Spirit Walk_ Old Wounds (Book 1) - Christie Golden [40]
“Astall knows what she’s doing,” Sekaya reassured him. “Let her talk to Kara by herself. You can talk to her later if you like.”
The muscles in Fortier’s jaw worked, but he nodded. “We had no counselor available to us on Loran II,” he said. “We’re not used to it.”
“She’s a Huanni, and they’re the best,” said Sekaya. “We’re all hoping that everything will be all right, Marius. But there’s a chance that things might not be.”
He looked at her then. “You were lucky,” he said. “Your colony was ignored by the Cardassians. You escaped the war unharmed. I can only hope ours had the same fate.”
Sekaya’s chest contracted as if she had been physically struck.
“Yes,” she said, her throat tight. “We were very lucky.”
And her mind shouted, Liar!
Chapter
11
“HI,” SAID KIM.
Libby’s face broke into the dazzling smile that he so loved.
“Well, hi yourself,” she replied. “How is everything, Chief of Security?”
“It’s been pretty quiet around here,” Kim admitted. “So far I haven’t done a thing except stand at my station and look menacing.”
She laughed at that; he had to smile along with her. He couldn’t quite manage to be the impassive threat that Tuvok was, but he knew what he was doing.
“Maybe you’ll acquire the menacing bit later,” Libby said. “But seriously, Harry, fill me in. I miss you. What’s going on?”
“Well,” Kim said, “we’re making our way to LoranII. The colonists seem like nice enough people, though everyone’s a bit edgy.”
Her face softened in sympathy. “If only you knew what happened,” she said. “It must be awful for them, waiting and wondering.”
“Yeah,” said Harry, knowing that Libby knew exactly how hard waiting and wondering could be.
“How’s Lyssa doing in your former position?”
“She’s terrific, as you might expect.” Lyssa and Libby had gotten to be good friends in the six months since Voyager had returned. “There’s a fellow she’s taken a shine to, but it sounds like he’s being a bit of a jerk.”
“Really? How so?”
“Well, when Voyager was lost in the Delta Quadrant, there was a bit of a clash between the former Maquis and those of us who were still with Starfleet,” Harry said.
“I’ve met B’Elanna and Chakotay,” Libby said, “and it sure looks as though whatever differences you had you’ve put behind you.”
“Seven years in tight quarters will do that,” Harry replied. “But now there seems to be some tension between those of us who were on Voyager and those who fought the Dominion War. It seems that some people who were here seem to think we were lucky for having missed it.”
He tried to keep his voice conversational, but the bitterness crept in. And of course Libby, who knew him so well, didn’t miss it.
“Oh, honey,” she said, “someone said this to you?”
“To Lyssa,” he said. “I told her she could write him up for it, but she doesn’t want to. Says it would cause undue friction, and maybe she’s right.”
“I’m really sorry. This may work itself out over the course of this mission.”
“Yeah, I hope so. It’s not the best way to start out. How about you? What’s on your plate?”
She rolled her eyes. “Oh, my gosh, everything. My agent has me playing in Australia next week, and then I’m doing something else on a starbase somewhere.” She waved a hand absently.
Kim smothered a grin. Libby was intelligent and talented and drop-dead gorgeous, but she certainly wouldn’t have cut it in Starfleet. “Starbase somewhere” indeed.
“I’m sure you’ll do great,” he said sincerely.
“Speaking of which…I’m sorry, but I really need to practice,” she said.
“I’ve got a lot of stuff to do too,” Kim said quickly. It wasn’t exactly a lie, but he would much rather keep talking to her.
“I’m going to selfishly hope the rest of your mission is totally boring,” she said, smiling.
“You do that.” He paused. “I love you, honey.”
“I love you