Crisis of Conscience: Flight of the Kestrel Book 3

By Ann Marie Thomas

Can Captain Joseph Darrow of the spaceship Kestrel commit theft and murder to save the lives of his crew? Is Second Officer Daniel Hoy right, that the ends justify the means? Are there some lines you must not cross?
Can they persuade the Zoan lizard woman Raven to tell them her father’s secret?
Newly qualified Ensign Tabitha Enns steps straight into peril. Can she prove her worth?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ann Marie Thomas
• Release date: Sep 11, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215114186

Ann Marie Thomas

Writing poetry and making up stories since I was a child, I only started to write seriously when my children were grown. My main ambition is to write science fiction, but along the way I got fascinated by local history and distracted by a major stroke. I wrote poetry about my stroke and spent my recovery writing a local history book. Taking early retirement gave me the chance to concentrate on my writing. I have been married for over 45 years, with 4 grown children and 8 grandchildren.I had already written up my research into the de Braose family before my stroke, but the long hours in hospital gave me time to think about it in detail. Once I came home, rather than sitting doing nothing, I rewrote the book, and taught myself to format and publish in both ebook and print. My husband contacted the art department of the local university, who helped me find a wonderful artist to illustrate my books.Alina, The White Lady of Oystermouth came out as an ebook and in print for the locals and the tourist market at Easter 2012 and it's success gave me the impetus to write another, Broken Reed: The Lords of Gower and King John, which came out in September 2013.The 800th anniversary of Magna Carta in 2015 led me to adapt and enlarge my Broken Reed book and produce The Magna Carta Story: The Layman's Guide to the Great Charter. This came out in May 2015.During my research I found other fascinating stories which are not long enough for a book, so I collected them together into Medieval Gower Stories, published in October 2017.I am now working on another great story from Gower medieval history: Swansea Miracle.When I was in hospital I wrote a flood of poetry, about my stroke, my therapy, my faith, and random things like the rain outside my window. I have now published them as an ebook and print, My Stroke of Inspiration. 22 poems in all: verse, doggerel, and blank verse. The poems talk about suffering and patience, therapy and faith, and are surprisingly cheerful. If you are a stroke survivor or know someone who is, or just enjoy poetry, these poems will comfort, encourage and inspire you.There is also a Christian non fiction book, Blinded by the Light, warning of the traps Christians can fall into, published in February 2020.I continue to work on my recovery from the stroke, and although I am disabled I lead a very busy life. I am involved in my church and active on social media. I am still writing science fiction, a series called Flight of the Kestrel, about the adventures of the crew of the Fast-Response spaceship the Kestrel. The first book in the series - Intruders - was published in April 2016, and the second - Alien Secrets - was published in October 2017. The third - Crisis of Conscience - was published in June 2021. Watch out for book 4 Planet Fall.

Book preview

Chapter 1

Lieutenant-Commander Daniel Hoy was at the helm of the spaceship Kestrel. He was human, of Japanese heritage, and the Kestrel's Second Officer. They had been diverted from patrol to search for a mining survey ship working the asteroid belt. Contact was lost five days ago.

Hoy was daydreaming, thinking about the legacy of his father and grandfather who served before him. This was all he ever wanted to do. He was paying just enough attention to navigate the asteroids. Searching was boring and this area was quite sparse.

Ensign Shom Reuel spoke up. 'Sir, an asteroid is registering strangely on the long range scanner. It appears to have an atmosphere. I'm sending the coordinates to you now.' Reuel was Altairian, a tall slim humanoid with bright pink skin and soft spines running down the centre of his skull.

Hoy snapped his attention back to what he was doing, irritated.

'Check your readings, Reuel, asteroids don't have atmosphere.'

As the scan registered on his console, Hoy swallowed his words. 'That's impossible,' he said as he changed course. 'Let me know if you see anything else as we get closer.'

Soon Reuel reported, 'Sir, there is a crashed ship. Not possible to identify from this distance.'

If this crash was the mining survey ship, their mission could have a bad ending. He had hoped they would find only a breakdown.

Hoy opened the comm. 'Captain Darrow to the bridge. Possible sighting.'

Darrow stepped onto the bridge. He was British, with brown eyes, brown curly hair and of average height and build. His unassuming appearance was at odds with his rank, but the respect he commanded among his crew was more than the result of that rank. He had also used his appearance to advantage in the past, with those who didn't recognise his yellow captain's armband. He took the central command chair behind the other two. On a routine patrol the bridge could be manned by a single helmsman, but navigating an asteroid belt required the helmsman and a scanner operator. In emergencies two extra stations pulled down from the back wall, but it was a tight fit.

‘Report,’ Darrow said.

Hoy indicated the display. The viewscreen was flickering, trying and failing to display the asteroid. 'The long-range scanner sweep registered an unexpected atmosphere around a large asteroid. On closer scan we found the crashed ship. We picked up an energy signal, presumably from whatever is creating the atmosphere, but we’re detecting no signs of life.'

'What are the stats on the asteroid? What's wrong with the display?'

Reuel's bright pink cranial spines waved in agitation. 'I am having trouble with the scanners, sir, I think it is something in the rock.' He ran a hand over his coxcomb-like spines to calm them. 'As far as I have been able to detect, there are no lifesigns, and no indication why the asteroid has an atmosphere. If we can trust the readings, the atmosphere appears breathable, surface temperature around ten degrees, and point five gravity. We will know more when we get closer.'

'Good,' Darrow said. 'Set course for the edge of the belt nearest the asteroid. Notify the Peregrine to meet us there for crew transfer. Tabitha Enns is rejoining us.'

Hoy and Reuel matched Darrow's smile. Trainee Tabitha Enns had been co-opted onto the crew over a year ago to cover a shortage and ended up going on a mission with them. Afterwards she had gone to the Academy on Earth to finish her training.

'It'll be good to have someone we know,' Hoy said. 'It makes settling in so much easier. Mind you, I’m surprised you accepted her, since she broke the rules last time.’*

Darrow nodded. ‘She was disciplined for it and I think she learned the lesson. I hope she’s older, wiser and fully trained now. I was given a choice, but she was the best of the bunch. As you say, better someone we know.’

‘I look forward to reading her file,’ Hoy said.

The Kestrel was a PACT Fast-Response ship. The Planetary Alliance for Co-operation and Trade was an alliance between the species with faster-than-light flight capability. The Fast-Response fleet served as a peace keeping force employing compatible species from all planets in the Alliance. They patrolled space where no individual planetary jurisdiction existed. They attended accidents and disasters, ferried people and small cargo around, and generally helped wherever they were needed. They left responsibility to be argued over by the administrators once the danger was over.

Darrow turned to Hoy. 'I'd like you to welcome Enns aboard.' He opened the comm. 'Lieutenant Chambers to the bridge.'

When Chambers arrived he took over the helm and Hoy headed to the airlock. Darrow left for his office. He didn’t have to go far as his office and cabin were on the port side behind the bridge.

***

In his office, Darrow opened the comm. 'Commander Parks to the Captain's office.'

Nate Parks, the human First Officer, was tall and his blond hair showed his Scandinavian heritage.

Darrow returned his salute when he arrived. 'We've found a crash site. Prepare a landing party to investigate. There is an unexplained atmosphere but take breathing equipment as a precaution. There's something in the rock that interferes with the scanners, so check that out too if you get the chance. Ensign Enns is joining us, so take her along, she may as well hit the ground running.'

'Aye aye, sir,' Parks said. 'It'll be great to have her back. I’d like Commander Blackwell to come to examine the crashed ship and whatever's generating the atmosphere.’

Darrow frowned. ‘You know he hates landing parties.’

‘But there's a breathable atmosphere and there must be some gravity, holding down the atmosphere,’ Parks said. ‘So it won't be too hard on him.’

Darrow gave it some thought. 'Very well. Dismissed.'

***

Hoy passed Parks in the corridor as he headed for the stairs to the lower deck. He saluted as they passed but they didn't stop to talk. He looked up to Parks and hoped to be like him one day.

He was proud of Kestrel's crew of eleven. They didn't always get along, but they were professional and worked well together, whatever combination of people were on duty. It was a feature of having a small crew that everyone had to mix and be multi skilled.

The Fast-Response crews were inter-species, and Kestrel's crew included four humanoids: Balitoth, a Zoan, a lizard-like species; Shom Reuel, an Altairian; Doctor Sebu Nefar, a Kohathi, who looked like a hairy old man; and John Tanner, who wasn’t what he seemed to be but presented as human. The crew also contained one human member who was not from Earth, James Tomos, born and raised in space. Two crewmembers, Hoy amended, once Enns arrived.

***

‘Peregrine to Kestrel. We have you on scanners. ETA five minutes.’

‘I see you, Peregrine. Roger that. When you arrive, hold position. We will come to you. Prepare to receive docking tube.’

‘No time for that, we prefer to send a shuttle. We’re on a tight schedule.’

Chambers grinned to himself. ‘Don’t worry, this will be faster than a shuttle. Trust me. Kestrel out.’ He opened the comm to the cargo bay. ‘Bridge to cargo bay. Prepare docking tube from starboard airlock.’

The Peregrine was another Fast-Response ship, similar to the Kestrel but slightly larger. It could carry more passengers or cargo but was less agile and slower. Chambers skilfully brought the Kestrel round to bring the two ships side by side, lining up the airlocks.

‘Bridge to airlock,’ Chambers said on the comm. ‘Release docking tube.’

‘Roger that,’ came Hoy’s reply. ‘Releasing now.’

Since the distance was minimal and the ships aligned, the tube connected in seconds.

‘Peregrine to Kestrel, that was a neat trick. Prepare to receive one crewman.’

There was no gravity in the tunnel, so Tabitha Enns was able to push off and float across. Hoy signalled Chambers when she was in the airlock and Chambers contacted the Peregrine.

‘Crewman received, Peregrine. Release docking tube and proceed with your course.’

'Peregrine to Kestrel. Many thanks, I’m impressed. Peregrine out.'

*See Intruders, Flight of the Kestrel book 1

Chapter 2

Tabitha Enns stepped out of the airlock and stopped, coming to attention and saluting Hoy. He was one of the few people she didn't have to look up at. Of Japanese heritage, Hoy was in the short range of human height, with sallow skin and straight black hair. Enns was from Earth colony Alpha and was short and stocky due to the higher gravity. Kestrel's artificial gravity was set at Earth-normal 1G. Those from other planets had to adapt.

'At ease, Ensign,' Hoy returned the salute. 'Welcome aboard. Drop your bag in your cabin as we pass, and I'll take you to report to the Captain.'

They crossed the cargo bay and she noticed the Kestrel wasn’t carrying any extra cargo apart from their own supplies. Then they went into the lower corridor with its familiar pale green livery. She had dreamed of this all year at the Academy, and here she was. To her surprise, she recognised the smell, a tang in the air. Old spacecrew swore you could recognise a ship by the smell, even though the air was scrubbed and recycled. She hadn’t believed it until now.

Hoy continued. ‘The Captain thought, since you’re still the only female on board, that you’d prefer to share a cabin with Andrew Chambers again. Objections?’

‘No sir!’ Enns was pleased and relieved. Andrew looked after her last time, when she was on work experience. She had wondered who she would have to share with this time.

Andrew’s cabin was on the lower deck, just aft of the cargo bay, but the cabin was empty when she left her kit bag. Hoy led her aft and up the noisy metal stairs to the main deck. She often wondered why, with all the technological discoveries, they hadn’t found a way to make them quieter.

The stairs were in front of Engineering, which spanned the full width of the ship and both decks. It reminded her of Roy Stubbs, who had been the Assistant Engineer when she was there before. When she had found out why there was a vacancy in the crew it wrenched her heart. Stubbs had been sweet on her but not very good at showing it, and she hadn't known what to do with his clumsy advances. Now he was dead, and she would never know if they might have got along. And such a senseless death too, from what she heard. But his death gave her the break she needed: not only her first posting but back on the Kestrel.

Since the stairs were aft and the Captain’s office was forward, they had to walk the length of the main deck.

'How was your trip?' Hoy asked as they walked.

'Not bad, sir. The Peregrine is ferrying a trade delegation from Anak so they gave me a lift.'

Hoy whistled. 'How did you cope with the Anak?'

'I met Ehu when I was here before, remember? They may look like lions but they're not as fierce as they look.'

Hoy nodded. 'That's good. We're on a search mission and didn't have time to collect you. What’s your speciality?’

'Surely I'm here to replace Roy Stubbs?'

'James Tomos is covering Engineering in addition to his medic duties, so there's flexibility there.'

Enns shrugged. ‘I haven’t decided completely on my speciality. I’m hoping to get a chance to try everything, but I’m best at helm and comms.’

‘I’m sure we can manage that. Congratulations on your graduation, by the way, I hear you did well.' He knocked on the Captain's door. 'Ensign Enns, sir.'

Enns' throat constricted. Would the Captain still be angry with her from last time?

Surely not? He approved my posting.

She swallowed and straightened her violet Ensign's armband yet again. As the Captain invited her in, Hoy saluted outside the open door and left. Darrow returned her salute and told her to stand at ease.

'Welcome, Ensign. Glad to have you back. I followed your progress with interest.'

Enns relaxed. 'Thank you, sir.'

Darrow turned to the comm and gave the order to proceed on course and then gave her his attention. 'There are a couple of things I need to tell you and then you can unpack. Our current mission is to search for a missing mining survey ship, not easy in an asteroid belt. We think we've found it and are on our way there now. Commander Parks will be assigning your duties, you met him last time. Tell him where your skills and interests lie and I'm sure he'll accommodate you if he can. Any questions?'

‘No sir.’

He stood and nodded. 'Good to have you on the crew. Go and unpack, and then report to Commander Parks. You're going on a landing party. There have been some changes in the crew, but you’ll find out about those later. Dismissed.'

He returned her salute and she left, almost skipping down the corridor.

***

Hoy was glad to see Enns back on the Kestrel. On her previous assignment with them, she proved to be a hard worker and really bright. Hoy remembered them working together in a mine rescue. He was pleased with her performance under pressure. It was such a shame she disobeyed orders and blotted her copybook at the end.

He paused outside the office to think about his own performance over the last two years, since Captain Darrow had promoted him to Second Officer. He knew he still had a lot to learn, but this gave him the opportunity to lead and to act on his own initiative.

His father and grandparents had all worked for PACT. Although he grew up on Earth in America, his family were Japanese, and had instilled in him their code of honour and hard work.

Thinking of hard work reminded him he was on duty. He needed to return to the bridge, but afterwards he had his favourite duty: care of the hydroponic garden, a tiny space which gave the crew some fresh vegetables to supplement their regular rations. It was tucked away at the starboard end of the transverse corridor aft. Since the bridge was foreward, he would have to walk the full length of the ship again, but it wasn't far, since the Kestrel was compact.

It occurred to him that he had just been thinking about the opportunity to lead and yet his favourite duty was in hydroponics where he was all alone. He smiled. It was a green refuge. He wondered how long he could stretch it out for. He only had to check the nutrient levels and the sunlight lamps and occasionally do some pruning. There were no weeds on a spaceship.

He returned to the helm, relieving Chambers. As he began working, Hoy wondered how the Captain was going to tell Enns about their other new crewman. Hoy had twice helped rescue Tanner from people who tried to force him to use his mental abilities for them, the Bokans and then the Casparans, and he and Tanner had formed a bond.* Tanner seemed to trust him more than anyone. Hoy hoped Enns would accept Tanner without a problem.

***

Enns was unpacking when Chambers returned to the cabin. She smiled when she saw his fair hair and freckles as he came through the door, just as she remembered him.

'Wow, look at you!’ he said. ‘I hardly recognised you with your hair cut and I'm sure you're taller.'

It was true, she had changed a lot in the year she had spent at the Academy. Short and squat from growing up in a higher gravity, her time on Earth in 1G had seen her grow a little taller.

Enns grasped his arm and grinned widely.

'It's great to be back, I can't believe my luck. I never expected to be posted to the Kestrel when I graduated, especially since I disgraced myself before I left.'

'Well you're sharing with me again, so let's get you settled in.'

She looked fondly around the small cabin, the bunks, the desk and chair, the lockers. 'I've got to be quick, I have to report to Commander Parks. I'm going on a landing party.'

'What, already? You've only just got here.'

'I know, isn't it great?'

The PACT Academy on Earth had been all Enns had hoped it would be, all those years when she dreamed of escaping Alpha. And now, here she was, newly qualified.

As she unpacked in the cabin with Chambers, she smiled as she remembered the shock of finding the crew were all male, but