Hidden by Alasdair Shaw

Author:Alasdair Shaw [Shaw, Alasdair]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2017-11-02T00:00:00+00:00

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The speaker built into Lusimi’s desk chimed. “Captain, Gartch. New contact near jump point.”

He put down his stylus. “What is it, Lieutenant?”

“Looks like one of ours. The computer’s trying to match it to the database... Ah, IFF just came in. It’s the Cobalt Fury, Sir.”

Lusimi stiffened. “Is the Protector aboard?”

“His flag code was attached to the transmission.”

“OK. Transmit our dispatches. Lusimi out.” The Protector would be pleased to hear about the information resources he’d acquired.

He sipped his cappuccino and picked up the stylus. He had a report on the boarding of the freighter to finish before he could get on with his regular administrative tasks.

His desk chimed. “Captain, Stromb. We’re ready to deploy again. The cold’s been taking its toll on our kit. The next break might have to be longer while we wait for repairs.”

“Understood, Major. Good hunting.”

“Thank you, Sir. Stromb out.”

Lusimi sighed and continued writing. He’d written letters to the families of the dead warriors. That had been easier than this, the personal connection felt more real than the dry statistics he had to address now.

The desk chimed again. He slammed both hands flat on the surface and pushed his chair back with a growl. “Captain, Comms. We’ve received a transmission from the Cobalt Fury. Marked urgent, for your eyes only.”

He looked at the unfinished report for a moment, then cleared it and his to-do list to one side. “Thank you, Ensign. Send it through to my desk.”

A window popped open, first displaying confirmation of the Protector’s digital authentication and then of the Council’s seal. Worries about completing his paperwork vanished. The only direct messages he’d received from the Council had been his commission and his authority to command the Iron Fox.

He paged through the document, eyes widening with every paragraph. It detailed a major battle between a Sidexan task force and the enemy. Despite being overwhelmingly outnumbered, the enemy, the Legion as they called themselves, had wreaked terrible damage on the task force. Lusimi ran through the ships listed as destroyed. Four stood out, ships commanded by people he knew, friends now lost. He sent a prayer to the Guardians for them and read on.

The last page hit him in the chest. He read it five times in case he’d somehow misunderstood. There was no confusion, the text was unambiguous. There were six signatures, three of them those of Protectors and two from members of the Council. And one other. One that sent the world spinning.

Lusimi pushed himself to his feet and strode purposefully onto the bridge. “Lieutenant Gartch, I’ll take it from here.”

Gartch looked up at him, quickly stifling a look of surprise. “Aye, Sir. You have the bridge.”

Lusimi sat in his chair. “I have the bridge.”

He glanced around. The bridge crew bent to their duties but he could detect an edge of intrigue at their captain taking his chair an hour before his shift and with no imminent threat. Gartch hovered by the hatch, apparently unsure whether to stand to attention or not.

“Have the warriors dropped yet?” Lusimi asked.

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