Page 107
Chapter 21
Epilogue
Hunter
“Yes, Commissioner.That report will be with you by the end of the day.” Hunter D’Ahar gritted his teeth. He was so close to faking a communication fault to end this tedious meeting. He’d been talked at by High Command for almost an hour as they’d double-checked pointless reports and demanded updates on irrelevant data.
“I’d hoped to see Cleo at this meeting. Is she unavailable?” Commissioner Viewick said.
“She is. We’ve just had a mission report back in with new animals,” Hunter said. “She’s checking in with the crew. Cleo likes to get the information fresh, so she can convey it back to you without missing anything.”
Commissioner Viewick nodded. “Very well. But make sure she’s at the next meeting.”
“I’ll do my very best.” Even he could hear the lie in his voice. Cleo hated these meetings. So did Hunter, but he endured the tedium. Cleo needed a break. She worked too hard.
He’d convinced her to grab food and told her the meeting had been pushed back, but it wouldn’t be long before she arrived and figured out what was going on.
“We have an update on the new recruits we’re sending you,” Commissioner Viewick said.
“We’re expecting them next week,” Hunter said.
“Not anymore. We had to divert our training officers to another sector. The recruits’ final training has been delayed.”
Perfect. Just what they needed, no one arriving to pick up the slack and take the strain off the already overworked crew. “When can we expect them?”
“It will be at least another eight weeks before they’re ready to join you.”
Hunter resisted the urge to thump his fist on the table. “We’ve already scheduled their first missions.”
“The missions will go ahead as planned. You’ve identified some key targets. We can’t risk letting them go.”
“Everyone’s workload is already booked. The crew’s working to capacity.” It was so typical of High Command to do this. They’d all been stuck behind desks for too long and had forgotten what it was like working in space.
“We have a solution to that. You and Cleo will temporarily return to field operations until the new recruits arrive.”
Hunter sucked in a breath. “I don’t advise that.”
“Are you telling me you don’t have the skills for fieldwork?”
“It’s not that.” Hunter missed the old days of getting dirty on the job. And he’d even gone on a few field trips with Cleo. But as her responsibilities as the ship’s captain grew, they spent less time on rescue missions. He missed exploring, finding new places, and supporting the conservation mission. He was doing his bit, but sometimes, all the needless meetings, briefings, and reports made him lose sight of what he was here for.
“You can take on the extra duties,” Commissioner Viewick said. “It’s only a short-term problem.”
Hunter wanted to be out there, but he was loyal to Cleo. She was their leader and needed to be on the ship to maintain order.
“And we’re planning on increasing productivity targets,” Commissioner Viewick said. “You don’t want your key performance indicators to take a hit because of this delay.”
Hunter repressed a growl. He didn’t give a flying fuck about key performance indicators. He just wanted to make sure Cleo was safe. Even if that meant he no longer got out there to fight and defend what mattered to him.
The door behind him slid open. “Hey, I wondered if you wanted...” Cleo’s voice trailed off. “Oh! Commissioner Viewick. Am I late?”
“I’m glad you could join us, Cleo,” Commissioner Viewick said. “Hunter was just telling me you were overseeing the return of a mission. I trust it went well?”
Hunter didn’t turn as Cleo marched over. She’d have his balls for lying. He kept his gaze forward but could feel her body heat as she stood beside him.
“All the missions are going well,” she said cautiously. “I hope I haven’t missed too much.”
Hunter tried not to wince as she stepped the heel of her boot on his toes and ground down. Yep, he was in so much trouble.
