The Lost Stars: Shattered Spear Read Online Free Page B

snapshot of everything that can be seen in this star system, then jumps out within less than a minute. That detection at Iwa could have been the same thing.” She brightened. “And they happened to stop by while there was a battle cruiser at Iwa, and a troop transport that for all the enigmas knew could be bringing reinforcements for the garrison.”
    “What if the enigmas recognized the ships as ours and theownership of Iwa as still Midway’s?” Drakon asked, not willing to make an overly optimistic assessment.
    Iceni narrowed her eyes at the display. “It would look like an invasion force, wouldn’t it?” she said. “The enigmas would probably interpret what they saw as signs that we have already conquered Iwa.” She sighed. “Is that good or bad?”
    “In terms of how the enigmas see it?” Drakon asked. “Damned if I know. Assuming the enigmas think we now own Iwa, and assuming they can reach Iwa with an attack, then if I were them I’d try to hit Iwa first. The enigmas can count, and they must know that we don’t have enough warships to garrison both star systems in strength. Take Iwa, where they haven’t been thrown back twice like they have here, then hit Midway again, maybe with forces arriving from both Pele and Iwa.”
    She nodded. “If we spread our forces out, we’ll be weak everywhere. But if we concentrate our forces here, the enigmas will walk in and take Iwa whether we own it or not. This stinks.” Iceni looked around, seeking someone, then sat down with another sigh. “I still keep expecting him to be here whenever I need him.”
    Drakon fought down a reflexive disquiet and tried to sound neutral as he answered. “Your former assistant?”
    “Yes.” From the look Iceni gave him, Drakon hadn’t been nearly good enough at hiding his feelings. “We still don’t know what happened to Mehmet Togo, Artur. Yes, he might have betrayed me then bolted. Or he might have been taken by enemies. We don’t know,” she repeated.
    “He wouldn’t have been easy to take,” Drakon said carefully. “Can I ask you something?”
    “No.” But then she smiled slightly. “Go ahead.”
    “Why don’t you think that I or one of my people took out Togo?”
    She took a long moment to answer, her gaze on the beach again. “Because you wouldn’t do that to me. And if one of your people did it . . . you would have found out and told me.”
    Drakon grimaced again, feeling a mix of anger and unhappiness. “You know how badly I misjudged how much I knew about my two closest assistants,” he said.
    Iceni nodded, still watching the waves. “Colonel Morgan died on Ulindi.”
    “I won’t be sure of that until I see a body, and even then I’ll wonder if she cloned one to cover her going deep without my knowledge. Apparently, you still trust Colonel Malin.”
    Another nod. “As much as I trust anyone.” Another pause. “Except you.”
    He stared at her, wondering why Iceni had said something that Syndicate CEO training and experience insisted no one should ever say. “Um . . . in that case . . . since you need a capable assistant whom you trust, I can lend you Colonel Malin.”
    Iceni laughed, turning her head to look at him again. “Make
your
agent
my
personal assistant, privy to all my secrets and actions? Exactly how much do you think I trust you?”
    “It’s not about that,” Drakon said, wondering if he was telling the truth. “It’s about how much you trust Malin.”
    “I see.” Iceni still looked amused. “And with both Colonel Morgan and Colonel Malin gone, who do you have for a personal assistant?”
    “Colonel Gozen.”
    Iceni’s eyebrows rose. She reached out, tapping a few commands, then read from the data that appeared before her. “Former Syndicate Executive Third Class Celia Gozen?
Recently
captured at Ulindi?”
    “She wasn’t really captured,” Drakon said defensively. “She’s a fine soldier. And she has been extremely well screened, a process overseen by