“If Yossian is convinced this will be his last, best chance to get you, he may get stupid.” Hawkins smiled grimly. “And stupid is always costly in the Badlands.” He held up a page of notes and passed a copy to Terrant. “Let’s go over the script.”
They spent forty minutes on the script and all variables that could get them off topic. Finally, Rafe was satisfied they had committed their game plan to memory. He had one last direction. “Remember, this has to be a conversation about the present and the future. The past needs to stay in the past. That is the main reason I didn’t want you in uniform. That would be an invitation to get into a spat about the past. We do not want any finger pointing about who did what to who way back when. If he starts that, and he will, you need to toss it off as minor occurrences of no consequence. You can’t get caught up in a rehash of past events. That gets us to a stalemate. We must get him to see your successful present and your bright future. He must see a war criminal who will not only get away with her crimes but is actually thriving in her new environment. If he sees you living well and comes to the conclusion he is the only one that can stop you, he might make a move.”
Terrant nodded. She rolled her shoulders. She smiled at Hawkins. “I can do this. Did media every day as a politician. I can pull off successful and slutty.” Hawkins smiled back as she rose to return to Baby Doll’s stateroom and final touches.
Chapter 32
Terrant returned to the day cabin after her last beauty session. She now had on cosmetics and jewelry. Hawkins was setting up two chairs side by side at the briefing table. On the table, just in front of the floating screen, were two glasses and a wine bottle. He was also checking the background. Yossian would see the two seated pirates and beyond them would be the couch and book shelves along one bulkhead. Hawkins wanted to convey a cozy atmosphere and not the cold antiseptic environment of the bridge. A nice place for two friendly people to get together.
Terrant saw the ambiance he was trying for. “The captain’s place of relaxation with a certain type of company?”
“Exactly. If you see it, so will he.” He gestured at the wine set up. “That really is wine. Riesling.”
Terrant smiled. “Excellent. We can drink wine and sell this.”
Hawkins caught the change in her mood. “You seem to be getting into the spirit of the thing.”
Terrant nodded. “Been in front of the media many times. It’s show time now. I’m up for it.”
Hawkins smiled at her. He was gaining confidence this had a good chance of success. “I will start the conversation with the screen camera zoomed in on me alone. I’ll get you in at a suitable time.”
“I’ll be ready.”
Hawkins walked to the front hatch that opened to the bridge. He dogged the hatch open and leaned out. “We ready?” He asked nobody in particular.
“Yes,” replied Tactical and Baby Doll together. Tactical continued. “We’ll set up behind his ship to limit the number of guns he can bring to bear, and we will make sure no ship is behind us so nobody will be hit by their gunfire. All of us will be up on your computer feed. We’ll see his reactions at the same time you do.”
Baby Doll took up the tale. “Shields go up as soon as you break the connection and we begin to dodge. There won’t be any lag time. Everyone will be in place for their part in this.”
Rafe glanced at his command seat and its occupant. Mason Reed smiled at him. “We’re going to have some fun,” he said in a light tone as he repeated what Hawkins had said in the brief.
Hawkins nodded. “Hope so. You got the ship. Don’t screw it up.”
“If I do, you’ll be among the first to know.”
The two men smiled at each other. Reed having command throughout the entire episode was briefed earlier, but Hawkins wanted to emphasize it again. Not so much for Reed’s benefit but for his own. He did not routinely let someone else command his ship in combat while he was onboard, and it took a bit of getting used to.
Rafe nodded to the bridge crew. “Places, everyone. Let’s do it.” He left the hatch dogged open and returned to his briefing table. He looked Terrant over. “You do look fantastic.”
She smiled a bit shyly. “Been awhile since I have been this dressed up.” She looked down at her clothes. “This is a bit daring for me, but it’s nice to change things up now and again.” The two took their seats.
Under an assumed identity, Predator entered orbit around Lorelei and slowly moved through the flow of traffic until taking a position off the stern of Yossian’s battlecruiser. Several freighters cruised nearby. There were forty-seven ships in orbit around the equator of the planet. Thirteen Commonwealth warships were spread around the traffic pattern in the vicinity of their flagship. Six Royal Navy ships were in orbit on the opposite side of the planet. The remaining ships were commercial haulers or traders of one type or another.
Everyone aboard Predator was in place. The ship was at battle stations with weapons manned and ready. Raferty was in front of his floating screen with the comm page up. He picked up his wine glass and Terrant did the same. He looked at her close on his right. She nodded. He spoke over the comm channel. “Commencing.” He called the Commonwealth flagship and was patched through to Commodore Yossian at his bridge station.
“Why are you calling me?” Yossian tried to sound put out but couldn’t quite keep the optimism out of his voice. He was hoping against hope that Hawkins had reconsidered and might sell Terrant for a price. However, he knew he was dealing with a pirate so, as soon as the call came in, he had put the ship at battle stations in case a pirate sneak attack was in the offing instead.
Hawkins raised his wine glass in a salute. “Just wanted to say hello and see how your crusade is doing.”
Yossian decided to press him. “I was thinking you might reveal Terrant’s location if we could agree on suitable recompense. If you have such a desire, I am sure we could reach an agreement with little haggling. My offer to forego any search for Shane Delacruz still stands.
Hawkins smiled at him with his most insincere grin. “As it so happens, I know exactly where Terrant is.”
Raferty expanded the computer’s field of view and Yossian could see Terrant had been seated on Hawkins’ right, just outside the original view. Hawkins continued. “She wanted to meet you, and I just cannot say no to her.”
Terrant gave a big smile. She raised her wine glass in a toast toward the screen image. She also slid her left forearm to her left until it was pressed against Hawkins’ right forearm on the table. Subtle, but Yossian saw the movement.
“You’re under arrest for a variety of war crimes,” Yossian said quickly.
Terrant gave him a look like he was something on her shoe. “Speaking for the record, are we? Well, you have it on imagery now that you tried to arrest me. You’ve done your duty and everyone on Rialta will know you tried really, really hard to get me. You can give it up now. Let your crew have some liberty and enjoy the quadrant.” She sipped some wine.
Yossian shook his head. “You are two kilometers away in a ship that is no match for this ship. I am not giving up now when you are so close.”
“I might as well be halfway across the galaxy for all the good it does you. Just go home. I’ve got a good thing going here. My people are all settled in and have a future now. We have no intention of returning to Rialta. Let it go.”
Yossian stared at her. “It will not be that easy for you to just dismiss your crimes and skip away.” He nodded toward Hawkins while keeping his eyes on her. “Your charms might work on the pirates, but you still have to answer for your corruption at home, and I plan on taking you there. Alive or dead.”
She leaned toward his image while putting her right elbow on the table and placing her chin in her cupped right hand. At the same time, she slid her left hand over the back of Raferty’s right hand and interlaced her fingers with his. “Listen,” she said in a tone as if she was addressing a dim child or a smart dog. “You have come all this way for nothing. I have friend
s here. Powerful friends who like to do a woman a favor or two. They will protect me and my people. We already have a couple of entertainment establishments making money. Even getting into the banking business. We have all moved on and created new lives for ourselves.” She shrugged. “You keep talking about the past as if it mattered. The war is over. It is over for you too. You won. Just be happy with that and let people get on with their lives.” Her manner made it seem as if winning the war was akin to winning a game of solitaire.
Yossian now looked at Hawkins and decided on a different tactic. Divide and conquer. “Are you aware of how we tracked her here to the Badlands?”
Hawkins could see what was coming. Yossian would reveal the Marbellan warships gathering in the Badlands. Since these ships were not out and about, it was reasonable for Yossian to assume Terrant had them hidden somewhere for her own purposes, thus proving she was completely untrustworthy. Hawkins wasn’t sure how she would react to the news if Yossian was the one doing the explaining so decided to beat him to the punch without revealing the ship numbers in case he did not know the actual numbers. “You are now going to tell me how you have been tracking Marbellan destroyers and light cruisers coming into the Badlands over the last couple of months in answer to her call. Fiendishly clever of you, but I already know.”
Hawkins felt her left hand tighten on top of his right hand. Other than that, Terrant kept up appearances. She gave Yossian a look of disgust with his obvious tactic. “Of course, he knows about them. Who do you think I meant when I talked about my people? Obviously, I meant more than a single ship. The others have been working at setting up our new businesses while I and Cottonmouth were in the Aurora Empire. Sold a couple of ships for seed money and using the rest for transporting goods for a price. I expect things to pick up now that we are all back from the Aurora Empire and have the support of Pirate Flotilla One and the Duke of Black Hallow.” She raised her head from her right hand and looked significantly at Hawkins while giving him a winning smile. He returned the look. Two new, close friends working together for the advancement of all.
She now flopped back in her seat while keeping her hand interlaced with his. She gave a pouty face to show displeasure with the current company. The very image of a diva who was now tired with all this annoying chitchat going nowhere. She leaned slightly toward Hawkins and turned her head to him. She spoke to his right ear as if in confidence but with enough volume for everyone to hear. “Must we continue to indulge this man? I’m bored.” She used the perfect tone and drew out the last word. A prima donna with no time for the peasants. Even Rafe wanted to slap her.
He turned his head and leaned toward her so the two of them were nose to nose. He gave a theatrical sigh. “If you’re bored now, wait ‘till he starts in on his sacred duty and holy crusade. Verbal torture. Makes you wish you actually were half way across the galaxy just to get out of the conversation.”
Terrant nodded in a knowing manner. “Commonwealth windbags are all like that. Notice how he is always trying to get you to do his dirty work? Long on talk and short on action. He didn’t even fight in the war and all he has done here in the Badlands is run his mouth.” She waved her right hand toward the screen. “Just turn this off. The windbag likes the sound of his own voice so is drawing this out and keeping us from other important business.” She smiled a promising smile. The message was conveyed to their conversational partner on the screen. Yossian’s eyes flicked slightly side to side as he regarded each of them.
“You are not getting away,” he spoke in a low manner.
Hawkins laughed as he turned back to Yossian. “Trust me when I tell you she is definitely not getting away.”
Terrant laughed in a throaty, seductive manner as she leaned in again and lightly kissed Rafe’s ear. A hint of things to come.
Raferty seemed to succumb to the lady’s charms as he appeared to arrive at a sudden decision. He reached forward to his computer controls. He smiled at Yossian. “Well, Thad, been really good chatting with you. Hope we have this all straightened out now. Enjoy your stay here and then have a good trip home. Gotta run. Things to do.” He turned to Terrant. “You’re the one who wanted to meet him. Want to say good bye?”
She yawned and shook her head while deliberately not looking at Yossian. “No. Just make him disappear.”
Hawkins terminated the connection as Yossian roared. “Fire!”
Predator’s shields went up as soon as Hawkins ended the conversation. Gunfire erupted from the aft turrets of the battlecruiser and a dozen rounds came downrange at the pirate destroyer. Except the pirate vessel wasn’t there. She had immediately dropped down and away as the gun rounds passed over her and departed the orbit. The non-maneuvering, unprotected target that Yossian had been sure he would surprise was now dodging behind a line of conveniently placed freighters on the battlecruiser’s starboard side and making any firing solution impossible.
An orderly spaceport dissolved into chaos as freighters and commercial haulers scattered like leaves in the wind. Collision alarms sounded on several ships as near misses occurred every ten seconds. All frequencies jammed up with chatter and cursing. Ships exited in all directions as long as it was away from the firing. Port control gave up giving directions seconds into the melee.
Despite all the madness, the Commodore would not be deterred. “After him!” Yossian ordered.
The battlecruiser dove down to get below the line of freighters Predator was using for cover. As the battlecruiser descended, Predator climbed on the opposite side of the freighters to keep the ships between them. Predator continued to climb even as Altair reversed her descent and followed. Both ships were now above the freighters as Predator departed the orbiting traffic pattern and climbed to arc over the planet at its north pole. She was clear of all traffic and Altair fired all guns that could be brought to bear. Predator dodged deftly around to complicate any gun firing solution. The ships remained too close for a missile lock. As Altair cleared the traffic pattern, the Lorelei planetary defenses opened fire on her. Missiles and gunfire closed on the battlecruiser.
“What?!” Yossian was caught completely by surprise by the quick planetary response. It was as if they had been sitting at battle stations on the surface. He glanced to his right at the ship’s captain, Jedidiah Tallman, in his command chair. That officer was shouting into his comm. “No! You are not cleared to engage! All ships will stand down!”
Tallman was clearly giving orders to the other ships in the squadron. At first, Yossian was offended by his actions and then realized the other ships had been calling him on his own comm, but he had been so focused on the pirate ship that he had overlooked them on his own screens. This was his first taste of combat, and it was happening too fast for him to keep up with all facets of command.
The battlecruiser began to shake under the impacts on her shields. Yossian looked at his ship’s captain. “Why are they shooting at us?”
Tallman could not quite keep the look of incredulity off his face. “You have opened fire in the orbiting pattern of a major spaceport. That is the violation of about a thousand different rules and treaties. The planet has every right to defend itself and its spaceport.” Tallman did not even try to keep the “you-gotta-be-kiddin’-me” tone out of his voice.
Altair continued to pursue her prey as she fired in self-defense in response to the planet’s attack. Interceptors flew out to challenge the planet’s missiles; guns and lasers and decoys danced around the battlecruiser. Predator sailed over the north pole and hooked down on the other side of Lorelei. Altair lost sight briefly as Predator pulled close to the planet’s surface. Altair cleared the pole and saw the faster, nimbler destroyer had opened the distance between the two ships. The added distance had moved Predator far enough away for missiles.
“We have a missile lock on them! Shoot!” yelled Yossian.
“No!” countered Tallman.
Too late. A salvo of missiles flew as the weapons officer obeyed Yossian. Twenty-five missiles close
d on Predator. No more went down range as that same officer now obeyed his captain. The pirate vessel responded with all defenses. Time of flight was nine seconds. Short but long enough for Predator. There was time for the pirate vessel to close and dive through the middle of the formation of six Royal Navy ships. The Aurora ships immediately took up defensive measures as the missiles would lock onto them. Clouds of interceptors, canister rounds, decoys, and lasers surrounded the Aurora Empire ships. Missiles were destroyed or decoyed off target but six impacted the shields of three different ships. Fortunately, none penetrated through to the hulls of any of them.
Tallman took a deep breath of relief at the result. His battlecruiser had just engaged ships of the Aurora Empire Royal Navy. Major wars have started over less. Tallman hoped that could be avoided, but this incident needed to end now before any chance of that occurring.
Predator was now among the line of Zeke ships and had slowed down to match their speed and stay intermingled with them. The Zeke formation maintained cohesiveness and did not try to get away from the pirate ship. Altair was dropping down after crossing the north pole but could not get a firing solution due to the Zeke ships’ interference. No firing was exchanged as the two combatants weaved back and forth around the Royal Navy ships while they held course and speed. The planetary defense continued to engage Altair with missiles and guns. The Commonwealth ship was defending itself well, but she could not sit in the engagement zone forever.
“I’ll have the rest of the squadron close it up to this location, and we will get our shots then.” Yossian’s voice sounded hopeful. He punched his comm on his floating screen and began to issue orders. Tallman overrode him from his floating screen. “All ships, do not, I say again, do not, engage the pirate ship or any other ships or the planet defenses. You are authorized defensive measures only.”
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