Dead Beckoning

he slightly brighter light of morning. It was so q

He smiled back.

time

e." Lofflin sighed jokingly. "A

kingly, and giggled. "Sorry, sir! Pl

uty for months!" Loff

haul me!" Bennett giggled ag

oked, grabbing Dellon Bennett fast in a pseudo wrestling hold, the be

s indeed l

dressed in his uniform, brand new Captain's bars shining in the sun – and hailed a taxi. It'd been two months since the last time he'd worn a uniform, and the feel of it against his skin made him feel good and strange at the same time. The taxi to

o on. From orbit, the picture could only be called 'lovely'. Tremaine was just over a century old, as a colony world, and started out as a farming colony, before becoming a trade-world for newer colonies in neighboring systems. Its prime exports

e. A small rededication ceremony was to be held onboard, hosted by the Yard Master, who turned out to be a graying middle-aged man who wore a yellow har

Captain's right hand, and in many ways, a trainee Captain. Exo's usually transferred off their ships, and went on to command other ships for the Space Fleet, and sometimes, as in his case,

eached the top of the food chain on the Mordrake – and there was now nowhere to run, or hide! All of the last seven years as Exo on the Mordrake, he'd known Blaine as the Captain, his superior officer, the supreme authority on ship – and although the man had di

when he moved up the promotional ladder seven years previously. Joe was thirty-seven

remony was a pleasant touch, but totally unnecessary, Lofflin felt, and he'd had basically attended only as an invited guest. It was, he reflected, more of a political statement on the part of the local government than anything else. After a few quite dul

ricted himself to one or two word answers, which usually helped to keep people he didn't feel comfortable around, at a distance. It

man said, "I'm Commander