Page 8 of Synnr's Ride

A second press of the button brought up an image of a middle aged Zulir man with a bushy beard, long dark hair, and a look in his eyes that spelled trouble. His gaze was fierce, eyes narrowed in defiance, and that beard of his was woven through with silver strands. The picture had probably come from an ID badge and only showed him from the shoulders up, but those shoulders were broad, and Jori imagined this guy's muscles had muscles.

"Who is he?" Not a soldier, that was for certain. This looked more like a mug shot.

"Morn Kark." The picture was replaced by a slide listing off petty crimes going back twenty years. "He owns a bar and leads his crew of troublemakers in raising havoc in their sector of the city. He was born in Osais and has never left the planet, but he's shown a troubling interest in Apsyn ideology."

"It's not a crime to think like an Apsyn," Jori said, though in the midst of a war,thatflirted with treason.

"Of course not," Ozar agreed. "But one of the Apsyn saboteurs from the attack at the university was a regular at Kark's bar. One of his Demons."

"What?" he sputtered.

"The Rebel Demons. Mostly they drink and harass bystanders in the eastern quadrant, but a few of them have taken up the Apsyn cause. We checked Kark out after the attack, but there was nothing to pin to him. The bar has a few tax issues and noise complaints, but not out of line with any other establishment in the city. The report notes he may be an Apsyn sympathizer, but he doesn't have the funds or the motivation to do much about it."

"What's changed?" There were hundreds, maybe thousands, of people with sympathies to the Apsyns on Aorsa. The same thing went for Synnrs on Kilrym. Before the war, travel between Kilrym and Aorsa had been free, if cautious. Now every passage was highly monitored, expensive, and dangerous.

"That's what I want you to find out." She clicked another button and the screen went blank. Then she opened a drawer, pulled out a folder, and handed it to him.

Jori scanned the summary on the front page. "Infiltration? I'm not a spy."

"No, you're not. But I need someone who understands fusion cycles."

He furrowed his brow in confusion. "I don't know much about fusion cycles either."

"Can you ride one?"

"It was part of my training, I passed the test." And it had been fun, though Ozar didn't need to know about the joy ride he and a fellow soldier, Felyx, had taken when they were supposed to be cleaning the bikes.

"Good." She sat back in her chair and didn't elaborate.

It still made no sense. "There have to be experts. And I'm still not a spy. This isn't—what's going on, Major?"

"I do have access to a fusion cycle expert who has the perfect background to infiltrate Kark's organization. But she needs backup, and I need someone I trust beyond any reasonable doubt. Someone to make sure I haven't made a mistake." She nodded towards the file. "Turn the page."

Jori's hand hovered over the paper, but he already knew who he'd see on page two. Hanna Karysn. "No. Not a chance. We can't trust her."

"My best analysts say otherwise. They were studying your reports, Harek." She held up a hand before Jori could try to contradict that. "But you have good instincts, and perhaps there's something the analyst failed to account for. That's why I want you on this mission. You see her for almost all that she is."

"Almost? What am I missing?"

"That she's an asset. If she can be trusted, she's exactly the kind of person we can use. Can I trust you on this mission?"

If Jori weren't sitting in front of his superior officer, he would have laughed. And then possibly cried. Three days ago, he'd been determined to put Hanna Karsyn in his past. She was in his head... and other places.

He could tell Ozar his judgement was compromised. She'd pull him from the mission then.

But would she still send Hanna in? What if Hanna betrayed them? Who would have her back?

What if she got hurt?

He was an idiot for even considering taking the mission. But Ozar was depending on him.

And so was Hanna.

If he did this right, his career could get just the boost he was looking for.

He tried to hold that reason close. It was logical. It was correct.

And it was utter bullshit.

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