Page 16 of Searching the Skies

“Please do. And if you tell any of my soldiers, I’ll tickle you to death.”

A half smile lingered on her lips as her eyelids drooped. “I’ll remember that. But thanks.”

Geneva dragged the blankets up over them and remained nestled against his body. She’d always been content with her life aboard the military spaceships. If said life now included wild sex in darkened closets and late-night snuggle sessions with Commander George Ashford, contentment could be bumped up to sheer enjoyment of her chosen situation. While many regarded the colossal spaceship as cold and emotionless, for her, it now held a newfound warmth.

Chapter Eight

“I’ll see you in about an hour.” Ash tucked his shirt into his pants before heading out the door, leaving Geneva to shower and get dressed before reporting for an early meeting. Neither one of them could remember the last time all personnel on the entire spaceship had been required to be in attendance in the same place at the same time. While they hadn’t spent all of the previous night speculating, the reason remained a mystery to them.

Though unsure of what awaited her and the rest of the crew, she wasn’t uneasy or worried. All of the ship’s operations ran smoothly. Everyone assigned to her performed their duties up to her expectations. For once, she actually had something of a social life outside of her work. Once she donned her uniform, she left to find Ash.

Only the lower levels of the ship contained rooms large enough to hold the entire crew. Despite its size, Geneva had to push her way through the crowded space to approach the front. Ash had saved her a chair near the middle of the fourth row, and she climbed over those already seated to get to him, flashing him a grateful smile. The room buzzed with rumors and theories, but based on the snippets trickling toward her ears, no one around them had any valid information.

Upon his entrance, Admiral Walker’s face appeared on large screens around the room, at least half a dozen replicas of his bald head creating an imposing presence. Silence settled upon the room as no one seemed to dare breathe without his permission. Geneva sat close enough to see the man himself and, even without the projections, she could tell he was not in a chipper mood. After casting a glance across the crowd, he addressed his subordinates.

“I know you’re all wondering why I called you here, so I’ll get to the point and keep my remarks brief. While we weren’t due for reassignment for another year, there has been a change in plans.” Murmurs rippled through the room as some attendants wondered aloud where they’d be going next, but they were quickly hushed as the admiral proceeded. “There have been reports of terrorist threats in the Enegar system, and a request has been made for additional military reinforcements for security purposes.”

Even though hundreds of people surrounded her, Geneva felt herself become his visual target as he revealed their new location. She slunk down in her chair as his icy glare, multiplied ten times over by the giant screens, threatened to bore a hole right through her head, and she prayed those around her didn’t notice. Without looking away from her, he continued. “We will start on our recalculated course as soon as possible and are expected to arrive in Enegar within the week. Dismissed.”

As soon as the last word left his mouth, Geneva leaped to her feet and rushed out of the room, not caring who she stepped on or elbowed out of the way. She was halfway back to her quarters before she noticed footsteps following behind her. Whirling around, she spotted Ash through her blinding haze of guilt, panic, and flat-out fury. His mouth opened in order to say something, but it snapped shut as she launched into her tirade.

“This is all because of me,” she said. “I can’t believe they did this to me. I can’t believe they did thisagain. They’re not going to stop, and now everyone else is being affected, and they’re all going to know it’s me and…” She paused her rambling to catch her breath and gave him a helpless look.

“Geneva, slow down.” He raised his hands but came no closer. “If you want to tell me what’s going on and why you think it’s your fault we’ll be soaring halfway across the universe, then you have to take it one step at a time.”

She forced herself to inhale and exhale again before making another attempt. “Remember how I had to go home a while ago?”

He nodded.

“That’s home for me. Enegar. Pasurea, to be exact.”

“You’re from Pasurea?” His eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Pardon me, Your Highness, I didn’t know.”

Geneva slumped against the wall and sighed, as she was in no mood for jokes. “Ash, please.”

“Sorry. Go on.”

“My parents hate how I’m out here.” Anger and frustration churned in her stomach. “They forced me home once, and I refused to stay. And since I’m not flying back every weekend or calling them every night, I guess this is their response.”

“But the admiral said there were threats to security…”

“The threats are bullshit,” she spat out. “I know it. Walker knows it. Soon everyone is going to know it.”

His astonishment and confusion hadn’t faded. “So, you’re saying your parents single-handedly managed to redirect a massive military spaceship to their home system all because of a power struggle with their daughter?”

“Yes. Money and influence will get you anything you want, and my family has plenty of both.” She tilted her head back against the wall and closed her eyes. “This is never going to end,” she whispered. “They’re never going to accept I didn’t want what they wanted for me. Maybe I should just give in now and go back to Pasurea for good.”

Ash put a hand against the wall beside her as he leaned over, using his other hand to bring her head toward his. “You’re not going to do that. I don’t know them, but I know you, and I’ve never seen you put up anything less than one hell of a fight. If you want to stay here, stay here. What are they going to do, beam themselves up here and physically drag you off the ship?”

Geneva blew out a puff of air. “It’s so maddening. They complain I don’t keep in touch with them enough, and then they pull stunts like this, which make me even less willing to have anything to do with them.” She allowed herself one more pitiful sigh before setting her jaw with a rediscovered determination. “You’re right though. They can’t do anything further to me up here. I’m not even going to dignify them with a response to this ridiculous power play.”

“That’s the spirit!” He straightened and gave her one of his usual dazzling grins. “We’ve been on much more dangerous missions than this. I bet you’ll have no problem at all giving them the cold shoulder while pretending to patrol their star system. You may not even break a sweat!”

“You may be correct.” He’d coaxed a smile out of her. “And you’ll be here to distract me, right?”

“Always.” He slid an arm around her shoulders, maneuvering her away from the wall propping her up. “But now work needs to be our distraction,” he reminded her. “Come on, let’s go join up with our teams.”

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