head, scrubbing one hand over his short, silver-blond hair. “Damn. This is just like the good old days of the Solar Wars. And I didn’t miss ’em one quarking bit.”
The two IBI ops signed off after Navos assured them they had his sworn oath to stay on the Orion and await further contact. When the holo-vid had winked out, he waited quietly.
Steve Craig sat with his hands steepled before his face for a moment. Finally he dropped them and sighed. “Tell me about your involvement in this implant project, Daron.”
Unemotionally, Navos recited the sordid facts—how he’d conceived the idea for the implant and received funding and support from his mentor at the university. How Beryl Mazarin had seduced him and stolen his research to open her own clinic. How he’d forged ahead with another version of the project, after she’d quickly produced the implant now used by law enforcement.
“So your work has done much good in the galaxy,” Sirena said approvingly. “Even if that bitch got the credit for some of it.”
“She also made a fortune, if I’m not mistaken,” her husband said drily.
“Yes,” Navos said, “which should have gone to the university to fund research. However, I’ve been able to collaborate on other projects, which have replaced most of the loss.”
Craig was still frowning. “But it still leaves you on the hook, as far as the Bluet family is concerned. You’re the inventor of the device, you’re on board with the boy when he goes insane and dies. Ergo, you’re the perpetrator.”
“I imagine they had some help arriving at that theory,” Navos said. “She’s…most convincing.”
“Well, this time she’s gone too far,” hissed Sirena. She slapped one hand on the command console. “What colossal arrogance! Thinking she can take the Orion down and you with it.”
“Could she be the one behind all of the attacks?” Craig asked.
Navos shook his head slowly. “No. I don’t believe so—the other attacks do not fit the same profile. But…I suppose we can’t rule out the possibility.”
Qwerx, who had been listening quietly, now spoke up. His dark eyes held steely purpose. “Commander Halix thinks very highly of you, as do your colleagues, Commander Navos. Rest assured, the IBI will do all we can to find the real perpetrators and clear your name. I myself am aboard at the request of Mr. Stark.”
“Should he be in on the investigation?” asked Sirena. The founder and owner of LodeStar was known for letting his captains run their ships as they saw fit.
“I spoke to him, along with Lt. Halix,” Craig put in, shaking his head. “He’s on Pangaea at present. Said he had an idea about an old rival who might possibly be behind the attacks on us.”
“An entrepreneur as successful as Stark must have many old rivals,” Sirena said drily, but her emerald eyes were sharp. “Who is this one?”
“The IBI prefers not to mention any names as yet,” Qwerx said firmly.
Sirena sighed. “Your agency is going to try and stop us from taking care of the slime when we find them, aren’t you? I never get to have any fun.”
Craig bit back a grin. He stretched mightily and then pushed himself out of his chair.
“I need sleep. Get some rest, all of you. Command team meeting after breakfast.”
He stopped before Navos and held out his hand to him. “Daron, I know you for a man of honor. We’ll see to it the rest of the galaxy knows it once again, as well.”
Navos took the strong hand held out to him and gripped it.
The Dragolins shook his hand as well and then glided off toward the gym. Navos turned toward his own quarters. Thoughts and emotion churned inside him.
Could Beryl Mazarin be the mastermind behind the series of attacks on the Orion ? Surely not. He knew she hadn’t been ready to let him go when he’d left her, but surely she wouldn’t have gone to such elaborate, deadly lengths as waiting years to sabotage the cruise ship on which he was
The two IBI ops signed off after Navos assured them they had his sworn oath to stay on the Orion and await further contact. When the holo-vid had winked out, he waited quietly.
Steve Craig sat with his hands steepled before his face for a moment. Finally he dropped them and sighed. “Tell me about your involvement in this implant project, Daron.”
Unemotionally, Navos recited the sordid facts—how he’d conceived the idea for the implant and received funding and support from his mentor at the university. How Beryl Mazarin had seduced him and stolen his research to open her own clinic. How he’d forged ahead with another version of the project, after she’d quickly produced the implant now used by law enforcement.
“So your work has done much good in the galaxy,” Sirena said approvingly. “Even if that bitch got the credit for some of it.”
“She also made a fortune, if I’m not mistaken,” her husband said drily.
“Yes,” Navos said, “which should have gone to the university to fund research. However, I’ve been able to collaborate on other projects, which have replaced most of the loss.”
Craig was still frowning. “But it still leaves you on the hook, as far as the Bluet family is concerned. You’re the inventor of the device, you’re on board with the boy when he goes insane and dies. Ergo, you’re the perpetrator.”
“I imagine they had some help arriving at that theory,” Navos said. “She’s…most convincing.”
“Well, this time she’s gone too far,” hissed Sirena. She slapped one hand on the command console. “What colossal arrogance! Thinking she can take the Orion down and you with it.”
“Could she be the one behind all of the attacks?” Craig asked.
Navos shook his head slowly. “No. I don’t believe so—the other attacks do not fit the same profile. But…I suppose we can’t rule out the possibility.”
Qwerx, who had been listening quietly, now spoke up. His dark eyes held steely purpose. “Commander Halix thinks very highly of you, as do your colleagues, Commander Navos. Rest assured, the IBI will do all we can to find the real perpetrators and clear your name. I myself am aboard at the request of Mr. Stark.”
“Should he be in on the investigation?” asked Sirena. The founder and owner of LodeStar was known for letting his captains run their ships as they saw fit.
“I spoke to him, along with Lt. Halix,” Craig put in, shaking his head. “He’s on Pangaea at present. Said he had an idea about an old rival who might possibly be behind the attacks on us.”
“An entrepreneur as successful as Stark must have many old rivals,” Sirena said drily, but her emerald eyes were sharp. “Who is this one?”
“The IBI prefers not to mention any names as yet,” Qwerx said firmly.
Sirena sighed. “Your agency is going to try and stop us from taking care of the slime when we find them, aren’t you? I never get to have any fun.”
Craig bit back a grin. He stretched mightily and then pushed himself out of his chair.
“I need sleep. Get some rest, all of you. Command team meeting after breakfast.”
He stopped before Navos and held out his hand to him. “Daron, I know you for a man of honor. We’ll see to it the rest of the galaxy knows it once again, as well.”
Navos took the strong hand held out to him and gripped it.
The Dragolins shook his hand as well and then glided off toward the gym. Navos turned toward his own quarters. Thoughts and emotion churned inside him.
Could Beryl Mazarin be the mastermind behind the series of attacks on the Orion ? Surely not. He knew she hadn’t been ready to let him go when he’d left her, but surely she wouldn’t have gone to such elaborate, deadly lengths as waiting years to sabotage the cruise ship on which he was
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