Orion Gambit - Traci Ganner series book 2

Orion Gambit - Ch 6

Chapter 6

Duke’s Realm

“Are you completely out of your mind?” Michael said. He belatedly added the word “Captain” to his sentence, but he was clearly unhappy.

“One scraped elbow, one split lip, one sprained ankle, one bruised palm, one swollen cheek, a possible fractured rib, multiple contusions… shall I go on?” Harcourt Godsman, the ship’s doctor, recited the litany of Traci’s injuries. Two nurses and a practitioner were helping Traci address her “minor” wounds in the ship’s infirmary. One of the nurses put away a first aid kit as Dr. Godsman made his formal report.

“I’m fine,” Traci protested, pushing herself off from the exam table with an audible grunt. She stood for a moment, slightly hunched over, with a grimace. “Okay, so the ribs are still a little tender.”

“You should be off of your feet for several days to let your body catch up with what your foolish young mind has just put it through,” Godsman commented. He looked over his spectacles at her as though he were admonishing one of his own grandchildren. The result was slightly comical, since the primary features of his gaze were his overly bushy eyebrows and his nearly bald pate. Traci tried to keep from summoning a laugh and settled for only letting a tactful cough escape.

“Traci, he could have killed you. With his build, he could have twisted your foolish head right off of your shoulders,” Michael continued. He was relentless.

“But clearly, Commander, he did not,” Traci said, taking control of the conversation. She punctuated her remark by standing straighter, although it still hurt to do so. But a little discomfort was hardly enough to keep her from completing her mission. After all, she did get the Valdi captain to open up. Unfortunately, he had not said another word since. His side party was no help either. It was as though they had a silent pact not to talk any further to their captors until they were released. They simply took their food with moderately good grace and said nothing.

“Besides, Colonel Magnus was on sniper overwatch, and I am fully confident that he could have tranquilized him if the need arose.” Traci left out the fact that the combatants were moving so quickly that the colonel would have had to shoot both of them with tranquilizers to subdue the Valdi.

Traci took a moment to fidget with her hair in the mirror, retying the green ribbon that kept her curly locks back against her neck. Pleased with the result, she turned again to her first officer.

“How long until the Valdi shuttle is ready to return them to their ship?” she asked, her face all business.

Michael frowned. “It’s ready now. I had the work crews refuel and repair the damage we inflicted when we forced our entry.”

“Good,” Traci responded. “I’ve decided to accept the Valdi invitation to accompany Captain Zuarit aboard his own vessel.”

“You most certainly will not,” Michael bellowed. This was simply too much. She was younger than him, and had obviously taken a few too many blows to her pretty head. It was time he pulled rank and made her see reason.

Traci tilted her head slightly in a way that showed she was not used to insubordination, even from an officer that technically had seniority over her.

“Commander McKenzie,” she said, punctuating his title aboard her ship. “Your concern for my welfare is admirable, but the mission parameters do not allow me any choice. If I am unable to reestablish contact with the Adamantine within forty-eight standard hours of my departure, you are to presume that I am dead or incapacitated and continue the mission. If you are unable to carry out these orders, I will have Commander Lazarus resume his duties as the ship’s executive officer and confine you to the brig. Are these orders clear, Commander?”