Equilibrium by Glynn Stewart

Author:Glynn Stewart [Stewart, Glynn]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Amazon: B08S1DT4BQ
Publisher: Faolan's Pen Publishing
Published: 2021-01-18T06:00:00+00:00

Roughly half an hour later, the flag bridge door slid open to admit Konrad Bueller. The broad-shouldered Brisingr man crossed the space silently, laying his hand on Kira’s arm without a word.

“There should be a chair somewhere around here that moves,” Kira suggested. “Though I suppose most bridges don’t have those.”

“Not generally, no,” her boyfriend agreed. “We tend to design spaces like this with fixed seats with safety belts. Just in case.”

She snorted, studying the big display in front of her. It was an interesting mix of media, combining flat screens, a hologram, and data feeding to her headware. She gave a mental command, allowing Bueller access to the headware feed.

“That’s a lot of green,” she murmured, gesturing to the map of the Kiln System. “A few oranges still, clusters and stations that are being difficult, but the system is basically under our control.”

“So, what happens now?” Bueller asked. The question sounded familiar, and she shrugged.

“We wait for word from Redward,” she told him. “The situation with Bengalissimo is complicated enough that I don’t want to risk the Coalition Fleet without more data—especially when Cobra Squadron already jumped us.”

“My math says they’ve upgraded,” he murmured. “Estanza said they had two fifty-plane carriers. That could launch a hundred nova fighters, but I feel like they wouldn’t have risked everything here.”

“Some of the extras could have been the survivors from the Crest carrier,” Kira pointed out. “I don’t know if they had ten bombers after they ran into us in Redward, but I’m not going to assume that every fighter out there was a Manticore.”

“Or Cobra Squadron has three carriers now,” Bueller pointed out. “Or two bigger ones. Either way, you’re right to wait for word. What I have to question is whether you’re right to wait here on the flag bridge without resting.”

“I’m sleeping,” she countered. “Some.”

He chuckled.

“Kira, wearing yourself out doesn’t serve anyone. You’re right that the flag bridge is your post right now, but that doesn’t mean you’re needed here twenty-four hours a day.”

She sighed and he moved around to start massaging her shoulders, taking advantage of the privacy.

“You’re not actually going to move on to Klo, are you?” he murmured.

“No,” she admitted. “I’m expecting most of the Coalition to be recalled…and their home systems to be horrified at their losses. This hurt a lot of Redward’s partners and if they’re not careful, it’s going to look like a lot of their partners got hurt for their benefit.”

“Because Redward now theoretically owns three giant holes they’re going to pour money into for the next twenty years?” Bueller asked.

“Basically. Territorial expansion always makes people nervous,” Kira replied. “And Redward hasn’t set themselves up as an unquestioned hegemon that everyone is too scared to challenge. That would be what the Institute wants.”

“I see the point, some days,” he said. “But could I impose on you to see the point from your actual bed, Kira? It’s more comfortable than that chair, and I promise we’ll wake you when the cour—”

“Nova emergence,” Davidović’s void reported through a speaker.

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