Read Online TFS Theseus: The Terran Fleet Command Saga – Book 2 by Tori Harris - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Tori Harris
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absent when Admiral Rugali Naftur’s shuttle arrived from the Yucca Mountain Shipyard. After a brief ceremony, where the mostly unnecessary apologies had begun in earnest, the Wek admiral had been escorted into the main Headquarters building, then ushered into Admiral Sexton’s outer office by his ever-present Marine guards.
Naftur paused, taking advantage of the translation delay to notice the striking appearance of the female Terran officer as he shook her hand. “Not at all, Admiral White,” he smiled. “Indeed, my shuttle was met with a level of ceremony reserved for heads of state on my world. I am deeply honored and grateful for your courtesy, but I understand the gravity of the situation we now find ourselves in, so I beg that you will not trouble with additional formalities.”
“You are too kind, sir. Just let me assure you that you are most welcome here, and if you can bear with us while we work our way through today’s rather, uh, unusual events, I believe I can promise you the attention your visit deserves.” Tonya shot the admiral her best smile, which he enthusiastically returned in kind, along with a deep rumble from within his massive chest that seemed to indicate that he was … happy? — pleased? — maybe something that doesn’t even translate. I’m not entirely sure which, she thought, inwardly amused. White had spent enough time in the company of their other Wek guest, Ambassador Nenir Turlaka, to understand that their species didn’t just wear their emotions on their proverbial sleeves, they actually communicated them nonverbally in a variety of ways … the cat-like purrs and growls being White’s personal favorite. Although she had found their openness a little unsettling at first, she now saw it as a refreshing change of pace compared to the thinly veiled emotions Humans pretended to conceal from each other. In any event, she couldn’t help feeling slightly embarrassed and unsure what to say next, so she was relieved when Admiral Sexton entered the room.
“Admiral Naftur — Duke Sexton,” he said, also offering his hand. “It’s an honor to finally meet you, sir.”
“Admiral Sexton, I am pleased to meet you as well, and the honor is entirely mine. Young Captain Prescott asked me to inform you that he will join us in a few hours. I have been impressed with him from our first meeting, but his performance in battle at Gliese 667 was nothing short of exceptional. If he is any indication of the quality of your officer corps, then Terran Fleet Command is a formidable force, indeed.”
“That is quite a compliment. Thank you, sir. The situation here has been changing so rapidly that I have not had time to fully digest the details of the battle, but I look forward to having the opportunity to do so. I trust Admiral White apologized for our absence at your arrival? I regret the unfortunate timing on our part, but, as you can imagine, our Leadership Council has been in emergency session since immediately after the Guardian spacecraft arrived. They have kept our entire Admiralty staff fully engaged since then, and I suspect this trend will continue for some time. If you would like to step into my office, we will try to make up for our bad manners with some good food.” Sexton beckoned Admiral Naftur towards the sitting area on one side of his inner office, dismissing the two Marine guards to the hallway with a nod.
“I suspect there will be precious little opportunity for sleep in your immediate future, let alone ceremony,” Naftur said, taking his seat with a sympathetic smile, “so I will likewise dispense with formalities and proceed with the purpose of my visit. Please interrupt me at any time if something is unclear, or if you need additional explanation.”
“Excellent,” Sexton replied, nodding. “We are deeply grateful for your assistance. Please continue, sir.”
“There are three primary areas where I believe I can provide some meaningful, and hopefully actionable,
Naftur paused, taking advantage of the translation delay to notice the striking appearance of the female Terran officer as he shook her hand. “Not at all, Admiral White,” he smiled. “Indeed, my shuttle was met with a level of ceremony reserved for heads of state on my world. I am deeply honored and grateful for your courtesy, but I understand the gravity of the situation we now find ourselves in, so I beg that you will not trouble with additional formalities.”
“You are too kind, sir. Just let me assure you that you are most welcome here, and if you can bear with us while we work our way through today’s rather, uh, unusual events, I believe I can promise you the attention your visit deserves.” Tonya shot the admiral her best smile, which he enthusiastically returned in kind, along with a deep rumble from within his massive chest that seemed to indicate that he was … happy? — pleased? — maybe something that doesn’t even translate. I’m not entirely sure which, she thought, inwardly amused. White had spent enough time in the company of their other Wek guest, Ambassador Nenir Turlaka, to understand that their species didn’t just wear their emotions on their proverbial sleeves, they actually communicated them nonverbally in a variety of ways … the cat-like purrs and growls being White’s personal favorite. Although she had found their openness a little unsettling at first, she now saw it as a refreshing change of pace compared to the thinly veiled emotions Humans pretended to conceal from each other. In any event, she couldn’t help feeling slightly embarrassed and unsure what to say next, so she was relieved when Admiral Sexton entered the room.
“Admiral Naftur — Duke Sexton,” he said, also offering his hand. “It’s an honor to finally meet you, sir.”
“Admiral Sexton, I am pleased to meet you as well, and the honor is entirely mine. Young Captain Prescott asked me to inform you that he will join us in a few hours. I have been impressed with him from our first meeting, but his performance in battle at Gliese 667 was nothing short of exceptional. If he is any indication of the quality of your officer corps, then Terran Fleet Command is a formidable force, indeed.”
“That is quite a compliment. Thank you, sir. The situation here has been changing so rapidly that I have not had time to fully digest the details of the battle, but I look forward to having the opportunity to do so. I trust Admiral White apologized for our absence at your arrival? I regret the unfortunate timing on our part, but, as you can imagine, our Leadership Council has been in emergency session since immediately after the Guardian spacecraft arrived. They have kept our entire Admiralty staff fully engaged since then, and I suspect this trend will continue for some time. If you would like to step into my office, we will try to make up for our bad manners with some good food.” Sexton beckoned Admiral Naftur towards the sitting area on one side of his inner office, dismissing the two Marine guards to the hallway with a nod.
“I suspect there will be precious little opportunity for sleep in your immediate future, let alone ceremony,” Naftur said, taking his seat with a sympathetic smile, “so I will likewise dispense with formalities and proceed with the purpose of my visit. Please interrupt me at any time if something is unclear, or if you need additional explanation.”
“Excellent,” Sexton replied, nodding. “We are deeply grateful for your assistance. Please continue, sir.”
“There are three primary areas where I believe I can provide some meaningful, and hopefully actionable,
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