by Peter David
"I found at that point that I actually had a preference for swordplay."
"Aw, c'mon!"
"Because I wasn't the tribal leader, Eppy! You keep overlooking that. I was the warlord; my brother was the actual leader. How many women he was involved with, I could not begin to tell you, and I seriously doubt that you care."
"Not in the least."
"Good, because if you did, I'd start wondering about you. One time I had to step in while he was off-world and perform that function. I was a nervous wreck, but it all turned out okay."
"And . . . did you have a child? I mean, that's the other thing that kind of threw me, I guess. The thought of dozens of little Mackenzie Calhouns running around."
"Yes. A son."
"What's he like?"
"I wouldn't know. I've never met him."
She was visibly startled. "Never?"
He shook his head. "I had left for the Academy before she gave birth. The one time that I returned, some years later, I learned that she'd moved out of Calhoun. No one knew where. I figured if she'd wanted
me to be able to find her, she'd have made it easy for me to do so, so I decided to respect her privacy."
"I'm sorry, Mac. That must be very painful for you. You must miss him."
"Miss him? Eppy, you can't miss someone you never even knew. Don't worry about it. I'm fine. I haven't thought about him in years, actually. Years and years," He paused. "How many?"
She looked at him in confusion. "You're asking me how many years you haven't thought about him?"
"No, I'm asking you how many men you were with before me." He folded his arms expectantly. "It's a fair question, Eppy, considering the grilling you've put me through. How many?"
"One." And she hesitated, and then added, "Half."
"One half?" He laughed skeptically. "Bottom half, I assume?"
"It was at a party," she said in annoyance, "and I was, to put it bluntly, tired of being a virgin, and there was this guy who'd been after me for a while, so I let him because I figured 'What the hell,' but he'd only partially, uhm . . ." She hesitated. "Now I'm trying to be delicate. He had only partially"
"Breached your warp core?"
"Yes, thank you. And then suddenly he . . ."
"Fired photon torpedoes?"
"I was going to say 'reached critical mass,' but if you want to mix your metaphors, you're the captain."
"I think you've made the point, Eppy." He smiled. "You know, Eppy, back then, I have to admit that your lack of comfort discussing sex bothered the hell out of me. But now, in a woman your age, I find it somewhat charming."
"Why, thank you. So, have you made a decision regarding Doctor Selar yet?"
"No. But whatever I do decide, understand that I will endeavor to keep the common good of all con-
") else document.write("
must know, she was also the first woman that I ever . . . serviced . . . in any capacity. Appropriate, I guess. Someone who fought for his planet's freedom from his early teens, naturally my first sexual experience would be in the line of duty."
"But why only the one?"
"You sound disappointed."
"Oh, I'm not!" she said very quickly. "I mean, I guess only in the sense that if I were going to be getting myself so upset about something, it'd have been nice if there were something for me really to get upset about. But one? How can I. . . ? Uhm . . . why just one?"
"I found at that point that I actually had a preference for swordplay."
"Aw, c'mon!"
"Because I wasn't the tribal leader, Eppy! You keep overlooking that. I was the warlord; my brother was the actual leader. How many women he was involved with, I could not begin to tell you, and I seriously doubt that you care."
"Not in the least."
"Good, because if you did, I'd start wondering about you. One time I had to step in while he was off-world and perform that function. I was a nervous wreck, but it all turned out okay."
"And . . . did you have a child? I mean, that's the other thing that kind of threw me, I guess. The thought of dozens of little Mackenzie Calhouns running around."
"Yes. A son."
"What's he like?"
"I wouldn't know. I've never met him."
She was visibly startled. "Never?"
He shook his head. "I had left for the Academy before she gave birth. The one time that I returned, some years later, I learned that she'd moved out of Calhoun. No one knew where. I figured if she'd wanted
me to be able to find her, she'd have made it easy for me to do so, so I decided to respect her privacy."
"I'm sorry, Mac. That must be very painful for you. You must miss him."
"Miss him? Eppy, you can't miss someone you never even knew. Don't worry about it. I'm fine. I haven't thought about him in years, actually. Years and years," He paused. "How many?"
She looked at him in confusion. "You're asking me how many years you haven't thought about him?"
"No, I'm asking you how many men you were with before me." He folded his arms expectantly. "It's a fair question, Eppy, considering the grilling you've put me through. How many?"
"One." And she hesitated, and then added, "Half."
"One half?" He laughed skeptically. "Bottom half, I assume?"
"It was at a party," she said in annoyance, "and I was, to put it bluntly, tired of being a virgin, and there was this guy who'd been after me for a while, so I let him because I figured 'What the hell,' but he'd only partially, uhm . . ." She hesitated. "Now I'm trying to be delicate. He had only partially"
"Breached your warp core?"
"Yes, thank you. And then suddenly he . . ."
"Fired photon torpedoes?"
"I was going to say 'reached critical mass,' but if you want to mix your metaphors, you're the captain."
"I think you've made the point, Eppy." He smiled. "You know, Eppy, back then, I have to admit that your lack of comfort discussing sex bothered the hell out of me. But now, in a woman your age, I find it somewhat charming."
"Why, thank you. So, have you made a decision regarding Doctor Selar yet?"
"No. But whatever I do decide, understand that I will endeavor to keep the common good of all con-
") if( !cssCompatible ) document.write("
cerned as my first and foremost consideration. And now, if you'll excuse me . . ." He rose from his chair and exited the ready room.
She stood to follow
him, then stopped.
"A woman my age?" she said slowly. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
VI.
THE APPROACHING SHIP was bristling with armament and ready for war.
It was a sleek, low-slung vessel, small but maneu-verable, with foils that clearly indicated it was designed to function equally well in the depths of space or within a planet's atmosphere. McHenry had been tracking it for some time, and when it began to make its approach, he nodded as if confirming his own concerns. "Yeah, it's definite, Captain," he said. "They're definitely set to intercept us."
"How are they running?" he asked.
Kebron checked his sensor array. "Running weapons hot. They are not, however, targeting us."
From the science station, Soleta went over the weapons analysis. "They're packing phase blasters and torpedoes with nuclear warheads. Their weapons could hurt us, sir."
"Any thoughts, Commander?" he addressed Shelby.
She leaned forward, like a bloodhound on the scent.
") else document.write("
cerned as my first and foremost consideration. And now, if you'll excuse me . . ." He rose from his chair and exited the ready room.
She stood to follow him, then stopped.
"A woman my age?" she said slowly. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
VI.
THE APPROACHING SHIP was bristling with armament and ready for war.
It was a sleek, low-slung vessel, small but maneu-verable, with foils that clearly indicated it was designed to function equally well in the depths of space or within a planet's atmosphere. McHenry had been tracking it for some time, and when it began to make its approach, he nodded as if confirming his own concerns. "Yeah, it's definite, Captain," he said. "They're definitely set to intercept us."
"How are they running?" he asked.
Kebron checked his sensor array. "Running weapons hot. They are not, however, targeting us."
From the science station, Soleta went over the weapons analysis. "They're packing phase blasters and torpedoes with nuclear warheads. Their weapons could hurt us, sir."
"Any thoughts, Commander?" he addressed Shelby.
She leaned forward, like a bloodhound on the scent.
") if( !cssCompatible ) document.write("
"They may be suspicious of us. Desirous to ascertain our identity."
"Have you managed to raise them yet, Mister Kebron?"
"Not yet."
The turbolift doors slid open and Si Cwan strode out onto the bridge. "Came as fast as I could, Captain."
Calhoun gestured towards the opposing vessel. "Recognize them, Cwan?"
Without hesitation, Si Cwan said briskly, "Zondar-ian. Definitely."
"They're not responding to our hails. Any thoughts?"
Si Cwan studied the vessel for a moment. "Turn around."
"You mean the ship?" said Calhoun.
"Well, you could turn around in your chair, but that would hardly alter the situation."
A deep voice rumbled from nearby, "Watch it, Cwan."
"I think I can handle this, Kebron. Thank you," Calhoun said. "Why should we turn around, Ambassador?"
Si Cwan hesitated a moment, as if ready to answer, but then he drew himself up even straighter, towering over Calhoun. "Looming" was perhaps one of Si Cwan's greatest talents. "If one of your officers gave you advice in a pressure situation, you'd take it on faith first and ask questions later."
"Correct," Calhoun said, arms folded. "What's your point?"
"Captain, five hundred thousand kilometers and closing. Still running weapons hot."
"Thank you, Mister McHenry." Calhoun paused, assessing Si Cwan's demeanor, and then he said, "Bring us about, reverse heading."
"Deflectors up, sir?"
"Yes."
Almost as quickly as Calhoun gave an affirmative, Si Cwan said, "No."
Calhoun's violet eyes narrowed. " Yes, "he said with emphasis.
Quickly the Excalibur turned about, and began to head back the way she came.
"Sir, pursuer is picking up speed! Three hundred thousand kilometers, closing fast, coming in at heading one-two-nine mark nine," McHenry informed him.
"Still no targeting from their weapons array. But they are an intercept course."
"Evasive maneuvers, Mister McHenry!" ordered Calhoun.
"Evasive manuevers. Aye, sir!" replied McHenry, and sent the Excalibur howling directly toward the expected point of collision.
There was a unified shout of alarm from virtually everyone on the bridge, Calhoun's voice above all as he shouted, "McHenry, what are you doing!?" The alien vessel loomed huge on the screen, looking as if it were about to park itself right on the bridge.
"Evasive maneuver, sir," McHenry said calmly. "Three . . . two . . . one ..."
The starship passed the point of intersection seconds before the oncoming vessel, and then hurtled away, missing the other ship by barely one hundred meters. Shelby fancied that she could actually hear the roar of the other ship's engines.
". . . Zero," finished McHenry. "Evasive maneuver successful, Captain. Orders?"
"Bring us around behind them. Lock phasers on target, Mister Kebron."
"Gladly, sir."
") else document.write("
"They may be suspicious of us. Desirous to ascertain our identity."
"Have you managed to raise them yet, Mister Kebron?"
"Not yet."
The turbolift doors slid open and Si Cwan strode out onto the bridge. "Came as fast as I could, Captain."
Calhoun gestured towards the opposing vessel. "Recognize them, Cwan?"
Without hesitation, Si Cwan said briskly, "Zondar-ian. Definitely."
"They're not responding to our hails. Any thoughts?"
Si Cwan studied the vessel for a moment. "Turn around."
"You mean the ship?" said Calhoun.
"Well, you could turn around in your chair, but that would hardly alter the situation."
A deep voice rumbled from nearby, "Watch it, Cwan."
"I think I can handle this, Kebron. Thank you," Calhoun said. "Why should we turn around, Ambassador?"
Si Cwan hesitated a moment, as if ready to answer, but then he drew himself up even straighter, towering over Calhoun. "Looming" was perhaps one of Si Cwan's greatest talents. "If one of your officers gave you a
dvice in a pressure situation, you'd take it on faith first and ask questions later."
"Correct," Calhoun said, arms folded. "What's your point?"
"Captain, five hundred thousand kilometers and closing. Still running weapons hot."
"Thank you, Mister McHenry." Calhoun paused, assessing Si Cwan's demeanor, and then he said, "Bring us about, reverse heading."
"Deflectors up, sir?"
"Yes."
Almost as quickly as Calhoun gave an affirmative, Si Cwan said, "No."
Calhoun's violet eyes narrowed. " Yes, "he said with emphasis.
Quickly the Excalibur turned about, and began to head back the way she came.
"Sir, pursuer is picking up speed! Three hundred thousand kilometers, closing fast, coming in at heading one-two-nine mark nine," McHenry informed him.
"Still no targeting from their weapons array. But they are an intercept course."
"Evasive maneuvers, Mister McHenry!" ordered Calhoun.
"Evasive manuevers. Aye, sir!" replied McHenry, and sent the Excalibur howling directly toward the expected point of collision.
There was a unified shout of alarm from virtually everyone on the bridge, Calhoun's voice above all as he shouted, "McHenry, what are you doing!?" The alien vessel loomed huge on the screen, looking as if it were about to park itself right on the bridge.
"Evasive maneuver, sir," McHenry said calmly. "Three . . . two . . . one ..."
The starship passed the point of intersection seconds before the oncoming vessel, and then hurtled away, missing the other ship by barely one hundred meters. Shelby fancied that she could actually hear the roar of the other ship's engines.
". . . Zero," finished McHenry. "Evasive maneuver successful, Captain. Orders?"
"Bring us around behind them. Lock phasers on target, Mister Kebron."
"Gladly, sir."
") if( !cssCompatible ) document.write("
"Send them a warning that if they do not stand down, we're going to blow them halfway to hell."
"You are going to needless trouble, Captain," Si Cwan said. "They were endeavoring to show 'dominance.' They do not like to have discourse with any race that they feel inferior to. So they make a great show of bluster, like that Earth animal . . . a gorilla . . . pounding on its chest. If you had simply stayed on course, they would have veered off on their own. No evasive maneuvers, as charmingly unorthodox as they were, were necessary."