Total pages in book: 112
Estimated words: 105936 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 530(@200wpm)___ 424(@250wpm)___ 353(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 105936 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 530(@200wpm)___ 424(@250wpm)___ 353(@300wpm)
Reaching up, I grabbed him by his scrawny throat and dragged him down to my level.
Frux choked and sputtered, but he was no match for my strength and he knew it. His eyes nearly bugged out of his head as I glared him in the face, pulling him so close that our noses nearly touched.
“You put whatever the fuck you want in your little report, Frux,” I told him, keeping my voice low and menacing. “But if you disrespect me again in front of my Crew or anywhere else, you’re spending the rest of this fucking trip in the fucking Brig! I say who sleeps in my fucking quarters with me and it’s none of your fucking business!”
He choked and gurgled, his eyes bulging out of their sockets as he scrabbled at my fingers which were locked around his throat. I had the urge to crush his windpipe and I could have done it, easily. I’m a full-blooded Brute and we’re fucking strong…but I knew my Chieftain wouldn’t like it. He might not care much for Frux, but the annoying Union Rep was still related to his wife. Killing Frux would piss her off and make his life hard…which meant he would make my life hard. Though I had to wonder if it could get any harder than it currently was.
I squeezed for a little longer, cutting off Frux’s air and letting him know that I could kill him if I wanted to before abruptly pushing him away. He fell to the ground, choking and gasping and flopping like a fucking fish. At last he managed to scramble to his feet.
“Get off my Bridge,” I told him flatly. “I don’t want to see your face for the rest of the day. And if I hear you’ve been spreading rumors, you really will spend this trip in the Brig for insubordination.”
Frux gave me an angry look, but didn’t dare to say anything. He scrambled down the tube and disappeared into the deck below with a metallic clatter of boots on metal.
There was a breathless silence on the Bridge and nobody seemed willing to look at me. I don’t usually resort to choking people, but I felt like I needed to get my point across. I really couldn’t allow a Crew member to disrespect me—that way lay mutiny which is something to be avoided at all costs, especially in Deep Space.
I wasn’t too worried about Frux, though—he wasn’t well liked by any of the men because he was constantly tattling on them for minor infractions. Still, the fact remained that I’d had to punish three Crew members in less than twenty-four hours and all of it related to my new navigator.
I looked over at Cass and found that he was watching me with wide eyes. But the minute our gazes met, he jerked his face around and looked intently at the viewscreen where Gurflug was plotting a course.
The big Galafruxian chose this moment to turn in his chair again and announce,
“I have our course through the next worm hole charted, Captain.”
“Great,” I said blandly. “Now get up and let Cass check it.”
“What?” His purple eyes bulged with offended rage. “You’re going to let that young pup second guess my route?”
“I’m going to have him check it,” I said, keeping my voice even. “No point in having two navigators if I don’t have them check each other’s work,” I added.
Still looking extremely offended, Gurflug finally exited his chair as he tossed the nav band carelessly aside.
“Stop fucking around with my equipment!” I warned him.
“I beg your pardon, Captain?” He looked at me, widening his eyes even more.
“The nav band,” I said, nodding at it. “It’s an expensive piece of equipment and we’re fucked without it. If you break it, the replacement is coming out of your salary.”
“What? But I am not responsible for buying the ship’s equipment!” he protested.
“You are if you break it,” I snapped. “Be more careful in the future.”
“Yes, Captain,” Gurflug said with elaborate politeness. “I’ll certainly do as you say. Though I don’t believe I was being rough with the equipment before, I shall treat it with utmost delicacy hereafter.”
“Good, that’s all I ask,” I said mildly. I wasn’t buying his wounded martyr act. “Cass—check the route,” I added, speaking to the boy.
Cass slid into the nav chair and fitted the nav band around his temples. Thanks to the shower Gurflug had taken, he didn’t have to wipe it off first this time. Then he closed his eyes in apparent concentration.
After a moment, he opened his eyes and turned to me.
“It’s not a dangerous route, but it’s a long one,” he said to me. “I can get us closer to the next worm hole after this one by using a different jump.”
“What? What lies are you telling, you young pup?” Gurflug demanded. “My route is the best! The only—”