by Jim Rudnick
# # # # #
As they were marched up and through the entrance way, Tanner realized that even wearing a ceremonial sidearm might have been a bad idea. At the doorway, flanked by the first of many pairs of EliteGuards, AI chimes rang twice, as they did again inside the elevator during the complete ride to the top with the major taking no notice. Once off the lift, they were escorted through a long corridor guarded by more pairs of EliteGuards and full of life size paintings of previous Barons, Tanner surmised, and then through a large hallway into a rotunda that held one of the biggest vases that he’d ever seen on a table that appeared to have been made from one slice of a tree trunk that must have had a girth of at least twenty feet. They passed by more EliteGuards and beyond the vase room lay another long corridor that when walked made the ceremonial slug thrower at his hip seem like it tingled. He worried for a moment that it might even go off as the AI scans continued for the full corridor’s length.
But once through that corridor, he realized they were now entering the audience hall and noted that here the numbers of EliteGuards almost doubled. The carpet now was a soft, light brown and the walls were covered with tapestries and paintings he assumed were landscapes of various scenes here on Neres of mile-high waterfalls and rounded hills. As the EliteGuards snapped to attention, the escorting major stopped at a side door off the room, opened it, and waved them to enter.
“The Baroness will be right with you, Sir. Please go through this anteroom, take the door at the far end into the Baroness’s sitting room, and there make yourself at home in the meantime,” he finished and closed the door behind them.
Taking the lead, Tanner strode through the anteroom noting its soft settees and matching blue footstools, its complementary seating placements of facing love seats and low coffee tables, and its feelings of comfortable surroundings. There were many doors off to each side, but he continued to walk toward the only door on the far wall, and he opened that door and walked into the sitting room, again with some couches facing each other and no guards he could spy. In the far wall, a fire roared over logs big enough to have come from the same tree that made the large vase table he’d just seen. Looking, he also noted there was no other door to the room, so he and the commander picked a setting of couches and took the side that faced the door. They’d see her as soon as she came through, and he’d jump immediately to his feet and earn at least her respect for his manners.
“Good afternoon, Captain,” a voice said behind him.
As he rose and turned quickly to face the voice, he was a bit perturbed that she’d come thorough an unseen door and caught him sitting unaware and quickly closed the distance between them. She held out her hand quickly to stop him.
“Please, Captain, you will only be allowed to come so close by the AI auto-defenses in the room. Please do try to remember that, and oh yes, I also might caution you not to at any point take your weapon out of its holster. One can do only so much with the AI programming of these defenses, and I am sorry that the AI we use is still somewhat outdated.”
As he saluted her, she nodded and then motioned them to take the opposite couch as she sat where they just stood. She smoothed the long black dress over her thighs and then toyed for a moment with the ends of her hair beneath what Tanner could only say was one of the prettiest ears he’d ever seen. He watched for a moment more as she turned her attention now to him, and her face looked as if there was a question that lay between them. He cleared his throat.
“Um ... Baroness St. August, we are so delighted that you were able to receive us today, and we’d first like to thank you for that honor.” Politics and royalty, he thought, too bad Sander wasn’t here to hear him. He paused briefly and then continued. “Part of the reason that we did ask to see you, Baroness, was to deliver the good wishes of the Rim Navy and our admiral and each and every ship of the line.” Bullshit, but then maybe a bit of flattery would work on her, but maybe not.
“Thank you, Captain, but surely you’ve not come all this way just to thank me?” she said, her left eyebrow arching slightly as she looked over at him.
The Baroness was only an inch or two short of six feet and had eyes the same color of the blue in the EliteGuards’ pants. This is one pretty lady, not at all unlike her step-daughter, the Lady St. August, although from different genes. Both of them, or rather either of them, would be more than a match for any man, and he again grinned to himself as he wondered under what circumstances he might have been that man. He nodded and bowed his head for a moment and looked directly into those royal blue eyes.
“Your Highness, we would very much like your permission to visit ITO on a Navy matter, and we know that our even contemplating this all depends upon your good will due to Council Statutes.”
“And why would you want to visit this new colony of ours, Captain? Surely you realize that the port is still under construction, and as yet there aren’t even any port authorities there nor provisioners or any matter of creature comforts for your crew. Why the attraction, Captain?” she asked, as she crossed her left leg now over her right, the dangling foot bouncing ever so slightly.
Tanner considered and answered as he thought he should.
“Baroness, it’s a matter only of trying to solve a small Navy matter too tiny to even mention here. I can assure you that we will touch down only at the mining city of Emmanuel, and we will cause no harm nor will we take any sides if there are any complainers, Baroness. We don’t intend to interfere at all, just to speak to a certain few.” He lied fairly well, but it would remain to be seen if the Baroness agreed.
She looked over at him and smiled.
“Perhaps I should have told you first, Captain, but all traffic up and down to the colony is now suspended. There’s been an outbreak of Natrium Flu, and until that is cleared up by the local health authorities, I’m afraid all access is closed— well to anyone but myself or the Royal family,” she said, her eyes tightening as she seemed to freeze for a moment. She looked away then and blinked three times or more and then looked back to Tanner as she played with the material that now gathered on her raised left thigh and then smiled again at Tanner.
“But of course, that’s just myself—well, myself and I would suppose our Lady St August, as my husband, the Baron, has passed on,” she said with the slightest hitch in her voice and tone. He looked down at his hand for a moment and wondered about the veracity of her claim and then nodded to her politely.
“Well, we understand completely, Baroness. Would it be okay then just to stop by the Landers Station and do our inquiries there?” he asked, grabbing any chance he could to get as close as possible to ITO. Even though the station was in low-orbit, it would still house or hold colonists due to go down once the flu’s quarantine was lifted. It might also be the source of more information and on that Tanner hoped he could at least save this small victory.
The Baroness rose as they rushed to do the same, and she spoke to them quietly, her voice firm in Tanner’s ears.
“But of course, Captain. Please do visit the Landers Station, and if you have questions there of any of our citizens or my staff, just ask them. I will ensure that you get full cooperation from everyone. And even though the Station is now very crowded, I understand, room will be made for you should you need to stay over. Please just see the station commander, and I will ensure that he is expecting you.” She bowed again to them both slightly and then stood there waiting.
Tanner realized that she was awaiting their departure and bowed once to her much deeper than he wished and then saluted and spun along with the commander on their heels and left the room the same way they’d entered. They marched back through hallways and the rotunda and more hallways again, now flanked by a squad of EliteGuards and eventually ended up back in the troop carrier on their way over to the port.
“Some palace,” Commander Templeton commented.
“Right. Some palace,” Tanner commented to himself and the rest of the return trip was silent.
Back on board and
in his ready room, the commander could not offer up any more depth to the audience than Tanner himself had to give, and both could not say with conviction that the quarantine was a total fabrication invented just to stymie their attempts to visit the planet. Neither knew and neither really had any proof of anything that had been stated was not true. At least not now. At least not yet.
# # # # #
After taking on provisions and spending the night in the Officers’ Mess on base, Tanner and the rest of his crew were ready to leave to go to ITO and its Landers Station the next day.
He spent a bit of time on the ship's computer, looking up the incubation time for Natrium Flu and learned that it took at least two weeks to infect a new patient and that the quarantine seemed to have been in effect now for at least three days, so the Baroness’s story seemed to hold water, but with Royalty, one could never tell.
He spent a bit more time at his view-port window, staring the few miles to the distant Palace and wondered about its occupant as he sipped another Scotch. He thought about where she had really come from and what she thought her role here on the RIM was and what it wasn’t. He wondered whether or not she would be a good woman to kiss and what that would be like, and more challenging thoughts entered his head. He often had to shake his head to make them go away. So he sipped again.
The fact that the same thoughts had already occurred to him about the Lady St. August was not ignored by him, but he shook his head of that remembrance and went back to looking at the far Palace turrets. Truly a medieval castle for a medieval lady.
As he awaited the final provisioners to finish off later that afternoon, he was called to the commander’s desk over at the Command HQ on the naval base. Arriving shortly after being called, he made his acquaintances with the commander’s adjunct and the rest of the base office staff, some of whom he’d remembered from the night before as really enjoying their night together and still others were new to him. As well, there were two Provost guard MPs stationed outside Commander Heath’s door who ignored both him and the rest of the chatter. As they chatted, Tanner wondered as to their presence and was glad that it wasn’t for him since these were two awful big lads, both carrying neural whips as their standard sidearms and both holding batons the size of small trees.
Right after the commander’s adjunct’s intercom went off, he was told to enter the office and did so between the two MPs, closed the door behind him, and turned to face the commander who’d risen from behind his desk. As he did, Tanner crossed the distance between them and realized that one of the chairs before the desk held an officer, a lieutenant he didn’t know or recognize. He saluted back to the commander and was asked to sit which he did, and the station commander spoke up quickly as he sat. Beside him the lieutenant still stared straight ahead. He gave no indication that Tanner had even entered the room.
“Captain, I have a very large favor to ask, and I do realize that you are more than free to refuse me. May I explain, Sir?” he queried and then awaited word.
Tanner thought for a moment. As long as this doesn’t take me off mission or delay it, I would love to have the Commander obligated to me personally, as his men would visit Neres often, and in doing so in the future, he might need to ask for the favor in return.
He grinned at the commander. “Certainly, please just ask.” He listened to the commander as he began to talk.
“Sir, with respect, this is pretty simple. This is Lieutenant Dieter Huber. Lieutenant Huber was our base CTO and as such, was a perfect officer, excellent performance ratings every quarter, Sir."
The commander squirmed a bit in his chair.
"However, the lieutenant ... um ... well, the lieutenant plainly speaking is also a bit of a ‘ladies’ man,’ Sir. And he was wooing one of the Baroness’s favorite nobles, a countess or some such lady. Or rather, a daughter of same, and in doing so, we’re afraid he’s made some enemies.”
The lieutenant stirred and sat up a little straighter in his chair. He glanced over at Tanner and then went back to eyes straight ahead. Tanner thought he shook his head imperceptibly but wasn’t sure.
“In any event, no matter what happened, we’ve been told that the lieutenant needs to be off-planet by the end of business today—and as you’re the only ship in port right now, the favor must be asked, if you could transport him over to the naval base on the Duchy of d'Avigdor. Big favor, Sir ... but one that would be a comfort to both the lieutenant and to myself,” the commander said as he picked up an envelope from his desk.
“I see, Commander. Well, Lieutenant, what do you have to say for yourself,” Tanner asked, half-turning toward the younger man. Seems calm and composed with even a hint of a smile on his face when getting thrown off-planet.
“Sir, may I speak plainly, Sir?” he queried.
Tanner held up a hand to silence the commander who was trying to break in. “Yes, of course, Lieutenant.”
“Sir, I was very much in love with Lady Jane Allenby, and no, Sir, I’m no ladies’ man. In fact, anything else but—Jane and I really hit it off great, and we were seeing each other almost every day. I often visited her at the Palace, and we’d sit in some of the gardens and in the waiting rooms quietly just talking like we weren’t even there. And I’ve no idea why the Baroness would suddenly want me off-planet—never even met the woman though I have heard her voice. It’s a mystery to me, Sir. Totally.”
Tanner considered what he’d heard and realized that the Baroness could order anyone off-planet, so the lieutenant would have to leave. And he’d have to see to it. He held out his hand to the commander.
“Commander, his orders are cut?”
“Cut, Sir, and right here,” he said as he handed over the envelope to Tanner who nodded and then handed it to the lieutenant.
“I suppose this includes the paperwork you’ll have to turn over on d'Avigdor to our base station commander there?” he asked, and the commander nodded in agreement.
“Then this is really just a delivery job, Commander, and I’m happy to do it for you. That all, Commander?” Tanner added, knowing the slight out-of-the-way side trip would cost little in time and effort.
“Not at all, Sir. Very glad you could aid us in this, and if ever ...” He closed off with the traditional Navy reminder that all Tanner would have to do was to ask and whatever it was would be granted.
As Tanner stood, the lieutenant also rose and came to attention, saluting the commander.
“Sir, permission to speak to the station commander one last time?” His back was as straight as a steel post and his black hair shiny under the lights in the commander’s office.
“Um ... go ahead, Lieutenant,” the commander said.
“Sir, regardless of what the Baroness thinks happened, I can honestly say, Sir, that I was a gentleman at all times. I am innocent of all charges, commander, and only time will prove me out. You will know then, Sir, that I am not guilty of any misconduct, to the Baroness, Lady Jane, or to you as my commander.” He spoke softly for a man kicked off-planet for misconduct he didn’t commit. Tanner watched as the commander shook his head and said nothing. In came the MPs who escorted the lieutenant as they marched him out of the office and over toward the port where the Marwick stood.
“Can’t believe him, Captain. The Baroness has never been wrong before,” he stated and then saluted himself.
“Yes ... um ... of course.” Tanner nodded and saluted back as he then left the office to return to the Marwick to plot the change in course to the Duchy of d'Avigdor. Side trip, he thought, but one that might prove interesting at the same time. He pondered the newest addition to the ship and walked out of the offices and toward the port.
CHAPTER SIX
D’Avigdor was one of those planets you’d like to think you’d visit, but most likely would never settle on. It was slightly bigger than most of the settled worlds out here on the Rim and therefore almost all but its inhabitants worked hard at the extra gravity. Almost half the world was oceans; big, very deep oceans that housed
surprisingly little sea life. But the land masses that were spread across those oceans like leaves on a pond were really mostly all small sub-continents in size; each had had a set of feuding nations and war after war had raged on most for the past thousand years. The wars had continued until the current Duke’s father, Duke Jonathan d’Avigdor, had combined via marriage with the other great house on his own continent and had eventually brought peace and prosperity to the planet as a whole via a consortium of support from all the royal houses on the planet. Advancing on other worlds within their reach had meant that the Duchy had grown now to a realm of six planets all controlled by the current Duke, David D’Avigdor, now in the twelfth year of his reign. His own space navy was about equal with that of the Barony, their competitor in this sector of the Rim for supremacy and new colonization. While the Barony had two destroyers to the Duchy’s one, the Duchy did have two more cruisers than the Barony, and each had a host of frigates and all the allied support ships needed by the line. Both were about evenly matched, and that had the Duke at some degree of frustration, especially today.
“So, Captain, you visit us after a visit to the Barony?” he asked as he leaned back in his simple office chair.
Tanner squirmed slightly on his straight-backed chair and carefully composed his answer. They were meeting in the ducal palace, in a small waiting room off what could only be called the audience room. After being ushered into the room by the Rim naval base station commander and introduced to the Duke, he’d been waved over and into this side room almost immediately. Now just he and the Duke sat at either side of a plain desk, apparently to chat.