Read Online Rumors of Glory (The System States Rebellion Book 1) by Dietmar Wehr - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Dietmar Wehr
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vulnerable
interior spaces.
Whatever damage the first five did, did not prevent that
lead ship from entering hyperspace as soon as it crossed the hyper-zone
boundary.
It took almost two days for rescue shuttles to dock with
the coasting wrecks. The one hit by the 10 KE missiles was so badly torn up
that the rescue shuttle couldn’t dock at all. The other shuttle found half a
dozen injured survivors on the other wreck. Engineers sent along determined
that neither ship was worth trying to salvage, but at least they were able to
download data from the least damaged ship.
The casualties at the spaceport were equally grim. All
six security guards had been killed, along with three others, and almost two
dozen had been injured from flying shrapnel. The media promoted the battle as a
major victory. Drake knew better. Yes, it was a victory, but he was certain it
would pale in comparison with battles yet to come.
Chapter Six
Day 297/2539
When the 102 boat landed and powered down, Drake and his
tired crew were transported to the main building at the navy spaceport. The
debriefing went quickly, but it was dark by the time he and his crew were free
to go their own ways for their scheduled seven day rest period. As Drake headed
for the exit, a Lieutenant wearing the armband of naval security came up to him
and handed him a note.
After reading it, Drake said, “You have GOT to be
kidding.” The Lieutenant shook his head.
“No kidding, sir. Her identity’s been confirmed.”
Drake sighed and handed the note back. “Okay, Lieutenant,
lead the way.”
He followed the junior officer down into sections of the
naval building that he hadn’t known existed. The security in this section was
very tight. When the Lieutenant led him into a room, he saw a bank of video
screens, some consoles and a desk with a naval security Commander sitting
behind it.
“You’re Roland Drake?” asked the Commander.
“That’s right.”
The Commander looked at Drake with suspicious eyes. “Why
does this prisoner ask for you by name? Does she know you personally?”
Drake nodded. “We were at the Academy together. We
ah…were quite close for a while, if you know what I mean.”
The Commander snorted. “You mean you were fucking her.”
It wasn’t a question.
Drake was tempted to explain that there’d been more to it
than mere sex but then decided it was none of this belligerent security puke’s
business, so all he said was, “Yeah.”
The Commander laughed in a nasty kind of way. “Okay,
well, we normally don’t pay any attention to prisoner’s wishes, but my superior
thinks that she might reveal some interesting information if we let you talk
with her. So go ahead and talk, and we’ll be listening in. Lieutenant, take
Commander Drake to interview room A1.”
Drake followed the officer to a lower level, where there
was a small, windowless room, with a table and four chairs, all bolted to the
floor.
“Have a seat, Commander. We’ll bring the prisoner here
shortly,” said the Lieutenant.
Drake sat down and looked around. There were no obvious
signs of surveillance, but he was sure someone was watching and listening.
After a short while, the metal door opened again, and she came in. Her hands
were secured to a security belt that had been added to the flight suit, which
had her Federation Navy insignia and her name tag. Lt. Lorelei Remington.
Drake looked at her face carefully to see if there were
any obvious signs of physical abuse, but he saw none. She stood there just
inside the room as the door closed behind her. Her face had the same blank
expression that he’d seen her use many times in poker games at the Academy.
Whatever she was feeling was being held back.
“Are you going to sit down, Lor?” asked Drake. After a
slight hesitation, she sat down opposite him, put her hands on the table and
leaned forward.
“I didn’t know if they’d
interior spaces.
Whatever damage the first five did, did not prevent that
lead ship from entering hyperspace as soon as it crossed the hyper-zone
boundary.
It took almost two days for rescue shuttles to dock with
the coasting wrecks. The one hit by the 10 KE missiles was so badly torn up
that the rescue shuttle couldn’t dock at all. The other shuttle found half a
dozen injured survivors on the other wreck. Engineers sent along determined
that neither ship was worth trying to salvage, but at least they were able to
download data from the least damaged ship.
The casualties at the spaceport were equally grim. All
six security guards had been killed, along with three others, and almost two
dozen had been injured from flying shrapnel. The media promoted the battle as a
major victory. Drake knew better. Yes, it was a victory, but he was certain it
would pale in comparison with battles yet to come.
Chapter Six
Day 297/2539
When the 102 boat landed and powered down, Drake and his
tired crew were transported to the main building at the navy spaceport. The
debriefing went quickly, but it was dark by the time he and his crew were free
to go their own ways for their scheduled seven day rest period. As Drake headed
for the exit, a Lieutenant wearing the armband of naval security came up to him
and handed him a note.
After reading it, Drake said, “You have GOT to be
kidding.” The Lieutenant shook his head.
“No kidding, sir. Her identity’s been confirmed.”
Drake sighed and handed the note back. “Okay, Lieutenant,
lead the way.”
He followed the junior officer down into sections of the
naval building that he hadn’t known existed. The security in this section was
very tight. When the Lieutenant led him into a room, he saw a bank of video
screens, some consoles and a desk with a naval security Commander sitting
behind it.
“You’re Roland Drake?” asked the Commander.
“That’s right.”
The Commander looked at Drake with suspicious eyes. “Why
does this prisoner ask for you by name? Does she know you personally?”
Drake nodded. “We were at the Academy together. We
ah…were quite close for a while, if you know what I mean.”
The Commander snorted. “You mean you were fucking her.”
It wasn’t a question.
Drake was tempted to explain that there’d been more to it
than mere sex but then decided it was none of this belligerent security puke’s
business, so all he said was, “Yeah.”
The Commander laughed in a nasty kind of way. “Okay,
well, we normally don’t pay any attention to prisoner’s wishes, but my superior
thinks that she might reveal some interesting information if we let you talk
with her. So go ahead and talk, and we’ll be listening in. Lieutenant, take
Commander Drake to interview room A1.”
Drake followed the officer to a lower level, where there
was a small, windowless room, with a table and four chairs, all bolted to the
floor.
“Have a seat, Commander. We’ll bring the prisoner here
shortly,” said the Lieutenant.
Drake sat down and looked around. There were no obvious
signs of surveillance, but he was sure someone was watching and listening.
After a short while, the metal door opened again, and she came in. Her hands
were secured to a security belt that had been added to the flight suit, which
had her Federation Navy insignia and her name tag. Lt. Lorelei Remington.
Drake looked at her face carefully to see if there were
any obvious signs of physical abuse, but he saw none. She stood there just
inside the room as the door closed behind her. Her face had the same blank
expression that he’d seen her use many times in poker games at the Academy.
Whatever she was feeling was being held back.
“Are you going to sit down, Lor?” asked Drake. After a
slight hesitation, she sat down opposite him, put her hands on the table and
leaned forward.
“I didn’t know if they’d
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