Starlaw by Candace Sams Page B

Luster and watch reality hit her
there
. Creator only knows how she’ll respond.
    “Exactly my thoughts,” Gemma said as she eagerly stepped closer to her superior.
    “Can you certify this request
is
in her best mental and physical interests?” Darius asked as he stared at Gemma.
    “It is, sir. As I’ve said … I’m not entirely convinced she believes all this has happened to her.”
    He lifted one shoulder and let it fall. “Gemma’s professional opinion is valid.”
    “Assuming she’s properly escorted, and Gemma and I volunteer for that duty, perhaps it could do some good?” Barst relented. “With us right beside her the whole time, what could go wrong? We’ll stay away from known trouble spots. The refueling won’t take that long.”
    “She’s not a prisoner,” Gemma pressed.
    “Not
yet
,” Darius quickly countered with one brow raised. “I suppose I’d better go too. Not that I don’t trust the two of you,” he amended, “but the woman is crafty. I can almost see the gears in her brain turning.”
    “I reiterated that she might be a little more compliant if she’s given some freedom, sir. Getting off the ship may reinforce the need to stay close to us, depend on us. It shows a small amount of trust.”
    “Why does the word
compliant
not even register when I think of that woman?” Darius sarcastically uttered.
    Barst snorted.
    Gemma glared at the second-in-command.
    Darius sighed heavily. “All right. I’ll let her out of the med bay; she can leave the ship. But she’s to be constantly escorted. Is that clear?”
    “Thank you, sir.” Gemma smirked as she quickly exited the bridge.
    For the briefest moment, Darius felt manipulated but he quickly cast off the idea as impossible. Gemma hadn’t a scheming bone in her body. He put his attention back on the approach to Chamron.
    “Well … this should prove interesting.” Barst grinned broadly. “It’ll at least be a break in the monotony of deep space.”
    “Maybe Gemma’s right. Maybe using reverse psychology is the solution.”
    “Sir?”
    “Barst … if she sees what kind of trouble she could really get into, maybe the Earther won’t pull any more theatrics and we can have a smooth voyage home.”
    “You know … she
has
a name,” Barst reminded him.
    “And we both have business to tend.” Darius cleared his throat and adjusted the controls in front of him.
    • • •
    “I don’t understand. I thought he was dead set against me even leaving the med bay much less the ship,” Laurel said as she gazed at Gemma suspiciously.
    “I just asked nicely and he changed his mind. The commander isn’t made of stone, Laurel. He just needed some persuading. Besides … we’ve got a long journey ahead of us. He really never intended for you to stay locked away for the entire trip, I’m sure of it.”
    “I still don’t get it,” Laurel said, remaining steadfastly unconvinced.
    “Just accept it as the offering it was meant to be. Now … let’s get ready. We’ll find something for you to wear. Think of this as a great exploration.”
    Questions raced through Laurel’s mind. She was scared of everything that was happening and couldn’t show it. No one was asking about who might be worried about her back home. And now she was about to disembark some sort of alien spacecraft and venture abroad on some world no one from Earth had probably ever heard of. If her gut wasn’t hurting so bad, the situation would be comical. No old TV flick could have been plotted any worse. As alone as she’d sometimes felt back home, she truly knew the meaning of the word now and everyone around her was acting as if she should just accept, deal, and get on with what was left of her life. To them, she wasn’t a person with feelings. Even Gemma’s gaiety was wearing thin. Surely, if blue girl really cared, she’d be asking about things that’d been left behind.
    An old training officer had once told her that as long as you’re alive, there’s a