In Enemy Hands by K.S. Augustin Page B

Savic seems to have things all sorted out in his mind.”
    “Hen Savic has had twenty years to get used to the idea,” Drue countered soberly. He took a swallow of his wine. “You realise that our current topic of discussion could be considered grounds for treason?”
    “Discussing Savic and Srin, you mean?”
    “Savic. Bliss. Shapeshifters. Sympathy.” He shrugged.
    Moon looked around the captain’s cosy dining room. “Does that mean we stand trial tomorrow?” She felt tired rather than alarmed. “I can’t say I’m surprised. I always thought these ships were extensively monitored.”
    “Do you think there are hidden video and audio devices on the ship?”
    She nodded.
    “No need,” he told her with a tight smile. “We all police each other. A little over one hundred people on board an airtight vessel, each watching what the other one does. Who needs electronics?”
    The wine in Moon’s glass was gone, but she drank from her water tumbler gratefully, using the time to give herself courage to ask the next, inevitable, question.
    “Drue…” She paused. “You don’t seem the type.”
    “The type for what?”
    She waved a hand, taking in the room and everything beyond it. “This. The ship. I never thought Space Fleet captains were so philosophical.” She pinned a slight smile on her face. “What is someone like you doing here? It doesn’t look like you approve of much of what the Republic is doing, yet you’re in their Space Fleet, captain of one of the largest ships in the galaxy. Doesn’t that seem a little, strange, to you?”
    “Where would I go?” he answered. “Beyond the Republic is a mass of warring factions whose size of territory differs with each war won and lost. They all have different languages, different technologies, different physiologies. At least within the Republic, I know I’ll mostly be amongst humans. We hold the balance of power in this part of the galaxy.”
    His words were at odds with the thoughtful man she had shared many a meal with.
    “And is that so important to you?”
    “Yes,” he answered simply. “I may not like a lot of what the Republic does, but I like being a starship captain. It’s what I always wanted to be, ever since I was a child. Besides, after such specialised training, what else could I do?”
    “So we’re all doomed.” There was a trace of a question in her statement.
    He shrugged, unmoved. “Some more than others, certainly. I don’t know that there’s any hope for your friend, the Turk. As for you and I, well, if this experiment of yours succeeds, there’ll be enough glory to spread around. For you, I’m sure the Republic has the kinds of rewards appropriate for an eminent scientist. And, for me, a promotion. Maybe even a new ship.”
    There was something else there, in the back of his eyes, but Moon was caught by another thought.
    “For Hen Savic.” She added, “If I succeed, he gets even more pride and a continued sense of justification.” She didn’t like that idea, that someone like Savic would not only follow in the wake of her own reputation, but thrive by exploiting the abilities of a man he himself had crippled.
    “There’s nothing we can do about that, Moon.”
    The tragedy of it all was that Drue was right.

Chapter Six
    It was almost two weeks since Moon’s altercation with Savic, and the ship was locked down. The Differential had left the rendezvous system nine days ago and was already on its way to the Suzuki Mass. The Mass contained a dead star that just might live again, if her theories were correct. After double-checking the ship’s integrity and confirming supplies and orders for the journey ahead, the ship arced out of its outer orbit and then, with one last sigh, shot itself into another dimension.
    With that last action, Moon felt well and truly alone. Besides her lab, there were few places on the Differential where she felt at peace. The canteens were either barren and lonely, or full and loud. She could,