.

But was she? Tierney looked back at Aspri, and he met her gaze, allowing her to read the answer she feared. There was no compassion in those eyes, no understanding. He may not have revealed them, but he certainly wasn't going to help them. She was lost. It was too late.