Her Commanders - M.K. Eidem Page 0,54

the room, then she smirked and headed toward the large, glowing bar. Nearing the bar, she shouldered her way between two males and placed herself in front of Cali.

"Phoc wine."

Cali's only action was to slide a chip reader in front of Vaine.

Vaine glanced down at it and sneered, "Start a tab."

"No."

"Listen, you Earthan bitch, I'm General Masala's oldest datter. If you don't serve me, he will destroy you."

Taarig knew what happened next; he'd been in The Brink when all this had occurred. So instead, he watched Vaine and her tad. While Vaine sat up straighter and seemed to have no problem with others witnessing her conduct that night, her tad flinched and seemed to sink lower into his chair.

"I don't care if you're the datter of the rukking High Navarch. You're on the restricted list. You pay, or you don't drink."

Vaine, whose tail was already angrily swishing from side-to-side, pulled her fist back and swung at Cali. Everyone in the room gasped in shock when Cali ducked then swung out with her arm connecting with the outside of Vaine's, sending it back into the Phoc's face.

"Ruk!" Vaine said.

Before she could recover, the massive green arms of one of The Brink's Protectors wrapped around Vaine and lifted her off her feet.

"Cali, you okay?" the Protector asked.

"I'm good."

"Let me the ruk go, you Galaian bastard!" Vaine cursed as she struggled in the Protector’s arms.

"What do you want me to do?" the Protector asked.

"That's it, Vaine. You just got yourself banned. Good luck getting a drink on any Star Base from now on. Get her out of here."

Cali froze the screen with Tay carrying Vaine away, an ugly snarl on her face.

Silence reigned in the room as every eye focused on Vaine, who still sat ramrod straight, a defiant expression on her face. "What?!"

"I would say that answers the question as to who assaulted who," the Supreme Chairman's gaze bored into Vaine.

"How could you lie to me about something like this?" Masala hissed at his datter.

"I didn't lie! You saw what happened. She caused me to be injured."

"You injured yourself," the High Navarch said in disgust, then looked to Cali. "You are cleared of all charges, Khatun Baker, and have my deepest of apologies that any of this occurred." His gaze shifted around the room. "Now, if that's all."

"Your general invoked Article 89," the Supreme Chairman said quietly.

"He what?!!" Cali watched the High Navarch swallow hard as if there were something lodged in his throat before croaking out. "Clear the room. Everyone out except the Commanders and Masala."

"Khatun Baker will also remain," the Supreme Chairman's words had Cali slowly lowering herself back into her chair, her gaze going from him to the High Navarch, who she could tell was displeased.

"Why does she get to stay and not me?!" Vaine openly whined.

"Vaine, for once in your rukking life, just shut up and do what you are told!" Masala ground out, glaring at his datter.

Vaine stared at her tad in shock. Obviously, he'd never talked to her that way before, but she quickly recovered and, with a huff, spun on her heel and stormed out of the room, followed by the general's security detail.

Once the door slid closed, the High Navarch spoke again. "Now, what's this nonsense about invoking Article 89."

"It's not nonsense," the Supreme Chairman replied calmly. "Your general invoked it."

"Only after you suggested it," Cali said quietly, then quickly added, "Supreme Chairman," when he gave her a hard stare with eyes identical to her own.

"So General Masala didn't actually invoke Article 89." While the High Navarch's expression didn't change, Cali saw his shoulders relax slightly.

"He agreed that was what he was doing," the Supreme Chairman argued back, "and now we will address it."

"He doesn't even know what it is!" Pergram nearly shouted.

"Then inform him, and your Base Commanders, since this affects them too."

Pergram's gaze went to Cali, "She doesn't need to know."

"She already does. Unlike the Coalition, Wik Corp doesn't keep important information from our high-level personnel."

That had the High Navarch stiffening again, and Jamis’s and Taarig's gazes were sharpening on Cali. She hadn’t been The Brink’s owner that long, so how was she one of Wik Corp's high-level personnel?

"Inform them, or I'll choose which section to enforce," the Supreme Chairman growled at the High Navarch.

"Article 89 deals with the ownership of the Star Bases,” the High Navarch began while glaring at the Supreme Chairman. It was rare that anyone dared give him an order anymore and even rarer that he obeyed, but