Virek sighed, set down his coffee. For a long moment, he simply sat there, stared at his desk, unwilling to look up, unwilling to let his eyes be snared by the cobalt stare that had beaten him, that had countered everything he had tried, everything that had come to mind in the spur of the moment. Now she was waiting, waiting for a suggestion or a dismissal. Virek closed his eyes, shook his head. There was one choice, one place where he knew a pilot of her caliber would not be wasted, one silent offer that had been on the table for years, had hung there in the silence, waiting for just such a circumstance to be put forth. Virek pulled in a deep breath, turned and met Tessa’s eyes again.

“Are you familiar with the Gray Society?”

“The Gray Society?” Tessa blinked, hesitated. “You mean... Ultima Thila?” She watched him silently for a moment, studied his face in the pause. “Aren’t they affiliated with the TALENT program?” She made a brief, uneasy gesture. “All that, spec-ops, hush hush secrecy stuff?”

Virek nodded once. Tessa opened her mouth, closed it again.

“You’re not suggesting...”

“They’re always looking for new people.” He pushed ahead. “I’ve seen your scores on the RRH bar of ESP tests.” A pause, a gesture. “You’re more than qualified to transfer into an organization like that.”

“But the TALENT program.” She paused, pulled in a shaky breath. “Well, that’s like...” She blinked, hesitated. “Look, I could see being spec ops material, maybe, but TALENT?” She shook her head. “Admiral, I swear, I could stare at a note ‘puter all day long and it wouldn’t dance or fly across the room. They tested me for TK Earthside, and the best I managed was a .07c in fifteen.”

“Untrained, that’s impressive.” He leaned forward. “Imagine what you could do working with the people from TALENT.”

Tessa swallowed uneasily, let the question hang in the pause. Virek was right– most people couldn’t even score a readable result in the mandatory TK tests that every soldier in the Commonwealth had to go through. The fact that she could meant that she had potential, and potential was exactly what spec ops groups like Ultima Thila were built to utilize and cultivate. But with results like mine? Results barely within the eighth movement tier?

“I have a friend, an Admiral within the Gray Society.” Virek continued. “She’s had her eye on the pilots of Minerva and Athena squadron for quite a while now. She asks me periodically about you, about Lieutenant Jenkins and Lieutenant Copperfield.” He gestured. “She even asked me once or twice about Roger Eisley, your old left advance wingman, before we lost him at the battle for Orphington four.”

Orphington four. Tessa’s eyes dropped to the desk, closed in the silence. Another battle she was trying to forget. Fifteen rigs downed in quick strikes by Coralate hit-and-run tactics, eight pilots dead, three wounded but recovered before their Seindrives sunk to the bottom of that endless, simmering sea.

“Not one of our better moments, I know.” Virek glanced away, sighed tiredly. “The point is, Admiral Blavatski has an open offer for you and a handful of other pilots aboard the Von der Tann.” He looked up again, met her stare evenly, gestured. “Officially, Ultima Thila policy is something along the lines of ‘let the pilot come to the organization,’ which suits me just fine because I’ve never had to say a word, never had to risk one of my pilots taking up that standing offer and leaving the Von.” He breathed a tired sigh. “But this time, well...” He shrugged. “You did ask for a suggestion.”

Tessa swallowed uneasily.

“But... why Ultima Thila?” She asked. “I mean, there’s gotta be somewhere else, another ship, another assignment you know about...”

“None of them even come close to the prestige and honor that comes with being able to work within the Gray Society.” He said levelly. “None of them are good enough for a pilot such as yourself.”

Pulling in a long, shaky breath, Tessa hesitated, nodded. Virek’s fingers knit together again as he continued.

“I won’t lie to you. It’s not going to be easy. I can tell you right now that you’ll take a pay cut and lose a couple bars of rank at first, but once you’re out of the training program and in the field again, you’ll pick them back up pretty quickly. It’s just part of the process, something they do to all the recruits.”

“But they’ll still let me fly, right?” She asked. “I mean, I can’t see running shadow work with a Seindrive, but...”

“Not with our equipment.” He smiled. “But Ultima Thila is at the forefront of Commonwealth military technology. Everything you fly for the Gray Society will be equipped with hardware we won’t see on the front lines for another five or ten years.”

“Seems wrong.” She said, tone noncommital. Virek shrugged and Tessa glanced away again, studied the floor. A moment later, she looked back, met the Admiral’s eyes, nodded stiffly.

“Okay.” She managed, breathed a shaky exhale. “Ultima Thila, huh? I don’t have to like, sign my contract in blood, do I?” Virek laughed.

“Relax, Lieutenant Commander. I’ll contact Blavatski this afternoon.” The edges of a smile played across his face. “If I know her at all, she’ll have someone at Thuban Reticulae waiting for us when we get there.” Reaching out, he picked up the note ‘puter, switched the screen on. “In the meantime, I want you to make an appointment with Doctor Altaker down in Medical.” He gestured with the ‘puter, features taking on the edges of a serious cast. “Talk to him, tell him about how you feel, and ask yourself if a transfer is really what you want.”

“So I can back out at the eleventh hour and give the Gray Society the proverbial finger?” Tessa managed the wry edge of a smile, shook her head. “No thanks, Admiral. I can already tell you that no amount of psychotherapy is going to change my mind on this one.”

“Do me a favor,” He smiled slightly, almost wryly. “Just talk to him.” The smile spread a little. “I’m sure you can find the time in the next three days to give him at least an hour.”

“Is that an order, sir?” She shot back.

“I can make it one.” He grinned. “That way, when you disobey it, I’ll have another scrubber for the next janitorial shift.”

“That won’t be necessary.” She laughed, just slightly.

“Good.” He smiled gently. “I also want you to get some rest. You look like hell, Eisenherz.”

“Thanks.” Came the soft, wry reply. “Though I think I’ve had enough rest.” She shook her head in the pause, gestured. “What I could really use is some kind of stimulant and some time in the range.”

“Whatever it takes to get you through this, Lieutenant Commander.” He smiled again. “If you need anything–”

“Please, Admiral.” She made a weakly dismissive gesture, unable to meet his gaze as she spoke. “Don’t say ‘you can always contact me.’” She looked up, gave the traces of a smile. “I appreciate the kindness, but I have enough people worried about me and willing to help me at the drop of a hat as it is.” Her smile spread a little as she added softly: “I can take care of myself.”

“I don’t doubt it.” He nodded back in response. “But the offer still stands.” His smile shifted, crossed to one side of his face. “You should be glad that you have so many people who care about your well being.”

“I am, Admiral.” She looked away, laughed suddenly, nervously, and pressed the edges of her fingernails against her lips before she caught herself and looked back, nodding, smiling.

“Thank you.”