She met Meryan's gaze again. "You still haven't answered my question. Why are you here?"
"You forget your place, Captain." Admiral Meryan's tone warned her to back down but she wasn't scary.
Sexy as hell, yeah.
"I don't think so. As the ruling house of Alara, your mother is part of the Royal Senate. That leaves you next in line to inherit the throne. You. Are. A. Target."
"I thought you were just a simple warrior, Captain. What was it you said earlier? You leave the logistics to others?"
"Close enough, but this falls right into my area of expertise."
Meryan leaned back in her chair and tossed her data file on the table. "I'd really like to hear how."
"Tactics." Van shrugged. "Take out the heir apparent to the ruling sovereign house. Alara houses the High Queen. All others defer to her. Then again, you already knew that. With all due respect, Admiral, cut the crap and tell us what's really going on."
She glared at Van for a full minute before relenting. "Very well. The Royal Senate is the target, but I can't just sit at home while someone attacks our way of life. As the commanding officer of the Coalition flagship I'm in the position to do something about it."
That was something Van could get behind. Admiral Meryan wouldn't be worthy of the crown if she let others fight her battles.
"All right, we're with you. What's our plan, go in with guns blazing?"
"Hardly." Cade's tone was dry.
"Is she serious?" Bosk directed at Paul.
They sat around for another hour while Meryan and her senior advisors outlined their plan. Much of it had obviously been adjusted at the last minute to allow for Falcon's crew, but it seemed solid. Van suggested several modifications and Byra added a few more. The admiral weighed each carefully and incorporated more than Van would have expected. At no time did she get the feeling they were being humored.
After hours of hashing out every little detail, Van had about all she could stand. She felt like she was about to pee all over the conference room floor.
"All right, I think that's enough," Meryan finally said. "We have two days until we reach Tokar. If you think of anything else in the meantime please bring it to my attention."
Van was never more thankful to hear a briefing come to an end. She stood carefully and realized Meryan was watching with an amused smile.
"What?"
"Lieutenant Argante will show you to your quarters, Captain. I'm sure you'd like to freshen up."
"That'd be great." The sarcasm was a little thick but the day was beginning to take its toll, and there was something about the admiral that made her want to be difficult.
"After that, feel free to join us in the officer's mess. I'll have Argante give you the details."
"Is that a request?"
"No."
Great, no early bedtime for her.
Van usually slept very little but her muscles were screaming from the earlier battle. At least Gauntlet was the flagship so it should have a decent mess hall.
"Fine, as long as I don't have to eat anything green."
VAN PACED HER quarters, unable to sleep. The bed was comfortable enough and the rooms nicely appointed considering it was a spaceship, but she had too much on her mind. Finally, she stopped to look out at the stars with her hands clasped behind her back. Not for the first time, she wondered how she'd ended up here. Not on the Gauntlet, but as a Coalition officer. Maybe if she'd had a family like everyone else, things would be different. She might not be a soldier.
The priests found Van, like a bad cliché, inside a basket outside a church as an infant. No one wanted her then and as it turned out, that was just fine. She liked being alone. No commitments meant no disappointments. That didn't mean she'd turn down physical pleasure if it was offered. Women loved women in uniform and that was something she was happy to take advantage of.
Midnight-colored eyes swirled through her mind and a grin took possession of her mouth. Did Cade Meryan like to sample the female form, too? It was worth speculating about. The door chime broke into her happy fantasy and the grin evaporated.
"Come in." The object of her musing entered and Van felt an eyebrow climb to her hairline.
"Sorry to bother you. I know it's late."
"It's no trouble, Admiral. Can I offer you a nightcap?" The question was impulsive, but what the hell, she couldn't deny Cade was hot.
"Uh, no thanks." She looked uncomfortable and shot a look over toward the food dispenser, no doubt wondering how Van could offer a drink when she didn't have any liquor.
"Okay, would you like to sit down?"
She sat in the armchair adjacent to the sofa leaving Van little choice but to sit next to her. Cade's uniform was rumpled and she looked like she hadn't slept in a month.
"What can I do for you?"
"You can answer some questions, if you don't mind."
"Questions about what?" Van asked. If she'd expected anything, this certainly wasn't it.
"You've been on Tokar before, not just in passing, but for an extended amount of time. By all accounts, you had little in the way of provisions. I need to know how you survived."
"Why?"
"In case we run into a similar situation again and we have to improvise. I would have thought that was obvious. We don't really know what we're going into."
The comment stung. Van didn't appreciate someone calling her stupid or even making the implication. "Well, obviously, this is a different situation. Gauntlet has a lot of firepower and plenty of soldiers. Then there's the fact that you're a princess. If you get into trouble the Coalition will send out a fleet to cover you."
She couldn't keep the heat out of her voice and watched as confusion settled into Cade's stormy eyes. Her earlier anger had caused Van to say more than she ever intended about Tokar and she wouldn't let the admiral catch her off guard again. It wasn't something she liked to talk about.
"I didn't mean to offend you. Was there something that happened to you that wasn't in the official reports?"
"No ma'am. From what you read in my service jacket, I'd say that was about it. They outnumbered my unit and picked us off one by one. I managed to stay alive until a patrol ship wandered through the sector and locked onto my communicator signal. End of story."
"You had a communicator? Then why didn't you call for reinforcements? The Council knew the Fifth Infantry was fighting the Gothoans and I'm sure they would have sent troops if they'd known you needed them."
Van stared at her in disbelief. Didn't she think she'd tried that?
"Never mind," Cade finally said as she stood. "I'm sure our plan is sound. Just have your people outfitted and ready to join the teams day after tomorrow."
Cade rubbed a hand over her face in exhaustion and Van couldn't help but ask, "Are you going to bed?"
Cade took a breath so sharply Van heard from across the room. Their eyes met and held.
"Hey," Van said holding up her hands. "It wasn't an invitation. You just look like you're about to fall over."
"I'm fine, Captain, but thank you for your concern." She was gone a second later.
"Sure. No problem."
Van took off her jacket and dumped it in the reclaimator. It pinged a few moments later and she took out the freshly cleaned garment and hung it in the small closet.
The admiral's visit troubled her. There was something she wasn't saying. Had she come by to confide something and then changed her mind? Was she just worried about the inhospitable terrain? Fighting in the snow and ice was much different from an encounter in deep jungle. There wasn't much to hide behind. It took skill and determination to battle not only an enemy but your own body as well. Meryan had all but admitted her people had no experience in such an environment.
Thinking about Tokar caused a shiver to travel the length of her spine. Cade had asked if there was something that hadn't been in the report. Wasn't there always? But seriously, who would have believed in phantoms anyway?
Van pushed the memories
away and tossed the rest of her uniform into the reclaimator unit. After a quick shower, she climbed naked between the sheets. She refused to think about the frozen planet again and what would happen there as she willed sleep to find her. It was a long time in coming.
"YOU'RE UP KINDA late aren't you?"
Cade flinched in surprise and looked over her shoulder toward the familiar voice. Normally deserted in the middle of the night watch, her executive officer had still managed to track her down in the mess hall. Cade flashed him a friendly smile, gestured at the empty seat across from her and indicated the almost full pot of coffee.
"Join me?"
"Glad to. You know I can't sleep without a good jolt of caffeine in my system."
Bosk rummaged under the cabinetry for a mug and then sat down with a grunt. He didn't speak as he poured his drink and Cade finally rolled her eyes. "Okay, Uther. Out with it."
"What?"
The feigned innocence didn't fool her for a second. "Let me guess. You asked the computer where to find me and now you're trying to make it look like you just wandered in here."
Commander Bosk sipped his coffee for a moment, his eyes quietly assessing. Finally, he placed the mug on the table.
"Why are you in here, Cade?"
"Excuse me?" The question caught her off guard and she knew the discussion was about to become personal.
"Why are you up? It's the middle of the night and we reach Tokar in a few days. You should be asleep."
"You're not my mother." Her eyes flashed.
"No. I'm much better looking."
Her irritation disappeared as Cade snorted coffee through her nose. She coughed for a moment before wiping her mouth with the palm of her hand. "I'll be sure to tell her you said so."
"Don't you dare." Uther grinned, but the smile quickly faded. "It's Captain Swann, isn't it?"
Cade sighed. She hated being transparent. "I just don't know what to think about her."
"Professionally or personally?"
Cade raised an eyebrow and intended that to be her only response, but eventually relented. She needed another opinion on something that bothered her about Captain Swann's prior service. "Eight years ago, Swann's unit was under attack by Gothoan invaders. They were outnumbered and being slaughtered one by one. For months they froze on Tokar but no one ever called for reinforcements."
"Maybe they didn't have working transmitters."
"No, that's not it. It just doesn't make sense. When I asked her about it, she just deflected me. There's something she's not telling me."
"What's the big deal, Cade? That was ancient history. Swann would have been a junior officer. It probably wasn't her choice to make, not until the end anyway."
"Hmm, maybe."
"Why is it so important that you're losing sleep?"
"I don't know," Cade admitted. "I just have a feeling that it is."
After a sip from her coffee, Cade stared down into the dark drink. She couldn't look at Bosk when she asked in what she hoped was a casual tone, "So, what do you think of her personally?"
A hairy eyebrow elevated. "You're kidding, right? You have heard of her reputation?"
"I didn't mean it like that." A fire-red blush across her pale cheeks proved otherwise.
Cade couldn't ignore the attraction she'd felt as soon as she saw Vanessa Swann. The short auburn hair had caught the overhead lights and nearly blinded her. When she looked into the forest green eyes, Cade saw passion and determination and felt her tongue cleave to the roof of her mouth. Later, When Van asked her about going to bed, Cade's nipples had tightened even as she reacted in surprise.
Bosk must have read something in her expression. "Uh huh."
Face burning even hotter, Cade squirmed in embarrassment. "Besides, she's so little, I'd crush her."
The commander was smiling now, obviously enjoying her discomfort way too much. "Uh huh."
"Uther!"
Bosk laughed and held up a hand. "All right, all right. Not that I blame you, really. She is very cute."
"Very."
"She's also good for morale."
Cade froze with her mug halfway to her lips. "What do you mean?"
"Word has it she's started an illegal still on the lower deck."
"Is there any other kind?" Cade raked her fingers through already disheveled hair. "Honestly, in one day? It seems like Captain Swann deliberately does things that fly in the face of protocol. Who in their right mind thought she'd make a good commanding officer?"
"Cade, let it go and get some sleep."
Shaking her head, Cade put the mug down. Uther was right. She needed sleep and there were more important things to worry about. "It's good for crew morale, huh?"
"Yep. Seems like the crew think they're getting one over on the legendary Cade Meryan."
She smiled at Bosk and shrugged. "Fine. Leave it."
Chapter Three
VAN BUTTONED THE oversized parka and tried to ignore the slight trembling in her hands. As general military issue, the cold weather gear was pretty much one size fits all. At the moment, Van wasn't concerned about the lack of fit. Fortunately, no one else was in the loading bay to see her weakness. Just the thought of traveling back to Tokar's frozen surface brought up some very unpleasant memories, memories that had long since turned to nightmares. The terror of a repeat performance made her feel sick. She'd arrived first, but that didn't mean she was eager to join Meryan and her merry band on this mission. When the double doors parted, Van looked over her shoulder and smiled in relief.
Her executive officer met her with his typical greeting. "Miss me?"
"Not as much as you might think. Sleep well?"
"Not bad. Are you ready for this?" The look in his eye told her the question wasn't casual.
"Of course, why wouldn't I be? It's just a simple recon jaunt. Admiral Meryan says it shouldn't take more than forty-eight hours to find out if there's anything to their intelligence reports." Van suppressed the urge to continue babbling.
"Speaking of her Royal Highness, you two seem to be getting along well. I heard she was in your cabin the first night we were here."
"I'll never cease to be astounded at how fast rumor travels on a space vessel."
"So she was there."
Van frowned, not liking where this conversation was going. "It was about the mission. That's all."
"Oh come on. I saw the way you looked at her in the briefing." He waggled his eyebrows suggestively and Van couldn't help but laugh despite her nervousness.
"Not at work, you know that. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't mind finding out what's under that uniform but I don't mess with my shipmates."
Paul gave an undignified grunt. "You won't mess with a subordinate, but that doesn't mean you won't let the admiral bag you."
"Bag me? You make it sound like I'm easy."
She tried for indignant but Paul laughed. "Who are you kidding? No female is safe when you make port, Van."
"This isn't port and what's wrong with having a little fun?"
The loading bay doors opened and the rest of the team came in followed by Admiral Meryan. She really could make cold weather camouflage look good. The faux fur lined her dark hair and pale skin and her eyes glittered like a beacon. Van tore her gaze away and felt her face burn at the sight. Paul chuckled knowingly before he drifted away.
As they boarded the shuttle, Van discovered she was no longer quite as scared. Paul had his uses and one of them was being a great distraction. The jump ship lifted off and in seconds, they headed for the surface. Cade stood up to address the crew and Van couldn't help thinking about what Paul had said.
Was she really that bad?
Looking at Meryan, she had to admit he might have a point, but who in their right mind wouldn't find her attractive? The admiral was tall, lean, and muscular in all the right places. Her hair was so thick it just begged to have someone run her fingers through it. She had a presence that oozed animal magnetism and command control.
Unexpect
edly, Meryan turned and their eyes met. Van realized she had missed most of the briefing. Fortunately, her sense of recall, even when she wasn't paying attention, was pretty good. She caught only the last few words but it was enough to bluff her way through.
"The Southern Mountain range is the most hospitable area on Tokar," she said, responding to the admiral's last question. "Temperatures range from minus four Celsius in the day to around minus twenty-one at night."
"That's hospitable?" Ozal asked in disbelief. She caught Van's look of disapproval and quickly apologized for the interruption.
Hers was the only comment but Van noticed uncomfortable looks all around. Only Admiral Meryan appeared unfazed. Unusual considering Alarans had a low tolerance for temperature extremes.
Hybrid, she remembered.
"I know it sounds rough, but if there is any kind of rebel activity that's the best place for it. Drilling into the mountainside to create underground bases should be pretty easy to spot," Van added.
"Depending on when they were drilled," Byra offered.
"Or if."
The admiral sounded like she wasn't so sure any such terrorist camps existed. Van really hoped she was right. Fighting on Tokar again wasn't her idea of a good time. Meryan turned to face the teams and Van felt the loss of eye contact like a low throb. She pushed the disconcerting feelings away and concentrated on the last minute information.
"The jump ship will drop alpha team off four kilometers from the eastern edge of the Southern Mountains. I'll lead that team. Commander Byra, Lieutenant Argante, Ensigns Jameson and Sanders are with me along with security team one.
"Captain Swann will lead beta team with Commander Bosk, Lieutenant Commander Ozal, and Lieutenant Yugi. Security team two will accompany them. Beta team will lead off from the north side of the mountains. That should prevent any crossfire problems between the two parties if we encounter any resistance. Questions?"
There weren't any.
"Helm to Admiral Meryan." The communiqué came from the ship's internal public address system.
"Go ahead, Ensign."
Destination Alara Page 3
