***
Summers typed her report into the command panel of the access station on the aft side of the bridge. She could have broadcast it by voice, but she didn’t want the other bridge officers to overhear. All three of them: Sarah Winters, Iwate Shen, and Miles Brown—especially Miles Brown—were sympathetic to Calvin and didn’t have any perspective on what was really going on. Serving together as long as they had, the trio couldn’t be expected to look at Calvin objectively. A sad, predictable fact that helped explain the sorry state of the Nighthawk’s command chain. And because of it, she didn’t want them to hear what she had to say about their beloved Calvin.
Calvin lacked the ability to truly command a ship. He’d proven that when he’d melted under pressure and, in his frozen state, couldn’t think fast enough to act against the Harbinger. How they all survived was an unexplained miracle, perhaps the act of a merciful god. Who could know? Summers wasn’t going to speculate. Since the Harbinger hadn’t destroyed them, she felt they’d been given a second chance to redeem themselves and prove their loyalty to the Empire by ending Raidan.
Sometimes she felt like she was the only one on the ship who kept the wheels moving forward. She knew people acted differently around her, almost as if she were the only real officer, and the rest were tourists on some kind of government-sponsored joyride through the galaxy. In her mind she couldn’t suppress the image that, should she disappear for any amount of time, mojitos and floral shirts would spring out of nowhere to the beats of lively party music. Didn’t these people go through training?
Despite following orders to the letter her entire career, here she was in this mess. It drove her insane, and that feeling came across in her report.
Her tone was still formal and proper, but it carried a knifelike edge, and she made her case strongly, clearly, and articulately for why Calvin was unfit for command and was not following the mission. Emphasizing that he’d broken orders and had refused to engage the Harbinger, which had flown right past them. And how, instead of following the trail to Zendricun Alpha, he was diverting them to Abia for no good reason. She ended on the suspicion that he was abusing a substance, probably alcohol, and it was affecting his judgment. Putting the crew in danger.
She sent the message with standard encryption and returned to the command position where she sat and took a deep breath. She had mixed feelings about her message. Partially she regretted sounding so negative—she didn’t hate everything about Calvin. But an even deeper part of her remembered Raidan and how he’d manipulated her. Used her and set her aside. And now, if she let Raidan get away—which Calvin seemed more than willing to do—then even more people would die. Whatever else Raidan was, he was a killer.
Yes, Calvin, Raidan does want us to go to Abia. But not because he’s there. And when we arrive in the middle of nowhere and dig for clues that don’t exist, Raidan will be torching Rotham ships and murdering civilians. And all because you, Calvin, are so easy for him to manipulate. Just like I once was. You don’t know Raidan like I do. He’s playing games with us, and you’re taking the bait.
The Phoenix Conspiracy Page 39
