Heretic by Philip C Quaintrell

Author:Philip C Quaintrell [Quaintrell, Philip C]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Philip C. Quaintrell
Published: 2017-06-30T23:00:00+00:00

Captain Fey cupped her mouth, a subconscious attempt to hide her dismay at the three dead bodies lined up in front of her. Sharon Booth, Lieutenant Peter Holmes and Ch’vork, the Nautallon’s chief engineer, were all covered in blue sheets in the medbay. Off to the side was another body, covered with a different body bag and a radioactive symbol printed on top. Whatever remained of the Paladin’s saboteur was thankfully hidden from sight, unlike Sharon’s bloody hand, which could be seen hanging off the gurney, lifeless.

How many more casualties would there be? How many lives could she stand to lose under her command?

Lieutenant Worth came up on her side. “Captain?”

Fey appreciated his concern. “I was due to retire in a couple of years. I had so many plans. I was going to read and write and explore. I wonder what plans they had. We cheated death the day the Gomar attacked our people. Now it seems, death is coming for us all…” Li didn't know why she said it, and she knew she shouldn't have, not to the lieutenant. “I'm sorry, Ben.” The captain patted his arm before she even realised she had referred to him by his first name instead of rank. The death of the UDC was finally starting to settle in, it seemed. “I'm becoming pessimistic in my old age.”

At a hundred and nineteen years old, Captain Fey was still keeping up with the youth around her, not to mention keeping the looks of a fifty-five-year-old. In human years, she was expected to live for another sixty to seventy years, but having seen so many die in the last year, Li suspected she would never see a hundred and twenty.

“You cannot be serious?” Colonel Matthews rounded the corner in the med bay, along with Captain Holt and Commander Vale. “I highly advise more goddamn caution... Captain!”

Fey looked over the colonel, her short blonde hair splattered with Shay blood. Her team had returned half an hour ago with three more dead bodies to add to the growing list today. Li frowned at the way Ava spoke to her superior officer, wanting to believe that she would never put up with such insubordination, but then everyone knew that Raiders were just guns with people attached to them. That profile made her think about Roland North for a moment, another weapon in the human arsenal. As usual, the captain had no idea where the bounty hunter was or what he was doing. She only knew it would be nothing good.

“Colonel.” Holt stopped his advancement towards Fey and turned to meet Ava’s eyes. “I think your team needs to clean up and cool off, before the funeral.” Jed’s tone was that of a commanding officer, and not to be challenged.

Colonel Matthews shot Fey a venomous glare before her gaze flickered to the bodies beyond. “Sir.” Ava stormed off with her team in tow.

Captain Holt watched her leave before meeting up with Fey in front of the viewing room. He looked just as exhausted as she felt.

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