Snows of Aturia (The Darvel Exploratory Systems #3) by S.J. Sanders

Author:S.J. Sanders [Sanders, S.J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2021-12-18T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 19

Sa’tari hadn’t been joking when she said that the systems room wasn’t comfortable. All the festive decor halted just outside the room, leaving the inside colorless and bleary with its plain gray walls. The fact that the female didn’t enter with her just made the space feel even more barren as the four men turned to look at her grimly.

Carthy nodded a polite greeting from where he stood in front of the comm system, while at his left Fowler seemed intent on chewing his bottom lip ragged as he stared worriedly at the large comm screen he sat in front of. Stephens barely glanced her way, but when he did it was with a gruff greeting. Tackert was the only one who seemed more at ease from where he sat in the chair that he had commandeered from whatever Aturian had occupied that spot earlier. She murmured a hello and returned Tackert’s friendly smile. Of all the men there, Tackert had been the one to make less of a nuisance of himself and seemed to even be on somewhat friendly terms with Jor’y.

“Okay, Fowler, we are all present. Go ahead and accept transmission,” Carthy ordered.

“Yes, sir.” His freckled pale hands slid over the controls. “Accepting now.”

The holoscreen opened over the large supporting surface. Whatever interruptions the winds might still have been doing, it seemed that they weren’t enough to interfere with the comm signal because Vanessa found herself facing a man packed with lean muscle and possessing a strong jaw and square chin. He had the appearance her mother would have romantically called formidable, enhanced by the distinctive salt and pepper of his neatly trimmed hair. With his hands behind his back and his piercing gaze, Vanessa might have pegged him as military personnel if not for his suit with the Darvel logo emblazoned on a pin tacked onto one lapel.

His eyes cut to Carthy before zeroing in on her.

“Miss Williams, I am pleased to see that you are well and accounted for. When we received word that your shuttle had gone down over these coordinates, we had hoped that the locals would find and take you in. I’m glad to see that our faith was not misplaced.”

“Thank you, Mister… ahhh…”

His lips twisted in a faint smile. “Bradshaw. Darrel Bradshaw. I am the governor and Darvel representative of Dahlia Colony.”

She smiled in return. “My apologies, I thought colonies were usually under a governor sent by United Earth. I’ve never heard of a representative also being the governor.”

He frowned, disapproval showing in every line of his face. “Normally it is not the case, but Dahlia is a rare exception. Our colony is small and our relationship with the locals is peaceful, so that does not require strong military leadership. Since I am ex-military, I was selected for the position with Earth Gov’s blessings.”

“Thank you for clarifying that matter. I’m relieved to hear that the southern colony enjoys a good relationship with the people here. They’ve been very considerate hosts and have cared for us when we could have easily died.

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