From Furies Forged (Free Fleet Book 5) by Michael Chatfield Read Free Book Online Page A

about to let some outsider take his brother's position without a fight.
                  So he and Salchar had brawled it out and no matter Krom's monstrous size compared to Salchar. The little bastard was a damned good opponent.
                  Best not to tell him that. Krom turned, queuing the room's blast doors open.
                  Monk was at the door by the time he exited the room.
                  “Thought you might like some food during your wait. I also got Salchar's meds, checked them, though I have no doubt you will as well,” Monk smiled in a way that conveyed his understanding and agreement with their ways. “I also came upon this.” Monk pulled out a chessboard.
                  “I swear this whole fleet is going chess crazy,” Shreesht said, popping his visor.
                  Krom grinned, he and Carsickle had made it a habit to play a game, or at least put in a few moves on the chess game they had running in Resilient's rec room, whenever they could.
                  Others had taken up the game across the fleet. Card games were also coming out in a big way.
                  “Ahh, you just don't know a real game,” Krom said, popping his own visor.
                  There were few people that he considered as close to him as his own brother Ursht, Monk and Shreesht most definitely fit in that category.
                  “I'll take the watch while you two play your game,” Shreesht said, taking a steaming plate of food from the cart.
                  “Salchar's drugs don't need to be changed for another seven hours,” Krom said, glancing to his timer.
                  “Plenty of time for a few games,” Monk said.
                  “Definitely,” Krom waved to the room across the corridor, Krom and Shreesht's room.
                  Monk and Krom got situated.
                  Monk's head was as bald and shiny as a waxed tabletop. He looked as if he was about to burst out into a smile at any moment.
                  Of the Four members of Mecha Tail he was the most reserved. He had been training to be a Monk since a young age, but when he found out how gaming was a hell of a lot of fun and he was good at it, his vocation to be a Monk fell apart.
                  Some might take his kind features for softness.
                  Krom had spent enough time around Monk to know that while he wished for creatures of all races to get along, he was willing to use that staff of his to protect those that he cared for and against any that threatened the Free Fleet.
                  Krom didn't need to remove his powered armor to place the chess pieces on the board. He'd lived in it for so long at this point that it felt like another layer of skin.
                  “So how is he doing?” Monk asked, focusing on putting the chess pieces in the right places.
                  “He's been asleep since the surgery two days ago. He should be coming out of it soon. He's got quite a bit of bone replaced with metal shunting. They had to remove a lot of his vertebrae, seems it wasn't as clean cut as they thought. He's going to have a metal spinal column for the rest of his life,” Krom couldn't hide the harshness of his voice.
                  “Stop blaming yourself Krom, we both know that as much as we will try to get him out of damned danger, he will do everything to find it.” Monk looked at the Avarian, his words a calming balm to Krom's anger.
                  Krom was the first to look away from those caring eyes.
                  “I know, but it’s my damned job to take those wounds instead of him. Especially now that he has a kid on the way,” Krom's voice was softer now as he finished putting the pieces on the