Read Ouroboros 4: End for Free Online Page A

She’d shown some surprising bravery in the brig, but it was starting to fade. He watched her shoot him a nervous glance over her shoulder.
    She’d know this was just the first hurdle. Getting to see Captain Singh would be the beginning.
    Convincing the Coalition the Vex were about to completely destroy them . . . heck, it felt like an impossible task.
    Hopefully Nida’s modified implant and her newfound control over the entity would help.
    If they didn’t, he had no idea what he’d do. He could still remember the destruction he’d seen in the future, of course he remembered it. It felt as though it was carved into his bones. When he closed his eyes, images of Remus 12 choked with Coalition ships assailed him. That eerie graveyard of broken vessels in space, bodies floating silently between the wreckage . . . It made him shiver even now.
    Those chilling scenes clung to him like hooks sunk into his flesh. They pushed him forward and made him promise that no matter what it took, he would prevent that future.
    Even if the Coalition didn’t believe him, he’d find a way.
    His resolve now strengthened, it wasn’t long until they reached the discussion room. To get to it, they walked through the bridge.
    If Nida had looked mildly uncomfortable walking through the corridors, it was clear she was mortified now. Her shoulders were rounded practically to the point of touching, and her cheeks were so pale and slack, they looked like wet sheets hung over bone.
    Everyone stared at her. The stares were not kind.
    Even the most seasoned officers on the bridge considered her with the wariest of gazes.
    They were all looking at Nida like they might look at a Barbarian attack vessel.
    She didn’t deserve it.
    If these fools knew even a part of what she’d done to save the Coalition, they’d be cheering.
    He locked his jaw hard, took several quick steps forward, and walked protectively by her side.
    She looked up at him, pressed her lips against her teeth, and shot him a careful smile.
    He had to fight the instinct to lean down, pluck up her hand, and hold it tightly.
    Soon enough, they reached the short gun-metal grey ramp that led down to the discussion room. Seconds later, the doors opened and closed behind them.
    He wanted to say the worst of it was over.
    It wasn’t.
    Time to face the cavalry.
     

Chapter 9
    Cadet Nida Harper
    She didn’t know what to expect when she walked into that room. If her stroll through the bridge was any indication, hell was waiting for her inside the discussion room.
    She was right.
    As the doors swished closed behind her with a smooth, pneumatic hiss, she faced the enormous round wooden table that took up half the room.
    She recognized the Captain, the First Officer, the Chief Medical Officer, and a few other senior members of staff.
    As her eyes darted between the other unfamiliar faces, one stood out.
    Sharpe.
    Though she’d faced off against the Vex, the Barbarians, and the entity itself, the sight of Sharpe threatened to blow her to bits.
    She hadn’t been expecting him. How . . . How the heck was he here?
    ‘I got here on a transport half an hour ago,’ Sharpe volunteered, clearly picking up on her terrified expression. ‘Now sit, Harper.’
    She wanted to scurry forward, duck into a chair, and hang her head in her hands. Sharpe’s officious tone always made her stomach twist inside out as her nerves played havoc up and down her back.
    Now was no different.
    Despite the fact she had the power of the entity, and could technically tap into it to send Sharpe scooting around the room, she felt nothing but incompetent in his presence.
    Maybe Carson noticed, because she saw him incline his head down. He also put a hand out to stop her from ‘sitting,’ as Sharpe had snapped.
    ‘I don’t know what you think we’ve been doing for the past few weeks, but we deserve better. She deserves better,’ Carson stated flatly in a tone she’d never heard anyone use on Sharpe.
    It raised several