Learning to Dance

whoops followed her.
“Nice aim, Taz,” a familiar voice said.
“Shut up, Pedro.” Taz kept walking. “I was aiming for
his head.”
“Hey listen, Lieutenant-Commander Tripp wants to
know – have you seen the Commander?”
“Up?” she paused. “Not since we left the Graali planet.
Why, ¿qué pasa?”
Pedro didn’t say anything.
“Pedro...” she said warningly.
“Well, it’s just – no one else has seen him since we left
either. And-” Pedro swallowed. “The ship’s locator can’t
find him. According to our computers, he’s not on board.”
“¿Qué?” Taz said, setting off at a jog. Pedro rushed to
catch up.
“This is why the Lieutenant-Commander didn’t want me
to tell you, Taz, he knew you’d get all worked up-”
“This is not me worked up, idiota, this is me trying to
figure out how the Cazadora could leave orbit without its
Commander on board. Tripp!” she called as she pressed the
sensor to open the door of the bridge. The Lieutenant-
Commander looked up and groaned.
“¿Qué diablos pasó, Tripp?” she demanded, placing her
hands on her hips. “How in dead God’s name do you lose a
Commander?”
“At ease, Ranger,” the Lieutenant-Commander said. “We
all saw him go in to his quarters after the meeting. We
assumed he was still in there, and I gave the order to leave.”
“Well, I assume you’ve already given the order to go
back?” Taz said.
The Lieutenant-Commander glared at her. “Obviously.
And I don’t appreciate your tone, Ensign.”
Taz crossed her arms. This was her least favourite part of
being a Starship Ranger – superior officers. Up she could