“Do you have a way off the rock?” Imogen asks Kate Lockwell as they run down trash-lined lanes away from Norm and the Xel’naga artifact.
“No, I—”
“Stick with us,” Imogen pants out.
“Ah, you have a ship, that’s right. What’s this nonsense I heard about you two being terrorists?” Even wounded and fleeing, Kate cannot suppress her reporter instincts.
“I think you are one now, too,” Imogen shoots back.
“Yeah, you’re right. But it was worth it. How did you get my story out? I thought you needed more time.”
“There was enough power,” Imogen answers simply. Kate is too pleased at the results to push for more details there.
They reach Saffron without further incident. The only obligation Lilly and Imogen have left on this planet is meeting Malorn for drinks. That is best done on the opposite side, far from Norm’s base of operations. Imogen asks whether Kate wants to be dropped at a spaceport along the way. “Do you know where you’re headed next?”
“Honestly, I didn’t have a plan for what came after,” Kate admits.
“Do you want to be embedded with a different set of troops? Hyperion is in orbit.”
“Hyperion? I don’t know…” Kate shakes her head slowly. “I don’t know if you’ve seen some of my pieces. They’re not always the most friendly to people rebelling against the Dominion. I mean, I try to give a balanced presentation, but…”
“You’re aware of what your most recent report is going to do,” Imogen points out.
“I am. I’m just worried there might be some hard feelings.”
Imogen shrugs. “It’s entirely up to you where you go. But there’s not that many ships that come through here.” Saffron shakes as another junked ship crashes into the neighborhood, a tax write-off for its owners and a fount of salvage for the locals.
“Maybe you’re right,” Kate allows. “Well, you two run a company, right? Do you need—”
“An embedded reporter?” Imogen asks with an eyebrow raised.
“Do you have any job openings?” Kate asks bluntly.
“I suppose a PR person…”
“She can shoot,” Lilly observes.
“And I’m really, really sorry,” Kate tells her. “I thought I had a bead on that guy in charge.”
“Well, we’re going to be meeting with an associate of ours. You’re welcome to come along,” Imogen says.
“Yeah, we can keep you safe for a while,” Lilly agrees.
“I’d really appreciate that. Thank you.”
“At the very least, Mar Sara is a safe-ish location for now,” Imogen suggests.
“Isn’t that Dominion controlled?” Kate asks.
“Well…” Lilly says, smirking.
“There’s a story there,” Imogen admits.
“Hmm. Maybe documenting this rebellion would be a good thing for when they—hopefully—pull it off,” Kate says, pensive.