Drawing Battle Lines

by Robert Culp

  He looks deeply into Melke’s eyes. Then he looks to Stela. To her credit, Stela, just like everyone else in the room, has been very still and quiet watching the relationship between these two people melt. “No, Captain,” he says with a quiver in his voice. “I want to leave Trelnar and I want my daughter to see Atlas.” He turns back to Melke. “I love you, Melke. And I know you love me. But I think—I know—you love Trelnar more. And that’s okay.” He pulls her to him in a fierce hug. “I suppose this is ‘goodbye’.”

  Melke wipes tears from her eyes, “Say it like they do in the navy. Never 'good bye' just 'see you later.’” She kisses Killian, turns and kisses Stela then looks at me.

  “And there we have it,” I say. “Very well, Killian, you have made your feelings known. Stela, what about you? Do you want to leave Trelnar?”

  Stela nods her head vigorously. “If Daddy is going with you, I’m not staying here.”

  “That’s good enough for me,” I say. “Lady Lucilia, Minister Robar, I would like your permission to take Killian and Stela Radd aboard Prophecy. I say before you and them that they will be well treated, and will receive opportunity for education at any world with which the Academy of the Ancients has cultural exchange privileges. Each of them has demonstrated a desire to join me. Do I have your permission to take them?”

  “You do,” says Lady Lucilia. Minister Robar nods his agreement.

  “The emigration documents will have to be amended, we’ll remove Miss Rikor’s name from them. If you will excuse me for a moment,” he steps into the outer office. Presumably to affect the change he mentioned. He’s back in minutes. “Astrella is making those changes, they will be ready in a moment. Have you any questions, Captain?”

  “One,” I turn back to Killian and Stela. “Have you any baggage? Any belongings you wish to bring? Photographs? Favorite stuffed animals? We have some time for you to return to pack if needed.”

  “If I may, Captain,” Lady Lucilia says, “They came here today prepared to leave forever. I do fear however, that they brought more than expected.”

  I smile at the pair of them, “Well, let’s hope they come back before then.” I turn to Cooper, “If you would please, make contact with the shuttle, if I remember aright we brought a spacer along for just this occurrence. Ask them to stow…” I turn to the Minister, “Is it possible for you to arrange transportation for their belongings to our shuttle bay? 145B if I’m not mistaken.”

  “Consider it done, Captain,” Robar says.

  “Thank you,” I turn back to Cooper, “Ask the spacer to load the baggage. We’ll be making our way there directly.” I turn to the children—I know that Killian is not categorically a child, but I still think of him as such. “Let us be on our way, then. This way, please?”

  “Before you leave, I have something for you,” Melke says, wiping tears from her eyes. She’s still here? pulling a piece of paper from her back pocket. “Some guy asked me to give it to you.” She holds it out for me. Cooper steps forward and takes it from her. Does she expect a sullen twentysomething to attack me with a letter bomb? Cooper opens the paper and stops halfway in her turn to me. She has a quizzical look as she extends the message. She turns to stare daggers at the young woman and hands the paper to me without turning.

  I take it from her and turn it to read, “Don’t make me come get it. Leave the device here. –GJG”

  “Who,” I fight to keep my voice level. “Who gave this to you?”

  “I don’t know,” she shrugs. “Some guy, one of the janitors or something.”

  “May I ask what it says?” Lady Lucilia.

  “It’s a personal matter, My Lady,” Cooper answers. My eyes haven’t left Melke.

  “What did he look like?” I ask.

  “Just a guy, coveralls, greasy hair, mop, needs a shave. Nothing special about him.”

  I fold the paper and put it in my own pocket. Or I start to; Cooper takes it from me. “Just in case it’s coated in a poison or something. My pockets are much tougher than yours.” She slides it into her jacket pocket.

  I wonder about that, but I’m not going to fight her about it. I turn to continue the journey.

  Darius clears his throat, “Actually Captain, would you mind discussing another matter before you leave, please?” I had completely forgotten he is here.

  “Of course, one moment please,” I pull out my perCom and call Athena, “Two people are being escorted to the shuttle, Cooper and I will join them there as soon as we can.” I gesture at the other security officer; he nods and guides the pair of them out.

  “Of course, Captain. Prophecy out.”

  “Captain MacTaggert,” Lady Lucilia looks to me. “I will also take my leave of you now. I wish you a peaceful and prosperous journey, but foremost I wish you a safe one.”

  “Thank you, My Lady,” she leaves through a door on the far wall and closes it behind her. I turn to Darius who has already moved over to the sitting area of his office. He gestures to one of the overstuffed chairs. I sit in it as Cooper takes up her normal stance behind and to the left of it. Darius relights his cigar.

  “What’s on your mind, Minister?”

  He refills his coffee and pours a fresh one for me as well. I leave it on the table. My mind is spinning. How did Grainger know I’m here? And how did he know she was going to be here? Is he involved with Robar somehow? He sits and we lock eyes for a count of three. “Our astronomers and Strategic Air Forces tell me that a battle has taken place in the heavens. What say you about that?”

  Now I pick up the cup and take a sip of the coffee. I also wait three seconds before responding. “I say that a Malorian cruiser was acting in an extraordinarily belligerent fashion. When the cruiser was joined by two patrol boats that took up attack positions and demanded I surrender myself I ordered my ship to battle stations and prepared to defend myself from craft engaging in acts of war. I am satisfied I made adequate attempts to resolve whatever problems the Malorian had, but he would have none of it. The captain of that craft was calling for what I considered to be my arrest. I had done nothing to warrant such even if I did recognize his authority to do so, which I still don’t. Therefore, I took preemptive action. I would have preferred to resolve the situation diplomatically, but I was not allowed that option. As to the fourth vessel, an opportunistic raider is our best guess, I have no inkling of an idea of where that ship came from or went.”

  “I see,” Darius takes a deep sip of his coffee. “That is sure to anger the Malorian Empire. We will pray it does not. They project a formidable force and as you have seen they are not the most interested in diplomacy. If what you are saying is accurate—and I’m sure it is—I assure you that in my report will I indicate you as blameless, as will the Darkor, I’m sure.”

  “Indeed I do,” a loud voice booms from the door Lady Lucilia used. A large man wearing a hooded cloak steps into the room. I hear Cooper’s hand slap where her sidearm ordinarily would be. If she’s packing, it’s well concealed. Right now I’m feeling a little picked on and very vulnerable. I kind of wish I hadn’t enforced the “no weapons” rule. I hear something slide out of a pocket but I don’t look at her.

  “My Lord!” Darius literally jumps out of his chair and kneels, his head bowed, almost but not quite kowtowing. “Captain Sonia MacTaggert of the starship Prophecy this is the Darkor Count Draelus, Emissary of Krokus and Lord of the Darkened Sky,” he says with his face almost pressed against the floor.

  I’m not familiar with the protocol so I don’t kneel but I do stand. After all, he is clearly someone who deserves respect. “Count Draelus, it is my pleasure to meet you.”

  “The privilege is mine, Captain.” He walks closer; out of shouting range, but not close enough to touch. He pushes the hood of his cloak from his head. He’s an attractive man. He looks to be in his mid-fifties. His sandy brown hair has silver highlights at the temples. His Van Dyke style beard also has streaks of silver in it. “Minister, I must beg your pardon. I’ve only just arrived, oth
erwise I would have informed you and Lady Lucilia that I intended to join you here.” He turns his piercing blue eyes to me. “In the interest of decorum, you may address me simply as ‘Darkor,’” he glances to Cooper. “Elizabett, please be at ease. I am not an immediate threat to your commander.” He folds his hands at his waist.

  “I crave your indulgence, milord,” at least she’s playing the feudal title game. “But I am not at liberty to take your word for that.”

  “‘Said the hen to the fox,’” he says with a chuckle. “As you wish.” His gaze comes back to me. “Captain, I observed the aforementioned skirmish. Your explanations coincide with my observations. I hold you blameless. Go in peace, Sonia MacTaggert, daughter of Robert, niece of Angus.”

  “Thank you, my lord,” I curtsy to the Count, or what did he say “Darkor?” I’ll have to look that up when we’re underway. I think that’s the same title Lord Collins used. “But before we go, we encountered a total of four hostile ships in orbit. My orders are to visit other planets within your system but I don’t want to go into a hornet’s nest.”

  He nods in understanding. “You should be safe if you go to Vlondra, Captain.”

  “Thank you, Darkor. I look forward to a boring voyage.” He smiles and nods in my direction. “Before we go, I feel compelled to advise you, there is a pirate at large; or at least the henchmen of one. The girl, Melke Rikor, was given a message from him for me. He calls himself ‘Grinning Jack Grangiere.’”

  “I am familiar with the name. I’ve not met him personally, of course. But from what I’ve heard, I understand your opinion. I have not detected him. Perhaps it is as you say: He has sent an emissary. I don’t know what comfort I can offer other than to assure you he is not currently on this planet.”

  “I can accept that, your…I can accept that, honored sir.” He nods to me. I turn to Darius, “Minister Robar, thank you for your hospitality and help. Please extend my well wishes to Lady Lucilia.”

  “I shall do so, Captain. I hope your path is easy and peaceful. But not too much of either, else how can you grow?” Fair points. Cooper nods to both men and follows me as we leave to return to the shuttle. Astrella hands us, Robar and me, copies of the amended emigration documents as we leave.

  “I thought your name was ‘Desiree’?” I ask Cooper once the door to the shuttle seals.

  “Desiree is actually my middle name,” she says as her restraints click into place. “I prefer it to my first name. Primarily because it’s easier to pronounce; by the time I finished school I must have told a million people there was no ‘h’ in my first name.” She settles back and closes her eyes as if to sleep. “Honestly, I’m surprised you don’t do something similar. Not that it’s any of my business.”

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Back aboard Prophecy, Celeste and four new troopers meet us on the hangar deck. The security detachment that was with us disperses to their various duties. Cooper told me mid-flight that she will give the note to our forensic detachment, such as it is. After introductions are made I say, “XO, please take our guests to their staterooms and give them brief tours along the way. Simple things like where the dining facilities are, answer any questions they may have regarding their accommodations or the vessel within reason. Introduce them to the sociology department so they can start the exchange of information.” I see Stela rubbing her belly. “Wait a minute, how long since you two have eaten?”

  “We ate breakfast early, Mrs. Captain ma’am,” Stela says. I can’t help smiling.

  Killian looks at a wristwatch, “Which was about six hours ago now.” I must look aghast. “We were told it’s best to not undertake space flight and potential weightlessness with a full stomach,” he says as an explanation.

  Celeste says, “In and of itself, good advice given the information you had at the time. No worries, Captain. I’ll get them a light lunch to tide them over until the dinner hour. I’ll schedule the meeting with the scientists for tomorrow morning. I think the world of our sociology staff, but I wouldn’t classify them as a ‘riveting’ conversationalists. It wouldn’t do for these two to be attacked by a sleep monster in the middle of the debrief.” Celeste leads the two visitors away. One of the troopers follows them.

  “With your permission, ma’am,” Cooper says. “I’ll return to my typical shipboard duties after I drop this off?” she’s holding the note between two fingers. “And this lazy bag of bones,” she gestures at one of the remaining troopers, “certainly has better things to do.”

  “Yes,” I say, “Of course.” She and the indicated trooper depart. I pull my perCom from its pouch, “Athena, lay in a course for Vlondra and a contingency course for Atlas. Don’t get underway just yet but do move us out to Transit space.”

  “Aye Captain, are we visiting all of the other planets in this system? Vlondra is not the nearest.”

  “I haven’t decided yet but probably not, for the moment calculate a course to Vlondra. If I decide between now and departure time we’re going to Atlas, I’ll send a message to the Academy: I don’t want to turn Prophecy into an interstellar schoolhouse just yet. As an exercise, have the navigator plot courses to the intervening planets as well.”

  “Yes, Captain, our journey to Vlondra should be approximately nine days. I shall make the appropriate log entries.”

  “MacTaggert out,” I return the perCom to its holder.

  I turn to the remaining soldier. “And why are you still here?”

  “Chief Sergeant Okkam’s orders, ma’am. You’re not to be left without military escort while visitors are aboard and the ship is not in transit.”

  “And if I were to order you back to your duties?”

  “I would point out that while I respect you and your office, Captain, I am subject to the whims of Chief Sergeant Okkam.”

  “I can make your life here very pleasant or very uncomfortable.”

  “I don’t doubt that for a second, ma’am.”

  “But you do doubt I can adequately defend myself? Do you believe I need a babysitter?”

  “No ma’am,” he says. “I do not.”

  “You are dismissed,” I say levelly.

  He doesn’t move or flinch. “With respect ma’am, I am not.” I have to give him credit. Through this whole exchange he hasn’t cracked a smile or been the least bit unprofessional.

  “And why is that?” He isn’t cracking. He isn’t suppressing any emotion that I can detect. What gives?

  “May I speak candidly, ma’am?”

  “Please do.”

  “I’m not afraid of you, Captain.”

  “But you are afraid of Chief Sergeant Okkam?” I find that a little disturbing.

  “Yes, ma’am,” he says around a swallow. “Very much so.”

  “Perhaps you should be afraid of me as well.”

  “Perhaps I will be some day ma’am. But not today,” I see his Adam’s Apple bob up and down around a dry swallow. “But even on that day, ma’am. I suspect the SarMajor may have a slight advantage.”

  Freddie always said in the military orders went from God to the NCOs, the officers were read in so they wouldn’t look overly stupid. “Very well, I’m going to my quarters then,” I’m not going to win him over logically and I don’t feel like bleeding on this hill.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  A recurring problem with space travel is that in the middle of the trip, unless an emergency raises its ugly head, there’s not a whole lot to do. The last thing I want to do is tend visitors. While I make myself available if they have questions that Celeste or Athena can’t—or won’t—answer, I must confess that I sometimes go out of my way to avoid wherever I know they are going to be. As it happens though, we do bump into each other from time to time. One of those occasions is in the gymnasium. Killian lifts weights and Stela practices her dancing and gymnastics. I practice my shrakas. It must be a law of nature that throughout the universe, martial art demonstrations are enchanting. I, of course, wear my Sensei Friendly face and answer their question
s as honestly as I can. After all Master Kreq, the man who taught me aboard Star Chaser, would not have approved of any other attitude. While I practice a favorite shraka Killian asks, “How many opponents is that for?”

  That brings me up short, “What do you mean?”

  “I was just watching; it looks like when you do that front kick in this bit? You’re executing a block to your left rear. And then the elbow strike that follows, it goes to your right front but not where I’d think the opponent you just kicked is or would be.”

  “I’m impressed, are you a martial artist?”

  “No ma’am, but at one time I wanted to be a civil engineer, so I try to visualize things. Also, I’m familiar with an exercise routine that some people do on Trelnar that can be used as a martial art. I’ve only read a book or two on it, but the last one I read said that if the forms are done at top speed rather than slowly, it can be quite devastating.”

  “You have given me an idea, thanks.”

  At dinner that evening I see Chief Sergeant Okkam and wave him from the serving line over to my table. “Yes ma’am?”

  “I need four troopers to meet me in the gym tomorrow.”

  “Not a problem, ma’am. What will they be doing?”

  “I have a shraka that I think is geared towards defense against three opponents. I’d like some help verifying that.”

  “And the fourth?”

  “Referee.”

  “I see, I’m a little concerned with you using my troopers for punching dummies.”

  “It isn’t my intention that anyone be injured, we’ll all be wearing safety equipment.”

  “I should hope so,” he strokes the stubble starting to grow on his chin. “Let me grab some groceries, with your permission I’ll dine with you this evening. I’ll have a definite answer within moments but I do want to think about it for a bit.”