The betrayal Chapter 11 only snippet

Les Paul rubbed the itching scar on his forehead absent-mindedly. With the advances in medical technology, the injuries he received wouldn’t leave a lasting scar. In fact, by the time they reached earth, the one on his forehead would be history. If only the second helm control board had blown, he mused.

Staring at the nebula on the view screen, he lounged in the command chair. With the captain in her quarters, and the repairs underway, there was absolutely nothing for him to do while on the bridge. However, compared to the chaos of the battle they had escaped, the quiet was a nice reprieve.

He sighed as he leaned back in the command chair, his mind drifting back to the events from the day before. Try as he might, there was nothing he could find that the Skipper could have done differently. They had entered the system expecting trouble, and had prepared accordingly. Every weapon on his board was online and ready, and the defensive grid was online too. Who in the world, he reflected, would have thought that a Victorious-class battle cruiser could be so stealthy? My God, she had already destroyed half their offensive weaponry before they had even known she was there!

And what about the damned prototype they’re building back home, he thought with a grimace.

He picked up a cup of coffee he had in the cup holder and he sipped at it. Well, he reminded herself, you signed up for an adventure; now you got one. See the stars, serve the Alliance, the recruiting posters liked to say. He was afraid he had seen the stars a bit too up close and personal on this mission; something he wouldn’t like to repeat anytime soon!

“Sir,” Williams reported from the helm station. Since Marie was dead, and her station gone, he had to be the com officer along with helm now. “Chief Brooks reports that we should be getting main power back online in twelve hours.”

“That’s good news,” he said as he hit the com stud on the command chair armrest. “Good work as usual, Chief. How long after that before we can depart for earth?”

“It will be probably another twelve hours after that, XO,” Brooks said. “Do you want to inform the Skipper, or should I?”

“I’ll take care of it,” Paul said. “XO, out.”

“Skipper,” he said as the channel changed. “I hate to interrupt but the Chief says we will have main power again in twelve hours. In twenty fours hours we’ll be able to make way for Earth.”

“Thank you for the news, XO,” Kate’s voice sounded strong, firm and in control again. “Then we can worry about making the bastards pay…”