Archive of Our Own

Trix woke from the first of many nightmares. The Terrormorph…

The night before was so hazy, it came back to her in parts. The last thing she remembered clearly was the Cabinet meeting, where she and Hadrian Sanon, a notorious former UC specialist in xenowarfare, had made their case for releasing the Terrormorph data from the Armistice Archives following the attack on Tau Ceti II.  

Just as the decision was made, the alarms sounded. A Terrormorph attack here at the Spaceport in New Atlantis. The ramifications were unthinkable, the timing all too convenient. 

As they made their way to the port, Trix and Hadrian began to see evidence of the Terrormorphs' psychic attack. People were fighting each other in the streets, hampering the evacuation. The source of this chaos, the creatures themselves, had turned up unexpectedly and torn up the landing pads beyond. 

The emergency signal sounded, the shutters were down, and UC-Security had barricaded the entrance to the Spaceport at the top of the ramps, hoping to prevent the Terrormorphs from entering the City at large. 

It wouldn't be enough, thought Trix. Terrormorphs can jump onto buildings; Trix had seen it first-hand.

Anyone in the vicinity was susceptible to the Terrormorph's psychic abilities. The way they spoke in your mind was insidious; they fed suggestions to their victims, making strangers, co-workers, friends, and family turn on each other. It was maddening. 

The creatures themselves were scary as hell. It was difficult to comprehend what you saw- the hulking mass of limbs with claws was horrifying. The very sight of a Terrormorph was paralysing, and while you hesitated, they could do enormous damage to a frail human body.

Sometimes, Trix wondered if the human race had meant to be among the stars. It's so dangerous everywhere they go. She suspected Terrormorphs were just the start of it.

The situation was grim, but Trix, the newest member of Constellation and recent volunteer Captain of the UC Vanguard, had no time to think. It all moved so fast. 

As they approached the Spaceport, Trix could see the smoke rising from the launch pads and hear the gunfire. At the Security checkpoint, they found Sergeant Yumi, the unreasonably cute head of Security at the Spaceport whom Trix had been doing a little volunteer work for these past few weeks since her return to New Atlantis.

Yumi was firing his weapon at the nightmarish alien creature lumbering down the ramp from the landing pads towards the checkpoint, "Are you our backup?" he yelled back at them, "Don't just stand there!"

Yumi's words shook them all into action, and within the next few moments, caught in a deadly crossfire, the second Terrormorph they had faced in as many days was lying dead on the concrete. But there were reportedly two more crawling around the launchpads.

Sergeant Yumi was responsible for evacuating the Spaceport and mounting a defence while somehow fighting against the Terrormorph's effect on his team. He had just shot his second-in-command with an EM round after she'd screamed and turned on her own weapon on her teammates.

In the brief lull in hostilities at the checkpoint, to the sound of gunfire beyond, the wounded were being dragged away from the front line. Yumi was clearly struggling against the Terrormorphs' psychic attack, ignoring the messages they sent him while trying to stay focused. He looked as though he was readying his teams for an offensive. They were all visibly terrified.

"Wait, Captain?" Yumi seemed relieved when he saw it was Trix, "Are you and this officer the experts we were told to expect?" Yumi gave up any thought of protest and sighed, "I'll take whatever we can get right now. The remaining creatures are locked down on the landing pad, but we're barely holding our perimeter. They say you've faced these things before?"

Trix nodded.

The beleaguered Sergeant seemed to sympathise. He held a hand to his head and grimaced, "Well, I've got one fireteam to spare and whatever supplies you need, but I… I can't risk them taking over anymore if my team."

"Hold your people back, Sergeant," Trix told him.

"Are you sure?"

"The more people you throw at these things, the more ammo you give them against you," explained Hadrian.

"Fine," Yumi replied as he acknowledged a silent instruction from his command, "Take those things down and do it fast. We'll hold them here as best we can. But, Captain," calling Trix close for a private word, "be advised, I have authorisation to blow the Spaceport to protect the City-" 

"It won't come to that," Trix assured him.

He caught her arm and warned her quietly, "I can’t risk them entering New Atlantis. If I see anyone other than you-."

"Trust me," she cut him off again, squeezing his hand before leaving, "we've got this."

While Trix readied her weapon as they headed to the landing pads, she realised what she'd just told Yumi was a lie. She wasn't sure they had this at all. "How did this happen, Hadrian?" she asked her.

"I don't know," Hadrian admitted, fearfully.

"Did we bring those things back with us somehow?"

"Possibly, but how did they evade the scanners? If they were detected on board, we never would have been cleared to land. I don't understand how they got here."

For now, it didn't matter. Trix and Hadrian had killed the first two; by the stars, they could do this. They had to do this, even if that meant losing her- 

Ship! CS: Frontier was on Landing Pad A.

How would she explain to Sarah that she had joined the UC Vanguard against her advice and then got caught up in this nightmare? Brought Terrormorphs to New Atlantis? Lost both the ship and Vasco ?

Vasco was a custom Model-A robot belonging to Constellation and had been left at his post guarding the ship. He was busy laying down suppressing fire, one of the few people in New Atlantis who would be utterly unaffected by a Terrormorph's psychic attack. "It is unwise to challenge us," he said in his fractured speech pattern, corralling the Terrormorphs into a space behind the ship. "You will not survive." His words were always chillingly accurate, no matter which side ultimately prevailed. 

Trix couldn't believe this was happening. It had started with a simple grunt run to fix downed communications at a small settlement on Tau Ceti II, and now they were facing off Terrormorphs that threatened to end the largest City in the Settled Systems. Trix hadn't felt ready for any of this.

"Please stop, they're killing us!" a small child's voice cried in Trix's head. The Terrormorph. Trix froze.

"Don't listen to them!" Shouted Hadrian.

"No, please don't leave me!" Pleaded a second voice, followed by a burst of dark, vicious laughter. "Kill her, kill her!"

Vasco pushed past Trix at speed and barrelled into the closest Terrormorph, chasing it away around Frontier's landing gear. Leaving Trix and Hadrian free to throw everything they had at the second. Grenades, mostly and a few armour-piercing rounds. 

Before long, both creatures were dead, but the best thing was they did it with zero fatalities. It didn't seem possible. Of course, the UC was going to celebrate. They'd just averted the first Terrormorph attack on a major human settlement in over twenty years. They were going to party - hard.

Trix opened her eyes… stars, why did her head feel so sore? She knew nothing would wipe out the memories of fighting those things. Everything after that was a blur.

They had won; she remembered that as much. She was still alive, even if she'd never felt so hungover. New Atlantis was safe; that was the main thing. A few nightmares for life were a small price to pay for saving so many lives.

Rubbing her aching head, Trix sat up in bed. Her room at The Lodge slowly came into focus. Her stomach woke up to say hello, but she didn't know what it wanted. Dizzy as hell, her feet hit the floor, and she attempted to walk across the spinning bedroom to the door. This isn't right. What the hell did I get up to last night? How much did I drink?  

A loud trumpeting call sounded from the Parsec Pooch she'd just stood on and bounced painfully around her brain like a ricocheting bullet in zero gravity. Usually, she loved the little sounds her plushie toys made. Today, if she was on the ship, she'd have happily jettisoned the thing. 

In space, no one can hear you tad-da-da-da, shithead...

Her entire plushie collection was on the floor, she grumbled. They never stayed where she put them. Her Galaticat had gone missing for the third time. Either there was a micro singularity under her bed, randomly swallowing toys, or Cora had been in her room again. She suspected the latter.

Peering out into the bright hallway, she squinted while listening to the sounds of her fellow members of Constellation.

Andreja's room was opposite; the door was shut, but she could hear some muffed distant voices beyond. Like she had so many times, Trix wondered who was seeing who at Constellation? More people were living at The Lodge than there were bedrooms. At least two of them had to be sharing.

Trix also needed to work out who owned the room with the pretty pink blossom trees and all the cushions. 

She peeked around the corner to find the coast was clear, although the doors to the bedroom in question were open. Matteo was sleeping soundly on the bed with the lights on, his head buried face-first into the pillow, snoring lightly. 

Well, at least that's one mystery solved, but how does he sleep like that? Trix thought to herself and tiptoed gingerly to the restroom, where she washed her face and brushed away the crappy taste from her mouth. Amazingly, she wasn't sick. Food, then, no? Ugh.

Still feeling whatever alcohol she had consumed the night before coursing through her body, Trix hoped beyond hope that she could slip quietly downstairs to the kitchen for painkillers without being seen. But immediately bumped into Walter in the hall. 

"Fuck, sorry, Walter."

"Language, dear," he scolded her, but his face was still smiling, "I suppose after what you've been through, I can forgive a little rambunctious behaviour. But you'd do well in the future to remember- you're representing us all out there. You're not a miner any more, young lady." He then walked away, shaking his head disapprovingly and muttering something about today's youth.

A little too early for a lecture, thought Trix, and what did the old man mean, anyway? What exactly happened last night? Her aching brain… the voices of the Terrormorphs in her mind.

Thankfully, in the painfully bright light of the following day, the sound was replaced by real laughter coming from the conservatory downstairs, past the artefacts Constellation had already gathered on display, rotating in their usual lazy, hypnotic way. Trix felt like she could stare at them forever. Whatever it was they were creating, it seemed oddly familiar.

Hoping that the stairs wouldn't creak too loudly on her descent, Trix reached the kitchen, but unfortunately, the smell alone was enough to cause her to run to the downstairs toilet.

"Trix? Is that you?" Cora's voice, Sam's twelve-year-old daughter and youngest member of Constellation, was too loud from her nearby basement bedroom.

"Yeah," Trix admitted in a pained voice, trying not to heave. 

"You okay?"

"Yes. I'm fine," Trix lied and managed to pull herself together enough to stand in the doorway and smile.

"Oh, oh, look! The Terrormorph attack is on the news!" Cora said excitedly, beckoning Trix to enter her room, "Look, look, there's you!"

Trix could only watch in dawning horror. On the screen was a report from SSNN of the Terrormorph attack on the spaceport. "Victory in New Atlantis!" was the headline over the image of her and Sergeant Yumi; her arms were around his neck, and they were kissing. She was kissing Sergeant Yumi against the backdrop of cheers from his team, Hadrian too, smoke, fire and blackened streets. 

"Eww!" Cora screwed up her face.

"I-" Oh… oh, shit.

Cora burst into infectious giggles, while Trix had never felt so mortified. She had kissed a UC-Security Sergeant. In the middle of the street, in front of everyone and on camera! When? What? How?

"Why are you kissing that cop?" Cora asked, still laughing.

Since her return to New Atlantis as Captain of the Constellation Starship Frontier, Trix had hidden a massive crush on Sergeant Yumi. But she never would have just- how did this happen? Trix racked her sore mind for answers.

Like a waking dream, she remembered the look on his face when Trix had returned triumphantly; the greatest threat to humanity in recent memory had been defeated, and not just one but three Terrormorphs had been destroyed. The City was safe.

Tears of utter relief were in Yumi's eyes when he saw her emerge from the fire and smoke. "Thank the heavens you're back in one piece…" Did he… ah, did she?

In the short time they had worked together, they had built a rapport. Hugging would have been understandable, but this? This was something else.

And it was all over the Settled Systems New Network. Everyone watched her kiss Sergeant Yumi, from here to Cheyenne and beyond. 

Trix felt ill again. "I need some fresh air," she said, leaving the room. She had just reached the top of the stairs and was almost at the door when Sarah stopped her, brandishing a slate, the same headline and a picture of Trix and Yumi. 

"You didn't tell me about this, you sly fox," Sarah teased.

"Sarah, it's not what you think."

"I told you, Yumi is an old friend of mine. I'm very happy for you."

"Sarah," Trix tried to take control of the conversation, but Sarah wasn't having any of it.

"I could tell he likes you, wandering eyes and all that," she laughed.

"Sarah, sorry?" He just has a very expressive face, is all. Right?

"Look, I've got to go, loads of admin, but-" She leant in close, "hurt him, and I will kill you."

"What?"

"Relax! I'm kidding! You've got to learn how to take a joke, you know, anyway, sorry, we'll catch up later, bye!" With that, Sarah disappeared.

"Fuck's sake," Trix mumbled to herself. She had to get out of there.

Trix pulled on a flight jacket and a hat firmly down over her conspicuous blue hair; just as Barrett emerged from the conservatory, "Dusty!" he shouted, "Duuuuuusty!" 

Oh no, no, Barrett, not you too, not now. Quickly, Trix ducked out of The Lodge before he could catch up, closed the door behind her and headed through the crowds of the MAST district towards the NAT station. She badly needed a decent coffee.

Despite trying to blend in, eyes and whispered conversations followed her wherever she passed. 

On the transport, the news report ran again, "UC-Security collaborating with members of Constellation was able to bring a swift end to the Terrormorph attack..."

"That's some collaboration," noted one passenger to another as they watched her kiss Yumi again. Another whistled. 

Stars, it was everywhere. Was there no escape? She pulled the hat down more firmly, groaned and tried to sink further into the seat.

"This is SSNN coming to you every hour, on the hour."

Those bastards and their fucking camera drones, Trix thought to herself. Fuck the coffee. I need a drink.

She left the NAT a stop early and headed to The Viewport instead. Sure, it was a risk; the Spaceport bar was dangerously close to the UC Security HQ, the first place most travellers arrived after they'd landed in New Atlantis. But damn, she needed one of those pep talks only Viewport's bartender Nyssa could provide, a tall cold glass of truth with a side of pull-yourself-together.

As she stepped out of the NAT car, she passed a nearby security officer who smiled at her broadly and told her, "Hey, Captain, Sergeant Yumi was looking for you," he said with a barely suppressed laugh in his voice as he ambled by.

Yes, I'm sure he is… If Yumi was half as mortified as Trix, she could only imagine how awkward that conversion would be. In true Trix style, she ignored the request and skirted the opposite edge of the Plaza.

"There she is, the Hero of New Atlantis!" Nyssa announced to a thankfully quiet morning in the bar. Only a few people had just arrived at the newly reopened Spaceport and hopefully had yet to learn who Trix was. 

Trix winced and hushed her, rubbing her aching head, "So, er, after the Terrormorph attack, what happened here last night?"

Nyssa took one look at her, picked up a glass, and started filling it. "I take it you don't remember standing in this bar, challenging everyone in the UC Vanguard to a drinking contest?"

Oh, so that explains the hangover. Trix cringed.

"You don't remember singing 'We are the Champions' until three in the morning?" Nyssa continued.

Fuck, no.

Nyssa teased,"  'Sweet Caroline' ring any bells?"

Trix groaned. She wasn't sure she wanted to hear any more, "No, I mean, I don't remember what's on the news report. I don't remember kissing Sergeant Yumi," she whispered sheepishly.

"Oh, that!" Nyssa swooned, "You've got to admit, that was a kiss. Might just be the hottest thing I've seen on SSNN all year."

"Nyssa! I would never-"

"Aw, now you're breaking my heart! I thought you were sweet on him?"

"I am, but… I'd never just… do that! Never in a million years! And now it's all over SSNN. Fuck, what have I done?"

Nyssa finished fixing up a drink that Trix hadn't ordered and placed it in front of her. "An old hangover cure," she explained, "family recipe. So, you really don't remember anything after the attack?"

"Nothing!" Trix exclaimed and sipped the spicy concoction. She was sure there was a shot of Terrabrew in there somewhere. Thank the sky for good bartenders. 

"Listen, I hear all kinds of stories," said Nyssa, "Some say the Terrormorph has a psychotropic effect on its victims."

"Yes, and…?"

"So, maybe you weren't entirely responsible for your actions?" Nyssa offered.

"You're right; maybe I wasn't! Thanks, Nyssa. Oh, wait- So, you mean… He might not have been, either." Trix's heart sank.

Perhaps he only wanted to see her to let her down, thought Trix. Gently, of course, since it was Sergeant Yumi. Shit, this is going to be so painful.

"Bah! Are you kidding me?" Nyssa dismissed the theory, "Have you spoken to him since?"

"No. What am I supposed to say? 'Hey, Sergeant, sorry about assaulting you in the street last night in front of SSNN. I'm sorry everyone in the Settled Systems thinks we're an item.' Fuck, Nyssa, any chance I may have had with the guy, I've blown it."

Nyssa's curls bounced back and forth as she shook her head and laughed, "What are you talking about? Anyone can see that it was one hundred per cent consensual. He is totally into you, girl. You need to talk to him."

"Oh no, no-"

"Why not? This is Sergeant Yumi," Nyssa reminded her as she returned to her cleaning duties, "He's just about the most approachable person in the Spaceport. Everyone loves Yumi. Unusual for a Security Officer, honest as the day is long. I swear that man only became a cop because he'd make a useless villain." She laughed, "It's so obvious he likes you. When your name is mentioned, his face lights up like Armistice Day."

"What could he possibly see in me? We're so different." 

"They say opposites attract. You've seen him, forever on duty, married to the job. That's a lot of responsibility." Nyssa paused her cleaning and leant on her elbow on the bar, "Then along comes the carefree adventuring space-ace who breezes in and out of his port on a whim. The cute Constellation Captain who volunteers for UC-Security duties that are embarrassingly beneath her."

"I'm just helping out," Trix protested, feeling the warm, soothing effects of her drink washing over her.

"Sure you are, had nothing to do with the good-looking officer issuing the orders."

"I have no idea what you mean," Trix lied with a smile, then grimaced, "Oh fuck, I'm so screwed."

"Or not, in this case. At least not by Sergeant Yumi."

"You're not helping, Nyssa."

Nyssa huffed, "So what are you going to do?"

"I don't know. Skip over the wall, run to the ship, take off and never return?" Suggested Trix.

"You can't avoid him forever. He knows every ship that lands here. It's kind of his job. Won't you have to come back to see your folks sometime?"

"Oh shit, Mom, Dad, they'll have seen SSNN too. And we were meant to meet for lunch. Oh, kill me now!" 

"Uh-oh, look out, lover boy is just over there!"

Trix turned and followed Nyssa's gaze outside, where Yumi was striding confidently across the Plaza, flanked by two other Security guards. They were heading back towards the landing pads with a purpose. It looked serious. Things must be stressful cleaning up after the attack.

"I don't care," Trix ducked and lied again, "at least I know the coast is clear. Someone said he was looking for me."

"Well, there you go!" Nyssa smiled broadly, "You're gonna make such a cute couple!"

"Stop it."

"And if not, there are plenty more fish in the sea. It's a big galaxy. How about one of your Constellation friends?"

"Ew, no! They're all so well-behaved."

"And Yumi is such a bad boy? Ha! No, wait, it's the uniform, am I right? The position of authority. That infectious smile. Those puppy-dog eyes!"

"Right, I'm leaving." Trix got up, leaving her empty glass and a credstik on the bar.

"I'm getting invited to the wedding, right?" Nyssa called after she giggled, "I've already picked out a dress!"

Trix huffed, "You're a walking cliche, Nyssa, but I'm so thankful for it."

"Any time! So I'll tell him you were here, right?"

Trix knew the cut-it-out signal she threw at Nyssa would fall on deaf ears.

At least Nyssa's drink helped clear her head, and it was true; talking about it to someone outside of Constellation had helped a bit. 

Trix hadn't imagined it; there was something between her and Sergeant Yumi. She was sure of it now. Damn it. But now she wasn't sure she wanted to see him again. Not because she didn't like him, quite the opposite, in fact. She wished to stay blissfully ignorant of his feelings for her for as long as possible. To be allowed to dream a while longer…

She snuck into the Plaza, sure that Yumi and his team had headed in the opposite direction. Whatever the emergency was, it didn't involve Frontier, or she would have received a message from Vasco. That worked for her; she didn't relish the possibility of taking a shortcut through The Well to avoid him and his team; it was too crowded. Instead, she took the NAT direct to the residential district and headed for her parents' apartment. 

The Pioneer Tower was an expensive apartment complex with a swanky restaurant in the lobby. Trix kept her head down, walked straight to the elevator and took it to her parent's floor. 

Her parents were now retired, and the rent on the apartment was indeed steep. They were barely getting by on her father's pension. But Trix didn't mind sending credits home to them every week. Better they were up here where they were safe than living in The Well.

"We're so proud of you, honey," Trix's Mom gushed as she laid a plate of her favourite, home-cooked vegetable moussaka in front of their daughter.

"And scared, too," added her dad, "thank goodness you had UC Security backup." 

Oh, here we go. That didn't take long.  

"He seems nice," said her Mom in her singsong voice. 

"Mom-"

"And a Sergeant, too," said her dad, obviously approving, which wasn't hard considering Trix's past love life. Compared to her exes, a UC Security Sergeant must be a father's dream come true.

"I can't wait to see my friend's faces when I tell them-"

"Mom!" Trix tried to interrupt her, but it was useless.

"I'm pleased for you, sweetheart. You should be dating. So when will we get to meet him?"

Trix tried not to choke. Meet him? I'm not even sure I want to meet with him. Ever again! She tried to tell them she wasn't sure there would be a 'him', but her parents were so happy. She allowed them this moment. At least they had something other than the Terrormorphs to focus on.

Trix loved her parents so much, but by the stars, they were exhausting. At least she could freshen up at their place and change her clothing. After what felt like hours, she left and promised to see them again soon while faking a reason why she had to return to The Lodge.

Perhaps things had calmed down there by now. Maybe Trix could slip by without someone asking her about- 

Yumi.

The elevator doors opened, and there he was. Sergeant Yumi stood in the doorway of the apartment complex, an impassable wall of UC authority, armoured and armed to his teeth, having a serious-looking discussion with the restaurant concierge. 

In the wild, Yumi had this aura about him that Trix couldn't quite explain. At first impressions, the uniform alone made even the most innocent feel nervous until you met the man behind it. This paradoxical paragon made you believe that decent cops do exist in this hellhole of a galaxy.

Trix didn't want to see him. She wished she could disappear. For a second, she considered backing back into the elevator, but his gaze met hers, and there it was- a light show in his dark eyes to rival touching an artefact for the first time.

By the stars, Nyssa was right… Sarah, too. 

Trix felt like she could face down a hundred Terrormorphs, but not him.

Yumi dismissed the concierge, and his face softened as Trix approached. She felt like all eyes in the lobby, and the restaurant beyond was now trained on the pair as they drifted across the room to meet at one of the nearby tables. Trix hopped onto a seat and nervously pushed her hair behind her ears.

Yumi chose to stand instead, leaning on the tall table's surface, looking as pleased with himself as if he'd just caught the perp of the day. His words, however, were as warm as his smile. "Good evening, Captain." 

"Sergeant," Trix acknowledged him shyly, feeling like she was melting inside. Fuck, I'm in so much trouble.

"I feel like you've been avoiding me," Yumi said, as always, straight to the truth. 

Trix squirmed in her seat. "I- I owe you an apology," she admitted. Just one look from him, and she was confessing everything. He was such a master at disarmament.

Yumi frowned and shook his head with a half-laugh. "Whatever for?" He asked, shrugging off being the hottest news topic in New Atlantis as though it was just another day on the job.

Trix's heart left the atmosphere. His words caught her off guard. She had tried to guess how this conversation would go. Rehearsed what she'd say in her head. She'd assumed he'd be angry. But nothing had prepared her for his unashamed, unfazed, and overly generous, 'Whatever for?'

"Spirits were high. No harm done," Yumi added, "I'm sure you didn't mean anything by it." He cocked his head and raised an eyebrow, still unable to hide the dimples in his cheeks while trying to be serious.

Ouch. Trix pouted and wondered how he wanted her to answer that question. Yes, Sergeant, if we were alone, I’d lean over, hook my fingers around the rings on your collar, pull you across the table and kiss you again, right here.  

Or was Yumi offering her a get-out-of-jail-free card? A way to back down without losing face? They did have to work together, after all.

Oh, Yumi. He was far too good for her. 

Uncomfortably aware of how quiet the lobby had become, Trix cleared her throat and said the first completely non-committal thing that popped into her head, "Can I buy you a drink, Sergeant?"

He briefly winced, "As much as I'd love to take you up on that, Captain, I must regretfully decline. I'm on duty."

"Of course, I'm sorry," I'm an idiot, and now I'm sure he thinks I'm an alcoholic.

"No, don't be. An altercation between two guests at the restaurant was certainly worth my time," but his tone suggested the opposite, drawing a breath sharply through his teeth.

"That must be extremely frustrating," Trix sympathised, stifling a giggle, her insides aching with the effort. She was often interrupted while on a critical mission and asked to do the most mundane tasks.

"It's not all bad. After that business with the Terrormorphs, it's good to get back to small crimes and petty thieves," he sighed, "and to tell you the truth, I could do with a break from the Spaceport occasionally." 

Did he mean, in general, or with her? 

Others claimed Yumi was so easy to read, yet Trix struggled. "Well, at least the journey wasn't a total loss," she smiled, fishing for more clues.

Yumi beamed at her, "You saved a lot of lives last night, mine included. I'm not sure how we'll ever repay you."

Trix gulped, "Well, that's the Vanguard for you, right? Supra et Ultra."

Yumi huffed at her deflection of his too-high praise.

"How are things at the Spaceport?" Trix asked.

"Most of the physical damage has been repaired, but it's been tough on my team. We were already short-handed before the attack. And now, not even my favourite part-time security officer showed up for work today," he said gently, his eyebrows raised, a look of concern in his eyes.

Trix winced this time, "Oh, I'm sorry." So this was work-related, of course, it was work-related…

"It's okay, perfectly understandable, in fact. I can't say I enjoyed the thought of returning today, either. It's all a little too soon."

"How are you coping with it all, personally?" Trix asked. She wanted him to know she was there for him. That she understood the thing he had faced.

"Not well, it's…"

"The nightmares," Trix finished his sentence. 

"I know, right! The nightmares are the worst. At least your-" A message alert from Yumi's comms device interrupted him. He acknowledged the call and then told her, "If you don't mind me saying, Captain, it sounds like you could do with something to take your mind off things, too. Maybe a little detective work?"

Trix nodded and invited him to continue.

"I'm supposed to shake up this guy and retrieve what he stole, but I'm needed back at the port. Perhaps you could visit the alleged thief on my behalf? The injured party insists they won't press charges if he returns the item. A favourable outcome for all," he leant in a little closer, "and a little less admin for me at the end of the day," he winked at her.

Trix caught his meaning and grinned at him. Nobody liked the admin, apart from maybe Sarah. "I'll do what I can, Sergeant," she told him slightly louder so the eavesdroppers in the lobby could hear.

"Excellent. Thank you, Captain. I'll meet you back at the Security Office." He stood straight, turned on his heels and strode from the complex toward the NAT, acknowledging the security officers patrolling along the way.

Trix stared after him for a moment before realising the background noise levels around her had returned to normal, and perhaps she should leave before someone else stopped her.

The stolen item in question turned out to be, of all things, an engagement ring. Trix couldn't help but cringe at the thought of returning it to Yumi. It felt like a bad omen, but she had no choice. This was work.

She walked into the Security HQ to find Yumi standing in his usual spot behind the front desk in reception.

"How can I help you, Captain?" he asked brightly.

Always so formal, thought Trix, but then glanced across the desk to the security officer standing a little way off, within earshot of the pair and cleared her throat again, "I've finished my investigation, and I retrieved the item," she told him. 

"Ah, perfect. I'm sure the victim will be pleased to know that their property has been returned." His face turned serious, "You have acquitted yourself well again. Hardly surprising for a Captain of the UC Vanguard, but impressive nonetheless." He raised an eyebrow and added, "I dare say you might have a knack for police work, Captain."

Trix wasn't sure if he meant to sound so lascivious, like he'd eat her for breakfast if given half the chance. Real or imagined, she was still a puddle on the floor. I dare say I might have it bad for you, Sergeant. 

With a heavy heart, Trix reached into her pocket for the ring, but Yumi stopped her. He held up his hand in protest, "I'm sorry, Captain, you'll have to hand it into my colleague, Officer Byant. I'm no longer on duty." He stepped back from the desk, removing one of his gloves and the other.

Trix stood transfixed, with a dawning realisation that she'd never seen Yumi's bare hands but could not look away. She half expected to see some kind of token of commitment, a wedding band perhaps, that told her unequivocally that he was already spoken for.

The prospect of boarding Frontier and throwing herself into the black as far as her grav drive could jump seemed far more appealing than watching her crush utterly destroy any hope of ever returning her feelings.

She could have sworn that time slowed to a crawl as Yumi pulled each digit free like the world's slowest strip tease before revealing blissfully naked hands. She wasn't sure why that turned her on so much, but it did. 

"Captain," Yumi smiled and dismissed himself. He backed further from the desk, loosening the catches on his tactical vest, reaching into the neck, and searching for the zipper; he walked away from her behind the reception of Security HQ and disappeared from view.

Trix felt bereft. She could barely believe it. Here she was, reporting as Yumi had requested, only for the good Sergeant to pull a stunt like that and palm her off on a subordinate. What the hell just happened?

Officer Bryant stood at the desk in Yumi's place, grinned at her, accepted the ring, and handed her a slate to read and sign. She returned it to him, collected her fee and was about to leave, but Bryant stopped her. "Hey," he said teasingly, "careful you don't take a Yumi to the knee."

"I'm sorry, a wha-?" Trix was confused.

"Officer Bryant," Yumi chastised him from somewhere behind her, "must I remind you, you're speaking to a senior officer?" 

Trix almost leapt out of her skin.

Yumi stood beside her, a slightly less imposing figure in a UC tracksuit and futbol shirt; he was attaching a sports watch to his wrist, apparently about to head for a workout.

"I'm sorry, Sir," Bryant's posture stiffened.

"Not me, idiot, the Captain!" Yumi's bark made Bryant jump.

“My apologies, Captain,” he hurriedly saluted her. 

Trix was never going to get used to that and tried to ask, but Yumi smiled, signalled no, and cut her off while shaking his head at his subordinate, "Captain,” he told her playfully, “I should warn you, the crime rate goes up by point two of a per cent when Officer Bryant is left in charge." 

Trix tried not to laugh.

Bryant's face fell. 

Yumi's retribution for a joke at his expense was swift and absolute. "You had better improve on those numbers, Bryant, if you wish to impress."

Trix winced and instantly understood Yumi's brand of leadership: lead by flawless example and destroy them with embarrassment for failing to compare. She played along, "Oh, well, in that case, would you mind escorting me to the NAT, Sergeant? I'd rather not take any chances."

"Actually, I was going to ask you the same thing. Absolutely anything might happen," Yumi shook his head at Bryant and then told Trix, "I figure you're the safest person to be around." He guided her out of the doors and into the warm night air of the Spaceport Plaza, leaving a red-faced Bryant at his post.

"No, seriously, I have to hear this," Trix was still hugging herself and giggling. "What did Bryant mean by 'Yumi to the knee?"

Yumi scoffed, "It's my family name. In some translations, it..," he stammered, "Ah, it- it doesn't matter."

"Come to think of it, I don't know your first name. Am I meant to always call you Sergeant Yumi?" Trix asked.

"On duty, yes. Off, it's Makoto," he said with pride, "it means 'truth'."

"By the stars, you were born to this job, huh?" Trix shook her head.

He laughed, "You could say that. What about you, Captain? Your name is Cali-" he tried, her full name catching in his mouth.

"You've been looking at my service record!" Trix teased with feigned affront.

Yumi's face flushed, his brows knitted together, "It's my job to know all the Captains of the vessels that land in my port. You know that."

"Sure it is," Trix grinned, wondering if Jemison's gravity had suddenly changed as they stepped onto the NAT. Her feet had never felt so light. "Calytrix." she said, "mine means-"

"Star-flower," Yumi looked at her and smiled, unashamed to admit he'd looked that up too. 

"Now, come on, that's more than just reading my file. That's-"

"A good detective wanting to know more about a Constellation Captain and why she would want to volunteer as a lowly security officer?" He offered, grinning, but immediately crumbled when he looked back at her and confessed, "Alright, you've caught me red-handed. I was curious about you. Nice work, Caly-trix."

She laughed, "It's just Trix."

"Trix," he repeated. It felt good to hear him call her anything other than 'Captain'. 

He sighed, "You belong up there," his eyes travelled skyward as they made their way up the ramp from the NAT station and into the leafy green MAST district. 

"My mom says even the tallest flowers need roots on the ground," Trix told him.

Yumi nodded with approval, "Your mother sounds very wise."

"Stop it, she's already trying to meet you, but-"

He raised an eyebrow but didn't press her to finish her sentence. 

Trix still needed to figure out what this was. Instead, she asked, "Do you have family in New Atlantis?"

"A father and stepmother," he nodded.

"Oh, your mom?"

"Was a UC Captain," his face fell, "sent to evacuate Londinion." He added sadly.

Trix wished she had never asked, "Oh, shit. No wonder this whole Terrormorph thing, ugh, I'm so sorry."

"I was very young," Yumi dismissed her apology. 

"Now I understand your reaction to Hadrian, too. She's not her father."

"I know," he said, "It was just a bit of shock. We thought the Terrormorphs were a distant memory. And then… well, and then you-" he paused. 

Trix found that they had arrived outside The Lodge. They had been chatting all the way, safe in their little bubble, oblivious to any outside attention. Now, at the City's edge, where few had reason to go, it was quiet, with no one else around. 

The sounds of the bustling City had given way to the soft chirping of insects, accompanied by the occasional sound of a ship arriving or departing from the Spaceport. Trix looked up and watched the taillights of a ship, thrusters at full whack, sail past the tall tower of the MAST building in the distance and up into the starlit sky. Her eyes eventually met his, and she realised he’d been watching her the whole time.

Yumi broke from his trance, checked the time on his watch and sighed, "I should be going, but Trix? Please be careful. We still don't know how this attack happened or who might be involved."

"You don't think Hadrian had anything to do with it?" 

"At this stage, we can't rule anything out. I'd hate to see any of my friends at Constellation hurt."

"Friends?" Trix teased him.

"Commander Morgan is a friend, yes."

"And I’m-"

Yumi surprised her. He moved in with urgency, cupped her face in his warm hands and answered her unfinished question with a firm but tender kiss. A promise of a competent lover that struck a chord so deep it resonated through to the core of her being. She longed for its fulfilment.

This time, there would be no forgetting. Trix committed everything to memory, every sensation. It felt as though the stars themselves had aligned to bring them both together in this moment of great need. It was a perfect moment, fleeting, but somehow felt like it lasted a lifetime. 

His lips left hers, and he pulled her in close, holding her head to his chest as if he were unable to believe she was there. That she might vanish should he let her go.

Trix surrendered to him. She folded her arms under his and clung to him for a while, enjoying his warmth, listening to his breath and feeling his heartbeat before gently pulling away. She needed to see his face, look into those dark eyes and know what he was thinking. 

"Well, this complicates things," he sighed again.

"How come?" She didn't wish to be a source of stress for him, anything but that. "I'm only UC Vanguard. I can resign my commission if it would help-"

"Shhh," He hushed her, "No, I don't think that will be necessary, but I have a meeting with my superiors in the morning. They no doubt will have some questions after, well, you know, the SSNN report," he chuckled.

Trix couldn't help but laugh, too.

They released each other like two ships that had briefly met in the void and began to drift away. "And now I have to go to practice with my mind on something other than the game. But at least I can remember kissing you now,” he confessed.

"What?" All this time, she hadn’t considered that Yumi also couldn't remember the full extent of the aftermath of the Terrormorph attack, "you mean you don't remember that either?"

"Shall we just say it was a welcome surprise to wake up to? Although, I'm not sure I'll ever get the coffee stain out of the rug. Thank you for turning my life upside down, Trix."

"Any time, Makoto," she laughed.

"So, I'll see you at work tomorrow?" He asked tentatively.

"Of course, and good luck with your meeting," she half-teased.

"Ah, thanks. I'll let you know how it goes. And now, for the second time today, you must watch me leave for a change. Must be an unusual experience for you." Yumi smiled. 

"Oh, don't worry, Sergeant. I plan on being in your orbit a while longer,” Trix mused.

“No need, I always keep Landing Pad A open,” he waved awkwardly back at her before disappearing through the trees.