There were mutters and gasps around the table. “What?” Kly asked, sounding suspicious. “Your second?”
“The Triarch and I discussed this before we ever came into this room,” he explained, looking the picture of calm professionalism. “It is within his rights to select an agent to speak for Seylonique in a situation like this, without council approval.”
Kly ground his teeth, but then suddenly brightened. “Very well. I’m very happy to join your team, as your second.”
Sebastian blinked at the sudden change in the other councilor’s demeanor. “Good. Then I’m glad to have you on board.”
“I also would like to join,” Tekren, one of the lupusan, the youngest of the group, said, raiding a hand.
“Glad to have you on board,” Kly said, beaming. It was as though he’d just received a promotion to Triarch. None of the others seemed to know how to handle this.
“Are we decided then?” Kozen’ck asked, sweeping his head from side to side. There were nods of assent, although a couple of the members seemed reluctant, but everyone seemed agreed. “Very well then. Colonel, how long until your ship will be ready to travel to Seylonique?”
“I’ll need to gather the ships together, top off fuel, supplies. The freighters are going to be ready, when, in six days?” Sebastian nodded. “Then that should be all the time we need. I’ll contact the ship captains as well as Ms. Samair.”
“Samair?” Kly asked. “Why do we need to talk with her?”
“I mentioned before that it might be a good idea to bring something that we know will sell. The high level tech goods that the freighters are packing will do well, but a shipment of gadolinium? Even a small shipment will demonstrate that we’re serious players.” He shrugged. “And Samair is the one who has the biggest supply. Wouldn’t it be better to include her in what is going on, instead of trying to strong arm her or buy it out from under her?”
There were nods around the table. “You make a great deal of sense, Colonel,” Kly replied, eyeing the man as though for the first time. “Are you thinking of going into politics?”
Gants chuckled. “No, sir. I am at the highest level I ever want to be. Command of the Leytonstone is my dream and I’ve no desire to give her up.”
“Thank you, Colonel. I’ll put out a request to speak with Ms. Samair,” Triarch Kozen’ck said. “You can go, I’m sure you have a good deal of preparations to make before we leave.”
He picked up his datapad and stood. “Thank you, Triarch. Councilors,” he said with a nod and briskly exited the conference room.
Kozen’ck waited until the door slid shut behind the man. “Sebastian, Harmon, Tekren. Now, you’ll be bringing aides, but keep that to a minimum. There is already going to be a large showing of force, I don’t need to display just how many staffers you all are and thus how important you all are. What is important here is hammering out an agreement, a treaty, whatever we can get. But I want something ironclad that both sides will agree to that will keep our shipping safe.” He buzzed. “Yes, and theirs as well, though there is no reason to worry about that. We can assure them that no one is going to harm their ships. We’re all friends out here in cold space.”
“So, I want to spend the next interval working out the deal. What the terms are that we’re willing to negotiate.” The others settled into their seats and the meeting began in earnest.
“You want me to do, what?” Tamara demanded, looking at the zheen councilor’s face on her comm display. She was seated at her desk aboard Moxie-2, which was still docked at the orbital station. She had been catching up on paperwork, and had been on comms with several of the people in the admin level looking to secure office space. There were three possibilities and she was trying to make up her mind about which one.
“We have taken your suggestion to heart, Tamara,” the Triarch said, his face on her display. “We are sending a delegation to Ulla-tran, along with a convoy of freighters. But we thought that it would be a good way to start negotiations if there was something that we could offer that would show we were serious players.”
“So you want me to pony up several kilos of gadolinium? Are you kidding me? I don’t work on charity, Kozen’ck. I’ve done well in this system, very well, but I won’t be just handing over gadolinium to you or to the people in Ulla-tran.”
The zheen hissed in frustration, or perhaps he was trying to calm himself down. “I am not expecting you to ‘pony up’ to use your colorful phrasing. What I am asking is if you would be willing to sell several kilos of it? I am thinking that your company and its interests should be represented on this trip, since your company has been so instrumental in the revival this system has gone through.”
Tamara nodded slowly, sitting back a bit in her chair. “All right. I’ll have to discuss it with my people, but I agree with the idea in principle. I’ll send one of my frigates, probably Tsesuko. I think her captain and crew could use some experience.”
“We would prefer if you send your other escort frigate,” Kozen’ck said, surprising her. “The one that has already had a trip out of the system.”
“Why?” she asked, suspiciously. “You and Captain Leicasitaj close personal friends now?”
Another hiss. “No. But I feel it might be better if you had your most experienced people making this run. We are trying to put our best foot forward and sending a complete greenhorn who is wandering around staring at everything like some wide-eyed tourist is not going to help our case.”
“A point,” she conceded. “I will discuss it with my people and I’ll let you know. When is this delegation setting out?”
“Six days.”
“Then I’d better get moving.” She paused, chewing her lip. “You’re really doing this?”
He nodded. “We’re really doing this. This was a good idea you had. The trade opportunities are most lucrative, on both sides. And I think the mutual defense pact might actually be the more important part of this while endeavor. If we can get that…”
Tamara nodded. “I understand.” She sat up and began bringing up information macros on her HUD. Still, even several days later, it felt so good to be able to use her implants properly again. The skin on her neck was still tender, the nanite quick heal solution had repaired most of the damage, but there was still a grayish tinge to the spot where the disruptor had been attached. “I’ll get back to you, Triarch. I need to head back out system and get with my people. I’ll send you a message once I get out there.” She ended the call and brought up the comms for within the ship. “All right, Mike, change of plans. Get us in the departure cue for outbound,” she called up to the new pilot. It had been decided that while the bodyguards might be capable of flying the ship, it was time to get Tamara a dedicated pilot.
“Of course, ma’am,” the man replied over the comms. “We’ve got a departure time for twenty-three minutes from now. Is that too soon?”
“No, that’ll be perfect. Once we’re clear of the station traffic, set course for the yard, best speed.”
“In the red, ma’am?”
She considered that. “No, top of the green would be fine. I want to get there, there’s nothing about to burst into flames.”
“Understood.”
Well, if we’re going to Seylonique, I need to get Leicasitaj prepped and ready. I need to get the gadolinium ready for shipping. There’s a goodly amount to do. Bringing up the comms, she recorded a message for the Romigani, ready to transmit to the shipyard immediately. It would take a few hours for him to receive it, but it would get there quicker than Moxie-2, which meant that the Mondragon would most likely be nearly ready for departure by the time Tamara arrived at the shipyard.
~~~~~*~~~~~
The Romigani captain was seated in his cabin watching the screen as the message came in. He was still smarting slightly; the level-two implants were still giving him headaches and Doctor Kassix had told him to take it easy. He’d turned the lion’s share of the day-to-day business over to his XO and had followed the doctor
’s orders. He’d wanted to be on the bridge more to make sure that his ship was running smoothly, but the persistent headaches were preventing that. He’d been in his bunk, having just kicked up the humidity in his cabin to make the room more comfortable when the message from Samair had come in. Leicasitaj had heard rumors that on some of the other ships, the captains had adjusted the environmental controls to suit themselves and simply forced the crew to endure, but he didn’t like doing things that way. So, he’d kept the controls at the default settings, which was about 20% too dry for him. His cabin, therefore became a sanctuary. Any of the humans or lupusan who came in here usually complained about the humidity, but that was just too bad. He was willing to suffer through the arid atmo (for him) out in the rest of the ship, on the rare occasions someone needed to come into his own cabin, they could deal.
Sitting up, he sent a command through his implants (and receiving a reward of a dull throb for his troubles) to stat the message. Tamara Samair’s face appeared on the display. “Leicasitaj, it’s me. Something serious is going on and Mondragon is going to take part. Don’t panic,” she said with a slight smile, guessing how he’d react. “But a flotilla of ships, consisting of five freighters and six warships is going to be traveling to Ulla-tran. They’re going to be departing the orbital within six days. They’re carrying a trade delegation as well as a number of goods to sell. But it’s been requested that FP make our presence known as well, because of our significant contributions to the system.”
Leicasitaj could appreciate that. He was the captain of a warship for the largest corporation within his home system, but the company was so large and influential, it was almost as though it was an independent nation within the star system, instead of just a business entity. But he didn’t think of himself as part of another nation, he thought of himself as a citizen of Seylonique, just as he always had. He knew that most of his fellows felt the same way, but he also knew that the government had mixed feelings about the amount of autonomy FP and its warships retained. The fact that they would be willing to include an FP ship in their retinue must say something for the importance of his mission. The dull headache that had been holding position inside his brain suddenly increased. His facial tentacles writhed with the pain and he put a hand against the rubbery skin of his head to try and soothe it. Being included on such a mission meant that the amount of scrutiny his ship and his crew (not to mention his own actions) would be under meant that there could be no slip ups. He nodded, determined that Mondragon would not be the weak link in the chain. Bringing up his HUD and doing his best to ignore the pain, he made some notes on what needed to be done.
“So, it’s also been requested that a veteran crew needs to be involved in this trip and Mondragon and Cavalier are my only two ships with any out system experience. Since Mondragon is the more powerful ship and you and a good portion of the crew have actual combat experience, I chose you.” She gave him a look and he straightened unconsciously. “I don’t need to tell you how important this mission is going to be. Oh, one other thing. You’re going to be carrying thirty kilos of gadolinium for sale in Ulla-tran, something to show the people over there that we are a well-industrialized system and we are willing to shell out the good stuff. I know that this is something that normally would be handled by First Horizon or even Grania Estelle, but I don’t want to send another of our ships there that we need to protect until we can get some kind of trade agreement hammered out. So, included in the message is an order to the dockmaster there as well as to Nasir to get Mondragon loaded up with the cargo. In addition, you’ll need a full load of fuel and munitions, and I’m authorizing two extra fuel pods as well. We don’t know what’s going to be happening out in Ulla-tran and I want Mondragon to be able to have her tanks topped off when you arrive in case you need to go into combat. Stars hope you won’t need to.”
That was smart thinking on the Commander’s part, Leicasitaj had to admit. He wondered if the other warships in the flotilla would be doing the same.
“I’ll be arriving at the shipyard as soon as possible to give you a full update, though to be honest, I don’t think there’s a lot more to tell. Oh, sorry. There is one more thing. The flotilla is going to be led by the Leytonstone, which means that you’re going to be following orders from Colonel Gants. Now I’m working to make sure everyone understands that your ship’s supplies are yours and that they need to get their own if they want any more,” she said, frowning slightly. “Also, three members of the administratory council are going to be along as well. I’m trying to impress on them that the only person you’re taking orders from is Colonel Gants, but I want to warn you to expect that they might try and throw their weight around. Be polite but firm, they are not in your chain of command. It’s a touchy subject, I know so please try not to step on too many toes.”
“I won’t,” he said, knowing that she couldn’t hear him and was slightly embarrassed at himself for doing that.
Tamara nodded on screen, as though she’d heard him. “As I said, I’ll be giving you another debrief when I get there, but in the meantime, I need you to get moving and get your ship stocked up. See you in three days. Samair out.” And the transmission ended, showing the FP logo.
Sending another impulse, the display shut off. With a gurgle, Leicasitaj hauled himself off the bunk. He stepped into the small shower and turned on the water with light pressure and the coldest he could stand. After too short an interval, he stepped out and dried off. Pulling on a clean uniform, he picked up a small bottle of painkillers from the desk. They were regulation and he only had so many. The doctors didn’t want him gaining a dependency for the things and truth be told, neither did he. But until this issue with the implants was resolved, he would take a pill only when he absolutely needed it. He quickly handed the pill to one of his facial tentacles, which popped it into his mouth and swallowed it.
He pressed a control, bringing up the comms. “XO, please come to my cabin at your earliest convenience.”
Less than two minutes later, the ship’s executive officer arrived at his cabin and he invited him in. The man grimaced at the humidity, but quickly quashed the look on his face. In the months they’d served together, it seemed he was growing used to the moisture in the air. “Sir?” he asked, coming to parade rest.
“Relax, XO,” Leicasitaj told him, giving a gurgling sigh as the pain started to subside. “Have a seat.” He gestured to the desk chair. He sat himself down on the edge of his bunk.
“Something going on, sir?”
The Romigani nodded. “Yes, we’re going to Ulla-tran.”
“Okay. Escorting First Horizon again?”
He shook his head. “No, XO. The government is going to be sending ships there to try and set up a trade pact or something with the government there. We’re going to be part of the flotilla. In fact we’re going to be the only FP ship going.” He paused a moment, allowing that information to sink in. “So, we’ll get into the nitty gritty later, but for now, I want you to get with the station master at the yard and expedite our refuel and resupply. I also have authorization from Commander Samair to get two fueling pods. I need you to get with Engineering and see what it’s going to take to secure them to the hull and integrate them with our fueling systems.”
“It’s a short trip, Captain,” the XO protested. “Not that having the extra fuel won’t be a boon, but why do we need them? We’re only going to be making two jumps.”
“True,” Leicasitaj admitted, touching his head with hand again. The pain was easing, but it certainly wasn’t gone yet. “But the Commander is concerned that there might be some action when we get there. We’re showing up as a powerful force, after all, and we don’t really know how the people in Ulla-tran are going to react. We hope that they’ll see reason and they’ll want to sit down and look to our mutual benefit.” He gave a chuckle. “But we both know that people don’t always do the smart or the logical thing. They might take one look at our heavily armed convoy and panic. Someone might start shoo
ting. So, the boss wants us to be topped up on fuel in case things do go badly so that we can fight effectively and still have enough juice to make it back here.”
“I get it, Captain,” the XO replied, rubbing his chin. “I’ll see to it.”
“Good. I’ll be along shortly. Dismissed.”
The man gave a quick salute (which was unnecessary since they weren’t part of a formal military force) and then turned and exited Leicasitaj’s quarters. He couldn’t see it, but the Romigani could just imagine his XO taking a deep breath of the much less humid air out in the corridor. He laughed to himself and then winced as he was hit with a twinge of pain. He’d give it another day, taking the meds as ordered by the doctor. But if this didn’t shape up soon, then he knew he’d have to go back to the doc for a follow up. As far as he was told, none of the others had had as extreme a reaction.
He squared his shoulders and followed his XO out. There were things to do, people to get in touch with and as ever, the bane of captains and officers everywhere: paperwork.
Chapter 25
“I cannot believe that you’re going along with this,” Hyacinth Cresswell seethed. She was in her luxurious apartment aboard the orbital station, seated at her desk with the comm display open. Harmon Kly was on the other end, but he wasn’t sitting and calmly looking back at her. He was clearly busy, his eyes flitting back and forth between screens, hands moving. Clearly he was getting himself ready, downloading whatever files and reports he thought he was going to need. “No, I can’t believe you actually volunteered for this insanity!”
He chuckled, still looking at another display outside of the vid pickup. “It’s an opportunity of a lifetime, actually. To be the one who secured a pact between Seylonique and an outside system? Can you imagine the prestige attached to that?”
She snorted, leaning back in her padded chair and swiveling to the side. “That sounds great. But you’re not going to be the one doing the negotiating. Or at least, your name isn’t going to be the one remembered. Chakrabarti is heading the delegation.”
First Principles: Samair in Argos: Book 3 Page 65