Free Cradle of War (A Captain's Crucible Book 3) by Isaac Hooke Page A

her; once, during one of her many midday naps, she could have sworn she was viewing the world from inside of his holding tank: though Eugene was no longer inside her, she couldn’t shake the feeling they were still linked, somehow. Perhaps it was just the natural bond all mothers felt with their children.
    The head weaver disallowed Bridgette and her “cellmates” from using full-blown VR, because it would only worsen their nausea and prolong their recovery. As such, to pass the time, they often chatted when they weren’t browsing the cached copy of the InterGalNet on their aReals, or listening to music.
    “Have you ever been to an Asiatic Alliance colony?” Lin said.
    Bridgette was listening to some music with her aReal, and she lowered the volume when she realized Lin was talking to her. She refused to disrespect the woman who had disobeyed orders to save her life.
    “What? No, I haven’t,” Bridgette said, wearing a smile for her. “Why, Lin?”
    “I’m from Anvil Rappel,” Lin said. “An AA colony. Really beautiful. You would like it, I think. The capital sits on a terraformed planet that orbits a double star. Have you heard of the aurora borealis?”
    Bridgette looked it up quickly on her aReal. “An atmospheric phenomenon that occurs sometimes in the northern hemispheres of Earth. It’s called aurora australis in the southern hemisphere. Streamers of greenish blue light appear in the night sky when charged particles from the sun interact with atoms in the upper atmosphere.”
    “That’s right,” Lin said. “Well, on Anvil Prime, we see auroras at all hours. Every day. The intensity of the streamers varies based on whether or not one of the stars is undergoing a solar storm, but otherwise, you merely have to look up and you’ll see those streamers, a constant reminder that you’re not alone in this world, but watched over by the goddess of the dawn.”
    “I should like to see that some day,” Bridgette said. “With Eugene.” She momentarily teared up when she mentioned the name of her child, but she quickly recovered. Wanting to draw attention away from the fact that she had become emotional, she quickly added: “Didn’t the task group originally pass through Anvil Rappel on the way to Vega 951?” She wiped the embarrassing tear that slid down her cheek.
    “We did, yes.”
    Bridgette nodded. “It’s a long way from Anvil Rappel to the United Systems Navy.”
    “Not so long,” Lin said. “My parents immigrated to the neighboring system when I was twelve.”
    Bridgette checked the location on her aReal. “Delta Avalon?” That was a United Systems territory.
    “Yes,” Lin said. “I joined the Delta Avalon navy when I turned seventeen, and here I am. How about you? How did you end up as a commander’s wife?”
    Bridgette chuckled. “I was actually a specialist first class when I joined the Callaway . I met Jonathan, our captain, and fell in love with him. But he seemed too unattainable. Robert was his faithful first officer, and it was obvious he liked me. One time, on shore leave, when I was drunk...”
    “All the best stories start with that sentence,” Lin said.
    Bridgette smiled. “Yes. Long story short, I left the navy to marry him. It hasn’t been so bad. Robert is a good man. And eventually I fell in love with him.”
    Lin’s face darkened and Bridgette remembered that Lin had originally served aboard the Callaway, but Robert had been the one who had separated her from her squadron, ordering her to serve aboard the Salvador . Bridgette still wasn’t sure why.
    “But you still love the captain, don’t you?” Lin asked, making Bridgette forget the question that had come to her.
    Bridgette shrugged. “Don’t all the women aboard?”
    Lin’s eyes twinkled mischievously. “I suppose so.”
    Wolf was looking at her, and Lin obviously knew it.
    The lieutenant commander grabbed a small paper bag from beside his bed. He reached inside, produced a chip of some kind, and