Free Star Watch by Mark Wayne McGinnis

inside it—just like this one. She peered up at Jack, then at the droid. “This droid’s been in a battle … look, there’s scorch marks all over it.”
    Jack looked nervous; unlike Boomer, he wasn’t the slightest bit familiar with combat situations. “Come on, we should now return to the portal.”
    But Boomer was no longer looking at the droid—or at Jack, either, for that matter. All her attention was focused on the figure standing atop one of the toppled pillars—less than fifty feet away. Dressed in white, from head to toe, the material of his garment whipped behind him in the stormy wind. The surrounding darkness flashed white when lightning streaked like jagged tree branches across the sky. In that bright instant, Boomer saw two similarly dressed figures standing close behind the man on the pillar.
    Jack looked down, scared and ready to run. Boomer was more curious than scared. Why weren’t those men showing up on her HUD, she wondered. Where were their life-icons?
    The man on the pillar jumped down and, along with his three companions, headed directly for them. Jack grabbed Boomer’s arm and pulled. “We need to get out of here … right now!”
    Boomer knew she was well equipped to handle herself. The battle suit was nearly impregnable and she had plasma weapons integrated at both her wrists. She readied herself for possible action.
    Jack moved behind her as the first of the men drew close. He was dressed, she imagined, like an Arabian nomad would be dressed; most of his face was veiled—only his eyes and long hair were left uncovered.
    “Stop right there,” Boomer commanded into the roaring wind, holding out her wrist, prepared to fire.
    She watched the man’s eyes. When he moved it was quick as lightning. He now stood inches from her. When he lifted his hand and touched her visor, her battle suit began to retract, segment by segment, back into the small SuitPac on her belt. She turned to see Jack lying on the ground … he looked dead.

Chapter 10
     
    Sol System
    The Minian , Open Space – Near Jefferson Station
    _________________
     
     
    The Minian was scheduled to depart in forty-five minutes. Jason, sitting in his ready room, alongside recently promoted Commander Perkins, his XO, was doing a final review of the onboard roster. Perkins, a man in his mid-thirties, was preppy looking, his straight blond hair usually perfectly combed. Jason found his second-in-command something of a do-gooder … everything by the book. It had caused conflicts between them in the past, but in the end, Jason figured his XO was a good balance for his own shoot from the hip style of command.
    “So this is it … this is final?”
    “Actually, not quite, sir. One final inbound shuttle is entering the flight deck now. Last minute additions … including your new petty officer, who’s assigned to Boomer.”
    From what Jason understood, the Minian , for the first time that he was aware of, had a full crew complement.
    “So we have two thousand and forty,” Perkins said, looking at his own virtual notebook. “The bulk of security forces consists of thirteen hundred and fifty specially-trained, highly lethal, men and women, from a hybrid Marine, Navy SEAL contingent; they are commonly referred to as Space Sharks, or simply Sharks . There’s also the non-officer onboard crew, consisting of six hundred men and women, mostly brought in from recently decommissioned ships.”
    Jason was well aware of the latter fact. He’d lately been inundated with requests from other fleet commanders who were looking for new posts for their best people. With the long Craing War over, a thing of the past, ships were being decommissioned, their crews retiring, either back to Earth or to homes on other planets. Without a present war to engage in, there simply wasn’t the need for such a large military presence.
    “We have sixty-five officers spread out across multiple departments,” Perkins added.
    “A lot of people,” Jason said.