From Furies Forged (Free Fleet Book 5) Read Online Free Page B

smile grew on my face.
                  If there's anyone that can tell you were to shove it with a look and a few cold words, it’s Yasu. I shook my head, clinging to that moment of levity. Those moments were rare. At one time I would have thought it impossible to have those thoughts. I had been James Cook nickname Salchar of Mecha Tail and she had been Yasu Ono Blade Mistress of Samurai's Revenge, and my nemesis.
                  “The new personnel are ready to begin boarding as soon as we get into dock,” Rick said from his seat beside me. We had been in the same squad since we were abducted from Earth. He had always been a steady hand to keep me on task, and knock some sense back into me at times.
                  “Good, I want them situated as soon as possible. Rotating watches so that everyone gets time off. They've damned well-earned it,” my voice daring anyone to try and cut my people's down time.
                  “Sorted,” Rick say's, his eyes telling me that anyone that did wouldn't make it past him, let alone me.
                  “We're getting a number of freighters moving towards us,” Walf says sounding almost bored in his position as sensors commander.
                  Its sometimes odd hearing the command staff's voices when we aren't in combat. When the shit really hits the fan the bridge turns into a hive of informative shouts from different commanders as controllers work their stations, fight the ship and act as a pipeline from Resilient to the rest of the Fleet.
                  “Vort, check that Monk keeps them off of us,” I said, my tone relaxed even as I feel my tension rising. I didn't like having ships other than Free Fleet warships around me. If it came to action, it would be hell to defend them and fight a battle.
                  Vort raises a thumb, talking into his headset. I nod in understanding. No one even bats an eyelid at the exchange, a military on Earth and the Admiral, general or whoever would probably have ripped Vort a new one. Here pompous rhetoric was replaced with action. Do it right and do it fast, damn if it hurts someone’s feelings when it could keep them alive.
                  I looked to the blast doors and see Marleen, Rick's wife and one of six people left alive from my initial squad, including Yasu and Rick.
                  She tapped two fingers to her head as she strolled for her station. I repeated the gesture back to her.
                  “How we looking?” I ask.
                  “We're going to need to pull at least fifteen cannons, the others can be replaced. The armor is better than I thought it would be. That ablative shell did its work. Going to need to replace that as well. Got fifteen missile tubes blocked. The yard can pull the armor plates and have them swapped out in short order. The rest is in Eddie's domain,” she said, taking her seat at Tactical and facing me.
                  “He's still finishing his report, but we're looking pretty good,” Rick said from beside me, something in his voice making me turn to him. “The other ships are going to need more work and you know how Eddie is about slackers,” he said with a brief smile.
                  “If you and Eddie can work out a schedule,” I shrugged, leaving it under his purview.
                  “I'll see what I can do,” Rick nodded.
                  I turned back to the main screen, seeing that we had another four hours until we made it to Parnmal's docks.
                  “I'm going to go for a walk,” I stood, Shreesht rising with me. He was one of my two-Avarian protection detail.
                  Krom, the second half of that detail was getting his wounds seen to. He'd have his two arms and legs back before we made it to Parnmal.
                  It had