by B. V. Larson
“Exactly. This time out, I think we’re playing it well.”
“Why haven’t we attempted to contact the other ship directly?” he asked me. “All the transmissions have come from Earth.”
“That’s how I wanted it. We’re building up curiosity. Mystique.”
“Really? Seriously? That’s your plan?”
“Part of it. Remember, the Rebel Kher aren’t human. They’re similar to humans, not totally alien, but then so is the behavior of a gorilla or a killer whale when compared to a microbe. We’re in their territory out here and—”
“Hold on, sir,” Samson said, turning his harness around in my direction. “This is our star system. Our territory. Don’t they know that?”
“No,” I said firmly. “At least, the Kher don’t accept it. They ruled here until recently, even in the light of our own Sun. Remember how they came to Earth and plucked us up like animals? We have to earn their respect.”
He turned back to his console thoughtfully.
“What’s our next move then, Captain?” Hagen asked.
“When we get to a range of ten million kilometers, I’m going to open a dialog.”
“What if they don’t respond?”
“They will,” I assured him.
We waited another half hour, and we crossed the line I’d mentioned. It was significant, because our longest range weapons could be detected at that distance. They weren’t effective, of course, but a nearby ship could actually see we’d fired them.
“Open forward gun ports,” I ordered.
Mia made an odd sound of excitement. She laid her quick hands on her console and did as I’d ordered.
“Aim our weapons to the starboard of the enemy ship. Fire a single shell.”
She frowned and turned to look at me. “You want me to miss?”
“I want you to miss precisely. I want you to miss their flank by one kilometer. Then, ten seconds later, do it again.”
“Miss again?” she asked in disappointment.
“Exactly.”
“What’s—”
“Are you able to follow the order, Ensign?” I asked her.
She stiffened and looked angry. “Of course!”
A burst of fire leapt out from our ship. On the tracking charts, the gauss-accelerated shell moved with shocking speed. It looked like it was right on target—and for just a wincing moment, I thought Mia had nailed the enemy amidships.
Surprised, they took evasive action, rolling to one side away from the projectile. As the shell was moving at several million kilometers an hour, the second shot had to be fired even as the first went past.
Mia didn’t hesitate. She never did when killing was involved. She was, after all, a pure predator. Humans were gun-shy in comparison to her people.
The second shell was on a direct course for the ship. I could see that—everyone could.
“I didn’t tell you to ram it right down their throats!” I told her.
“You told me to put it a kilometer off their flank—but they’re moving!”
She had me. I’d been unclear. I’d meant to put the second round exactly where the first one had been. The idea had been to prove to the approaching ship we’d missed the first time on purpose. That was supposed to be an opener to possible negotiations.
Instead, she’d tracked and gotten in the second shot closer than the first had been. What kind of message was that?
Simple: we were trying to destroy them at long range.
The trouble was at this distance they would have time to dodge. We had to get closer to actually nail them. They knew that—and they knew it even more clearly after we’d demonstrated our primary offensive power.
Taking a deep breath, I decided to go with my next move anyway.
“Open a hailing channel,” I ordered Chang, “and Mia, stop firing. I can see you prepping the next round.”
She flopped back in her seat, arms crossed in disgust.
“Channel open—they’re listening, but so far, they’ve never responded.”
“To the unknown ship in our territorial space. This is Captain Blake of the Starship Devilfish. We wish to greet you and warn you at the—”
That was as far as I got. The central holoprojector lit up. They were responding.
Dalton turned to Samson with a grin. “See? The captain could train a dog to talk.”
The image that swam into view, however, caused us all to suck in a breath.
I knew the face well, or at least, the type of face. I’d dealt with this particular branch of the Kher family on a number of occasions. Virtually all those encounters had been negative in nature.
“Captain Blake?” the Terrapinian asked. “Captain Leo Blake? From the Rebel Fleet?”
“The same,” I said, staring at the leathery face. “Do I know you?”
Members of the Terrapinian species had a mottled look to their skins. They were lumpy and greenish, often with hints of gray. The skin was hairless and tended to wrinkle at every joint. Their big skulls were wedge-shaped and decidedly reptilian.
This individual looked older than most. His eyes were like black shiny marbles, and they regarded me with intelligence.
“You do not,” he said, “but I know of you. I am Captain Verr. Why do you attempt to destroy us, then try to contact us a moment later? Is this a primate trick?”
“No,” I said, “helm, slow down and come about. I suggest you do the same, Captain Verr.”
“Cowardice?” Verr questioned. “You missed, and now you have second thoughts?”
“We didn’t miss,” I told him firmly. “We fired to warn you.”
“Absurd behavior… but not implausible, considering the source.”
“Will you break off and talk first?” I asked. “We can always honorably destroy one another afterward.”
He stared at me distrustfully. We were slewing to one side, but he was plowing directly into our flank.
“It could be a tactic, Captain,” Commander Hagen’s voice buzzed to me privately through my sym. “He’s edging closer to get into range.”
“Three more seconds,” I said, “and we must fire again.”
The Terrapinian waited for two of them before leaning forward.
“Very well. We accept your invitation. As the challenged, we demand you come to our circle.”
The connection broke, and everyone blinked in confusion at the abrupt end of the conversation.
“What did he mean?” Commander Hagen demanded. “We could blast him now, sir. We’re still pretty far out. We might get a hit, and he seems to be out of range. They’re using particle beams that diffuse to ineffectiveness at this distance.”
“What’s he doing?”
We watched as the projections showed the enemy ship’s path. It had turned, as we had, and now we were both braking and veering off.
“He’s opening a side hatch—a big one. It’s either a weapon the size of an office building, or it’s his main hold.”
We zoomed in to watch the alien ship in fascination. We were close enough now to get excellent optics. They were still wavering, but you could make out a dark square on the enemy ship.
“What’s the enemy vessel’s estimated mass?” I asked.
“About four times ours. It’s either a heavy cruiser or a small battleship—call it a battlecruiser.”
“Right… she outclasses us. We outrange her, but she’s already proven she has more speed. If she gets in close enough, we’ll be destroyed for sure.”
“So… we stand off and destroy her at a safe distance?” Hagen asked hopefully.
“No… we honor our invitation.”
“What invitation?”
“Didn’t you hear? I said we should break off hostilities and talk first. He took this as an invitation, and he’s clearly accepted it.”
Hagen squinted at me, not getting it. “But he’s not talking. He cut off the channel.”
“Right, but then he opened his main hold door. Now, if I’m right, we’ll s
ee him brake to a stop soon. We should do the same.”
“Excuse me, Captain, but what the hell for?”
“Because we’re going to go aboard their ship, that’s why. The Terrapinians prefer to discuss things in person.”
Commander Hagen’s jaw sagged open and stayed there. He turned to look at the alien ship, which was still braking hard. We were doing the same now, as I’d directed Dalton to match their moves.
“This is a little gunboat diplomacy,” I told Hagen. “You’ll get used to it—if we don’t all die first.”
I gave him a grin which he didn’t return.
=20=
Once we were fully stopped, I suited-up and launched a small pinnace toward the Terrapinian ship. I felt relatively relaxed in the cockpit. Commander Hagen, on the other hand, seemed agitated.
“Sir, I’m not comprehending this at all,” he said via radio. “As your second in command, I understand why you left me in charge of Devilfish—but why go yourself? We have five hundred personnel aboard, any one of whom might have been volunteered for this duty.”
“Not possible,” I told him. “That would amount to an insult. Captain Verr and I spoke as equals and struck a deal. Any tricks would be seen in the worst light.”
“Tricks? Sending a team of xenologists would be a trick?”
“Definitely. Kher society is highly status and honor-driven. Even the Imperial types can be shamed into following an honorable code of behavior. Let me remind you, Commander, that without honor in space, there can be nothing but violent death. It’s a harsh place, and for any kind of diplomacy to exist, both sides must adhere to some basic rules. People are required to keep their word, for example. These traditions have evolved over thousands of years among the Kher due to necessity.”
“Yeah… I get all that… but what do I do if you get into trouble? What if they kidnap you and hold you hostage?”
“They won’t,” I said firmly, “but if something like that did happen, you should do your best to destroy their ship with me inside it. They won’t understand or expect anything less.”
“Great... Is that all, sir?”
“Blake out.”
Beside me, a hulking figure laughed quietly. It was Samson. He’d been my ace-in-the-hole before, and I thought he might serve in that capacity again today.
“Why am I coming along this time, Captain? Is it the usual? To play the part of your champion? To serve up honor with my fists?”
“If necessary,” I said, “but they might not try to duel with us.”
Samson shrugged and cracked his large knuckles. They popped loudly as he did so. “I kinda hope they do. It’s been boring on Earth for the last year.”
The Terrapinian ship loomed in our screens, then in our thick windows. Their main hold was still open, yawning like a mouth ready to swallow our smaller ship. Ice crystals grew over the rim of the windows as I watched.
“They must be venting a little,” I said. “Do you think Mia caught them with one of her shots?”
Samson shrugged. “That wasn’t what the sensors indicated at the time. Maybe they dodged so violently they sprung a leak.”
Unable to determine the facts with the limited sensor array on the pinnace, I stopped trying. Scanning their ship too much at this point would seem rude to our hosts, anyway.
A few moments later, we plunged into the hold. It was dark inside—totally dark. This was unusual, as normally Kher ships were well illuminated.
“I don’t like this,” Samson complained.
“We’re here, so don’t show any fear. Walk tall, move with confidence. We can’t let them know we’re cowed if this is some kind of intimidation technique.”
“If it is, it’s working…” Samson muttered.
We landed the ship using our own lights. The interior of the hold was iced over with crystals on the deck, further evidence of venting. Escaped gases and water vapor had come in here from the exterior hull and frozen over into a crunchy, frosted surface.
The hold doors closed behind us, but no one came out to approach the ship.
“Let’s go,” I told Samson, putting on my helmet and checking the seals. “I’m not sitting here in the dark waiting around.”
He followed me down the folding steps. We were met with mild gravity, just enough to allow easy movement, but no air. The frozen deck glittered like diamonds under the stabbing beams of our suit lights.
Finally, figures approached. There was an entire delegation of them. The Terrapinians were covered in thick suits. They hailed us only when they were standing right in front of me.
“Rebel Kher,” the leader said, “you are permitted aboard our ship. Do no harm, and no harm will come to you from our captain.”
I detected a loophole in that statement. It might just be a matter of custom, or a matter of translation error, but I felt I had to ask as we crunched over the frost toward an open passageway.
“Crewman,” I said, as he’d never identified himself. “Are we guaranteed safety from all Terrapinians aboard this ship? Or only the captain himself?”
He stopped plodding along, and all of our escorts turned to look at me strangely.
“There is never a guarantee of safety among the Kher,” he said. “Any real member of our alliance would know that. Are you truly Leo Blake, or another ape standing in his place? It is difficult for me to distinguish individuals among you.”
“You all look like turtles who lost your shells to us, too,” Samson retorted angrily.
I silenced him with a raised hand. “I am Leo Blake. I asked only for clarification of your statement. We are ready—proceed.”
They kept marching, and we kept following. It wasn’t until we reached the open passageway that I realized something was wrong.
I’d accepted that the hold was frozen and airless, and that there was some evidence of venting. But the passageway led into the heart of the ship. It too, was covered in ice. The doorway could barely be shut, having to grind and force its way through a thick layer of growing frost.
“Is your ship damaged, crewman?” I asked.
“Of course,” he said. “Why else would we have come to such a lowly star system for help?”
I blinked twice, but I didn’t say anything. The situation had taken a drastic turn—and I thought it was for the better.
Samson trudged with me, and he followed my lead by not talking about what he’d heard. His eyes were big, however, and he gave me a shrug of confusion when I glanced at him.
I could hardly blame him. We had countless unanswered questions. Sticking to my stoic strategy, I said nothing, and I avoided acting excited and concerned.
After all, if the Terrapinians were calm about the dying state of their life support system, who was I to panic?
=21=
We were led to a large, open chamber where another group of Terrapinians awaited us. To get into the room, we had to go through a makeshift airlock. I was grateful, however, to find the region pressurized and heated. I took off my helmet in relief, as did Samson and the Terrapinians.
“This is not a surrender,” Captain Verr told us sternly. “It is not a plea for aid. It is an offer of comradeship.”
“I get it,” I said, smiling.
Samson was smiling too. We’d both come aboard thinking we’d have to fight our way out of some kind of situation, but we’d thought wrong. The Terrapinians were in a bad way, and they needed our help.
“Do you, then,” Verr asked, “accept our offer of aid and protection? In return, we’ll expect the same of your people. Your ships will be of great service helping us, and we’ll do the same for you.”
As he spoke, my smile faltered. A request for emergency assistance was one thing. A full-blown alliance that dragged Earth into whatever conflict they were involved in sounded dangerous.
“Well…” I began thoughtfully. “There are several problems with what you suggest. First off, I don’t have the authority to commit Earth to an alliance. I’m just one ship’s captain, I�
�m not a king.”
Captain Verr was disappointed, but any human would be hard pressed to tell that from his expression. The only emotion I could read on their leathery faces was anger. He wasn’t looking pissed off now, but he didn’t look happy, either.
“So, you refuse my offer?”
“Let’s keep talking, exchanging information before we get to any final decisions. There’s so much we don’t know about your people’s political status.”
Verr shifted in his chair. The furniture we were crouching on was really more like small slings or hammocks supported by some steel tubing than anything we’d call comfortable, but then, the reptilian Kher weren’t known for cushy decor.
“I see,” he said. “You wish to spy more completely before you refuse aid. Very clever—I would expect nothing less from a primate.”
“You insult us?” I asked. “You ask for aid, then you spit on those who are considering it?”
This line caught him by surprise. He froze and thought about it for a moment.
“I will offer an explanation. We have been caught up in a struggle for dominance since the end of the last Imperial incursion.”
“Did someone come to your star system and offer to ‘protect’ you by making you a vassal state?”
Again, the alien looked surprised.
“Yes,” he said. “Has Admiral Fex come here too?”
“He has.”
Captain Verr stood up suddenly. He reached for his sidearm, and Samson did the same. My hand snapped out to stop Samson from drawing his weapon.
“Hold on,” I said to Verr. “Why are you upset?”
“I did not understand the situation until now,” Verr said, his thick fingers caressing his weapon. He obviously wanted to pull it out and shoot us. “I now understand why your technology has advanced so quickly—you sold out to the Kwok, didn’t you?”
“No,” I said firmly. “We drove him away. In fact, the reason my ship came out here to intercept you was because I thought your ship was in the service of Admiral Fex. I assumed you were working for him.”
Captain Verr mulled that over. At last, his lumpy fingers slid away from his weapon. “My apologies. It seems we have both made the same miscalculation. Your aggressive behavior makes more sense in this light—you were moving to defend your planet.”