the corporal’s arm for balance and pulled himself into a sitting position. He saw blood and flesh all over his uniform. As he sat up, Dar’s finger, still wearing the ring that marked his marriage to his long-dead wife, fell from Cort’s stomach to the ground between his legs.
“She is fine, sir. She and your son are both safe. All of Solitude is on alert. Earth residents are being removed from the planet as we speak. No one is going to get near them.”
Cort picked up the finger and tried to stand, but the Marine held him in place. “Wait for the medics, sir. They are coming down now.”
“Get a security team to Thorn’s wife. Protect her.”
“Yes, sir.” The woman touched her ear and spoke to someone. Cort assumed it was either the Kalashnikov in orbit or its shuttle. Through the din around him, he heard her say, “...and get Rand Gaines secure. Until further notice, he is Primary Command.”
“No.” Cort gasped as he tried to move again. He realized that at least some ribs were broken, so he fell back to the ground to allow his synthetics to stitch them properly. “Jane Munroe is Primary Command, and I want martial law on all human planets.”
“Yes, sir.” The corporal relayed Cort’s orders.
Cort coughed up some blood. “And get the governors and parliament secure. Everyone gets a CONDOR detail. No one can refuse it. Don’t restrict their movements, but make sure they are safe.”
She spoke to the Kalashnikov again, then moved back as the medical team arrived. When they went to Cort first, he waved them away. “No. Take care of Thorn. I’m already mending.”
A corpsman looked at the ruined eye, then turned his attention to Thorn and requested another medical team from the ship. As he worked on the civilian, the corpsman heard Cort cough again and turned just in time to see the general’s ruined eye pop out of its socket and hang on the side of his face. He remembered the battle for the Tapon homeworld, where Kim Addison had been as formidable as any of the H’uuman soldiers. As he turned back to Thorn, he said over his shoulder, “General, Mrs. Addison is going to be really pissed at me for following your orders.”
As the corporal leaned over Cort to lift his eye back into its place, he could read her name on the chest of her FALCON. “Corporal Faulks, my wife is not to be allowed off of Solitude for any reason.” He winced as he took a deep breath. “For both the corpsman’s sake, and for Earth’s.”
The Marine showed the barest hint of a smile. “Trust me, sir. No one wants Mrs. Addison here right now.” After a moment of listening to her comm, she added, “General Munroe is aware of the situation and has assumed Primary Command. Admiral Jones has dispatched additional ships to both Earth and Solitude. Admiral Bazal is on his way here as well.”
Knowing the telepathic octopod was on his way to Earth made Cort’s immediate concerns much more manageable. The second medical team arrived and Cort let them work on him for several minutes. When they were about to evacuate him to the Kalashnikov, he stopped them. “Wait. I need to stand up and speak for a minute.”
“Sir, that is a bad idea,” Faulks pulled her hand away from Cort’s face after the medic wrapped a bandage around the loose eye.
“That’s an order,” Cort coughed more blood. “I assume the press is here. Get them rounded up. I’m going to speak before I leave.”
Faulks and the medic looked at each other. The corpsman shrugged and Faulks said, “Yes, sir.” She stood and moved to the second ring of Marines that was forming. Once the reporters present were gathered, Cort stood gingerly and walked to where they waited. As he stepped toward them, the bandage on his head came loose and his injured eye fell to his cheek. The confusing signals it sent his brain caused Cort to stumble. Faulks steadied him and they stopped in front of the
“She is fine, sir. She and your son are both safe. All of Solitude is on alert. Earth residents are being removed from the planet as we speak. No one is going to get near them.”
Cort picked up the finger and tried to stand, but the Marine held him in place. “Wait for the medics, sir. They are coming down now.”
“Get a security team to Thorn’s wife. Protect her.”
“Yes, sir.” The woman touched her ear and spoke to someone. Cort assumed it was either the Kalashnikov in orbit or its shuttle. Through the din around him, he heard her say, “...and get Rand Gaines secure. Until further notice, he is Primary Command.”
“No.” Cort gasped as he tried to move again. He realized that at least some ribs were broken, so he fell back to the ground to allow his synthetics to stitch them properly. “Jane Munroe is Primary Command, and I want martial law on all human planets.”
“Yes, sir.” The corporal relayed Cort’s orders.
Cort coughed up some blood. “And get the governors and parliament secure. Everyone gets a CONDOR detail. No one can refuse it. Don’t restrict their movements, but make sure they are safe.”
She spoke to the Kalashnikov again, then moved back as the medical team arrived. When they went to Cort first, he waved them away. “No. Take care of Thorn. I’m already mending.”
A corpsman looked at the ruined eye, then turned his attention to Thorn and requested another medical team from the ship. As he worked on the civilian, the corpsman heard Cort cough again and turned just in time to see the general’s ruined eye pop out of its socket and hang on the side of his face. He remembered the battle for the Tapon homeworld, where Kim Addison had been as formidable as any of the H’uuman soldiers. As he turned back to Thorn, he said over his shoulder, “General, Mrs. Addison is going to be really pissed at me for following your orders.”
As the corporal leaned over Cort to lift his eye back into its place, he could read her name on the chest of her FALCON. “Corporal Faulks, my wife is not to be allowed off of Solitude for any reason.” He winced as he took a deep breath. “For both the corpsman’s sake, and for Earth’s.”
The Marine showed the barest hint of a smile. “Trust me, sir. No one wants Mrs. Addison here right now.” After a moment of listening to her comm, she added, “General Munroe is aware of the situation and has assumed Primary Command. Admiral Jones has dispatched additional ships to both Earth and Solitude. Admiral Bazal is on his way here as well.”
Knowing the telepathic octopod was on his way to Earth made Cort’s immediate concerns much more manageable. The second medical team arrived and Cort let them work on him for several minutes. When they were about to evacuate him to the Kalashnikov, he stopped them. “Wait. I need to stand up and speak for a minute.”
“Sir, that is a bad idea,” Faulks pulled her hand away from Cort’s face after the medic wrapped a bandage around the loose eye.
“That’s an order,” Cort coughed more blood. “I assume the press is here. Get them rounded up. I’m going to speak before I leave.”
Faulks and the medic looked at each other. The corpsman shrugged and Faulks said, “Yes, sir.” She stood and moved to the second ring of Marines that was forming. Once the reporters present were gathered, Cort stood gingerly and walked to where they waited. As he stepped toward them, the bandage on his head came loose and his injured eye fell to his cheek. The confusing signals it sent his brain caused Cort to stumble. Faulks steadied him and they stopped in front of the
Similar Books
The Chieftain’s Daughter
Leia Rice
Self-Help (Vintage Contemporaries)
Lorrie Moore
A New Resolution
Ceri Grenelle
Love Can Be Murder
Stephanie Bond
The Ghost of Oak
Fallon Sousa
The Sea-Quel
Mo O’Hara
A Countess by Chance
Kate McKinley
Zola's Pride
Moira Rogers
A Most Unconventional Match
Julia Justiss
The Prophecy
Nina Croft