Read Online The Commander's Slave by K. S. Augustin - Free Book Online Page B

help her? Doctor Zehnda was totally committed to his
commander. But what about Daurent? The young sub-commander had
treated her kindly. Would he help? She thought about it. No, even
she could see the bond between the two men. Daurent would not
betray Tangus.
    What she needed now was a miracle. A
….
    A shuddering jolt whipped through the
ship, toppling her from her seat. At the same time, a klaxon
sounded, followed by a terse voice she recognized as
Tangus’.
    “ Battle stations. This is not a drill. Enemy sighted and
engaged. I repeat, battle stations.”
    Another rippling concussion struck the
ship, sending it into a deep angled swerve. The moment the floor
steadied, Asha made a rush for the door in Tangus’ quarters,
hitting the access panel.
    As the doors slid open, acrid smoke filled her nostrils,
and she recognized the smell of an electrical fire. Men rushed
around her, yelling to each other to make themselves heard above
the tortured whine of the engines. The Strike was still
listing, and Asha was, for once, glad of her bare feet which gave a
better hold on the tilted vessel’s floor.
    She turned the corner and confronted a
scene of destruction. One wall panel had blown out, taking a young
soldier with it. Asha could see the flames lick at the wiring,
melting the insulation and flicking upwards inside the
bulkhead.
    She grabbed the sleeve of someone else
rushing past.
    “ Where’s the fire
extinguisher?” she yelled.
    “ What?” his eyes were wild
and she tried to get away but her grip was stronger.
    “ Fire extinguisher,” she
repeated.
    He pointed to an opposite panel then
tore away from her hand and kept running.
    Asha hesitated. This was an excellent
opportunity for escape. If only she could find the emergency pods
.... Then she looked down at the young man unconscious by the
panel. What if she had a brother and he was in a similar situation?
Would she forgive or condemn the prisoner who had a chance to save
him, but didn’t?
    With an oath, she turned to the
opposite panel, grappling with her fingers at the catch. It stuck,
then released. Asha flung it to one side and reached in for the
extinguisher. If she knew anything about electrical fires in
enclosed spaces, the immediate vicinity would be super-heated.
Deftly, she released the safety and aimed it at the fire, pulsing
the shots. When it was doused, she moved closer, angling the nozzle
into the bulkhead and spraying all around, making sure all traces
of the blaze were extinguished, careful not to touch the still-hot
jagged metal.
    With the immediate danger out of the
way, she knelt and examined the young man. Part of his face was
burnt red and raw. She felt for a pulse and was relieved to find
one.
    Although she hadn’t entered it, she
roughly knew from the tour where sickbay was situated. Placing her
hands under his arms, she hoisted the man up and began dragging him
towards the back of the ship. Thankfully, sickbay was down one
level, but she was still panting and sweating when she entered with
her rescued soldier.
    Zehnda was all-professional now,
giving her one quick glance before directing her to a nearby bunk.
But Asha wasn’t strong enough to lift the unconscious man onto the
bunk, so she left him on the floor next to it. Zehnda rushed
around, examining four others who had gotten there before she
did.
    Finally, the doctor had time to give
her patient a quick scan.
    “ Well done,” he said. “You
caught him just as he was entering shock. I’ll give him something
that should settle his system.”
    “ Where are the other
doctors?” she asked.
    He grabbed a second to give her a
quick grin. “What other doctors?”
    “ Assistants?”
    “ Not many medical personnel
survived the attack on our home world,” he explained.
    Asha made a quick decision. “Then give
me a medical kit. I’ll see who else is injured and bring them back
here.”
    Zehnda didn’t demur. He returned with
a compact case. “Do you know how to use the