"You don't think the brass assigned us to the outer perimeter of the Andromeda system as a way to keep me out of trouble, do you?"
Van had picked right back up on their previous conversation. Apparently she didn't have a problem having her atoms scrambled and reassembled by a technology that was still in its infancy.
"I'm sure that's not it."
They fell into an easy silence as they walked down a long corridor to docking port twenty-seven. Through the transparent gallium windows lining the walkway, both got a good look at the new vessel long before they were in range to board. Composed of tritanium alloy, the ship gleamed like a new gem in the backdrop of space. Three hundred and forty-four meters long, Pandora boasted ten decks. She carried the usual ram-jet fusion engines and laser cannons, but she'd been equipped with new antimatter torpedoes. The Coalition had seen fit to equip this latest Nebula-class ship with a small transition system of its own, trying the technology for the first time on a moving vessel. Cade hoped they wouldn't have to try it out.
"We'll only have a skeleton crew for this initial trip to Psmanth, Admiral. I'll pick up the rest of my people when we reach headquarters."
Cade didn't remark on the lapse back into military jargon. "Just make sure you keep her at sublight. We want to break the engines in nice and easy."
The fusion engines weren't necessary inside the planetary system, reserved usually for much longer jumps such as their previous mission into Gothoan space. Her cautionary words did little to erase the smile from Van's lips.
"Right. I can't wait to see what this baby can do."
Chapter Thirteen
VAN TIDIED UP her desk for the second time and then swiveled her chair around to look out at the familiar star field. In the distance, she could see Alara's second and largest moon. She'd finished all the paperwork required for a ship's first successful launch and sent it off in a data-burst to Coalition headquarters. After that, she'd tackled crew status report updates and filed them in each member's service jacket. The updates weren't really due yet and consisted merely of minor comments on each person's performance during her last command. That she took her responsibilities seriously in that regard was secondary to providing her an opportunity to avoid Admiral Meryan.
She couldn't figure out what was going on with Cade, but she was definitely acting out of character and it made Van nervous. No one called a member of any royal family by their given name. You addressed them either by their military title or by their honorific. Then there was the question Cade had asked just before transport to the orbiting shipyard.
Van thought she had swallowed her own tongue when Cade asked what her unofficial orders were. Did she suspect Van was more than the typical Coalition captain? But how could she? Who would tell Admiral Meryan that Van was a member of Sector Intelligence?
Anyone trying to cull favors from her.
Standing, she walked over to the thick portals, not really seeing the stars anymore. Van crossed her arms and leaned one shoulder against the bulkhead. She didn't believe that was the answer. Cade didn't seem suspicious...merely lonely. Since that one incident on Tokar, she appeared to be reaching out to Van in an ever-increasing personal way.
Van couldn't deny that she found Cade appealing. It was so easy to look in her dark eyes and just forget about everything else. She had a way of making Van feel like she was the only person in the universe. That was what made her so scary and alluring at the same time. Sighing dramatically, Van pushed away from the wall and left the sanctuary of her office for the bridge. She couldn't avoid Cade forever.
"Captain on the bridge," a young female voice shouted, startling Van.
"As you were, as you were." She frowned and took the captain's seat between Cade and Commander Byra. These techies were already annoying. At least she only had to put up with them for a few days.
"What do you think of her so far?" Van asked her executive officer.
"She's great, fast and light and armed to the teeth for such a small ship."
"Let's just hope we don't have to put any of those armaments to the test," Cade interjected.
Van nodded her agreement. "I'm with you there, Admiral, though there are some tests I'd like to run in the next few days."
"Such as?"
"This new portable transition system. I think we should try it out in a controlled situation before we're forced to do so in an emergency."
"Good idea," Commander Byra said. "As soon as we get the regular crew on board, we should probably set up battle drills too."
"Draw up a schedule and I'll look at it. What about you, Admiral? Anything you'd like to add?"
Cade shrugged. "I'm just a passenger on your maiden voyage, Captain. My status here is as a civilian. Run all the simulations you want as long as we reach Psmanth in five days."
Van dipped her head in what she hoped was a successful manner. Then she made her first bid to avoid spending too much solitary time with Cade. "We should pass Hokar's belt in a few hours. That'll be a perfect spot to try transferring an empty canister to one of the asteroids and back."
The planet was independent of all others in the system and had no interest in the small asteroid cluster near its outer reach. Performing the tests wouldn't infringe on their territory.
"Fine with me." Cade stood and stretched her back a little and Van tried not to notice how the move thrust her chest forward. "Just make sure you're not late for lunch, Captain. I had the royal cook send along some very nice provisions for everyone to enjoy during our trip. Short of an explosion or unexpected attack, I'll see you in my quarters at thirteen hundred hours."
Van could practically feel Paul's grin, but kept her eyes on Cade. "Understood, Princess Meryan."
Her eyes narrowed, letting Van know Cade had noticed the intended insult. She turned and left the bridge and Van relaxed the breath she'd been holding. She wanted to vent her frustration, but Paul had already focused on his duties and it wouldn't be appropriate in front of the technical crews.
"Ensign Chang, how long before we reach Hokar's Belt?"
A brief pause ensued before the woman answered. "At current speed, we should arrive in four hours and twenty-six minutes."
"See," Paul said helpfully. "You have plenty of time for lunch. We won't even arrive until fourteen-thirty."
"Thank you so much for that insightful observation." Van couldn't stand it anymore. She needed time to think. "I'll be in my office. Call me if anything remotely interesting happens."
As soon as the doors closed behind her, she lightly banged her forehead on the wall. Cade wasn't helping her to keep an emotional distance by forcing them to spend time together. Van realized there was no way Cade could know how she felt, but she still irrationally blamed her for making this so hard. In the past, it had never been a problem. Abandoned at such a young age, not even a year old, she'd grown up unable to rely on or become dependent upon anyone. Lovers in her life were non-existent though she'd enjoyed countless one-night stands and temporary liaisons. Cade threatened to upset all of that. She broke through chinks in her armor Van didn't even know were there and she refused to give Cade that kind of power.
She wanted to think it was different this time, that Cade might be someone she could count on not to abandon her if things got a little tough. As appealing as the thought was, Van pushed it away. If nothing else, Cade would be a distraction. This region was far from settled, what with Gothoan invaders on the horizon, and Van couldn't afford to lose her edge. Though the argument made sense in her head, she knew it was only an excuse. The simple truth was that she was afraid.
Finally, she needed to focus on something other than a non-existent and ill-advised relationship with Cade Meryan. Running a brand new vessel provided an abundance of diversions. Van needed to go over system function reports, work out crew accommodations and memorize every inch of Pandora down to the last rivet. Experience had taught her that often times the smallest detail could save a person's life. For all the centuries spent exploring space
, it remained a dangerous place where the slightest error could result in catastrophe.
Pulling up the computer files for Pandora, she lost herself in the specs. She discovered the ship's small hangar bay carried four shuttles and a personal captain's vessel to boot. The shuttles weren't fighters by any means, intended for short distance space or atmospheric surveys and investigations. Pandora wasn't equipped with fighters at all, but made up for it in her armaments. Van considered the captain's cruiser, Prometheus, more than an adequate trade-off.
She shut down the display and headed for the door. Paul grinned when he noticed her excitement. "It's still a little early for lunch."
"Shut up," she said, returning his smile. "Did you know this tub has its very own captain's shuttle?"
"You're kidding. Can I come with you to look at her?"
He'd already braced his hands on the arms of the chair, preparing to stand, but she had to disappoint him. "Sorry, not this time. Nothing personal, but I'd like to check her out on my own."
His smile never wavered as he sat back down. "Pee in the corners, mark your territory?"
"Yeah, something like that."
"No problem, I understand. Have you decided about crew quarters yet, deck three or four?"
"There are some pretty nice cabins on both, but I'd like to keep the two larger quarters on deck four for VIPs. I put Admiral Meryan in one of those."
"I take it you're going to put the balance of the crew on the same deck?"
"You know me too well. The techies can bunk down on deck four as well, until we reach Psmanth. I claim the largest cabin on deck three and I'd like you on the same level. You can choose from among any of the others and I'll assign senior staff to the rest."
Van didn't volunteer that she'd deliberately chosen to house Cade as far from her quarters as possible and Paul didn't ask. The captain's cabin was the largest on the ship and easily three times the size of her old quarters aboard Falcon. She felt a little uncomfortable about claiming them, unaccustomed to such luxury, but that was captain's prerogative.
"Understood. Enjoy your tour."
Taking the lift from the bridge on deck two in route to the hangar bay, Van stopped on every level, checking not only crew quarters but also the maintenance shafts and alcoves. On deck five, the arboretum proved fascinating and she wondered that the ship's designers would think to include one at all. Perhaps someone finally understood the need to feel connected to a real planet during a long space mission. The small trees and the feel of real grass under her feet provided that sensation without the need to stop and take shore leave. Van discovered a small babbling brook among the grass and stones, possible with the aid of sublevel current generation technology and a large water containment tank.
Prometheus eventually lured her away from the setting and she bypassed the rest of the tour for later, directing the lift to deck ten. It seemed to take forever to travel through the remainder of the ship, but when the doors finally parted, it proved to be worth the wait. The captain's shuttle took up the far side of the hangar bay and with no one else around, Van took her time appreciating the exterior lines. It was larger than expected, though the schematics told her the shuttle was fifty feet long and almost thirty high. The bottom rested flat against the deck plating because it came equipped with one thruster engine on each side that folded down into position. The rounded nose allowed for aerodynamics, the top tapered upward and then around toward the rear. The design engineer chose to add twin tail fins. The fins gave it a menacing look that she appreciated.
Though assigned to the ship itself, the cruiser felt like a personal gift and her heart thudded in anticipation of seeing the inside. Van crossed the deck and stood at the hatch, figuring out how to open the craft. She spotted a flat panel on the exterior and placed her hand against it. A green light flashed and she heard a beep before the hatch folded upward and into a recessed pocket.
"Cool."
Van stepped inside, awed by the gleaming new instrument panels and plush pilot seats. Most shuttles or captain's yachts automatically made her want to duck, instinctively protecting her from bashing her head against the ceiling. Not this one. The design proved open and roomy, with plenty of height for even the tallest crew member. Apparently, Coalition engineering had finally realized that not all humanoids were vertically challenged and they accounted for it with the new design. For a long while, she walked throughout the main cabin touching the new upholstery and feeling the thick padding under her feet, looking out the smaller portals cut into the sides.
Distracted in her world of discovery, Van lost track of time while she investigated every nook and cranny of the small vessel. She felt like she'd barely scratched the surface and was shocked when the overhead communications system activated.
"Admiral Meryan to Captain Swann."
Van flinched and checked her wrist chronometer. Somehow, she'd lost two hours. "Swann here."
"You're late, Captain. I hope you have a very good excuse."
Crap. "I'm on my way now, Admiral."
Chapter Fourteen
VAN SAT BACK and looked across the table at her companion. For whatever reason, Cade hadn't really commented on her tardiness other than to say it better not happen again. Conversation so far had been light, but Van was hyper-aware of every word spoken between them and Cade's unconscious gestures. Now that she'd gotten to know her a little better, Van realized how soft-spoken and thoughtful the princess was most of the time. It made the occasions when she lost her temper all the more impressive because of their rarity.
They shared a small table in the largest of the VIP quarters on deck four and Van noticed that all the rooms had a similar layout. Not surprising considering they were aboard a starship, but she wished the designers could use a little more ingenuity in the separate living cabins. Still, the simple meal in an erstwhile unimaginative space seemed intimate. Lingering looks with little conversation made the tension between them palpable until Cade broached a topic Van enjoyed.
"What do you think of your new ship, Vanessa?"
It caught her a little off guard for Cade to address her so informally and no one utilized her whole name. "I have to admit, it's pretty impressive. I decided to explore after you left the bridge, which is why I lost track of time. I was in the hangar bay."
Cade flashed a smile that turned her insides to jelly. "You found the captain's yacht."
Lunch forgotten, Van leaned across the table. "She's small enough for one person to operate, but still fully equipped. You could shuttle half the crew to the surface of a planet if you had to, it functions atmospherically as well as in space. Did you know it even has a cargo hold and an escape pod and has room for torpedoes and laser cannons?"
"I'm pleased the designers incorporated some of my suggestions into the vessel." Cade sounded a little surprised.
She wasn't the only one. "Your suggestions?" Van felt a little silly for not realizing the crown princess of Alara probably had her fingers in every aspect of Coalition business. Considering she was both military and royalty, it made sense the various departments would ask her opinion on a host of subjects.
"Yes, from what I understand, the design team sent out feelers to all Coalition Commanders. They figured people who'd been in the trenches would know what equipment they needed in any unexpected circumstances."
"That's unexpected," Van admitted. "Have you already seen the yacht, then?"
Cade shook her head. "Only on paper. Maybe you could show it to me in the next few days, just the two of us?"
Something in her voice told Van there was more to the question than a casual request for a tour. She detected a light flush on Cade's cheeks and her eyes glittered with an intense expression she couldn't mistake. Coupled with the obvious interest, she detected a bit of nervousness, illustrated by the fact that Cade had hardly touched her food. Strangely, the fact that Cade was uncomfortable made her own tension vanish. Tenderness replaced it, along with another sensation she couldn't name. Van sensed the ex
act moment her carefully erected shield cracked, but for once chose not to resist.
"I'd like that."
Cade reached across to squeeze her hand and Van never flinched. If asked later, she couldn't have said what might have happened had Commander Byra not interrupted.
"Bridge to Captain Swann. We've arrived at the asteroid field."
She held Cade's gaze. "Understood, I'm on the way." Once the connection terminated she said, "I'm sorry, but I have to go."
Van realized she truly meant it. Before arriving, she dreaded spending time alone with Cade yet now she wanted nothing more than to stay.
She felt a little breathless with anticipation even after arriving on the bridge. Finding it difficult to concentrate, all she could see was Cade's perfect smile and the promise in those dark eyes. She longed to skim her fingertips over satiny skin, to take her time touching and memorizing the lean, strong body. The hurried groping of their previous time together hardly counted as far as she was concerned and the intensity of her longing stunned her. She wanted to see where things might lead and, for once, didn't feel the need to run.
"Captain?"
"What?"
She had the impression Paul had asked an important question. All eyes rested on her, awaiting her next command and a few people looked a little concerned. Van pushed her amorous thoughts away, not about to admit to woolgathering.
"I said the container is in place. The transition matrix tech is standing by for your command."
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