“Are you due for a promotion, Resgram?”
“I thought being transferred as your secretary was my promotion, Sir. If you promote all those who’ve earned it now, you’ll lose much of your experienced staff, Sir. Most are waiting out of respect for Easter, but when she passes, loads of transfer requests will arrive on your desk.”
“I need to build my team, but if I’m not elected to replace her then I lose a trusted command staff.”
“Strategically, Sir, promotions work another way.”
“How so?” Kantian asks.
“Remove those you don’t trust by giving them to someone else.”
“HOW LONG WILL Joe have to remain in the bacterium?” Reynard asks.
“Calthos physiology is unknown to me. The healing solution wasn’t designed for his anatomy. It will heal him, but in three times the amount of an Osirian,” JC says.
“As long as it heals him.”
JC places her gloved hand on Reynard’s shoulder. “You need to let me check you. Brief vacuum exposure causes epidemic damage.”
“It wasn’t the instant flash freezing I expected.”
“Another of your Osirian entertainment vids not understanding how space works.”
“We had limited understanding of our own environment. Amye and Michelle?”
“I have Amye sedated. She collapsed on the bridge after she fired at Ki-Ton. She has some strange brain fluctuations. Every time I scan, there is…something, then instantly normal. The princess might need a surgeon if the bacterium doesn’t restore her nose.”
“Why go after Michelle again?” Reynard ponders.
“Ki-Ton stated he wants to destroy your reputation before he terminated you.”
“I don’t have a reputation except to allow those under my command to be needlessly killed.”
“Those two cadets did not die—”
“I wasn’t seeking to be coddled. When the Sandmen dipped into my mind, they attempted to force what guilt I felt to consume me. They failed.”
“The Sisterhood has exercises to teach the mind to deflect telepathic thought. I’ll show you.”
“The Sandmen aren’t telepathic. They enter the mind. They live in the memories.”
“To what purpose?”
“We figure it out and we’d be on the path to defeat them.” Reynard asks JC one of the questions bothering him since the crash, “Ki-Ton’s people knew about them. How did you open the storage container?”
“The vision flashed before I entered the vault.”
“You said if you went inside you’d die.”
JC checks the life reading of the sleeping princess. “I said by going inside I would perpetuate events leading to my death.”
“So does getting out of bed. What good’s a clairvoyant vision if it doesn’t reveal useful information?”
“I have no explanation.” She pockets her scanner. “You need to meet with our new cadet. She’s in a hurry to test her fighter.”
“I kind of glazed over our latest addition.”
“She designed some fighter. You’ll have to get the details from Australia. She spent most of our layover speaking with Maxtin.”
“No doubt clearing up the mess we created.”
“The Admiral doesn’t blame us. He desires our assistance, now more than ever.”
“He puts a lot of faith into such an unprofitable group.”
“Maxtin’s black box projects,” JC offers. “Doesn’t the Calthos teach to use knowledge to your advantage? Disinformation about us being undependable only causes our enemies to underestimate us.”
“You make good arguments. I see why so many value an advisory telepath.”
“I’m glad you respect my advice, because you haven’t dealt with Amye,” JC reminds him.
“You want me to kick her off the Dragon, too?”
“You already feel responsible for her since you rescued her, and she’s talented.” JC loads a syringe gun. “You need to speak to her when I wake her up. She should have never taken Michelle to Taygete III.”
“I’ll do my captainly duty.”
“You want me to stay?” JC says.
“Disciplinary issues are a confidential matter.” Sometimes I do try and be the captain.
She hands the syringe to Reynard. “Press it into her neck. She’ll be awake in a minute.”
Reynard waits for JC to exit before rousing Amye. “Are you okay?”
“My head.” Amye bolts up. “Where’s Michelle?”
Reynard places the empty syringe on the counter. “I got her back. Ki-Ton’s space dust. Thanks to you.”
“Michelle needs protecting.”
“Damn it, Amye, why in the smerth’n hell did you take her off the Dragon?”
Amye chews her bottom lip. “Is that what she said?”
“She’s out cold. JC wants the nose healed before she wakes her.”
“Michelle just needed some time off the ship. We keep her cooped up, and she might try and escape,” Amye lies. Her head swims. She was blacked out in the bar. On the bridge. Another blackout.
“Next time, you consult with me.”
“I’ve been training. I felt a connection. I’m sorry, William.”
“As long as I’m pissed at you. The drinking and you assaulted Doug—physically. Not your emotional barbs. I could care less about those, but we need to be a team. You put me in a spot where Michelle’s life was in unnecessary danger.”
“William, I think I need help. I’m so confused about my sister,” Amye admits.
“You should have visited the doctor while we were in UCP space instead of gallivanting with Michelle.”
“I make no excuse. I’m a screwup. I’ve been so ever since I was fourteen.”
“The woman I know isn’t a screwup. You’re a valued member of this crew, and I’m proud of you. I want you working by my side,” Reynard says.
She hugs him.
••••••
“HOW PARANOID DO you have to be not to let any outside technicians repair your ship?” Chelsie asks.
“Paranoia involves a deeper understanding of what’s going on.” Reynard strolls onto his bridge. He detects the remaining hint of fresh paint and carpet shampoo.
Chelsie snaps to attention.
“Relax and drop the formality on this ship,” Reynard says.
“Sir?”
“I need to record a speech every time we get a shiny cadet on this ship.”
“Respect of command is drilled until it reaches natural instinct,” Australia explains.
“We don’t stand on ceremony, Cadet.”
“Even Lance units have a chain of command,” Chelsie points out.
“Then I order you to relax.” Reynard slides into his chair. He inspects the status readouts. “Merden V?”
“It’s a system at the edge of Tri-Star
