The Glass Admiral Read online

  Contents

  Copyright

  Title

  1

  2

  3

  4

  5

  6

  7

  8

  9

  10

  11

  12

  13

  About The Author

  Copyright © 2018 Kit Smart

  All rights reserved.

  Cover Design by Denise Warburton

  Cover Image Attributions:

  “Crutches” by Picturepest is licensed under CC BY 2.0 (Changes made to image—image separated from original background and desaturated.)

  “Stars” by Global Panorama is licensed under CC BY 2.0 (Changes made to image—image desaturated and used as background for another image.)

  *****

  To my ever patient husband, the best partner in piracy a woman could want;

  My feline crew: Nemesis, Poppi, Leo and Mehduggi:

  and to the Special Agents (You know who you are.)

  The Glass Admiral

  Kit Smart

  1

  13:30, MONDAY, ADMIRAL KOSURI’S READYROOM, THE ASARO

  “THEY SENT THE CAVALRY.”

  Tightening her lips at the sardonic statement, Lieutenant Megarheri Saverna spared a moment to bless the powers that be for designing the helmet of her Class A dress uniform in such a way that all she could see of Admiral Sen Kosuri was his lower jaw. Eye-contact can only lead to trouble for you Saverna. The voice of one of her battle school comportment instructors echoed through her mind. You will never make senior ranks until you learn not to let every feeling you have reflect in your eyes.

  “Sir. No Sir.” Saverna answered neutrally and surreptitiously pressed the inside of her left wrist harder against her saber. The feel of the cold metal sheath against her exposed skin was at once familiar and comforting although it was nothing in comparison to the feeling of the hilt in her hand as she led a mounted charge.

  There was a slight pause. “Have I somehow mis-read the details of your uniform Lieutenant?” Saverna watched that heavy, square jaw tilt, felt his eyes on her as he gave her a slow once over, perusing her from her tall leather boots with their golden spurs and up along her white breeches and scarlet and gold uniform jacket encased in gleaming silver armor so revealed by the black cape thrown back, as was customary during such presentations, over her left shoulder to expose her insignia and sword, and then up to her silver helmet with its distinctive spire and black plume.

  Saverna tried to curtail her annoyance at the slightly snide emphasis placed on the word uniform and briefly wished herself back to the familiar ground of her unit. Space is no place for a cavalry woman. She took in the Admiral’s own uniform; a fairly plain and immensely practical affair in black with silver insignia and felt her annoyance grow. She knew that the dress uniform of the Imperial Horse Guard looked flashy and antiquated next to the subdued fleet uniforms but felt that it was damn unsporting of him to point it out. It’s not like I designed the uniform after all. “Sir. No, Sir.” She answered and was pleasantly surprised by the amount of civility reflected in her tone. Simple respectful answers, no emotions, no elaborations. Again the voice of her comportment instructor reminding her of her manners.

  “Then what are you Lieutenant?”

  Saverna suppressed the urge to smile as she caught the irritation in that. Civility may be the way forward but there is something damned satisfying in this. “Sir. I am not the Cavalry but rather a single Cavalry officer Sir.”

  A muscle began to tick along the Admiral’s jaw. “Are you arguing semantics with me Lieutenant?”

  “Sir. No Sir. Sir, It’s a non-debatable point Sir. Sir, no need to argue Sir.”

  “Lieutenant?” The Admiral half purred, half growled.

  “Sir?” Saverna fought the urge to tilt her head back so that she might see the expression that went with such an intriguing sound.

  “Knock it off.”

  “Sir?”

  “We both know that the reason that you have been assigned to me is precisely because you are outside my purview.”

  “Sir. Yes sir.” Saverna answered because she was well in the swing of it now.

  “Lieutenant—” Again came that amazing sound and this time Saverna gave in to temptation and tilted her head back so that she could take in his face.

  Dark eyes, hooded by the sloping forehead, prominent brow ridge and thick eyebrows of a Recessive stared back at her expressionlessly. Saverna studied his face as thoroughly and deliberately as he’d studied her uniform; heavy bones and broad features, thick lips, slightly flattened nose and a pronouncedly square jaw all broadcast his Recessive heritage but there was a sharpness to his features too, one that was lacking in pure Recs. The bones in his face though thick and heavy all had a sharp edge to them that was a direct contrast to the rounded bluntness that was typical in Recs. The human side shining through.

  Something flickered across his face at her scrutiny and it struck her that he was uncomfortable being stared at. A hell of a thing for a high ranking fleet officer and acknowledged hero. She thought. Never mind for such a rare and visible genetic marvel.

  Kosuri leaned back in his chair drawing her attention to a pair of broad shoulders and chest that complemented his facial features. Definitely a large man. A clydesdale of a man in horse terms. Unbidden an image of attempting to get him to accept a bridle flashed in her mind and she suppressed a grin. Not going to be an easy one, this one. Though, for one inappropriate moment she contemplated what it might be like to have that large, powerful body under her, probably a good ride once he’s been trained.

  “If you’re quite finished ogling me Lieutenant?” The Admiral’s voice tight with irritation broke into her less than professional line of thought and she saw that he was gesturing at her to take a seat in one of the chairs in front of his desk. “Ah—yes sir.” Reaching up to remove her helm, she tucked it under her right arm and moving forward used her left hand to adjust her saber as she sat.

  “That’s quite the maneuver.”

  “I suppose it is.”

  “You’re not a Doctor.”

  “No. I am not a Doctor.”

  “How old are you?”

  “I am twenty-eight.”

  “I am forty-two.”

  “The youngest Admiral in the Fleet.”

  “Yes.”

  He regarded her silently for a long moment. “Why did they send you?”

  “Because I am outside of your purview.” Saverna echoed his words from earlier. “You’re also, by reputation, the most difficult Admiral in the fleet.” She added, watched his jaw clench in reaction to that. “You’ve gone through seven bats before me Sir.” A remarkable feat for someone who has been an Admiral for less than a year.

  He gave her a puzzled look so she clarified: “Bats—Batwomen or Batmen.”

  “We call them Bodywomen or Bodymen in Fleet Lieutenant.”

  “I see.” She said because he seemed to be waiting for a response. I’m Horse Guard.

  “Did you volunteer for this assignment Lieutenant?”

  “No sir. I was selected.”

  “You were selected to work with the most difficult Admiral in Fleet,” He said with peculiar emphasis. “In a position for which you are unqualified.”

  “I wouldn’t say unqualified Sir.” Saverna glanced down at the black plume on her helmet.

  “What are your qualifications Lieutenant?”

  “I’m a Master Horse Trainer Sir.”

  Kosuri stared at her non-plussed.

  The woman, damn her eyes, smiled at him in response and crossing her legs leaned back in her chair. A small twist of her lips and an unholy light in her eyes indicated that she
was amused though whether by him or by the situation, or both, he couldn’t tell. The expression startled him, made him realize that he couldn’t quite recall when he’d last seen it on the faces of one of his crew. Either I am as dull as Pillorian stew or nobody dares be amused in my presence. A weight settled deep in his stomach at the realization. A certain reserve between an Admiral and his crew was good—something to be desired. A certain mystique, a more than human presence was necessary in fact but not to the extent that his officers and crewmen were so guarded in his presence. Fear is not the objective. Fear is unhealthy.

  He was conscious suddenly of his rigid posture. Knees straight in front bent at ninety degrees, spine straight, hips and back of head in perfect alignment hands clasped and resting on the desk in front of him. You look like you are posing for a formal portrait—a formal portrait of an asshole. Loosen the hell up .

  Cautiously, he pushed his legs out in front of him in preparation for leaning back in his chair. When the action sent a jolt of pain through his hips and up along his spine he shifted his hips and used his right elbow to brace himself against the arm of his chair. Better.

  “You’re in pain.” It wasn’t a question and because it came with the accompanying realization that he had failed to conceal himself adequately, it was irritating.

  “What is it that you think you know about me Lieutenant?”

  A slight shrug. “I know that you are Fleet’s most notorious hero, a pain-in-the-ass by reputation and that you are important to the war effort—particularly in this sector.” She met his gaze unflinchingly. “I also know that this is your first field command since you were injured at Aizawlhar and that as a result of these injuries you require assistance.”

  “That was surprisingly diplomatic Lieutenant.”

  “I may work in a barn but I wasn’t raised in one Admiral.” There was that smile again. Let’s see how long you can keep that up Lieutenant shall we?

  “I was poisoned during the mutiny at Aizawlhar.” Despite his attempts to keep things distant, he felt the phantom burn of the poison working its way through his body. “As a result, my body was subject to an uncontrolled and rapid physical and sexual maturation.” He told her levelly, refused to follow his momentary desire to avoid talk of the sexual consequences of the poisoning. As it was a fact immediately evident to anyone who had seen the recordings from the bridge of The Asaro, there was little point in hiding it.

  When his LT had no particular reaction to his revelation, he wondered if she’d seen the tapes. Who hasn’t seen those tapes? Aside from me. Ignoring the anger that began to burn in the bottom of his stomach at the recollection of how public those tapes and what they portrayed had been made, he continued. “Because of this, I sustained damage to my joints and nerves.” Among other things. “The influence of my Recessive heritage on my physiology is such that I do not respond well to conventional forms of medications and treatments. There is no cure for this. There is only management.”

  No response from his audience though she continued to watch him attentively.

  "There are symptoms associated with this that I require assistance with."

  "What kind of symptoms?"

  "My muscles and joints get stiff and can lock up." He told her evenly. "I also have problems regulating my body temperature." He took a deep breath, wondered how many more times he would be required to explain himself. "I have difficulties with food—with eating and am sometimes sick." He left out the part about his unpredictable and ever changing biochemistry and raised his eyebrows at her sardonically. "Do you still want the job?"

  “No.” She raised her eyebrows in return. “However, as I am under orders, we are stuck with one another it seems.”

  Despite his determination to send her packing, that stung and Kosuri found himself drawing his legs in and straightening in response. “Then go and find something less ridiculous to wear Lieutenant.”

  Saverna, in the process of pulling her helm back on as she exited Kosuri's office had not even taken a complete step into the corridor when the blast of a phase rifle hit her and knocked her back into the room.

  She spent a bare second registering that her helm, which she had been holding out in front of her, had taken the brunt of the shot and was now a charred and flaming mess before her instincts caught up and sent her scrambling across the floor to hit the lock key on the door panel. Almost simultaneously the ship's intercom system wailed an amber alert and a voice advised them to report to battle stations and prepare for Operation Mongoose.

  "What in the name of the universe is Operation Mongoose?!”

  "Operation Mongoose is a series of maneuver designed to evict unwanted boarders from the ship while simultaneously dealing with their vessels."

  Turning back, she found Kosuri already up and unlocking the weapon's cabinet behind his desk. "Report." He ordered over his shoulder as he pulled down a pair of rifles.

  "Two men armed with phase rifles. Non-military—“ She hesitated. “Well non-fleet at least. They were wearing uniforms... brown and black. Headed this way."

  “Pirates.” Kosuri proffered a rifle and after stamping out her still flaming helm, she took it and after checking the safety, slung it over her shoulder so she could take the hand weapon he offered next.

  "You know how to use those I trust?" Without waiting any longer than was necessary to take in her nod, he turned back to the locker and began to fill his pockets with flash-bangs and smoke-chokes. "I don't suppose you have any pockets in that ridiculous ensemble?"

  "It's not ridiculous." She answered automatically. "And of course it has pockets." This snottiness about my uniform has really got to stop. She held out her hand and with only a slight lifting of his eyebrows he dropped a handful of smoke-chokes into her palm, smoke-chokes that she in turn tucked into the deep pockets at her hips where her breeches bloused out. "More." She held out her hand again.

  "Fair enough." Kosuri gave her flash-bangs this time and she tucked them into one of the pouches on her belt.

  "They should be here." Saverna glanced at the door. It had been about twenty seconds since she'd locked the door. More than long enough to get down the corridor.

  "If they're not here by now, they aren't coming." Kosuri said.

  Saverna frowned. "Surely capturing an Admiral is a worthy pursuit?"

  "They don't necessarily know I'm here Lieutenant. If they're using specs, then this office is listed as janitorial storage and repair for the upper decks." A small smile. "This ship was never intended to function as a flagship. Adjustments had to be made in order to accommodate my presence but the specs weren’t updated.” The smile grew into a grin, the kind that eased tension lines and lit up his eyes with energy and warmth.

  "So, if they don't know we are here... then our part in Operation Mongoose is?"

  "We, are the element of surprise."

  Saverna rocked back on her heels. “What precisely do you have in mind?”Kosuri considered her. “You are taking this rather well.”

  Saverna resisted the urge to role her eyes. “Believe it or not Admiral, I am not merely decorative.” She arched a brow at him. “I too have received extensive training in things military.”

  That earned her a burst of startled laughter. “Okay LT. Message received.” He gestured to the ceiling above them. “Does your training extend to climbing through ventilation shafts?”

  “We cavalry officers are all about the climbing sir.”

  “Glad to hear it LT. Now if you would be so good as to get up on the desk and open the shaft, I will make certain that if and when our unwelcome guests try to get in here, they receive the nasty surprise the deserve.” Kosuri turned and rifle in one hand and crutch in the other, made his way to the door. To Saverna's eye there appeared to be a jauntiness to his limping progress. You’re enjoying this. No wonder they consider you difficult.

  The revelation reassured her and she was grinning as she levered herself up onto his desk and reached for the cover to the ventilation shaft. “I
assume we are heading for the bridge?” The shaft was too high for her to get a look while standing so grabbing the edges she pulled her head and shoulders up into the shaft. The shaft, she was relieved to see, was large enough to craw through comfortably and was well lit. “Nice ventilation shafts!” She called down to Kosuri and immediately wanted to kick herself at the inanity of the comment.

  “Thanks.” She heard the Admiral answer wryly from below her. A second later she felt his hands grip the bottoms of her feet. “Up you go LT.” He accompanied the words with a push and Saverna found herself propelled up and into the shaft.

  Saverna reversed herself and peered down into the Admiral's office only to find herself face-to-face with Kosuri now standing on the desk and in the process of divesting himself of his crutches. That done, he handed her his rifle which she pulled into the duct and laid beside her on the floor. Thinking Kosuri might need help, she hastily unstrapped her own rifle from her back and set it next to his. Than done, she stuck her head back out the duct and gestured at his crutches. "Aren't we going to need those?"

  "We? Have you developed a limp LT?" Humor with an edgy undertone that she couldn't quite identify.

  "Ah—point taken." No sense in dissembling here. It is my job to become intimately familiar with your body after all. We are going to need to be able to discuss such things.

  Kosuri studied her face and knowing that trust was going to be a factor Saverna deliberately kept her expression open. "I can walk without them." He said finally. "For periods of time—“ He hesitated. "It's awkward, but manageable."

  Saverna nodded to indicate she'd taken that in. "So do you need help getting up here?"

  "No. Just move back LT."

  Saverna refrained from asking him if he was certain and was engaged in mentally patting herself on the back for that heroic feat when he lunged up and through the entrance to the ventilation shaft and so, found that, due to her wandering mind, she had not backed up nearly as far as she should have considering the Admiral's size and that her failure to do so in combination with his forward momentum had now put her face in intimate distance with his face. Within kissing distance. The thought whispered through her mind and she glanced down at his lips. Such soft, human looking lips for such a hard face.