Deathstalker 04 - Deathstalker Honor

the heart that beat in his breast only for her.
    Sometimes when she was away, he forgot that, but now she was back and he was alive and awake again. He wanted to rush out and slay a couple of dragons just so he could lay them at her feet.
    “You look… fashionable,” said Evangeline. “If you were any more colorful, everyone else would appear to be in black and white.” “Just dressing the part,” said Finlay. “Subtlety is out this season. Mind you, you should have seen some of the stuff I wore when I was pretending to be one of the secret masters of
    style, and had to be constantly on the cutting edge of fashion.”
    “I’ve seen holos. The images are irreversibly seared into my retinas. Now, what were you so mad about? Not that Robert is continuing as head of Clan Campbell instead of you, surely?”
    “Oh, hell, no. Let him be the Campbell if he wants. He’ll do a much better job than I ever could. No, it’s a new world for the Families now, and he’s far better suited to guide the Clan through it. Good man, Robert. It helps that he’s one of the few people who fought for the Empire to still be considered a hero.
    Last man to leave his ship, defending her to the last against overwhelming odds… Maybe he can use that image to rebuild the Family, make it what it was before Valentine destroyed it.”
    Evangeline nodded slowly as she heard the sudden venom in Finlay’s voice when he named his enemy.
    “So that’s why you were so mad at Owen. Save your anger for your real enemies, dear. You’ll get your chance at Valentine.” Finlay forced a smile. “Let’s talk of happier things. What brings you back so unexpectedly?”
    “My mission turned out to be a bust. It was all over before I got there—agreements signed, everybody happy. It happens that way sometimes. So here I am. Glad to see me?”
    “Let me get you out of this madhouse and home again, and I’ll show you how glad I am,” growled Finlay, pulling her close again. Their shared laughter was a moment of real warmth in the artificial chill of polite company.
    Not far away, Robert Campbell stood watching them. He wore his new Captain’s uniform with a certain stiffness. The high mortality rate in the Imperial Navy had meant sudden and rapid promotions for the few worthy survivors, and Robert wasn’t used to his new position yet. He felt somewhat like a pretender, and kept expecting someone to burst in and say it was all a ghastly mistake, and would he please return the uniform at once, because the real captain was waiting for it. He smiled slightly at the familiar thought, a tall, handsome man with steady eyes and close-cropped hair. Both hair and face had been burned away in the fires that swept the bridge of the beseiged Endurance. He’d got away in an escape pod, but it had taken long sessions in a regeneration tank to undo the damage to his face, and his hair was only now starting to grow out again. He thought the new look made him appear older, more responsible, and he’d take every bit of help he could get. His new command was the Elemental, one of the few E-class starcruisers to survive the rebellion, and he was eager to officially take charge of her and see what she could do. But… as the Campbell and head of his Clan, he was obliged to spend a certain amount of time on Golgotha, looking out for his Family’s interests first. And that meant hobnobbing with the right people at Parliament, making the necessary connections and deals to ensure his people wouldn’t be bothered or harassed while he was away on duty aboard his ship. One day he’d have to make the choice between his Family’s needs and his military career, but that was… one day. His cousin Finlay was actually looking quite civilized, now that Evangeline had arrived to calm him down. One day that man was going to run wild, and even Evangeline wouldn’t be able to stop him. And then there’d be blood and death and a scandal no amount of influence could hope to clear up. Finlay was just a disaster waiting to happen. And as the Campbell and head of the Clan, Robert was going to have to decide what to do about that.
    Whether he should take… steps. He sighed gently and shook his head. Military training was fine for most things, but it was no help at all when it came to dealing with wild cards like Finlay Campbell. There was a sudden presence at his side. “Don’t worry about Finlay, boy. Better men than you have tried to deal with him, and they’re all dead