“Come,” she said and stood.

Besh followed Ume down lighted halls; some seemed familiar, some did not. She stopped at a locked door. On hooks beside the door hung red rain slickers, umbrellas, and ball caps. She threw on a slicker, nodding for Besh to do the same. He donned a slicker and followed her lead to wear a ball cap and take an umbrella. Ume then turned to the panel beside the door and placed her palm on it; the lock slid back and Ume opened the door. Beyond was a hall without light.

“This is our emergency exit,” she said. “We expect lights soon. For now, hook your umbrella to mine and I will lead you out.”

They stepped through, Ume closed the door, and Besh touched her with the hook of his handle. Ume led him through the dark tunnel; Besh could smell the earth, but the floor was level tile. He touched the wall and felt cool cement. Besh counted one slight turn to the left, but otherwise, the dark path was straight.

Ume asked quietly, “You have no questions?”

Besh answered, “No. I trust you.”

“And I you,” replied Ume. “I feel you are a good man. I think we can be close friends.”

Besh sensed a weight to her words. To be clear with her, to have no misconceptions, Besh countered casually, “As long as you know I'm not over Heaven.”

Ume said, “I would not press. The future is open to us, and I am open to the future. Here we are.”

Ume opened a door, and Besh could feel the cool fresh air flood in. He squeezed through a tight opening, and Ume pushed it closed. It was the cement wall under a bridge that Besh turned to, the door indistinguishable from the rest.

“Come,” said Ume, taking his arm. “Let's sit in the grass.”

Besh sat beside Ume on the grassy slope beside the bridge. Below them was a river reflecting festive lights from the street across the way. A gentle breeze moved the short grass, and refreshed them, putting Besh at ease.

“I love the lights,” said Ume. “This season reminds me of my parents and a happy childhood.”

Besh asked, “Are both your parents gone?”

Ume rested her chin on the handle of her umbrella and hugged her knees close. “Yes,” she said. “Across the Sudavan bridge is the Plura Calle. We lived above our store. That one under the sign.” She pointed, and Besh looked, but he could not read the oriental script. “It reads jeong-wonsa, and it means gardener. We have the Consortium Megafarms, but many in Symalton grow vegetables in small gardens, so once a year, we put on lights and celebrate our local gardening heroes.” Ume laughed sweetly and sighed. “They have a fair in the city center,” she pointed, and Besh looked left, seeing the hub of tall office buildings. Besh looked at the side Of Ume's face; her eyes were closed, and he held his silence knowing she recalled lost loved ones. He had experience with loss and knew it was hard. Their shared sense of loss was an unspoken kinship.

Besh said quietly, “You're very good with your people.”

Keeping her chin on the umbrella, Ume rolled her head and opened her eyes to Besh with a smile. “I imitate my father.”

Besh nodded, hearing cheers and laughter from across the river. He asked, “Why the umbrellas? It's not raining.”

Her smile broadened as she answered. “A disguise. A cap, a coat, adhesive gauze across the nose. We venture out in many faces.”

“Um,” said Besh with a sage nod. “Tell me about the stela.”

Sitting straight, Ume sighed and looked across the river. “The stela,” said Ume. “Right. It is an archaeological artifact made of stone. Approximately sixty centimeters, four-sided with a pointed top, a hole in the bottom, pictograms, and two languages; one is unknown, the other is cuneiform.”

“Is it important?” asked Besh.

Ume answered, “François Tulieur, Terra's favorite hero, was the Consortium's archaeological survey leader during the settlement. It was he who discovered the stela. Later, he was a philanthropist and teacher. He built a fortress far to the south and became a recluse. The stela remained at his fortress until it burned down, and the stela was lost.”

“Sounds familiar,” said Besh. “Terran history was never my strong point.”

“He was called the Faceless Hero because he kept his face and hands covered due to a skin disease,” said Ume.

“Right,” said Besh, remembering.

Ume continued, “For the longest time, the stela translation could be found in the archives. Then, the stela surfaced and was sold to a retired Judge. However, all information on the stela was scrubbed. Mack tells me it bears the hallmarks of a military cover-up.”

Besh asked, “So, why does the military not take it from the Judge?”

“The Judge is powerful even in retirement,” answered Ume, stopping to watch fireworks before saying more. “My point is that the Consortium holds the opinion that the stela is important, which begs the question, what are they trying to hide?”

“Why do you want the stela?” asked Besh.

Ume turned to study his face. She said solemnly, “If the stela is a thing the military can weaponize, one, they should not have it, and two, we should try to understand its significance. I'm working on the assumption it has something to do with the settlement of Terra. There is a claim that the Enmen are this world's original inhabitants. They claim the Consortium committed genocide against their people. There is another claim it has to do with the ore sought below Con Isle.”

They walked the lighted hall nearing the room with the big table. Their walk had been quiet until Besh spoke. He was clueless why he said what he said, and turned away fearing he might blush.

“You have a beautiful skin tone,” he said. “Do you have African ancestry?”

Ume appraised him with a merry smile. “It's possible. What about you?”

Besh answered, “Just your basic Caucasian Euromutt.”

The Shades waited noisily in the room but fell silent when Ume and Besh entered. Tory leaned in the door frame as Besh passed through after Ume; Besh read the eye contact as negative but let it slide. Ume walked to her seat and called Besh to her side. Still standing, Besh looked around at Ume's willing Shades. Their hoods were up; their masks were down. Although the weapons were well hidden, Besh took note of Arm Blades under the hooded gray tops. There were bulges at the waist that were a clear sign of small arms.

Ume raised her arms and asked the room, “Who are the good guys?”

The room responded with evident cheer. “We are.”

Ume motioned for Lexi to read the assignments. She stood beside Mack at Mack's console and cleared her throat in preparation; the room listened. Lexi said, “Carter will be in Coolah Lake for security. Elin and Donnelly will reach out to local contacts for supplies and equipment. Kalle and I will run diversions, coordinating through Mack. Brea will go high and snipe.”

Brea said happily,” It's what I do.”

Lexi continued through the happy chatter of the Shades, “Tory will lead the fighters, including Marq, to take out the guard stations and open a corridor for Ume and Besh. Plume and Tor will then open the target and stand ready.”

Ume said, as the Shades turned from Lexi to their leader, “I love all of you. Be safe. Now, go, and do what you do best.” Ume clapped her hands; the room joined her in a round of applause and filed out. Ume turned to Besh with a satisfied smile and said, “Let's suit up.”

Besh found his gear in his assigned room. He tightened his boots and tucked his pant legs in his socks. He stood and reached for the sleeveless shirt when Ume walked into the room. She wore her protective vest, but the lacing was undone. Besh paused, suddenly and irrationally nervous. Ume walked up to him.

“You have a scar,” she said reaching out to touch his chest. She raised the bottom of her vest to expose a small scar near her belly button. “I have one too. A badge of honor. Did you get yours in the military?”

Besh resumed dressing. “Yeah,” he said. “Sam would be proud.”

“Sam?” asked Ume.

Besh answered, “A pirate I knew.”

Ume laughed and turned her back to him. “Cinch my straps,” she said over her shoulder.

Besh pulled them taught, then accepted Ume's help with his vest. She left without a word. Besh then strapped on his small arms and reached for his Arm Blade. He had worn an Arm Blade so often it seemed like second nature. As he turned, he noticed Tory leaning in his door frame, but continued mounting the Blade without concern.

Tory spoke with no preamble. “Ume's too free with strangers.”

Besh asked without looking up from his preparations, “Are you the protective older brother?”

Tory said, “I won't let anyone hurt her.”

Besh looked up then and held the man's gaze. He said, “If you like her, tell her. Don't stand in the shadows.” He pulled his top on, took his mask from the bunk, and stepped up to look Tory directly in the eye. “I'm just a client,” said Besh.

Ume spoke from behind. “Are you two talking about me? My ears burn.” Tory turned in the door and Ume embraced him. She said in his ear, “Be the brave man you always are. Get us in, and let's all come home.”

Tory pulled back and answered, “I won't fail you, Ume.”

“I know,” replied Ume, smiling.

Besh watched the man walk stiffly down the hall. When Ume turned to him, Besh asked, “Is he your boyfriend?”

Ume looked past her hood and mask with smiling eyes, then pulled her mask to her chin and spoke. “Many have hopes, but I save myself for someone special.” She winked and took Besh by the arm. “We have a private skid waiting.”

Walking down the hall, Besh was aware that the lovely young woman held his arm; he was aware he could have pulled free. He thought about the closeness of her, and he thought about Tory's remarks. Ume was special to her people; they loved her. He told himself, as he had said to Tory, I'm just a client.

Besh recognized the room with crates; it was the room that he entered first to meet the leader of the Shades. Beyond the door, Besh found himself in the alley. Elin locked the door and left without a word. Sitting in the alley was a blue-gray skid. Ume touched the driver's door and it slid up. She took the driver's seat and the craft lit up. Besh joined her, strapping himself into the passenger's seat. The doors slid down and the craft lifted silently, stirring alley dust into a cloud.

Ume took the skid straight up. She hovered just above roof level and turned a full three-sixty, scanning all directions before bolting north through the night sky. Silent, Besh felt himself easing into soldier mode with a sense of upcoming actions unknown, yet, confident in his ability to deal with whatever might come his way. He had the training of a soldier, but more than that, he had the pirini. He glanced aside at Ume, her face hidden behind a black mask, and felt his protective instinct kicking in. He turned away and steeled himself for the unknown.