[Cavan] Reynard, Aralim Reynard : Epilogue
Lynzie Austin
Reynard, Aralim Reynard : Epilogue
The runner hummed softly, the star-streaked black of space a serene contrast to the gilded bullshit poker chip horror they had left behind. Seated in the cockpit, Reynie had his boots propped up on the console, a cup of replicated coffee in hand. He really needed to fix Raven’s coffee machine. She could probably do it herself, but he was holding out to get her a fancy new one with a little bird on it when they got closer to Earth. They just never got to that planet often. On the main viewer, Admiral Brennan’s mixed approval and profound exhaustion.
“So let me get this straight,” Brennan grumbled, massaging his temples. “The killer was a sentient, homicidal card-dealing android, using a psionic deck to psychologically profile its victims, and it was being fronted by a Bolian mobster slash art collector with a god complex.”
“Pretty much. That’s the short version, sir,” Reynie said, taking a sip of his coffee. “We’ve got fifty-two bodies in stasis, all tagged and bagged. The AI is in custody, and Maim Chalak is singing like a canary to try and avoid being added to the collection himself. All in all, a productive trip.”
Brennan just stared for a moment. “I’m too old for this. Good work, you two. Brennan out.” The screen went dark. Reynie let out a long, contented sigh and looked over at Ellie, who was meticulously cleaning her tricorder with an antiseptic wipe.
“You know,” he said, a familiar, lazy smirk gracing his lips. “All things considered, that turned out pretty well.”
Ellie didn’t look up from her work. “You mean this whole thing, where you nearly became the fifty-third exhibit in a psychotic android’s pretentious art gallery? I still want to know who programmed that… The tech forensics say that it went rogue, but like—”
“Details, details,” he waved a dismissive hand. “The point is, we won. The bad guys are in custody, justice is served, and I didn’t even scuff the sensible shoes.” He wiggled his feet for emphasis.
“A resounding success,” she agreed, her tone flat. She finally looked at him, one eyebrow arched. She put the tricorder down. “Are you going to be insufferable about this for the entire journey home?”
Reynie’s smirk widened into a full-blown, radiant grin. “My dear Raven,” he purred into her neck. “I’m going to be insufferable about it for weeks.”
“I do want to know which of the players had all that information about you,” she put her head on his shoulder. “It is really bothering me. You do not talk about that part and well, I do not ask.”
He inhaled her for a moment. The scent of her hair sending him to orbit for the briefest of moments before returning back down. “Yeah,” he let out the breath he was holding. He pulled Dottie from his pocket and put the device on the table. “It was a different person. I, uhm, can’t explain it better than that.”
“I know Ura told you about Dot…” He put his arms around her, settling into the seat with her into a squished pile. “But she probably omitted how we met.”
Ellie nodded. “I do not press into gossip about your past Aralim, that is for you to tell me if you so choose, not for me to pry out of Ura.”
“She wasn’t Florence Nightingaled,” Reynie said assuringly, taking a deep breath. “She was just getting her medic hours out of the way when she found my sorry ass on Veridian III. From how she told me it happened, it had seemed myself and Chen had taken out a squad of Cardassians from our vantage point with cover fire and my bright idea was to lob a hotwired disruptor at them, taking out the bulk of them.”
“Nearly taking myself and Chen out in the process,” he undid the tie in her hair and began brushing her hair out with his fingers. “According to Dot, the blast was… impressive. Took out the Cardassians, half the wall, and the console I was using for cover. She said she was hiding in a maintenance conduit, just trying to stay out of the fight, when the explosion showered her in dust and debris. She peeked out, and there I was, half-buried and bleeding out.”
He gave a soft, self-deprecating chuckle. “She wasn’t on some heroic rescue mission. She told me she almost left me there. Said a dead Marine was less trouble than a live one. But she felt compelled to help me I think. She said she dragged me back into that conduit, and for the next… she never knew how long… we just sat there in the dark. Her, patching me up as best she could with what she had. Me, drifting in and out, probably muttering nonsense.”
He looked down at Ellie. “She said the Hellhounds found us two days later because she’d managed to scavenge a power cell and get a weak, looping signal out on the old comms line. Just that digital growl, over and over again. A hellhound barking from a hole in the ground. She said when they pulled us out, I looked at her, covered in grime and my own blood, and the first thing I said was, ‘Did we get them?’” Reynie shook his head, a real smile finally breaking through. “She said she knew right then she was stuck with me....”
“They gave me a promotion and all I got was severe traumatic brain injury,” he kissed her hair.
Ellie squeezed him gently. “How long?”
He closed his eyes. “Five years… that was…” he stopped for a moment. “Wow, nearly fifteen years ago.”
“Glad she pulled you out of there,” Ellie said gently as Cathulu hopped into Reynie’s lap. “Brave woman.”
“What can I say? Even as a younger buck, I was a big fan of strong women,” he said with a stretch, scratching the cat’s back. “Hope you’re fine with me as an age-d chap.”
She let out a warm laugh, running her hand through his hair. It was starting to gray through the temples and he felt like he needed to shave. “I think you are fine as is, factory defects and all,” she booped his nose, getting to her feet and leaving her cardigan in the chair behind her. He had nearly forgotten the slinky dress she was wearing. “Now, I need to file this report and change.”
“Raaaaven, I’ve barely gotten to enjoy the red thing!” Reynie whined.
Ellie blinked with a little yawn as she walked toward their quarters. “Now, would you not enjoy it more on the floor?”
“Have mercy, Raven. Now that’s a James Bond ending.”