in.”
Teeth, tongue, body language; if the reporter had been Human, Torin would have said she was flirting with the general. She looked like she was about to rub against his leg.
By the time the security detail had escorted the three Katrien back to the briefing room, the scientists had been cleared out. Only the three Marine officers, Captain Carveg and two of her officers, and Craig Ryder remained. As far as Torin was concerned, they should have tossed Ryder out with the other civilians—having reached the alien ship, there was no longer a need to suck up in order to get his Susumi equations. Thegeneral had probably gotten used to including him and hadn’t even noticed he was there.
Hands behind his back, General Morris frowned down at his reflection in the reporter’s dark glasses. “All right. You and your crew may accompany the science group into the ship. You will not go in with the Recon team because I will not have you exposed to unknown dangers.”
“A compromise, General? According to law, I are not having to compromise.” She lifted one hand and combed her claws through her whiskers. Alien body language or not, Torin recognized a smug gesture when she saw one. “But I will.”
“Good. And now, the other matter—you said you followed Staff Sergeant Kerr to the
Berganitan
…”
“No, no, no,” Presit interrupted. Leaning around the general, she showed teeth at Torin. This time, it didn’t look anything like a smile. “I are only following Staff Sergeant Kerr until I know what ship she are taking. Then I are following that ship to
Berganitan.
”
“Fine. You followed Lieutenant Commander Sibley’s Jade to the
Berganitan.
How did you follow the
Berganitan
through Susumi space?”
Presit actually waved a tiny finger at the general. If Torin hadn’t disliked the reporter so much, she’d have been enjoying this. “I are not having to tell you that, General Morris. Thanks to suspicious Parliament, full disclosure works only one way. You are having to disclose to me, but I are not having to disclose to you. But,” she added as the general flushed puce, “it are no big thing. I are merely…”
Durgin trilled an interruption. Torin figured he objected to Presit’s pronoun.
“…locking on the tail end of the
Berganitan
’s Susumi signature,” she continued, ignoring her pilot. “It are a tricky maneuver—we are having to be close enough to follow but not so close we are being swept up in the wake and destroyed—but are not a secret.”
His broad cheeks lightening slightly to maroon, General Morris attempted to lock Durgin in a steely glare, but it kept sliding off the nearly black lenses of his glasses. “You’re a pilot, you had to have known how insanely dangerous that was. You could have destroyed both ships. As it was, you nearly destroyed yourself and your passengers.”
The pilot’s ears flipped down and up. “Unfortunately,” he began.
Presit cut him off, her glasses still pointed toward the general. “Durgin a Tar canSalvais are working for me. If he are intending to continue working for me, he are keeping certain things to himself.”
Durgin’s ears flipped again. “Yeah, what she are saying.”
“Fine.” Taking a deep breath, the general appeared to accept the situation the law had placed him in although his voice retained a snarl around the edges. “Owing to the unfortunate, near destruction of your vessel, Presit a Tur durValintrisy…”
“Please, Presit.”
“Yes, Presit.” He cleared his throat and continued through clenched teeth. “Captain Carveg has kindly offered all three of you quarters on the
Berganitan
.”
“Where she are keeping an eye on us,” Presit murmured, summing up exactly what Torin had been thinking. “Still…” The fingers of her left hand made three quick passes through her whiskers. “…I are graciously accepting.”
Captain Carveg stepped forward. When a Krai showed that much tooth, the more edible species usually found
Teeth, tongue, body language; if the reporter had been Human, Torin would have said she was flirting with the general. She looked like she was about to rub against his leg.
By the time the security detail had escorted the three Katrien back to the briefing room, the scientists had been cleared out. Only the three Marine officers, Captain Carveg and two of her officers, and Craig Ryder remained. As far as Torin was concerned, they should have tossed Ryder out with the other civilians—having reached the alien ship, there was no longer a need to suck up in order to get his Susumi equations. Thegeneral had probably gotten used to including him and hadn’t even noticed he was there.
Hands behind his back, General Morris frowned down at his reflection in the reporter’s dark glasses. “All right. You and your crew may accompany the science group into the ship. You will not go in with the Recon team because I will not have you exposed to unknown dangers.”
“A compromise, General? According to law, I are not having to compromise.” She lifted one hand and combed her claws through her whiskers. Alien body language or not, Torin recognized a smug gesture when she saw one. “But I will.”
“Good. And now, the other matter—you said you followed Staff Sergeant Kerr to the
Berganitan
…”
“No, no, no,” Presit interrupted. Leaning around the general, she showed teeth at Torin. This time, it didn’t look anything like a smile. “I are only following Staff Sergeant Kerr until I know what ship she are taking. Then I are following that ship to
Berganitan.
”
“Fine. You followed Lieutenant Commander Sibley’s Jade to the
Berganitan.
How did you follow the
Berganitan
through Susumi space?”
Presit actually waved a tiny finger at the general. If Torin hadn’t disliked the reporter so much, she’d have been enjoying this. “I are not having to tell you that, General Morris. Thanks to suspicious Parliament, full disclosure works only one way. You are having to disclose to me, but I are not having to disclose to you. But,” she added as the general flushed puce, “it are no big thing. I are merely…”
Durgin trilled an interruption. Torin figured he objected to Presit’s pronoun.
“…locking on the tail end of the
Berganitan
’s Susumi signature,” she continued, ignoring her pilot. “It are a tricky maneuver—we are having to be close enough to follow but not so close we are being swept up in the wake and destroyed—but are not a secret.”
His broad cheeks lightening slightly to maroon, General Morris attempted to lock Durgin in a steely glare, but it kept sliding off the nearly black lenses of his glasses. “You’re a pilot, you had to have known how insanely dangerous that was. You could have destroyed both ships. As it was, you nearly destroyed yourself and your passengers.”
The pilot’s ears flipped down and up. “Unfortunately,” he began.
Presit cut him off, her glasses still pointed toward the general. “Durgin a Tar canSalvais are working for me. If he are intending to continue working for me, he are keeping certain things to himself.”
Durgin’s ears flipped again. “Yeah, what she are saying.”
“Fine.” Taking a deep breath, the general appeared to accept the situation the law had placed him in although his voice retained a snarl around the edges. “Owing to the unfortunate, near destruction of your vessel, Presit a Tur durValintrisy…”
“Please, Presit.”
“Yes, Presit.” He cleared his throat and continued through clenched teeth. “Captain Carveg has kindly offered all three of you quarters on the
Berganitan
.”
“Where she are keeping an eye on us,” Presit murmured, summing up exactly what Torin had been thinking. “Still…” The fingers of her left hand made three quick passes through her whiskers. “…I are graciously accepting.”
Captain Carveg stepped forward. When a Krai showed that much tooth, the more edible species usually found
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