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Chapter 51 - A truth and a lie

Chapter 51 – A truth and a lie

*Chief Song POV*

I muttered to myself, “This is like the worst kept secret of all times.” Kora talked as much as he was tall, he could not manage to keep this hidden for a day, he was the worst of the worst. The men looked at each other while Fedor was barely keeping it together; she was trying not to laugh.

“That can’t be right, can it?” Carlos nudged Fedor who shrugged and glared at Castle as she walked past him.

“It must be false information.” Castle assumed and slammed Fedor with his shoulder as he hurried past her, she looked at the back of his head disbelievingly.

Kora sighed and leaned in to whisper, “This is where you should have handled Castle, another opportunity gone, you are never going to win her at this rate.”

He had no idea what he had done wrong and I had enough of this, “Okay, back to business. Everyone to their stations, we depart today.”

“He’s avoiding the issue, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. It must be the truth.” Naim noticed and looked at me with a smile which meant he had found something fun to do for the rest of the trip and as I looked around, I discovered that the others had begun to actually believe it.

I sighed, “What I do is my business and now let’s focus on work business.”

“We can do both, can’t we?” Ode replied.

“The United Forces is waiting for you, get out and we will meet again much later.” I dismissed but no one was taking the bait, we were not going to get anything done if I don’t do something, I did not have it in me to deny anything and so I did the next best thing, “I am not going to answer that and you are free to have your opinions but one thing is clear. We have work to do and no room for idle gossip .” Fedor smirked and there were gasps, murmurs and random stares at Fedor.

Naim turned to Fedor, “Has the Chief confessed to you?”

“I have standards you know.” She answered sassily.

They scoffed in different ways, “Higher than the Chief?” Castle jeered.

“Big dreams baby girl.” Ode chuckled just before he left Martha.

“She has the Uniforms captain at her heel.” Kora reminded which made them do a double turn.

Castle laughed, he found all of this ridiculous; “Her, really? Makes sense though, men like them like trouble.”

“Excuse me?” Fedor seemed affronted.

“Oh you know you’re trouble, give it a rest.” Kora hummed.

She sneered, “How are your love lives anyway?”

“Better than yours.” Kora chuckled.

I ignored them and restored Martha, she started and others took it as a cue to do their job. Fedor came into the control center, “So the mission continues.”

“It does.” I answered simply.

“A crush on me, is that what we are going with?”

I grinned, “That’s the story.”

“I like it, does a lot for my ego.” She returned my smile.

“For your ego, is there nothing I wouldn’t do?”

“I sure hope there isn’t.”

“So far, so good.” I remarked.

Carlos came and took her with him, she was stationed with him for the rest of the trip and knowing them, since they couldn’t bother me with regards to a conclusive answer, she was the best bet. I ensured we were far enough from the United Forces station before I gave Martha back her voice.

“Good to be alive Martha.”

“Best possible outcome.” She said and waited a beat before asking, “So is it a one sided romance or was that to distract them from the truth?”

No one could mind their business clearly, I ignored her and asked for details regarding best possible routes, she answered but I knew she wasn’t done and would take another opportunity, once we fully established connection. I laid back into my chair when she called out. “Chief.”

I sighed, “Martha.”

“She likes you too.” She said in a small voice.

I smiled and left the room which was a big mistake, the rest of the crew were relaxing on the deck and were in the mood for a chit-chat. Kora was grilling Fedor for answers, “Common, tell us. Has the Chief ever said anything romantic to you? It is hard to imagine since he has a straight face all the time, adds to his charm though.”

“Like I have said a thousand times, there is nothing like that happening between us and do you know how much you gossip?” She groaned exasperated.

Naim hissed, “He could have said no if it wasn’t true, and why are you protecting him? We already know there is something there and if that’s true, why are you not responding to his affections? Is it because of the Captain? I could understand because that would be quite the dilemma but the Chief is better.”  I hid my smile and stood patiently behind them as I listened in on their conversation.

“A hundred percent, you cannot be someone that arrogant. He would end up killing you or vice-versa.” Castle pointed out.

Kora cracked his knuckles, “Chief is arrogant as well, maybe she has a type.”

“No, Chief is confident. There is a difference.” Carlos corrected and I made a mental note to increase his bonus.

“No, he is arrogant just not overbearing. That’s what makes his such a good leader, he is always sure of himself and his decisions, he is also smart and handsome, more handsome than the Captain, why again are you stalling?” Naim asked.

“What are you talking about? Since we are comparing, Kurt is arrogant and annoying, that much is true but he is kind, he hides it well and he doesn’t know how to express that affection and so it comes out in this all knowing manner, he is the type to kill for you if he thinks it would be what’s best for you regardless of your opinion. Chief is considerate, rigid, handsome, and has beautiful hands. He has the most piercing brown eyes, when he looks at me, my knees go weak and I think about if I have done anything wrong. The first time he scolded me, I thought I would cry and I never want to cry, his hair is so silky and that one strand that escapes makes him resemble those princes we read of, I have this overwhelming urge to please him all the time. They cannot be compared.” Her eyes lit up when she talked about me, I exhaled and my heart felt like it would burst to hear her talk about me. The silence that followed afterwards was broken by Kora’s interference.

Kora whistled, “Fedor, you focused on only the physical parts of Chief. What about his brilliance? His ability to stand on his own without family, his commitment, passion, independence, free spiritedness, dedication, fighting skills, and …”

“Maybe you should confess to him.” Fedor remarked.

“I admire the Chief, don’t turn it into something dirty.” He admonished.

Naim beamed, “There could be hope for the Chief after all.”

“You are right; at least you do not bear any illwill toward him. It’s a good start, physical attraction is important.”

Fedor crossed her legs, “Out of curiosity, aren’t you afraid that the Chief might become unfair if truly he has feelings for me? He might give me the princess treatment despite me being an intern.”

They shared a hearty laugh, Naim answered, “The Chief would go harder on you if truly he likes you, I doubt he has it in him to be unfair in any way. I have worked the longest with him, it is rare to find someone with such a strong sense of judgement, and if he did manage to give you preferential treatment, I would be relieved. It would not be the worst thing to happen and it would also make him human, and if not for his dalliances; I would have thought he, you know.” I turned a shade of green and hid myself harder.

“Dalliances?” Fedor asked.

“Yes, small curvy blonde women. Always the same type, you are as far away from his usual kind.” Carlos surmised and I canceled the note.

Fedor taunted, “How do you all know about his dalliances? Does he advertise them to the world?”

I genuinely wished no one would answer that but wishes were not reality, Kora replied, “Walls are thin, we hear things and it is not exactly a secret. Like Carlos wife, or my fiancée waiting for Naim’s weird interests, even the traitor Joseph had a thing going for Chief’s and me adopted sister. The fierce red head, we could all see it in his eyes.”

“How do come by this information?” Fedor asked.

“Socialization, Kolanphur might be a big city but our industry is a closely knitted one.” Carlos patted her back, “You need to hear the stuff they say about you.”

“Me? What did I do?” She inquired.

“My interests aren’t weird, and most of what is being said are not true anyways.” Naim surmised.

“Tell me, I can take it. In school, it was said that I was a witch because I had green eyes and that I slept with the professor and that’s why I passed even though I was terrible at everything. I am used to things being said about me, sometimes I even envy the rumor me, she seemed to be having more fun.” Fedor said convincingly.

Carlos sighed, “We’d heard that you killed your parents after they could not save your brother in summary and also we heard about the witch thing as well.”

I was going to rip apart some mouths after this trip, Fedor narrowed her eyes a moment before she responded, “That’s cold man, and dark. Seriously, not that I am a vixen sent to seduce the crew? Just straight up patricide and matricide. Whooooshhhh.”

“You good kid?” Castle asked.

“Pffffttttt, just so you know; they died of natural causes.” She addressed.

“Of course, we don’t believe those and there are the good ones like how you are a genius with your hands, why do you think we keep leaving everything hands on to you.” Kora patted her head.

“Those are a lot of rumors about me.” She murmured.

“On the brighter side, the one who has the worst of it is the Chief, it is a good thing he doesn’t mind. There has been talks that the scar on his rib was when he tried to kill himself and failed. Do you know what that could do to his career if anyone believed that, they are just words, they only have power if you let them.” Carlos encouraged her.

“And yet somehow you guys believe his dalliance with small curvy blondes,” She reminded them.

I came out from my hiding place and startled the rest of them, “None of them were blondes, this is why you shouldn’t listen to rumors Fedor.”

“Chief, how long have you been here?” Kora lost balance and had fallen off his chair.

Castle and Carlos had the presence of mind to be embarrassed, not Naim who smiled smugly which meant that he knew that I had been there all along, “Long enough and I am surprised at how well everyone was getting to know each other.”

“It must have been the trauma from the last attack, it led to loose lips.” Kora defended.

“Let it rest Kora, everyone will go on a two weeks training and I have the perfect place for it.” The men groaned in response. I peeked at Fedor, “It does not matter what happened in the past or what my dalliances were, they would never happen again.”

“Really?” She challenged.

“Yes, don’t bother with that.”

“Why is that?”

“Haven’t you heard? Word has it that I have a crush on you.”