Fusion (Crimson Romance) Read Online Free Page B

her own bridge. She hasn’t any encryption codes that would validate her transmission and, as you say, the bridge is constantly watched.”
    “May I speak freely, sir?”
    “Please do.”
    “The Condorians would have enacted their own locking codes into the Venus’ com system.”
    He tilted his head in acknowledgement. “
Very good
! You know your enemy’s battle tactics, Sergeant. But this is the part where I delineate the last chance I spoke of.”
    “You actually think you can unlock those codes and transmit battle plans after the captain of the vessel or some of her crew was suspected of leaking information?” Lyra rolled her eyes in contempt. “
Sir
… if the Condorians were watching her and staff before they suspected anything was wrong, what the hell do you think they’ll do to secure their battle plans now? You have a better chance of slipping in and out of hell than getting on that bridge! In fact, any stranger who gets near the Venus will probably be killed.” She lifted one hand in supplication. “As you’ve said, the only rational reason Aigean and her crew are still alive is that they’re still servicing the Condorian officers. Can’t you see that the Condorians might take out that crew today, tomorrow, or any time they choose? How long do you think you’d have?” Her entreaty was met with silence. Lyra noted his steady gaze and that his expression remained undaunted. She tried once more. “Sir,
please
… there are about a hundred reasons why this won’t work. I may be some lowly Sergeant, but I’ve got sense enough to see that trying to get on the Venus is suicide! We can ill afford the useless loss of another spec-op boss.”
    “I have my orders, Sergeant. I’m to get on the Venus and deliver to the allies what information I can, by whatever means and for as long as possible. Had I failed, one of my team was to pursue the same plan. Fortunately, the enemy didn’t know who my men were or what they were up to when we took a barrage of laser fire while trying to land. We were just another group of allied soldiers for slaughter.” He leaned forward. “But since they are dead … I now have
you
,” he finished while pointedly staring at her.
    “I’ll try again,” she insisted. “Your mission doesn’t make any sense. Listen to reason!”
    “You speak, I’ll listen. But I will never be convinced to quit.”
    “Colonel … you said yourself that your supplies were all destroyed. I assume that included some kind of disguise to get you aboard. How is a Craetorian — a man from a known allied planet — supposed to get on a pleasure vessel where Condorian officers are fucking themselves crazy? You’ll be killed on sight. Even if you
could
pass yourself off as someone from a different race, you’d be another male vying for the attention of the sex servants. The Condorians wouldn’t stand for that. Hell, I’m surprised that someone didn’t suggest cosmetic surgery to make you and your team look like Condorians. On an operation like this, that would be necessary! You should have been better briefed, given fake credentials, and assigned fake names and backgrounds that would make sense if checked against some database.”
    He slowly smiled. “You don’t know everything, Sergeant. There are a few mysteries in this universe that even you Earthlings haven’t unraveled.”
    “I don’t understand.”
    “If Aigean didn’t think this would work, she wouldn’t have suggested a plan that would get her and her people slaughtered immediately. What would be the point?”
    “That’s exactly what I’m asking, sir.”
    He continued his argument. “According to her, the Condorian admiral on her vessel has developed a taste for men. Even those from allied planets are tolerated as long as they assert their neutrality and will make themselves available to any kind of pleasuring. They’re useful for a time, even if eventually expendable.”
    “Th-that’s insane,” Lyra declared.
    “It’s