Admiral's Lady: Ashes for Ashes, Blood for Blood (Spineward Sectors series Book 6) by Wachter Luke Sky

Author:Wachter, Luke Sky [Wachter, Luke Sky]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: Pacific Crest Publishing
Published: 2014-02-28T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirty-One: The Dark of the Moon

“The medium cruisers are coming around the nape of Capria, Captain,” Sensors reported.

“Show me,” Akantha ordered.

“They’re only going to be visible for a short time, my lady,” the Petty Officer replied. “They’ve timed it so they can jump from behind the planet to the dark side of the moon with only minimal exposure.”

“The cowards run,” Isis spat angrily.

“But why do they run?” Akantha demanded.

“They must still be trying to get that second ship operational,” Gants said after a moment.

“But why go behind the moon? We can simply follow them there and avoid the Orbital Forts while doing so,” Akantha mused.

Gants hesitated, looking torn.

“What is it, Gants?” Akantha’s said, her eyes narrowed.

“There were rumors,” the First Officer said unhappily.

“Do not make me drag the words from you,” Akantha said, her tone promising she would do precisely that if needed. “What rumors?”

“It was said by the Royalists that Parliament had installed a planetary suppression system,” he said, still looking torn, “but surely that was just Royalist propaganda! The Palace and Parliament have been at odds ever since the reconstruction.”

“What is a ‘suppression system’?” she asked, clenching her jaw impatiently.

Gants looked surprised and his mouth made an ‘O’ of surprise. “It’s a bombardment system, with missiles ‘supposedly’ intended to strike down any civilian or military targets on planet, up to and including cities and entire armored brigades…” he explained, looking thoroughly sick before hastily adding, “But again, that’s only rumors.”

Akantha’s gaze shot over to lock fully onto his. “How easily could such a base on the moon be turned against us?” she said harshly. “And why was this not listed on our threat assessment?”

“Why would it be?!” Gants said defensively, looking truly horrified. “Parliament’s elected by the people, and besides, it’s just a rumor; they would never kill cities full of people! I mean who would vote for them in the next election cycle if they did something like that? It can’t possibly be true…”

“After everything they have done, how can you possibly say that?” Akantha glared at him like he was an offensive insect. The Starborn were simply indecipherable to her at times; in many respects they were similar to her own people, but in others they were utterly foreign to her. “If you really believe them incapable of such atrocities, why are you here?”

Gants looked offended. “It’s King James that attacked us, not Parliament, and he’s got to be punished for it,” the young man she had made her First Officer said stridently. “It might have been easier for me personally to let the courts, or Parliament, or whoever else deal with him…but I didn’t join up with the SDF because I wanted to take the easy way out. Besides,” he demanded, “how can you even ask me why I’m here? He colluded with that pirate to kill my crewmates; that blighter’s got it coming!”

“So what would you say about the way your Parliament has treated your Admiral?” Akantha asked in a deceptively smooth voice.

“They

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