Free Battleship (Movie Tie-in Edition) by Peter David Page B

had shifted away from the notion that tossing him off the ship was somehow a good idea.
    “Last year Hopper’s and Nagata’s ships nearly rubbed paint. Nagata blamed it on ‘wind shear,’ ” she said, putting air quotes around the latter two words to underscore just how seriously she took that excuse. “Hopper blames Nagata. Hates the man.”
    “Why?”
    She smiled. “Hopper likes to find people to hate. It’s how he motivates himself.”
    “Really.” Ord was unimpressed by that. “Sounds a bit juvenile.”
    That was exactly the wrong thing to say. “Go mess with him,” Raikes said challengingly. “See what happens.”
    Ord might have been new to his surroundings, but he’d been around long enough to know when he was being set up. “No.”
    “Do it,” she dared him.
    “No.”
    “Do it,” said Raikes. She nudged him between the shoulder blades.
    “Leave me alone,” he said, and quickly backed away. This prompted a hearty laugh from Raikes and a low rumble of amused approval from Beast.
    Initially Hopper had been heading straight toward the admiral. That worked right up until the admiral happened to glance in his direction and give him one of those patented scowls of his. This promptly sent Hopper off on a sharp left turn and his feet brought him, almost of their own accord, to the nearest head. Or, as civilians termed it, the bathroom.
    He stood in there for a time, staring at himself in the mirror.
You look like a scared little girl. Pull it together, for God’s sake
.
    He turned the spigot and watched the cold water splash and swirl in the sink for a few moments, trying to avoid thinking of himself as swirling down the drain along with the water. He cupped some of it in his hands and splashed it on his face. He looked back up into the mirror and tried to ignore that water was dripping from his eyebrows. He forced what he imagined was an expression that exuded confidence onto his face. “Sir, it would be my great honor … my great privilege, for your daughter’s hand …”
Honor? Privilege? You sound like you’re getting a bump up in rank. Let him know how you feel, dammit
. “My joy …”
    The creaking of the door was so unexpected that Hoppernearly jumped two feet in the air. He turned and saw, to his anger and dismay, Nagata standing there. Nagata was studying him with open curiosity. “Talking to yourself?”
    Not now. Don’t do this now
. “Just leaving.”
    He started to head for the door. Nagata had stepped through and now he allowed it to swing shut, making no move to get out of Hopper’s way. “Practicing all the things you wish you’d said to me?” said Nagata.
    Hopper felt the familiar rage starting to surge through him, and he did everything he could to contain it. “I don’t know how things work in Nagata land, where you’re utterly blameless in all things, but in the real world, not everything is about you.”
    “You have something to say, why not say it to my face?”
    Hopper took a step toward him, his fists trembling. “If I’m going to do something to your face, Sparky, it isn’t going to involve words.”
    “Big talk. Big talk from a little m—”
    He didn’t manage to finish the sentence because Hopper chose that moment to drive a fist squarely into Nagata’s gut. It caught Nagata completely by surprise, doubling him over and bringing his face close enough to Hopper that the American was able to punch Nagata in the eye.
Probably thought I didn’t have the nerve
.
    Nagata staggered and Hopper closed in for the kill. But he was too slow. Even in the confined area, Nagata was able to sidestep him and he brought the base of his hand slamming up into Hopper’s mouth. Hopper’s head snapped back and he tasted his own blood in his mouth. Nagata’s hand thrust forward once more. Hopper was able to block it, just barely. He grabbed Nagata’s wrist and slammed him back up against the wall, which shuddered under the impact. They grappled for a few moments