Editing Tending the Fire

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&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Sitting on the lone bunk in the cell, Nika leaned back against the wooden wall. Running her tongue along the split in her lip, she noted that the bleeding was already stopped.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“You both need more practice,” Harry said from the cell she and Shyla shared across the aisle. The jail only had two cells, and Harbinger women occupied them both. The 4’10” weapons master didn’t have a mark on her, while Nika sported a split lip, an eye that was rapidly turning black, and a cut down one arm that was going to require taping and Shyla had a gash across her forehead and probably some cracked ribs.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Shut up, Harry,” groused Shyla.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Yeah, shut up, Harry,” Nika echoed without rancor. Then she grinned a bit. “That was fun.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Shyla started to laugh, stifling it because it made her ribs hurt. “Yeah. Been a ''long'' time since I indulged in a brawl. That was kind of fun,” she admitted.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“I wonder what the score of that brawl would sound like,” mused Harry thoughtfully.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Nika glanced over to their cell, her smile faint but still there. “Fast, loud, raucous. If it were playing.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Harry’s eyes went to Nika’s face, and she asked in her calm, soft voice, “And the musical backdrop of your day in the airlock?”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Nika froze, silently turning to look toward the barred window on her side of the aisle, freezing them out.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Shyla winced, getting to her feet to walk to the bars. “Nika…? C’mon, girl. You have to let someone in sometime. Or what happened that day’s going to eat at you until there’s nothing left.” She’d left her young pilot alone with her emotions for too long, perhaps. She hadn’t wanted to interfere. But this would make or break the crew, and Nika needed to let them in. At least some.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Harry settled herself on the floor of the cell she shared with the captain, her dark eyes on the blond across the aisle.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;When Nika still didn’t answer, Shyla sighed quietly. “Damn it, Nika,” she said softly. “You’re a good fit for this crew, but this is eating at you. You think we can’t see that? Before that run, you were at least friendly. Lately, you’ve been completely hands-off with everyone. It’s bad when Connelly comes to me worried for you.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Connelly’s like a little old woman, always worried about shit that’s not his business,” Nika replied coldly. “It’s really too bad he opened his mouth.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“It’s his business when you do your job and retreat to your cabin without interacting with anyone else for days on end, Nika.” Shyla hesitated, sharing a glance with Harry. Nika’s rage at Brian was a bit out of proportion for the situation. “Look, your personal life is none of my business. I generally stay out of things, even on board ship, unless it’s an issue. You know that. So you know that for me and Harry to corner you like this, it’s got to be pretty big.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Xiao Mei,” Harry interrupted, making a subtle gesture with just her eyes for Shyla to back off, “Tell me about the music.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It wasn’t the first time Harry had used the affectionate diminutive ‘little sister’ for Nika, though never in front of the captain. The only other time the petite weapons master had ever used it, however, was the night she found Nika sobbing on the bridge in the dead of night—the night after the airlock. Harry had been gentle and supportive, merely letting the blond cry without interruption, holding her tightly with the cockpit hatch closed against intrusion. When the storm had passed, Harry simply patted Nika gently and left. But it served now to draw Nika’s attention, if not her gaze. She continued to look at the window as she spoke. “The airlock?”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Harry paused. “If you wish. You could speak of the way Carter changed it, instead,” she suggested gently.<br> 
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Shyla didn’t move; she barely breathed.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It took another long while before Nika finally spoke. “I didn’t let myself hear it then. I had a job to do,” she admitted quietly. “When I had a moment to myself, I felt… shaky. Jittery. And I guess the music would have been discordant. Jangling. Like… a piano out of tune, or harp strings broken.” She smiled a little. “It sounds really stupid to describe your life like this, though. When you say it to other people, they really do think you’re crazy.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Nika looked toward her comrades. “I did what I had to, but please … don’t ever think it was something I wanted to do. I felt really ''dirty'' afterward. And that other moment? It helped. And I’d really appreciate it not being bandied around the crew like it was some kind of… notch on my bedpost or something.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Shyla spoke up. “No one’s talking about it, Nika. Hell, I didn’t even know about it until today.” She eyed Harry with a reprimanding glare, one that seemed to roll right off the other woman’s back. And then her eyes went back to her pilot, and she said in a soft tone, “I’m so sorry that I sent you with him. I knew what the job entailed, but he told me he’d be using you as a whipping boy. I knew you could handle that.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Nika shook her head. “I’m the one who volunteered the alternative option,” she told her captain softly. “Apparently I’ve got a talent for it, if Carter’s to be believed. Offered me a job,” she added with a faint, sad smirk. “But I don’t think I could do it quite like that again. I think I lost a part of myself with that one.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Shyla winced.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Harry spoke up once more. “It may feel that way, Xiao Mei, but everything we do in life is a lesson. We ride each turn of the Wheel of Life with the souls who’ve touched ours before. Each of us plays a role, perhaps a mother becomes a sister, a friend becomes mother. Carter was a tormented soul, and this time around, you were apparently meant to briefly meet and offer one another something of value. The right people at the right time and place. The ’Verse is funny that way—there is symmetry in all things.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Nika looked at Harry, her expression somewhat awed. “I swear, Harry, you haven’t said this many words to me in the year I’ve been here.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Shyla started to laugh. “She has her moments, doesn’t she?”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Harry merely smiled calmly.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Just then, the jail’s door swung open and the town’s sheriff stepped in. The sheriff opened the cells. “You’re free to go.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Right behind him, Brian Connelly smirked. “You know you three just cost the ship a good steak dinner, right?”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Shyla sighed theatrically at her XO. “Well, getting to hit somebody was worth it.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Brian laughed. “You three have a good time?”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Harry stepped out and said calmly, “It was amusing. I suggest you take our Nika and go have your own good time, however.”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Brian stopped, raising both his eyebrows at his captain. <br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Nika looked flabbergasted and a bit embarrassed. “''Gods,'' Harry… is''' ''nothing'' ''' sacred?”<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Shyla snickered softly, throwing her arm over Harry’s shoulder and meandering off down the street, leaving the other two standing in front of the sheriff’s office. “Don’t come back til you’ve got it all worked out. Whatever way it goes. All this dancing around is bad for morale,” she called over her shoulder.
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