Free Forged by Battle (WarVerse Book 1) by Patrick J. Loller Page A
Authors: Patrick J. Loller
console, his brow creased. With everyone engaged in their tasks, it took a few moments for the captain to be noticed, and he was able to step up to his XO without the bridge coming to attention.
"Thank you for the assist," he said.
The XO jumped, twisting around to see the nearly seven-foot captain standing behind him. "Jesus, sir!" Then he took a deep breath and shouted, "Captain on deck."
"At ease," Johnston called before most of the crew could take to their feet.
"How do you manage that?" McKinley asked him.
"A captain knows his ship," Johnston said conspiratorially. "Still, though, it took you a little longer than usual to pull me out."
"Sir?"
"Belford cornered me in his office. You found a reason to call me to the bridge?"
"Negative, sir, we had a pigeon from our recon unit on Aberdeen. The research colony there is under attack. They are requesting reinforcements."
Johnston's mood went from jovial to serious in a heartbeat. "Gather the officers. Download all the data to my com unit."
"Already done."
"When it rains it pours."
Chapter 15
Ele
She woke in an unfamiliar room, in a bed with white sheets. A machine was bleating behind her, a rhythmic chime that made her feel sick inside, though she did not know why. Above her was a dull gray metal ceiling crisscrossed with beams and wiring. She pushed herself up on the bed.
"You're awake," a voice beside her said. She turned, fearful that it would be one of the men in white. Then the memory was gone, and only the fear remained.
The man who had spoken was handsome, with piercing blue eyes and brown hair cut close around his ears. He wore a military uniform, and had a chest full of medals. He was smiling. The fear evaporated.
"We were worried about you, Ele," he said.
"Ele? Is that my name?"
"You don't know your name? It said E-L-E on the uniform you were wearing."
"I... I don't remember anything," she admitted. "Do I know you?"
"My name is Lieutenant Vincent Barkhorn. You can call me Vincent. I found you on the planet."
"Vincent," she whispered. "I remember seeing you. I recognized you though.”
Vincent scowled. “You probably saw the posters. They put them up everywhere.”
“Oh.” She couldn’t remember if that was the case. “I was afraid I would hurt you."
"Hurt me? How would you hurt me?"
"The fire, the lake, it boiled away when I touched it. I caused the fire."
Vincent raised an eyebrow. "Caused the fire? How? The lake boiled because my ship crashed into it."
Could that be true? She was convinced that she had made the heat, but another part of her knew that was insane. Could she have imagined it all?
"I couldn't feel anything. I wasn't burnt."
He smiled again. It was a kind smile, though—a trustworthy smile. He reached over, slowly, as if she would pull away, and moved the sheet from her shoulder. She looked down and her eyes widened. Her skin was pink beneath the sheet, and as soon as the sheet passed over, she felt the sting of the burn. She really had imagined it.
"How bad is it?" she asked.
"You were very lucky, it's like a bad sunburn." He lifted a mirror off the table beside him and showed it to her. The face in the reflection was a stranger’s. Long brown hair framed her face, with brown eyes to match. That's me? What did they do to me? Why can't I remember?
"You don't remember anything?"
"No."
"You're probably just in shock. You must have had a terrible time down there."
"You saved me?" she asked.
Vincent rubbed his hand across his neck. "It was more luck than anything. I was sort of crashing."
Chapter 16
Vincent
Vincent found himself feeling out of place. He had been forced to come to med bay, and been prodded and scanned in every way possible before the blasted corpsman had admitted that nothing was wrong. He seemed surprised by it, but Vincent wasn't. His ship was mostly intact; you could barely tell he had crashed. When he saw that the girl he had
"Thank you for the assist," he said.
The XO jumped, twisting around to see the nearly seven-foot captain standing behind him. "Jesus, sir!" Then he took a deep breath and shouted, "Captain on deck."
"At ease," Johnston called before most of the crew could take to their feet.
"How do you manage that?" McKinley asked him.
"A captain knows his ship," Johnston said conspiratorially. "Still, though, it took you a little longer than usual to pull me out."
"Sir?"
"Belford cornered me in his office. You found a reason to call me to the bridge?"
"Negative, sir, we had a pigeon from our recon unit on Aberdeen. The research colony there is under attack. They are requesting reinforcements."
Johnston's mood went from jovial to serious in a heartbeat. "Gather the officers. Download all the data to my com unit."
"Already done."
"When it rains it pours."
Chapter 15
Ele
She woke in an unfamiliar room, in a bed with white sheets. A machine was bleating behind her, a rhythmic chime that made her feel sick inside, though she did not know why. Above her was a dull gray metal ceiling crisscrossed with beams and wiring. She pushed herself up on the bed.
"You're awake," a voice beside her said. She turned, fearful that it would be one of the men in white. Then the memory was gone, and only the fear remained.
The man who had spoken was handsome, with piercing blue eyes and brown hair cut close around his ears. He wore a military uniform, and had a chest full of medals. He was smiling. The fear evaporated.
"We were worried about you, Ele," he said.
"Ele? Is that my name?"
"You don't know your name? It said E-L-E on the uniform you were wearing."
"I... I don't remember anything," she admitted. "Do I know you?"
"My name is Lieutenant Vincent Barkhorn. You can call me Vincent. I found you on the planet."
"Vincent," she whispered. "I remember seeing you. I recognized you though.”
Vincent scowled. “You probably saw the posters. They put them up everywhere.”
“Oh.” She couldn’t remember if that was the case. “I was afraid I would hurt you."
"Hurt me? How would you hurt me?"
"The fire, the lake, it boiled away when I touched it. I caused the fire."
Vincent raised an eyebrow. "Caused the fire? How? The lake boiled because my ship crashed into it."
Could that be true? She was convinced that she had made the heat, but another part of her knew that was insane. Could she have imagined it all?
"I couldn't feel anything. I wasn't burnt."
He smiled again. It was a kind smile, though—a trustworthy smile. He reached over, slowly, as if she would pull away, and moved the sheet from her shoulder. She looked down and her eyes widened. Her skin was pink beneath the sheet, and as soon as the sheet passed over, she felt the sting of the burn. She really had imagined it.
"How bad is it?" she asked.
"You were very lucky, it's like a bad sunburn." He lifted a mirror off the table beside him and showed it to her. The face in the reflection was a stranger’s. Long brown hair framed her face, with brown eyes to match. That's me? What did they do to me? Why can't I remember?
"You don't remember anything?"
"No."
"You're probably just in shock. You must have had a terrible time down there."
"You saved me?" she asked.
Vincent rubbed his hand across his neck. "It was more luck than anything. I was sort of crashing."
Chapter 16
Vincent
Vincent found himself feeling out of place. He had been forced to come to med bay, and been prodded and scanned in every way possible before the blasted corpsman had admitted that nothing was wrong. He seemed surprised by it, but Vincent wasn't. His ship was mostly intact; you could barely tell he had crashed. When he saw that the girl he had
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