Star lord

by Donald G. Phillips

  "We're in luck," Duncan said. "It's a Krueger Model 1200."

  "Does that mean you know how to get it open?" Hawkes was nervous. It had taken Duncan almost half an hour to figure out the alarm system to Jaggoda's study and disarm it. Looking around, they'd noticed the safe and thought it might be the place Jaggoda stored papers or other information on what was going on and where he was planning to send them. It was a large vault with a standard size door tall enough for a person of average height to enter without stooping over. A tapestry that slid to one side was the only attempt at concealment.

  Hawkes went to the door of the study and listened for sounds in the hallway outside. Hearing none, he moved to the only window in the room and carefully peered out. From this vantage point he could see the roving patrol of Estate Guards making their rounds. He adjusted the heavy drapes so that they would not see the flashes of illumination from their hand-held lights. Though there were surprisingly few Guards in Jaggoda's house there was always the chance one of them might check the study at any time. Hawkes wanted to get out of there. He looked over at Duncan, busy trying to discover the electronic combination.

  "Where'd you learn all this?" he asked.

  "At the Allison MechWarrior Institute, believe it or not."

  Duncan laughed softly. "But that's another story." He threw a glance over his shoulder. "While you're waiting, have a look around and see if you can find anything interesting."

  What was of interest to Hawkes at the moment was the thought of crawling into a bed and getting some sleep. They'd risen early to go out on the 'Mech evaluation that morning. Then they'd spent a tense afternoon swiping the electronic components Duncan said he needed to make a device to overcome Jaggoda's alarm system. It seemed logical that Jaggoda would have information on the base for this "new republic" in his office. But it was now two in the morning and Hawkes's energy was flagging. Glancing idly over the surface of Jaggoda's desk he saw nothing of interest. A small comm console sat to one side and two document baskets, one on top of the other, sat on the other. There were several vidpads in the basket marked "Out."

  "I guess everyone, including bad guys, has paperwork," muttered Hawkes.

  "What?" Duncan wasn't really paying attention.

  "Nothing, Duncan. Just talking to myself." Hawkes picked up one of the vidpads and switched it on. Displayed was a list of invitations to ceremonies and celebrations both on and off Kyeinnisan. Picking up another at random, he flicked its switch and watched the screen glow faintly, then become brighter. He pressed the Display button and words began to appear.

  "It couldn't be this easy," Hawkes said out loud.

  "What now?"

  "Forget the safe, Duncan, Jaggoda dictated a transportation order this afternoon to be transmitted to the captain of a JumpShip tomorrow. It instructs him to take four passengers and a company of 'Mechs to the New Rim Worlds Republic baseworld."

  Duncan turned around suddenly, almost dropping his tools. Whether it was Jaggoda's carelessness or the arrogance in thinking no one would dare search his office, Hawkes had found what they'd come for. "Is there a specific destination, Hawkes?"

  "Just a sec, there are several jump points to get there ... here it is ... yes. He's sending us to New St. Andrews—in the Periphery."

  * * *

  "I was allowed to send Trane a message," said Duncan, "but all they'd let me say was that we're leaving tomorrow. Jaggoda wouldn't let me mention where we were going, only that Trane would receive further orders shortly. In fact, Jaggoda didn't tell me where we were going except to say it was to the 'New Rim Worlds Republic' "

  "What reason did he give for not letting all of us go at once?" Dawn asked.

  "His line was that the Command Lance would go on ahead to meet our new 'lord' and officially receive our commission in the New Republican Guards. From there we prepare for the arrival of Trane and the others."

  "Do you believe this?" Bovos's voice was husky and betrayed his trepidation.

  "It doesn't matter whether I do or not. I tried to insist we travel as a unit, but Jaggoda wouldn't budge. I think he's buying time. This lord of his wants more troops. So Jaggoda's going to send us. Our background stories apparently checked out enough to pass inspection so far. But the lack of information on Trane and the Knights bothers him. By delaying their departure he gets more time to investigate."

  "Do you think he'll find out the truth?"

  "SAFE put out a cover story, but there's always a risk."

  "Then we still need to get a message to Trane?"

  "That's the way I see it. And Hawkes, my boy, I give the job to you. We also need to leave an explosive charge to take out Jaggoda's transmitter after we leave."

  "And should I manage this feat, what's the message?" Hawkes wanted to know.

  "Follow us. New St. Andrews. The Periphery."

  * * *

  Keri Yansosha was one of the most beautiful women Hawkes had ever seen. Of Euroasian ancestry, she had the dark straight hair and almond eyes of the Orient, but the fairer skin of Terra's European stock.

  He had spent most of the day learning all he could about Jaggoda's Communication Center, including the fact that Yansosha was its Chief Tech. Next he contrived several "accidental" encounters as she made her rounds of delivering messages to the various offices of the Estate. Turning on the well-bred manners he'd been raised with, he'd wangled a date to meet for a drink after her shift. She had her own quarters in one of the support personnel buildings around the big house. Now they were sitting close together on her small sofa.

  "Some more wine please, Garth."

  "Are you sure? Don't you have to make evening rounds?"

  "No. We shut the Center at night. Any incoming messages are relayed to the Estate Guards Command Post. I'm free to enjoy myself ... and you."

  Hawkes poured her another glass. For something made from rice the wine seemed strong enough to melt the enamel on his teeth. Keri, on the other hand, had consumed most of a bottle and was showing no effects.

  When they'd first come in, Hawkes had leaped at his chance when she got up to go into the other room to change out of her uniform. She was on her way out, already unbuckling her utility belt, when he jumped up and caught both her hands in his. That gave him the pretext to take the belt and toss it lightly onto a chair. "Hurry back," he said, lifting bom hands to his lips and gallantly giving them a kiss.

  She laughed, and as he hoped, left the room without giving another thought to the belt. Hawkes knew he had to work fast, but he was in luck. The belt contained a computer code key, which he assumed would allow him access to the Comm Center and its transmitter. Now if he could only ply her with enough wine that she would pass out before he did.

  When she came back into the room dressed in a real silk kimono that Hawkes guessed must have come all the way from the Draconis Combine, he was pouring out two more tiny glasses of rice wine. He handed her one, and raised his own. "To us," he said, watching as she threw back her head and consumed the wine in one long swallow. Keri Yansosha was still smiling sweetly and holding out her glass for more when suddenly she toppled over, her head falling into his lap.

  * * *

  "Captain Trane, a message from Duncan Kalma."

  "Read it, Lieutenant Blix."

  "Follow us. New St. Andrews. The Periphery. Departure in twelve hours. Do not reply."

  Rod Trane felt an unexpected calm come over him. Something told him this was it—they'd found the imposters, and New St. Andrews might even be their baseworld. It was a moment of intense satisfaction. The captain of the JumpShip, his bridge officers, and crew would be no problem. They had been confined until needed. Andre Morneau was manning the sensor station, Jon Blix was handling communications, Ben-Ari had the helm, and Villiers and Auramov were in charge of engineering.

  "Captain."

  "I heard you. Contact the HPG station on Kyeinnisan. Use the code given us by Precentor Blane and tell them to send the same message to the Captain-General, except for the
last sentence. Also, send a message to the garrison commander on Tiber. Tell him to set up a JumpShip circuit to New St. Andrews, ready to go upon our arrival."

  "Aye, sir."

  Trane was feeling better with each passing minute. Ever since Thomas Marik had given sanctuary to the ComStar dissidents calling themselves the Word of Blake they had taken over virtually all the interstellar communication centers in the Free Worlds League. Their loyalty to Marik, at this point, bordered on the fanatic. He was sure the Captain-General would receive his message in good order in the shortest amount of time. Marik would deploy a force of Knights to New St. Andrews, where they would rendezvous. United, they would crush those who had dared to impersonate the Knights of the Inner Sphere.

  "Lieutenant Villiers."

  "Yes, Captain."

  "It will take two days for Kalma and his party to reach either of the standard Kyeinnisan jump points. I want to leave for Tiber twenty-four hours after their departure. Will this vessel be ready to jump?"

  "It's an old ship, but I believe we can have it ready, Captain." Of all the JumpShips that had been used in the command circuit to bring them to Kyeinnisan this one seemed in the worst shape. All were independent ships under contract to ferry cargo for a "Jaggoda Enterprises" on Kyeinnisan, but Trane had learned from the Captain that only this one was under exclusive contract to that firm. The Captain's computer files had also revealed that this Jaggoda Enterprises provided funds for maintenance as part of that contract. From the condition of the ship it looked like the Captain had been skimming off some of those funds into his own pocket. The normal recharging time for a JumpShip averaged eighteen hours, but this one badly needed maintenance before it could be recharged. The Captain had begun recharging three times before Trane and the Knights had taken over the freighter, only to have to abort when the drive core refused to accept the energy. But Villiers swore he would have this old space buggy ready to go on time.

  "Lieutenant Morneau, any sign of another JumpShip in our area?"

  "Aye, Captain. One just arrived."

  "Have you hailed it?"

  "Aye, Captain. But read-out only. I told them our audio was on the fritz."

  "Think they bought it?"

  "I think so. They're under contract to ferry cargo for that Jaggoda Enterprises the Captain of this boat told us about. They chided us for not spending enough C-bills on maintenance."

  "Did they say what they're doing here?"

  "Aye, sir. They're dropping off some cargo and picking up some passengers. Said they'd be leaving in twenty-four hours or so."

  "Lieutenant Ben-Ari, raise the shields on the viewing port." Trane watched the protective shields open to reveal the blackness of space all around them. In the distance he could just make out the outline of the other ship. It had to be the one that would carry Duncan and the others on the first leg of their journey to New St. Andrews. His mission was at a critical phase now. If he failed to get the Knights to New St. Andrews when they were needed, Duncan and the others might not leave that world alive ...

  27

  Marik Palace

  Atreus

  Marik Commonwealth, Free Worlds League

  12 June 3057

  General Harrison Kalma approached the office of Thomas Marik, lost in deep thought. The palace had been plunged in gloom for weeks now, ever since Sophina Marik had fallen ill. Though the Captain-General spent much time at her side, Kalma admired his ability to retain a firm hold on the reins of state. The General wasn't sure he could have mustered the same strength of will in Thomas's place, but no one close to Marik could ever doubt either his love for his wife or his concern for his people.

  In the weeks since Sophina had fallen mortally ill, there'd been no further news of Duncan and Trane after a message from the captain of the JumpShip they'd been forced to leave behind at Galatea. The communique said merely that they'd accepted a contract as mercenaries for a patron on Kyeinnisan and were enroute to that world in one of his ships. But that was not the reason for General Kalma's visit to Thomas Marik today. He'd been summoned because Magestrix Emma Centrella had sent a personal envoy to Atreus.

  Kalma paused at the door to Thomas's study while a guard in a Knights uniform announced him. A moment later, he was ushered in.

  The Captain-General was studying the computer screen before him, head tilted slighdy to one side in concentration.

  "Excuse me, Thomas, you seem occupied. Am I intruding?"

  "No, Harrison, not at all. I was just contemplating why Emma Centrella has seen fit to send us an envoy."

  "As have I, sire."

  "An interesting woman, isn't she? As popular as ever with the Canopians since taking over from her mother."

  "Yes, and her vigorous efforts to attract foreign investment has brought a wide range of consumer goods to her people, making her even more popular."

  Marik seemed about to comment, but stopped at the sound of a knock on the main door to his study. "Enter," he said.

  The doors were opened slowly by two Knights of the Inner Sphere. "Captain-General," said one of them, "Colonel Norbert Kingelt of the Magistracy of Canopus."

  "Show him in, Captain Reiter." The Knight saluted and turned to one side, taking a step backward. Colonel Kingelt entered the room, pausing a moment to survey his surroundings. He was a middle-aged man who looked to be in excellent physical condition. His uniform was immaculate, which, Harrison Kalma opined, was an improvement over the last time he'd seen any Canopian troops. Kingelt walked directly up to Thomas Marik and saluted.

  "Captain-General, I am Norbert Kingelt, Senior Aide to the Magestrix of Canopus."

  "Colonel Kingelt, a pleasure. And allow me to present Harrison Kalma, an old friend and trusted advisor." Marik gestured his visitor to a seat. "Now, tell me, Colonel, what brings you to Atreus?"

  "Officially, I am here as part of a trade delegation visiting a number of League worlds. Unofficially, I've been entrusted with the serious matter of preserving the peace between us."

  "Most interesting," said Marik. "You have my undivided attention, Colonel, and my curiosity. Please continue."

  "Captain-General, toward the end of last year and into January of this one our Military Chief of Staff informed the Magestrix of rumors that some of our mercenary companies might be planning to abandon their contracts with us. Details were sketchy. We didn't know which units or where. In an attempt to contain any problem, the Magestrix began to shuffle regular Canopian forces to various worlds in the Magistracy."

  "A show of military might, so to speak," said Marik.

  "Exactly. We noted that your military responded by moving its units around as a counter-balance in the event our intentions were hostile. As the months passed our merchant vessels began to pick up stories of small, company-size, or smaller, units leaving domains such as the Lothian League, Astrokazy, and the Circinus Federation."

  "Now that is interesting, Colonel," Marik said. He glanced at Kalma and his eyes were hard. Neither SAFE nor the Directorate of Intelligence in the League Central Coordination and Command had advised him of such activity. Harrison Kalma knew that General Cherenkov at SAFE and Matt Sederholm at the LCCC were going to catch hell.

  "Captain-General, the Magestrix has entrusted me with a holotape that will help you understand our situation," said Kingelt. He handed the tape to Thomas Marik, who in turn passed it to Harrison Kalma for placement in the holotank. Kalma adjusted the controls, and the image of Emma Centrella flickered into view. She was not as tall as was sometimes reported, and her long hair curled darkly around the tawny skin of her face. After a few seconds, her strangely accented voice could be heard.

  "Captain-General, news reaches the Periphery more slowly than you might think. I did not know of the attacks on Shiro III, Valexa, and Cumbres until after the raid on Herotitus. You can appreciate our concern, I'm sure, when we were told it was your Knights of the Inner Sphere who attacked Herotitus and when we learned they were credited with attacks on three other worlds. It was
another month before we found out it was a company from our Captain Highlanders Regiment named Long's Light Lancers who were the real perpetrators of the attack on Herotitus disguised as your Knights."

  Marik quickly arose and went to the holotank, pressing a button to pause the recording. "Colonel Kingelt, the raid on Herotitus was in early May. You became aware that it was one of your mercenary companies who struck that world impersonating my Knights not long after. It is now June. Why the delay in getting this information to me?"

  "I understand your dismay, Captain-General. But the Magestrix addresses this issue if you will allow her message to continue." Marik restarted the holotape, but he was obviously disturbed, even angry.

  "Captain-General, you are now asking yourself why I failed to contact you sooner. The answer is twofold; simple economics and intelligence. There is something of a trade imbalance between us. Canopian industries feel threatened that they will be put out of business by the richer firms of the Free Worlds League. To keep the peace between us I must first keep the peace at home. I cannot afford to seem a mere lackey who runs to the League at the first sign of trouble. Also, I do not benefit from the same extensive intelligence network you do.

  "Even now, I continue to receive reports of some clandestine group seeking recruits to build an army. I lack the resources to check out these reports. I certainly have not been able to gather enough facts to engage in an all-out war with lunatics like the Crimson Reapers on Astrokazy. So the situation is this ... I know something is going on in the Periphery and I don't think it's good for either one of us, but I don't know what it is. Though belated, I send what information I have via Colonel Kingelt. He will extend full cooperation in this matter to your military."

  The image of Emma Centrella flickered and disappeared. Thomas Marik said nothing for several minutes before finally turning to Kingelt. "Well, Colonel, if there's anyone who can appreciate the fragileness of politics it's a Captain-General of the Free Worlds League. Is there anything else?"