Victorious Star Read Free

man was a senior nav-pilot?” She shook her head. “I find that hard to believe.”
    Ravnos raised a black brow and speared her with icy amusement. “There was some doubt as to his credentials.”
    Victoria snorted. “I bet fully half the ship’s guidance functions were offline.”
    Ravnos raised his chin. “You Imperials almost lost every ship to us anyway.”
    Victoria couldn’t tell if he was angry or amused. She decided on amusement and indulged in a tight smile. “Not one of us would have survived if you’d had a proper nav-pilot, Captain. Pardon me, but your tactics were brilliant. The only reason we made it was because our reaction time was better.”
    He nodded. “Thank you, and you’re right. I’ve rarely seen a ship respond as fast as the Adamant.”
    Victoria felt her cheeks heat under his praise. If this keeps up, I’m going to have a bad case of hero worship.
    His gaze sharpened. “Since you are between assignments and I am in need of a nav-pilot, why don’t you serve on board my ship?”
    Victoria stared at him in astonishment. He wanted her, an Imperial officer, to serve on his mercenary ship? Was he out of his mind? He couldn’t be serious.
    His gaze remained steady, and something chilled in its depths.
    Victoria found his simple stillness unnerving. Shit. He was serious. She bit back a less than judicious comment. “I’d be honored to serve you, Captain,” she said softly. “But I really don’t think that would be a good idea. My superiors might not take it well if I, ah…” She flinched. How the hell do I say this without insulting him?
    “Work for someone who just got finished blowing the hell out of fifteen warships?” Bitter humor shimmered in his gaze. “You do have a point.”
    Victoria examined the toe of her boot, profoundly disappointed that she’d had to turn him down. “Shame, too; you’re a damn fine captain.”
    He raised a dark mocking brow. “Think so?”
    “If you were Imperial, I’d be begging to serve under you.” She peeked up at him. The shadows deepened the sharp lines of his face. Bloody Fate, he’s fine. She blushed and looked away. On second thought, maybe it was better this way. He was far too striking for her to serve effectively. She’d be too busy fantasizing about what he’d look like naked.
    “I see. Then perhaps if we do this another way?” He glanced to her right.
    “What?” Victoria looked up, sensing sudden danger. She felt a fist slam into her side, then the electric burn in her cybernetic system. They’d used a stunner on her. She dropped to her knees in surprise. They can’t mean to just take me? Darkness smothered her thoughts.
    She never felt the deck.

Chapter 2

    Victoria snapped awake, slumped in a chair. A vicious bolt of pain stabbed through her temples. She shut her eyes and groaned. Her delicate navigational implants did not appreciate the power-surges caused by stunners. She leaned forward in a futile attempt to relieve the agony in her skull, but jerked to a halt. Her wrists were fastened to the arms of the chair.
    She winced past the pain in her skull and eased back into the chair to sit upright. The weight of her sword-belt was missing from her hip. She felt disturbingly naked without it. She looked up. Ah, shit, please tell me this is a bad dream.
    Less than six feet in front of her, Captain Ravnos sat comfortably in a red velvet chair with one booted leg extended over a cushioned hassock. His cape and long coat were gone, showing the sleeveless brocaded waistcoat and the black lace cravat knotted around his high-collared silk shirt. He’d propped his elbows on the arms of his chair and folded his fingers together across his lap in an attitude of amused patience, though he lacked even the hint of a smile.
    From the look of things, she sat in the middle of his public appointment chamber. Expensive rugs covered the deck and a real wood table sat by his chair. His desk wasn’t in front of her, so it had to be behind