…While I stood there puzzled, the underground base employee clapped me on the shoulder with a friendly smile and left.
- What do you think, Miru, … will everything be alright with Akhala? — I asked the first mate after hours of waiting in my office on the starship.
- Why are you so worried? — his warm gaze did not ease my anxiety at all. — Are you afraid that she will be cleaned out?
- What!? For what? What makes you think so?
- For her abilities… Think about it… these aliens found us so quickly. How?
- But she… didn't do anything wrong!
- Somehow… her mind attracted them… these aliens, while she was doing research about them. As I understand it, the leadership never identified this civilization.
- So this is not a reason to eliminate Akhala! On the contrary! She will provide the necessary information about them... That creepy General...
- Ha... indeed, - Miru grinned. - He looks scary. It seems to me that he will not let her out of this cage anytime soon... under the pretext of necessary interaction. I hope that you... have not yet fallen in love with her. But of course, she is unusual...
... I was actually tormented by something like jealousy, for some reason it seemed to me that General Darto was too interested in the existence of such a woman. What they were doing with her in the dungeon, I could only guess... and I was beside myself with excitement.
No... I did not fall in love, I told myself, I was just very worried ... for the fate of an extraordinary person. And Miru continued to peer intently into my face, embarrassing me by reading all the emotions tearing me apart.
- You have to relax... with one of the cuties, - his baritone sounded with notes of light serenity when he emptied a shot of whiskey from my minibar. — Although your favorite is on a long business trip now...
— And what makes you think that Dalla is my favorite? — I said with irritation, realizing that Miru was just trying to switch my attention. — And anyway, what do you think of me? That I'm a heartless brute? Actually, I really hate that I lose beautiful women for no reason! I'm an idiot, that's all!
— Ah... so you still miss Dalla?
— Ah... — only interjections from despair poured out of me and I had to toss and turn on the bed in my cabin for several hours in unsuccessful attempts to fall asleep.
— I was awakened by a demanding knock on the door:
— Commander...
The General stood on the threshold with an imperturbable expression on his face.
— The crew was ordered to wait for another ship to transport to your planet...
— What? — I, sleepy, unable to think quickly, stared dumbfoundedly at the slender figure darkening in the dimly lit corridor. — Why... like that? We were disbanded?
— Well, I don't know... it's for your safety... Go home... we'll see then. The leadership is investigating your unexpected surprise... After all, it's not every day that the coalition is attacked by unidentified aggressors.
— What did Akhala say? And where is she now?
His thin lips barely stretched into a mysterious smile... which made me terribly tense. Am I jealous or something?
— Akhala? Is she under your command? What do you care about her?
... My insides twitched with terrible suspicions... damn... this bastard, he definitely did something to her...
— I'm worried... about her.
— That I did something wrong to her? Everything is fine...
His ironic grin did not calm me down at all, and my face clearly expressed special concern.
- You do not trust us at all?
- Of course I do, General... It's just that Akhala is a beautiful fragile woman and I am responsible for her safety, because it was I who suggested that she stay on board for further investigation regarding the owners of the enemy drone... and you did not let her go for so long.
... I almost stuttered, trying to justify my questions, looking into the darkness of his frightening gaze. I wonder how impressed Akhala was by his charisma that suppresses any will? This invariably attracts women, I suppose... Perhaps so, because I sensed something unpleasant and viscous in the depths of my soul, although... Darto is far from handsome... his appearance is quite ordinary, for an amateur, so to speak.
- Yes... I really liked Akhala, - he suddenly answered, walking into the gloom of the cabin. — As a person... Telepathy is a very rare phenomenon. I have never had to conduct such an investigation into the unknown before.
— So where is she now?
— She has already been taken... by her agency.
— How? So quickly? — for some reason I did not believe him. — It can't be!
— Ha... so you have been sleeping for a long time... and did not have time to say goodbye? Well, that's a pity, of course, — Darto gave a caustic, and as it seemed to me, victorious grin and left without waiting for an answer.
... I didn't have time to see her... what could I do then, even after forced transportation to home and further disbandment of the crew I was unable to contact Akhala: the agency evasively explained that now their valuable employee is not available for security reasons and is in a secret location for a long period.
— Is she still at the Rex base? — I tried to find out.
— The employee is strictly classified... You no longer have access!
... These words hit me like a sentence... my heart seemed to stop and go dead. What, have I... lost Akhala?
In the lonely headquarters, something devastating came over me...