“What the fuck do you think you were doing, Commander Phan? Against my orders?” Bruvan’s voice cut through the shuttle bay as he stomped toward us. The rest of his crew followed, but they weren’t hostile, perhaps only curious.
My hackles rose at the other commander’s tone. His attitude, his very existence.
Seth released me, walked over to Bruvan and punched him in the nose. I stood staring, motionless, completely surprised.
Bruvan bent at the waist, his hand on his face, swearing. Yeah, Seth had broken it, for sure, based on the sick bone crunching sound.
“Throw me in the brig, Commander. I don’t give a shit,” Seth said, pulling me back into him again. I could feel his rage, his harsh breathing.
“Everyone saw it. You’re all witnesses. Commander, you need to—”
“Stop talking,” Karter said.
Bruvan slowly stood, his hand still over his nose, blood dripping down off his chin and onto his chest armor.
“But they disobeyed orders and this captain assaulted me.”
“Yes, they did and because of it the entire battlegroup isn’t under Hive control. As for the assault, at least Captain Mills did it for me. It wouldn’t look good if the commander of the entire battlegroup hit one of his subordinates. Or is it insubordinate?”
Bruvan’s eyes narrowed as he breathed hard through his mouth.
“I heard the comms, Commander. What you told your team, how you tied the hands of the other shuttle. The recap Dorian gave to the ReCon group. All of it. You might be used to working I.C. and having everything cloaked, but not here.”
I felt Dorian’s hand once again on my shoulder.
“Your actions were reckless and against protocol. I am stripping you of your rank of commander here and now, but you will go before a hearing to determine penalties.”
A bubble of surprise filled me. And a sense of karma. I didn’t wish an entire battlegroup’s lives for redemption, but it was a perk.
Bruvan started to squawk and spout crap about how the I.C. will bury all the transmissions, that nothing he did was out of the ordinary.
“Out of the ordinary? If your actions that we all witnessed is ordinary for you, then I will have a talk with I.C. and have your past missions unsuppressed.”
Commander Karter flagged down a waiting security team. “Take Bruvan to his quarters, enhanced lock.”
Within seconds, my nemesis was dragged away and I had to hope that would be the last I saw of him.
“As for you, Commander Phan.”
“Sir?”
“You’re dismissed. Get some sleep. Your mates have permission to detain you in your quarters for twelve hours to do so. If I see you before then, you will be stripped of your rank as well.”
Seth leaned in, his warm breath fanning my ear as he said, “Don’t worry, mate, we’ll strip you naked. You can keep your rank.”
Chapter 14
Chloe, fifteen hours later…
* * *
“Are you going to be okay?” I asked Angh. We were in the transport room, but off to the side. Everyone had peeled off the heavy space suits, but most of the warriors still reeked of sweat, fear and war. They hadn’t had a break like I had. But we were all here. And that was a victory that wouldn’t have been possible without the huge Atlan standing before me. I knew my mates were watching me, but I couldn’t see a thing around Angh’s big body. He looked haggard, as if he hadn’t rested at all. His armor still in place, I had no idea if he’d slept or eaten or taken a moment away from his duties since our return.
My men hadn’t gone far since we’d returned from battle. In fact, all we’d done is climb into bed, hold each other and sleep. They had stripped me naked, all three of us were bare, but all we’d done is crash and crash hard, pulled so I was halfway over Seth’s lean body, Dorian tucked into my back. I couldn’t blame them for wanting to touch me because I’d felt the same need to keep them close. And now, in the transport room, even though I could sense them through the collars, even across the expanse of the battleship, I needed the reassurance of seeing them with my own eyes. Of feeling them, alive and whole.
Whatever medical attention he needed had been swift and he was ready to move on. His life wasn’t here anymore. He was destined for a new life on the Colony.
Angh nodded. “Yes, Commander.”