The Curanian Dominance: The Linda Eccles Series - Volume Three

by Robert Woodard

  After less than thirty seconds, TR17 said, “Scan complete. All information requested had been captured.”

  The familiar cyclone effect appeared in front of them with the Curanian planet on one end and Earth on the other. The ship turned away from the planet and began its move within the cone. Thirty days from now, Linda knew they would be home.

  “Well, I guess I’ll pack up my gear since they won’t be needed now.”

  Linda followed Justin aft as he made his way to the table that held his rifle and a large box of rounds. While Justin put his spotting scope and camouflaged environment suit back into his duffle bag, Linda ran her hand over the smooth barrel of the rifle. She admired the colorful stock that was painted in camouflage colors, too. She then picked up a large shell that would have been fired out of the gun. It had a plastic casing over the bullet, with only the pointed tip sticking out the top, and the end of the shell had a funny-looking tube attached.

  “How does this thing work?” Linda asked.

  “The rifle is specially bored to strip away the plastic coating on the bullet that protects tiny fins concealed within it. The coating will shatter as it leaves the barrel. The propellant in the end of the bullet will ignite to send the bullet racing away. The propellant and the fins will combine to send the bullet on a straight trajectory to the target. Up to ten thousand meters there will be no drop at all. The fins will counter both wind and planet rotation over that long a duration. After that, the propellant runs out and the bullet will begin to drop away.” Justin hesitated for a moment while he picked up another one of the rounds. “I fired a least of hundred of these little beauties so far, and I can tell you they are quite deadly up to that range. The interesting thing is that I can only see about forty-eight hundred meters of unobstructed view before a target begins to drop over the horizon. From what Muni had said, their Supreme would have been on an elevated deck to compensate for that. There were a lot of factors to overcome to have made this mission a success.”

  “When you get done there, how about a game of cribbage?”

  Justin laughed. “Only if you spot me fifty points first.”

  Putting the bullet back into the case, Linda said, “Done, now get this stuff off my table, so we can play.”

  ◆◆◆

  Philip sat in the conference room trying to be patient as Muni and Nock studied the sensor data from TR17’s mapping of the Curanian planet and surrounding space. They talked in their Curanian gibberish that meant absolutely nothing to him. Philip suspected by their body language that something was bothering them. Looking over at Ron, he received raised eyebrows.

  “Something is wrong,” Muni said.

  Philip noticed Muni’s English was improving from his regular interactions between Ron and him of late. He supposed it showed that practice really did make perfect. “What’s bothering you, Muni?”

  Running his fingers rapidly along the screen, Muni flipped through the pages of the scan data until he found what he was looking for. “The blossom sun is now past the planting sun.”

  “Yeah, we knew that already,” Ron said. “We were too late.”

  Standing before the huge wall monitor that displayed the sensor map, Muni pointed out the docking stations. He then ran a finger along one side of one of the station’s wings. “This is the Ciat and her support ships.” He then pointed out another wing. “This is the Gond and her support ships. They are all here.”

  “What’s all there?” Ron interrupted again.

  “All Curanian fleets. They should not be. They should be gone again.”

  “Why does that concern you?” Philip asked. “Maybe they are taking an extended break for repairs or servicing. Isn’t that likely?”

  “They should no be there? When Supreme Blossom Celebration is over, all ships depart. No fleet gone. All Curanian ships home still. Not right.” Muni shook his head while talking.

  “Do you think your Supreme has recalled all your ships and is keeping them there?” Ron asked.

  “I can no think of reason they be there. Supreme want all ships out hunting. Being docked not hunting. I can no explain reason.” Muni then said something to Nock, who nodded in reply. “Nock agrees this not right.”

  Ron looked over at Philip. “This would mean they have abandoned Rapatine, too. Could she have recalled all her ships to avoid any more losses like they suffered battling with you?”

  “Supreme no give up. She only send more fleets to overwhelm.” Muni interrupted.

  Philip rubbed his chin while trying to make sense out of what he was hearing. “Muni, is it possible she is preparing to send all her ships here to search for us?”

  “Yes, but she would have do now. No reason to hold them.”

  “Could they be retrofitting them with new technologies before they are sent back out,” Ron asked, and Philip thought it was a good question.

  “No do all at once. Too many ships for workers. Supreme only do one fleet at time.”

  “Well something sure as hell is going on here,” Ron said. His frustration in not knowing the answer began to poke through.

  “I’m tempted to send the Brontum back out there just to keep an eye on them. As long as they remain there, they offer no threat to us. If they depart again, the Brontum can give us warning long before any of their ships could get where they are going.” Philip ran his hand over his thinning hair as he talked.

  “Linda isn’t going to be interested in sitting out there babysitting the Curanians, and the TR17 will probably rebel if we try to use someone else,” Ron responded.

  “I go back.” Muni said it so quickly that it stunned Philip for a second. “We trick Kold. Tell her we escape in superior ship. Tell her you have large fleet of such ships in superior technology. Tell her you will punish if don’t stop attacking. I speak for you.”

  “That’s a huge risk, Muni. She is just as likely to kill you as listen to you,” Philip said.

  “I no think so. When she see ship unable to detect on sweeps, she will believe. I make her understand.”

  Muni then took the time to fill Nock in on the conversation. Philip had a hard time keeping a straight face as the two argued over the feasibility of the idea. Nock clearly didn’t want Muni to go, but Muni seemed to have made up his mind. They finally came to a mutual agreement, or perhaps Muni simply quick arguing, but he turned his attention back into Philip and Ron. “It done. I go.”

  Philip thought it over for a few seconds. Finally, he looked over at Ron, and asked, “What do we have to lose?” Ron only shrugged. “If nothing else, Muni may buy us valuable time to rebuild our fleet.”

  “I’ll let you convince Linda she has to go back,” Ron said.

  “Great, I’d better load up on aspirin first.”

  Epilogue

  Philip sat in his cabin sipping on his creamed coffee as he waited for Linda to arrive. Muni sat at his side sipping on his own cup. Philip found it amusing how the Curanian had picked up the liking for coffee. Whether they felt the caffeine or just like the taste, he wasn’t sure, but coffee had become a standard staple for the entire group.

  “Muni, do you believe there is any chance your Supreme can be convinced to call off her dogs?” Philip asked while killing time awaiting Linda’s arrival.

  “What mean call off dogs?”

  Philip chuckled, then answered, “Sorry, it’s human slang. It means to stop an attack or retract a threat.”

  “Oh. Not sure. Curanian culture of taking technology run deep. Supreme not like changing culture.”

  “But you think she can be scared into keeping away?”

  Muni shook his head slowly, and answered, “No sure. No Supreme faced this problem before. No sure how Kold will react. Can only hope.”

  “You’re taking a huge risk, Muni. Why?”

  “I no want humans attacked. No like idea of harming human culture. Feel you have right idea.”

  Philip was aware of the outpouring of support the community had been giving to the Curanians. They wer
e seeing the positive side of human nature. He wondered if his opinion would change if he saw the greed and destructive side too. Although, Philip had to admit that the Curanians took greed and destruction to a whole different level. Thinking it over, he wondered if that was completely true. He supposed that human history would not show kindly to the treatment of other cultures in how they were constantly pushed off their lands in the name of progress.

  Have we humans learned from their past mistakes? He hoped they had when he considered that no planet could be acquired for human use if it contained any sign of intelligent life forms. He supposed the Kracks were a good example. Even if the entire planet had been made of gold and diamonds, it would have been against Civil Law for anyone to claim rights in any part of their planet. That had yet to be tested, though, since Kracks was about as useless a planet as anyone could ever find.

  Paula appeared in the open doorway. “Admiral, the shuttle transporting Linda has docked. Shall I show her in upon arrival?”

  “Yes, please. Also, would you refresh our cups and prepare one for her, too?”

  “Right away, Admiral.”

  By the time Paula had completed Philip’s request, Linda had made her appearance in the outer office. After being escorted in, Linda took a seat next to Muni and across from Philip’s desk. Philip had to suppress a smile at how much taller Muni was, even seated, than Linda. Her slightly tanned face stood out sharply against the sickly pale white of the Curanian.

  Muni looked over at Linda and gave her the human-like nod of recognition. The sight caused Philip to wonder if Muni found human women appealing or not? In reversal, Philip did not find the Curanian women attractive at all. He found it hard to get over their seven foot or better height, and when mixed with their amazon-like beefiness, they seemed more like ferocious roller-derby athletes than your average neighborhood girl next door.

  “I take it, Philip, that you interrupted my peaceful home life to send me on yet another wild adventure,” Linda said.

  The lack of her usage of Admiral was not lost of Philip. If she meant it as an insult it didn’t hit the mark. He gave her a courteous smile in return.

  “I take it by the smile that the answer is yes,” Linda said.

  “That would be correct, only this time the purpose of this mission is constructive rather than destructive. I thought you might appreciate that,” Philip responded.

  “Perhaps, but I ought to warn you that I have learned a new word now. It’s NO.” Linda gave him a little smirk.

  Philip noticed how Muni looked over at her. His confused expression led Philip to realize he couldn’t understand the banter going on between them. “No is a good word. I use it all the time. However, I think you will appreciate this mission enough to want to tag along.”

  “I’ll bet.” Linda folded her arms across her chest in a clear sign of defiance.

  “It be good mission,” Muni said while nodding.

  Linda looked over at him and frowned. Philip waited for her to tell him to butt-out, but she held her tongue. She then looked back at Philip, but her tightly scrunched frown did not relax in the least. In was quite clear she did not appreciate being snatched from her parent’s home and brought up to his ship. Despite her apparent anger, Philip felt it was all for show.

  “We are going to fly Muni back to his home to convince the Supreme that attacking us is a bad idea. We are going to use the Brontum for two reasons. One it gets him there in short order, and the other is that the technology will hopefully scare the crap out of their Supreme. Muni is going to try to convince her we have an entire fleet with such technology.”

  “I think that would be a mistake.” Linda said, but did not offer any reason why.

  Sighing, Philip asked, “Why?” to prompt her.

  “If this Supreme had any common sense at all, she will see right through that bluff. She had to know that Rapatine was important to us by how you defended it. Now we are going to tell her that we have better technology but failed to bring it into service to protect Rapatine. She would have to have mush for brains to believe that one.” Linda unfolded her arms and leaned back in the chair. She placed one hand one the edge of the armrest while resting her other forearm on the opposite side of the chair.

  Linda’s expression had softened as she stared back at Philip. He didn’t miss how she showed him that she was right with both body language and the slight nodding of her head. Philip rubbed the top of his nose between his finger and thumb as he thought over her argument. She clearly saw a side of the plan that none of them considered.

  Philip shifted his eyes onto Muni. “What do you think?”

  Muni dropped his eyes at what Philip had come to learn was his way of thinking something over in his mind. After a few seconds, he raised his head, and answered, “Linda has good point. Kold would believe that human protection of Rapatine would use better fleet. Had not thought that first.” Muni stopped talking when Linda interrupted him.

  “You would be better to tell her that you only know of the Brontum, but you suspect more ships of its kind are being built. You might be able to convince her that by the time they found earth and sent ships to attack it, we humans could have an entire fleet of such ships. Let her know that the speed at which these ships can travel would have them at her planet in a matter of days while her ships would take nearly a year to get to earth once they found it. Let her know too that Earth knows where they are, but she does not know where Earth is. That alone should scare the pleats right out of her skirt.”

  “What is pleats and skirt?” Muni asked.

  Philip laughed at Muni’s confusion over Linda’s usage of the term. He said, “It’s a silly way of saying that she would see the wisdom of the argument.”

  “Oh.” Muni didn’t look convinced with Philip’s explanation, but he let it go.

  Philip looked back at Linda and turned serious once more. “Linda, I was going to ask that you pilot the Brontum to take Muni home to deliver his warning, but now I am thinking of revising that plan. Rather than just piloting that ship, would you be open to acting on our behalf to deliver the message personally. This allows Muni to act as an interpreter while you deliver the message we want her to hear. I think you would be a better judge of her reaction and how your message can be altered based on how she receives it.”

  “Kold able to detect Curanian expression much better than detect Human,” Muni interjected before Linda could respond.

  “What do you mean, Muni,” Linda asked.

  “Kold detect when subject not open, but not used to Human. May not detect deception in Linda. Deception right word, no?”

  “Deception right word, yes.”

  Philip smiled at Linda’s reply. She accurately mimicked his ascent. “So, what do you way, Linda?”

  Linda narrowed her eyes at him, and said, “You know that this Kold person could just as easily have me killed in response to our demand, don’t you? It’s quite possible the Brontum may return to Earth with only my head in a basket. It wouldn’t be the first time that happened to an envoy in the way of response.”

  “Perhaps you should open the communication by letting her know that the ship will only respond to your commands. That might keep her from lopping off your head,” Philip replied, which made him chuckle, but Linda frowned even deeper at his attempts at humor.

  “I will agree to go on one condition. While I’m standing before this Supreme lady, one Admiral Philip Litton will be standing right beside me. This way, it won’t be my neck alone that will be on the chopping block. Take it or leave it.”

  Philip had not expected that response. She had turned the table around on him, and now he wasn’t sure how to respond. If he said no, Linda would surely back out herself. If he said yes, he would have a hell of time convincing ESD that he would be tagging along. She created a real dilemma for him.

  It seemed that Linda tired of waiting for a response, and said, “Also, I am no longer under contract, so my license to act as a bridge officer is no longer
valid.”

  Philip continued to stare into Linda’s eyes, but he found them hard to read. He couldn’t tell if she was bluffing about his having to go along, but he knew she could easily use the excuse of the lapsed license as a valid way to say she couldn’t go. Sighing, he replied, “Okay, I’ll tag along, but I have to get ESD to buy into it first. If they absolutely refuse, my hands will be tied. Regarding your licensing?” Philip pushed out his lips and nodded a couple of times. “I think we can get around that easily enough. This is an alien craft, so your license would not have covered flying it anyway. The only license you need is whatever the TR17 requires.”

  Linda pulled out her ePersonal and gave it a glance. She then looked up and said, “If we are done here, Admiral, I’ll take my leave. You can submit the details of the timing of the trip to my ePersonal account, so I will know when we will depart.”

  Philip stood when Linda came to her feet to leave. He noticed that she appeared to have lost weight. He supposed that life on earth provided her more activity. He gave her a curt nod as she turned and left the cabin. He heard her telling Paula it was a pleasure seeing her again. Her use of his title in her departing comment caused him to chuckle to himself. He had met a lot of tough women over the years, but she was like an entire roll of barbed wire in comparison.

  “Linda interesting person, no?” Muni said when Philip sat back down.

  “You said a mouthful, Muni.”

  Author’s Note

  What will Linda find out when she meets Kold face-to-face? What about that message left for the Kuracks? Will they ever get it, and if so, what will come of it? And who would have thought that Supreme Kold would ever change? However, will it last or will she revert back to her wicked ways? The answers to these questions and more await us in The Lasting Accord, due out next.

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