Hostile Spike (Battlegroup Z Book 2) Daniel Gibbs (classic book list txt) 📖

tricked into reporting to the medical bay for my space inoculation when I reported for duty here.”

“I don’t think I’ve heard that one before,” Whatley interjected. “Dr. Horvitz came up with that all by his lonesome?”

Tehrani shrugged. “I’m not sure, but he played it well.”

Polite laughter echoed across the table. Justin almost felt like he had at family dinners on Sundays as a child. The general rule of thumb: don’t speak unless spoken to.

“Do you have a family, Lieutenant?” Tehrani asked.

So much for flying under the LIDAR. “Yes, ma’am. My wife, Michelle, and our daughter, Maggie. She’s four.”

“It must be hard, being away from them.”

Justin nodded. “Very hard, ma’am. I don’t think any of us saw this coming.”

“You’re almost done with your service commitment, are you not?”

“Yes, ma’am, but… I don’t think the CDF will be letting anyone out anytime soon.” Justin forced a smile. “It seems to me as if we’re in a fight for survival.”

“Most astute.” Tehrani leaned back in her chair and took a sip of water. “Will you sign up for another stint?”

Justin suddenly felt every eye at the table boring into him—from Tehrani to Whatley and even his fellow pilots. While he’d given it some thought, he hadn’t reached a decision. Sitting there, as much as he wanted to be back with his wife and daughter, something stirred within him, saying that the war was his fight for the duration. “I, uh, haven’t decided, ma’am.” Realizing how lame he sounded, Justin continued, “But as long it appears the war will continue, I’m here for the long haul.” Desperate to change the subject, he tried a different tactic. “Do you have a family, ma’am?”

“I do. My husband is an economics professor. He moved with me to Canaan. That’s our home base until I retire.” Tehrani put her hands on the table. “We were going to start a family when I retired next year. Much like you, I now feel I have to stay in as long as the war continues. My entire career has trained me for combat, and there are precious few starship commanders with actual combat experience beyond sims.” She shrugged. “Perhaps this is Allah’s path for me. Besides, it’s not like I can’t put a family on hold for another ten years.”

Justin considered her words. Medical science did allow for children to be born naturally until the early sixties. With the average human life span of roughly one hundred twenty and access to high-tech medicine and treatments, it was indeed a reasonable choice. That said, he wouldn’t trade anything in the galaxy for his daughter. Between her and Michelle, they were the lights of his life. “I suppose I shouldn’t rag on the doctors too much.” Justin flashed a smile.

Further discussion of the topic was avoided thanks to a small group of mess stewards appearing with dozens of plates of food. With military precision, they put a plate in front of each person and removed the lid. The aroma of the freshly cooked food hit Justin’s nostrils. It smelled so much better than the combat rations he’d been living on because of the constant ready-five status the Red Tails endured.

Most of the conversation during dinner was the polite, light variety. Only after another round of mess stewards cleared the plates did the deeper discussions continue.

“So, Lieutenant Spencer. What’re your thoughts on the prospect of a long war with the League?” Tehrani asked between sips of after-dinner coffee.

Justin got the distinct impression he was being evaluated on every answer, though he couldn’t figure out why. “I hope it will be over soon, ma’am. So little information is out there beyond the ridiculous propaganda broadcasts the League keeps piping into the holonets.” Ever since the Battle of Canaan, holoprograms abounded from rogue channels claiming the League was undertaking a “police action” to return the Terran Coalition to the loving embrace of its human brethren. Virtually no one took them seriously.

“You don’t live for combat?”

“No, ma’am. Don’t get me wrong—it’s incredible in the cockpit, and I have no qualms about engaging and defeating the enemy.” Justin carefully avoided the word killing.

Tehrani’s eyes flicked to Whatley. “Unlike you.”

“I remember the words of a long-since dead general,” Whatley said. “It is well that war is so terrible. Otherwise, we should grow too fond of it.” His mouth curled in a grin. “I am quite fond of seeing the enemy destroyed.”

“Especially this so-called League of Sol,” Wright interjected. “How did communism even survive on Earth?” He shook his head. “I don’t think you could find five communists in the entire Terran Coalition, and we’ve got what? A hundred billion citizens?”

“Well, when the engineers build an idiot-proof device, the universe seems to build better idiots,” Nishimura said in his raspy voice.

Justin laughed loudly, as did many others at the table. “History wasn’t my strong suit in school, I’m afraid.”

“Most communist countries on Earth didn’t last that long,” Tehrani said after the chuckles died down. “But a few did, with mixed economic systems.” She flashed a smile. “My husband loves to discuss these subjects. I think the bottom line is when you combine a surveillance state with advanced artificial intelligence like the World Society did, dissent becomes nearly impossible. Add in the government providing for your needs somehow, and many people accept the system, just trying to survive.”

Silence descended over the table, and Justin pondered the colonel’s words. He was thankful he hadn’t yet had to confront such a situation. And it’s my job to keep it from happening here.

“The question that’s really on my mind, though, Lieutenant,” Tehrani said, again directing her piercing gaze at Justin, “is how did you manage to steal a fighter from that heavy cruiser?”

Justin shrugged. “I don’t know, ma’am. I tried to rely on my training and work each problem as it came up, and I think I was very fortunate.”

“I don’t believe in luck,” Tehrani replied. “Either muscle memory kicks in, or perhaps in a rare case, Allah intercedes for us.”

Inwardly, Justin groaned yet