Choice of Treasons by J. L. Doty

Author:J. L. Doty
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
Published: 2015-08-27T17:28:24+00:00

Chapter 24: Aagerbanne

When the guards brought in her prisoner, Add’kas’adanna lifted her head slowly and looked into his eyes. They’d met only via the screens in their various command centers, and then only for a few brief minutes while they negotiated the terms of surrender. And he had shown no surprise that the Fleet Director herself had led the assault on Aagerbanne. He should have been surprised.

His uniform was torn in places, burned in others, splotched with grime, but he threw his shoulders back and saluted her smartly, and all the while his eyes burned into her.

She stood from her desk, returned the salute and looked him over carefully. This man was very much the imperial officer, a man who commanded troops and fought in battles, not one of their foppish holiday soldiers. When it had become clear Aagerbanne would fall, their effete noblemen had evacuated the system, leaving this warrior to surrender.

Add’kas’adanna pointed to a chair and spoke without malice. “Please, Admiral Sayalla. Sit and rest.”

Sayalla nodded and sat down wearily. Add’kas’adanna turned to her guards. “You may go.”

The guards saluted crisply and left.

From a drawer in her desk Add’kas’adanna retrieved a bottle of slaeka, the whiskey made on her home planet. She poured some of the reddish liquid into two glasses, stepped around her desk and handed one to Sayalla. He nodded his thanks and sipped at it carefully. She put hers to her lips, and as was customary for the first sip, she took a healthy gulp. Then she returned to her desk and sat behind it.

“You and your crews fought well,” she said.

Sayalla shrugged. “Not well enough. We lost.”

“You were heavily outnumbered. You couldn’t have fought better.”

Sayalla’s eyes brightened. “But we could have, if I’d been allowed to fight my own battle.”

Add’kas’adanna knew well what he meant, for even in her position as the Supreme Commander of Directorate naval forces her superiors constantly hampered her. Ninda and Kaffair wanted an obedient Fleet Director, one who kept her thoughts limited to military matters. Neither of them trusted a Kinathin breed warrior enough to bring her into his confidence. Ninda certainly didn’t want her to think for herself, to wonder why he had sent her with an entire armada just to hunt down an imper man-of-war. She smiled at Sayalla’s remark. “But we are soldiers, and that’s our lot in life. And like even the most common of soldiers, sometimes we can only wonder at the reasoning behind our orders.”

Sayalla grinned. “Yes, though right now I’m wondering more about your orders than mine.”

Add’kas’adanna looked at him carefully and took the bait. “For instance?”

“Well now, I wonder why you chose Aagerbanne—we aren’t that significant, at least not militarily. We’re just big, and well equipped. And why send the Fleet Director herself? I’m sure you have better things to do.”

He was baiting her, though there was no reason to conceal her purpose so Add’kas’adanna spoke openly. “I am, of course, here to find the ship Cinesstar and destroy her.”

Sayalla nodded calmly, though he should have started, showed some surprise.

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