Traitor's Duty Read Free Page A

haven’t got it, Frank. Can Hadfield help?”
     Pilsudski shook his head, and said, “They’ve got the components, and we’ve sent over engineering teams. I don’t know why they’re running behind, frankly.”
     “Because our damage is an order of magnitude worse than your assessments,” Rogers snapped. “Your repairs are too damn superficial.”
     “Gentlemen,” Marshall said. “Get it fixed. I don’t care how. What about our guest?”
     “I’ve got my medics working on her,” Rogers said. “Our sickbay is in better condition than Gilgamesh.”
     “She wasn’t wounded,” Cooper said.
     “Some sort of psychological trauma. I’ve got my staff shrink looking at her right now, then we can start to find out what she knows.” 
     “When she left me, she was fine,” pressed the Espatier.
     “We’ll wait for the report,” Marshall said. “Scouts, John?”
     Cunningham shrugged, and said, “Dragon and Griffon are at full capability, Wyvern’s as good as we can get her for the present. She really needs some spacedock time. Nevertheless, my squadron can fight.”
     “As can mine,” Dragomirov added. “We’re ready to go. I’ve got our reaction-to-alert launch time down to three minutes in the last simulation. Given that we’re spread out to hell and gone, that’s the best we can do.”
     “Thanks, Lieutenant,” Marshall said, sitting down at the edge of the table. “We need to discuss our ongoing mission here. The Espatiers have secured the asteroid, so in one sense our job here is concluded. All we have to do is knock out the remains of that Cabal task force and we can go home.”
     There were smiles around the room from everyone but Cooper, who said, “We’re going to need a garrison, sir, and a substantial one. I wouldn’t care to walk down some of those corridors without a guard for a while.”
     “Understood, Ensign,” Marshall said. “I’m sure you are wondering why you are here.”
     “I certainly am,” Gorski replied. “Where is Lieutenant-Major Brownworth?”
     “She’ll be remaining in command of our forces in this system when we leave,” Marshall said. “Given that my main purpose in calling this meeting was to discuss what we will do after leaving this system, there didn’t seem to be any need to have her here.”
     “I disagree,” Gorski said.
     “That’s your prerogative, Captain, but I think you will understand in a minute.” He glanced at Caine, then said, “Can anyone tell me what our original orders were?”
     With a scowl, Franklin said, “Our mission was to take Hades Station, and secure the supply lines to Hydra. If you’re commanding this fleet, I’d hope you were aware of that.”
     “Really?” Marshall said, waving his datapad in the air. “Just before the last fleet engagement in this system, I found out what our actual orders were.” Looking at the text, he read, “You will proceed in force to Hydra Station, and serve as a garrison in the event of Cabal attack. You are authorized to conduct reconnaissance of adjacent systems.”
     Pilsudski looked from Marshall to Caine, then said in an uncharacteristically calm voice, “Could I see those orders, please?”
     Nodding, Marshall passed them to him. The rest of the room waited while the tender commander scrolled through the document, checking the authentication, then reading it again before resting it on the table. He looked up at Marshall again, his face set.
     “If that bastard Pierce wasn’t dead, I’d kill him.”
     “Walt…,” Rogers said.
     Pilsudski leapt to his feet and turned to face the other officers, “I lost fifteen people. Across the whole fleet, how many? Hundreds? An entire company of Espatiers, Mister Cooper. Just because some god-damn contemptible bastard decided to go medal-hunting in enemy territory.”
     Cooper nodded, and said, “I had some idea of this on the flight out. We had the wrong force for the