New Dawn (Divine War Book 1) by Magus Tor Page B

for an instant of rest.
    “It appears that you have not lost your skills,” the Admiral said, his voice admiring.
    As he spoke, there was a resounding clang of metal on metal as the remaining soldiers on the bridge unsheathed their swords in one movement. The Admiral laughed but held up a hand to stop them. He had no desire to watch such a mismatched fight again.
    “Step aside, fools,” the Admiral drawled. “You're no match for him. Do none of you know who this man is?”
    Kabi caught Lucia's eye, giving her an almost invisible wink and seeing her smile in return. Smart girl. She was staying well back from the action. Then he concentrated again, seeking out that place of mental focus, knowing that he was going to need the power soon.
    “None of you recognise him?” the Admiral said in disgust. “In that case, gentlemen, allow me to introduce to you Archangel Scorpio.”
    “Now, there's a name I haven't heard for a long time,” Kabi said, casually swinging the crystal sword around and burying its point in the deck so that he could lean on its hilt. “And how would it be, dear Admiral, that you know this name?” He rested on his sword, patiently awaiting an answer, his body relaxed, his mind scrabbling to focus on the power.
    “I know many things,” the Admiral said airily. “I also happen to know that you are the only Archangel left.”
    Hmmm, thought Kabi. So, the Admiral didn't know quite as much as he thought. Interesting. He watched impassively as the stout man turned and reached up to the weapon rack on the wall behind him, selecting a trident before turning back.
    “And I've been looking for you for a long time. Fifteen years, give or take.” The Admiral grinned, a smile full of frozen promise, and weighed the trident in his hand. “And finally it is time to regain my honour.”
    Slowly, Kabi raised his sword. The Admiral's grin got only larger as he hefted his trident, striking the butt of it on the ground. As he did so, the three prongs ignited in deep blue fire. Kabi shook his head slightly, and the Admiral laughed.
    *
    Despite his containment, Maicee was actually very impressed with the medical bay on the Freedom . There was everything a doctor or a surgeon could possibly need, including a small, sterile operating theatre. Not bad for a pirate ship, he thought. He looked at the young woman on the bed. Not that he'd be needing an operating theatre.
    “She's fine,” he told Falorni, completing his examination of Lean, the ship's engineer. “A few lacerations, a couple of bruises, nothing that a hot shower won't cure. No lasting damage that I can see.”
    Lean's eyelids began to flicker, and Falorni used the cool cloth that she'd been wiping the engineer's limbs down with to soothe her forehead. Lean groaned.
    “My head...”
    Falorni steadied the girl, who was beginning to thrash around, unsure of what was going on. “Stay calm,” she said.
    “Where am I? What happened?” Lean said, eyes opening.
    She struggled and tried to sit up, but Falorni resisted her efforts. “It's okay. You're fine, Lean. It's me, Falorni.” She waited a moment until the girl understood who was speaking to her and calmed a little. “We found you unconscious in the engine room. Do you remember what happened?”
    Lean groaned again. “No... wait, yes... I was working. Checking the engine stats. The next thing I knew, the engine exploded, just out of nowhere. I remember being thrown backwards, then black. Nothing else.”
    Falorni nodded. “You were unconscious for a while, but you're going to be perfectly fine. Do you remember seeing anyone else around the engine room before the explosion?”
    The young engineer shook her head. “No, no, I don't think so.”
    Maicee saw a small flicker in the corner of her eye. Maybe, he thought, she remembers more than she’s saying. He was about to ask her, and to introduce himself, when the com system beeped.
    “ABDS deactivated. Return to bridge,” Bettie's voice