Valor's Trial Read Online Free Page B

am.” She liked hearing his voice in the background as she got things ready. It was—gods help her—comforting. It didn’t matter what he was actually talking about.
    â€œSo what do you think about it?”
    Turned out she hadn’t been listening closely enough although she was fairly certain he’d been telling her about a military rumor now making the rounds of the general public. Which would make the safest response: “I doubt it’ll happen.”
    Craig shrugged. Torin watched the movement appreciatively. “I don’t know, Presit seemed sure your R&D guys could reverse engineer her pilot’s trip behind the Berg to Big Yellow.”
    Presit a Tur durValintrisy, reporter for Sector Central News, had wanted the story of the unidentified alien ship badly enough that she’d bullied her pilot into locking onto the tail end of the Berganitan ’s Susumi signature, basing his own equations on information received from riding the sweet spot in the warship’s wake. It was amazing piloting, and Parliament had declared the stunt too dangerous to be repeated without further study. A lot of further study.
    The reporter still had no time for Torin but considered Craig one of hers. One of her what Craig wasn’t willing to say, although the Katrien were a matriarchal species, so the chances of him being embarrassed by the details were high.
    â€œIf your lot can dummy a way to follow the Others home,” he continued, “then won’t you be able to take the fight to them?”
    â€œWe will.” Torin shoved her med kit into her pack. “And then there’ll be more fighting.”
    â€œI thought that was what you did.”
    It wasn’t a question, so she didn’t answer it. Wouldn’t have had an answer to it had it been a question.
    â€œSo . . .” The chair creaked as he shifted his weight. “. . . one of my salvage tags seems to have gone walkabout.”
    â€œYou probably stuffed it into the junk drawer.” No probably about it—she knew he’d stuffed the tag in the junk drawer because that was where she’d taken it from. It was currently tucked in between her breasts, hanging around her neck on a length of braided cord.
    He shook his head and grinned. “The buggers are chipped, Torin.”
    â€œI know.”
    â€œI run the codes and I can find it.”
    She looked up then. She’d taken it on impulse, wanting to carry something of his with her and ignoring the fact that she never did anything impulsively. On the shuttle ride to the station, turning it over and over, she’d found a weird sort of comfort in knowing that as long as she held on to it, he could find her. Provided he was close enough. Her military ID had a stronger signal, but he’d be more motivated.
    She hoped he’d be more motivated.
    She’d almost sent it back to him twice. Almost.
    Finally she said, “I know.”
    After a moment, Craig reached out and touched the edge of the screen. “This must be costing you big bikkies.”
    â€œA few.” Full squirt with no discernible time delay was expensive, but they wouldn’t have another chance to talk until she got back to the station. No way of knowing when they’d be together physically, and the thought of that made her ache in ways she found just a little disconcerting. It wasn’t the sex—there was always plenty of that to go around—it was him.
    â€œWhy?”
    That got him her full attention. It was the same tone he’d used during their we’re going to damned well discuss a future whether you like it or not conversation. She hadn’t liked it. And he hadn’t backed down. And damned if they weren’t likely to have a future together. Some day.
    â€œWhy what?”
    â€œWhy spend so much to say good-bye?”
    â€œIt isn’t . . .”
    He snorted and she paused.
    â€œFine. You mean that much to me. Okay?