The Morcai Battalion by Diana Palmer Read Free Book Online Page B

the prospect of impotence was beyond acceptance or even belief. “No one ship, even this one, could penetrate the force net of the Rojok fleet and survive. They now seem intent on capture rather than destruction or they would already have fired on us. And that,” he said in a chillingly soft voice, “I will not permit, even if it means destroying the Morcai myself.”
    Stern glanced at the Centaurian, puzzled. “Why so much flurry over one lone ship?” he asked pointedly. “They have the Jaakob Spheres and the Centaurian princess. What’s left?”
    The alien ignored the question. He turned back to the comm unit and addressed his navigator. “Degas, how many ships are they throwing against us?” he asked the comtech.
    “I read two hundred, Commander, traveling at half sublight speed.”
    “ Maliche , they are confident!” Dtimun growled.
    “The casualties can’t take another battle,” Madeline said tightly. “And I didn’t save them just to have you blow them up, sir . It isn’t their bloody war. There must be one aid station we can reach before—”
    “What we have reached at the moment, Madam,” the Centaurian interrupted abruptly, “is the limit of my patience.” His eyes were enough to silence her. He turned slowly to the comm unit again. “Degas, can we make Benaski Port?” he asked, naming a notorious way station on the outskirts of the civilized galaxy.
    “If we reduce our weaponry capability and divert all power to the engines,” the Centaurian navigator replied. “It is the only neutral port within reach.”
    “Then throw your lightsteds and make for it at maximum light.”
    “Yes, Commander.”
    Dtimun turned back to Madeline, his eyes calmer but still tinged with brown anger. “I will have Komak supply another synthesizer, which you will not touch. They respond readily to speech, even Terravegan speech, because of the translators we employ in all comm units aboard. I gather that your knowledge of bionic tech is as limited as your knowledge of proper female behavior.”
    “Proper…?” Madeline just gaped at him.
    “Our science has been long capable of producing self-sustaining, self-perpetuating machines. Living machines, if you will,” he continued unabashed. “They are extremely sensitive to alien bacteria, a fact which Komak was sent to impart to you. Apparently he was too late.”
    Her green eyes narrowed. She was struggling with an urge to knock him on his superior rear end.
    His eyebrows arched, and his eyes became threatening at once.
    Madeline blinked. It was coincidence, surely, that anger. “What a pity,” she said with mock softness, “that your science couldn’t also provide a means of inoculating the machines against alien bacteria.”
    Dtimun let that insult fall unnoticed. “Until your people were taken aboard, no humans had ever set foot aboard the Morcai . Such preventions were unnecessary. We have had to make modifications to our language banks to accommodate you. There was no time to attend the machines.”
    “What about more medtechs?” she persisted.
    “I suggest that you make arrangements with Hanhson to acquire some of his.” He held up his hand when she started to protest. “I amaware that your specialty is Cularian medicine, and his is Terravegan, but surely some medical expertise is preferable to none at all. That problem rests with you. Benaski Port is still three days away at our present speed. You must accommodate the delay.”
    “Perhaps some of the wounded will last that long,” she said tightly. “By your leave, sir ,” she added with a salute.
    “One thing more, Madam.”
    She turned, the question only in her resentful eyes.
    “The next time you step onto my bridge,” he said quietly, “tread lightly. Your disregard for military routine could easily grant you a place in history textdiscs as the first human female ever spaced aboard a Centaurian warship. Am I understood?”
    Her teeth ground together. But all she said was, “Yes,