Convoy (The Shelby Logan Chronicles Book 1)

by Chris Hechtl

  “Do be mindin' the carpet lass,” a voice said with a laugh. The woman grimaced as she stepped over another curl in the carpet like the one that had tripped her.

  “Not fancy on her feet. I'll not be swingin' her 'bout the dance floor,” another voice said. That caused a general chuckle from the group. It wasn't a nice chuckle the captain thought as the woman disengaged her hand.

  The carpet led them to what had to be a throne. There were steps up it with bottles and debris, some bones, a skull, some stains, even a rusted chain. He could see someone, something moving along the sides of the throne. The chain rattled a bit. Slaves? But then he saw the eyes, golden. Feline. Something was wrong, he thought. Then another set of golden feline eyes on the other side made him wonder if he was in a nightmare or not.

  ]][#]]]{OO}===}==>

  Doctor Wilhelm knew they were in deep shit. Something was very, very wrong with the situation. He recognized the golden feline eyes as belonging to a Neo. He forced his lip to keep from curling in disgust. He'd deal with it when he handed over the orders he had on the chips in his breast pocket.

  ]][#]]]{OO}===}==>

  Captain Layafette stopped at the edge of the dais. He saw whoever was up there had knee high boots on but little else since the person kept in shadow. The high back chair didn't offer much clues about the person's size. A match was struck and then a cigar lit. The user puffed on the cigar as he shook the brief spot of fire and light out. That was the captain's first hint that there was something going on with the person on the throne, something … different.

  He cleared his throat as the other officers arranged themselves on either side of him. He heard a guttural growl, almost subsonic that made the hair on the back of their necks stand up. It made them want to fight or run, but instead, he held to his training and squared his shoulders, standing at attention. There was another puff of the cigar; the brief light from the burning tip allowed him to see the figure in the shadows on the throne a little more clearly. Either the guy was shaggy, wearing a wig, and had a goatee like he did or …

  “My name is Captain Lafayette. I am captain of Fancy.” There was a bit of a titter in the audience, but he ignored it. “I was assigned by Admiral Von Berk to come here with fresh orders and supplies. Are you in charge here?”

  “Indeed. Call me Ishmael. Leonidas Ishmael.” A single glittering gold eye was caught briefly by the light of the cigar. It was the right eye; a cat eye the captain realized. A chimera? Not impossible he thought, but then his thoughts cut off with a gasp as someone opened a door off to their left, bringing additional ambient light into the dimly lit quarters, and he saw the man for the first time.

  “Vice Admiral Ishmael,” the Neolion added in a mild tone of voice.

  Doctor Wilhelm's eyes were wide in shock and horror. “You … you're a Neo!”

  “And you are a human,” the Neolion shot right back, good eye turning to the doctor. “Rather perceptive of you to recognize my species,” the vice admiral said, picking something out from between his long canines with a claw. There was an ugly chuckle from the assembled officers and crew around them.

  Captain Layafette kept himself from gulping as he realized he was in the jaws of the lion in many different ways. The Neolion had a goatee all right, a long one with a ribbon on the tip. He was a classic brown and gray, with curled whiskers and braids in his mane that were capped by tiny skulls. He wore a classic pirate's hat with a skull on the crest.

  He had one good eye, the right one; the left was covered in an eye patch. He also had faint scars on his face going across the eye and muzzle. There was some white and gray around the muzzle, signs of his age he was sure.

  The admiral wore a classic jacket, a darker brown with black insignia of his rank on the open collar. Rings were around the arms a bit up from the broad rolled-up cuffs. The jacket was open to show the bare chest that was covered in scars and glittering gold necklaces.

  Doctor Goethe stifled a whimper. Doctor Wilhelm's eyes darted around the room. He noted a few Neoapes and others Neos, all in pirate dress. He cursed the luck and cursed imperial intelligence more for not warning him and putting him in the situation he was trapped in.

  “Well, this is, um, unexpected,” Captain Layafette said carefully. Doctor Goethe shot him a horrified look. The captain waved it off and then made a small head shake indicating not here, not now. “Admiral, we came a long way to see you. We bring fresh supplies and orders from the homeworld,” he said.

  “I see,” the admiral purred as he studied the officers before him. “Fresh meat,” the admiral said to the others in the room, hand paws gripping the arm rests. His claws flexed in and out slightly. That earned guffaws and chuckles from the group until he made a small motion to silence them.

  “We also bring you troubling news …sir,” Captain Layafette said.

  “Oh?” the admiral asked. “Do tell?” he asked, sitting back and raising a leg up and placing the boot on a riser in the chair. One of the chains rattled and then a Neolioness came over, crawling on her knees. She fawned at him as he petted her brow, then bent and kissed his boot and then nuzzled it.

  The captain did his best to ignore the show. He had to maintain his decorum or he and his crew were dead. “When we were passing through Rho sector, we picked up transmissions about the Federation.”

  “It's dead,” a Neochimp growled disdainfully.

  “Not necessarily. Someone is reviving it—a Fleet Admiral Irons. He is a sleeper and has been reforging the Federation in several star systems in Rho. He's been spreading talk about it.”

  “Talk is cheap,” the Neochimp said in disdain.

  “Well, he has ships too. We tangled with one on the way here,” Captain Layafette said. “It jumped out almost on top of us.”

  That news made the admiral sit up straighter. He waved the cat at his feet away. She shrank back and then laid down to glare balefully at the humans. “Oh?”

  “A warship. A light cruiser. Fully functional … sir,” the captain said. It was hard but getting easier to call the Neocat, sir. He had to do it if he wanted to survive.

  “One light cruiser …,” Captain Kix Baker, the Neochimp started to say, but the admiral flicked his fingers making him stop.

  “She destroyed one of our ships, sir, the Cytheria in a very short but brutal exchange in the Tau-X3301 star system. We managed to cripple her but she got away,” the human captain reported.

  “She got away. After destroying one ship when you had the advantage,” the Neochimp said scornfully. “Two heavy cruisers against a light cruiser. A damaged light cruiser,” he said, brown eyes glaring accusingly at the captain.

  “She fell back into the nebula and engaged stealth. We could have chased her, but we would have burned our fuel to do so. I wasn't certain of the fueling arrangements on our line of march to Tortuga, so I thought discretion was the better part of valor in that instance,” Captain Layafette stated. “And I had to oversee the search and rescue efforts to recover as many hands from Cytheria as possible,” he said.

  “A likely story,” the Neochimp scoffed, coming to place one foot on the dais and then lean against it. Like many of the other Neos he was dressed as a pirate officer. He had gold rings in his shredded ears and was heavily scarred.

  The vice admiral was a bit more thoughtful about the report as Captain Layafette produced a memory chip and then set it down in front of him on the dais wisely foregoing approaching into the claws of the lioness laying nearby. The tip of her tail twitched, and her eyes were only slitted he noted.

  “Where there is one, there could be more. We'll alert our people,” the admiral said. “Make certain we get a full download,” the admiral growled, turning to Captain Baker.

  The Neochimp captain nodded. “Yes … sir,” he said, reaching over to grab the chip and then pocket it.

  “Now, you mentioned there are new orders?” the admiral asked, eyeing the group of humans.

  “Yes, sir,” Captain Layafette said as he straightened.
He did his best to put his disdain and anger over being thrust into the situation away in the back of his mind. There would be time for that and venting later he reminded himself. “One of our mission objectives is to find water dwellers as well as anything on the hot sheet,” he said.

  “Which we are keeping an eye out for since we are aware of the reward,” the admiral said with a nod. “We haven't found any.”

  “Yes, sir. We are also moving into a new phase. Horath has been declared an Empire by Emperor Ramichov. He has ordered the next phase to begin …,” Doctor Wilhelm interrupted.

  “I see …” the pirate admiral said slowly, turning to the doctor.

  “The Gather Fleet is changing as the Battle Fleet marshals to the Emperor's call to arms. Eventually the two fleets will merge into one stronger organization. Battle Fleet will take on the Federation and crush it,” the doctor vowed.

  “Good,” Kix said. “I don't like the idea of being cut off,” he said as all eyes turned to him.

  “I don't either,” the admiral rumbled. He nodded to Captain Layafette. “Continue.”

  “My orders are to escort any water dwellers you have captured and to search the sector for them if you haven't found any.”

  A Neowolf sniffed. “Good luck with that,” he said with a shake of his head. A hyena laughed next to him. The human captain took a moment to realize the hyena was bigger but was a female.

  “Seen any?” he asked, addressing the duo. “So I'll know where to start looking?”

  “Like we go near the water?” the hyena scoffed.

  “Oh.”

  “Yeah, they are water dwellers. They swim out to sea where we can't get to them even if we wanted to. And they definitely do not hang around when we come calling,” the Neowolf said.

  “Oh.” The captain grimaced. “I am also supposed to help turn the Gather Fleet into auxiliaries of Battle Fleet. I am here to help get that project started,” he said. “Which means we will be more military oriented, less slapdash as we once were in the original Gather Fleet. Changes are a coming. The fleets are merging. The final phases of the plan have begun. But to get there we need water dwellers.” He stopped and then turned to his companions. “That's my mission. Now …”

  “This is Doctor Wilhelm and his associate Doctor Goethe. They are both commanders, though Doctor Goethe is a lieutenant commander. They are here as representatives of the emperor and have their own mission and orders, sir.”

  “We're here to implement Aktion T-4. I seem to have misplaced the chips …,” Doctor Wilhelm said, making a show of patting his pockets. “I'll download the pertinent details when I get back to Fancy of course,” he said. “For the moment, we are here to reduce the unwanted populations in this sector and ready it for final acquisition by Battle Fleet and the Empire,” the doctor said.

  “How soon will that take place, Herr Doctor?” the vice admiral asked.

  “They are getting a grip on Rho sector for the moment, and of course there is the impediment of the Federation to consider. Once they are clear, I see arrival of the first units within five to ten years,” the doctor said.

  “So soon?”

  “There have been some changes in the fleet. Our ships for instance had some upgrades before we left the Empire …,” the captain said smoothly.

  ]][#]]]{OO}===}==>

  “Oh … my … gods,” Doctor Goethe murmured over and over, clearly still in shock.

  “Will you get a hold of yourself, woman?” Doctor Wilhelm snarled under his breath as they strode through the passages back to the ship. Now that he was paying more attention, he noted the Neos around them. There were even a few Tauren pirates, a shocking breach of the Empire's code … now. Not apparently from years past, he thought.

  “We've spent years getting here. Try not to disappoint me and embarrass me,” he hissed to the woman. That got her to stand up and square her shoulders. She still shot the occasional fearful look at a Neo when they got close, but she seemed to at least keep silent.

  Captain Layafette was slightly less restrained when they got into the lift. Their escort was with them, but he was a human. “You'd think they would have done something other than record the name!”

  “Apparently, it didn't matter, or it was an oversight,” the doctor murmured.

  “Yeah, well, it did! Now what the frack do we do! We're supposed to … to …,” Doctor Goethe threw her hands up in the air then stopped herself when their guide eyed her curiously. “Never mind,” she muttered.

  When they were back aboard the ship, the captain shook his head. “What are you going to do about your T-4 orders?”

  “I'm going to do a bit of … call it, judicious editing out of prudence and self-restraint,” Doctor Wilhelm said.

  “Yeah, that is a problem,” Captain Layafette drawled as the XO met them. “We say anything we're screwed. They are liable to eat or space us.” That made his XO's eyes go wide.

  “Oh boy,” she murmured. “I take it there is a story there, Skipper?”

  “You have no idea,” he drawled, shaking his head as he walked to the wardroom. “I feel I was denied critical, need to know in-for-mation!” he shook himself to regain some self-control. “Call all officers and noncoms to the wardroom XO. No leaves for the time being; no one is to exit the lock. Make sure you use our latest encryption to pass those orders on to the captains of the other ships as well.”

  “That is … un-good,” the XO said.

  “You haven't heard the worst of it,” the captain said grimly as the doctors split off to go to their own quarters.

  ]][#]]]{OO}===}==>

  “They are … odd, sir,” Captain Baker said quietly. “I'm not sure the way they looked at us. They didn't expect you to be a Neo, sir,” he said, turning to the admiral.

  “No surprise there. I had my files edited before I left Horath,” the admiral said mildly. “The same for each of you,” he said as he stroked the head of each of his lionesses in turn. The females purred and nuzzled up to him, occasionally licking his hand.

  “You did, sir?” the Neochimp asked, brown eyes wide in surprise. “Why if I may ask?”

  “I don't like a lot of information about me sitting around somewhere,” the admiral said mildly. There was more reason to that statement of course.

  “I see, sir,” the captain said with a nod of understanding.

  “I am curious about them. Why they were shocked and horrified to see us. See what you can find out,” the admiral ordered.

  “Aye aye, sir.”

  “And get on that analysis of that alleged Federation ship. I want to make certain it wasn't one of ours that they mistook,” the admiral growled.

  “Most definitely, sir,” the Neochimp said with another nod as he left the compartment.

  “Who's a good kitty,” the admiral said softly and lovingly as he stroked the jowls of his head lioness.

  ]][#]]]{OO}===}==>

  “What are we going to do?” Doctor Goethe demanded in a fierce desperate whisper as Wilhelm escorted her by the elbow to their quarters. He shoved her inside and made certain the door closed behind him. She immediately broke free and made her way to the bar. They had several bottles of alcohol. They'd saved them for celebrations, but she poured herself a drink anyway. Her hands shook as she downed it, and then poured herself another.

  “Save some for me as well, Cambri,” Eugen said as he scrubbed his weathered face and then went into the head. When he finished, he came out to see her sitting there, morosely staring at the bottle. He took it and poured himself a drink. It tasted like raw lava going down his throat. He hadn't even bothered with ice, but he needed that gut punch in the worst way after what they'd just experienced.

  “We … we can't just march forward blindly; they'll kill us!” she said, looking up, tears in her eyes.

  “I know.”

  “The plan … T-4 …”

  “I know,” he said again, taking a seat on the stool. “Cambri, I know. That's why I said we'll have to revise the plan.�
�

  “You …” She blinked and stared at him dumbly.

  “We're going to have to go through the orders and everything we hand over to them. I do mean everything if we wish for this to be a success.”

  “You don't mean …?”

  “We are moving forward. It is our orders; it is the only path available.”

  “For god’s sake, why?” she demanded, throwing her hands apart as she rose to pace. “You know as well as I do its suicide!”

  “Not if we play our cards right and keep some information strictly to ourselves,” Eugen said. She turned to look at him. “As I said, we're going to do some revisions. We'll remove any mention of Neos and their species from the orders. Keep it strictly limited to alien species.”

  “They'll never buy it. If they go back …”

  “Why would they? It is a poisoned world! Who would want to be near it until the viruses have run their course?” he demanded.

  She frowned thoughtfully, and then sat on the edge of the bed. “You might be right. But the risks,” she said heavily.

  “We have to risk it; we have no choice. My job is to see that the orders are completed, right or wrong,” he said. “My job is to execute the orders issued to me with my fullest ability in a timely manner. And to be sure my subordinates do the same,” he said, locking eyes with her to make sure she knew he was dead serious. “I see you wavering, but we will get past this … crisis of conscience and move on. We will stay the course we were given. Are we clear?” he demanded.

  She grimaced.

  “I said, are we clear?” he demanded in a cold brutal voice that broke no answer other than the right one. She dropped her head. After a moment, she nodded once.

  “Good. You can get started on half the files, I'll get started on the other half. When we're done, we'll switch. We'll have to filter everything, probably more than once, but he's going to want an overview very shortly. So, let's start there,” he said. “The boilerplate with the nitty gritty details is frequently overlooked by others. That we can take a bit more time with,” he said.