Weapons Master Galactic Gladia - Anna Hackett Page 0,57

imprisoned. Her mom had left Eve a drunken, scathing message.

The door to the room opened, and Eve lifted her chin and braced.

When she saw the dark-blue Space Corps uniform, she stiffened. When she saw the row of stars on the lapel, she gritted her teeth.

Admiral Linda Barber stepped into the room, accompanied by a female prison guard. The admiral’s hair was its usual sleek bob of highlighted, ash-blonde hair. Her brown eyes were steady.

Eve looked at the guard. “Take me back to my cell.”

The admiral lifted a hand. “Please leave us.”

The guard hesitated. “That’s against protocol, ma’am—”

“It’ll be fine.” The admiral’s stern voice said she was giving an order, not making a request.

The guard hesitated again, then ducked through the door. It clicked closed behind her.

Eve sniffed. “Say what you have to say and leave.”

Admiral Barber sighed, taking a few steps closer. “I know you’re angry. You have a right to be—”

“You think?” Eve sucked back the rush of molten anger. “I got tossed under the fucking starship to save a mama’s boy. A mama’s boy who had no right to be in command of one of Space Corps’ vessels.”

Shit. Eve wanted to pummel something. Preferably the face of Robert J. Hathaway—golden son of Rear-Admiral Elisabeth Hathaway. A man who, because of family connections, was given captaincy of the Orion, even though he lacked the intelligence and experience needed to lead it.

Meanwhile, Eve—a Space Corps veteran—had worked her ass off during her career in the Corps, and had been promised her own ship, only to be denied her chance. Instead, she’d been assigned as Hathaway’s second-in-command. To be a glorified babysitter, and to actually run the ship, just without the title and the pay raise.

She’d swallowed it. Swallowed Hathaway’s incompetence and blowhard bullshit. Until he’d fucked up. Big-time.

“The Haumea Incident was regrettable,” Barber said.

Eve snorted. “Mostly for the people who died. And definitely for me, since I’m the one shackled to a chair in the Citadel. Meanwhile, I assume Bobby Hathaway is still a dedicated Space Corps employee.”

“He’s no longer a captain of a ship. And he never will be again.”

“Right. Mommy got him a cushy desk job back at Space Corps Headquarters.”

The silence was deafening and it made Eve want to kick something.

“I’m sorry, Eve. We all know what happened wasn’t right.”

Eve jerked on her chains and they clanked against the chair. “And you let it happen. All of Space Corps leadership did, to appease Mommy Hathaway. I dedicated my life to the Corps, and you all screwed me over for an admiral’s incompetent son. I got sentenced to prison for his mistakes.” Stomach turning in vicious circles, Eve looked at the floor, sucking in air. She stared at the soft booties on her feet. Damned inmate footwear. She wasn’t even allowed proper fucking shoes.

Admiral Barber moved to her side. “I’m here to offer you a chance at freedom.”

Gaze narrowing, Eve looked up. Barber looked…nervous. Eve had never seen the self-assured woman nervous before.

“There’s a mission. If you complete it, you’ll be released from prison.”

Interesting. “And reinstated? With a full pardon?”

Barber’s lips pursed and her face looked pinched. “We can negotiate.”

So, no. “Screw your offer.” Eve would prefer to rot in her cell, rather than help the Space Corps.

The admiral moved in front of her, her low-heeled pumps echoing on the floor. “Eve, the fate of the world depends on this mission.”

Barber’s serious tone sent a shiver skating down Eve’s spine. She met the woman’s brown eyes.

“The Kantos are gathering their forces just beyond the boundary at Station Omega V.”

Fuck. The Kantos. The insectoid alien race had been nipping at Earth for years. Their humanoid-insectoid soldiers were the brains of the operation, but they encompassed all manner of ugly, insect-like beasts as well.

With the invention of zero-point drives several decades ago, Earth’s abilities for space exploration had exploded. Then, thirty years ago, they’d made first contact with an alien species—the Eon.

The Eon shared a common ancestor with the humans of Earth. They were bigger and broader, with a few differing organs, but generally human-looking. They had larger lungs, a stronger, bigger heart, and a more efficiently-designed digestion system. This gave them increased strength and stamina, which in turn made them excellent warriors. Unfortunately, they also wanted nothing to do with Earth and its inferior Terrans.

The Eon, and their fearsome warriors and warships, stayed inside their own space and had banned Terrans from crossing their boundaries.

Then, twenty years ago, the first unfortunate and bloody meeting with the Kantos had occurred.

Since