Read Paying the Price (Book 5 of The Empire of Bones Saga) for Free Online

did some catch up work.”
    In actuality, the doctor had blistered Carl’s damaged ears for his carelessness. She’d regenerated his eardrums in the base medical center, but told him that he was in danger of infection, even with the nanites. She’d also told him he was an idiot.
    He pretty much agreed with everything she said. He’d really screwed up.
    Doctor Leonard gave him a look that said he was less than convinced, but he allowed the explanation to stand. “You made it back in the nick of time. We’re heading through the weak flip point to explore the Nova system. That’s what Admiral Mertz named it. We found something very exciting there.”
    His mentor sent him the data through his implants. It only took Carl a moment to realize what he was looking at. “Aliens?”
    “Possibly,” Doctor Leonard allowed. “We’ll take point on making that determination. Are you able to wear a pressure suit?”
    “Of course!”
    He had no idea if that were true, but he wasn’t going to miss this opportunity.
     

Chapter Four
     
    Angela found Kelsey Bandar in her office. Admiral Mertz had decided his sister needed one and it wasn’t as though there wasn’t room on the superdreadnought for it. Someone had decorated it with furnishings from Pentagar, Harrison’s World, and Erorsi. It looked nice.
    There were some odd additions she suspected came from somewhere in the Old Empire. No doubt salvaged from the graveyard. That was a little creepy, but Angela supposed that might just be her.
    The princess smiled at her. “Angela! We found aliens. Isn’t that exciting?”
    “I suppose,” the marine admitted. “Though I’d have liked it better if you’d kept me in the loop.”
    “Somehow, I knew that was going to be your takeaway from this,” Kelsey said wryly. “I was on a Marine Raider ship. What additional safety could you have provided?”
    “If aliens had boarded you, I could’ve kept shooting them till I went down.”
    Angela knew that sounded ridiculous, but she couldn’t help it. Kelsey thought her guards were an inconvenience to someone built to be one of the deadliest fighters in the Old Empire. She didn’t say that, but Angela knew that’s what she was thinking.
    Her boss sighed a bit theatrically and gestured for Angela to sit. “I’ll try to remember. At least get comfortable while you rip my head off.”
    Angela took her up on the offer and sat in one of the comfortable chairs. Unlike the ones in Major Talbot’s office, these actually encouraged someone to stay awhile. She still sat in a posture of attention.
    “I’m not going to belabor the obvious, Your Highness,” she said, “but it’s true. Your protective detail is here for a reason. Even if it doesn’t make much sense to you. And you made a deal.”
    When Angela agreed to enter the princess’s service as guard commander, she’d extracted a few promises from the woman. Within the basic parameters of Kelsey’s activities, the guards would be low key.
    They trusted that the princess was relatively safe on Invincible or one of the other Fleet warships. But she was still supposed to inform Angela of where she was and what she was up to.
    Looks could be so deceiving. Kelsey was half a meter shorter than Angela and so damned slender that the marine imagined she could break the tiny woman in two without much effort. The reverse was true, as one bout in marine country had decisively proven.
    If they ever gained access to the materials to make more Marine Raiders, Angela was going to be the first person in line. That was the other promise Kelsey had made.
    “I’m sorry,” the smaller woman said, looking a little contrite. “I got caught up in the moment. I’ll do my best not to forget again. I promise.”
    After a moment, Angela nodded. “I appreciate that, Your Highness. In any case, that isn’t the reason I’m here to see you. It’s actually a completely different kind of security issue.”
    Kelsey folded her fingers on her desk and