The Unincorporated Woman by Dani Kollin & Eytan Kollin

Author:Dani Kollin & Eytan Kollin
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Tom Doherty Associates

13 Reality Check

UHFS Liddel hangar bay, One week later

When Trang heard who’d been found, he ran to the hangar bay himself. His guards were afraid it was some sort of trick and refused to let him approach until the figure in the battered battle armor had been thoroughly scanned. When it was deemed safe, Trang pushed forward just as his technicians were removing the helmet.

Even with advanced environmental gear, a week floating in a suit made its occupant remarkably ripe. Trang didn’t care as he gave the woman what would’ve been a bone-crushing hug but for the armor.

“Zenobia,” he exclaimed, “we thought you were dead! It wasn’t till we found Calhoun that we even suspected you might still be alive.”

“Calhoun made it? What about the others?”

Trang shook his head. “So far no, but you made it, and we’re still picking up survivors every day.”

“How many from where my ships were found, Sam?”

“Including the two of you—” He paused. “—the two of you.”

“How many of my fifty-five ships made it back?”

He held up four fingers and offered a grim smile.

Zenobia seemed to deflate. “Four out of fifty-five. Some fucking admiral I turned out to be.”

“You were caught flatfooted like the rest of us. Unlike the rest of us, you made the bastards howl and you gave us the time we needed to save the fleet and quite possibly the whole Damsah-blessed UHF. Your desperate tactic to throw your ships at them worked!”

“It was only my ship I rigged to do that. I don’t know how the rest of the ships got the idea. Communications were down.”

“Apparently a Lieutenant Chase sent the orders using your command codes. The orders got through,” confirmed Trang.

“Sam, I never relayed that order. She was floating in shock. I’m amazed she even heard half of what we were saying.”

“Well she did hear it and passed it on.”

“Then find her and promote her because she’s the reason we survived.”

“She’s not the one who destroyed the Dolphin and possibly killed Omad Hassan.”

Zenobia’s face took on a fierce look of concentration. “Really?”

“If not,” assured Trang with a charm born of certainty, “he’s hurt bad and his ship’s mostly debris. Trust me, Zenobia, you’re the one who got us Hassan. You saved our asses, and it’s you who’s the hero of the UHF. You’re going to tour the Core Worlds, and then you’re going to command the first of the new ships that are being rebuilt at the Martian yards.” He paused for a moment and then added with a wry grin, “Maybe you’ll even get a burnt rubber baby of your own.”

Zenobia laughed. “Does this mean we’re getting our own ass-firing ships?”

“Redesign approved three days ago, and the first ships being retrofitted as of today. The next time we go into battle, no more surpri—”

Trang was cut off by Zenobia shaking loose of him and running toward a group of four Alliance prisoners who, like her, were in battle suits. But unlike her, they were being watched very closely by a detachment of assault marines.

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