Currency of War by Melinda M. Snodgrass

Author:Melinda M. Snodgrass [Snodgrass, Melinda M.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Prince of Cats Literary Productions

The hard resin flooring and polished composite walls created an acoustical nightmare, especially with so many O-Trell hombres and officers rushing through the halls of the main building of the Ministerio de Guerra. Add to that the footfalls of the Hajin batBEMs, and Tracy’s headache was increasing exponentially.

The Ministry of War was housed in a massive octagonal building that had as many floors below the surface of Hellfire as there were above. Central command and the joint chiefs of every fighting service in the League were housed inside, and literally thousands of people worked at the ministry, both military and civilian. Naturally, most people didn’t bother with the full title, just calling it the Octagon or the Octo for short.

And clearly no one had given acoustics a single thought when they designed the building. At least the Isanjo wore soft shoes with split toes so they could us their prehensile feet. The Swiftsure had arrived in the early morning hours of Hellfire’s day cycle after a nearly two-week journey, and there had been a few tense moments as they waited for the necrófago ship.

It should have translated out of Fold only moments after the frigate. Instead, long minutes had crept past while sweat trickled in Tracy’s sideburns and an increasing weight seemed to settle on his chest. Finally, the wounded vessel had materialized out of the darkness, and they had begun the day’s long journey to the inner planets. During that period the Selkie had rendezvoused with them and picked up Jahan. Presumably they were now on their way to Freehold.

Talion had radioed ahead and warned fleet headquarters that they would be arriving so the sudden appearance of an enemy vessel didn’t result in loose bowels and pounding hearts on Hellfire, and now they were here. Technicians were already climbing all over the captured ship. The prisoners had been transferred to holding cells on the planet, and physicians and exobiologists were already poking and prodding.

Tracy had been summoned to a meeting with the top brass and Admiral Marqués Ernesto Chapman-Owiti to discuss … he actually had no idea what the meeting was about. He assumed it was just in the nature of military organizations to have meetings. He also had the matter of the surviving Isanjo to settle. He somehow had to get them back to Cuandru, and he had a feeling O-Trell wasn’t going to help with that. Maybe some of them would choose to find work on Hellfire and he wouldn’t have to buy passage for all of them? He could hope.

His thoughts were interrupted by a youthful voice calling out joyfully, “Oliver! I mean … Tracy!” His eyes picked out a familiar figure among the crowd.

“Luis!” he yelled, equally delighted.

The younger man ran to him and threw his arms exuberantly around Tracy and pounded him on the back. “Mierda! Eres tú, mi hombre.” Luis then remembered himself, became aware of the stares from the passing people. He stepped back, braced, and saluted.

Tracy returned the salute then held Luis at arm’s length and looked him up and down.

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