Read Online Edge of Redemption (A Star Too Far Book 3) by Casey Calouette - Free Book Online

smiled back weakly. “Cordova Wile Bonaparte,” she said.
    Captain Grace nodded to the Marines. “Shall we dine?”
    Emilie admired the plates before her. “Are they originals?” she asked, knowing they weren’t.
    “No, be a bloody million for that,” the other woman said in an accent of cultured English.
    “They are still quite exquisite,” Emilie said, gently setting the plates down. Both of the women smiled and the tension slid away in the room. They might only be corporate pilots, she thought, but they still took pride in the ship.
    “What sends you to Winterthur, Ms. Rose?” Cordova asked.
    She was expecting the question, and decided to respond with the simplest answer: the truth. “I purchased all of the Core assets in that sector.”
    The silence in the room leveled the immensity of the purchase.
    She expected that, too. A slight smile, some charm, then she’d have them. “Core is pulling back at the moment, so I saw an opportunity.”
    Cordova tapped the table. “Why would one ever want to retreat to that icy world? Not even a proper pub in the whole city.”
    Emilie smiled politely and glanced at Captain Grace. “It’s where I grew up. How about you Cordova? Where are you from?”
    “New Kingston, Royale Proper.”
    “Ahh, a fine town I’ve heard. Amazing bakeries, yes?” Emilie looked over to Captain Grace. “And you, Captain?”
    Captain Grace stared at the empty plate and glanced at the Marines. His delay was just long enough that she thought about asking again, in case he missed the question.
    “Farshore, though I was raised in Montreal.”
    Mustafa and the pilots exchanged glances and watched Captain Grace as if he was a unique animal.
    “Interesting,” Emilie whispered.
    Captain Grace smiled weakly. No one seemed to have anything to add. The guests took a moment, shifted in their chairs, and relaxed.
    Captain Grace focused on the Marines. “The cuisine tonight is Serbian. Please do enjoy.”
    The Marines descended upon the table with a culture and grace that seemed at odds with the gruff faces and rough demeanor. They looked more like chefs from a prison kitchen than serving haute cuisine. Emilie admired the plating, not top notch, but good enough to get them a line job in Chicago.
    “So tell me, Captain, what do you know of Winterthur?” Emilie asked.
    Captain Grace looked up from his food and finished chewing. “Precious little, what my charts tell me and little more. Well established industry, good sized colony, on the edge to nowhere. We don’t plan on stopping.”
    “So it is true, we’ll have no garrison?”
    Captain Grace wiped his mouth and leaned his elbows onto the table. “That will pass to the colony to administer.”
    Emilie felt her pulse rising. She’d have possession of the only ship with a gun. That, all by itself, would be priceless. A nice cushy contract. Her eyes caught Mustafa’s, who had already picked up on it.
    “We’ll be in system as long as it takes for this transport to get loaded, the Grouper to offload, and for us to inspect some assets,” Captain Grace said, plucking a garlic clove from inside an ivory white dinner roll.
    “ Grouper ?” Mustafa asked, a mouthful of orange noodles slapping on his chin.
    Captain Grace elbowed the young officer sitting next to him.
    “The uh, freighter with us, the old one, sir,” Midshipman Bryce said.
    “They are not dining with us?” Mustafa asked.
    “The airlock design on the freighter will not couple to this modern of a ship,” Midshipman Bryce said.
    “Unfortunate, I’d like to see who flies a museum.”
    Captain Grace swallowed and took a swig of blood red wine. “This is Midshipman Bryce. In case you can’t tell from the complexion, he was blessed to be born on Haven.”
    Emilie could see the look in the Midshipman. “How is Haven these days, Mr. Bryce?”
    Bryce smiled. “Nice, ma’am.”
    Captain Grace nodded to the Midshipman.
    Emilie could see that the pilots were already itching to be