Black Holiday (The Black Chronicles Book 2) by J. M. Anjewierden

Author:J. M. Anjewierden [Anjewierden, J. M.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: female protagonist, Action, starship, coming of age, Science Fiction, pirates
Publisher: CJMA Press
Published: 2018-04-12T22:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 6

The eternal war of the police is to find balance. They are supposed to protect the people, but also suspect and mistrust them. They are empowered to wound and even kill when the conditions warrant it, but are supposed to de-escalate. Too much, and the police become the enemy of the people. Too little, and the criminals have the upper hand, and law and order disappears in anarchy and rule of the strong.

- Commissioner Luther Elba, Landing, Planet Hyperion

GERTRUDE

FOUR DAYS.

That was all it had been. And yet it felt like an eternity, time stretched to the breaking point where each breath, each blink and moment, felt like it contained a whole galaxy of worry, fear, and anger, with grief only held back by an unholy alliance of denial and hope.

Gertrude had experienced this before, oh, too many times.

The hours after the assault transport carrying Lady Novan, along with her troops, had crashed had been even worse than this.

And when she’d learned that her beloved husband was among the dead? That had made the tearful waiting seem joyous in comparison.

And for all of Gertrude’s worry for Morgan’s wellbeing, it was worse for Haruhi. Gertrude was thankful beyond being able to express it that Haruhi had not been there for the attack, nor had she seen the aftermath, but she knew that ‘bad people’ had taken Morgan, and that was more than enough to set her imagination running wild. Haruhi had been too young to understand when her father had died, but that wasn’t the case anymore.

At the moment she had – finally – fallen asleep, after only fitful naps over the past days. As Gertrude had accompanied Lady Novan on their current mission they had left the poor little girl asleep in one of the guest bedrooms of Novan Hall, watched over by Boris and the rest of Lady Novan’s capable staff.

I hope she stays asleep. She likes Boris and, as much as he denies it, he is good with children. But that’s not the same as my being there.

Lady Novan had been putting the pressure on the government to do more than placidly investigate the attack, but actually take action, up to and including going directly to the prime minister.

There were whispers that the aborted assassination had rattled the baroness, that she was fearful for her safety if another attempt was made, but Gertrude knew better.

Threaten Lady Novan, and she’d take the appropriate action.

Threaten those she considered under her protection? The gloves came off, and she would show those stupid enough to do so why she had earned the nickname of ‘the Iron Colonel.’

Is it Iron General now, I wonder? Gertrude idly mused, wishing they could stop waiting and get on with the day’s events.

In a stark contrast to Gertrude’s nervous energy, Lady Novan was perfectly calm and collected.

She sat, prim and proper, her normal more militaristic attire replaced with something more suitable for a meeting of the lords, conversing on her uplink with some noble or other, as if there was no rush at all.

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