The Forever Ship (Starship Omega Book 1) by Scott Bartlett & Joshua James

Author:Scott Bartlett & Joshua James [Bartlett, Scott & James, Joshua]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Mirth Publishing
Published: 2024-05-22T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fifty-Two

Longfield

“I hate not knowing what’s going on,” Bina muttered. She kept drumming her knuckles against the table in a nervous tattoo. The XO was brimming over with nervous energy, and it was contagious. Norder was tapping his foot. Keating kept plucking at her sleeve. Longfield found herself worrying at a patch of skin on the back of her neck. It was something she’d done a great deal when she was younger, but she’d thought she kicked the habit. Ever since the news of Ridding’s removal, however, she’d started up again.

In fact, the only person at the table who wasn’t getting twitchy was Captain Stone. He sat in his chair, leaning back with a glassy-eyed stare that never wavered. His eyes were fixed on the wall, but it was quite apparent that he wasn’t seeing it. His mind was elsewhere.

Longfield reached out to brush his elbow. “Where’s your head, Captain?” she asked softly.

Al shook his head. “Right here. Which is the problem. I should be with my team. Sending them off on their own isn’t right. What kind of coward lets his subordinates rush into battle while he sits on his laurels in safety?”

“Careful,” Norder said, nodding to the camera in the corner of the room. After all, the Ornu were infamous for hanging back while their subordinates fought and died for them.

“They’re more than capable,” Longfield assured him. “You trust them to follow their instincts, don’t you?”

Al nodded tightly.

“It’s not like they’d be any safer here,” Lt. Keating murmured.

All of them jumped when the hatch slid open, and Nonus slid into the room, accompanied by Consul Gallius. “My, my,” he said, “isn’t this cozy? I suppose you’ll all be relieved to hear that your Marines’ little junkheap of a ship is on its way back. The mission was successful. The Perseus Confederation has fallen.”

Longfield felt the surge of relief that swept around the table. And none of them really cared about the Perseids’ defeat.

“My team’s alive?” Al asked. “All of them?”

“So far as we know.” Nonus’ smile widened, revealing a mouthful of sharp teeth. “I’m afraid, however, that I can’t say the same for Captain Bill Henderson.”

The little gathering fell utterly silent. Bina’s lips moved without uttering a sound. Norder blinked a few times and smiled awkwardly, as though he thought Nonus was teasing them or having a laugh at their expense.

“I knew it would be satisfying,” Nonus added, “I just didn’t realize how much. But in that moment, watching his eyes roll back…” The Signifier laughed, letting his head loll back. It was a show, of course, that much was obvious. He wanted the rest of them to know how little regard he had for the captain’s life. For any of their lives, really.

Longfield dipped her head and glanced sideways at Al. Could this be a ploy? she wondered. What would the Ornu get by pretending? She wouldn’t be surprised to learn that this was the Signifier’s idea of a joke, but knowing how the Ornu felt about Henderson, she wouldn’t put it past them, either.

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