Wings of Fire Ch. 13 - Teaser (Patreon)

“Of all people on the airship… why come to us? It’s not that we don’t appreciate it, but… I’m curious about why you went straight to us and not a lesser ranked officer aboard,” Michelle queried, interested in Lacey’s reasoning.

“I came to you because… well, no one should ignore this, if they have a lick of sense in their head. Not only that, but they disparaged you in a way that suggested you were not sympathetic to their ideals. Anyone else, I’m not sure of, so coming straight to you captain seemed like the logical, and only, choice,” Lacey explained.

“Smart,” Li-Fan replied with a slight smile, glad that this woman was a thinker.

“Any other reason?” Michelle wondered, nodding in approval of Lacey’s judgement.

“I’m a mixed woman. My mom’s Samoan, and my dad’s Greek. People like me? Women like me? We’re the first targets for scum like Chimera. They don’t just hate us—they want to erase us. The thought of them—of that kind of ideology—twists my stomach with revulsion. Their ‘ideal world’ has no place for someone like me, and I’m not going to stand by while they try to make it real. If they’re here, on this ship, then we’re all in danger,” Lacey stated vehemently.

Michelle leaned back slightly, her expression unreadable, though her sharp eyes never left Lacey. Beside her, Li-Fan stood silently, her gaze fixed on the young woman, assessing every word, every gesture.

“You’re certain of what you heard?” Michelle said at last, her voice low and deliberate.

“I am,” Lacey replied without hesitation. “Every word of it.”

Michelle and Li-Fan sat in stunned silence for a long moment, the weight of what Lacey had revealed pressing down on them like a storm cloud. The news hit them harder than either had anticipated. Tex—one of their most skilled and trusted pilots—was a Chimera sleeper agent.

It seemed impossible, unthinkable even, but the details Lacey had provided lined up too well to dismiss. The challenge word, the chilling phrase “Sieg für Chimera,” and the plans Tex and Philipp had discussed were too specific, too calculated, to be brushed off as coincidence. Michelle broke the silence first, running a hand over her face as her mind worked quickly.

“Damn it,” she muttered. “Tex. Of all people, Tex. I never would’ve suspected him. But… it makes sense now, doesn’t it? The signs were there, hidden in plain sight.”

Li-Fan nodded slowly, her expression grim. “It does. And if what Lacey overheard is accurate—and I believe it is—this gives us an edge. We know their next move before they make it. That’s more than we had an hour ago.”

Michelle glanced at Lacey, who was still seated across from them. The young woman looked pale, her hands clasped tightly in her lap as though holding herself together. Her gray eyes were wide, darting nervously between the Captain and First Officer, but her determination was still visible beneath the surface. Lacey wanted to help, that much was clear, but she was clearly rattled by the weight of what she’d uncovered.

Michelle and Li-Fan exchanged a subtle glance, silently questioning what to do with her. Finally, Michelle leaned forward. “Lacey, I appreciate your bravery in coming to us with this, but I can see this has shaken you. Are you sure you’re up for being involved further? You don’t have to push yourself if it’s too much.”

“Captain, I… I can handle it. I want to help. Chimera’s ideals—they go against everything I believe in. I can’t just sit back and do nothing,” Lacey replied with a bit of hesitation. Michelle studied her carefully, sensing the conviction in her words but also seeing the cracks forming under the pressure.

“You’ve already helped more than you realize,” Michelle said gently. “But tell me—what skills do you have? Anything that might help us more directly?”

Lacey blinked, caught off guard by the question. “Well… during the war, I was just a teenager, but I used to go with my mom to the munitions factory where we lived. She worked in ordinance manufacturing, and I’d help her out when they were short-handed. I even assisted in testing some of the munitions to make sure they worked correctly.”

Michelle’s eyes lit up with an idea, and she exchanged a sharp look with Li-Fan. “Testing munitions, you say?” she asked, a slow smile forming.

“Yes,” Lacey replied, a hint of pride breaking through her nerves. “We had to make sure everything was in perfect working order. Sometimes, it was just firing test rounds or assembling things under pressure, but I got pretty good at it.”

Michelle leaned back in her chair, a plan already forming in her mind. “Well then, Lacey,” she said with a glint in her eye, “I think I might have a way for you to help. Something that will make use of your skills and keep you occupied while we figure out our next steps. But for now, let’s keep this between us. The fewer people who know what’s happening, the better.”