Free Howl of the Wolf (Heirs to the Throne Book 1) by Diane Rapp Page A

fine but you know I can’t monitor while I’m headblind.  What else can I do?”
    Chella grinned and her white teeth sparkled against dark skin.  “Work the boards.”  Krystal groaned.  “Alex wants the entire crew prepped for Transfer before we reach our destination.”
    “What?”  Krystal sat up, astonished at the magnitude of the job.
    “Anyone who hasn’t transferred in the last five years must complete Transfer prior to touchdown.”
    “Why?  What’s so urgent?” 
    “I forgot.  You haven’t heard our problem.”  Chella’s eyes narrowed and her lips tightened.  “We’re escaping from the Institute.”
    While Krystal dressed, Chella explained the problem.  The disclosures about the Institute’s death brigade did not entirely surprise Krystal and leaving the grip of the Institute was a relief.  She hated the boredom of her job and the feeling of captivity her debt to the Institute represented.  Freedom!  Energy and hope flooded her, eradicating her fear. 
    She said, “Lead me to the boards.  Alex must be frazzled, trying to plan the schedule.”                    
    “He’s eager to see you.”
    As Chella led the way to the lab, Krystal remembered their first meeting.  A full head taller than most men the lean African looked wild and untamed, dressed in colorful robes unique to her tribe.  Her long hair swung in lazy ripples of tightly woven braids tipped by sparkling gems as she strutted through the laboratories. 
    As African nobility, Chella’s training in the labs represented a political gesture to soothe the tribes, but no one expected the talented empath to remain on staff.  Chella’s future, a tribal throne with a controlling husband at her side, was forever altered when she announced her decision to join the medical team.  It really didn’t surprise Krystal—she couldn’t imagine a man who could control Chella for long.
    Krystal smiled at the change in her friend, from tribal princess to efficient medtech.  Chella’s uniform, probably designed to fit a muscular man, hung loose over her lean figure.  Her short black hair had been cut in an angular style that emphasized high cheekbones and large eyes.  If Chella assumed a severe facial expression, she could intimidate anyone unfamiliar with her mellow personality and dazzling smile. 
    Attitude was the most dramatic change in Chella.  Warmth, compassion, and tenderness replaced her aristocratic demeanor of superiority.  Krystal appreciated the astonishing transformation but always wondered why it happened.
    Filled with equipment superior to large spaceports, the small medlab had been designed to fit the compact space.  How had Alex managed it?  Institute restrictions against private research made facilities of this type nearly impossible.  She felt a sense of pride, working with the mild-mannered research scientist turned defiant revolutionary.
    She reviewed the list of patients.  Of twenty crew scheduled for Transfer, Captain Donovan’s name topped the list.  Since he couldn’t leave the bridge until they landed, he was scheduled to go last. 
    Immersed in work, Krystal failed to notice the constant presence of companions.  She rarely slept during the next few weeks, partly due to the work schedule, but also to avoid dreaming.  If she slept, she always woke drenched in sweat, fighting an invisible enemy whose face floated at the edge of her memory.
     
    ******
     
    Jarrack felt frustrated.  He couldn’t question the crew, Krystal managed to rebuff his control, the ship traveled to the outer reaches of the galaxy, and communication with headquarters remained impossible.  One day he skulked through the lab, searching for a means to stop the ship, and discovered Krystal working. 
    His anger flared.  That blasted woman!  Can’t she stay out of my way?   He remembered the pleasure of “interrogating” her after his Transfer.  She revealed nothing of Dr. Alexander’s plan but he