Advance Page 21

  “But she’s still operational,” Calagan said. “Spinner—watch out!”

  Three small alien assault-craft type vessels appeared from underneath the Tommus and headed toward them.

  “Weapons ready, Schpay!” She maneuvered the freighter to give him the best angle.

  “Firing.” Schpay kept up the barrage of fire until several of the other freighters made it into the bay. Another freighter covered them from a ninety-degree angle, firing nonstop.

  “CAG to freighter 19. If we’re both going to make it onto the Espies Major, we need to hit them where it hurts.”

  “Which means getting in closer,” the bright female voice of the pilot of the freighter said calmly.

  “Exactly.” Spinner let her hands caress the controls, moving the freighter forward. “Keep your stern toward them. Give them less of a target.”

  “Aye, sir.”

  “Aim for their weapons’ array. Shot for shot, make them count.”

  “Every single one, sir.” Freighter 19 moved parallel to Spinner’s vessel, never stopping the firing.

  “Keep an eye on the third one in the back,” Spinner said to Calagan. “If it moves forward at all, let me know. I’m running low on ammunition, but there’s always the last resort.”

  “Ramming them,” Darmiya murmured from behind.

  Spinner smiled joylessly. Darmiya never ceased to amaze her. “Exactly. We can’t risk them firing on the mother ships.” She turned her head quickly toward Schpay. “Target their weapons’ array and take them out.”

  “Aye, sir.”

  Just as she turned her attention forward again, there was a blinding light and a shockwave as a vessel exploded somewhere on their port side. Spinner shielded her eyes as she tried to make out the outline of Freighter 19. She couldn’t see it.

  *

  “Move in two klicks to our port side.” Helden clung to the armrest of her automatic chair. “Roll the ship, belly toward them, and raise the stern two degrees.”

  Dael was over at tactical, as Weniell was lying unconscious in the impromptu triage area down the corridor. Bringing Helden in had been a gamble that paid off. The older woman simply took over as Dael stepped over the injured and kept firing as she alerted the medics.

  “Laying down cover fire to assist the last freighters.” Dael aimed for the smaller alien vessels, taking out the one in the back. The explosion was enormous, which proved these three carried the same missiles as the ones that had taken out one of her mother ships.

  “Espies Major to CAG,” Helden barked. “We’re covering you. Get inside now. We’ve got to get out of here.”

  “CAG to Caydoc. I hear you.”

  “Can you detect them?” Helden asked Umbahr, who had his head almost entirely covered by bandages. “Are they inside?”

  “Freighter 19 is inside. They’ve sustained heavy damage.”

  “And Freighter 1?”

  “Not yet.”

  Dael cursed under her breath and kept firing, taking out the second small craft. “The last enemy assault craft is firing up something I can’t judge the magnitude of. I can’t get a weapons lock.”

  “Freighter 1 is on board. All remaining assault craft are accounted for.” Umbahr leaned heavily at his console.

  Helden tapped a sensor with her good hand. “Caydoc to Advance fleet—go to magnetar drive to previously set coordinates. Now. Acknowledge.”

  “Tommus to magnetar drive.”

  “Hegal to magnetar drive.”

  “Rondos to magnetar drive.”

  Dael’s heart was like an achingly cold void as no voice reported from the Mugdon.

  Helden spoke curtly. “Espies Major to magnetar drive.”

  The ensign at the helm slapped her hand on the console, and then everything became quiet as they left the hostile, lethal part of space behind them. Dael nodded to one of the junior ensigns to take over tactical and made her way over to her nania. “Are you all right?”

  “I’m fine, dear.” Helden looked pale but composed. “And before you say anything, it was an amazing accomplishment for you not to lose more people, or ships, than you did. The Alachleves are a particularly hostile and, when it comes to weaponry, well-equipped people. I don’t think we’ll ever know why they fired first and never bothered to ask any questions.”

  “I lost the Mugdon.”

  “We all lost it. Those aboard were taken from us, and we owe them to do our damndest to find the new Oconodos. So, I’m going to retire. I am a bit tired, I admit. When you’ve finished the no-doubt endless debriefings, you can stop by. If you’re too tired, I’ll see you tomorrow. My door is always open for you, Dael. You know that.”

  “I do.” Kissing Helden’s cheek, she turned to retake her command chair, when a frail hand on her arm stopped her.

  “And go make sure Spinner is all right at the first opportunity. That woman holds your happiness. You know that too.” Helden patted Dael’s arm and then maneuvered her chair toward the corridor.

  Dael’s mind reeled for a short moment before she slammed down her command mask once again. She would talk to Spinner eventually. Right now, she needed to know just how bad things were. Sitting down in her chair, aching all over, she gazed around the bridge with calmness. “Report.”

  *

  Spinner ran through the corridors, Darmiya and Calagan right behind her. Now that they were safely on board and the ship had gone to magnetar drive, all she could think of was making sure Dael was all right. She realized Dael would be insanely busy during the upcoming hours and in no mood to talk to her about anything personal, but she needed to see her.

  “We’re going to head for the science lab and see what damage has been done,” Calagan gasped behind her. “Say hi to the admiral.”

  “Later.” Spinner rounded the corner and found the elevator inoperable. Not hesitating, she grabbed the ladder mounted on the bulkhead next to it and began climbing the twelve decks to the bridge area.

  Out of breath, she finally reached the mayhem that was the corridor outside the bridge. She could hardly believe her eyes when she saw Doc leading physicians, nurses, medics, and volunteers in the crowded corridor.

  “Good to see you, CAG,” the doctor bellowed from the other end. “You better enter the bridge via the conference room over there. We need the space here for a while.”

  “I can tell. Do you need me to help?” She thought she should ask, as the number of wounded looked staggering.

  “No, we have it under control now. I think the admiral is expecting you on the bridge. You better get there. Fast.”

  Confused at his choice of words, Spinner pushed the broken door open to the conference room. Even in there, wounded were everywhere, but these seemed to have been tended to. They leaned against the bulkhead as they sat against the walls, and a few were lying on thin mattresses on the table. Carefully making her way among the crewmembers, Spinner stopped a few times to check on some of her pilots before she entered the bridge.

  The impressive bridge of the Espies Major had looked better, but everything seemed functional. Dael stood in the center, her hair in disarray and flowing down her back, her uniform torn and actually scorched. Umbahr looked like he had a winter hat made of bandages, and Weniell wasn’t even there.

  “CAG!” Umbahr lit up. “Good to see you in one piece, sir.”

  “Thank you, Ensign. You’re setting a new trend for headwear, I can tell.” Spinner stepped closer to Dael, who slowly turned around. “CAG reporting for duty, sir.”

  “Ani—Spinner. You’re back.” Dael boasted a large bruise on her left cheekbone. “Good job returning all the freighters.”

  “They’re great pilots, sir.”

  “They do you proud.” Dael walked carefully over to the command chair and was about to sit down when Weniell entered the bridge on crutches but looking all right.

  “Your turn, sir,” he said, and waved one crutch toward the door. “I ran into Doc in the corridor. He says if you don’t get that cheek looked
at, he’s going to pull medical rank.”

  “For the love of—”

  “He means it this time, sir. Never heard him more serious.” Weniell looked somberly at his next in command. “I’ll take the next shift.”

  “What about your leg?” Dael glared at him.

  “I have a broken ankle. I wasn’t the one who flew headlong into the helm console.”

  Spinner took another look at Dael and, seeing she was exhausted and not entirely steady, she stepped up next to her. “I have to endure the usual post-mission hoopla at the infirmary anyway. Why don’t we go down and get it over with?” She was certain Dael would reject her. After all, Spinner had avoided any personal interaction with Dael for weeks.

  “All right.” Dael nodded briskly at Weniell. “You have the bridge, Commander. I expect you to forward all reports to my tablet.”

  “Of course, sir.” Weniell sat down and placed the crutches on the floor next to the command chair. “Take your time,” he mouthed to Spinner as Dael began to walk away.

  Spinner raised her three middle fingers to the ceiling, out of sight of Dael, as she turned and followed suit, letting Weniell know she had the situation under control.

  The corridors were still full of people, some wounded, some caring for the wounded. Dael kept stopping to check on her crewmembers, but Spinner stealthily nudged her to keep walking. “What are the first reports saying?” she asked, hoping Dael would focus on her tablet and not how many crewmembers and civilians had been hurt.

  “We lost the Mugdon. Twenty-five hundred people. Crewmembers. Civilians.”

  And children. Spinner had realized the Mugdon was lost but had nurtured an unrealistic hope it might have gotten away somehow. “How did it happen?” She knew Dael wanted to tell her by the almost relieved look on her face.

  “They had us surrounded, but we held them off. Your assault-craft pilots were doing a great job, and we managed to maintain the star formation. All the training paid off and it looked like they were running low on ammunition. Then, smaller craft appeared, which at first seemed less threatening.” Dael stopped and turned into an empty part of a dead-end corridor. In there, the lights were on minimum, which was a blessing after the harsh light in the corridor. “When they opened fire, I knew it was going to cost us. They didn’t even bother with the assault craft or the freighters. They were aiming for the mother ships, and despite how good our shields are, their shells penetrated them easily.”

  “I saw a large hole in the bulkhead near the promenade.” Spinner leaned against the wall, effectively shielding Dael from anyone looking in their direction.

  “Yes, that was one of their shells. They kept firing them and eventually hit the Mugdon just beneath the propulsion system where the magnetar coils are located.”

  “Damn.”

  “Yes.” Dael drew a deep breath and pressed her back against the wall. “Captain Gossamay pulled away, knowing what was going to happen. He managed to send off freighters full of civilians, mainly children and key personnel that were near the freighter bay. He knew if the Mugdon exploded while we were in star formation, she’d take us all out.”

  “He saved the Advance team. Oconodos.” Spinner whispered the words as Dael moved closer. “I may not have liked him personally, but he was a good captain. With guts.”

  “Yes. He was.” Dael raised her gaze. “While he was saving us, we managed to take out the smaller ships, and it didn’t seem they’d sent any more, until you drew them out.”

  “You risked a lot by waiting for us.”

  “I lost the Mugdon, but I wasn’t going to sacrifice you or your team.” Dael sounded raw, as if every word hurt her throat. “It wasn’t an option.”

  “And we made it. We’ll be long gone before the Alachleves have time to regroup.”

  “Yes. Yes, we will.” Dael closed her eyes briefly. “I regret that all the hard work you performed on the planet today was for nothing.”

  “The planet? Oh, yeah.” Spinner hadn’t even thought of the lush planet she’d just surveyed. “Too close to the Alachleve sector, I’d imagine.”

  “I could never risk bringing our people here when a volatile race is only hours away.” Dael raised her arm and slammed her fist backward, into the bulkhead. “Damn it to hell!” She then pushed past Spinner, her lips tense. “Let’s go to the infirmary.”

  “Right behind you.” Spinner remained focused on Dael’s increasingly unsteady steps. She hoped the elevator would function now, as she doubted Dael would be able to climb down the ladders.

  *

  Dael stood in the center of the infirmary, looking at all the occupied beds. “I shouldn’t take up any of the physicians’ time. I have a black eye, so what?” She glared at Spinner, who wasn’t moving.

  “Do you want Doc to take you off duty and have that on your permanent record?” Spinner raised a deliberate eyebrow.

  “Of course not.” Dael hissed the words out of sheer frustration.

  One of the medics approached, saw who the patient was, and didn’t hesitate. “Dr. Jobal!”

  “What?” A lean young man turned his head from what he was doing. “Ah. Admiral. Take a seat over there,” he said, pointing toward two empty chairs by the far wall. “I’ll be with you as soon as I’ve set this shoulder.”

  Dael walked over to the chairs and sat down without a word. The only thing good about being away from the action in the infirmary was the silence. A glass safety wall separated the niche from the rest of the main room.

  Spinner sat down next to Dael, leaning back with a deep sigh. “Is it a sign of weakness if I admit that I’m exhausted?” She made a face and opened the collar of her uniform.

  “Not at all. I’ve been perkier myself.” Dael smiled faintly at Spinner’s funny face.

  “I think these chairs recline.” Spinner glanced to her left. “Yup. They do. Just pull that lever thing.”

  “It’s tempting, but how would it look if the crew spots the admiral snoozing in the infirmary at this point?”

  “They’d think ‘finally, the admiral is resting a bit. Maybe I can do that too.’” Spinner looked intently at Dael. “How about setting an example in that direction as well? We’re safe, and the uninjured are tending to the wounded. Weniell is collecting the data you require, and you have nothing to do but wait for Dr. Jobal. Who knows when you’ll be able to put your feet up once everything catches up?”

  “It’s dangerous when you start to make sense,” Dael muttered, and pulled the lever. This lowered the backrest and raised her legs, making her whole body melt into the chair. “Oh, sweet Creator.”

  “Glad you think I occasionally do make sense.” Spinner sounded cheerful, but something else, something strained, colored her tone.

  “I was joking.” Dael turned her head, examining Spinner’s beautiful profile. “You realize that, don’t you?”

  “Yes. Yes, of course.”

  Concerned now, Dael turned farther on her side to be able to see Spinner better. “When we’ve dealt with the fallout of this, I mean, the practical end of it, we should talk. Don’t you think?”

  Spinner slowly turned her head and met Dael’s gaze. “I’m not sure I can handle another ‘yes, but just like friends,’ Dael,” she whispered. “I’ve done my best to deal with that over the last few weeks.”

  “I know. Once you stopped being the brandy moonlighter’s best customer, you handled that better than I did. Helden is complaining that I’ve become a horrible dinner guest and says it’s my own fault.”

  “How so?”

  “Because I let you go.” Dael had no idea where her courage to be truthful came from.

  Spinner in turn seemed at a loss for words. She merely stared at Dael, her lower lip sucked in between her teeth.

  “Now, let’s scan this cheekbone, sir, so you can finally get out of here.” Dr. Jobal stepped into the niche, scanner in hand. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you,” he added when Spinner jumped. “I guess I need to place you in the full-body sca
n, CAG.”

  “Don’t worry. I know where it is.” Spinner stood and ventured over to one of the booths at the other side of the room. She stepped inside and was immersed in a faint, green light.

  Dael barely registered Dr. Jobal’s ministrations as he dealt with her facial injury.

  “Another mild concussion, Admiral. No fracture. I’m going to use the synaptic stimulator and also clear up the bad bruising for you before you go.” He placed two metal plates on other side of Dael’s temples, kept in place by a silicon strip. After that he used a capillary-infuser over her face, which took care of a lot of the pain.

  “Thank you, Doctor. Am I good to go?”

  “Just sit ten minutes longer with the synaptic stimulator. I’ll inform Doc that you were most cooperative,” the young physician said. “He did warn me of the opposite.”

  Dael had to smile. “He would know.” She sat eight minutes more before she lost her patience and had a nurse remove the stimulator. Standing up slowly to make sure she was steadier on her feet, she walked over to the full-body scanner where Spinner was still confined. “I’m going back to my ready room. Once I’ve received a good overview of the situation on all ships, I plan to retire to my quarters. Dare I be presumptuous enough to ask you to join me?”

  Spinner opened her eyes and squinted through the misty green light. “I guess it depends. I don’t want it to end like last time.”

  Dael couldn’t fault Spinner for being blunt, even if it hurt like taking a rifle blast point-blank to the chest. “It won’t. Let’s both agree to that?”

  Spinner tilted her head. “All right. I’ll be there.”

  Relieved, Dael smiled carefully. “You still remember the code to my quarters if I’m running late?”

  “I do.”

  “See you later then.” Amazed how much lighter her steps felt than before, Dael walked back through the corridors toward the bridge. She stopped many times to check on crewmembers and civilians she came across. All of them looked like her presence, and her interest, meant a lot to them. They took her hand and thanked her for keeping so many of them safe, if a bit banged up. Before Dael actually reached her ready room, she had to stop to dry her tears. She’d never been this moved or felt such a strong sense of belonging before. Now she also had hope that she could resolve this awkwardness between Spinner and herself. She needed Spinner. It was as simple as that. To deny the feelings erupting inside her as soon as she saw, or thought of, the amazing, infuriating, one-of-a-kind woman that was Spinner was foolish.