The Forgotten Way (Champions of the Crystal Book 6)

Chapter 4.1

The six-day journey was mostly uneventful, though Sabrina was at once amused and annoyed that Ford proved true to his word: he flirted with every female officer he could find and then caused a shipwide uproar by settling on a preference for an enlisted engineering technician. Sabrina thought she might have liked the woman under other circumstances, but it was impossible to do so while Ford was gloating about the success of his campaign. He seemed to enjoy Thad's quiet disapproval and Ranja's amusement, while trying blatantly to provoke Sabrina into some kind of official statement.

Their last night aboard, Sabrina was working late, going over statistics with Thad, when Ford strolled into her quarters. "Still at it?"

"Yes," Sabrina snapped. She was tired and appalled at the enormity of the task before her, and she wasn't in the mood to play mind games with her cousin. "The millions of people starving and attempting to flee Fiersai have unkindly declined to stop making a fuss so that I can sleep. What do you want, Ford?"

"Phew," Ford said, sprawling on the sofa. Sabrina decided not to give him the satisfaction of moving over to give him more room. Thad, seated on a nearby chair, frowned. "Congratulate me, cousin. I have just put the finishing touches on trashing my reputation, at least with the Space Forces."

"I'm afraid to ask," Sabrina said.

"You would have enjoyed it, Sabrina. It was a huge, tearful scene in the middle of the mess with a large and interested audience." Ford was positively gleeful. "Someone even threw a piece of half-eaten fruit at me as I left!"

Thad drew breath to speak, and Sabrina hurried to cut him off. "Thad, let's finish this over breakfast. We're not docking until mid-morning, so we should still have time to finish those emergency food drop calculations."

"As you wish, Ambassador," Thad said, rising stiffly and gathering his things. When the door slid closed behind him, Ford chuckled.

"He really doesn't like me, does he? Well, I regard that as a good start."

"Oh, yes, brilliance itself. Make one of the people responsible for your safety thoroughly despise you. Why didn't I think of that?" Sabrina retorted.

"Hmm." Ford eyed her speculatively. "It seems I accomplished that with more than one of them. Isn't this what you wanted, cousin? For me to show beyond all doubt that my romantic interests lie elsewhere?"

"I thought you might flirt harmlessly with a few people. Not carry on a torrid affair that's the talk of the ship and then dump the poor woman in front of her crewmates! How humiliating for her! I only hope you didn't break her heart into the bargain!"

Ford grinned. "There. I knew there was a lecture brewing in that head of yours somewhere! Relax. Birna believes this was all part of an undercover operation, which, in a way, it was. She has been mightily amused at all the fuss, and I believe we had a mutually agreeable time. You should give it a try, cousin."

"I have work to do."

"Unlike those of us along merely for decorative purposes. As you pointed out, the crisis is not going to stop anytime soon. You should try to relax a little, Sabrina. You're all wound up, and I know you don't do your best thinking when you're irritated."

"Why should I be irritated? You told me exactly what you were going to do. As you pointed out, it was even at my instigation. That you exceeded my expectations should not come as a surprise to me," Sabrina bit out.

He grinned again. "Then you remember that you promised me some intelligent conversation to compensate for the mindless prattle I've been subjected to in my efforts to both charm and repel."

"I'm sorry, but I've used up all my free brain cells trying to wrap my mind around this crisis. How the hell does an agrarian planet end up with a famine?" Sabrina exclaimed in exasperation.