THE BLACK FLEET CRISIS #3 - TYRANTS_TEST

by Michael P. Kube-Mcdowell

  had already been interrogated, and sent the requested information when

  he saw that it had.

  "I thought since they already have the information and we have nothing

  to hide, there was no harm in complying," Manazar explained. "But the

  very next thing, they wanted to talk to the master of the vessel, with

  full holocomm. I've been putting them off until you got here, but I

  don't think they like being put off."

  Barjas nodded. "You did fine, Mazz. I'll take it from here."

  "No," said Eckels. "On the starlanes, this ship is yours, Captain, but

  here in orbit, the expedition leader is in command. I will deal with

  this."

  He crossed the bridge to Penga Rift's small holocomm booth and settled

  himself inside it. "Monitor to station one. Record to personal log

  Eckels. Begin transmission." After a moment's pause, he said, "This

  is Dr. Joto Eckels of the Obroan Institute, expedition leader. Whom

  am I addressing?"

  When the answering holo formed before him, Eck-els felt his body trying

  to retreat deeper into the seat.

  The face was not only intensely alien, but both inhumanly large and

  close enough to violate Eckels's psychological boundaries. It could

  have been no more than that the other was leaning forward toward his

  holo lens, but it made Eckels feel cornered in the booth.

  "I am Colonel Ejagga Pakkpekatt of New Republic Intelligence, said the

  other, showing teeth that were distinctively those of a carnivore. "My

  mission in this sector is under the direct authority of the director

  of

  operations, and with the knowledge and consent of the Senate

  Intelligence Council. What is your business here?"

  "We are conducting a contract survey and excavation of Maltha Obex."

  "And what is the purpose of your survey and excavation?"

  "This is an archaeological research vessel," said Eckels, recovering

  some measure of his equilibrium.

  "Not surprisingly, we're here to do the things archaeologists do--to

  retrieve biological samples and cultural artifacts related to the

  former inhabitants of this planet."

  "Who contracted for this expedition?"

  Eckels considered refusing to answer. There were nondisclosure clauses

  in the standard Institute contracts that offered not only a suitable

  pretext, but also a reasonable defense of his actions after the fact.

  But being difficult would not help move the conversation forward to

  what the visitors really wanted--though Eckels was already sure in his

  own mind what that was. He had had but one thought since the ship had

  arrived, only one explanation for this coincidence--this

  confrontation.

  "Harkin Dyson, a private collector," said Eckels.

  "But come, you know all that already. Tell me, what did Dyson do? I

  should not have trusted him. Men with that much wealth do what they

  want and let the law try to catch up. Please tell me he didn't try

  selling the remains piecemeal."

  Pakkpekatt did not seem interested in Eckels's confessions.

  "Was this contract the only basis for your interest in Maltha Obex?"

  "No," said Eckels. The alien's unblinking gaze was becoming an

  annoyance. "We lost some people here, folks who were working another

  contract. But I would guess you know all about that, too. The rumor

  going around the Institute was that it was an NRI job."

  "Dr. Eckels, I have not asked of you that you tell me only things I

  did not know already," said Pakkpekatt, somehow managing to loom even

  closer.

  "Have you encountered any other vessels since your arrival here?"

  "Just the other NRI ship--" The holo display suddenly dissolved in a

  burst of snowy static. "What happened?"

  "I broke the link," said Manazar. "Doctor, this Pakkpekatt--I just

  identified his species. He's a Hortek."

  "And?"

  "They're supposed to be telepathic. That's why he demanded the holo

  link. He's probably already found out everything he wanted from

  you."

  "Well, I am not telepathic, and I have not found out everything I

  want," Eckels said frostily. "Restore the link."

  "There you are, Doctor," said Pakkpekatt a moment later. "Your reply

  was garbled by the equipment malfunction."

  Eckels nodded. "It was no malfunction, Colonel just a bit of

  clumsiness."

  Pakkpekatt fanned his fingers and gestured dismissively.

  "You were speaking of an NRI ship."

  "When we reached Maltha Obex, there was a military vessel here. I

  presumed it was NRI, though nothing was ever said Openly," Eckels

  said.

  "It was the ship that brought our late colleagues here. The pilot

  guided us to their bodies before he left. That was an unexpected

  courtesy, to have him wait--I do give you credit for that."

  "It was no courtesy, Doctor," said Pakkpekatt.

  "Just a bit of bureaucratic paralysis."

  "I see." Eckels sat forward in the booth. "It was impatience that

  killed Stopa and Krenn, Colonel--their own, and that of whoever dangled

  a bonus worth twice their annual research budget in front of them.

  It's curious that what was so urgent suddenly became unnecessary.

  Or did it? I was willing to accept Dyson at face value, as another of

  the artifact hunters who hover around the Institute. But your arrival

  here is one coincidence too many. Dyson is one of you, isn't he?"

  "I don't know who he is, Doctor," said Pakkpekatt. "A meddler who's

  succeeded in manipulating both of us, it seems."

  Eckels was taken aback by the unexpected answer, but quickly recovered

  his momentum. "What is your business here? And what's this about our

  vessel being at risk? Did you mean that as a warning or a threat,

  Colonel?"

  "A warning," said Pakkpekatt. "A ship may be coming here--a ship that

  has already destroyed or crippled at least five warships from four

  different navies.

  Our business here is to intercept it. Your vessel will be at grave

  risk if you remain here. I suggest you wrap up your work and move

  on."

  "That's not possible, Colonel," said Eckels. "We're scheduled for

  another thirteen days here, and we need every minute of every hour."

  "It may be possible for you to return at another time," said

  Pakkpekatt. "But Maltha Obex is not a safe place to be now."

  "That has been the case for quite some time, Colonel."

  "Are your people willing to keep working on the surface knowing that

  you can't promise them you'll have time to come back for them? Are

  they willing to risk freezing to death with the memory of seeing Penga

  Rift turn into a very brief bright spot in the sky?"

  "You are trying to frighten me, Colonel. That shows a disappointing

  lack of respect," said Eckels.

  "I am trying to save your life, and the lives of those under your

  command."

  "You are trying to protect your secrets," said Eckels.

  "What kind of ship is coming here, Colonel?"

  "One that destroyed an Imperial-design cruiser with ease, just two days

  ago," said Pakkpekatt. "Perhaps you should consult with the captain of

  Penga Rift and ask him how he views the pr
ospect of commanding it in

  battle."

  "I will not cede Maltha Obex to the NRI," said Eckels. "The work is

  important--and a friend died here.

  Both of those things matter to me, Colonel, even if they mean nothing

  to you. Do what you need to here. We won't interfere with your

  business if you grant us the same courtesy."

  "It isn't our interference you need to be concerned with," said

  Pakkpekatt. "Doctor, I cannot offer you protection--" "Oh, yes, from

  the mysterious ship that's no threat to your vessel, but a terrible

  threat to ours. The rampaging juggernaut that dispatches warships with

  ease, yet apparently will cower when confronted by your yacht. I don't

  believe a word of it. Really, Colonel, couldn't you have invented a

  more plausible lie? I thought spies were supposed to be good at

  that--" Pakkpekatt hissed and lunged forward, his threat ruffles

  unfolding. Eckels startled, sitting straight up.

  Even Barjas, watching on the flatscreen display, flinched noticeably.

  "I have spoken only the truth to you," Pakkpekatt said, his voice thick

  with anger. "The dead will wait for you. Leave this place before you

  join them."

  This time, the threat was effective. Only simple stubbornness trumped

  the sudden flash of fear that showed in Eckels's eyes. "Perhaps you

  are telling the truth, as you say," he said. "But if you had the

  authority to order us to leave, you would have already done so. So let

  it just be understood between us that we're staying.

  We accept the risks. Others may return here in the future, but this is

  our time."

  "You do not know what you risk by that decision, Dr. Eckels."

  "You remain free to enlighten me," said Eckels.

  "What kind of ship is coming to Maltha Obex?"

  Pakkpekatt sat back and folded his hands in his lap. "A Qella ship,

  Dr. Eckels."

  Eckels stared, dumbfounded, then cast his gaze downward. Twice he

  opened his mouth as if to speak.

  Both times he momentarily clOSed his eyes and shook his head, as though

  disowning the thought trying to

  reach his lips. Finally he ran a hand back through his thinning hair

  and raised his head.

  "Would you care to come aboard Penga Rift, Colonel?"

  Eckels said, his voice surprisingly steady. "I believe I owe you an

  apology, and then we need to talk."

  "That's what you wanted from the start, isn't it?"

  Taisden said when the link was terminated, looking at Pakkpekatt in

  surprise.

  "I never intended for them to leave," Pakkpekatt agreed. "That ship

  contains all of the New Republic's experts on the Qella. What they

  know--however little-mmay be the difference between success and

  failure."

  "Sure--and if we can make use of them, better to keep them here than

  chase them away. But you played him like a kolo-fisher working a

  record catch," said Taisden. "Chances are you left him thinking he won

  that showdown, with a chance at the vagabond as his reward for hanging

  tough."

  "I had the insuperable advantage of being able to tell the bait from

  the hook," Pakkpekatt said, rising.

  "Still, perhaps there's something about sitting in Calris-sian's couch

  that brings such manipulations more readily to mind and tongue."

  "What manipulations?" Taisden asked, his expression innocent of

  humor.

  "After all, Colonel, just as you said, all you told him was the

  truth."

  But they both knew that Eckels had not yet heard all of the truth.

  Pakkpekatt left Colonel Hammax in command of Lady Luck's flight deck

  and charged Pleck with making the arrangements with Coruscant for the

  recall signal to be rebroadcast from NRI stations and vessels operating

  in the open. Then he and Taisden went across to Penga Rift in the

  research vessel's skiff.

  They brought with them a selection of images from Gmar Asklion, a copy

  of the genetic catalog, and a re quest for one of Penga Rift's orbital

  relay satellites.

  Standard equipment aboard research and exploration vessels--but not

  aboard Lady Luck--the generic hel-met-sized units were ordinarily used

  in sets of three to give a single ship global comm coverage.

  "We can and will originate the recall signal from Lady Luck," Taisden

  explained. "But for obvious reasons, we might not want to be right

  next to the antenna if and when the vagabond jumps in-system."

  A profoundly distracted Joto Eckels agreed with a wave of his hand.

  "Yes, of course. We carry two spares--Mazz will make one available to

  you." The holos of the vagabond escaping from the armada, juxtaposed

  with selected views of the destroyed Prakith cruiser, had made a deep

  impression on Eckels.

  But the major distraction was the dispatch containing the report on the

  Qella genome. "This is very good work," Eckels said, studying the

  sequences on his datapad. "These Eicroth bodies--what an extraordinary

  discovery. This report is based on the single example I delivered to

  Harkin Dyson, yes?"

  "I assume so," said Pakkpekatt. "It appears to be the only Qella

  material to have left the system."

  "Then we do not know if these Eicroth bodies are typical of the

  species, or indicate an abnormal condition, or represent a variant of

  the species," Eckels said.

  "With only a single example, no generalizations can be made."

  "Presumably not."

  Eckels closed his datapad. "Colonel, we have five additional Qella

  bodies in the specimen lab. They've all been fully scanned, but the

  scans haven't yet been reviewed in detail--" "Why not?" Taisden

  interrupted.

  "We scan them as soon as we receive them because of the risk of sample

  deterioration," Eckels said, turning toward the younger man. "Analysis

  is something we can do on the way home, or at the Institute." He

  looked back at Pakkpekatt. "Colonel, we did not know about this

  secondary genetic material. If I could take this data

  back to the lab for a few hours, I may be able to answer that

  question, and perhaps some others as well."

  "That copy is for your use," said Pakkpekatt, "assuming that you will

  accept one restriction."

  "Any reasonable one," said Eckels. "This really must be looked at

  right away."

  "I ask only that the data not leave this vessel in any form, by any

  channel, until we better understand it. If what you hold there is in

  fact the key to stopping and controlling the vagabond--" "I

  understand.

  An intact Qella vessel would be a treasure far too valuable to risk.

  This data will not leave my personal custody," Eckels vowed. "I will

  do this work myself, under isolation protocols. Will that be

  satisfactory?"

  "Entirely satisfactory," said Pakkpekatt. "In the meantime, we will

  return to our vessel with the relay satellite and continue our

  preparations."

  "I'll signal you when I have something," said Eck-els, waggling the

  datacards. "Can you find your way back to the skiff by yourselves? I

  want to get started immediately."

  "Of course."

&n
bsp; "Thank you. I'll have First Officer Manazar meet you there with the

  relay satellite."

  As they waited for Manazar at the skiff, Taisden asked quietly, "When

  are you going to tell him about the general being onboard?"

  "When I know that Calrissian is still onboard," said Pakkpekatt. "By

  now even the most prudent rationing, the most severely restricted

  activity, will have exhausted their personal consumables. I have been

  wondering if that might be the explanation for the beckon call to Lady

  Luck--a last act of desperation by the last surviving member of

  Calrissian's team, in the last hours of his life."

  The somber mood set by Pakkpekatt's words stayed with them all the way

  back to Lady Luck, and cast a long shadow on the work waiting for them

  there.

  Instead of signaling, Dr. Eckels came calling. By the time the skiff

  came alongside Lady Luck, her entire complement had gathered to learn

  the reason for the change of plans.

  "Colonel," Eckels said, ducking his head as he stepped through the