Chapter Text
Gurathin’s message came in over the feed just as she was drifting off to sleep.
We’re back, all safe and sound. SecUnit’s back too. It found us on TranRollinHyfa and really came through for us. We never could have gotten Mensah out without it.
SecUnit sustained a serious injury but we expect a full recovery. It’s already dramatically improved. Everyone else is unhurt. I didn’t set this to high priority because I didn’t want to wake you, but I wanted it to be here when you woke. Don’t worry, everything is going to be fine. -G
Her heart overflowed for fondness them all. Mensah was alive! They had all returned! And SecUnit was back! Of course she wanted to know at once. She’d set message alerts for everyone from PresAux the moment she heard of Mensah’s kidnapping.
Although if she’d been pinged awake she would have feared another disaster. She imagined the flood of adrenaline which an emergency ping would have released and laughed, although she couldn’t have explained the joke. She was the absurd one, she thought, and right now everything was wonderful and funny.
She messaged him back. I’m still awake. Welcome back!!!! May I come see you?
Yes please. I’ve missed you so much.
#
She spotted him before he saw her. He’d come out to meet her and stood at the entrance of a small garden in front of the hotel where he stayed on station. He stood awkwardly, a little hunched, but not as huddled in on himself the way he’d been in Rim space.
His face lit up when he saw her.
“Gura! It’s so good to have you back.”
He opened his arms, then began to pull his elbows back in as if questioning himself.
“Hug,” she announced.
He laughed a little and opened his arms wider.
He felt warm and solid, his chin resting on her shoulder. She gripped him tightly. Unexpectedly, a sob welled up. His hand went to the back of her head, pulling her in tightly.
“It’s okay. We’re all okay.”
She’d meant to fight back her feelings but his words released something in her. Without letting her go, he drew her a little away from the entrance. He led her deeper into the garden and toward a bench. She leaned into his arms and let herself release all the fear she’d been holding.
When her tears tapered off, Gurathin handed her a packet of tissues.
“You know me too well,” she said ruefully. He just smiled.
“I knew you’d worry. You and your warm heart.”
“Anyone would worry!”
“Of course.” He gave her one more squeeze.
“Where is everyone? Can I see them?”
“Pin-Lee, Ratthi, and Arada are together. I think they want some private time for that but they’ll want to see you after. If you’re still awake, that is. Mensah is with SecUnit. She’s shaken up but okay. Well.” He paused and rubbed his forehead. “She’s really shaken up. She hasn’t told us much about what happened while she was a prisoner.”
“And SecUnit?” SecUnit, who had done so much for them. Who she’d misunderstood so badly.
“SecUnit’s recovering well. It’s pissed that it’s not 100% yet, both in general and because Mensah is still in danger. I think it’s going to stay on Preservation a while. It hasn’t said that yet. But we made sure it had a way to leave safely.”
“What do you mean, Mensah’s still in danger?”
“GrayCris. You have to know how fucking corporates think. According to CR logic, eliminating Mensah means whoever succeeds her won’t have the same personal stake in our lawsuit against them. Those assholes will want to take her out so we drop the suit. Also by corporate logic, revenge is its own satisfaction and something you do just to prove you’re worthy of respect.”
“Can’t we negotiate somehow?”
He shook his head. “Revenge also sets you up better for rebounding. If you can prove you’re not completely worthless, you up your odds of getting a decent position elsewhere. The Council thought I was just being paranoid until SecUnit independently came to the same conclusions.”
Her stomach felt like she’d entered free fall. She kept the horror off her face with effort. Gurathin looked so tired and drawn. It was her time to be strong for him, not the other way around.
She gripped his hand. “What can we do?”
“SecUnit and I are making some recommendations. That’s the other reason it’s pissed. Preservation isn’t going to change everything on behalf of safety. Not if it means giving up our ideals about welcoming others. SecUnit isn’t even being allowed cart blanche to rewrite StationSecSys, which irritates it greatly.”
“And the rest of us?”
“Just be there for her. You know Mensah isn’t one to spill all her troubles easily. But more than that, we can’t talk about any of this. I’m working with security to craft a press release.” He rubbed his forehead harder. “It’s going to be an issue with her family. Everyone talks about everything here.”
Bharadwaj thought wryly of her own well-intentioned family. Darsham hadn’t been the only one to want to push, just the one who spoke first.
“At least we can provide her with some understanding then.”
He nodded. “I should get back to it.”
“One thing first.”
He gave her a questioning look. She reached out and began to massage his forehead.
He melted under her touch. The tension in his face eased and he leaned in. She kept it up until he pulled back, a regretful look on his face.
“That did help, thank you. I should go though.”
She nodded. Only once he was out the door did she give in to a new round of crying. These tears felt heavy. For a moment, she’d believed everything was all right.
Eventually they abated enough for her to clean her face with the last of Gurathin’s gifted tissues. She retreated home and collapsed in bed with her head pounding, feeling shamefully grateful that she didn’t have to put a brave face on for Arada, Pin-Lee, and Ratthi just yet.