by Ryk Brown
It had taken a bit of cajoling, as well as stern looks from his men, to convince the hostess to take them to the man they sought.
“How did you know where to look?” Corporal Vasya asked as he and Specialist Brill followed Nathan through the crowded restaurant.
“It’s common practice to require incoming ships to register cargo, crew, and passengers with the port controller,” Nathan explained. “A few units got me the hotel that this guy, Orloff, is staying in.”
“But how did you know he’d be here?”
“I didn’t,” Nathan admitted. “But it’s dinner time, so the hotel restaurant was a decent bet.” He glanced back at the two men, smiling. “I got lucky.”
The hostess stopped, looking back at Nathan. “In the corner, there,” she told him, nodding toward the man in question.
“Thank you,” Nathan replied, placing a credit chip in her hand. He made his way the last few meters unescorted and slipped into the booth next to Mister Orloff.
“What the…” Sosi exclaimed, surprised. He was even more surprised when two stern-looking, young men in black uniforms slid into the booth and sat directly across from him. “Who are you?” he asked, looking back at Nathan to his left. “What do you want?”
“In answer to your first question, I’m Nathan Scott, captain of the Aurora. This is Corporal Vasya and Specialist Brill, of the Ghatazhak.”
Sosi looked at the two men, neither of whom nodded or made any facial gestures, just sitting there like statues, staring at him.
“You’re Na-Tan?” Sosi finally managed to mumble.
“I am.”
Sosi searched for something to say, but only came up with, “I thought you be older.”
“I get that a lot,” Nathan replied.
“What I do for you?” Sosi wondered.
“You brought two of my crew with you, Lieutenant Commander Nash and Commander Kamenetskiy. I need to know where they are.”
“Well, they not here,” Sosi assured him.
“I can see that,” Nathan replied, not amused.
Sosi swallowed hard. “They left with Aristaeus Imburjia.”
“Where did they go?” Nathan asked.
“To Casbon.”
“Why?”
“Your lieutenant commander was to speak to the Casbons, to convince them they must share fighters they are to purchase from Aristaeus with your people… I believe she is to offer help to Casbon…to the training of their pilots, but…but…of this, I not certain.”
“Where is this world, Casbon?” Nathan asked.
“On the far end of the Ilyan, in Ridalli system.”
“I’ve never heard of it,” Nathan admitted. “Can you show us how to get there?”
“Yes, but, I was about to…”
All three men cast serious stares at Sosi.
“It is to be my honor,” Sosi agreed. “Lead the way, Captain.”
* * *
“This is BS,” Jessica complained as she paced the lobby of the Leadership Council on Casbon.
“He is simply preparing them for your proposal,” Vladimir insisted, trying to calm her down.
“He’s finding a way to use the fact that we also want to buy the fighters as a way to jack up the price on whoever buys them,” Jessica insisted. “That’s what he’s doing.”
“He did not strike me as the type…”
“Oh, he’s the type, alright,” Jessica interrupted. “He’s all about the deal. I know the type well.”
“You may be correct, but so what? They are his ships to sell, after all. I think it is admirable that he prefers to keep his promise to the original buyer, even if someone is offering him a better deal.”
“We never offered him a better deal, Vlad,” Jessica pointed out. “Besides, you heard him, he just wants to keep a frequent customer alive to make more profit off them. If he really cares about their welfare, he’ll tell them they need our help to keep them safe.”
“And that may be exactly what he is doing, now.”
“Then why are we out here?” Jessica demanded.
“Perhaps it is because he feared you would act like you are right now?”
Jessica glared at him.
“Gospadee,” Vladimir exclaimed, noticing her scowl.
Jessica paced a bit more, and then turned back to Vladimir. “Aristaeus doesn’t trust us.”
“Insisting that we be allowed to carry our sidearms probably didn’t help,” Vladimir pointed out.
“Like you’re not glad you’re carrying.”
“True.”
The chamber doors swung open, and Aristaeus stepped through, closing them behind him. “They have agreed to hear your proposal,” he told Jessica. “However, I must remind you to be careful how you phrase your points. They will not take kindly to being told they are ignorant of the risks. Do not tell them they are doomed without your help. Tell them that their chances of success are increased with your help, and that their loss of life in defense of their world will likely decrease.”
Jessica looked at Aristaeus, one eyebrow raised in suspicion. “What did you tell them?”
“Only that your people are also interested in buying the fighters, and that you were willing to pay more.”
“You see,” Jessica said to Vladimir as she headed for the doors to the council chambers.
“Wait! There’s more!” Aristaeus looked at Vladimir in dismay. “Is she always this headstrong?”
“This is mild,” Vladimir assured him, following Jessica.
Jessica pushed the double doors open and walked into the Casbon Leadership Council’s meeting chambers, looking more like a gunslinger than a salesperson.
“Allow me to introduce Lieutenant Commander Jessica Nash,” Aristaeus called out as he hastily followed Jessica and Vladimir into the room, “and Commander Kamenetskiy, of the legendary Earth ship, Aurora.”
Sitting behind podiums, arranged in a semicircle, sat fifteen men and women, each of them wearing robes bearing the emblem of the districts they represented. Gathered before them were others in attendance for various reasons, all of whom turned to watch Jessica and Vladimir as they approached the guest speaker’s podium at the center of the room. Glances exchanged by various council members revealed considerable disapproval for Jessica’s entrance.
“Hi, how’s everyone doing?” Jessica asked as she stepped up to the podium.
“The council recognizes Lieutenant Commander Jessica Nash,” the council member in the center announced.
“Thanks.”
“Mister Imburjia tells us that you are concerned about our well-being?”
“He what?” Jessica replied, her eyebrows raised again.
“He also tells us that your people were interested in purchasing the Sugali fighters, as well.”
“Uh…we are.”
“And, that you were originally willing to pay a higher price in order to secure the deal, but that you rescinded the offer when you learned of our plight.”
Jessica glanced over her shoulder at Aristaeus, and then Vladimir, who had a smug look on his face. “We did,” she replied, albeit unconvincingly. “What else did Mister Imburjia tell you?”
“That you were concerned that we are unprepared, and that it may take some time before our people are capable of defending our world.”
“The thought had crossed my mind, yes.”
“I assure you, Lieutenant Commander, we are well aware of the risks; however, we have little choice in the matter. The Ahka raids have become more frequent, and with each attack, they become bolder. In the last attack, they landed disruptor squads in the city center, to strike terror in the hearts of all Casbons. Given the escalation, we see no other alternative but to at least attempt to defend our world.�
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“Of course,” Jessica said. “I completely understand, and while I am quite sure that the people of Casbon will bravely defend their world, and are willing to sacrifice themselves to do so, I believe I have a better way.” She waited for a reaction.
After a moment, the lead council member said, “Continue.”
“Allow us to provide you with experienced combat fighter pilots, as well as tacticians and maintenance specialists. They will use your fighters to protect Casbon while training your people to replace them. In this way, I believe you can not only get immediate protection, but you can do so with a potentially much lower loss of life…Casbon lives.”
“And what cost would we bear for such services?” the lead council member inquired.
“In exchange for our services, you give us half of the fighters that you purchase, so we can use them in our fight to liberate the Pentaurus cluster from the clutches of the Dusahn Empire.”
The lead council member did not look pleased, and by the murmurs coming from the other council members, as well as those in attendance, the others felt the same. “We need those fighters,” the lead council member insisted.
“Based on what Mister Imburjia told us, you don’t need all of them. Heck, you don’t even need half of them, as long as your people know what they’re doing.” Jessica glanced about the room. “No offense, but I’m guessing you don’t.”
The murmurs in the room grew louder. If she had understood the local language that most in attendance were speaking, she expected she would have heard more than a few foul remarks directed at her.
“Order!” the lead council member demanded, banging his gavel on the desk. “Order!” After a few moments, the room quieted down. The council member next to him leaned in to whisper in the lead council member’s ear. Once finished, the lead council member spoke once more. “The people of Casbon might be interested in your offer, however, with a slight adjustment in the terms.”
“And they would be?”
“First, you will purchase the fighters from us, in addition to providing our people with the appropriate training. Second, you will help us defeat the Ahka once and for all so that we shall have no need to fear them.”
Jessica looked down, shaking her head. “You don’t want to do that, believe me.”
“The Ahka have been killing our people and stealing our resources for years,” the council member to the left spouted. “We are completely justified in our desire to put an end to it.”
“I’m not saying you aren’t,” Jessica argued. “But you don’t want to escalate things. If you do, what’s to stop the Ahka from going out and buying more ships, or bigger ships? Are you prepared to then purchase additional weapons? Are you willing to potentially kill innocent civilians?”
“We would only be attacking their military assets,” the council member argued.
“That’s what everyone says,” Jessica replied. “Yet still, it happens. Innocents die. There’s never been a war where they didn’t.”
“Then we are to defend our world against the Ahka for all eternity?” the lead council member asked. “How is that fair?”
“Whoever said the universe is fair?” Jessica replied, almost laughing. “If you’re going to arm-up, then you have to be ready to use it. If you’re going to take the fight to your enemy, you’d better be willing to completely annihilate them, or someday they’ll come back and try to do the same to you.”
“How does it serve us to let the Ahka continue to attack us at will?”
“If they attack you, you have the right to defend yourselves. You have the right to blow them out of the sky. Once they realize they are more likely to die than to steal your resources, they’ll think twice about attacking.”
“And if they do not?” the lead council member wondered.
“Trust me, they’ll stop,” Jessica insisted.
“How can you be certain of this?”
“Because if they have to steal from you in order to survive, then they can’t afford to escalate. They don’t have the resources to do so. If you show them that you will no longer allow them to attack you, and that you will fight back, they will stop.”
“And why should we believe you?” one of the other council members questioned.
“Because this is what we do. This is what we are trained for.”
“You have seen combat?” another council member wondered, looking skeptical.
“Yes, many times,” Jessica confirmed.
“And you have killed?”
Jessica glared at the council member questioning her. “Many,” she replied. “And unlike a fighter pilot, all my kills have been up close and personal. So trust me when I say that I know what I’m talking about.”
“Then you are refusing our terms?” the lead council member asked directly.
“I am not. I am simply suggesting that you do not escalate matters, unless you are prepared for such an escalation.”
The council members again began to talk among themselves. Jessica looked over at Vladimir, who shrugged.
“The council will adjourn and consider your words carefully,” the lead council member announced. “Meanwhile, Mister Imburjia, the people of Casbon are prepared to make payment and complete the purchase of your Sugali fighters,” he told Aristaeus. “All of them,” he added, looking at Jessica.
Jessica stood there with her mouth open as the council members rose and filed out of the room. She turned to Vladimir. “So, now what do we do?”
Vladimir looked at Aristaeus, and then back at Jessica. “I say we get something to eat.”
* * *
Nathan made his way forward through the port corridor, on his way to the Seiiki’s cockpit. He had been in a foul mood since he had learned of Jessica and Vladimir’s departure from Sanctuary. It was hard enough to leave his responsibilities as the leader of the Karuzari Alliance, but at least it had been for good reason. Now, he was being taken further away from both responsibilities, simply because two of his most trusted subordinates—and closest friends—had taken it upon themselves to go shopping.
It wasn’t the first time Jessica had ignored the chain of command, and it certainly wouldn’t be the last. This, he realized, he had no choice but to accept. It was simply her way. Luckily, she could handle herself. But it was highly unusual for Vladimir to run off with her. In fact, he was surprised that she hadn’t made him stay behind. More often than not, Jessica preferred to work alone.
Nathan reached the cockpit access ladder at the bow of the ship and quickly ascended. “Relief is here,” he announced as he stepped onto the cockpit deck.
Loki looked at Josh.
“I’m good,” Josh insisted.
“I’ll be back in an hour,” Loki said as he climbed out of the copilot’s seat and made his way past Nathan.
After Loki passed, Nathan stepped forward and plopped himself down in the copilot’s seat, immediately looking over the various displays to orient himself with the ship’s current status.
“Everything’s good,” Josh assured him. “Jump series sequencer is working perfectly, and the ship is humming along.”
“Just getting oriented,” Nathan replied. “I’m not used to sitting on this side.” He looked at the sequencer display. “Looks like we’ll be there in about four more hours.”
“Yup.”
Nathan leaned back in his chair. “Hopefully I’ll figure out what to say to them by then,” he added, mostly to himself.
“What?”
“Nothing,” Nathan insisted.
“Say to who?” Josh pressed. “Jess and Vlad?”
“Pretty much.”
“Uh…how about ‘hello’.”
“Not that simple,” Nathan replied, leaning forward to change displays for a moment. “They took off without
properly reporting in first.”
“They told Neli,” Josh reminded him.
“Not good enough.”
“Well, how the hell were they supposed to report in?” Josh wondered.
“They could have waited. They knew I was due back soon.”
“I’m sure they had their reasons,” Josh insisted. “I mean, it’s Jess and Vlad, after all. I can see if me or Dalen pulled something like that. You’d have our asses.”
“Still, they put me in a tight spot,” Nathan explained. “I was supposed to be there for Miri; for her kids. Instead, I’m chasing Jess and Vlad across the galaxy.”
“But, if they can get a bunch of Sugali fighters, it would be worth it, wouldn’t it?”
“Maybe,” Nathan agreed, “but it isn’t their call.”
“How did they know we’d come after them?” Josh asked.
Nathan looked at Josh. “Because they would have come after us. They’d have no choice, just like we had no choice. If we didn’t, we’d lose their trail, and if something went wrong, they’d be screwed. Jessica should have known that. She probably did know that, but she went anyway. That’s why I’m pissed. It’s hard enough to be in charge, without your subordinates going off to do their own thing.”
“I guess I see your point,” Josh agreed, “but, isn’t it possible that what they’re chasing down is worth it?”
“It depends,” Nathan replied.
“Depends on what?”
“On what goes wrong in the meantime. There, here, back on Sanctuary, or back in the Rogen system. That’s always been Jessica’s problem. She never looks at the big picture. She only sees her part, not everyone else’s.”
Josh rolled his eyes. “Kinda sounds like me, doesn’t it.”
“Yeah, a bit, but I expect that from you.”
“Yeah, it’s part of my charm,” Josh retorted, smiling.