Her lips became less thin. “Yes, Doc gave me an all clear. No harm done to either of us.”
“That’s good. Uh, Lieutenant, I don’t blame you for what you did. I understand you were doing your job.”
Her eyes narrowed. “I know. I’m not offering an apology or seeking your forgiveness.”
“I didn’t say you were.”
Lian glanced over his shoulder at them, but didn’t say anything.
Gin fingered his rubber band, though his spark hadn’t made an appearance. He needed to find a real Valkea and ask about these powers. It had felt right the more he did it, but it also frightened him. There were too many things to occupy his mind right now. This would have to wait until he had the time. At the door to the next room, Trish gestured them through. To Gin’s surprise, everyone gathered inside. He’d hoped it would be him and Lian only. It was a meeting room, with a large conference table at its center, and a com screen taking up the entire side wall.
Admiral Alejaro’s face glared down at them from the screen. “Captain, Commander, Lieutenant, and Ginnovi Oshwald.”
Gin gulped.
“Please have a seat.”
He sat. Lian took the chair to his right, Trish to his left. Candi stayed standing a little way behind him. They probably hadn’t done it intentionally, but with the admiral’s severe features to the front, he felt boxed in.
“I’ve already received several accounts of what happened today. Before I hear your side of events, I want to know more about this possible terrorist and why he wasn’t dealt with sooner.”
Lian nodded, as if he were giving a normal report. “When Doctor Baaltha drew Ginnovi’s blood, it flagged him in our system. Commander Williams and I interrogated him and checked his references. We deemed him not a threat and continued with our original mission. I’m surprised that my choice of crew is suddenly being second-guessed.”
“He lied about his credentials,” the admiral argued.
“No. I’m sure you’ve already been through Ginnovi’s and Temina’s records with a fine-tooth comb, Admiral. You know they are identical in terms of experience.”
She held up a paper, the one Gin had signed that first day at Regulation. “I have a paper signed by Temina Oshwald. I know for a fact Temina Oshwald did not sign this paper. There is no other word for that but fraud, Captain.” She bit off the last word angrily.
“Be that as it may, Admiral, as I said, I appraised the situation and decided Ginnovi was acceptable. Why would I not have the final say in this matter?”
“Because we have reason to believe your Class Three Mechanic is working for Rigel.”
Gin squawked. “I am not!”
Under the table, Lian’s hand gave Gin’s thigh a squeeze. Keep your mouth shut, it said.
“And where did you get this information?” Lian asked.
“From reliable sources in Tallahassee. Many of the residents there believed Ginnovi was building bombs in his sister’s garage.”
“Did you look into the allegations of these sources? It would be very simple to search Temina’s garage for explosives.”
Surprisingly, the admiral hesitated. “Naturally, we did.”
“You found evidence that can prove Ginnovi produced bombs?”
“Nothing conclusive. But the residue of smoke and char was still noticeable along the walls and ceiling.”
“It’s a garage, Admiral. On top of that, the people of Tallahassee don’t have many of the modern vehicles we have in the capital. They made do with older models, which use a lot of different fuels.”
Gin marveled at Lian’s skills. He was providing adequate arguments. But he was sidestepping the main issue.
“Ma’am,” Gin said, drawing Admiral Alejaro’s eyes. “I may have forged my sister’s name, but that is the worst of my crimes. I never experimented with explosives, and I never had any intention of harming the Bethany or her crew. I accept my charge of fraud and I will pay the consequences. But I will fight you and anyone else who thinks I am a terrorist.”
Lian spread his hands. “In my letter of appointment to this position, under article five, paragraph three, it states, ‘As for appointments of all crew members, admirals and vice-admirals may make suggestions, but the captain retains sole authority in selection.’”
“Not when the crewmember is a terrorist.”
“Then charge him, and let’s be done with this.”
Gin held his breath. Lian called her bluff. Or maybe she really would officially charge him with attempted sabotage. The quiet in the room pressed on the outside of Gin’s eardrums. His heartbeat pounded loudly against the inside.
“We will not charge him at this time,” she said finally. “But this censure will go on his permanent record.”
“Of course,” Lian answered reasonably. “Now, may I ask why this warrant came through the system when I was off ship?”
“Coincidence,” Admiral Alejaro said just as smoothly.
Lian nodded. “Now that we’ve settled this issue, what is the status on an emergency vessel? First Capillto has offered his Dalmin fleet to carry us to Cathariz. They should be here within four hours.”
“The Order of Valor is sending the Resolution to you. Vice-admiral Waynes will be accompanying it. They should meet you at Cathariz within forty-eight hours.”
“They will have the weapons needed?”
“Yes.”
“Then I think we are done here. I have preparations to make before we leave.”
The admiral’s face took on a sickly color. It was obvious Lian had dismissed her. “You are dismissed, Captain. But Ginnovi must stay and relay his account of today’s events.”
Lian almost glanced at Gin, but stopped himself at the last moment. “As you say.” He saluted, then stood. He walked out the door. Candi followed, but Trish didn’t stand.
“You can go too, Commander,” Admiral Alejaro said.
“If you permit, Admiral, I’d like to add in my account. Gin assisted me in rescuing the Dalmin off the top floor when it was sealed by the breach in the hull. I need him to corroborate my story.”
“That’s fine, Commander. But I want to hear Ginnovi first.”
Chapter 30
GIN LOOKED out the window of the Dalmin ship Vesper. He never realized their technology was this advanced. The metal was translucent on the inside. The whole ship could be tuned to view the darkness outside. The Dalmin didn’t keep it opaque as a default, but the possibility of it baffled Gin’s mind.
Lian had said the main mission was to gather intelligence. Now Gin understood why. There was so much they could learn from the Dalmin.
The door to his room opened and Lian walked in. He still wore his mask of stoicism and command. Perhaps he still had tasks to do.
“Sorry I didn’t knock,” Lian said as he strode up to Gin. He reached out and Gin went into his embrace.
“I was under the impression this was your room too.”
He could hear the smile in Lian’s voice when he answered. “Capillto is pretty confident he’ll marry us when we get to Cathariz, so that wouldn’t surprise me.”
“Are you here to stay?”
“I’ve got a few hours before I’ll need to report in. And, I’m sad to say, I’ll actually need to sleep.”
Gin laughed and pulled away from Lian’s hold. He still held the captain’s hand, though, and lead him to the bed. “Have you tried a Dalmin bed before?”
“No. Is it any different?”
“It’s like a cloud. You sink right into it.” Gin sat on the edge of the bed and the mattress—made of an outer layer of plastic, and filled with what seemed like a billion little beads—bent around his shape.
Lian sat next to him and made a surprised noise when it molded to his ass. “I’m not sure I like this.”
“It’s only for a few days, right?” Gin put his arm around Lian’s shoulders and pulled him backward so they both lay down. “I think I might ask for one from First Capillto if he insists they owe me a debt.
Think I could fit it in my bunk?” Then he winced, remembering the ship didn’t exist anymore.
Rather than pull away from Gin’s rude remarks, Lian’s body snuggled closer. “I sort of figured you’d be moving into my room, once we get a new ship.”
Gin breathed in relief. Then his heart skipped a beat when the words sank in. “You mean it?”
“Of course. Everyone knows about us now. There’s no reason to tiptoe around it.”
“I’d like that.”
“Me too.”
They were silent for a moment. Gin almost thought Lian fell asleep. But then, his body began to shake.
Gin turned sideways and pulled Lian into his arms. His whole body trembled and he tried to muffle his sobs.
“Don’t keep it in,” Gin said, feeling his own eyes water. Not out of his own loss, but for the ache that Lian felt. He’d loved the Bethany. He’d lost something closer than a friend, more cherished than a family member.
“It’s stupid to cry over something like this.” As he said it, tears still fell sideways down his cheeks. “I mean, it’s only a ship. I should feel sorrow for Alpha Bonto, since he was the one who gave his life. No other crew members were harmed. The odds of that are amazing. I should be relieved.”
“There’s nothing wrong with grieving. I understand out there you’re the captain, always in control. But here—” He ran his fingers through Lian’s dark hair. “—with me, you can just be you.”
Lian’s final wall broke and he howled in pain. Gin’s hold tightened and he shut his eyes. Together, they cried until Lian fell asleep.
Gin gazed down at Lian’s now tranquil face. He carried so much weight. It was a wonder he didn’t have ulcers and a shit-ton of anxiety. The captain was made of far stronger stuff than Gin himself.
Two days or so to Cathariz. And then what? Gin didn’t know. Another mission, he was sure. A new planet to see, a new humanoid race to get to know. Only a few minutes around the Dalmin showed Gin everything he’d learned about them on Earth was false. He felt guilt for his insistence they were barbarians. He knew he’d grown a lot on this trip. Another mission would expand his perspective even more.
And through it all, he’d have Lian by his side. This could be the perfect life. He’d taken a huge risk to get to this point. Turned out it’d been worth the gamble.
A few hours of sleep, Lian said. Well, Gin was sure once the captain woke up, he could persuade Lian to do something else before resuming his duties. But for now, Gin shut his eyes and breathed in Lian’s scent. He fell asleep and drifted into hopeful dreams.
More from Foster Bridget Cassidy
One is trying to heal a broken heart, the other, a broken family.
After separating from his partner of nine years, Palmer Simpson flees to the island of Oahu to pursue a carefree life of surfing. There, he meets Riku Usami, a more skilled surfer—but one with a bad attitude and a boatload of family drama. A contest between the two men leads to friendship and the possibility of something more meaningful. When a tsunami threatens the island, a friend is stranded out on the waters of the deadly Banzai Pipeline. Palmer and Riku must face the dangers of the barrel waves and the looming forces of nature in order to get their friend to safety. If they survive, they’ll have to contemplate what their future together will look like after the storm blows through.
FOSTER BRIDGET CASSIDY is a rare, native Phoenician who enjoys hot desert air and likes to wear jackets in summer. She has wanted to be a fiction writer since becoming addicted to epic fantasy during high school. Since then, she’s studied the craft academically—at Arizona State University—and as a hobby—attending conventions and workshops around the country. A million ideas float in her head, but it seems like there’s never enough time to get them all down on paper.
Her main support comes from her husband, who reminds her to laugh. Mostly at herself. Their partnership may be difficult to grasp when viewed from the outside, but seen from the inside they are a perfect match. He’s helped her though surgeries and sicknesses and is always willing to wash her hair when she can’t do it on her own.
Their children have four legs and fur and will bite them on occasion. One snores loudly.
For fun, Foster likes to take pictures of her dachshunds, sew costumes for her dachshunds, snuggle her dachshunds, and bake treats for her dachshunds. In exchange for so much love and devotion, they pee vast amounts on the floor, click their nails loudly on the tile, and bark wildly at anything that moves outside. Somehow, this relationship works for all involved.
While not writing, Foster can usually be found playing a video game or watching a movie with her husband. While not doing any of those things, Foster can usually be found in bed, asleep.
E-mail: [email protected]
Blog: fosterbridgetcassidy.wordpress.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/FosterBCassidy
Twitter: @FosterBCassidy
By Foster Bridget Cassidy
Pipelines in Paradise
Spark in the Stars
Published by DREAMSPINNER PRESS
www.dreamspinnerpress.com
Published by
DREAMSPINNER PRESS
5032 Capital Circle SW, Suite 2, PMB# 279, Tallahassee, FL 32305-7886 USA
www.dreamspinnerpress.com
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of author imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Spark in the Stars
© 2019 Foster Bridget Cassidy
Cover Art
© 2019 Aaron Anderson
[email protected]
Cover content is for illustrative purposes only and any person depicted on the cover is a model.
All rights reserved. This book is licensed to the original purchaser only. Duplication or distribution via any means is illegal and a violation of international copyright law, subject to criminal prosecution and upon conviction, fines, and/or imprisonment. Any eBook format cannot be legally loaned or given to others. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the Publisher, except where permitted by law. To request permission and all other inquiries, contact Dreamspinner Press, 5032 Capital Circle SW, Suite 2, PMB# 279, Tallahassee, FL 32305-7886, USA, or www.dreamspinnerpress.com.
Digital ISBN: 978-1-64405-333-1
Digital eBook published June 2019
v. 1.0
Printed in the United States of America
Spark in the Stars Page 19