Page 31 of Black Star

For space to be so empty, Phoebe would have thought she and her companions would have had more room to maneuver, but instead it just made the laser bolts seem that much bigger. They were designed to bring down a destroyer class warship, after all. This close to them, one bolt looked three times as big as a shuttle bay outer door. Perhaps a space walk from ship to ship using the portable tractor beam they’d “borrowed” as propulsion wasn’t as great an idea as she’d first thought. Especially not during a battle. Hell, it would have suckedyassatturds in the best of conditions. This was not the best of conditions. There was nothing like floating through the vast emptiness of space to prove exactly how tiny you were in the great universe. As it was, Phoebe was getting a panicky feeling from being in such an open area.

“We’re sitting ducks out here,” Evan commed. At the end of the line, he double-checked everyone’s tether for the fifth time as they were pulled along. “Not to mention the risk of losing the tractor lock if they do too many extreme maneuvers.”

“I know, but would you rather wait until this is all over to get back to your ship?” Phoebe couldn’t agree more with Evan, but they’d come over halfway. Turning around now wasn’t an option. They didn’t have enough oxygen to get back.

“I didn’t say that. I’m just saying there had to be a better way than this.”

“You had your chance to come up with a better idea. No one said anything.”

“Well, this seemed like a good idea at the time. I revised my opinion the first time the heat of a near miss made my hair sizzle though.”

“We’re almost there. Only a few hundred more yards and we’ll be inside theBlack Star’s shields. That should give us enough protection until we get inside.”

“Are you sure we can penetrate those shields?”

“Sure,” Phoebe lied through her teeth. She wasn’t at all sure. “The basic design of a standard deflector shield is to prevent super heated or fast moving material from penetrating. Since we’re neither, we should have no problems getting in.”

No one said anything. Phoebe knew the principle was sound, but she had no idea ifBlack Starused a standard shield or not. All she knew was Damon needed manpower, and if these men were willing to follow her, willing to try, she’d do anything she had to in order to get them there. They knew the risks -- probably better than she did. Besides, another few seconds would tell the tale.

“Phoebe, what the hell are you doing?!” The voice that squawked over the comm unit was Damon’s. He wasn’t a bit happy. In fact, he sounded furious. If she’d known she could have communicated with theBlack Star, she’d have given them a heads up before they got caught in the laser fire.

“We’re approaching your deflector shield. Can we get through or will we bounce off?”

“I have your location. I’ll deactivate that section. Get through as fast as you can and get your ass aboard this ship. Out.”

Phoebe winced. This might not have been the smartest thing she’d ever done.

The rest of the trip didn’t take long, and it was made in silence. By the time they entered through the same blow hatch Phoebe had used during the first skirmish, the battle was over and Captain Singh was waiting for them. There was no mistaking he was indeedCaptain Singh-- the tender, loving Damon Phoebe had fallen in love with was nowhere to be found.

“You risked not only your life, but the lives of eight members of my crew with that little stunt. What exactly did you think you were going to accomplish?” Damon’s features were hard, and his eyes flashed in unmistakable anger. Pissed didn’t begin to cover it.

“You were fighting with so few men aboard the ship, I thought you could use some extra hands.”

Damon slammed his fist into a nearby crate. “And how did you help us? The fighting’s over! You tookmymen into the middle of a firefight -- without even the protection of the most rudimentary of ships -- for no reason! That was the craziest thing I’ve ever seen, not to mention the stupidest! The way you were tied together, if one of you had been hit, the force would have sent the rest of you hurling off into deep space!” He had to lean down because he was so much taller than Phoebe, but he got in her face, almost nose to nose. “Consider yourself relieved of duty.” He turned his back on her and stalked away. As he did, he gave one final order. “Viktor, Phoebe Lightheart is charged with intentionally and recklessly endangering the lives of eight members of this crew -- possibly the entire ship as well. Place her under arrest and put her in a holding cell.”

Phoebe’s heart pounded. What had just happened? “Damon?”

“You’d do well to address him as ‘Captain Singh’ or ‘Sir,’ Miss.” Viktor gave her the creeps from the first moment she’d met him. Now, he looked more terrifying than anything from her worst nightmare.

Tears formed, but she refused to let them fall. She looked back at the eight men who’d come with her on that crazy stunt. They stood smartly at attention. None of them met her gaze. “I don’t understand. I was only trying to help.”

Viktor ignored her. “You will come with me now.” He didn’t give her a chance to comply. He simply took her by the upper arm and practically dragged her to her cell, shoved her in, and turned on the force field. Before he left, he growled at her, “You’ve betrayed this ship and her crew, but more importantly you’ve betrayed a man who loved you more than you’ll ever know. That man is the best friend I’ve ever had, and I take this very personally. You may not have figured it out yet, but I’m not someone you want for an enemy.” The smile he gave her was positively evil. “Sleep well, my dear. If you dare.”

This was all of Phoebe’s fears come true. She could have still been on Graves Station. Locked up without understanding why and unsure of what her future might be, Phoebe sat on the slim cot and folded her hands in her lap. She would sit there until they came for her. When they did, she would do what she was told and accept her fate as it came to her. Most importantly, she would not let them see her cry.

She wouldnotlet them see her cry.

The tears came, anyway.

Chapter Eight

“Is there even the slightest possibility you’re wrong about this, Viktor?”

Damon was not only trying to salvage what was left of his heart, but his pride as well. During the battle, Viktor and Ranier had figured out how the Hand of God ships had managed to keep course with them from such a distance. They hadn’t locked onto them -- they’d been following a beacon set to beam a high intensity burst to a special receiver on the other ship. The problem was finding it. When the enemy had started firing onSword Breaker, Viktor put it together and hadBlack Starcomb the area for that transmitter. When Phoebe had isolated herself outside the ship, finding the thing had been easy. It was on Phoebe herself.

“It’s there, Captain. Planted deep within her brain.Black Starfound it, but she says the probabilities of removing it are not good. Well, not without killing -- or severely damaging at best -- the host. When this was done, it was done with the intention of it staying there forever.”

“So, she sneaks on board with a tracking device implanted in her brain. Why? The one time we were in danger, she and that other woman saved our asses. And when we caught her, it was because she removed herself from the presence of too many people.” Damon scrubbed a hand over his face. “What was she out to accomplish?”

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