Return Fire Complete 1-3: Confederation Reborn by Bernard Schaffer

Author:Bernard Schaffer [Schaffer, Bernard]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3
Publisher: Dia de los Toros Publications
Published: 2014-10-19T22:00:00+00:00

Liam raced down the hall past several confused looking crewmembers, forcing them to scatter out of his way. He slowed as he reached his cabin door, peeking over both shoulders to make sure no one was watching him. When the doors slid open, he darted inside and jammed on the lock button, double-checking to make sure the red light was lit. Liam took a deep breath, collapsed in his desk chair, and pressed his hands down on the glowing icons that appeared on the screen below them. He keyed in a series of commands and closed his eyes, praying silently that the person on the other end of the screen would pick up.

The screen digitized with static interference that slowly dissolved to reveal the wizened old face of Professor William Cushing on the screen. Cushing made a terse, tight smile at Liam and said, "You know, most of my students make it at least an entire day or two before they call me and ask me the question."

Liam shook his head, "What question is that, sir?"

"What have I done? Did I make a mistake? Am I cut out for this? That sort of thing. Trust me, son. You are. You'll be fine. Everybody gets a case of the space jitters, why when I was a child−"

"Professor," Liam said sharply. "This isn't space jitters. I have to ask you something. Something important."

Cushing grew somber and said, "All right. Certainly. What is it?"

"Is there anything I should know about Captain Rollins? Anything at all?"

The question seemed to take Cushing back slightly, and he lowered his bushy white eyebrows at Liam and said, "I'm not sure what you mean."

Liam swallowed hard before answering, wondering exactly how close the Captain and he were. After all, Rollins had been the one to save Cushing all those years ago on the day of the invasion. Probably pretty damn close, Liam thought. Oh well. I'm already in this far. "I'll just say it then."

"All right."

"Is the Captain's desire for revenge so great that he's willing to sacrifice anything and everything to destroy the Ovan?"

Cushing took a long, deep breath and held it, puffing out his cheeks so his beard looked like snow falling on a mountain range. He let out the breath and said, "Yes."

"Yes?" Liam said.

"Absolutely. It is his greatest asset to the Confederation, and the biggest threat to the life and safety of every single person under his command. Always has been, ever since he got his first ship. He's lost more crew members than any other captain in the fleet."

Liam's eyes widened, "Then why the hell did you send me off with him?"

Cushing leaned back in his chair and lifted a glass of red wine to his lips, sipping it for a moment before he answered. He swallowed and said, "Jeremy experienced massive shock after the Invasion. He almost took the losses of that day harder than I did. I know you went through his experience, but you were also able to wake up and realize it was not real.

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