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"Commander Watanabe," his voice was very quiet, "execute Phase Four."
Watanabe jerked, and his face worked. He stared at his commanding officer, then down at the console. Down at the target codes for every one of Elysium's cities.
"I ..."
"I gave you an order, Commander," Howell said, and his eyes flicked over Watanabe's shoulder to Rachel Shu.
"Please, sir," Watanabe whispered. "I ... I don't ..."
"You don't want to execute it?" The commander's eyes darted back up at the almost compassionate note in Howell's voice. "That's understandable, Commander, but you are one of my officers. As such, you have neither room for second thoughts nor the luxury of deciding which orders you will obey. Do you understand me, Commander Watanabe?"
Silence hovered on the command deck, and the commander closed his eyes. Then he stood and jerked the synth link headset from his temples.
"I'm sorry, sir." His voice was hoarse. "I can't. I just can't."
"I see. I'm sorry to hear that," Howell said softly, and nodded to Rachel Shu.
The emerald beam buzzed across the bridge. It struck precisely on the base of Watanabe's skull, and his body arched in spastic agony. But it was a dead man's reaction—a muscular response and no more.
The corpse slithered to the deck. Someone coughed on the stench of singed hair, but no one moved. No one was even surprised, and plastic and alloy whispered on leather as Shu holstered her nerve disrupter with an expression of mild distaste.
"Commander Rahman," Howell said, and the senior gu
"Yes, sir?"
"Execute Phase Four, Commander."