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  Duvall nodded while the blond-haired man, Grayson, watched him in silence, taking in every aspect of the conversation as if scoring the emotional response of each participant.

  Chowd looked toward his uncle, who also watched silently. He knew he had to make his own way, but something inside him ached. Perhaps it was his humanity, the one his mother had nurtured. Why can’t anyone accept me at face value? He already knew the answer to that question. They were at war. No matter that a fragile ceasefire between humanity and the Ru’Edan was in place. Until his father was brought to account for his crimes, nothing could be simple for him. And even then, simple was highly unlikely.

  “Welcome aboard then.” Duvall McCord smiled, his face softening from the tight mask as he offered a hand. “I had to be sure myself before we gave you a chance.”

  Chowd looked at him, uncomfortably aware he had passed some kind of unwritten test. He felt something unfurl inside him. He shook the hand Duvall extended.

  “Welcome to the Star of Ishtar,” Duvall said.

  Chapter 1

  The ship was silent as Chowd brought up his personnel files. “Show the senior crew of the Elector and their partners.” He picked up his coffee, a beverage he preferred to most alcoholic drinks available, and took a long, slow draught, savoring the taste of the hot, bitter brew.

  Aching tiredness pulled at him while his eyes burned, but he pushed aside his discomfort. He needed the memory of why they had come here, why he fought what some would say wasn’t his battle.

  In the last few years so many changes had taken place, both for himself and on the Elector. Members of the crew had come together, first in the knowledge that the Elector had become the first of her kind then tested in the heat of battle. The successes of the new stealth ship had given the Admiralty hope that one day they would overcome the scourge of the Ru’Edan rogues and, even more importantly, Crick Sur Banden.

  “I can only hope so,” Chowd muttered.

  Since the day the ceasefire had come into existence, the Earth Admiralty had worked tirelessly to find the one person who continued his private war against humanity. The Ru’Edanians had a similar mission, though neither had shown signs of working in harmony with the other, so each found their own way to undertake the task.

  “Damned fools.” He scanned the journal entry file he had on the screen alongside the personnel files.

  The problems remained. Neither race could find political gain in forgiveness, resulting in unsuccessful peace negotiations following the ceasefire. Many privately agreed that the capture and defeat of Crick Sur Banden would go a long way to healing the rift that continued to exist between them. It hadn’t happened yet.

  The Admiralty had taken a chance, placing a new captain in charge of their greatest weapon to date, yet Duvall McCord had pulled together a crew, consisting mainly of those he trusted and knew and others with links to his senior staff. Duvall’s second, a long-term friend, had also committed to the cause whole-heartedly. With Grayson Myatt had come the amazingly talented Elara Sudonne, his chosen life partner and a more-than-capable SurgiTech.

  On their first major mission together, involving traveling through the time portal to Earth’s distant past, the crew had expanded when Duvall had saved and fallen in love with Mellissa—a woman from the past, yet she’d settled in quickly and held the post of researcher aboard the ship. As with the other members of the senior crew, she’d become important to Chowd, and he had added her to his circle of family. They’d nearly lost her in the skirmish against the insurgent Corbin Jard, and as a result of his untimely death, they’d added Raven Fraser to their crew.

  Raven. He smiled, thinking of the charismatic man. Chowd found him easy to work with, watching as he fought with the ghost of Jard’s damage to the Elector.

  The Elector had traveled back to the past once more, bringing with them a number of prisoners as well as the beautiful, but damaged, Jemma Cardnew. When her picture appeared on the screen, he let loose a laugh as he recalled the uproar she’d caused with her wild and unpredictable ways, but now she was a valued member of the crew. His mirth died away as the memories flowed.

  “Jemma, such a sad, young woman you were, but not anymore.”

  Chowd knew of the stress these crew additions added to Duvall’s worries, but he applauded the man. He made life-and-death decisions, and his intent with saving Jemma from what would have resulted in certain death, had been morally right. Once returned to their own time, the Admiralty had placed her in the academy for her own safety, and Raven had taken on the thankless task of protecting her—at least until she’d entered the combat pilot program. Chowd snorted at the memory of the faces of Raven, Mellissa, and Duvall on hearing the news. But she’d proven herself time after time.

  With Jemma, he felt a kinship he’d experienced with no one else aboard the Elector. Her difficulty integrating and her damaged psyche emphasized for her that she didn’t belong in either the past or the future, something she and Raven were working on together with help from Elara. It reminded Chowd how he didn’t belong with either humans or the Ru’Edan. Until Jemma had come to terms with her chances and choices and made a decision, the one where she accepted Raven, she’d fought everything and every decision taken to ensure her safety.

  He let his fingers flick to the next image, playing through the images as they scrolled across his screen. His private pleasure in the fortunes of his friends calmed him as nothing else could. He smiled, looking at an image of Jemma, taken at her graduation. Not that she knew he had it.

  Jemma had finally found her place on the Star of Ishtar, where so many of them had also begun their career with the Admiralty, and her first job as a combat pilot meant acting as escort for the Elector on the way to the Alpha Star Colony. The battle for Alpha Star Colony had only taken place days before, but it seemed like forever. Even before that, though, her presence had loomed large. Her volatile nature had meant she struggled to come to terms with her changed life.

  His friend Raven had watched Jemma for some time with an intense connection, he’d claimed. One that had slowly evolved into the promise of forever. They had almost lost Jemma when she’d put herself before them all in her attempt to save the souls on the Elector from the Phobos pirates. Chowd’s heart still thudded at the memory of Raven shouting as he sought a way to save her and his own wild effort, which had, thankfully, paid off. They’d made the colony in good time from there, and she’d once more shown her mettle in battle, saving so many, and particularly the Admiralty’s own infiltrator that the Admiral, Chowd’s uncle, had shown great concern for.

  Jemma currently resided in the SurgiTech suite, recovering from the damage a laser pistol had wrought on her body while attempting to save the man she loved, and while Chowd had protected Meredith, Duvall’s sister.

  “Another strong woman.” One who called to him like a siren of Earth’s mythological past. “Why Meredith, and why now am I so driven to be with her?”

  Barsha! Her proximity remained a distraction from his tasks. Totally unacceptable for one in his position, but now she was there, on board, helping with the ongoing decoding of messages. Duvall had indicated that she would remain with them for the foreseeable future. Chowd had a suspicion the Admiralty would soon inform them of the new mission. He sighed over the thought as his body once more produced a jaw-popping yawn and the fatigue that clawed at him called again. He fought against it, just as he always did.

  “Computer, run scans of known accomplices of Crick Sur Banden located in this system.” He sat back while information scrolled across the screen and picked up the coffee once more, frowning as he realized, for the first time, the cup and beverage had now cooled. His eyes drooped as he stared at the screen.

  * * * *

  He stank of sweat. The damp stickiness coated his skin as he shrugged out of the ship suit, letting it drop to the floor. Chowd sighed, rolling the tight muscles in his shoulders. A good workout helped, but still, he felt the coil of desire burning in the pit of hi
s stomach. Since she had come on board, it never went away.

  He snatched up the tube of water, letting the cooling stream slide down his throat, not quite quenching his thirst. His nudity didn’t worry him as he padded through the office to his sanitary unit and gave the order for the showerhead to engage at full spray, the steam rising upward as he watched. Stepping beneath the stinging, hot spray, he splayed his hands against the cool wall, feeling the flow of water down his body, and considered the latest situation.

  Crick Sur Banden had escaped in the mess of the operation on the Alpha Star Colony. They had managed to get Jemma out in time for Elara to save her, though it had been touch and go for a while. The operative—Kera—that his uncle, Admiral Gustav Elphin, had ordered them to rescue had been saved, but the mad dash for the shuttle at the end had angered him. Somehow, Crick Sur Banden had slipped through their fingers once more.

  This time they had the majority of his forces from the Alpha Star Colony base held in detention. The women they’d released had started putting the pieces of their lives together and giving information to the Admiralty officers. They’d also seized Crick Sur Banden’s tactical plans. Their location, in what the teams surmised were his private rooms, had been unsurprising in hindsight, though Chowd had thought many of the installations abandoned. After he’d joined the Admiralty, they’d sent a strike force to the locations, only to find them empty.

  “Water off,” he growled. The near loss of Jemma had worried him, reminding him that every member of the crew remained in danger. Including Meredith. Ahh...now how he wished he could continue to avoid thinking about that possible outcome.

  He breathed deeply, letting the emotions drain away, the heavy beat of his heart once more slowing to a steady life-affirming rhythm. He opened his eyes and sought the mirror. She stood behind him, waiting silently in the half-light, watching him with gleaming eyes.

  His body firmed and sizzled with pleasure, his cock erect like every time he saw her.

  Chowd turned, looking at her, watching as her gaze trailed over his nakedness. He made no move to collect the towel from the rack beside him. He knew she liked the view, as her eyes dilated with desire and her soft pants betrayed her arousal.

  “Is there something I can do for you, Meredith?”

  Her eyes glazed with passion, and he watched, fascinated, as a red flush crept up her cheeks. She licked her lips, sending a surge of awareness through his body.

  “I, um...I came to see how you were feeling.” She spoke nervously, her gaze darting here and there as if she didn’t know where to look, and he smiled, feeling triumph roar through him. He had guessed—well, rather hoped—that she too felt that quick spark of lust. His experience remained limited to vids and reading, so he hadn’t been totally sure. At least, not until now.

  She stepped forward, a shy smile appearing at the side of her mouth, and his knees trembled. Her hand reached out—

  The buzz of the alarm woke him with a jerk. His arm flew and hit the side of the desk screen with an audible thud, and his head snapped up. Barsha! He’d dreamed about her again. Chowd raised his hands from the hard surface of the desk, and he scrubbed them across his tired and aching eyes, gritty with the lack of sleep

  The buzz cut through the silence once more, and he knew it emanated from his communicator. He groped for the communicator, woken by the insistent wail. “Yeah?” he answered with a groggy voice as he willed his tired mind to respond.

  “Chowd? Are you free right now? New orders have been received and I need the command crew in my office immediately.” Duvall’s voice filled the air, the tinny value of the communicators something that continued to irk him. They could travel through space but not get the sound quality of communicators right.

  He rose slowly, feeling the ache in the muscles of his back from the cramped chair and desk where he had found himself involuntarily napping. Not to mention the ache in his arm from that sharp crack.

  “On my way.” He flipped the communicator off and moved around the desk, working to clear the fog from his mind, hoping he didn’t look like the wreck he felt. Short naps never powered him, but after thirty-nine straight hours, his body had shut down in retaliation of its abuse. Since they’d returned from the mission on Alpha Star Colony, the entire team had worked every possible hour to track the movements of Crick Sur Banden.

  His stomach rumbled, and Chowd hoped Duvall had remembered food for this meeting. His hands met the rough stubble on his cheek as he moved quietly down the corridor of the ship, passing by others moving swiftly along the metal walkway, until he came to Duvall’s door. He touched the palm reader that allowed him access.

  The long table was almost full. Raven looked with sad eyes at the empty spot next to him where Jemma usually sat. Chowd grimaced slightly, remembering the last time he’d seen her, and noticed Meredith and Elara’s absences. Silently, he moved to the seat he usually filled, lowering his body down into the welcoming cushion and resisting the urge to sigh. The softness of the gel molded around his aching body and warmed his muscles slightly.

  Duvall stood, looking as tired as the rest of the crew slouching around the silent table. “Food will be here soon. Mellissa has organized refreshments to be served after the initial briefing. For anyone who isn’t aware, Elara has released the operative—Kera Aarens—from the SurgiTech suite, and she should be boarding the freighter, the Merry Darling Girl, anytime now, carrying back information we cannot send via our usual communications channels.” He looked around the table, his gaze briefly resting on the empty seats. “I’ve been informed by Elara and Raven that Jemma is making a slow but good recovery. We expect she should be released today or tomorrow, depending on the scan results. Meredith is working on decoding the tactical plans we found on the Alpha Star Colony and is expected to join us momentarily. Elara has indicated she hopes to be here soon as well. Lastly, we’ve been informed that new orders will be received via holo-transmission and we are all required here to accept them.” Duvall finished his monologue by scooping up his coffee cup and taking a long draw.

  No one spoke as the briefly outlined information filtered through their tired brains.

  Duvall sat down heavily. Mellissa laid a soft hand on Duvall’s arm, and Chowd felt a stab of envy, a swift jab straight to the region of his heart, shocking him in its intensity. He grimaced. He focused on ignoring that abused part of his anatomy and instead looked around the table, away from the intimate tableau unfolding at the head. Grayson reclined in his seat, and Raven rubbed a shaking hand over his face, the stubble not usually associated with him standing stark against his pale skin.

  The entire team had been rocked by Jemma’s near death, she’d slowly become an integral member of the crew as well as Raven’s lover. That she’d come so close... It didn’t bear thinking about.

  The door chimed, and they all looked up. It slid open to reveal a pale and shaky Jemma, relying on Elara’s stabilizing arm. Raven half-stood, and Chowd watched, fascinated, as Elara waved him back down to his seat. Jemma advanced, dropping with a sigh into the chair, and Elara slipped around the table to seat herself beside Grayson.

  “Are you okay for this?” Raven asked in a low tone.

  Jemma nodded slowly. “Yeah, Elara released me just now, so long as I don’t do anything too energetic.” Raven opened his mouth, and Chowd grinned at Jemma’s next words. “No, it won’t push our communing ceremony back.”

  Chowd let his head turn back to the end of the table, and Duvall and Mellissa both sat smiling as the alarm for the holo-transmitter beeped with imperious ferocity.

  “Duvall. Ah, yes, I see the rest of the crew are there. Right, let’s get started. Good work on releasing Aarens. I take it you’ve expedited her transportation?” Something in his uncle’s voice had Chowd wondering about the importance of this woman. He continued watching intently for some sign confirming what he thought, but his uncle gave nothing away, so Chowd pushed the thought to the back of his head for later consideration.

 
; “Yes, sir. We have her moving onto the Merry Darling Girl. It will be meeting with a shuttle two days out from Aenna and will allow her to be back there in some four and a half weeks. Given we had no transport heading in that direction from here, it was the fastest we could arrange at short notice. However, we were able to spare a couple of long-range fighters to remain with the ship until they reach the outskirts of the galaxy, where they will join a convoy.”

  “Excellent.” Chowd’s uncle paused, rubbing a hand over his forehead. “You will send through the medical report?”

  “Admiral, I sent the required information just a few moments ago to your secure palm screen. Obviously, some information had to be withheld for privacy reasons, but I’ve included the rest in the report. It should be enough to allow you to work with her current status,” Elara responded firmly, and Chowd smiled. He could always count on her to act like the consummate professional.

  “Indeed. Thank you, Sudonne. I will peruse the report later.” The Admiral pressed a button, and an image floated over the holographic unit. “In a few hours, once the all-clear has gone out, you will be redeployed from the hunt for Crick Sur Banden to act as secure transport for the Earth ambassador to a Ru’Edan ship, which will transport him to the location of the talks. A number of your members will be required to travel with the ambassador, offering him a secure guard for the duration of his discussions. At the same time, we’re expecting the Ru’Edan ambassador to be delivered to our nearest secure facility on Paduran IV. You will offer security assistance until such time as our ambassador has concluded his talks with the ruling Senate and has been returned to the Star of Ishtar. Once that mission is completed, you will recommence your primary objective of finding Crick Sur Banden and neutralizing the threat to the Earth Empire and the peace negotiations.”