The Black Sheep (A Learning Experience Book 3) by Christopher Nuttall Read Free Book Online Page A

she admitted.  “We may have to arrange transport to Sol.  Or see if they can find homes here.  But as long as they’re safe, for the moment, that’s all that matters.”
     
    “Yes, Captain,” Shari said.

Chapter Four
     
    Heavy fighting broke out on Intake Asteroid Five between two separate groups of refugees with Earther grudges.  Solar Marines moved in, separated the combatants and deported them back to Earth.  Their families seemed relieved to be rid of them.
    -Solar News Network, Year 54
     
    If he were forced to be honest, Commander Griffin Wilde would have had to admit that he cordially disliked his commanding officer.  She was young, the granddaughter of the Solar Union’s founder ... and given command of a squadron as a punishment - or a reward - for shooting her mouth off in public.  Griffin, who had seen too many half-trained officers be promoted for being well-connected or ‘diverse’ in the United States Navy, didn't like the idea of such dangerous ideas infecting the Solar Navy.  She wasn't an idiot, he had to admit, but she didn’t always think before she acted.  It would have been better if she’d been broken of such dangerous habits before she reached flag rank.
     
    But it wasn't quite flag rank, Griffin thought, as he stepped into the cabin.  Admiral Stuart had given his grand-niece a ship command as well as squadron command.  Hoshiko should have insisted on a promotion to Commodore, and being assigned the staff she needed to serve as the squadron’s commanding officer, instead of trying to split her time between serving as a starship’s commanding officer and serving as the squadron commander.  Griffin was honestly unsure if Hoshiko, determined to keep command, had insisted on the arrangement or if her great-uncle hadn't been bothered to make a final judgement.  The only thing he could say in her favour was that she hadn't expected him to serve as captain while only drawing a commander’s pay.
     
    “Commander,” Hoshiko said.  She was seated on a sofa, sipping tea from a cup.  “Please, take a seat.”
     
    “Thank you, Captain,” Griffin said.  He sat down facing her and rested his hands in his lap as the steward appeared, carrying a mug of coffee.  “The freighter has been completely emptied, for the moment, and we've stripped out the computer cores for analysis.”
     
    “Good,” Hoshiko said, as Griffin took the coffee from the steward.  “Did you decompress the ship?”
     
    “I’d prefer to wait until her crew decides what they want to do with her,” Griffin said.  “The ship really needs to be scrapped, Captain, but they may have other ideas.  And there are probably personal possessions onboard that need to be recovered.”
     
    “Understood,” Hoshiko said.  She wasn’t overruling him on a whim, at least.  “And our crews?”
     
    “Returned to the ship, Captain,” Griffin said.  He frowned, inwardly.  There had been something in the way she’d spoken that worried him.  “The freighter is currently abandoned and depowered, save for a single beacon.”
     
    Hoshiko nodded, slowly.  Griffin studied her, feeling a tangle mixture of impatience and resentment.  She wasn't just young, she looked young, like so many of her peers.  They’d embraced the fantastic potentials of technology while many of the Earth-born had shied away from them.  And they saw no limits in the universe around them.  But there were limits, Griffin knew, and some of those limits were deadly.
     
    A low chime echoed in the room.  “It's time,” Hoshiko said.  “Are you ready?”
     
    Griffin wanted to roll his eyes as the first holographic image popped into view, followed by eight more.  Hoshiko had eight captains under her command, rather than the regulation nine; it wasn't the least of the problems facing the squadron that Griffin, a mere commander, had a vote if it came to a council of war.  Admiral Stuart should really have kicked his niece upwards, into