“Oh, yes, there's no way such a ship would make it in the Navy, but it's a nice idea, isn't it?”
Chapter 41: Friend or Faux
When they were done looking over the bridge, Annalise asked to see the captain's cabin, saying, “I just want to see how things compare on the civilian side.”
Anailu agreed, and guided Annalise to her cabin. Annalise was impressed. “I've been told that luxury ship captains have cabins bigger than an admiral's on a battleship, but yours isn't quite that big. It's still larger than my cabin on the Stoneforge though, at least if you don't include my sitting room or dining room. And I'm jealous, you don't just have a closet, you have a whole dressing room!”
Annalise had just walked into the dressing room. As soon as she saw it, she made a beeline for the crate storing Anailu's dress uniform...and that horrible thing. She put her hand up to it, as if afraid to actually touch it. “This is...is this actually a Dodato case?” She looked at Anailu with her eyes wide. “You have a design from Dodato? Would you mind if we looked at it?”
“I don't know, it's a little embarrassing, really. It's not very professional-looking to my eye, but he didn't give me a lot of choice.”
“That's OK, everyone's got to have something to wear when they're in mufti. There's always that hostess that doesn't like it when a woman shows up in uniform. But please, may I see it?”
Anailu had a sense of impending doom. She'd felt like Annalise was really starting to respect her, but surely the monstrosity in the Dodato trunk would end that. But, Anailu knew she had already missed her chance to come up with a polite excuse to avoid showing it. Regretfully, she hit the control to open it for display. This made both of the ensembles slide out and rotate on their hangars.
“Wow, that's amazing. You're right, the feathers wouldn't do if you were attending a military function, but still. You could go to the premiere of a play on Teurna in that. Why, you would fit right in if you were to dine at the Imperial Palace!
“Wait, now that I see them together – You're not just keeping your uniform in there, Dodato designed it too, didn't he? It's so different from most of his work. If I had been at a civilian affair, I might have checked your data tag, but we're supposed to pretend it doesn't matter at a naval affair.”
“Oh it's nothing, really. Dodato just made that for me when I wasn't happy with the other one. Why, he gave me full rights to it.” As soon as she said that, she regretted it, because brain caught up to remind her of what Naomi had said – that Dodato never gave full rights to any of his designs.
“He designed it for you, not some patron of yours? I'm a little embarrassed, but do you mind if I check?”
Anailu blushed. “Please, read the datatag, it's open.”
Annalise got out her comm and had it pull the data from Anailu's clothes. Seeming very impressed, Annalise turned to look full on at Anailu. “Really? And you didn't like Dodato's design, so he made you another one? With everything else I've seen of you, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. You know, I didn't say anything this morning, but I had an idea what you might be up to.”
“I don't understand what you mean.”
Annalise smiled. “I'm sure you're supposed to deny it, but I understand. I'm also sure you didn't expect anyone here to recognize your uniform. If I didn't have the right connections, even I wouldn't know you were wearing the new dress uniform design, months before it's released. And you don't just wear the new design, you wear your custom Dodato version of it, all while playing at the simple commercial captain. The simple commercial captain of a Dove – no, a one-of-a-kind Dove, who owns two shabti – or supposedly just shabti, hmm. The simple commercial captain wearing a unique Dodato – and has full rights to it?
“Don't worry. I'm neither fool nor ass enough to blow your cover. I don't even need to ask why you're here. I recall what the lead researcher at the project told me: their problems getting funding for what was then such a speculative program. He also said they'd expected their search to take two more years than it did. He told me how the project had been almost out of money. And then, when all hope was lost, somehow there was a new plan to complete the search in just six months, and then Count Forvallete stepped in and personally funded the rest of the project. Of course, that is why he is now in control of it.
“Now, when just exactly the ship needed to complete the project shows up at just exactly the right time to save it, and it's this ship with this captain? Sure, that's just coincidence.”
If you put it that way, yeah, it sounds odd.
But she'd put in a lot of hard work and study to get here, scrimping and saving for years. Sure, some of it had been luck, but in the end, was it good luck if her keystone parts ended up stuck in that government facility or in the count's hands?
Anailu now saw that Annalise had clearly taken some of the same data points and built them into a different picture of her as some sort of covert government agent.
Then she had an inexplicable feeling that she ought to play along. As she considered why her brain would suggest something crazy like that, she had a full on inspiration.
Because Annalise Nertari has access to the Anchor Project starport, the place where my parts are.
Why, her cruiser might well be parked next door to the parts Anailu so desperately needed.
The next realization she had was simple: This is crazy.
Right on its heels was: I have no idea how to convince her to help me – worse, to break the law for me.
But, just playing along wasn't particularly dangerous, as long as she was careful not to directly claim to be something she wasn't. So, Anailu decided she could do that much, while at the same time she tried to come up with a safe way to ask for help. She might have to lie to someone that she was really getting along with, but to get the Queen flying again? It would be worth it.
While Anailu was thinking a mile a minute, Annalise was continuing from her incorrect conclusions: “I know that some of our brightest stars get pulled into the covert services early. The problem is that those stars who return from the 'darkness' sometimes never get noticed, since very few important people know the best work they have done for the Empire. But I am a student of Imperial history. I have seen that those stars who find a patron with the vision to see and appreciate their talents, can go on to serve the Empire in more public ways, some as captains or even admirals.
“You have a unique appearance, Anailu, and this assignment has no doubt brought you in contact with some important personages, so I wouldn't care to predict how much longer your service will be useful in the 'darkness.' When they are done with you, if you are considering transferring to the Navy, please, come to me, and I will to help your star shine.”
With that, Anailu had an idea of how to make this work. It was risky, but it was the best chance she could see to get the Queen's parts.
Anailu gestured toward her office next to the dressing room, suggesting, “Why don't we go sit down?”
They went out to the office and sat. Anailu wasn't one for drinking much, but this certainly seemed like a good time for it, and she could use the little delay to gather her thoughts. The autoprep delivered two glasses of a good white wine stocked by the Torrells.
Annalise had a sip of the wine. “Ah, this is excellent. I'm ready to down to business. I've been considering the effects if I were to walk through the halls of Navy Headquarters on the day the new uniform is released, and to be wearing, not just a custom uniform, but a custom Dodato uniform. Everyone would be convinced that I must know someone important, which would be,” she winked at Anailu, “absolutely true.
“I didn't wish to mention it before I discerned what I might offer you in return for such a gift. But so far, the only thing you seem to need immediately is the infamous missing parts for your ship – but of course, that is just part of your cover. I am not so crass that I would suggest monetary compensation for a work of art, but frankly, I don't know you well enough yet, and I'm out of ideas. So tell me, what sort of gi
ft might I offer in exchange for rights to your Dodato uniform? It would need to include wear and distribution of derivative designs, of course, to accommodate my people.”
Anailu was shocked. “It's funny you should mention my missing parts. I've just run into a problem regarding them, and I'm desperate enough to share my story with you – in confidence, of course.”
“So long as they do not impinge my honor or the safety of the Empire, I shall keep your secrets as my own.”
“There is a powerful man here on Doran, whom I must not name, but who wishes to destroy me. We had no association before he arrived on Doran, and went on a safari. I was present for that safari, with the Queen. I am not permitted to speak of the events which may or may not have precipitated his departure from the safari before its end. He remains on Doran, and though he was required to leave me alone, I believe he is now trying do ill to me in a way that will not reflect on him.
“After my ship arrived on Doran, certain critical systems were disabled or crippled by removal of key components that can only be replaced by the Telani. As you guessed, this was, at the time, part of the plan. You can see how my ship's limitations made my role here believable. Those key components were hidden with a trusted agent. Just last night, that trusted agent was betrayed, attacked, and the parts were stolen.”
Anailu brought up the tracking software on her comm.
“I don't believe the thieves knew that the parts had tracking devices concealed with them. When I arrived at Arch Falls today, I received pings from the beacons indicating they are inside the base, apparently in a warehouse near the starport. The only good news is that, through the series of events which led to the parts being seized by ICS this morning, I am hoping my antagonist does not yet know my parts are now under his thumb.
“But I'm stuck. I don't have permission to directly prove my right to those parts. I don't have anyone on base who could help. I'm basically out here on my own. I could send a message to the Core, but by the time there is a useful reply, well, who knows what will happen? When this safari is over, my work on Doran is done, but I'm sure you can guess how embarrassing it would be for me to leave here without my ship – not to mention what it would do to my future career plans.”
Annalise sat quietly and took another sip of her wine with a thoughtful look. “That's...quite a tale, my dear. I can make some guesses as to who this man might be. I can see the most likely candidate would present a difficult situation for you.”
Anailu tried not to react, but apparently Annalise saw something, because she went on, “Oh, dear. That's what I was afraid of. You were right to share your confidences with me, though. I believe our meeting today will turn out to be lucky for both of us.
“Now, I will need to have the tracker data, as well as any other data you can provide about the crates. Hmm. I'll make a Captain's Bet with you that I'll be able to get your parts out in some wholly legal and ethical way.”
Anailu was surprised to hear a Navy captain referring to a Cutter Wine bet, but there it was, and as usual, when she parsed it out, it made a sort of twisted sense. If Annalise couldn't get the parts out legally and ethically, she'd lose the bet, and therefore hand over cases of Cutter Wine. In crates. If she could get them out legally and ethically, she would probably hand them over directly.
Who isn't in on the existence of these Captain's Bets?
They shook hands on the bet, and Anailu passed over the information she had about the crates themselves. She did not share anything she'd learned about the Queen, or anything that pointed to Motul.
Anailu was preparing to give the design rights to Annalise, but then she thought of a small hitch in the plan. “One of my shabti came up with a crew uniform design, based on my uniform. She's really looking forward to wearing it once I get them commercially rated.”
Annalise nodded. “Why don't you keep the right to create derivatives and wear or distribute them for use by your crew, employees, servants, or property. That's the usual way it's done. Would that be sufficient?”
Anailu thought that was fine, and said so.
“Wonderful. You should also keep in mind that, as a rule, mere shabti do not create new designs for clothing.”
Anailu was embarrassed. She'd known that, but she'd forgotten.
Keeping track of so many lies is hard.
Once she'd set up the rights and passed on the design data to Annalise, Anailu asked why she didn't want the ownership of the design.
“My dear, that's better for both of us. It doesn't hurt its value to me at all, and if you do decide to come and join me, the fact that you are the ultimate owner of my Dodato design will help my people understand that you are a 'shining star', even though they won't know your record. It will quell a lot of complaints that would otherwise arise from you 'jumping the line' into my friendly little club. Not that I couldn't take care of such a problem, but it's much more pleasant to fix it before it happens.”
The Queen pinged to notify Anailu that ships were approaching. Anailu brought up an external view on a wall display, set to track on the incoming craft. As they watched, two fighters of the security detail finally reached the campsite, and one of them landed on the platform. The pilot immediately debarked, and he looked angry.
Annalise chuckled. “Oh, dear. I think we should go meet that pilot. I suspect he's ready to storm your ship.”
As they left the cabin and headed down to the entryway, Anailu asked, “Should I be worried?”
“Not really. I think they wanted you to stay with the escort. Did they say anything about it before I came aboard?”
“No, nothing. We always make a high speed run to the next campsite. The Torrells like giving their staff extra time to get set up.”
The Navy pilot charged up the ramp and onto the ship. Having seen his approach, Anailu and Annalise met him in the ship's entry. He started off very angry, “Ma'am, you were supposed to limit your speed to allow us to keep up with you, not go haring off on your own.”
“Nobody told me that! Before we left, I spoke to Anchor Control, I spoke to the escort commander, but no one said anything about limiting my speed once we left controlled space. Besides, I wasn't just 'haring off;' we need to arrive well before the other ships so the landing site can be prepared, as you can see.”
“But you had to know it. It's part of the ground rules for this trip!”
Colonel Nertari stepped forward. “Sergeant, I'm Colonel Nertari, captain of the Stoneforge.”
The pilot snapped to attention and saluted. “Yes, ma'am.”
“I can vouch that nobody briefed Captain Xindar of any escort procedures, and I was with her the entire time, through her conversations with both Anchor Control and your commander.”
“Thank you for clearing that up, ma'am.” He turned back to Anailu. “My apologies, ma'am. For the rest of the trip, though, please limit your speed so we can keep formation.” He turned back to Captain Nertari again and saluted before returning to his ship and taking off to begin patrolling.
Anailu realized something that hadn't been mentioned. “If he wanted me to slow down, why didn't he just call me as soon as I started to pull away?”
“Because he's an Imperial fighter pilot, and he doesn't want to admit over the radio that your big ol' ship is faster than his quick little interceptor.
“The escort commander really should have briefed you, or Anchor Control should have told you the procedures. Either way, they dropped the ball.” She shook her head. “I'm starting to wonder if someone at Headquarters decided to grab all the most incompetent personnel they could find to put here as a dumping ground when they created this new fleet.”
“That's a terrible idea!”
“Eh, it's not a big deal for now. The project is basically just a big hole in the ground.” She shrugged. “If the researchers get somewhere, then maybe it will matter. Anyway, we're not admirals or nobles, so there's no reason for us to worry too much about it.”
Annalise clapped Anailu on the shou
lder. “Thanks for the tour. I'll see you later, I need to call my ship and attend to some business.”
Anailu nodded. “You're welcome. I'd like to talk more, later, if you don't mind.”
“Not at all.” Annalise gave her a little nod, then headed back inside.
Chapter 42: Team Alpha
Captain Nertari called her XO, Gul Pamatta, on a link encrypted under her personal codes. She dealt with some routine ship's business, then got to the reason she was making the call: She was going to help an Imperial agent out of a spot of trouble. She told Commander Pamatta what she needed, and passed on the data that Anailu had given to her. Because of the sensitivity of the target location, and the short deadline, she told him to put 'Team Alpha' on the job.
Any senior officer had their supporters and friends, but Captain Nertari was aiming for the top, so she had also built a network of people who worked for her covertly. She had people working for her interests in Navy Headquarters, in a few places around the fleet, and of course, on the Stoneforge. As a result of this sometimes extralegal help, she had gained a lot of knowledge and influence. She'd also become rather wealthy, though for her, the money was just another tool to help her achieve her goals.
Team Alpha, as a group, constituted her best operatives. Along with being her right hand man, Gul Pamatta was its leader.
He was a brilliant officer, but he was an immigrant, which limited his career. Hitching his star to Nertari's had already allowed him to reach Commander, and might take him even further. He was loyal to Navy and Empire, but more loyal to Annalise Nertari.
As soon as he finished his discussion with Captain Nertari, Gul Pamatta called a team meeting. Since even the existence of Team Alpha was secret, everything was done covertly. The team held regular jobs throughout the ship, from their leader as the XO, to a lowly Lance Corporal who probably would never be promoted again. Regardless of rank, they were each experts in one or more fields important to the team. Their naval ranks did not measure their value, and every member was expected to contribute equally. In recognition of this, the team used first names with each other when in private, even with their leader, Gul.
The Sculpted Ship Page 27