Burnt Worlds Read Online Free PDF Page B

perfectly trimmed, and he stood as if holding down the deck with his presence.   Dillon met the PO’s gaze, and raised his eyebrows in acknowledgement.  
    “Sir, we’re approaching the Tashann system.   How far out shall we emerge to sublight?”
    “A couple million clicks from the fourth planet.   Use your best judgement.”
    “Aye aye, sir.”
    He watched Lee return to his console, which he tapped at a few times.   A small timer appeared on the screen.   “Sir, emerging from FTL in forty seconds… mark.”
    “Thank you, Mister Lee.   Sensors, tell me all about the place as soon as we get there.   Quarter-power only on the active scan; I don’t want to spook the locals.’
    “Aye aye, sir,” came a voice behind a console.
    Dillon turned to look at Chief Black as she shuffled onto the bridge, scratching idly at the back of her head.   She seemed to catch herself, and turned the movement into a brief salute.   “Good morning, sir,” she said without stopping.   “There’s plenty of room in the hold now, sir.   Couldn’t sleep, so spent most of dog watch in there with Sterling and Isaacs getting it sorted.”   She walked in front of him, causing him to lean back.   He stared at the side of her head as she went by.  
    “Chief?”
    She stopped next to the helm console and looked over her shoulder at him.   “Aye, sir?”
    The Captain spoke carefully, not convinced he was going to make sense.   “Chief, is your hair… a bit... purple?”
    “A bit, sir.   ‘Indigo Sheen’, number forty-seven.   Came out a bit purpler than I’d intended.”   She shrugged.   “Got bored between watches.   Sir.”
    Out of the corner of his eye, Dillon could see two crewmembers stop what they were doing to look over at him.   PO Lee glanced up from his console, glaring at the crewmembers until they returned to work.   Dillon couldn’t fathom why, but apparently this was an issue of some interest.   Did the crew need more to do, to keep them busy?   Or were they trying to distract themselves by way of self-expression?  
    The Chief was still looking at him.   “Regs just say it can’t be ‘outrageous’, sir.”
    The Captain stared the Chief in the eye for a few moments.   It was far too early in the morning for a hefty moral conundrum.   But in the Chief’s eyes he saw, amidst the mischief, a flicker of uncertainty.   He nodded slowly, hoping he looked thoughtful and wise.   “Chief, you know perfectly well this ship’s colours are blue and white.   Purple is one of the colours of the Regina .   She’s Borealis’ sister, and a fine ship, but she is crewed by savages and degenerates who cheat at curling.   And that’s outrageous.”   He pointed at Black accusingly, raising one eyebrow in exaggerated disdain.   “So it’s blue yes, purple no.”  
    He saw some of the crew grin at that, matching the Chief’s smirk.   “Aye aye, sir.   For the ship.”
    With a brief flash of light, a planet appeared outside the bridge window.   Petty Officer Lee tapped his console.   “Tashann, sir.”
    Another crewmember spoke up, excitement in her voice.   “We’ve got active sensors on us… seven, eight… thirteen in total.   Navigational and general-purpose bands only.”
    “Eighteen ships in proximity, sir.   Various classes…” came another voice.
    “Two energy signatures never before seen, sir,” said another.
    Dillon lifted one hand in front of him.   “Whoa.   Settle down, everyone.   One at a time.   Lee, who’s here?”
    “Eighteen ships within a hundred thousand kilometres, sir.   Mongrels, mostly.   Homebuilt.   Looks like two ex-Dosh ships, four Sandan ships, three An-El-Bezod, there’s Hasanadali, Jaljal, Uta, Grays, one thing that looks like it’s made out of duct tape, and some sphere that is I-don’t-know-what.   All of them fifty metres or less; biggest weapons among them are some class-two lasers.”
    “A quarter our size, got it.   What’re