Rogue Galaxy, Episode 1: The Captain and the Werewolf by J. Boyett Read Free Book Online Page B

sweating—he looked relatively calm. Farraday remembered how Blaine had disliked Dobbler, how she'd seemed to think he was such a smart-ass. Rather than being a smart-ass, Farraday wondered if maybe he was just a person who wasn't automatically cowed by his superior officers.
    Fine. Farraday didn't need to cow anybody. He held all the power here—the kid knew that, and if he could give what Farraday needed, he would.
    Farraday clicked the control pad to slide the doors open, and walked into the room. The walls were dark gray, the table a shining black, and the space had an imposing air. Dobbler tried to hide his nervousness behind a poker face as he stood to attention. The security ensign started to step in after Farraday, but at the captain's gesture he reluctantly stepped back again and let the doors close on him.
    Farraday waved the kid to sit down, and sat across the table from him—not next to him; he didn't want to seem too friendly, nor too intimidating. With someone like Dobbler, bullying might backfire. He flashed the kid that grin he'd used his whole life, the one that always inspired liking and affection, if not necessarily die-hard loyalty. Dobbler smiled back, genuinely, albeit uncertainly.
    “Well, Ensign,” began Farraday. It was a struggle to find the right tone; he wanted to put the kid at his ease, but without giving the impression he was entirely off the hook. Drug-dealing aboard the ship was a big deal, after all. “How are you holding up in the brig?” he asked, as if Dobbler's status were something he sympathized with but could do nothing to change, like the death of a family member.
    “Um. I think I'm holding up okay, sir. All things considered.” After a hesitation, he added, “I guess I get a little lonely, sir.”
    “Yes. I know that you've spent most of your time in solitary confinement. It's not the way I would have chosen to treat you—but you understand, we can't spare personnel just to keep you company, and no one else has yet done anything to rate being placed in the brig.”
    Farraday watched Dobbler stifle his indignation. It wasn't exactly true that no one else had done anything to rate incarceration—there were all those who'd partaken of the Weed of Wonder with him. But their offenses in simply partaking hadn't been quite as grievous as Dobbler's in bringing it aboard from Kimball in the first place, and besides, they'd all been more essential personnel. Dobbler, the ship could afford to lock up. Farraday had only made the comment to see if Dobbler would protest, or if his week in the brig had made him a little more docile.
    They had, but not as much as Farraday had expected. He felt a surprised pleasure at the kid's spirit, which he tried not to show.
    Dobbler was fidgeting, looking down at his clasped hands, pulling at them so that it looked like he was trying to yank off his own fingers. He raised his eyes to Farraday, and the captain's grudging admiration made him all the more moved by the plea he saw there. “Sir,” said Dobbler. “I am sorry about the Weed. I should have brought it straight to you and let you take it to Dr. Carlson and Witch Walsh, instead of getting carried away with my own theories. I never meant any harm. And all that stuff I said to Commander Blaine—all those insubordinate things—I'm really sorry, sir.” Farraday simply watched and listened without comment, which further discombobulated the kid. “I guess I was a little, um, intoxicated, sir.”
    “I think that's kind of the point, Ensign.” Farraday had softened the kid up with his preliminary friendliness, getting the kid to open up in the hope of absolution. Now that he had, Farraday withdrew, growing more distant and aloof, making the kid hungrier for his forgiveness.
    “Yes, sir,” said Dobbler. “I know, sir. I'm sorry, sir.”
    Enough , Farraday thought, and suddenly relaxed as he decided to end the charade. He was sure enough now of Dobbler's loyalty—of his personal loyalty to