The Secret War - 1st novel in the Shadow Series

Chapter 34 .

Vai

I had been to the bridge only once before and that was shortly after I had arrived on the G.E.F. Shadow. My father had taken me around to all the possible places I might find him on the ship if I ever needed him. Like I just couldn't call him on his okulus.

I wasn't sure it would be the captain's shift. She changed shifts with the Second and Third officers. The elevator door opened and I stepped out onto level 1 with Warpaint close behind. The two security officers at the door to the bridge didn't stop me. It was pretty obvious I was my father's son.

The bridge was in the shape of an oval. Large windows were all around showing the black space outside and streaks of stars as we jumped in FTL. Several people in uniform were around at the ship's various terminals.

A quick glance around the room told me my father wasn't there, but I lingered. The captain was in her chair. I didn't know how to approach her. Esther said the pink only showed in their eyes when the Corruption were communicating with them. I wasn't sure I could confirm she had the Corruption. If the pink didn't show up, that didn't mean she was free of the Corruption. I looked around again.

"Lieutenant Commander Ma'amaloa's son? What are you doing here?" The captain stood in front me. I was still in front of the entrance.

"Looking for my father," I lied. "I guess he isn't here."

She looked around at the others working at their stations. "He is usually here sometime every day, but not at the moment." She turned back to me. "You should have called him first to confirm his location instead of randomly showing up here and disturbing the rest of us. The bridge isn't a place anyone should have easy access to."

"You're right. I'm sorry."

"You should leave then. Lieutenant Commander Ma'amaloa is probably in the lab."

She started back to her chair.

"Wait," I said. She stopped and turned back to me, but I didn't know what to say.

"What is it?" She finally asked. A few other heads turned our way, but they swiveled back to their stations when the captain looked at them.

"May I ask you a question, Captain?"

"You're not going to ask me out to dinner like your little friend did are you?"

I laughed, but stopped at the scowl on her face. I hoped I hadn't made some sort of horrible slip in the chain of command - even though I wasn't officially in the chain of command. Or was I just by being on the ship?

"No," I said. "Not that."

"Go ahead then." Her eyes were a shade of blue that borderlined purple.

"What is it like to work with my father?" No sign of pink in her eyes yet.

"He works hard and is an expert in his field. You can be proud of him," she said.

A surge of anger welled up inside. He had stolen 80 years of my life by being an expert in his field. "Thank you." I managed not to sound angry at least.

She dismissed me as she turned her back to me to walk back to her station.

"Wait," I said.

Her blue lips pinched tight as she turned around to face me. "It might not look like it, Lieutenant Commander Ma'amaloa's son, but I am quite busy."

"One last thing," I said. "Do you know about how I first came on board?"

"You mean the broken bones and eyeball? Yes Commander Ragear mentioned it in his reports. You've healed up nicely." Her fingers tapped her thigh impatiently.