First Principles: Samair in Argos: Book 3

by KOTCHER, MICHAEL

  But he knew that the minute he started pulling his people off the power plant project, schedules would slip, people would start to lose hope and Vall would start screaming bloody murder. “I know that,” he repeated. “But there has to be something. Even five or six people. Surely Quesh can shake that many loose. Is there anything we can do here? Take a team off the Grania Estelle?”

  Stella grimaced. “Well, we’re down to the bare minimum on what we need for a watch section, Captain. I’m nervous about transferring out any more of the crew. I’m monitoring things as well, but I can’t run the ship by myself.”

  “I understand.” He sighed heavily. He turned forward again and pressed the button. “All right, Turan. Try and expedite. I want to make sure your teams are back up here when that ship makes orbit.”

  “We’ll be there, Captain,” the Guura assured him. “Don’t worry.”

  “Very well.” He turned back to the holo image of his AI. “Stella, get on the line with Quesh. Inform him of the situation, see if there’s anything he can do to shake a few people loose to help out over on the Republic warship.”

  She nodded. “I will, Captain.”

  “And on that note, get with Saiphirelle. We might have to bring some of the crew over here from that ship. We might need to bring a lot of them over. I’m getting the impression that they are exactly who they say they are, and they probably need a good deal of medical help. But I’m not going to let anyone on this ship without a serious security presence up here. I want ninety percent of the security contingent back up here. Liaise with the locals, make sure they’re keeping an eye on our people down on the planet, but I want most everyone back up here.”

  “Yes, Captain,” the AI said. “Absolutely. I’m sorry I didn’t think of that myself.”

  “We’re coming into range of the planet, Captain,” the pilot confirmed. “Five million kilometers from the freighter.”

  “Thank you, helm,” Brianne said. She ran a hand over her face. She and the rest of the crew were utterly exhausted. Less than a day out from the orbit, one of the primary algae tanks and all the scrubbers with it had completely failed. The already overworked engineering teams were scrambling to find some way to mock up temporary scrubbers while the rest of the crew struggled to breathe. The air was more than a little stuffy at this point. “Open a channel to the Grania Estelle.”

  The comms officer nodded and gave her the thumbs up. “Captain Eamonn, this is Commander Crgann.”

  The main screen lit up with the man’s dark-skinned face. He was handsome for a human, Brianne decided. Perhaps that helped with some of his trade deals. “We read you, Commander. I see you’re almost here. I have medical teams standing by on my shuttles, I can send them over to you at any time.”

  She shook her head. “I’m afraid that won’t work, Captain. Our life support is severely overtaxed as it is and one of the primary algae tanks just up and died on me. Parts and the algae matrix are a total loss.”

  He nodded, grimacing. “Understood. What about your boat bays?”

  Brianne chuckled. “Trashed. They won’t hold atmo.”

  “Okay,” he said, feeling a laugh building in his chest right alongside a bubble of frustration. “All right, what about your airlocks? We pull alongside and we can extend a softseal docking tube.” Because of the design of the Grania Estelle, the external airlocks on either side of the ship were located in the forward section, which was in the shape of a tall, blocky wedge. But because of the huge cargo bays on the sides of the ship, the one hundred and eighty meter destroyer simply wouldn’t be able to pull alongside the freighter and hard dock. With the shuttles out of the equation, this was the only way to do it.

  “Not the greatest of options, but it will have to do.”

  “Commander, now I don’t want to insult you, your ship or your pilot,” Vincent said, trying to sound delicate, “But my sensors are showing a nasty amount of damage to your main propulsion units and to your control thrusters. I think it might be easier if you just slow down, make orbit and let my ship close the difference.” He saw the Secaaran start to frown, but he soldiered on. “We’ll close the distance and then use the tractoring beam to hold your ship in place so we can extend the docking tube.”

  She scowled, but then she nodded. “Very well, Captain. We’re going to continue deceleration maneuvers, and we should be in position within twenty-five minutes.”

  “Very good, Commander. We’ll be ready.”

  “All right, Isis. Nice and easy. George, you and Stella are on the tractoring beam.”

  “Aye, Captain,” they chorused.

  “Commander Crgann, are you ready?”

  “Our engines are offline, Captain Eamonn,” Brianne confirmed. “We’re on thrusters only.” She gestured to someone outside of the vid pickup. “My helmsman is hands off, Captain.”

  “Thank you, Commander,” he said. “All right, people, let’s do this.”

  It was a strange sight from an outsider’s perspective. The kilometer-long bulk freighter was inching closer to the ship that was less than a fifth its size. Crew not involved in the docking were lining up at the armor glass ports to watch the two ships attempt a docking maneuver. It was strange, like seeing a shark approaching a remora.

  “One hundred meters,” Isis called, her hands on the controls. “Seventy-five.”

  When she called fifty, George activated the tractoring beam, bringing the destroyer in tight. “And we are holding position, Captain. And Horus is holding position forty-eight meters out. Extending docking tube.”

  Crgann was looking to a display just to the side of the vid pickup and a moment later, she nodded. “And we have softseal.”

  “Are you going to be able to maintain station keeping?” Vincent asked. “Or should we keep the tractoring beam active?”

  Crgann sighed. “Well, for the pride of my ship and for the Republic, I should tell you that of course we can maintain station relative to your ship and how dare would you ask that? But, for the benefit of my absolutely battered ship and exhausted crew… yes, Captain Eamonn. For now, at least, it’s probably best that you keep your tractoring beam active until we can get some emergency repairs taken care of.”

  “We’ve set up temporary barracks in one of my cargo bays. It isn’t much,” he admitted, “but we have a number of bunks set up with adequate plumbing and showers. And our cook is quite good.” At her confused look, he went on. “You mentioned that you had problems with your life support. I realize that sleeping on a freighter isn’t the most glamorous of accommodations for hardened Republic sailors…”

  She nodded. “Thank you, Captain. I happily accept. I know that many of my crew would as well.” She laughed. “Once I get the wounded secured, Captain, I think it would be good if I came over to your ship. We should talk. And I think I’m interested in testing out the fare from your cook. After two months of ration bars, I could sure go for something a little more hearty.”

  He smiled. “You’re on, Commander. My doctor and his medical teams are assembled and ready. Do you need help getting the wounded off your ship?”

  Mizran, one of Turan’s sick berth attendants, pushed off from Grania Estelle and shot through the microgravity in the docking tube, his catlike hands in front of him. He was crouched on a hover pallet, his small legs looped under a strap to keep him from getting separated from the device once he got to the warship on the other side of the tube. Once he reached the open airlock, strong hands caught him and the hover pallet, bringing them both to a gentle stop.

  Two crewmen in Republic Navy uniforms looked down at the Severite as he unhooked himself from the pallet and stood, looking up at the zheen and the human. “I’m Mizran, part of the medical team on the other ship. We need to get your wounded over to the other ship and into our sickbay immediately. Where’s the first patient?”

  It took less than a minute to get the first two patients strapped to the hover pallet and back down the tunnel. It took almost half an hour to get the first batch
of ten through the tube and onto the Grania Estelle. Things were going far too slowly for Turan and for Petty officer Realt, but they were moving. They could only bring people over two at a time, and there were a lot of wounded aboard the destroyer.

  Turan was there to meet them all and escorted the first group back to sickbay, he was running alongside the hover stretcher, running diagnostic equipment over the wounded human man and barking orders to her sick berth attendants. As more came in, more were raced to sickbay. While there were some medications readily available at the airlock, most went unused and were simply brought back down to sickbay for use there.

  The last of the wounded to be brought in was a human woman of middle age. Vincent was standing by the airlock out of the way but was able to see her as she was brought aboard. Coming behind her through the tube was the Secaaran commander. She swam through, easily hooked her hands on the grab bar and landed lightly on her feet inside the airlock. The female Secaaran stood to attention and saluted Vincent before dropping her arm.

  “Commander Brianne Crgann, Captain. Glad to meet you in person, sir,” she said, smiling and extending one of her large hands. Vincent reached out and shook it.

  “Good to meet you, Commander.” He jerked a thumb over his shoulder at the woman who was being rushed down the corridor. “Who was that?”

  “Commodore McConnell,” Brianne replied. “She’s the commander of our light squadron. In fact she was commanding officer of all forces in Byra-Kae before the attack.”

  Vincent blinked in surprise. “Oh, I’m sorry. Your doctor seemed to do pretty well keeping her alive all that time.”

  “Our doctor died,” Brianne said, her voice very stiff. “We’ve had a petty officer with very minimal medical training keeping the wounded alive. The man is a miracle worker.”

  He nodded. “I’ll be sure he gets an extra ration of grog.”

  A chuckle managed to force its way past her rocky lips. “You actually serve grog on this ship?”

  Vincent smiled and nodded. “It isn’t like we have barrels of the stuff.”

  “I’m sure most of my people could go for a drink. I wish I could.”

  “Why can’t you?”

  She sighed. “Because I’m the captain and I can’t leave my ship for too long.”

  Now it was Vincent’s turn to sigh. “Captain, we’ve got the ship under tow. You need to have your engineers bring the power levels down to minimum safe and evacuate all but an engineering watch. It isn’t really safe right now.” He held up a hand as she started to object. “Commander, you have a lot of your crew injured. Your ship isn’t going anywhere. I promise that we’re not going to do anything bad to her. But you need to see to your crew. You can rotate them through your ship, but for now they can stay in the temporary quarters we’ve set up.”

  She clearly took a moment to compose herself. “Very well, Captain,” the naval officer said finally. “My crew will avail themselves of your very generous hospitality. But I must insist that none of your people go aboard my ship without supervision, either by me or one of my officers.”

  He nodded. “No, of course not, Commander. We will be able to affect some repairs for you, but it would just be the bare essentials. Until the bulk of my engineering crews are finished on the surface there really isn’t a ton we can do for repairs.”

  She crossed her arms, but a smile was on her face. “I can’t imagine you’d be able to offer much in the way of repairs for a warship. Maybe the hull and the life support?”

  He nodded again. “I’d have to have my Chief Engineer do a full survey with your people. But I think that’s probably something we could probably manage.”

  “I know your doctor has got his flippers full, Captain, but I should get to these quarters you’ve prepared and get ready to receive my crew.”

  “Of course, Commander.” He saw Saiphirelle lurking about, standing with her hands clasped behind her back. She wasn’t wearing her rifle this time, thankfully, but she had a stunner holstered at her hip. He beckoned to her and she stepped up. “This is my Chief of Security, Saiphirelle Hyjae. She can escort you down there.”

  Saiphirelle nodded. “I would suggest, ma’am, that you radio your people still on the ship and advise them to start coming across. Have them bring a blanket, a change of clothes, nothing else. We’re not scuttling your ship, so they don’t need to bring personal items. And ma’am?”

  “Yes, Chief?” the Secaaran said, tiredly.

  “I have to insist that none of your people come over here armed,” the lupusan said, her voice firm. “And I appreciate your situation, but I will not allow any weapons to be brought over to this ship.” Vincent looked to her, his expression hesitant. He’s going to cave, she thought to herself. “I will not budge on this matter. If you won’t agree to this, then none of the rest of the crew will step one foot onto this ship.”

  The two females squared off with each other, neither giving an inch. “Surely, Captain, we can work something out,” Brianne said, not looking away from Saiphirelle.

  The lupusan was shorter than the Secaaran, by about a head. Both were very well-muscled, strong, clearly both used to getting their own way. It would be an interesting fight between the two females if they were to get into it; the Commander’s armored flesh against Saiphirelle’s sharp claws and teeth. But the lupusan spoke before her captain could. “The Captain has placed me in charge of security, Commander. And since we’ve been boarded by pirates twice within the last year, you’ll forgive me if I will not move from this position.”

  “We are Republic Navy,” Brianne fumed. “Not pirates.”

  “Nevertheless, Commander,” she said, her shoulders hunching imperceptibly. Her hands flexed into fists, then opened again. “I apologize for any insult, but no one but my people will have any weapons aboard this ship.” Then she smiled. “If you don’t like it, ma’am, there’s the airlock. You can float right back over to the Horus. I’ll have the cook send over meals.”

  The standoff lasted only a moment longer. “Very well,” the Secaaran growled. She looked away, catching Vincent’s rather smug gaze. “You’ve trained your people well, Captain.”

  “I need to keep my people safe, Commander,” he said with a shrug. “I’m sure if our positions were reversed, you’d do the same.”

  She didn’t respond to that. “Chief, if you could please escort me to the quarters that have been prepared?”

  Saiphirelle gestured, her face once again an expressionless mask. “Right this way, Commander. If you’ll just follow me.” And she led the naval officer out of the airlock area and down the corridor.

  The Navy crew were brought into the retrofitted cargo bay, which had two hundred bunks set up. They were little more than thin mattresses stretched over metallic tubing, which had been bolted to the deck. Curtains were set up to provide a small amount of privacy. Ten makeshift showers were set up as well as lavatory facilities. It wasn’t the fanciest of setups, but it was enough to house the Navy crew. Noken, the freighter’s Severite cook had been delighted to have such a large number to cook for.

  “Oh, this be greats! I havings the five biggests cook pots a stewing since yesterdays! Big soups and stews. Much hearty!” He rubbed his furry hands together in glee. “Haven’ta had this much funs since working the line at chowza time on the orbitals.”

  “What kind of fare are you serving, Mister Noken?” Lieutenant Klieg asked, stepping up to the cat as he came to the head of the chow line.

  “Oh, for you, Mister Loo-tenant,” Noken said, his amusing patois even more thick than usual. He pointed to the third pot. “You are goings to be wantings that. Snow beetles! Stewed with vegges and lotsa spices.”

  Klieg, looking doubtful, stepped up to the pot and waggled his antennae over it to catch the aroma. They then went immediately straight and he clacked his mandibles in pleasure. “That smells amazing!”

  The cat blinked in pleasure, flicking his ears. “I loves to cooks. And zheens be somma my best customers. Gotta be
able to cooks for them alls.” He gestured. “Eats! Eats! Plenty foods for all. Got more pots cooking in galley. Go! You holding up lines, Loo-tenant!” He shooed the zheen officer along.

  Embarrassed, Klieg looked over to his fellows standing in line behind him. He ladled some of the thick stew into his bowl, picked up a wide spoon and headed off for a bunk to sit down and eat. Other crewmen jeered good-naturedly and he waved to them in response. Sitting on the edge of the bunk, he dug in with a will, clearly enjoying his supper. Others grabbed their own bowls of soup or stew and sat down to eat. In moments, the line was moving, and the Navy crew finally seemed to relax. They’d been barely holding on for so long it was just such a relief to have someone else hold the responsibilities, even for only a little while.

  Eamonn stood next to Commander Crgann at the hatch. “You can go in there, you know, Commander. Get something to eat. I promise the food is actually quite good.”

  She gave a small smile. “Perhaps later. I’m not hungry right now.” She gestured to her crew happily devouring Noken’s excellent fare. “But I can tell that they’re enjoying the food. Thank you, Captain. Thank you for your help and your hospitality.”

  He nodded. “Of course, Commander. Always glad to be of service to the Navy.”

  She chuckled. “I think I’m supposed to be the one saying something like that.”

  “No worries. We’re all plying the spacelanes.” He shrugged. “Spacers gotta look out for one another.” They stood in silence for a few moments, watching the organized chaos before them. “Commander, please. I spoke with a few of your colleagues, they told me you haven’t eaten in over fourteen hours. I know rations on your ship must have gotten pretty low. Please. Would you mind joining me for dinner? You won’t be living in the lap of luxury, but the food is good. It won’t do you any good to collapse from hunger and it certainly won’t do your crew’s morale any good.” He pointedly looked from her over to the feasting crew and then back over to her again.