Garrett had never struck a thinking being in anger and stood astonished at himself. The blood and gore had sprayed everywhere and it smelled horrible. He was shocked and froze in place, dripping ax in his hand. He'd responded well to the emergency, but what the hell was he supposed to do now? Nobody had covered after action in his training.
The rapid response team jogged down the hall to him with carbines held at ready. Two positioned themselves looking down the corridor each way and the squad leader came up to Garrett, tipping the ballistic shield back from his face.
"Why didn't you just call housekeeping, Ax-Boy?" he said grinning. "You left shit-all for us to do, unless you have a mob of them cornered behind the door."
"A Taser," Garrett said amazed, pointing down at the little plastic weapon. "The stupid son of a bitch tried to take me with a Taser. He obviously had no clue that a Taser just irritates the hell out of a Derf."
"Well he won't make that mistake again," he said cheerfully. "I've called the Mothers and the manager is on the way too." He gave Garrett a grin and a solid comradely thump on the shoulder. "Nice to see the clan has a by the gods real Champion, not scared to bloody the ax."
Chapter 49
The Sharp Claws was into their run for jump leaving the Gilead system, when a message drone from Earth caught up and entered the system.
"Sharp Claws, we have a complaint and demands we detain you from the USNA. I don't know how they expect us to detain an armed ship when we have no military, but they sent the system scan of your passage through the Earth/Moon system. I'm attaching it in the data stream. You will make transition before we can exchange transmissions again."
"The message is from the USNA only, not any other Earth powers or authorities. Be aware they are trying to enlist others to detain you. They indicate you killed around twelve hundred and destroyed over two hundred billion Dollars NA of infrastructure."
"You are advised we would rather not get dragged into your dispute. Despite not having a useable direct jump to Earth we are two jumps away via three other stars. We are so closely tied to Earth economically we need their goodwill. Please don't put us in the position of being asked to fuel or service Red Tree vessels again. End message."
"I won't be here to hear a reply, but I suggest that if you desire neutrality you have two options. You may either service both USNA vessels and Red Tree vessels, or you can service neither. Having barred us, if you service military assets of the USNA we will not only consider you an ally of North America, but we will feel free to take prizes and conduct military operations in your system. Sharp Claws, out."
"We need fuel scooping drones and processing gear," Thor said. "I would hate to go in a system low on fuel and find the USNA has strong armed them into refusing to do business with us. I'd rather scoop my own with some fellow yelling I'm violating his franchise, than try to extract it at gun point from a terminal. There are just too many ways they can damage your ship and strand you, once you dock and hook a pipe up."
"Well, twelve jumps in a big semicircle and we will be at Fargone. Let's try to stay ahead of the news from Earth and hope they don't talk anybody into trying to stop us."
* * *
"Your Dad is on the station and asking to be taken to you," Diana told Lee. "It would be easier, security wise, to take you to him. There are few Derf at Fargone and you will be much less conspicuous to move. Are you game to visit him up there?"
"Oh, yes! I like space stations. They always have great people watching and interesting shopping. Do you mind Clare coming along if she wants?"
"I didn't figure we could pry you apart if we tried. We'd just have to separate somebody to watch her solo if we did. Bring her along."
* * *
Sharp Claws made a conservative jump to System 834, refusing to respond to a hail there from a mining group, paranoid after their problems with Gilead. System 809 which was silent and apparently empty passed easily and they stopped in Survey System 1001, a mining system with a very small population, but a fuel service. Apparently they had outrun the news of their raid on Earth and nobody was inclined to try to detain them. They were well along a long arc curving away from Earth tracking back towards Fargone.
Survey System 1219 their next transit was listed in the base as uninhabited. They made a minimum velocity jump, conserving fuel and made a leisurely turn to exit the system. They probably looked like a freighter. The hail they got was unexpected.
"This is the University of Toronto Astrological Survey ship Dr. Whitney. I'm Dr. Ben Levi. We haven't seen much traffic through this system. You’re only the second ship in four months. Do you have a news summary you can dump to us? We've been a bit isolated here. We're doing a student field trip and a bit of archeology and will be heading home in two weeks."
"This is the nation of Red Tree vessel Sharp Claws. We just got an abbreviated dump exiting Gilead. We'd be happy to share that. This system seems unremarkable. What is interesting about it?" Fred Pierson asked.
"It has some unusual isotopic ratios. And it would appear a lot of that material with skewed ratios is missing. One theory is the system was mined in the past. Not by a native intelligence of course, there isn't anywhere habitable, never has been, rather by a race from outside the system. We're looking at perturbed orbits and examining the surface of asteroids and moons for signs of extraction. We're even looking for the sort of artifacts that might have been discarded as trash, like broken machine parts from mining equipment. An old bolt or a discarded piece of packaging would tell us a lot." He got enthused talking about their research.
"Do you think it was mined recently?" Thor asked, curious.
"Oh my, yes! Some of the instabilities still propagating in the ring system of the second gas giant indicate it was perturbed as recently as two million years ago. You will have to read the paper on it when we have it published. It's exciting."
Thor and Pierson looked across the consoles at each other and rolled their eyes.
"The registry says the Dr. Whitney is a modified exploration vessel of a hundred fifty two meters," Pierson read, mic muted. "She is USNA registered. She carries a crew of three to six and as many as sixteen researchers. But it is a fifteen year old ship. She will of course have short range defenses being an explorer. They might have kept her fuel plant and ram scoops. That would be nice to have."
"Gordon is quite fond of the High Hopes and she is that old," Thor pointed out. "Should we seize her?" he asked the entire flight deck crew. " And do we want to run her back to Fargone? That's asking a lot of a prize crew. It's four jumps and a refueling with passengers."
"They might think it worthwhile for several million each in prize money," Their systems tech Arnold pointed out. "I volunteer if you want to do it. Send a few armored Derf if you are worried about them retaking the ship."
"It does have Derf capable corridors," Thor noted.
"Is this some kind of sick joke?" Dr. Levi asked. "The plot on that dump you sent me shows an attack on the Earth system."
"No joke fellow. The nation of Red Tree is at war with the USNA," Pierson assured him.
"I don't believe it. Nobody goes to war anymore. It's stupid and barbaric."
"Why don't you get me a crewman Professor? Somebody with command authority."
"Somebody still connected to reality," he said off mic.
"They are all busy getting ready to break down our moon huts and stow them aboard. That's why I'm sitting at the radio, because we only have a crew of three."
"Gods forbid he get his hands dirty," Arnold muttered. "I've worked for the type."
"Doctor, this is why they have a watch on the radio, in case you have an unusual communication. You don't have to fetch them to the radio, just connect me to their suit radio."
Thor hit his mute button. "I'm going to seize this ship. The idiot academic pushed me over the edge to decide we should grab it. He needs somebody to pull his head out of his ass and reacquaint him with reality. Set a minimum fuel course to approach."
"Yes, Dr. Levi?
"Half a year and these fellows are not on a first name basis?" Pierson asked Thor.
"Yeah it sounds like a real love fest," Thor agreed. Captain Talbert sounded like he was short of breath from hard physical labor. He also sounded short of patience.
"Captain we have a ship in system transit, the Sharp Claws, they are making outrageous claims and asked to speak with you. They insist they are at war with the USNA and showed a plot of an Earth system attack. I think I have them tied in a three way now."
"Captain Talbert, this is com tech Fred Pierson for Commander Thor of the nation of Red Tree vessel Sharp Claws. Opening com to Thor." He transmitted Thor's image and the command deck around him. He made sure there were both Derf and Humans on camera.
"Sir, We are maneuvering to intercept your location by radio fix and will be sending a prize crew by shuttle to seize the Dr. Whitney under letters of marque from our nation. Your personal belonging and university equipment will be unmolested. You will be repatriated from the Fargone system as quickly as possible. Please stand to and do not try to power up or illuminate us with radar, as we will take that as a hostile act," Thor explained.
"Thor, is that your given name or family name?" he asked.
"It is my name for dealing with humans," Thor explained. "My legal Derf name is an abbreviated genealogical linage with which few wish to deal. I attach Thor onto the end."
"Very well, Commander Thor, what sort of vessel do you command?"
"The Sharp Claws is an enhanced Santa Fe class destroyer, a hundred and twenty-eight meters long. She was taken as a prize for our navy by the nation of Red Tree heavy cruiser Retribution."
"I see. Commander, I surrender to you. I will make my way back to the Dr. Whitney and relieve our leader of expedition. I have a number of civilians to protect. I won't give you any trouble as long as they get preserved alive and well."
"You can't just give up like that with no fight at all!" Dr. Levi protested. "We have no idea if any of this is true. It could be some freighter and we have no proof there is any war. They could be plain old pirates for all you know. I'm expedition leader and I didn't tell you to surrender!"
"Don't be an ass, Levi. That is the flight deck of a warship behind the man, even if you can't tell the difference. Do you think they created a huge complicated video and system plot, on the off chance they would run into somebody to fool with it out in the middle of nowhere? Use some of that supposedly high powered brain to apply Occam's Razor. I'm not about to risk my crew or your students trying to fight a modern warship with this wallowing old tub. If there is no war let the courts sort it out later Doctor."
"He's not a man," Levi said between clutched teeth.
"Best you don't expound on that," Captain Talbert suggested. "If you don't piss him off, you will me, I can just about guarantee."
"Very well, but I'm going to report your cowardice and insubordination."
"Sure, go bitch that I saved you from your own stupidity. I'm about halfway back and I don't want to see that you have messed with anything on my ship."
"Aren't you going to continue packing up the huts?" Levi asked.
"Moon huts are cheap. I don't think we're going to have time for them. I'll tell the students to save data first, then whatever equipment that can be salvaged according to expense."
"That's my job to instruct the students."
"Then pull your thumb out of your butt and do your job, instead of talking nonsense. Commander Thor, just how much time do we have to evacuate our people and equipment?"
"We are making a minimum fuel approach and will launch our shuttle from beyond your weapon range, figure eighteen hours. We will take your crew aboard and at least some of the students. It is understood I hope, that if you fire upon our shuttle we will destroy your vessel."
"We didn't want weapons on a University ship, but they wouldn't license us without them on this class vessel," Dr. Levi said. "We certainly are not going to use the filthy things."
"That may be, but we will still send the prize crew by shuttle. You might rationalize that you really aren't using them on men," he said, sarcastically. "You seem a bit conflicted and this will remove any temptation. If you have to risk anyone to meet that time frame talk to me and maybe we can ease the schedule."
* * *
"I've seen this fellow," the manager Mr. Martin said. For a hotel manager he seemed undisturbed at the mutilated corpse and the mess all over his plush carpeted corridor. "He was with the State Department Lady, who did the advance setup for the USNA delegation. There was another fellow, but neither of them said 'Boo'. They just sat in the lobby and waited on Ms. Cooper to handle everything."
The officer from Station Security just lifted a very skeptical eyebrow. "Would you have security video of this other fellow?" He'd just seen the corridor video of the killing.
"Oh sure, I'll get that for you."
"Might I ask if Ms. Cooper is also a guest of the hotel?"
"Oh, I don't mind revealing that. She didn't ask for her presence to be confidential. I can summon her if you wish, before moving the body."
The cop looked down at the body. "Perhaps that would be instructive. However let's show some delicacy and throw a sheet over him and just expose the face if she agrees to identify him."
"Perhaps I should withdraw?" Garrett suggested. "My presence like this," he waved a hand over the bloody ax and armor, "might be inflammatory. I'd like to clean up anyway."
"Yes, good idea. If we learn anything of significance we'll let you know."
"Thanks," Garrett said, leaving quickly before anyone changed their mind. He was trying not to show the relief he felt inside. He had not been completely sure if they would call it a clean killing, or argue he should have recognized the Taser as harmless.
* * *
"Gordon!" Lee squealed and launched herself into his arms. The impact rocked him back, but he recovered.
"Well, I was thinking about coming for a visit," he allowed, grinning.
"It was safer to move her than you," Jesus explained. "There aren't that many Derf here and you'd stand out like a sore thumb."
"I should have figured that out myself," Gordon allowed. Jesus just shrugged like it was no big deal.
Clare was hanging back, tense with that scared rabbit – ready to run look.
"What's wrong Clare?" Lee asked confused.
"It's just, he's so big," Clare admitted with a tremor in her voice.
Gordon turned back into the suite waving them in and sat down to not tower over her so much. Jesus put his arm around Clare's shoulders and steered her to a seat well away from Gordon. She came along reluctantly.
"Clare, sometimes your brain has this stuff hard wired into it and there is no helping how you feel," Gordon allowed. "Your hind-brain just screamed PREDATOR! And that is built in there for good reason. Take your time and it will ease off when you see nothing bad happens. You got a little adrenaline jolt and it takes time to metabolize it. Would you like something to drink? A little snack maybe?"
"You're a very hospitable predator," Clare giggled, embarrassed at making a scene. "I'm starved, at least I was a minute ago and I bet Lee is too. Whatever you want to do for lunch is fine."
* * *
"Thor, we have a problem," trooper Ernest told him. "We are perhaps two hours from finishing loading and Captain Talbert informed me that Doctor Levi left him a hand written note that he has left their base area and has taken an extra suit breather pack and intends to stay hidden so that we can't leave."
"You are leaving the moon huts. I assume you didn't drain the stills or atmosphere. Did you leave any rations?"
"All the regular food is reloaded, as is the field kitchen. There are the emergency f
ood supplies in the huts, just like first aid kits and patch kits."
"Drop a crate of MREs in a hut and attach a note to the good Doctor that we will advise his university and government he chose to stay behind. Broadcast that you are leaving it, in case he is not down a hidey-hole too deep to receive a transmission. If they decide the expense of rescuing him is worthwhile they can do so. It's the sort of thing they may have to do for public opinion, but I don't imagine they will be very happy about it. Don't tell the students. Some idiot child may decide to join him out of hero worship. I'm not going to unload half this crap for a mob of sudden joiners."
* * *
The rapid response team, the Innkeeper, all three Mothers, the State Department rep and a station employee, made for a bit of a mob in corridor.
The Innkeeper Mr. Martin pulled the sheet back from the dead man's face. Ms Cooper's face flared with anger, but her words surprised them. "Well Smitty, you finally did something too stupid to survive." Her lips were a thin line, but her anger was directed at the corpse.
"Can the station authority bag him up and store him for shipment, or to go back with us?" she asked. "I suppose there is family who will want him returned for burial."
"We have had to deal with deceased guests before," Mr. Martin acknowledged. "I'll make arrangements and get you a receipt. Is there anything you need to get off him, any paperwork or equipment that is sensitive, or proprietary?"
"He wasn't even supposed to have that," she said, pointing at the Taser, laying on the deck. "The stupid son of a bitch might as well have had a pickle fork, for all the good that stupid thing was going to do him. He wasn't acting on my orders, so I have no idea if he has any more Junior Secret Agent crap on his person or back in his luggage. I'd guess he has some kind of a bug he was going to plant."
"I understand if you'd rather not talk about it, but might the other gentleman with you be assigned to engage in this sort of activity?"
Family Law Page 48