Star of the Fleet Read online

  “I don’t know why you took such a stupid risk. We could have been exposed,” the blonde said to the girl.

  “I agree. Exposure is the last thing we need at the moment,” Jerrold concurred.

  “No one was there, and I thought the time was right.” The little girl’s voice was thin as she worked to explain her reasoning, but the sneer on the blonde’s face cowed her. The girl sniveled, and tears slid down her cheeks. “I didn’t think... I mean I didn’t expect—”

  “No. There’s the problem. You weren’t thinking at all. Your ill-conceived actions put us all in jeopardy, and all the years of planning and preparations too.” She glared at the girl.

  Jerrold sat back. He didn’t find bossy women exactly stimulating, but the other girl, sitting and shrinking...yes, a piece of that would suit him fine.

  “I have nothing to say to you,” the blonde woman continued. “Wait for my summons, and do not contact me until I call for you.” Her finely manicured finger pointed at the door, and the young woman, Pamilla, left the room with a shuffle full of uncertainty.

  He continued to wait. There was more to come. He felt the knowing all the way to his bones.

  “That last transmission named her directly. She’s no longer an asset to our plans. You need to neutralize her and the threat she poses to our operations. Not tonight though. Tomorrow.” She nodded as if carrying on a private conversation in her head. “Contact me when the next communiqué arrives.” The blonde stood, shaking out her skirt as if dislodging any dirt that may have amassed on it—from simply being in his apartment—before leaving.

  As the door shut behind her, he started to mutter. “Too high and mighty by far. No, that little piece of ass is more my style. Perhaps I should give her a little prod before I am done.”

  But now he was hard and ready, exhilarated as he released his turgid length from the confinement of his pants. The pleasure of his plans spiked through his system once more as he started rubbing.

  * * * *

  Morning came too quickly, and Kera rose from the bed, seeing the abandoned wine glass on the bedside table. She stretched without feeling any benefit from the small amount of sleep she had finally managed. She rooted through the pile of clothes Daviston had grabbed from her apartment and grimaced at the tiredness that dogged her every move. A quick shower would help, she thought, before getting back to work.

  Kera stripped quickly, dropping her nightclothes onto the soft coverlet before heading to the bathroom, the cool air playing over her nude body.

  The mirror hung on the wall, and she looked at herself dispassionately. There was some scarring over her torso, but her breasts were still firm and high. Undamaged too, she was pleased to see. She turned her back and glanced over her shoulder. Gustav hadn’t found the scars on her back when he’d touched her skin, and she wondered how he would react to the sight. “Kera, it’s foolish even concerning yourself with those kinds of thoughts.”

  She climbed into the shower stall and gave the directions for a warm shower, hoping the water would let her shrug off the last of the ‘morning after the night before’ miasma. She soaped quickly. The soft touch of her hands over her body and the sluice of the water over naked skin made her tingle. Since coming back here and seeing Gustav, she had been in a constant state of arousal. And it was quite disconcerting.

  Giving the command for the water to shut off, Kera stepped out and toweled herself dry. Pulling on her clothes, she turned up the collar on her black suit and tamed her hair into her usual efficient bun. Fastening the thick tresses into place with a small clip.

  She grabbed her black, leather pistol holster and communicator and hunted around for the scuffed, black boots. She spied them in the corner and was getting down on one knee to pull them up when her communicator squawked.

  “Aarens.”

  “Commander? Are you on your way? The team is already assembled and waiting.”

  She swore in every language she knew. “Yeah. Just grabbing some things and I’ll be on my way.” She stuffed her feet into her boots and headed out the door. “Gustav?” she called, and he popped his head out from the kitchen.

  “What?” In his hand was a nutrition bar. She plucked it away with a grunt and took a bite.

  “I gotta head out. The team is waiting for me. Your security detail will escort you to your office and remain with you. I’m grabbing Venturs now to go with me.” She was uncomfortably aware of his gaze on her.

  “Take care, Kera.” His voice was gruff. Grabbing her, he dropped a quick kiss on her lips before letting her go. “You’d better get a move on.”

  Flustered, she backed away. “I’ll catch up with you later,” she said, turning for the door. Outside she shook her head then pinned the waiting security officer. “Venturs, with me.”

  She took off jogging down the stairs and out of the building, ignoring the people who moved out of her way.

  “The team is already gathered, so we should be able to get straight to it,” she said.

  The office suite lay ahead, and they hurried through the maze until reaching the conference room. They quickly snatched up the body armor an officer held out to them.

  “Commander. I have a team in place who will enter Trillo’s apartment, another will make their way to the reception area, and smaller teams in her usual haunts. I believe, based on her patterns of behavior, we’ll find her still in the apartment preparing for the day. We have added extra members for that detail.”

  Kera nodded to the officer running through the plans in a calm and unhurried manner. This was a good crew, and she was happy to leave them in charge for the most part.

  The personal aspect to this case made her determined to be present at the arrest, even if she didn’t participate. Kera expected her men to banter as they had done before, but today they prepared mutely, pulling on body armor and safety helmets. The teams broke up and headed to their designated points, and Kera trailed Daviston to the door, pushing on her helmet.

  “Commander, I take it you mean to be there at the apartment?”

  Kera nodded to Daviston, who shrugged and pulled on her own equipment. “Daviston, you’re in charge. I just need to—”

  Daviston laid a hand on her arm. “I understand, Commander.

  They swung out the door together, and she noted the team carried laser pistols and stun grenades. Kera quirked an eye at having grenades on a space port but said nothing. Daviston would run this operation in whichever way she deemed appropriate.

  Filing in behind, they jogged toward Trillo’s apartment building, moving in silence toward the sixth door on the third floor. Members cut off the access to stairwells, and another ran a security override on the lift beside her. Her heart rate increased as, without a word, the team surged forward, demanding access. They overrode the door commands and gained entry into the dim interior of the small apartment.

  The officers, laser pistols in hand, cleared the rooms with shouts until they reached what she imagined was the bedroom. Commands of “Get down!” filled the air. Kera moved forward into the small abode to see Trillo in uniform lying on the floor. Her long, brown hair fanned the ground around her, but she didn’t say anything, just lay there scowling.

  “Get her to the secure processing unit. We’ll be there shortly,” Daviston’s voice cut through the air.

  Three security officers flanked the woman, marching her quickly out the door, her wrists bound with sonic cuffs. The rest of the team began to turn the apartment upside down, looking for evidence of her involvement and her co-conspirators.

  * * * *

  Kera watched the interrogation on the closed monitor system in her office. She wouldn’t get in the way. Daviston was running an excellent line of questioning, as Trillo, not so smug now, looked limp and exhausted. She also looked more than a little fearful, which Kera found interesting. So far, all they’d retrieved was the name of a low-level drone, although she was sure there were others on the base. Any unnamed plot members were in better positions to cre
ate havoc and the potential to destroy the base on Aenna. The cup of coffee in her hand had turned cold, and Kera pushed it aside.

  A young ensign appeared at her elbow. “Ma’am? El Jarad sent me to tell you we have a problem.”

  She closed her eyes. When don’t we have a problem these days? “What now?” Kera couldn’t keep her frustration from her voice.

  “Umm, Commander El Jarad told me to tell you your gut instincts were correct.”

  That information was another blow. Someone had been monitoring the computer systems. “Barsha!” The word erupted from her as she rose, stalking past the young man.

  This was the final straw. Monitoring their communications systems meant the infiltrators had the knowledge, all the way along, of what was going on in the security corps. At least they’d set up a network of desk screens off the Ultranet. Thank the stars for her planning and cynicism.

  She reached El Jarad in his office, and he smiled. This time she considered the jagged teeth and the agitated movements of his tentacles. “You were right, Commander. I managed to find the worm-file here.” Taps from his gnarled fingers showed the offending file.

  “Have you pinpointed the origin of the file?” She bent closer to the screen, looking at the changing face of the data, the sending and receiving of information through the system.

  “Not yet, but if I were to bet, there is someone with both access to the high-level files and the knowledge to build the worms involved. Has Trillo named anyone?”

  She nodded absently, still studying the screen. “Yeah, a low-level drone. Jerrold Rolls. Works in the main hangar bay. I’m planning to run a cross-reference on his file, but the team is heading out to pick him up soon. There’s enough information so he can’t wiggle out of the charges. But we need to take him within his apartment so we don’t create the mass hysteria the news of the infiltration could cause.”

  “Ah, if only you were Estvanian. I would take you for my Alpha-mate.” He grinned once more, delivering the line she knew he tried on every male and female in the unit. “We Estvanians enjoy our mates to be skilled at reading others.”

  “Alas, for my pains, I’m but a humble human.” She smiled at him. “Great work, El Jarad. Keep me apprised of any further findings.”

  Kera stood, making her way back to the interrogation room, watching through the viewing portal for a time before heading back to her office. She needed to meet with Gustav and let him know the outcomes and developments in the case. Now that they had definitive knowledge of the holes in the systems, they would need to plan a way to plug them from the inside.

  This sort of information she should deliver personally, she told herself before snorting. That was only half the story. From this point on, she needed to ensure that everyone working the case avoided the Ultranet and potentially the communicator systems.

  She addressed the guard on duty. “Let Daviston know I’m meeting the admiral, if she’s looking for me.”

  The guard she’d personally chosen for herself shadowed her back to the office while she grabbed the prints and palm-screen. At the door, she stopped at her assistant’s desk. “Eve, we’re heading to the admiral’s office. Daviston knows and so do you. It’s not for general knowledge though.”

  She moved swiftly toward Gustav’s office, wondering impatiently if Marina was still working there.

  A number of journalists waited in the reception unit. Voices sang out with queries regarding the arrest of Trillo, but she refused to answer any questions. Kera pushed her way through the throng. One of the journalists got too close, and she nearly lost her pile of prints. She gritted her teeth and kept going, but something in the back of her mind worried her about the sudden appearance of journalists on Aenna. How had they known?

  Kera entered the quiet corridor and headed toward his door. She waved her ID over the viewer, and the door slid open easily. As before, Allison and Marina sat in the office. She groaned at finding the woman there. Damn! She’s still a thorn in my side!

  “Allison, I’m here to meet with the admiral. I need about half an hour of his time.”

  Allison had no time to answer as Marina launched a verbal attack. “You want to see the admiral, do you? Right, and it’s about the case? Yeah, you just want to jump him, that’s all. But you can’t. He was mine first.” The woman bared her teeth, lunging around the desk, and Allison quickly moved out of the way of the jealous blonde.

  Kera’s guard moved forward, but she thrust the prints into his hand. “Stay out of the way and look after my files.”

  She would show Marina once and for all that she was sick of histrionics and petty jealousy. Of the childish silent treatment and total lack of respect. Not to mention that she was challenging a senior officer.

  Kera rolled up her sleeves. “Fine, you want a piece of me? Come on, try it. I’ve had enough of your time-wasting, stupid stunts.” Kera took a stand, legs slightly apart, and clenched her fists.

  Marina’s eyes widened, and her mouth opened, but apparently she had lost the power of speech. Clearly no one had ever stood up to her like this, Kera thought smugly.

  “Now, let me tell you something, Marina. I’m here in pursuit of my duty as the commander of security. I have no tolerance for vacuous, jealous women like you. Neither does the admiral. You couldn’t catch him because you don’t have enough class, and you sure as hell aren’t woman enough to keep him.” Kera stepped back, observing the guard watching with a huge grin on his face. “Get her out of here. I’ll let you know when I’m ready to leave.”

  She turned and stopped, shocked to find Gustav lounging against the doorway with his arms crossed, a small smile on his face.

  “That show was quite entertaining.” He glanced at her.

  “Yeah, well, sometimes you’ve just got to deal. Now, I need to update you. Are you free?” She brushed away the stray hairs which had escaped the bun.

  “For you? Always.” He smiled again, and her traitorous heart skipped a beat as she preceded him into his office.

  Chapter 11

  Kera sat down with a groan, waiting for the hail telling her the time had come to get Jerrold Rolls. Information continued to scroll across her palm screen. She would be pleased when they finished dealing with the mess. Kera brushed a stray hair aside as Gustav walked into her office.

  “Tired?” he asked.

  “I’ve been more awake, to tell the truth. It seems like security has remained busy since I arrived.” She shrugged. “You don’t really want to come with us when we apprehend Jerrold Rolls, do you? I’d prefer you stayed in your office under guard.”

  “No, I’m coming. Do you know, I don’t even remember him? I couldn’t have picked him out of a line-up until you showed me his ID image and file.” He shrugged, frowning at her. “I read through the report you prepared and don’t even recall the incidents. They were among so many I dealt with on the Ishtar, yet from what you’ve concluded it had such a significant impact on his life.”

  He sat down in the chair opposite her, seeming a little haunted.

  “I made a few mistakes that have taken years to come back and haunt me, and this is one. But the worst was the one I made with you.”

  His sad eyes and words tore at her, but now wasn’t the time to discuss their situation. Instead, she reached out to grasp his hand, offering support, and was surprised when he held on.

  “You know that, don’t you? I never meant to hurt you. I wanted you…dammit, I still want you. The hunger never goes away, Kera. Tell me you understand.”

  “Yeah, I do. Now isn’t the time to talk about it, and there isn’t a lot of privacy here. We should discuss this somewhere quiet and uninterrupted.” She smiled, hoping to soften her words. He returned the look, and the tension in her muscles started ebbing away.

  Kera returned her attention to the palm screen as the hail came. “Okay, we have to move. Gustav, remain with your guard at all times. Take no chances and follow every instruction given by my people. Stay safe, otherwise I’ll kick you from h
ere to Earth and back.” Kera stood up and watched quietly as he smiled and rose from his seat.

  “Yes, Mother!” He laughed it off, but she felt uncomfortable having him along.

  She slung body armor toward him, which he caught deftly. Kera reached for her own, shrugging it on, all the while watching him. She checked her laser pistol and holstered her laser sword as well before walking over and checking to make sure his armor was on correctly. He quirked an eyebrow at her sword, and she shrugged. “I don’t like being without it.”

  Kera led the way toward the assembled team and ensured Gustav remained in the middle as they hurried carefully up the tunnel to the apartments where Jerrold Rolls lived.

  “Our operatives observed him entering ten minutes or so ago, and he hasn’t exited yet. We believe he might be expecting another communiqué tonight or tomorrow, so we doubt he’ll be leaving,” Daviston said quietly. “This needs to be as clean as possible. With the admiral here, there can be no mistakes, otherwise we could end up with a dead top man.”

  Not going to happen. No way would Gustav face injury, even if she had to defend him personally. She would take a bullet for him.

  They entered the building quietly, looking for civilians and the uninvolved. A couple waited, open-mouthed, before one of the officers led them away to a safe point.

  Several heavily armed officers peeled off to guard the stairs while another disconnected the lifts in silence. Quietly, they trooped up the stairs, brushing the walls as they went, attempting to blend in as much as they could with the dark, shadowy doorways. First floor, second, and finally the third. Each officer prepared themselves, and Kera waited as they moved into position outside the doors and in the hallway.

  Looking over her shoulder, Kera checked that Gustav was covered. The door behind him opened and a woman emerged, her face angry, and Kera knew what was about to happen. Damn! What part does she play in this plot? Seeing the laser pistol lifting and the stream of light emerging from its dark muzzle, Kera launched forward. A guard took the full shot to the leg and went down hard. Yelling and screaming filled the hall, and she heard Daviston give the command to move.