Their flight back to Blink Station Alpha was a long and quiet one. Darien didn't feel particularly talkative, his mind running over the sequence of events leading up to the disappearance of Indigo Farrier. He could tell Amber's view of the galaxy had taken a sharp downward turn after their visit to Marnill. She worked mechanically at the pilot station, unwilling or unable to articulate her feelings.

He knew well enough, though. It wasn't her fault she'd been born on one of the cleanest, richest colonies in human space, but it meant she had a narrow, undeveloped spectrum of what the galaxy really looked like. The encounter with Farrier's father drove that forcibly home. For his own part, Darien now wanted nothing more than to find the people responsible. They had just picked a fight with Blink – he would make them regret that decision.

At last the asteroid field that signified home came into view outside the bridge window. A wall of floating debris ranging from the size of their little shuttle, to building-sized, all the way up to the mass of dwarf planets, fenced off the Blink headquarters from prying eyes. Amber guided the ship through the rocks with practised ease and to the casual observer this looked like any other asteroid field in any other dead end corner of space.

To his eye, however, the place bristled with defences. He could pick out the dark studs of asteroid-mounted rail cannons tracking their approach through the outer edges. As they penetrated deeper he could just spot the faint exhaust flares of patrol flights on constant duty on the perimeter. An ordinary navigation console would have been thrown completely haywire by the minefield of sensor scrubs, leaving an unwary passerby blind. Fortunately the Blink issue shuttles utilised the Nav-Rod frequencies to guide them through the maze.

After several minutes of lazy, looping turns through the drifting hunks of rock, Darien's eyes found the spherical structure of home. Blink Station Alpha lurked in a small clearing amidst the field, protected by powerful gravity generators and a small fleet of colonial warships. Its black metal plates glinted dully under its outer lights and he could see dozens of ships coming and going as the Blink organisation delivered its own unique brand of law an order to an increasingly wild galaxy.

"It's good to be back," Amber said quietly, relaxing back into the pilot's chair.

"Yes it is." He looked at her. "You alright?"

"Yeah, I'm okay. It's just, you know...I feel kind of stupid."

"Because of Farrier?"

"Just the whole thing." She shrugged. "That planet, the people; I just hated being there. And then he made me feel guilty just because of where I was born."

"It's not your fault," he told her. "A lot of High-Belt colonies are exactly the same. The Colonial Government doesn't help them out, and then they see the kind of rich jewel that a colony can be when it's looked after properly. You can understand why they feel a bit cheated in the grand scheme of things."

"I know – I get it." Amber's brow creased into a frown as she made a minor course adjustment. "Back there, you told him you grew up on Ravine and he seemed to know what that meant. I've never heard of it."

"Nor have most people," Darien replied.

"Was it like Marnill?"

"Worse."

He felt a twang of remorse when a hurt expression flashed across Amber's face. He didn't often speak of the volcanic murder-hole that had branded itself across the first twelve years of his life. When the operatives from Blink pulled him out of that place he'd never looked back. He knew better than most what Indigo Farrier and people like her went through.

He sighed, drumming his fingers against the shuttle's HUD. "There's a lot of galaxy out there, Amber. Some of it you don't really want to see."

She didn't reply. Her mouth pressed into a thin line and she instead started working through the Blink docking procedures. He didn't press the matter – everything would come with time. Leaning back in the co-pilot seat he kept a wary eye on the shuttle's systems. Their chase through the skies of Marnill had very nearly blow the entire propulsion coupling and even after checking and rechecking the mechanisms he still felt a little uneasy. Losing power in the middle of an asteroid field would not be an ideal situation.

His worries were unfounded, however, as Amber guided the shuttle through the outer defences with the ease of an expert. It hadn't been long after she joined Hammerhead Squad that he'd been forced to accept she was one of the best pilots he'd ever seen. Her hands moved the controls delicately, making tiny course corrections almost without thought.

In a few minutes they were flying through the gaping doors of the main hanger into a seething hive of activity. The dark smears of people on the ground scuttled back and forth, loading ships with equipment, making repairs or docking checks, and box-like vehicles trundled around between them on rigidly defined paths. He could see a handful of young men and women scattered throughout the bustle wearing the jet black fatigues of the Blink Operatives.

They descended into bay 15-C, landing with only the gentlest bump. Beside him Amber unbuckled her harness, exhaling a long, slow breath. She looked at him. "So what's the plan?"

"I think we need to have a nice long chat with Smith," he said. He unclipped his own harness and stood up, turning for the shuttle's boarding ramp. Together they trudged out into the bustle of the main hangar and he led the way towards the body of the facility. Looking up to the door leading to the rest of the complex, he spotted two black-clad operatives waiting for them, their jackets bearing the shark head insignia of Hammerhead Squad.

His second officer, Niamh O'Toole, stood lounging against the doorway, arms folded and a thin smile on her face. Her red hair was longer now, cascading down around the base of her neck like a wreathe of flame, and her Blink-issue jacked hung open, revealing the soot-black top that hugged her body from waist to throat. From beneath the stray strands of hair that hung over her face, the emerald green twinkle of her artificial eye looked out at him.

A rush of conflicting emotions tumbled through his mind as he looked at her. He had not forgotten the events of their last major operation. When things had looked at their bleakest, when the survival of everyone on the mission had hinged on one last mad roll of the dice, she'd kissed him and that moment had been lodged in his brain for every day since. Even now he still didn't really know how to process it. He wouldn't deny that part of him leapt at the prospect – he'd spent years side by side with her through the worst kind of hell the galaxy could throw at them.

Nonetheless, there was another part of him, the rational, careful side that told him the whole idea was ridiculous. No matter how much he might have wanted it, the rules governing relationships between Blink Operatives were very clear. While the organisation understood that forbidding a group of teenage boys and girls from having any relationships would be virtually unmanageable, there were rigid guidelines. One of the most irrefutable of them barred any relationships within a squad, let alone between the two ranking officers.

When he pointed out that fact to her, the response had been...frosty. Niamh no longer seemed to care about those regulations. They'd been close to death too many times – she was done waiting around. He smiled wryly to himself as he walked towards her. In retrospect he shouldn't have been surprised – his second in command had always had a fiery temperament. If she wanted something it would take more than some bureaucratic red tape to stop her from getting it.

But he had another cause to be happy. With her stood Uther, the oldest member of the squad who had finally recovered from his long stay in the Blink infirmary. The lanky technician bore the scars of that fateful mission on the Titan Aquilla research station. The whole right side of his face was laced with the shimmering grey lines of regenerative skin grafts, but over them, faint traces of the horrendous burns he'd received were still visible. The other injuries remained concealed beneath his clothing, but Darien knew just how close the other operative had come to dying out on that forsaken corner of space.

"What's this then?" he chuckled, shaking Uther's hand when he reached them. "A little welcoming party?"

"Oh, yeah, we've been missing you something awful." An almost predatory smile flashed across Niamh's face, revealing the gleam of her teeth. "Good to have you back." She stepped forward and wrapped and arm around the back of his neck, pulling him into a hug. As he returned her embrace he felt his heart beat faster.

"Good to be here." And he meant it. Blink Station Alpha's carefully controlled hive of activity reminded him that for all the murder and mayhem out there in the galaxy, they formed a small part of the forces of order that pushed back against the wild tides.

"So how was your little trip to the High-Belt?" she enquired, stepping back.

Darien felt his mood darken again. "Not great."

"She didn't bite?"

"Never got the chance to ask her," he replied. "She got snatched before we could."

"Y'what now?" She cocked an incredulous eyebrow.

"Somebody beat us to her," Amber interjected. "We don't know who, or why, but they came in with full military gear and a shuttle that could outrun anything we've got."

"Bloody hell," Uther grunted. "Did you get a good look at it?"

"Not as good as I'd have liked."

"So...so what did you do?"

He pulled his data pad from his jacket pocket and waggled it back and forth. "We got the planetary sensor data to throw at the techs. We're taking our full report to Smith, right now. If someone out there is kidnapping Blink candidates and I want to know who."

"Count me in." Niamh indicated the corridor behind them with a jerk of her head. "Let's go knocking."

"When are Hekket and Idas due back?" he asked.

She glanced at the chrono on her right wrist. "They bounced a message six hours ago saying they were outbound from Barrko; should be here in a day. They've got a brain between them – we'll fill them in when they get here."

Darien grinned at that. Whatever the situation between them, she was still stuck, nailed and riveted to her priorities. The four of them fell into step, striding through the shining alabaster passages of the Blink headquarters. Every turn revealed more and more levels of the formidable Blink arsenal. They passed dozens of training rooms where the new recruits would be put through their paces, learning to harness the gift that set them apart from the rest of human civilisation. They passed other groups of operatives, some clad in their black fatigues, others off duty and wearing their civilian clothes to add a wash of colour to the monochrome functionality of the station.

He exchanged nods and greetings with many of them – Hammerhead Squad had always had a good reputation, but the events of the last year catapulted them into prominence. Other teams regarded them with a combination of awe and fear in equal measure. On one level many other operatives wanted to join them on missions, to see the top Blink team in action up close. On another, however, being the best came with its own problems. Hammerhead now shouldered the burden of the most dangerous operations undertaken by the Blink organisation.

They made their way through the station until they reached the doorway leading to Smith's office. It was flanked by two marines – grown men clad in deep evergreen flak jackets and carrying assault rifles. It was a reminder that for all their skills the Blink operatives were not actual soldiers. The day to day security of their home fell to a full platoon of crack colonial troops drawn from regiments across human-held space. One of the marines stepped forward and Darien recognised him as Corporal Barker – a man who'd been serving on the station for as long as he'd been an operative.

"Hold up, Flint," Barker grated. "Where do you think you're charging off to?"

"We need to see Smith," he said quickly. "Now. It's urgent."

"I'll bet," the man replied. "But he's got a lot on his plate right now."

"This can't wait."

"Well it's gonna have to!" The marine exchanged an exasperated look with his companion. "Smith's up to his eyeballs in colonial muck right now so make an official briefing request like everybody else, alright?"

Darien bristled. "Not really. We'll wait."

"You're just going to stand there?"

"If we have to."

Barker rolled his eyes. "Fine, I'll tell him you're chomping to see him, but you could be sitting out here for a while."

"If that's what it takes."

"You're a stubborn little sod, y'know that?"

"Some things never change." He smiled thinly.

Barker sighed and tapped the communications bud in his right ear. After a brief exchange he nodded to the operatives. "Like I said, he's a busy guy. Best get comfortable."

It turned out the marine had not been exaggerating matters. An excruciating hour crawled by while the four of them waited under the uneasy gaze of the guards, and Darien used that time to fill Niamh and Uther in on the specifics of what had transpired on Marnill. Right now this was his top priority so Smith's schedule could go hang for all he cared. He kept replaying the incident in his head, looking over every detail of the kidnappers in his mind's eye. They had to get to the bottom of this, and not just for the sake of Indigo Farrier. The implications made his skin crawl.

Eventually though, Barker touched a hand to his earpiece and relief flashed across his rugged features. "Okay, Flint, you got your wish. Smith's ready to see you."

Darien shot upright from where he'd been sitting against the wall. "Thanks."

"Don't thank me, I'm just the messenger." Barker opened the door for them and stepped aside. "This'd better be good."

"Depends on your definition," Darien muttered as he walked past.

At last the four operatives entered the inner sanctum of Blink Station Alpha – the home of the man who directed their entire organisation. Cabinets lined both walls, all of them overflowing with a deluge of old-fashioned hard folders; the accumulated mass of knowledge that passed from leader to leader.

In the centre of the room a line of four massive screens formed an arc, and behind them sat Smith 18. At a glance he was an unremarkable individual – averagely built with a closely chopped mass of blond hair. He wore a grey suit over a black shirt and a set of slender spectacles perched on the bridge of his nose. Darien often wondered about those spectacles – it was easy to get sight corrected, especially if you wielded the kind of power and resources that this man did. He obviously kept them for some personal reason that he never saw fit to divulge.

Smith rolled back from the arc of screens and looked up at them. "Darien, I gather you have something urgent to discuss with me." The grind of his voice seemed to fill the room and he sounded less than impressed by the current turn of events. Darien felt his resolve waver for just a moment. "I trust I won't be disappointed."

There weren't a lot of things that scared him, but Smith was an intimidating individual. Something about his manner instantly put others on edge, and while Darien had locked horns with the man several times over his tenure at Blink, he knew that Smith was not someone to get on the wrong side of.

Steeling himself, he pressed on. "There was an incident on Marnill."

"With your target?" Smith enquired, leaning back in his chair and clasping his hands together. "What kind of 'incident'."

"The kind where some hit squad scooped her off the planet," Niamh put in sharply.

Smith eyed her dangerously for a moment before returning his attention to Darien. "Can you elaborate?"

He did. He launched into a retelling of the whole torrid affair, with Amber chiming in to confirm the more outlandish parts of their story. Smith sat silently, his face an unreadable mask as he took in the information. When Darien mentioned the vanishing ship the Blink commander straightened up slightly but held his tongue. When he finished the story Smith sat for a moment, nodding thoughtfully to himself. Then he murmured one word.

"Interesting."

"Interesting?" Amber gasped incredulously. "That's all you've got to say?!"

"Well, it is interesting, wouldn't you agree?"

"I...that's not the point! That girl is gone, damn it!"

Smith regarded the operatives coldly. "Do you know how many people disappear across colonial space every year?" When no-one answered he pressed on. "No? That's because nobody does. Space swallows up thousands – hundreds of thousands – of people and most of them never turn up again. It is not the responsibility of Blink to investigate the case of every single missing person in the galaxy. Even if we wanted to, the manpower simply does not exist."

"I'm not talking about everyone in the galaxy," Darien said. "I'm talking about one girl. We checked with the port authorities, with the plant where she worked. We even talked to her father. There is no reason, no reason at all for a military grade snatch squad to be on Marnill there and then, looking for the same person we were. The only thing that made this girl special was the chance she could be a Blink operative."

"So you believe someone out there is targeting potential Blink candidates?"

"Yes. Now that is interesting, wouldn't you say?"

"Indeed. I suppose the obvious question that springs to mind is, 'why'?"

Then Darien reached forward, holding out the data pad to Smith. "I have no idea, but we commandeered the records from Marnill's planetary buoys to try and get some information on the ship itself. Take one look at those readings and tell me if you can explain it."

Smith took the pad from him and looked at the images. He cocked his head quizzically to one side. "Well, well..."

"What is it?"

"I'm not sure, but I would certainly like to find out."

Silence hung heavily in the air as Smith stared at the screen, tapping one finger thoughtfully against the table. His eyes narrowed and he made a noncommittal hmm. Eventually he gave a slow nod and slid the data pad gently back across the table towards them.

"Alright," he said, brow still furrowed in thought. "I'm satisfied this warrants further investigation. Consider this to officially be Hammerhead Squad's next assignment. Blink's full resources will be made available for you and I'm granting you leave to pursue this matter in any way you see fit." He looked up and met Darien's gaze. "This is now your responsibility."