Emerald Flight: “Star Wing” (continued)

“Captain!” Elizabeth called out, a bit louder than she had intended.

Devereux looked toward Elizabeth with a look of concern. “What is it, Commander?”

Elizabeth examined the message on her tablet one more, just to make sure she had understood it correctly the first three times she had read it.

“Commander?”

Elizabeth looked up, feeling a sharp twinge of guilt for not answering the Captain sooner.

“Security reports that Lieutenant Hawkes has the alien in custody and is proceeding to the brig.”

The Captain’s mouth formed a relieved smile.

“Did he have any trouble?”

Elizabeth stared down at her tablet uncertainly. “No, Captain,” she managed to say, with a lot less confidence than she would have liked. “It just got up and followed him.”

Devereux stared at her in wordless disbelief. After a moment, the Captain’s eyes narrowed slightly in warning.

“It’s not a joke, Captain,” Elizabeth protested a little too shrilly. “I swear!”

The Captain looked back at her. Devereux’s face seemed to struggle to find an appropriate expression for the situation. Elizabeth could understand the Captain’s disbelief. It was exactly the kind of tale that the Chief might tell.

But the Chief’s been smacked down in the infirmary, while I’m here—

“Very well, then,” Devereux finally agreed. “Clear everyone from all of the corridors between the infirmary and the brig.”

Elizabeth glanced down at her tablet. “The Lieutenant’s already done that,” she told Devereux. “Except for Security personnel.”

“I see,” Devereux responded evenly. “In that case,” she went on, “please tell the Lieutenant to report in once our ‘guest’ has been secured.”

“Yes, Captain.”

Devereux turned away before Elizabeth could tell whether the Captain was piqued or not. Without saying another word, Devereux headed back toward the command deck. Elizabeth watched the Captain go, wondering whether she or Hawkes had actually done something wrong.

She’s sure acting like it.

Elizabeth could not figure out, though, what it might have been. Lieutenant had followed the standard Security protocols for transporting a dangerous prisoner through sections of the ship. He had done so before Devereux had ordered him to, sure, but Elizabeth could not imagine that the Captain would have gone against regulations in this case—not after what happened in the infirmary.

And all I did was offer the report and pass on the orders.

Then what had supposedly upset the Captain?