Badge of the Inquisitor (Witch of the Federation Book 8) by Michael Anderle

Author:Michael Anderle [Anderle, Michael]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: LMBPN Publishing
Published: 2022-01-17T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

The Ebon Knight was ready to sail. Captain Emil Pederson looked out over his command deck and nodded to his pilot. “Lieutenant Commander, if you would.”

“Sir,” Jonathan Wattlebird acknowledged. He pulled his HUD down and ran his fingers over the control console, asking for more power from the big ship’s engines. At the same time, he activated the controls for the docking clamps and released her from the station.

At the communications console, Hermione Radford spoke in crisp, clear tones to the station’s flight center and acknowledged their directions while she fed the coordinates to his console. Jonathan made small adjustments to the thrusters and power and his spirits lifted as the Knight glided free.

“You are beautiful,” he murmured when the vessel responded smoothly to his commands.

“Why thank you, Lieutenant Wattlebird,” the ship replied. “Your admiration is appreciated.”

He rolled his eyes and the captain sputtered while the command crew tried to hide their grins. His “love affair” with the ship was a well-known secret to everyone on board—as was the AI’s shameless return of his affection.

“Heaven help the man if he ever finds a girlfriend,” Hermione had muttered one day and been surprised to hear the Knight’s AI speak privately through her comm link.

“I have noticed he seems to have a fondness for you.”

“He—he does not!” she’d retorted hastily and lowered her voice as her face heated.

“I beg to differ,” Knight told her. “His heart rate elevates, and his breathing quickens whenever he sees you. He also loses his ability to speak.”

“He…” Hermione started to argue, then paused. Oh, Hell, she thought when she realized the ship’s observations were true. The lieutenant was quieter when she joined his conversations.

“That’s none of your business,” she’d whispered, her voice fierce as she focused on the controls, but the ship had disagreed.

“I would not have a problem if he chose you for a partner.”

There’d really been nothing she could say to that, so she had busied herself with becoming familiar with the communications console and not replied. It had been a relief when Knight had chosen to not pursue the topic.

She recalled the conversation when Jonathan rolled his eyes. “And you’re the model of modesty,” he snarked in response to the ship’s reply.

“Now, Jonathan. You know that’s not true.”

“Shut up and fly.”

The ship complied, and his hands danced effortlessly over the controls.

Down in the engine room, Commander Hargreaves walked the deck and looked over the shoulders of the engineers who monitored the ship’s heartbeat. Satisfied everything was running smoothly, he stepped out into the engine room itself.

No sooner had he closed the operations center door after him than the beat of the ship’s drives surrounded him, and the day’s tensions leaked away. This might have been the ship’s heart but it had stolen a piece of him as well.

The only problem he had was he didn’t think the Knight had stopped at taking a piece of his heart. By now, he was damned sure the ship had taken a small portion of his soul as well.

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