Ouroboros 4: End Read Online Free PDF Page A

screw the rest of the galaxy in order to fix some past mistake . . . yeah, the Commander wasn’t going to readily believe that. He would, however, take it as an excuse to stun them and drag them back to the brig.
    'No, you'll tell us now,' the Commander ordered.
    Carson let his gaze darken, till he knew he was fixing the Commander with the kind of expression that would get him court martialed and sent straight to the worst prison planet in the system. 'At the point of a gun? Either take us into custody or don't. But don't keep aiming at her,' he let his tone ripple with menace. It was strong and hard like steel.
    It also got the Commander's attention. 'You better watch yourself, Lieutenant. I don't care if you're the head of the Force; nobody talks to me like that. I earned my rank; I deserve better.'
    'You have no idea what we've been through in the past few weeks. You have no idea what we've sacrificed to get you this warning. We deserve better,' Carson pointed between himself and Nida, the passion building in his chest like a flare ready to explode.
    'Alright, I’ve heard enough. Take her into custody. Stun her if you have to. As for you, Lieutenant, I will write up your behavior in my report.'
    'You aren’t going to take her—' Carson began.
    'It's fine. It's fine,' she assured him as she stepped forward and raised her stiff hands up by her head. 'I'm not going to be any trouble.'
    He turned to look at her.
    Right at her.
    If Remus 12 had burst into flames behind him, he wouldn't have cared.
    He was ready to fight this entire team, if he had to.
    She understood that, right?
    She offered him the smallest of smiles, and mouthed, ‘I’ll be fine.’
    Then they took her.
     

Chapter 7
    Cadet Nida Harper
    She had never been inside a Coalition brig before.
    It was strangely pleasant. The décor was simple. She had a sturdy bed attached to the wall, and the lighting was a pleasant orange yellow.
    Though she was technically alone, there was a guard stationed just outside her cell. She could see his head peer through the crackling force field of her door every other minute.
    They thought she was going to explode or something. That or turn blue and take over the ship.
    Though Commander Harrington had wanted to remove the 'suspicious device' from her left wrist, as he'd put it, Carson had managed to convince the man to leave it on.
    And she was more than thankful of that fact.
    She was still dog-tired.
    After they'd arrived on the Orion, she’d been taken straight to the brig. Well, after a team of scientists and doctors had outfitted it with medical scanners.
    She was too much of a 'risk' to be taken to the med bay, apparently, so they'd decided to move all of their equipment to the brig.
    It wasn't in her room though—it was in the room next door. Nobody wanted to run the risk of her trashing anything in a swirling vortex of death.
    She could still hear the equipment. A persistent low buzzing noise travelled through the wall right behind her. If she pressed her ear up to it, she swore she could feel heat too.
    There was nothing to say; there was no one to talk to. But there was a lot to think about.
    Too much.
    At first she was filled with a detached sense of curiosity at her novel surroundings. It was kind of neat to be in the brig. Or at least to her completely tired mind it was.
    At any moment she expected Carson to come striding in, ready to set her free. Because he would be trying with every breath to explain what had happened to them, right?
    He'd be convincing the captain of this ship that she wasn't a risk.
    . . . .
    What if it didn't work? What if Carson couldn't convince anyone she wasn't a threat? What if they wouldn't believe his story?
    As her nerves built, she sat forward, rested her elbows on her knees, and closed her eyes firmly.
    She had to get out of here.
    She had to make the Coalition understand the risk it now faced.
    No matter what it took, she was prepared to do anything.
    As soon as she