Page 13 of Black Star
Chapter Three
“Captain, unknown vessels exiting hyperspace on the starboard bow.” The second in command didn’t so much say the words as hiss them. Everything he said sounded so menacing, it prickled the hair on the back of Damon’s neck. Viktor scared the shit out of him, but he was one hell of a Second. “They look like they’ve been cobbled from every class of vessel in the known universe. Heavily armed, but not very well armored. One solid hit, and we’d punch through their hull.”
“Have they tried to contact us?” Damon studied the strange looking ships and their formations, and tried to get a concept of how they moved and what they were capable of.
“Negative, Sir. They’ve apparently been mirroring our course through a series of hyperspace jumps just out of range of our sensors. I only found them by accident.” The Second swung his chair around to face Damon. “My guess would be…”
“They’re waiting for reinforcements.” Damon finished the sentence for Viktor with a sinking feeling in his stomach. “Any idea who they are?”
“They’re too small to go far without a mother ship, and anything that big, I’d be able to locate as long as it stayed within the range of those fighters. The only place they could have come from was that border station we just left.”
Damon raised an eyebrow. “Interesting.” Why did he have the impression this had something to do with his new crewmember? “How far away is Sword Breaker ?”
“Assuming they’re already at the rendezvous point, five standard hours. However, it could be as many as eight if they were delayed as Captain Anjoom feared they might be.”
“Perhaps you should let him know it would be in our best interest to have some backup.”
“As you command, Sir.” If Damon knew Viktor -- and he prided himself in knowing his crew inside and out -- the cybernetically enhanced vampire loathed the idea of asking for help. It grated him to think there was a situation he couldn’t handle by himself. It was Viktor’s only fault. He had to learn to be part of the crew, to rely on his shipmates as they relied on him.
“Try to talk to them. See if they’ll tell us what they want.”
“I’ve been trying, Sir.” Viktor sounded annoyed. “They either aren’t capable of communication or they’re ignoring me.”
Damon tried to control the smile playing at his lips. “I see.”
“I don’t like being ignored, Captain.” The big man was definitely annoyed. Of all the people aboard the Black Star , of all the people Damon had met, period, Viktor was the last person he would want annoyed at him.
“Just don’t get an itchy trigger finger, Viktor. Not until I tell you to.” The Second only grunted. “Keep an eye on them. If they make any sudden moves, I want to know about it.”
“As you command.”
Damon knew he needed to remain at the command center, but he had to get his new crewmember settled. For some reason, he didn’t want to make it widely known she was here. He felt like the longer he kept Phoebe to himself, the longer she’d be his. The girl had gotten under his skin but good, and he’d only spent a few minutes in her presence. He was too old to be acting like a teenager with a crush.
He rose, making eye contact with Viktor as he did. “You’re in command. Notify me at the slightest change in their behavior.”
His Second didn’t speak, only raised an eyebrow. Damon turned on his heel and headed out the door. Back to his cabin.
He found it empty. Phoebe had been back -- her uniform jacket lay on the bed -- but she had apparently left.
Damon’s heart raced. Where was she? Had she left him already? He felt like a little boy. Insecure. Scared. And for what? A woman? A woman he didn’t even know. He was obsessed with her. Ridiculous!
Heading back to the bridge would be the best plan, but he knew he wouldn’t. After an hour of searching, Damon punched a bulkhead. No Phoebe. Where was she?
Actually, where was everyone ? The ship was deserted. And what was that smell? It wafted through the halls, growing stronger and more delicious as he went.
“Captain!” Damon spun around. Connor. He was a junior officer in engineering. “I don’t know where you picked up the new cook, but thank the stars you did. I thought I’d die eating that freeze-dried shit they pack for us.” The man gave him a “thumbs up” as he passed him.
He headed to the galley, the aroma of food growing ever stronger. It was the most delicious thing he’d ever smelled. Coming from the kitchen. Hurrying to the crew mess, Damon found the answer to his missing crew. Every last man not on duty was eating. Not that he could blame them. His mouth was watering.
Every man in the mess raised his glass and cheered when Damon walked in. He couldn’t help the crooked smile that came to his lips. “I guess this means the new cook is a hit?”
They all laughed and gave their assent before returning to their meals. He was just about to go in search of his own plate when one was set in front of him. The food was unbelievably tempting, but not so much as the sleek arm extending his plate. He gulped. What had he gotten himself into?
“I take it you had no trouble figuring out how to use the kitchen?” It was the lamest thing in the universe to say, but he couldn’t seem to find any other words.
“Yes. I knew I could. You’ve got quite an assortment stockpiled. Making good meals for your crew for the next month shouldn’t be hard.”
“Month?”
“I can probably stretch it farther, but somehow, I don’t think that would be a very popular decision. I’ll try it if you need me to.”
“No. A month will be fine. Actually, I didn’t think it would last nearly that long.” She slipped into the seat across from him, and he couldn’t take his eyes from her. She mesmerized him.
When he continued to stare at her, she cleared her throat. “Um, are you going to eat? It’s not the best in the universe, but it’s filling.”
“Oh! I’m sorry,” he stammered as he stirred the contents of his plate around with his fork. Steam rose from the concoction consisting of meat, noodles, and some kind of sauce. Scooping up a forkful, he stuffed it into his mouth. The instant his lips closed around it, a burst of rich, meaty flavor exploded on his tongue.
His brain shut down. If ambrosia truly existed, this had to be it. A groan escaped him somehow, and he began to chew. Then he took bite after bite, eating like a starving man at a banquet table until he scraped the last bit of sauce from his plate. When he finally looked up at her, she was grinning like she was the happiest person in the world.
“I’ve always loved to see people eat like they really enjoyed it. I take it you approve?”
“Absolutely! Where did you learn to make such wonderful meals?”
“For the girls. They won’t eat if it’s not tasty. We got the things the men didn’t want. Most of the time it was either spoiled or just not fit to eat. I learned to improvise to keep everyone alive.”
The instant she responded, Damon regretted asking the question. Her eyes went from happy to haunted, and she paled visibly. Whatever she’d gone through at her previous home, it hadn’t been pleasant.
“You don’t have to worry about it now. You’re here. With me. You’ll never have to be hungry again.”
“I know.” She smiled. “I’m not sure why, but you have that look about you. If you give your word, you’re the type of man to keep it. I’m just worried about the girls and other women. I’m thinking maybe the god the men of the Hand worship meant for me to stay where I was so all the forgotten females would have at least one thing to look forward to. I abandoned them.”
“I don’t know what kind of life you lived before, Phoebe, but judging by the state you showed up here in, I seriously doubt you’d have lived a very long one. No one could in those conditions. You left to save your own life.”
“Perhaps. But who’s going to save the lives of everyone else?”
When she stood, he didn’t try to stop her leaving. There was a lot he had to think about. Like how he was going to convince Viktor going after Phoebe’s friends wasn’t a suicide mission.