Free Counterstrike (Black Fleet Trilogy, Book 3) by Joshua Dalzelle Page A

think very badly,” Jackson said honestly.
    “How so?” Blake seemed very concerned. “Were they unhappy with your explanation about the Phage message?”
    “We never actually got to that,” Jackson admitted. “Tell me, Colonel … why did you never bother to return to Earth once you were revived?”
    “Like I said, so much time had passed none of us felt like we’d really recognize the place anyway,” Blake frowned. “It was better to stay out here and help those that needed it than try to piece together a life that no longer existed back home. Why are you asking about this, Captain?”
    “Idle curiosity,” Jackson lied. “Setsi and I had talked briefly about your initial revival.”
    “I see,” Blake turned back to his meal. “There were a few of us that wanted to just head back home. Well, most of us did, if I’m honest. But in the end we decided to remain a crew and they left the choice up to me. When I saw how much destruction the Phage were causing, I decided we’d be of better use staying with the Vruahn and trying to help.”
    “What did you guys call them back then?” Jackson changed the subject after seeing Blake’s obvious discomfort.
    “The Vruahn never gave us a term for them that we could ever hope to pronounce,” Blake said. “We actually were calling them ‘cockroaches’ for the longest time since one of the original forms we faced had an uncanny resemblance to the bug. Imagine a cockroach two-thirds the size of an Alpha.”
    “No thanks,” Jackson shuddered. “But it does make me wish CENTCOM Science and Research had come up with more clever names than just going down the alphabet.”
    They ate a rushed meal before going their separate ways. Blake was heading back to the flight deck to try and make contact with the rest of his squadron and Jackson, although fascinated by the possibility of real time coms over a distance of lightyears, was just too exhausted after his conversation with Setsi. He was asleep before the lights had even fully dimmed and as such was a bit shocked and disoriented when the computer woke him up after what seemed like only a few minutes of rest.
    “Captain Wolfe, your presence is once again requested.”
    “Shit.”

Chapter 9
     
     
    “Welcome back, Captain Wolfe.” Setsi was already seated in the same sterile room when Jackson walked in.
    “Setsi,” he said with a polite nod. “Thank you for having me back.”
    “I will admit to finding you quite fascinating,” Setsi said. “When Colonel Blake’s ship was in proximity to your own vessels we were able to access most of your computer records. I’ve been reviewing those that your own people keep pertaining to you and your exploits.” Jackson decided not to mention that forcibly hacking into a secure computer network was considered rude, to say the least.
    “Tell me this, Captain … why fight so hard for a people that seem to feel your life is of a lesser value than their own simply by virtue of where you were born?”
    “This sort of shortsightedness and bigotry has been part of the human experience, in one form or another, since we crawled out of our caves and discovered fire,” Jackson leaned back with an explosive exhale. “If the Phage win, Earth won’t be spared, so there will be little satisfaction for me by knowing I stood aside while those who participated in that foolishness burned. Had I allowed myself to be held back by what others assumed to be a handicap I would have never made it to space, never commanded my own ship … why should I let their unqualified opinions of me limit my dreams?”
    “But you must still hate them on some level,” Setsi dug a little deeper.
    “Yes,” Jackson admitted. “And on that same level I always will. But that doesn’t mean that I’m willing to stand by and let the entire species die for it.”
    “Fascinating,” Setsi repeated. “Let’s move back to the present. What would you do if we gave you what you wanted? Would you show the