Serrano Legacy 1 - Hunting Party by Elizabeth Moon

Author:Elizabeth Moon [Moon, Elizabeth]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Science Fiction
Published: 2011-08-25T12:18:39+00:00

«Enough,» said Petris, and George stopped abruptly. «Let's hear, and briefly, from you, Ronnie. What precisely did you hear, and under what circumstances?»

Ronnie gathered his wits again. «Well... she had chewed me out, and waked us up three lateshifts running for drills. I wanted to get back at her — « Put that way, it sounded pretty childish; he realized now it had been. «So I patched into the audio in my aunt's study.» He didn't think he needed to tell Petris about the stink bomb, or its consequences. «She and my aunt talked a lot — mostly about books or music or art, sometimes about the ship or riding.

But my aunt wanted to know about her time in the Service, why she resigned. I could tell the captain didn't want to answer, but my aunt can be...

persuasive. So that's what she said, what I told you before. She was offered a chance to resign her commission rather than face a court-martial, and was promised that if she resigned no action would be taken against any of her crew. Otherwise, she was told, her crew would also be charged, and it was more than likely they'd all be condemned. She... cried, Petris. I don't think she cries often.»

The man's face was closed, tight as a fist; Ronnie wondered what he was thinking. Oblo spoke first.

«That's our Serrano, Petris. She didn't know. She did it for us — they probably wouldn't let her come back and explain —»

«Yes,» Ronnie put in. «She said that — she had to resign, right then, in that office, and not return to the ship. She said that was the worst of it, that someone might think she'd abandoned her crew, but at least they'd be safe.»

«That... miserable excuse for an admiral...» Petris breathed. Ronnie sensed anger too deep for any common expletives, even in one so accomplished. «He might have done that. He might think it was funny.»

«Naw,» said Sid. Ronnie recognized the nasty voice that had raised the hairs on his arms earlier. «I don't believe that. It's the captain, like you told me at first. Why'd she resign if she wasn't up to something, eh? Stands to reason she has friends to cover for her.»

«You weren't in her crew,» Oblo said. «You got no right to judge.» He looked at Ronnie. «You are telling the truth.» It was not so much a statement, as a threat Ronnie swallowed before he could answer. «I overheard what I told you — and I told George. I hated her; I hoped to find some way to get back at her. But...»

His voice trailed away.

«But you couldn't quite let us believe the lie, eh?» said Petris. He smiled, the first genuine friendly smile Ronnie had seen on his face. «Well, son, for a Royal ASS peep, you've got surprising ethics.» He sighed, and stretched.

«And what would you want to bet,» he asked the others, «that Admiral Lepescu planned to let her know later what he'd done? When it was too late; when it would drive her to something he could use.

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