“Please stop that tapping,” said Choi sharply.
“Sorry, ma’am, it’s just that…”
“That?”
“Well, it’s been a stressful situation,” Harper said, not really knowing what to say. “Commander Chopra means no harm, ma’am. He’s just, ah, well…”
“An ass,” Choi helped.
“Yeah, he is actually. But he’s—oh, hey, let me pay our tab,” blurted out Harper, bolting from the booth toward the bartender. She had a weird but relieved expression when both Chopra and Seydoux returned from the men’s room.
“Let’s head for the shuttleport. You two grab us a taxi,” ordered Choi. “I’ll be out in a minute.”
As Harper and Chopra left the bar, Seydoux sat down across the table from his commanding officer.
“Major, did you not understand my signal? You were to kill that fool.”
“I understood, ma’am, but there’s a complication. Don’t turn around, but there’s a man at the end of the bar that I’m sure followed us here. He’s probably our shadow, courtesy of Gerrhan Intelligence.”
“Oh, I see. You showed good judgment then, Major. Leaving too many bodies in our wake might cause our new Gerrhan masters to have second thoughts about us. Nonetheless, Chopra has become a liability, and I want him dead by week’s end.”
Seydoux nodded. “Do you want him to have an accident, or do you want me to send a message?”
“Neither. Just make him disappear. It will look like he deserted. Hell, if anything, I’ll wager Chopra’s absence actually raises morale.”
“Understood, ma’am.”
As they rose to leave, they saw through the front window that a taxi was secured and waiting. It would take them to the spaceport, where they would catch a commercial shuttle up to the station. Just before going through the door, Choi stopped and turned to Seydoux.
Choi liked Seydoux. He was extremely competent and very attractive. She knew he was loyal to her, and on a personal level, she could tell he wanted her badly. Maybe she’d indulge him one night as a special treat for both of them. However, for right now, Maurice Seydoux was the closest thing she had to a friend.
“After we return to the station, we need to start calling in some of our old associates. I want to be ready when the Gerrhan Admiralty comes crawling to me. There’s a storm coming, Major, and one way or another, I’m going to be at the center of it.”
Coming Fall, 2015
The Rampant Storm
Book Two of the Starhold series
For more information
go to www.jalanfield.net
For Your Consideration
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About the Author
J. Alan Field is a former history teacher who recently began his second life as a science fiction writer. Growing up in the 1960s and immersing himself in classic television shows such as the original Star Trek, The Wild, Wild West, The Avengers, and The Man from UNCLE, he developed a lifelong passion for imaginative story telling. Among his favorite authors and books are Dan Simmons and his Hyperion Cantos, David Brin’s Uplift Series, Melanie Rawn’s Dragon Prince/Star novels, David Weber, and George R.R. Martin. In the late-1990s, Field was introduced to the exceptional world of anime and became an enthusiastic “otaku.” Some of his favorite works include Ghost in the Shell, Shojo Kakumei Utena, and the Macross universe.
Field spent thirty-four years as a history teacher, mostly at Morgantown High School in the city of Morgantown, West Virginia, where he still resides. He is a staunch supporter of space exploration and the importance of education in humankind’s efforts to reach “the final frontier.”
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