Sunset in Silvana (Da'ark Nocturne Book 1) Read Online Free Page A

than another day of tedious maintenance.”
    “He said that might change…”
    “Oh?”
    “That’s all he said.  I couldn’t get him to elucidate any further.  Now, I’m sure there was something else…  Oh, yes – there’s going to be a bit more security about because of the situation with Telphania.”
    For some reason that made Boris uneasy, but he simply shrugged.  “Coffee?”
    “Please.”  She took the steaming mug, sipped and gave a deep sigh.  “Oh, that’s better…  Standard shift today?”
    “More of the usual, I reckon.  I hope this trouble blows over soon, or I’ll go mad from the tedium.  At least you have your studies to keep you interested.”
    She looked at him sympathetically.  “Up to a point – but you’d be surprised how often I read something which should be new to me and find that somehow it’s already familiar.”  She gave a little puzzled frown.  “Anyway, if things come to a head, we’ll all be busy enough – me with casualties, and you and Ivan repairing battle damage.”
    Pat upon his cue, Ivan arrived.  He looked as dishevelled as always, but at least he’d already shaved, and he didn’t have a hangover this morning.  “Battle damage?” he said quizzically as he poured himself a cup of tea.  “Have I missed something, Comrades?”
    “No, Ivan.  Comrade Talia was simply talking about how busy we’d be if a war breaks out.”
    Ivan frowned pensively.  “D’you think they’d send us to the front?”
    Talia shook her head.  “We’re too valuable.  They might send us to a base camp or two to raise morale, but they won’t risk us getting killed.”
    “You’re right,” Boris said.  “People seem to have taken us to their heart.  Now, Comrade Ivan, drink up – we’ve got a bus to catch.”
    “But Comrade Talia hasn’t told me the sordid details of last night’s encounter with Major Valentine yet.”
    Talia stuck out her tongue and retorted, “The only thing in here that’s sordid is your mind.”
    Ivan laughed.
    “Come on, you dirty old man.”  Boris took Ivan by the arm.  “I’ll give you the news on the way.”
    “Not so much of the ‘old’ – I’m a good few years younger than you.”  He shook Boris off, but downed his drink, got to his feet and headed for the door.
    Being on early shift had its compensations: it meant they shared the bus almost exclusively with their workmates each day, and with them, they had long since lost the status of celebrities.  The journey passed in companionable silence, but as they approached the ’port, it was obvious that something unusual was happening outside it: not only were there more mechanics around than normal, but there was also a heavy security presence.
    “What’s going on?”  Boris asked a guard as he and Ivan were escorted into the machine shop.
    “We had a special delivery of agricultural machinery from our allies in the Dainworlds Federation.”  A familiar voice came from behind them, and they turned; to their surprise, the speaker was Major Valentine.
    “What brings you here, Comrade Major?” Ivan asked.
    “Has Comrade Talia told you about the increase in security because of the threat from Telphania?”
    “Yes.”
    “Well, I’m simply here as part of that extra security.”  He turned and made his way back toward the gate.
    Boris looked at Ivan, but he just shrugged his shoulders and said, “It makes sense, I guess – at least now we’ve got something useful to do.”  He turned and made his way to their workshop, and as Boris followed him, he realised that Ivan was right – this was more like it: transit damage to repair, the odd replacement part to fit or manufacture – real work.
    It was about mid-morning that Boris got an inkling of something odd: he realised that the part that he was straightening was a firing pin from a 45mm cannon.  How he recognised it, he had no idea – he could only assume he’d come upon something like it in the past.  He