single purpose: the destruction of the invading Terran Fleet.
She was calling orders to her crew before she fully departed the lift, catching them all by surprise. “Magistrate Vargus, take us out of orbit. Put us on a course that I will send to you shortly. Magistrate Young, broadcast a message to all the Captains. Tell them to break orbit and follow our lead. Eminent Merric, please notify all Officers and Warrant on board the Revolution that we are having a mandatory formal dinner tomorrow night. I will make all necessary announcements about the High FCouncil’s message then. Before you ask, yes, we are going to war.”
CHAPTER FOUR
Yen entered the ballroom with Keryn on his arm. She looked stunning, with her tanned skin highlighted by a silver sequined dress. The plunging neckline accentuated the curves of her body and left nearly every man in the room staring as the pair was announced to the crowd. Yen understood their surprise. He had been equally amazed when he picked her up from her quarters and found her so stunningly dressed. She had flashed him a warm smile then, the same warm smile that she now gave him as they entered the ballroom. Yen’s heart melted at the sight of that smile. He couldn’t deny that there was a distinct spark of chemistry between the two. Since she arrived on board the Revolution , there had been coy smiles, affectionate touches exchanged between the two, and endearing glances. Yet neither openly admitted their feelings, nor had either of them been brazen enough to broach the subject. Still, it stroked his ego to have the most attractive woman on the ship on his arm tonight.
Standing at the doorway as their names were called, Yen scanned the crowd of gathered faces. To him, they all seemed so young and naïve. Many wore expressions of deep-seated anticipation, mired in a burning desire to be heroes. Almost none of the hundreds of Warrants and Officers in the ballroom had ever experienced war, death, and loss. They had graduated from the Academy or Field Officer Training during a time of peace, never with an expectation of having to prove themselves during real combat. For too many, Yen noticed, that had translated into a yearning to make a name for themselves. Yen had seen that attitude too many times before as well. He had attended their memorial services after they died doing something foolish.
The other emotion that Yen noticed was that of surprise. Many were eager to begin the night’s festivities if only to answer their building litany of questions. Both Yen and Keryn had been surprised by the announcement of the formal dinner. For so many weeks, even before Keryn arrived, there had been a monotonous droning of repetitive days. Yen, Adam, and the rest of the insertion team trained repeatedly on breaching tactics on a Terran vessel, but it had amounted to little since they had no orders to attack the Terran Fleet. Now, though, the rumors circulated like wild fire. Gossipers spread stories of High Council orders and impending battle. Yen had to admit that at least some of the rumors were founded. The Alliance Fleet had broken orbit and were now speeding toward an unknown location. He had to assume it somehow coincided with the dinner they now were forced to attend.
Tugging on his stiff collar, Yen directed Keryn toward a designated table, around which Adam and some of the other Infantry Warrants and Officers were sitting. Adam’s date, a tall, dark haired Uligart Warrant that Yen didn’t immediately recognize, smiled invitingly as they took their seats. Yen conducted the formal introductions of everyone at the table, though most were familiar to Yen. As both a pilot and the leader of his Infantry insertion team, Yen had befriended most Officers and
She was calling orders to her crew before she fully departed the lift, catching them all by surprise. “Magistrate Vargus, take us out of orbit. Put us on a course that I will send to you shortly. Magistrate Young, broadcast a message to all the Captains. Tell them to break orbit and follow our lead. Eminent Merric, please notify all Officers and Warrant on board the Revolution that we are having a mandatory formal dinner tomorrow night. I will make all necessary announcements about the High FCouncil’s message then. Before you ask, yes, we are going to war.”
CHAPTER FOUR
Yen entered the ballroom with Keryn on his arm. She looked stunning, with her tanned skin highlighted by a silver sequined dress. The plunging neckline accentuated the curves of her body and left nearly every man in the room staring as the pair was announced to the crowd. Yen understood their surprise. He had been equally amazed when he picked her up from her quarters and found her so stunningly dressed. She had flashed him a warm smile then, the same warm smile that she now gave him as they entered the ballroom. Yen’s heart melted at the sight of that smile. He couldn’t deny that there was a distinct spark of chemistry between the two. Since she arrived on board the Revolution , there had been coy smiles, affectionate touches exchanged between the two, and endearing glances. Yet neither openly admitted their feelings, nor had either of them been brazen enough to broach the subject. Still, it stroked his ego to have the most attractive woman on the ship on his arm tonight.
Standing at the doorway as their names were called, Yen scanned the crowd of gathered faces. To him, they all seemed so young and naïve. Many wore expressions of deep-seated anticipation, mired in a burning desire to be heroes. Almost none of the hundreds of Warrants and Officers in the ballroom had ever experienced war, death, and loss. They had graduated from the Academy or Field Officer Training during a time of peace, never with an expectation of having to prove themselves during real combat. For too many, Yen noticed, that had translated into a yearning to make a name for themselves. Yen had seen that attitude too many times before as well. He had attended their memorial services after they died doing something foolish.
The other emotion that Yen noticed was that of surprise. Many were eager to begin the night’s festivities if only to answer their building litany of questions. Both Yen and Keryn had been surprised by the announcement of the formal dinner. For so many weeks, even before Keryn arrived, there had been a monotonous droning of repetitive days. Yen, Adam, and the rest of the insertion team trained repeatedly on breaching tactics on a Terran vessel, but it had amounted to little since they had no orders to attack the Terran Fleet. Now, though, the rumors circulated like wild fire. Gossipers spread stories of High Council orders and impending battle. Yen had to admit that at least some of the rumors were founded. The Alliance Fleet had broken orbit and were now speeding toward an unknown location. He had to assume it somehow coincided with the dinner they now were forced to attend.
Tugging on his stiff collar, Yen directed Keryn toward a designated table, around which Adam and some of the other Infantry Warrants and Officers were sitting. Adam’s date, a tall, dark haired Uligart Warrant that Yen didn’t immediately recognize, smiled invitingly as they took their seats. Yen conducted the formal introductions of everyone at the table, though most were familiar to Yen. As both a pilot and the leader of his Infantry insertion team, Yen had befriended most Officers and
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