Deathstalker 02 - Deathstalker Rebellion

would have hated having to turn her in. Diana was his daughter, his only child, and he loved her deeply; but he knew his duty.
    Which was probably why she'd had the sense not to contact him.
    He hoped she was well and happy.
    "What's happening with the crew?" he said finally, changing the subject yet again. "Anyone giving you any trouble?"
    "They wouldn't dare," said Frost. "A few of them tried giving me the cold shoulder, so I slapped them around a bit, to teach them some manners. They'll be fine, once they get out of the Infirmary. In the meantime everyone else is being
    very polite and obedient, as long as I'm around. I don't know what they're griping about. So we lost a few people. Sometimes that's part of the job."
    "But we lost an entire away team," said Silence. "And all the Wampyr."
    "Trust me, Captain. No one gives a damn about the Wampyr."
    "But they were the last battle-trained adjusted men in the Empire."
    "That's like saying they were the last cockroaches. Everyone on this ship is glad they're gone."
    "They were still my men," said Silence. "I was responsible for them. And I just stood there and watched as the Hadenmen led them away."
    "There was nothing you could have done. We were outnumbered."
    "They'll be dead by now. Cut apart to see what makes them tick; pieces in neatly labeled jars in some Hadenman laboratory."
    "Best place for them," said Frost. "I never trusted them."
    "They fought beside us," said Silence. "And most of them died doing it. Doesn't that mean anything to you? No, of course it doesn't. I was forgetting. You're an Investigator. All you've ever cared about is killing the enemy. And God I wish I was like you."
    He lifted his glass, but it was empty. He reached for the bottle, and Frost put a hand on his arm.
    "Please. Don't."
    They looked at each other for a long moment, and then a chime sounded suddenly in their ears. Silence raised an eyebrow. It had been some time since anyone had contacted him on the command channel. He activated his comm implant and paused a moment to be sure his voice was calm and steady.
    "This is the Captain."

    "Bridge here, Captain. Communications Officer. I think you and the Investigator had better come up to the bridge immediately."
    Silence frowned. There was something in the man's voice. Something more than concern. "What's the problem?"
    "We've had a signal come in, Captain. I think you're going to want to hear this for yourself."
    Definitely something in the voice. Something had shaken the Comm Officer right down to his socks. Which was why he'd come running to his Captain. Silence smiled grimly. "All right, I'm on my way. Go to Yellow Alert and prepare all battle stations. Captain out." He broke contact and looked thoughtfully at the Investigator. "Must be something really unusual, or dangerous, if they want both of us on the bridge. Could be an alien contact."
    Frost stood up and pulled at her uniform here and there, to ensure everything was as it should be. "I told you something would come up, Captain. Something always does."
    "That's what worries me," said Silence. "The way my luck's been going, this could turn out to be something really nasty."
    "Good, something." said Frost. "Maybe I'll get the chance to kill something."
    Some twenty minutes later. Captain Silence and the Investigator strode onto the bridge of the Dauntless, and headed straight for the Communications station.
    Silence had taken an emergency purge and was feeling very sober. He also felt like he'd just run a twenty-mile marathon. His legs were shaking, and so were his hands when he forgot to clench them into fists. He'd shaved and climbed into a fresh uniform, but he still felt like death warmed up and allowed to congeal.
    He bent over the Communications station and studied the board. Nothing seemed obviously wrong. The Comm Officer leaned away a little, and Silence realized his
    breath must still be really foul. Tough. He made himself concentrate on what the Communications Officer was saying.
    "We dropped out of hyperspace just inside the Rim, so we could reestablish contact with the Empire. Our signals still won't cross the Darkvoid. Since comm signals travel through hyperspace it shouldn't be possible for anything to interfere with them, but that's the Darkvoid for you. Anyway, the minute we reappeared in normal space, my station began operating normally again. And the first thing we picked up was a signal in emergency code. No visual, just a voice. It's from the Empire Base