by C. R. Daems
"Colonel Pannell believes you are either a modern day witch or have a direct line to the space gods," Webb began, staring at me as if it would help him decide. "He claims this isn't the first time your alertness saved the day." He appeared to be awaiting a comment. I was tempted to shrug but knew that wouldn't work with a full admiral.
"Extreme paranoia, sir. After a while your mind is always considering what if," I said, knowing Red didn't want credit, and I wasn’t interested in a psych evaluation.
He gave a genuine laugh. "You don't look like a witch, so we'll give the space gods the credit. All right, Lulltrel, what's the bad news, since you brought Paulus?"
"During their recent visits to Black Water, Truth Star, and Oxax, Paulus and Hadley discovered the names of the merchant ships the FPU cruisers are using to access the WavCom," Lulltrel began. "And she now believes her staff has sufficient data to predict their selection criteria and can therefore predict the who, when, and where the next hijacking will occur."
"With one hundred percent accuracy?" Webb asked. I shook my head involuntarily before Lulltrel could answer.
"With a high degree of reliability but not one hundred percent. There are too many factors, and it would take months, which could cause one or more of the FPU cruisers to be alerted to the fact we know their criteria."
"So we could stop the hijacking but not get all of the cruisers and the survivor or survivors could continue with a new system. Is that about right?"
"Yes, sir. Paulus has suggested a different approach," Lulltrel said and nodded to me. Webb's stare went from her to me.
"Sir, I believe the FPU cruisers access the WavCom each day or two to update their database. That database tracks merchants and UAS cruisers in the Northern Rim systems and is used to select their next merchant." I paused, awaiting questions, and took a sip of my coffee. When Webb nodded, I continued. "I talked with Captain Choi and he thought four cruisers, one with WavCom stripping equipment, sitting idle at the WavCom, should be enough to take on the FPU cruiser," I said and saw Webb's eyes light with excitement.
"So twelve cruisers, and you believe we can destroy the FPU Hijackers…in days?" Webb asked, a predatory look in his eyes.
"We need a NIA operator on one of the four ships at the WavCom…" Lulltrel said, leaving the sentence unfinished.
"Volunteers, since there is no guarantee the ship with the equipment operator can remain out of the subsequent battle," Webb said slowly, as if voicing his thoughts…”and since we have the HoBos to contend with, it would have to be a closely held secret." Webb looked to me and smiled. "Of course, you volunteered. Your mother should have my job. She must have nerves of battle metal."
"She believes Red and I were meant to chase evil people," I said, wishing I hadn't included Red.
"Red?"
"I would have died at age four except for Red," I said stroking his red tail, which was dangling over my shoulder and onto my chest. "He found me in the winter, in the snow, when he should have been hibernating."
Webb stared at Red for a long time before speaking. "Lulltrel, meeting tomorrow morning. Captain Choi, you, Paulus, and any other volunteers to discuss Operation…" he laughed, "Rabbit."
* * *
When I arrived at Webb's conference room Hadley was already there, pacing the room.
"You are going to be all sweaty and…" I paused for effect. "If you keep pacing like that."
"Aren't you nervous speaking with Admiral Webb?" Hadley whispered in desperation.
"What's the worst he can do if you upset him? Reduce you in grade a rank or two? Give you a posting on Shadows Rest?" I put my finger to my pursed lips like I was thinking.
"Yes. Exactly," she whispered again, but this time louder. I pointed to the closest chair. When she sat I moved behind her and began massaging her shoulders. The tension in her muscles slowly began to dissolve. Then she froze. "Red…"
"Think of it. If he bites you, I have the antivenin and you can get out of the meeting."
Hadley laughed and truly relaxed. "Being around you is exhilarating and terrifying in equal doses—" Hadley stood abruptly as Choi and Lulltrel entered. Lulltrel waved us to relax while continuing to talk with Choi.
"Attention," Webb's aide shouted, as Webb entered.
"Relax," Webb said, looking around the room. "I see we are one short."
"Not everyone likes cruisers, especially one going to war," Lulltrel said. "Commander Hadley," Lulltrel nodded in her direction, "has been seduced by Paulus." She laughed.
"Commander Hadley, thank you for volunteering." He nodded to her. "Captain Choi, what are you recommending?"
"I think four UAS cruisers out approximately one hundred kilometers from the WavCom. I understand one will require WavCom equipment, and we will try to keep that one from entering the battle if possible. Three should be sufficient against one FPU cruiser."
"Paulus, any thoughts?"
"Yes, sir. We believe the UAS cruisers the Ceto, Graeae, Hecate, Laelaps, Boreas, and Oedipus have HoBos on them. Although I don't believe the HoBos would interfere with the ship, they might see Commander Hadley or me as a tempting prize, as well as information about project Rabbit."
"Do you know who the HoBos are?" Webb asked, looking like a wounded Kodiak bear searching for something to kill.
"Not by name, sir. Only which ships they were on within the last three to four weeks," I said, realizing one or more of them could have changed ships in the meantime. "I didn't want to disturb the HoBos, as they have a link to the Hijackers."
"Choi?"
"What if I take a task force to Safe Harber while another Captain leads a task force to Oasis, planning to arrive the same day? We'll take out the FPU at Safe Harber, then move on to Shadows Rest."
"Sir, can we have the task force stay at Oasis after they engage the FPU cruiser?" I asked, an unclear thought nagging at me.
"Why, Paulus?"
"In case the FPU cruiser at Shadows Rest attempts to communicate with the FPU cruisers at Safe Harber or Oasis. Or someone on Oasis tries to communicate with Shadows Rest."
We spent another hour discussing various what if scenarios. Finally, Webb set the start of Operation Rabbit at ten days from today. He would let Choi and Lulltrel know the details as they were developed. When the admirals and Choi had left, Hadley walked with me to my office.
"I'm glad Red didn't bite me," she said as the door closed behind her.
"Why?" I asked reflectively.
"Because I wouldn't have wanted to miss that meeting for anything. And I'm going to be helping to catch very evil people—on a warship." She whirled in a circle with her arms outstretched, laughing. "Thanks, Anna. I'm glad you're here."
* * *
"Well, Daughter, how did the meeting go?" Alexa asked as we sat down to eat.
"Teresa volunteered to go. She's as excited as I was at getting admitted to the Naval Academy." I laughed. "Neither Byrnes or Leyva were interested."
"Can't blame them. As we get older we have more to consider about the consequences if something should happen, versus the rewards."
"I—" I started to apologize for volunteering when Alexa put her finger to her lips.
"It's what you were created to do and I fully support you." She rose and put her arm around me and gave me a kiss on the forehead, ignoring Red, who was in my hair.
"Admiral Webb said you should have his job because you must have nerves like battle metal, with a daughter like me," I said and gave a weak smile. "I think you are on loan from the space gods."
When Alexa let go, both are cheeks were soaking wet from crying. "When do you leave?" Alexa asked.
"Webb thinks in ten days. Maybe we could take some time off and do something," I suggested, thinking it would be good for Alexa and me to have some quality time together.
* * *
"Mother, my ride is here," I shouted upstairs. Alexa appeared a few seconds later and proceeded down the stairs.
"How does it feel to be out of uniform?" she
asked, smiling at me while looking me over.
"I feel more normal, even though dressed in a green silk blouse and pantsuit. In my uniform I feel like I'm wearing someone else's. Now I just feel like I'm in disguise," I said. Alexa laughed.
"You look all grown up and perfect." She hugged me, gave me a kiss on the cheek, and took a step back. "Take care of her, Red," she said softly. "Calm seas and gentle winds, my daughter."
I blew her a kiss and left quickly before I started crying. Leaving Alexa was always hard. I knew it caused Alexa unnecessary stress and I felt adrift when away from home. Sometimes I felt like a small child…but it didn't bother me. Alexa had saved me from a life of horrors.
Pannell waited just outside with two civilian skimmers, which I'd wager were armed. He and his detail were in civilian clothes.
I grinned. "I'd imagine you feel as strange in civilian clothes as I do in uniform."
He nodded. "Like I'm going to a masquerade party."
The ride to the spaceport was short, where we picked up Hadley before proceeding to the space station. There we found the UAS Tityus. Pannell handled the authorization paperwork for everyone. Hadley and I were listed as civilian contractors, and he and his detail as a security escort, implying it was more to watch us than protect us while we were on the ship. We were escorted to our quarters. There Hadley and I had been assigned a two-person room with a fresher.
"Second thoughts?" I asked as we unpacked.
"None. I'm a bit nervous, but more about not being able to help catch the Hijackers than being hurt. I feel like I'm making a real contribution and I'm proud of being part of the NIA."
A knock at the door interrupted us. When I opened it, one of our security guards stood next to a petty officer second class as the other security guard addressed me. Ma'am, Captain Mendoza has invited you to join him for dinner at twenty hundred hours.
"Thank you. Petty Officer, thank the captain and tell him we will be delighted to join him," I said and closed the door. "Oh, I shouldn't have accepted for you. You may not want to go." I tried to look serious but it was hard with Hadley's jaw hanging loose.
"Your incorrigible," she said and threw a pillow at me.
* * *
A petty officer came to escort us to the captain's dining room a few minutes before twenty hundred hours. When we entered, the captain and a full commander stood talking. Good evening…ladies," he said not sure how to address us, indicating that he hadn't been told much about the mission or us. I'm Captain Mendoza and this is Commander Ashton, my XO."
"What are you orders, Captain?" I asked before introducing us. Mendoza gave me a strange look, since he had expected Hadley, clearly the oldest, to speak. He hesitated until I pulled out my P1A authorization card.
I was told to pick up a party of civilians and deliver them to Truth Star…space, where I will be given further orders.
"Do you have any special Comm equipment installed?" I asked.
"Yes, it was installed yesterday."
"Sorry for all the questions, Captain. I'm Commander Paulus and she is Commander Hadley. We are both NIA agents. I believe you are going to be part of a task force hunting FPU cruisers. The secrecy is necessary, as the FPU are operating a hijacking operation and they have extensive contacts. Commander Hadley and I will be acting as the task forces eyes and ears," I said as Red made his grand entry. Mendoza and Ashton took a step backward.
"You're that Paulus," Ashton said. "Captain, remember I told you about a Navy commander who saved the Vulcan when a bunch of men with the Coaca Virus gained access to the ship. I was the Weapons Officer at the time."
"This is far more exciting than I had anticipated," Mendoza said, smiling ear-to-ear. We are hunting FPU cruisers and I'm hosting a celebrity."
I blushed, as he was treating me as senior when it should have been Hadley. She didn't seem to mind. She was too excited to care. Over dinner Ashton retold the story of the Vulcan and I was questioned about the details, since Ashton's version was mostly rumors—some truth and a lot of imagination. The mood at dinner was electric. We were all equally excited about the upcoming confrontation. Afterward Mendoza took us to the Bridge to see the equipment. Hadley sat at the console for a few minutes, then gave me a thumbs-up sign.
We ate with the Captain two more times on the three-day trip to Truth Star. Late on the third day we arrived at the designated location, where Choi called for a face-to-face meeting on the Scylla.
The conference room had eight captains, Hadley, Pannell, and me present when Choi called for order. "Ladies and gentlemen, we are going to war. We have three FPU cruisers in UAS space. Our job is to find and destroy them." Smiles, laughs, clapping, and hoots greeted the announcement. Captain Mendoza will lead Rabbit One." Choi had to stop to let the snickers and comments subside.
"Who came up with that code name?" one of the captains asked. Choi pointed to me.
"Commander Paulus, Admiral Lulltrel's resident pit bull," he said. I bowed to clapping.
"Hijackers are predators and evil. Rabbits are cautious animals. I felt we needed to be cautious while we hunted their locations and ascertained their methodology," I said.
"Paulus was right. They kidnapped her on Westar," Choi said.
"How did you get free?" a woman captain asked. Hadley surprised me by answering.
"You don't kidnap pit-bulls," she said and smiled. "If you're smart, you don’t play with them, you kill them."
Choi was quick to bring the meeting back to the issue. "Captain Mendoza will lead Rabbit One which consists of the Tityus, Janus, Typhon, and the Keres. I will lead Rabbit Two which will consist of the Scylla, Rhode, Sparta, and Artemis. Rabbit One will proceed to Oasis, where it will deploy its taskforce equidistant from the WavCom and wait for Commander Hadley to signal the presence of the FPU cruiser. Rabbit Two will proceed to Safe Harber with Commander Paulus. Afterward, Rabbit Two will proceed to Shadows Rest and repeat the operation. Rabbit One will remain at Oasis, monitoring the WavCom for further orders."
* * *
"Well, Paulus, any observations?" Choi asked that night at dinner with his XO, Commander Jacoby, and Dr. Cahill.
"They have nothing to lose," I said without thinking.
"It's a shame about the krait. I think you'd make a good captain," Choi said, as if thinking out loud.
"I know you explained how a red-headed krait can keep the virus dormant, but not that they can be made to stay with someone," Cahill said but it was a question--how did you acquire one?
"That's the crux of the problem. One krait can only support one person. He feeds on your blood and injects you with a poison that keeps the poison in check. But then he's not hungry for a day or two. And a person with the Coaca Virus can't go four days without an injection. But your real question is, why am I the only person with her own krait?" I paused for a sip of coffee and Cahill nodded imperceptibly. “Because for reasons only Red knows, our relationship is symbiotic. He adopted me at age four and never leaves my body and won't bite anyone else—they tried when he was first discovered."
"Never?" Cahill said in disbelief.
"Never."
* * *
I woke two hours before we were scheduled to arrive in Safe Harber space, dressed, ate, arrived at the Bridge a half hour early, and took my seat at the WavCom equipment.
"Good morning, Commander Paulus. When you detect the…"
"Star Trader, Captain."
"Star Trader, you will notify me and remain on the Bridge. It's the safest part of the ship for obvious reasons." Choi went on to deploy his taskforce, set up tight beam connections, and reduce power to a minimum. "Now the hard part--waiting." He snorted.
After eight hours had passed, Choi had the conference room set up as sleeping quarters and had meals delivered. I chose to sleep at my station, curled up in the chair with a pillow. I woke to a buzzing sound from the WavCom equipment and quickly scanned the request scrolling across the screen:
FROM: TRADER SLIM JIM. RETRIEVE MESSAGES.
All eyes were focused on me. I shook my head in the negative as I scanned the messages to make certain they hadn't changed names. Everything looked normal. I sat back and closed my eyes. Over the next twelve hours four more requests were received. When the next buzzing sounded, no one moved—like the boy calling wolf—the buzzing had become routine and boring.
FROM TRADER STAR TRADER. RETRIEVE MESSAGES.
"Captain, it's the FPU cruiser using the merchant identification Star Trader," I said, and everyone snapped awake.
"Comm, message to all ships. Target ship currently broadcasting in quadrant four near the Rhode's position. In thirty seconds I will demand the cruiser cut all power. If it moves, you are ordered to destroy the ship." Choi sat back watching the clock. "Comm, general broadcast."
"You're live, sir."
"Unknown ship, you are surrounded by UAS cruisers. Cut power or be destroyed." Silence followed for what seemed an eternity but was probably less than a minute. I watched the hologram projection in the middle of the Bridge which showed the four UAS cruisers, tagged U1 through U4 in blue, and the FPU cruiser tagged P1 in red. P1 appeared close to U2, the Rhode, and looked not far from U4, the Sparta, although in reality they were hundreds of kilometers apart. As Choi activated the mic on his chair, P1's red spot blossomed, filling the screen, and seconds later the ship was slammed with a force that caused loose objects to fly like cannon balls, my seat restraints squeezed the air out of me, and I thought my ribs had fractures. I tasted blood and lost consciousness. When I regained consciousness, the ship had stopped its violent movement.
"Comm, connect to the taskforce," Choi said sounding drunk through the ringing in my ears. And through blurry eyes he looked to be unsteady. A few were lying limp in their chairs. Seeing the Comm officer unable to use his right arm, I unbuckled and move to his panel. It took me a minute, but I managed to connect to the three ships.
"Connected to the Sparta and Artemis. The Rhode isn't answering, sir."
"Sparta, what's your status?" Choi asked.
"We aren't functional, Choi. That explosive ripped half the ship open to space."
"Artemis, what's your status?" Choi asked.