The Lost Star Episode One by Odette C. Bell Page B

Ava, why didn’t she do anything about
it then? She would have seen her around on campus.”
    Chen’s question floored Hunter.
    “ The bottom line is we don’t know anything.
That means we do not have the evidence to condemn anybody. Innocent
until proven guilty, Hunter.”
    That was Harvey’s favorite saying
too.
    It cut right to Hunter’s bone.
    “ Maybe Ava’s just as bad as Meva’s
suggesting, but for the love of god, find out – don’t just assume.
You’re better than that.” Chen took a step back and marched for the
doors.
    Hunter stood there, unable to move.
    Slowly, eventually, he let his gaze draw
across the room and out the glass wall to his side.
    Ava was at Nema’s side, her face pressed
with friendly concern.
    Instantly he remembered the look of
stone-cold determination that had flared in her eyes before she’d
shoved her arm through the air lock door.
    Eventually he pulled himself away from the
view and left the med bay.
    Though he’d started the day with his mind caught in a mess, now
his confusion was an intractable tangle that hung over his
awareness like a thick veil.
    He had no idea who to believe.
    He only knew one thing for sure: he
deserved to feel the guilt that currently goaded his gut like a
raging bull.

Chapter Six
    Captain Harvey McClane
    Despite her issues, the Mandalay finally set sail.
    Harvey McClane stood ramrod straight on the bridge, hands clasped
hard behind his back as he angled his stiff neck at the view
screen.
    It offered an unrivalled view of the
Mandalay slowly slipping away from the shipyards.
    The shipyards were a testament to
Coalition technology, and they sat stark in the center of the
screen. The Mandalay would be more. Better. The top of her class.
The first of a new breed of ship.
    If he could find a way to stop the issues
that plagued her.
    This was where he should give a speech.
Tradition dictated that as a ship first set sail its captain would
lead the crew in a rousing oration.
    The problem was, he couldn’t find the
words.
    Why? Because unease had settled deep in his
gut, cutting out every other feeling.
    He was a young captain, granted, but he’d
still been in command long enough to know he should shut off his
disquiet and lead his crew.
    But he couldn’t. Deep inside the unease kept
growing. It crawled up his back and sank deep into the back of his
head, leaving a prickling sensation curling around his neck.
    His XO turned to him. She nodded low.
“Captain?” she prompted.
    He cleared his throat, gaze fixed on the
shipyards as they grew smaller and smaller, the expanse of
star-studded space swallowing them.
    Captain Harvey McClane had made a career out of tracking down
problems. He was self-admittedly one of the best troubleshooters in
the fleet.
    So why did he feel as if this problem –
whatever it was – was beyond him?
    …
    Lieutenant Hunter McClane
    He walked to the cargo bay, ignoring his
brother’s speech as it echoed over the Mandalay’s audio
system.
    Most other crew he passed stood to
attention in the hallways and corridors, heads tilted up in pride
as they listened to their captain’s rousing words.
    Hunter blocked it out.
    He had work to do. Because he reasoned if he
threw himself into it, he’d stop thinking about everything
else.
    He hadn’t seen Ava for a full two days. It
had taken that long for Chief Engineer B'cal to fix the critical
issues with the ship.
    Though B'cal had assured a meeting of senior
staff that most issues were under control, Hunter couldn’t say he
felt at ease.
    For the past two days his nerves had been
growing like wild fire. He could feel them simmering in his veins,
occasionally catching in his heart and exploding into full-blown
panic.
    It wasn’t just the accidents. It was a heck
of a lot more than that.
    From every angle he looked at it, he
didn’t want to be here – on this ship, under Harvey’s command, and
smack bang between whatever was happening with the
Avixans.
    He knew he was being unkind