Sophie smiled but didn't answer. "Quickly now, dear," she said, urging Pauline as she disappeared through a panel that doubled as a door. Her urging was unnecessary, as Pauline reappeared almost immediately with a stack of bright red and gold cloth.
"I quite understand your need to be intimidating when fulfilling your work functions, but you are also a woman and we should celebrate your individual beauty," Sophie said, while handing Marny the clothing. "Your current garb seeks to hide that form and I find it offensive. But, I also don't want you to look cheap. This ensemble will meet that careful line."
She nodded and the privacy screen dropped back into the floor. The change was dramatic. Sophie had constructed an outfit that resembled the colorful, loose Nuagian clothing we'd seen throughout the station, but was also significantly different.
The pants were loose through the hips and flowed down to Marny's ankles where they were gathered tightly. The red material was overlaid with a muted beige design and the wide cummerbund around her waist and the cuffs around her ankles were decorated with an ornate gold pattern.
Marny's rippled abs were visible for several centimeters before the top started, which was made of a similar, although stiffer material. The top was strapless and it showed a small amount of the black, lacy bra that had been the first to go on.
It was fair to say that Sophie had captured both Marny's strength and beauty. It was a big change, however, and I wondered what Marny's reaction to it might be.
"What do you think of it?" Sophie asked.
"I cannot see it," Marny immediately responded.
"Of course you can. Look at your friends and tell me how it looks," Sophie said. I had to admit, I was beginning to think she was just a little nutty.
Nick stood up, approached and whispered in Marny's ear.
"No secrets, Ms. Bertrand. What did your dear man say?"
Marny looked at Nick who nodded almost imperceptibly and then answered. "He asked if I would wear it for him a few times and if I didn't like it after that, I could go back to whatever I liked."
"Very politic and wisely said. There is just one more piece I'd like you to try on," Sophie said. Pauline handed her another red, patterned bundle. "This is for more formal environments, where you might like to be more circumspect. It is meant to be worn over the top."
Marny pulled out what amounted to a knee length dress cut up the sides. Small gossamer threads allowed the sides to split open, but applied enough tension to mostly keep it together.
"It's perfect," Ada finally said, unable to hold back.
Marny nodded her head in acceptance.
"Now, for the rest of you," Sophie said. "Pauline has laid out ensembles for you all."
"How?" I asked.
"My dear, Mr. Hoffen. You're in my city now," she said.
"I hate to be crass, but can we afford you?" I asked.
"A reasonable question. You will each pay me a thousand credits. It is significantly less than what I normally would charge, but I am not giving you all a choice. I assume this is not a problem?" she asked.
I had that feeling I got when someone was backing me into a corner on a deal. I'd spent more than that on Tabby's clothing in the past and I'd probably be willing to pay it just for the moral boost.
"It sounds more than fair," Tabby stepped forward and shook Sophie's hand.
I smiled. I guess I'd have to do my thinking faster next time.
An hour later, we left Flair Fillium, all more colorfully dressed than when we'd entered. The women all had variations of what Marny was wearing. What Nick and I had was less complex, but still loose fitting. We were all carrying matching pullover tunics which, according to Pauline, we would need for more formal engagements.
"What do you think about the clothes, Marny?" I asked.
"Better now that you're all wearing them. I'd have stuck out like a peacock, otherwise," she said.
"What are we doing for dinner?" Ada asked. It was late in the afternoon and the smells of the nearby restaurants were compelling.
"We're meeting Captain Gray for drinks in forty-five minutes. We should drop our stuff at the hotel and head over," I said. "Do you think we're supposed to wear the formal top?"
"What part of bar says formal to you?" Tabby asked.
"Right."
The bar Luc had chosen was called de Laroche and was in the main city on Level-23. As we approached, it became immediately obvious as to why he'd chosen it. The walls were covered by ancient looking airplane props and old airframes hung from the ceiling.
"Who do you suppose de Laroche was?" Marny asked. My HUD immediately showed a reference to an old Earth French aviator, Elise Deroche, the first woman to fly an airplane.
"May I help you?" A server asked as we walked into the bar foyer.
"We're meeting someone. Do you know if Luc Gray is here yet?" I asked.
"He just arrived. Follow me," he said.
"I almost didn't recognize you outside of your vac-suits." Luc Gray stood up as we approached.
"You already know Tabby, but let me introduce you to the rest of the crew," I said and introduced everyone.
"I maintain my earlier statement. I cannot imagine how you remain sane, sailing a ship filled with these beautiful women." He paused and looked into Ada's eyes as he kissed the back of her hand, something he'd done more quickly with Marny and Tabby already.
"You're a flirt, Mr. Gray," Ada said.
"I hope I've not offended."
"I didn't say I didn't like it," she replied.
"Game on," Tabby said.
"What are we drinking tonight?" I asked as we sat.
"I've heard that there's a new brew in the city. I suspect, however, that it might have been you who brought it in," he said.
"You'll need to make sure you try the Guinness if you haven't had it," I said.
"I'll do that. Let me order the first round," he said.
"Only if we can pay for it," Nick said.
"I got a report from Meerkat Shipyard today," Luc said. "They're concerned that the repairs they're performing are the result of combat."
I smiled. He didn't have any problem getting right to the heart of an issue. I preferred his straight-forward approach to games.
"How much do you want to know? We've been having some problems getting our goods delivered," I said.
"In Nuage airspace?" he asked, alarmed.
"Not the really hairy stuff," I said. "We did have a run in with Oberrhein just off Léger Nuage a few weeks back."
"Define 'hairy,'" he said.
"We lost our tug in an attack by three Oberrhein cruisers," I said.
"A Nuage flagged ship?"
"No, our tug wasn't flagged yet, but Hotspur was. Hotspur received the damage while defending the tug. I've got a combat stream you can look at if you want," I said.
"I'm compelled to inform you that I'm an officer of Nuage Air Defense. If you show me something that implicates you in a crime, I'll have no option but to report it," he said.
I looked at Nick who nodded.
"We've committed no crimes," I said.
"You seem very calm for someone who lost a ship," he said.
"Don't mistake calm for lack of resolve," Tabby said.
"No offense intended," he said, holding up his hands.
I pinched the data stream that I'd prepared in advance, just in case he asked for it, and flicked it at him. A round of frosty mugs filled with amber liquid arrived and we all sat back while Luc reviewed the ten minutes that I'd spliced together.
When he finished, he looked up and grabbed his beer thoughtfully. He was visibly agitated after watching the presentation.
"You took out a cruiser with your tug? What possibly could have possessed you?" he asked.
"There was no escaping," I said. "Oberrhein had us caught in the deep dark and the crew on Hotspur would have sacrificed themselves trying to protect us."
"Merde," he said. "Only one thing that doesn't add up for me."
"On
ly one?" Tabby asked with an ironic laugh.
"You keep saying Oberrhein, but Oberrhein doesn't have any cruisers," he said. "It is outside of our treaty with them."
"Their transponders sure read that way," I said.
"Show me."
I extracted one of the many interactions we'd had with them and forwarded him the partial combat data streams that contained the transponder signatures.
"It's no secret that we've had a difficult truce with Oberrhein. I'll need to forward this to my superiors."
"How can we be sure they're really Oberrhein?" Nick asked.
"Who else would they be?" Luc asked.
"We were hoping you might have some ideas," Nick said. "You've only heard half of the story."
"There's more?"
"How much time do you have?" Tabby asked.
"I find my evening's schedule has suddenly opened up," he said.
Over the next hour and with fish tacos and chips, we recounted the events starting with the destruction of Cape of Good Hope and ending with our encounter after the delivery to Terminal Seven.
Nick, Marny and I had talked about the dangers of telling Nuage about our problems and it had come down to the recognition that we needed an ally in the system. Luc's response wasn't unexpected and I was glad that he had taken us seriously.
"That's a lot to take in," he said after we finished. "Can you back it all up with data streams?"
"Certainly," Nick said.
Gray stood suddenly as an older woman approached. "Admiral Marsh, it's unexpected to see you this evening." He looked like he was trying to decide between saluting and shaking her hand.
"At ease, Mr. Gray. We're all just out for a nice dinner, aren't we?" Her tone implied anything but what her words indicated.
"Yes. Of course, Madame," he said.
"You should introduce me to your friends and invite me to join you," she said.
"Of course, my apologies," he said. He introduced us all in turn.
"I received some rather disturbing news from Colonel Festove this evening. I have to admit, I'm surprised I don't see him down here, given the nature of his message," she said.
Gray remained quiet. A question hadn't been asked and he'd wisely not offered an opinion. I noticed that while he was sitting down, he remained bolt-upright in his chair.
She continued. "Tell me, is it your opinion as an officer that this information is credible?"
"I am not sure exactly what Colonel Festove sent you, but the information presented to me by this crew seems too astonishing to make up. Yes, I believe the preliminary reports present a credible threat," he said, stiffening.
"Very well. Mr. Hoffen, Mr. James, I am sorry to ruin your evening plans, but I'd like to request that you and your crew accompany me back to the command center," she said.
"Are you detaining us or requesting our assistance?" Nick asked.
Marsh visibly stiffened. I suspected she wasn't used to being questioned.
"You are guests of the Nuage nation and we are requesting your assistance in an urgent matter," she replied.
"Certainly," Nick answered.
PRIVATEER
I called the server over and swiped the charges for the evening. We'd spent four hundred credits and I had to remind myself that every credit here was roughly equivalent to two Mars credits.
"Mr. Gray, will you accompany our guests to the Gasser Planning room?" Marsh asked, although it felt like more of an order than a request.
"Oui, Madame," he replied. My AI provided the translation of his affirmation.
Admiral Marsh turned on her heels and left without further conversation.
"Were you expecting that?" I asked Gray.
"I cannot say I'm surprised. Admiral Marsh is a proactive leader," he said. "We should be on our way, as she is also not particularly patient."
"Will she be conducting the interviews?" Nick asked.
"I would not think so, but it is not up to me," Gray responded.
We followed him to the elevators where a car stood open. The lights inside the car were a blue hue and I wondered if that was some sort of indication of official business. Once we entered, the doors closed and we started moving. Gray had not offered any visible instruction. The ordinarily transparent walls of the car were obscured and the elevator dropped more floors than I could keep track of.
The doors finally opened to a reception area that shouted military; clean, white walls, tight gray carpet and minimal furniture. We were met by two uniformed guards who saluted upon seeing Captain Gray.
On the single table that occupied the reception area was a small square basket.
"Greetings, Captain Gray. We'll need everyone to place weapons and communications devices into the basket before we take you back." The speaker was a sturdy looking soldier.
Gray looked at me, clearly wondering if this was going to be a problem.
"As long as we get them back, I don't see a problem," I said.
I pulled off my earwig, withdrew the small flechette I had strapped beneath the loose fabric of my new pants and placed them into the basket. I slid my fingers into my waistband and withdrew the small nano-blade that I carried. It wasn't a full-sized blade, but in a pinch could be very useful. In truth, I was intimidated by the blade's ability to do damage without providing much feedback.
As expected, the basket provided was too small by a fair margin and the soldier had to retrieve another, larger basket after Marny and Tabby unloaded. Probably the most surprising to me was Ada, who I didn't believe normally carried anything. She contributed a slender laser blaster and a stun device I'd never seen before. The device caught Gray's attention and he looked at Ada with raised eyebrows.
"Girl never knows what she might run into," she said with a grin.
"Those aren't strictly legal," he said.
Ada practically simpered. "I won't tell if you don't."
Gray just shook his head.
"We're this way, Captain." It was the smaller of the two guards. Without my HUD, I wasn't able to get a lock on his nameplate.
We followed him down a wide, nondescript hallway into a larger conference room. For all of Nuage's care towards the aesthetic, their security establishment had adopted the same austere design as Mars Navy. The room was utilitarian, with a center table and functional chairs. On the opposite side of the room was another door with two guards standing on either side.
We were first joined by five officers who didn't introduce themselves but simply took their spots at the table. Two minutes later the guards opened the door again.
"Attention," one of the guards said crisply as the door opened and Admiral Marsh entered. The officers all stood in response. I wasn't surprised to see that Marsh had changed from her civilian clothes to a uniform, although it was impressive how quickly she'd been able to make the transformation.
"At ease. Please, everyone take a seat. Ensign, secure the room," she said and proceeded to the head of the table.
After we were seated, she continued. "Captain Gray, you're to be commended for bringing this matter to our attention. Ordinarily, I'd dismiss you from the conversation based on your role in Air Defense and not in Central Security Services, but given your relationship with our guests from Sol, I've requested that you remain. Colonel Festove has agreed as long as it doesn't interfere with your normal duties. Is this amenable to you?"
"Yes, Ma'am," he said. I noticed that he'd changed from a French affirmation to standard speech.
"Mr. Hoffen, Captain Gray has identified you as the spokesman for your crew. As such, I'll be addressing my questions to you. Is this appropriate?"
I looked back at her. She had cold gray eyes and exuded the same type of command presence I'd seen in many other officers.
"That will work, but to be honest, it will depend on the question," I said.
" By all means, I'd prefer we are honest," she said.
If her statement was meant to put me on the defensive, she'd have to work harder than that. I r
eturned her stare and waited for a question. I felt like she was measuring me and we waited for a full minute before she continued.
"Would you introduce yourself and your crew, please?" she asked.
I introduced everyone, starting with Nick and ending with Tabby. When I finished, she introduced the four other officers who had entered with her. Colonel Festove was the only name I recognized and without my HUD, I had no hope of recalling any of the other names.
After introductions, she started right in. "Captain Gray reported that three cruisers identifying themselves as Oberrhein attacked your small fleet in open space. Would you elaborate on this?"
"If I could have access to a reading pad, I've prepared several vid sequences that summarize our interactions with the Oberrhein ships," Nick said. Apparently, he wasn't off-put by her attempt at formality.
Festove cut in before Marsh could answer. "How do we know these vids aren't fiction?"
"A reasonable question. Mr. James, are they fiction? And, what were the circumstances in which you presented this information to Captain Gray?"
"Captain Gray asked about the nature of the damage our ship, Hotspur, had taken. Apparently, Meerkat Shipyard filed a report suggesting that they'd been asked to repair combat damage," Nick said.
"Did you?" Festove asked.
"Take damage in combat? Yes. Our sloop and tug were attacked by three, four-hundred tonne cruisers at roughly fifty million kilometers from Belirand's new Terminal Seven project."
"And, you expect us to believe that a three hundred tonne sloop and a tug succeeded in combat against three larger cruisers?" Festove asked. I was starting to wonder how much of the video Gray had forwarded or at least how much Festove had actually watched.
"We're not asking you to believe anything," I said. "Captain Gray asked us a relatively simple question about the nature of the damage to our ship and we told him as succinctly as possible. I don't believe we've broken any Nuagian laws by being fired upon."
"No, but don't play the simpleton, Mr. Hoffen. Your accusations threaten a fragile treaty between Nuage and Oberrhein," he responded.
I wasn't about to take the bait and jump into the argument. He hadn't asked a question and I wasn't about to defend our actions.
Buccaneers (Privateer Tales Book 8) Page 23