Randolph Lalonde - Spinward Fringe Broadcast 08 - Renegades by Randolph Lalonde Page B
Authors: Randolph Lalonde
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as it changed course, moving away from the jettisoned hostage
at speed and towards the Torano. “Samurai Squadron,” Captain
Valent addressed. “Slag those shuttles.” The Warlord cloaked and
completely disappeared from scanners.
Chapter 11
Dirty Tricks
It was the first time
anyone on the Council had to take a recess so they could get
themselves together. The mess Liam left behind politically and
emotionally frustrated Ayan more than she would have liked to admit.
In the wake of their tame break up months before, it was difficult to
stay positive, and she caught herself looking at the negative side of
things, and fighting a situation instead of thinking her way through
it. Her failure to make her relationship with Liam Grady work had
left a lingering anger, and she wasn’t herself. Ayan buried herself
in work, and pushed people away until, one day, she broke down and
retreated to the Triton. Her old friend, Commander Terry Ozark
McPatrick, or Oz for short, was the one who pointed out that Lacey
was already in place as her immediate subordinate, but Ayan largely
ignored her until then.
Without a whiff of ego
or bitterness at being disregarded, Lacey stepped in thanks to Oz’s
re-invitation, and became Ayan’s true right hand in all things.
After a few weeks, the two women spent most days together from
breakfast to the late evening. The negativity that plagued Ayan
abated with the frustration she felt at drifting apart from Liam. She
once again strove to accept what she couldn’t change and
concentrated on the good she could do every minute of every day.
In the months since
their real collaboration started, Ayan maintained her position on the
Council, took a commanding spot with the new Rangers, and she was
constantly grateful to have Lacey at her side. She expressed how
thankful she was often, and Lacey brushed it off. She was where she
wanted to be, never bored, and even on the worst days she admired
Ayan’s coping abilities.
That was why it was
difficult for Lacey to watch the scene Liam Grady, not a habitual
grandstander, put on for the Council and anyone who had access to the
recordings of the proceedings in the chamber, which was everyone.
Lacey watched as Ayan paced the small open space between padded seats
against the walls in a small waiting room adjacent to the Council
chambers. “There are so many things I could have said, but I
settled on ‘goodbye.’” Ayan shrugged helplessly.
“It seems like he was
trying to publicly take the blame for what happened between you two,
to take it off your shoulders. I know this isn’t what you want to
hear, but I agree with most of what he said. You just lost two of
your best friends, and after being around you for this long, I know
you need affection in your life. It makes sense that you’d turn to
someone you trust and admire for that. He should have held you at
arms’ length, no matter how ‘magnificent’ you are,” she
couldn’t help but exaggerate ‘magnificent’ it was such an
over-appreciative word, even if Lacey agreed with the praise. “Even
still, that’s all in the past. I know you two said everything you
needed to when you finally broke things off. I don’t think he
deserved anything more than ‘goodbye’ from you.”
“Maybe not.” Ayan
wiped her eyes with a tissue in reflex, but there were no tears left
to mop up. She felt weary and irritated, but her sadness had gone
before long. “I don’t have time to deal with this. The Warlord is
coming back, and they’ll need qualified people. We have to take
care of today’s business and get a volunteer list ready.”
“He has fifty British
Alliance people aboard,” Lacey said. “Won’t he make a deal to
keep them?”
“He’s too proud to
take crewmembers who aren’t completely his. I’d fault him for it,
but his thinking is tactically sound – you don’t take crewmembers
that could have standing orders from another government. Besides,
they’re not allowed to take part in
at speed and towards the Torano. “Samurai Squadron,” Captain
Valent addressed. “Slag those shuttles.” The Warlord cloaked and
completely disappeared from scanners.
Chapter 11
Dirty Tricks
It was the first time
anyone on the Council had to take a recess so they could get
themselves together. The mess Liam left behind politically and
emotionally frustrated Ayan more than she would have liked to admit.
In the wake of their tame break up months before, it was difficult to
stay positive, and she caught herself looking at the negative side of
things, and fighting a situation instead of thinking her way through
it. Her failure to make her relationship with Liam Grady work had
left a lingering anger, and she wasn’t herself. Ayan buried herself
in work, and pushed people away until, one day, she broke down and
retreated to the Triton. Her old friend, Commander Terry Ozark
McPatrick, or Oz for short, was the one who pointed out that Lacey
was already in place as her immediate subordinate, but Ayan largely
ignored her until then.
Without a whiff of ego
or bitterness at being disregarded, Lacey stepped in thanks to Oz’s
re-invitation, and became Ayan’s true right hand in all things.
After a few weeks, the two women spent most days together from
breakfast to the late evening. The negativity that plagued Ayan
abated with the frustration she felt at drifting apart from Liam. She
once again strove to accept what she couldn’t change and
concentrated on the good she could do every minute of every day.
In the months since
their real collaboration started, Ayan maintained her position on the
Council, took a commanding spot with the new Rangers, and she was
constantly grateful to have Lacey at her side. She expressed how
thankful she was often, and Lacey brushed it off. She was where she
wanted to be, never bored, and even on the worst days she admired
Ayan’s coping abilities.
That was why it was
difficult for Lacey to watch the scene Liam Grady, not a habitual
grandstander, put on for the Council and anyone who had access to the
recordings of the proceedings in the chamber, which was everyone.
Lacey watched as Ayan paced the small open space between padded seats
against the walls in a small waiting room adjacent to the Council
chambers. “There are so many things I could have said, but I
settled on ‘goodbye.’” Ayan shrugged helplessly.
“It seems like he was
trying to publicly take the blame for what happened between you two,
to take it off your shoulders. I know this isn’t what you want to
hear, but I agree with most of what he said. You just lost two of
your best friends, and after being around you for this long, I know
you need affection in your life. It makes sense that you’d turn to
someone you trust and admire for that. He should have held you at
arms’ length, no matter how ‘magnificent’ you are,” she
couldn’t help but exaggerate ‘magnificent’ it was such an
over-appreciative word, even if Lacey agreed with the praise. “Even
still, that’s all in the past. I know you two said everything you
needed to when you finally broke things off. I don’t think he
deserved anything more than ‘goodbye’ from you.”
“Maybe not.” Ayan
wiped her eyes with a tissue in reflex, but there were no tears left
to mop up. She felt weary and irritated, but her sadness had gone
before long. “I don’t have time to deal with this. The Warlord is
coming back, and they’ll need qualified people. We have to take
care of today’s business and get a volunteer list ready.”
“He has fifty British
Alliance people aboard,” Lacey said. “Won’t he make a deal to
keep them?”
“He’s too proud to
take crewmembers who aren’t completely his. I’d fault him for it,
but his thinking is tactically sound – you don’t take crewmembers
that could have standing orders from another government. Besides,
they’re not allowed to take part in
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