The Star Mother by J D Huffman

Author:J D Huffman [Huffman, J D]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Moirae Publishing
Published: 2019-07-19T06:00:00+00:00

Chapter 24

Lightning in a Bottle

Sasha called a meeting. She waited in her office/bedroom at the end of the electronic table facing her desk, arms folded and waiting for everyone else to arrive. Janus came first, offering what she considered a fake smile. “What have you been keeping yourself busy with?” she wondered.

He shuffled over to one of the corners of the table opposite her and shrugged. “Whatever needs doing. I’ve prepared meals off and on. Washed clothes. This ship’s laundry system is unpleasant to work with. Perhaps we can acquire an upgrade somewhere.”

“We have other priorities besides better laundry facilities,” she chided. “Do you have anything useful to report?”

“I… not at this time, my lady.”

“Don’t call me that,” she snapped. “Just use my name.”

He bobbed his head deferentially.

I shouldn’t be so short with him, she thought. He was only answering my question. “I’m sorry,” she breathed. “Bad mood.”

“I can tell,” he responded matter-of-factly.

Sasha sighed. “You didn’t do anything wrong just now. So, I apologize.”

“Apology accepted,” he agreed. “Do you have any orders for me?”

“Not until everyone else gets here.”

Meren filed in next, followed by a woman who seemed to be accompanying him. Her golden hair could pass for white in the right light, a color Sasha had scarcely seen in her life. Even in the relatively dim light of the office, it seemed impossibly brilliant. Sasha hadn’t familiarized herself with everyone on the ship yet, an oversight she knew she needed to rectify. I’ve just been so busy with other things. And after the operation on that moon, I haven’t been eager to spend time with other people. But I do need to get to know everyone, don’t I? I can’t hide in here all the time.

Sasha looked at the woman who’d come in with Meren. “I don’t believe we’ve met,” Sasha said. “I’m Sasha, as you probably know.”

The woman smiled. “My name is Duna. Meren invited me. We were unit-mates on Actis.”

“These are open meetings, so anyone who wants to attend is invited,” Sasha said in as warm a tone as she could manage.

William showed up moments later with two other men Sasha remembered from the raid on the Totality depot. “Sasha, I believe you’ve met Roth and Markos.”

She tilted her head toward them in greeting, not letting on that she hadn’t retained their names. “Of course. It was an honor having both of you by my side on that moon.”

“The honor was ours,” Roth replied with a shiny grin.

Sasha looked up at the clock on the wall, seeing that it was several minutes past the time she’d designated for the meeting. “Has anyone seen Serim or Angel? I’d normally expect them to attend a meeting like this.”

“I passed Serim. He was on his way to see her,” William said. “That was a little while ago. Maybe they got involved in something else.”

She groaned internally. “If they have better things to do than come to a strategy meeting, that’s their concern,” she sighed. “Now, I know some of

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