The Path of Duty (Siobhan Dunmoore Book 2) by Eric Thomson

Author:Eric Thomson [Thomson, Eric]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Literature & Fiction, Genre Fiction, War, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Science Fiction, Alien Invasion, Military, Space Fleet, Space Opera
Amazon: B012LJII8I
Publisher: Sanddiver Books
Published: 2015-07-25T07:00:00+00:00

Sixteen

“There's no doubt whatsoever?” Dunmoore asked Chief Penzara, who was standing by the display with his analysis results.

“None, sir. Even the commercial grade sensors on the Oko Maru would have picked up the slightest bit of DNA among the wreckage.” He looked at Lian suspiciously. “Especially since those commercial grade sensors seem to show better results than I would expect.”

“Almost military grade?” Siobhan asked teasingly, giving Lian a sideways smile.

“Aye,” Penzara replied with finality.

She glanced at the others in the small conference room but they remained expressionless.

“Are you telling me,” Lian said, “that whoever attacked the Fuso took everyone off before destroying her?”

“No other way to interpret the sensor data, sir,” Penzara hooked a thumb at the main screen.

“Sounds a lot like what Admiral Corwin's mercenaries did with the Nikko Maru.” Pushkin said.

“Mercenaries?” Lian asked incredulously. “Since when does the Navy hire mercenaries?”

“Private military contractors, more properly, Captain Lian,” Siobhan replied. “The Admiralty will hire PMCs for some non-combat tasks where it can't spare naval personnel.”

“I'd hardly say this was non-combat,” Lian protested.

“The way the Navy defines combat, it isn't.” Pushkin shrugged. “They're employed as security guards for Admiral Corwin's operation and that will entail taking down threats. That’s still a far cry from engaging the Shrehari.”

“So my fellow merchantmen were threats, were they?” Lian's agitation was returning. “Honest spacers doing their jobs?”

Dunmoore held up her hand.

“Peace, Captain Lian. It was just an expression. My first officer meant nothing by it.”

“Very well.” He settled back, crossing his arms. “If they took Strazi and his crew off, where did they take them?”

Siobhan met Pushkin's eyes and the first officer nodded minutely.

“I was informed by Admiral Corwin when I arrived in this system,” she said, “that the people taken off the Nikko Maru have been interned on the planet until operational security permits their return home. I can only assume that the same holds true here.”

Lian's bitter laugh echoed across the table.

“And he assured you they were well treated, almost like honoured guests. No captain, I'm not feeling too sanguine about my comrades right now.”

“Admiral Corwin is a Navy officer.” Pushkin's tone was flat and unemotional. “He would treat detainees with all due respect for the law and naval tradition.”

“Perhaps, but would his pirates - beg your pardon - his mercenaries?” Lian's voice dripped with sarcasm. “They aren't bound by your precious code of discipline, are they?”

“Enough,” Dunmoore snapped, giving Pushkin a warning glance. Both men looked away. “PMCs are bound by as strict a code as the Navy, thanks to the Law Governing the Use of Military Forces, more commonly known as the Rules of War.”

She relented and sat back in her chair, eyeing him speculatively. “I would say we have some common interests here. We both want answers and trading barbs won't get us anywhere.”

Kowalski caught her eye and she saw her mouth the words 'burst signal.'

Siobhan nodded.

“Captain Lian, on the day the Fuso Maru was chased out of the system, we intercepted an encrypted directional burst signal that may have been aimed at Captain Strazi, based on our ships' relative positions at the time.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.