The Phoenix Crisis Read Free Page B

impair
his judgment. “After all, she is the Empire’s most wanted
fugitive.”
    “ When her ship attacked
Renora,” said Summers, “someone gave the order to fire, but it
might not have been Kalila. Whether it was her or not, I’m sure she
has a valuable perspective on the situation. Meeting with her might
be an opportunity to get information you can’t get from anyone
else, not even Raidan.”
    That was true, Calvin supposed. Despite
everything Raidan seemed to know, he probably had no more
information on Kalila than Calvin did. “It is a golden opportunity.
It might also be a trap. If Kalila’s ship was taken by a hostile
force, and that force wanted to eliminate us, she could have sent
her message to me under duress, to lure the Nighthawk to its
death.”
    “ We have the stealth
system.”
    “ We had it in Abia as well,”
said Calvin, “and a lot of good it did us there…”
    “ I don’t know the right
answer,” said Summers. “But I would rather take my chances with
Kalila Akira than Raidan. Raidan claims to be serving the crown.
The Akiras are the
crown.”
    It was what Calvin had wanted to hear. He
wanted to go to Kalila. Despite everything she was accused of, and
everything he didn’t know about her, and everything Raidan had
already done for him—including saving his life—Calvin’s innermost
feelings told him to choose Kalila. He just couldn’t pass up the
opportunity to find out from her what was going on.  He made
himself a promise that by choosing Kalila he wouldn’t let himself
become her pawn; the next time he saw her, he would demand to be
told everything.
    “ Anything else, Lieutenant
Commander?” asked Summers.
    “ No, thank you, that will be
all.” He watched Summers go, so stunningly beautiful and yet so
cold. She disappeared and the door closed, leaving Calvin
alone.
    There was one more variable that Calvin
hadn’t brought up. The Roscos had sent him a list of stolen
materials—weapon components—that were probably acquired by Raidan
while his people were on Aleator. The use of such a weapon—one that
could create irreversible damage to a planet’s ecosystem—was
something Calvin hoped Raidan incapable of. He’d wanted to share
this intelligence with Summers but hadn’t wanted to divulge his
source was the Roscos. His relationship with the galaxy’s premiere
criminal outfit and his family’s past dealings with them wasn’t a
subject he was eager to discuss with Summers, or anyone else for
that matter. And certainly would require a lengthy conversation
that he wasn’t even remotely in the mood to have.
    Calvin wondered if this decision would ruin
him as an asset to Raidan, and possibly cut him off from much
needed supplies, resources, and information. The Nighthawk had
taken a severe beating from its brush with the Phoenix in Remus and
would need to be resupplied and repaired, it also needed
replacement personnel. Calvin could think of no way to obtain these
resources except through Raidan and his Organization.
    A peace offering had to be made. At the very
least, some kind of fool’s apology that Raidan would accept. Since
Vargas wouldn’t know that Calvin was going to meet with Kalila—and
that such a meeting was urgent—Raidan was sure to think Calvin had
blown him off. Perhaps if Calvin gave Raidan something valuable, it
would undo some of the sting of that injury?
    He got out of his chair and abruptly marched
for the door. It was time to get more answers from their
captive—whether he was medically strong enough for further
interrogation or not.
     
    ***
     
    The Nighthawk had come to a full stop.
Officially it sat in dead space so it could transfer personnel to
the grossly understaffed Arcane Storm. Alex had no reason to doubt
that, but he couldn’t help but wonder if that was indeed the whole
story. Perhaps Calvin had commanded the ships to stop because he
hadn’t yet determined where their next heading was, or perhaps he
was waiting for something.