John turned it off. His handrose to his jaw – he was unaware that he began to bite his thumbnail.
“Shuttle log downloaded,” Taninformed him
He used the display beside himrun a copy of the shuttle log. It was brief and accurate, but it didn’t makesense. Magellan was an explorer craft. Its weapons were for defence only. The crew would have been quite unprepared for this senseless attack. There hadto be more.
“Ensign Grech, when we get to thewreckage site, I want a full analysis. If one of our ships was destroyed, Iwant to know by what.”
“Yes, sir,” Grech acknowledged.
“Mister Humphries, the bridge isyours.”
*
John was in the shuttle bay aminute after the shuttle landed. An exhausted crew climbed slowly out. Thegreetings were informal, almost light hearted. He had known Gillespie foryears, and the way the man avoided his probing look was confirmation enough. He turned to Kowalski, his hand rose to the young man’s face.
“Mister Kowalski, it looks likeyou might actually have to start shaving.”
“Cut it out, sir.” Kowalskipulled back out of range and pushed John’s hand away. He began to blushslightly.
“You two go and get cleaned up. Rodgers,” he pointed aimlessly to the doorway behind, “will arrange youraccommodation. Case, check out the shuttle.”
“Sir,” the engineersacknowledged.
John continued as though theyhadn’t spoken. “McReidy, I’d like a detailed report.”
“Yes, sir,” she answered.
“I’d love a shower,” Gillespiesighed as he headed to the door.
“Breakfast,” Kowalski disagreed.
John watched Case disappearinside the shuttle.
“Commander, I –” McReidy began.
“Not here.” His quiet words hada sense of urgency that silenced her. “Come on.”
They walked in silence, bootsechoing in the corridor. The tension between them increased with each step.
They reached his quarters and helocked the door behind them. “Make yourself at home.”
“I’m glad it was you who foundus.”
John sat down. His elbows restedon the arms of the chair, his fingertips touching in front of his chest. He saidnothing, allowing her to continue.
“I… left a few things out of myreport,” she confessed, avoiding his dark eyes. “Nothing that would make anydifference… officially. The ship that attacked us was completely alien, butthe captain. It was Rache.”
The name sent a sudden chill downJohn’s spine. “Are you sure?”
McReidy nodded. “He’s afteryou.”
“Tell me exactly what happened.”
McReidy recalled the entireincident clearly in her head and put it into words. She was uninterrupted andstopped only after telling how the ship was destroyed.
“How come your shuttle got away?”
“Kowalski made a few modificationsto Delaney’s Raindrops program. It set up twenty or thirty holographicshuttles.”
“Good man.” John was impressed,but his mood changed immediately as he spoke. “And… the captain?”
“Gone. We only have fourshuttles.”
“And one escape pod. You forget,I know that ship.”
“He didn’t survive.” McReidy wasadamant.
John refused to believe her. “Madison to bridge. Report, Mister Humphries.”
“Fine, don’t believe me,” shegrumbled as she leaned back in the chair. “Nothing new about that.”
His eyes narrowed. OnlyHumphries’ voice over the intercom stopped him from answering.
“We’re nearing the site. There’snothing out there but a few bits of rubble.”
John let out a long sigh. Heturned to the computer screen to his right and switched it on. An unfinishedgame of Strategem appeared on screen. “End program.”
The game disappeared and heswitched the screen off, turning slowly back to McReidy.
It took a moment, then her eyesopened wide with shock. “He knew where you where?”
“He always knew.”
“And he let Magellan get blown upfor nothing!” She was on her feet, emotions coursing through her and ready toexplode.
“Hey, don’t yell at me. I hadnothing to do with it.”
“Why would he protect you,risking the safety of the entire ship?”
“You already know the answer tothat.”
She couldn’t think and shook herhead in disbelief.
“Rache would have destroyed theship anyway. The evacuation was ordered before my name was mentioned. Yousaid so yourself.” John’s tone softened. “It’s a large galaxy in which tofind one person. Hopefully, he thinks I’m already dead.”
Exhausted, she dropped back intothe chair. “So, what do we do now?”
“Send in your report and see whatFleet Command has to say. Until then, you’re with us.” He switched on hiscommunicator. “Kat, are you busy?”
“Not really,” came the reply.
“Could you come to my quarters?”
“Now?”
John hesitated briefly. “Yes,please,” he answered politely. “We have a guest and I would like you to helpher get settled.”
McReidy smiled at the slightfrustration in his mood as Kat questioned him.
He rose to leave. “Thecaptain’ll freak if I’m off the bridge for too long. Kat will organiseeverything for you. If you need me for anything, just call.”
As he left the room, he wonderedwhy he had made that last statement. He had never gotten on particularly wellwith her. She made him feel uneasy, had never obeyed an order without arguingand constantly challenged his authority.
McReidy’s anger flared as he lefther alone. She now realised the truth of the jealousy she had of John. Sincetaking over from him as first officer of Magellan, she had struck trouble. Atfirst, she thought it was because she was a woman. Continual comments of“Commander Madison wouldn’t have done it that way,” and the like had onlyserved to anger her more. Only Gillespie, Kowalski and a few others acceptedher in her own right.
“Don’t take any rubbish from thecrew. You’re in charge,” Captain Barrett had told her.
But now she knew where hisloyalties had remained.
* * *
The ship headed back to themining colony. John remained on the bridge until he became too tired to stay. He returned to his quarters, but his mind was too alert to sleep. He allowedit to wander back to his days on Magellan and the Betelgeuse incident. Arescue mission gone wrong that caught them up in a civil war and thedestruction of a star and the resulting court martial. He shivered at thatlast bit.
Regardless of what John had saidto McReidy, he was still worried by Rache. He believed the emperor had beenkilled in the rebel uprising that had restored Komodo to power as the trueleader to the Betelian system. An alien ship meant allies somewhere and adesire for vengeance so strong that nothing or no one would stand in his way. Suddenly, the galaxy didn’t seem very large.
John knew he had to find outmore; to stay as many steps ahead as possible. It would have to be
