XD:317 (Fourth Fleet Irregulars)
Page 78
‘Prof. Garaghty has been busy,’ Martine observed, seeing this.
So had Depice Alard, the new Merchant Shipping Liaison Officer, as became apparent in the new procedures for processing ships into port. The length of time it took had not been noticeably changed, but the warmth of welcome certainly had. Arriving ships were now greeted with a gift-box of a hot meal and treats, brought out to them by shuttle. They were also provided with a ‘welcome to Ancient Alar’ pack which included promotional vouchers for a spacer-friendly bar-restaurant at the spaceport, discount on rooms at a new groundside spaceport hotel and a free entry VIP ticket to the Discovered World exhibit.
This time, there was no hesitation in returning their salute. Three seconds after they slipped into parking orbit and fired their salute to the system, both the SDF and homeworld squadron blazed back blank fire. Moments later, Alex’s respects to the port admiral were replied to with an order for him to report to the office at once.
He had to delay a little, though, sending his apologies, as an even higher priority call had come in.
‘Alex!’ President Tanaya hailed him with delight. ‘Good to see you back, bob!’
‘Thank you, sir,’ Alex gave a brief, cool smile. He was quite glad that he was not going to have to be the one who broke the news to President Tanaya that a whole new alien species had materialised at the border. ‘The port looks good and busy,’ he observed.
‘You don’t know the half of it!’ The president laughed. ‘It’s been all go here while you were out on your patrol. The boffins turned up this Allarree skeleton that it turns out was in the university all along – did you know about that?’
‘I’d heard rumours about it,’ Alex admitted.
‘Well, quite something,’ President Tanaya said. ‘They’ve done this reconstruction thing, you should go see it while you’re here. But I wanted to say thanks, bob. Loads of ships are coming here now, even freighters and yachts coming from Canelon because of this Allarree thing. You’ve done us proud, bob, you really have. And get this!’ He was grinning hugely. ‘We’ve got one of the Founding Families moving in here, how rock is that? Casey Alamar – do you know her, at all?’ He was evidently aware that Alex was on friendly terms with Davie North. There was a question within a question there, too, a searching look that conveyed that the president was wondering whether Alex had had anything to do with Casey Alamar’s arrival.
‘No, not at all,’ Alex said, in a tone that assured the president that it was nothing to do with him. Even as he said it, though, the thought occurred to him that it probably wasn’t a coincidence that Davie North’s yacht was in port. ‘It’s good news, though, I take it?’ he was a little surprised, knowing how fiercely egalitarian the Novamasians were.
‘Are you kidding?’ the president enthused, ‘She’s Founding Families, bob! Those guys, they’re like royalty! And the Alamars are part of the Dressak family that put so much in to Novamas in the colony stage. We wouldn’t have made it past mining-camp without them, that’s for sure. And now she’s coming to live here – well, having a house here, anyway, that she’ll live in part of the time. Her people call it a ski-lodge but our planning guys reckon it’s more of an ice palace – going to be quite something, you know, when it’s built. And she’s already doing tons of stuff for us – paying for a new thing at the university, for there to be a history department. And she’s bringing in a liner to be a space education centre for our kids, so all our kids can have the same kind of trip you gave the Greenstar kids and my lads, seeing our world from space and all that. They’re talking about us having a zoo, too, so we get to see more animals. Tari Snowden’s very keen on that.’
Alex, aware that the Diplomatic Corps had already committed to taking as many different animals as feasible for the Gider to see, understood at once that Novamas was both to be the excuse for those animals being brought out from other worlds, and the secondary beneficiary. And it would benefit them, too, as he also realised at once. Kids who’d been on trips into space and seen animals from other worlds would not grow up quite so insular as their parents. And Casey Alamar, clearly, was going to be a very generous resident, supporting both the exodiplomacy effort and the push to bringing Novamas into full participation with the rest of the League.
Alex felt fairly sure that she was here because Davie North had asked her to come. She was probably one of his many cousins. Whether she was here at his request or on her own initiative, though, it was obviously going to be a good thing for Novamas.
‘Anyway,’ said the president, ‘I wanted to get in quick – I know you’re not stopping long. But we want to have a thing, you know, a parade, to show our appreciation for everything you’ve done for us – it’s been voted in the Senate, we want to give you a Freedom of the System thing, like they did at Karadon and Penrys.’
Oh, great, Alex groaned inwardly. Another interminable parade, embarrassing speeches, small child with large bouquet and an excruciating drinks reception afterwards.
‘How kind, sir, thank you,’ he said.
He was aware, as he spoke, of a huge cheer breaking out around the ship, with scenes of jubilation everywhere. This was nothing to do with reaction to the news that they were being given the Freedom of the System, since none of the crew would be any more enthusiastic about that than Alex was himself. It was, as he discovered once he’d ended the call with the president, a reaction to the news that their supplies of coffee had arrived from Penrys.
Alex was still beaming happily at that, himself, as he went over to the space station, though he was as expressionless as always once he left the shuttle. This time, they were ready for him, a security box already open for him to pass his gun through scanners, and warm smiles all round.
There were no warm smiles when he was shown into the new port admiral’s office. Admiral Tennet, a lady who looked as if she lived on vinegar and dry crackers, did not do warmth. She’d been Captain Tennet the last Alex had heard, obviously promoted into this post. And it was a promotion, now, as the isolated little outpost world was now gearing up to much greater importance as a port, as well as being an exodiplomacy hot-zone.
‘Congratulations,’ she said, so drily it sounded sarcastic. ‘First contact ambassador, presidential envoy – you’re getting to be quite a force in League affairs.’
‘Ma’am,’ Alex said, noncommittally. It would be a waste of time to tell her that he did not consider himself to be any kind of force in anything, just a frigate skipper doing his best with whatever missions he was given.
‘Though your progress,’ she observed, ‘is not without casualties.’ She fixed him in a piercing gaze. ‘Just tell me one thing, will you, von Strada? One straight answer to one straight question. Did you set out either to embarrass Harry Alington, or to bring down Alford Vickers?’
‘No, ma’am,’ Alex answered, at once, and with calm sincerity. He just left it at that, though. He could protest that he’d done his best to help and advise Harry Alington and that he’d done no more than respond to Alford Vickers’ vitriolic unprofessionalism with cold formality. Protesting, though, excusing himself, would cut no ice with Terrible Tennet.
‘Hmmmn.’ That steady response from him got a look almost of approval from her, albeit an approval mixed with sour amusement. ‘Well, you can’t blame the mountain,’ she commented.
Alex had no idea what she was talking about. It was, in fact, a reference to a folk-tale from her homeworld. In it, an amphibian that had natural camouflage to look like a stone saw a mountain and tried to look as big and impressive as it was, a variation of ‘the frog that burst’ fable that was found on many worlds.
‘Anyway,’ she said, seeing no response from him on that, ‘Let’s have your report, then.’ She settled herself with an air of critical anticipation.
‘Ma’am,’ Alex acknowledged. ‘But if I may – there is a situation that I would like to put into your hands as soon as possible.’ At her slight nod of assent and interested look, he told her, ‘One of the items o
f mail we received on our way here was a notification that a hundred thousand dollars worth of shares has been bought for me in the consortium that owns the Ladygo V-2-8.’ As she looked completely blank at that, he recognised that she knew nothing about it either, and explained, ‘We encountered the Ladygo on our way to Karadon and I spent a few hours aboard it on shipleave while we were in port – I’m a big fan of the V-2-8, and it was a visit arranged for me by Buzz Burroughs as a treat. At no point, however, was there any discussion about me purchasing any shares in the ownership consortium. Those shares have been purchased anonymously and put in my name. I can’t accept them, obviously. Nobody who knows me could ever imagine I would. So the only thing I can think is that this is some kind of attempt to compromise me.’
‘A lot of money to spend on the chance of compromising you,’ Admiral Tennet observed. ‘Are you sure it wasn’t, say, Mr North, as a friendly gift or a joke?’
Alex shook his head decisively. ‘No friend of mine would do this,’ he said, with certainty. ‘It feels hostile, ma’am, and every minute those shares remain in my name is compromising my integrity. I would very much appreciate it if I could sign them over to you for investigation as an unsolicited gift.’
‘Fair enough,’ she conceded, and as he transferred the documents to her desk, signed the necessary receipts. ‘If it does turn out to be from a legitimate source and Admiralty permission is given for you to accept it, I’ll sign them back to you.’
‘No, ma’am, thank you.’ Alex said, firmly. ‘I don’t accept gifts like this – regardless of who it may be from, or what their intentions were, it isn’t something I’d be comfortable about accepting from anybody. So even if it does turn out to be legal, I’d be grateful if you’d dispose of the value of the shares in whatever way you see fit.’
Terrible Tennet gave him a look of rare approval, and a nod.
‘Very well,’ she said, and having had him sign a disclaimer giving her that authority, put the mystery of the anonymous shares to one side. ‘So,’ she said, settling herself again with an attentive look, ‘your report.’
Alex took a moment, collecting his thoughts, before he started to speak.
It was nearly an hour later that he went back to the Heron. Terrible’s questions were shrewd and searching. At the end of the interrogation, though, she commented that she didn’t see he could have done any better. From Terrible Tennet, that was practically the equivalent of a twenty one gun salute.
Alex had a high degree of respect for her. She might be Old School to the bone, but she was ferociously efficient herself and scrupulously fair, giving credit where it was due. Her handshake and nod of commendation meant a lot to him, and he was grinning happily to himself as he went back aboard the frigate, to the very welcome smell of freshly brewing coffee.
Buzz handed him a mug as he stepped back through the airlock, and Alex took it with a laugh, toasting him.
He hadn’t got halfway through it, though, when Shion called, asking if it would be okay if Davie came over.
Surmising from this that Davie had won his father-son talk about being an adult now and entitled to make his own decisions about where he went and who he socialised with, Alex agreed to that at once. It would, he thought, be good to finally be able to welcome Davie aboard the Heron, even if that did entail advance parties coming aboard to decontaminate the ship and supervise the catering.
When the shuttle came over from the Stepeasy, though, it did not contain an advance party armed with decontamination kits and catering trolleys. Davie North, it seemed, had piloted himself across.
‘Welcome aboard, Mr North.’ Alex said, getting to his feet to shake hands with him as a beaming Shion ushered Davie onto the command deck.
‘Thank you, captain,’ Davie grinned back. He had dressed for the occasion in a green boiler suit, his hair not in glossy ringlets today but scruffed into disorder. As they shook hands, it was dawning on Alex that there was no sign of the retinue – not a lawyer or valet or bodyguard in sight. Davie was here, amazingly, all by himself.
And then Alex noticed he was carrying a kitbag.
We walk beside quiet waters.
The petals fall.
Remember us.
Song of the Alari
Missed the first missions?
Skipper Alex von Strada is one of the Fleet’s highest achieving officers, commanding the corvette Minnow with a company of eccentric officers and last-chance crew sent to him for rehab. After a PR disaster has activists and media storming the Admiralty gates, First Lord Dix Harangay sends Minnow out on a makework patrol. Nobody is expecting that the ‘mission zero’ they've been sent on will turn into a real operation. When it does, the Minnow’s crew has to rise to the challenge and justify their skipper’s faith in them.
Skipper Alex von Strada has a new ship and a new mission. His task is to clean up the infamous deep space station ISiS Karadon. ISiS Corps Director Belassa Torres is determined to defend the station’s independence. Caught between them, manager Chokran Dayfield will find his sanity and even his life on the edge.
Available in paperback and e-book from Amazon, Smashwords and other on-line bookstores
Table of Contents
DEDICATION
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty One
Missed the first missions?