Duchess of Terra 2 by Glynn Stewart

Author:Glynn Stewart [Stewart, Glynn]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Speculative
ISBN: 9781988035147
Google: 9zswngAACAAJ
Goodreads: 34219996
Publisher: Faolan's Pen Publishing Inc
Published: 2017-02-09T00:00:00+00:00

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Chapter 31

“Ducal Guard, arriving!”

The words echoed through Tornado’s landing bay over the heads of the waiting greeting party. James couldn’t help but wonder at how quickly it had been put together, given that they’d advised Tornado that he was arriving only when they’d left Hong Kong.

The fifty Ducal Guardsmen behind him hadn’t been given much more notice that something was going on. Most of them had been heading to sleep in the Hong Kong airbase they were operating out of when James had arrived and ruined their weeks.

His husband, however, had managed to get a greeting party together in under ten minutes, with himself at the head.

James saluted Pat crisply. So far as he understood the Duchy’s ranks at this point, as head of the Ducal Guard, his Colonel outranked his husband’s Captain, but the commander of a spaceship always outranked anyone else aboard.

“Welcome back aboard Tornado¸ James,” Pat told him, glancing at the collection of soldiers behind him. “What’s going on?”

“I have sealed orders for you from the Duchess,” James replied. “We are to open them together once we’ve entered hyperspace. You’re to recall your crew and get under way as soon as everyone is aboard.”

“I figured something of the sort,” the Captain said. “Recall orders went out two minutes after I got the message that you were reporting aboard with additional troopers. Didn’t have anyone who wasn’t reachable, so we should be underway in under two hours.”

That would be just after midnight Hong Kong time, well before any of the Indiri were likely to be paying attention to Terran ship movements.

“Can you brief me before we go into hyper?” Pat asked.

“Some details,” James told him. “Your office?”

“Same place as always,” his husband confirmed.

James turned back to the people with him.

“Troop Captains Tellaki, Sherman,” he said crisply, gesturing the two officers—one human, one Rekiki—to him. “Get your people aboard and settled down. We’re going to be on Tornado a while, so make sure your people have the space they need.”

“The old SSS barracks section is still there and untouched,” Pat told them. “Nothing’s changed there; you should be able to find your way.”

“Yes, sir,” Sherman replied. “Tellaki and I will sort it out.”

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