Freedom's Challenge

by Anne McCaffrey

  “JUST…” Ray raised his voice above the immediate babble of comment, “in case, I want the crews of all the other ships standing by and ready.”

  “Why?” Dorothy asked, almost amused. Obviously that was what an ex-admiral immediately thought of as appropriate. “There’re too many of us now to be evacuated and where would we go?”

  “Earth, of course,” Geoffrey Ainger said, disgusted with her obtuseness.

  “I dropped. I stay,” Kris said and walked out of the meeting.

  Chapter Twelve

  AFTER THAT SCARE WITH THE THREE bogies looking as if they were coming straight at them, the ships had not so much as hailed the scout, so they had proceeded on their return to the asteroid belt.

  “I don’t see why we need to pick up Baby now,” Chuck said since that would lengthen the journey home.

  Bert nudged him in the small of his back and held up one finger, making a grimace, and two, altering his expression of a beatific smile. Then he gestured to his whole body and winced.

  Chuck Mitford had never considered himself slow in comprehension but the fright of that squadron bearing down on them—and then passing by, close but no cigar—made him interested in getting back to Botany as fast as possible. So Zainal wanted Baby back. Hell, why would Kamiton want this ship returned? He had a massive navy to pick from. But Bert’s other point—that Zainal wanted to be as fully recovered as possible from his “disguise”—made more sense. Although Chuck had been there when the first layer of the “disguise” was laid on, so to speak, he had been shocked when he’d seen Zainal in the cabin light.

  They hadn’t dared bring any Botany foods on Kamiton’s vessel but there were some on board Baby. Chuck had some fresh goods in the galley, having enjoyed the daily haggle with the scruffy providers who brought their carts and baskets around to the occupied vehicles. A lot wasn’t very fresh, probably rejected from the main markets in the city, but it was better than what was served in the mess where Chuck was permitted to eat as a Drassi crewman. Years of eating marine chow had inured him to practically anything remotely edible. Some of the messes served to the crewmen were definitely remotely edible. But he pretended the same lip-smacking enjoyment the others did, even if he didn’t eat as many servings as the others did. He ate more slowly, though, so as they slopped food into their mouths, he seemed to be keeping pace with them.

  He made a stew of the vegetables, then whipped it into submission as a puree which Zainal’s abused intestines should be able to manage. He served the meal in small portions and often.

  Then they encountered a squadron of mining vessels, and Bert had to scramble for his hiding place as the larger ship informed them that they were sending over a pinnace.

  “We could outrun them,” Chuck said, thinking that their luck must have run out. The bogies hadn’t bothered them but mining ships could only be searching for the precious metals that had been found by Emassi Venlik. There were times when one could get too clever by half, Chuck thought.

  “No. They have missile launchers and tractor beams. We’re a sitting duck for the one and too close to avoid the other,” Zainal said and opened a line to the DMV, the leading ship, jovially awaiting the arrival of the pinnace and any news they might have.

  The news was, indeed, that the Eosi had all been executed and every captain was free to do what he wished from now on.

  Captain Kabas was half drunk when he arrived, and he and his pilot, Wenger, who was completely sober, brought the same nauseating stuff which Chuck remembered all too well from his stay at the boondock field they’d first landed on at Catten.

  It was in character for Zainal to demand all the details.

  If some of them didn’t quite jibe with the facts as both Chuck and Zainal knew them, that was all to the good. They did hear, which was excellent news and their cheers were genuine, that most of the High Emassi who had not been part of the coup now backed the Supreme Emassi Kamiton to the last male of the line.

  When finally the conversation got around to Zainal’s presence in this area, he replied that he had been exploring in a distant quadrant, had seen the asteroid belt, and wondered if he should report it when he got back. Some of the bigger rocks looked as if they might contain useful ores.

  “Well, now,” Captain Kabas said, “you can leave that to us. We’re all our own masters now, you know. I wouldn’t stop you going your own way.”

  “Good of you.” Zainal turned to Chuck in a semi-confidential air. “We saw a place we’d rather like to be masters of, come to that.”

  He lifted his mug, its opacity hiding the fact that Zainal’s apparently hearty use of the contents had been faked, in a toast. “May you find what you deserve, captain,” he said.

  The captain who had continued to sip while he gave details of the momentous news had now gone through most of a new bottle. He laughed raucously at Zainal’s toast and tipped back the last of his current glass. Gave a huge burp and, bloodshot yellow eyes turning up into his head, slumped slowly over the table.

  “Help Wenger get him into the pinnace, Drassi,” Zainal said, slurring his words as if he had had more than enough, too. He waved them to remove the unconscious man.

  “Were I you,” the pilot said, “I’d get out of this area as fast as you can fly this thing. Captain ain’t the only one is worried about you being nosing around this belt.”

  “Agreed,” Chuck said as he carried the captain’s feet and helped the pilot arrange him in a seat.

  When he returned, Zainal was already in the pilot’s chair. “Fasten up, Chuck, we’re making all due speed out of here.”

  “The pilot suggested that, too.”

  • • •

  WHEN THEY FELT THEY HAD PUT ENOUGH distance between them, Zainal did insist on turning back, to collect Baby, despite Bert taking Chuck’s part in trying to dissuade him.

  They used a huge rock to hide their return, but their encounter with the miners had also skewed them far from the course that would bring them to the hollow asteroid. There had been a specific way in and through the belt to reach their destination. So they were forced to prowl counter to the spin of the belt until, just about the time they would have been in danger of being spotted by the miners, they found it.

  Chuck insisted on remaining with Zainal.

  “You need feeding. I’m not going to answer to Kris if you return like a goddamned scarecrow.”

  “Scarecrow?”

  Chuck explained. “Maybe even, you’ll get a chance now to see one on Earth. Boy, while I was glad to be in the thick of it on Botany, I wouldn’t mind seeing a scarecrow again, or having a rock in the porch hammock. If it’s still there.”

  Piloting Baby, Bert kept on their port side, as escort, so that when Chuck noticed Zainal was having trouble keeping awake, he suggested putting on the auto-pilot and having something to eat. In the spicy rocksquat stew he’d heated up, he mixed into Zainal’s plate a few dollops of a sedative that Leon had included in the first-aid supplies as a painkiller.

  It did take some maneuvering to hoist the inert Catten from behind the table and into his bunk. Chuck took off the boots, loosened the belt, and covered the snoring man. He caught himself wondering if Zainal always snored and how Kris…he censored the rest of that and went forward to inform Bert what he’d done.

  “Good idea, sarge, even if he will give you hell when he wakes. Okay, now here’s how I pilot both ships,” Bert said and gave Chuck detailed instructions. “We’ve some days to go on this leg so let’s arrange a schedule for each of us to get some shut-eye. I know Zainal was going to do one with me. We’re unlikely to run into another thing in this zone. Nothing but planet-less primaries. No good to anyone.”

  “I got enough sleep at the field,” Chuck said. “I’ll take first watch for us both. Okay?”

  “Right.”

  And that is how they managed during the twenty-two hours Zainal remained asleep.

  He was mad as hell at Chuck for dosing him but he calmed down when he realized that
his energy had improved, as had his appetite. And that each of the pilots had also had some sleep.

  Chuck’s much vaunted six-hour requirement had him up and ready to take over from Zainal who tried, but not too hard, to continue for a full eight hours. Bert was asleep in Kamiton’s ship but Chuck insisted he could handle anything, and besides, he’d wake Zainal if there were any alarms.

  • • •

  THE FIRST THAT THE COLONISTS AT RETREAT knew of the success of the mission was when a cruiser of the Catteni navy contacted them via the com sat, requesting permission to land on Botany.

  “RAY!” Matt Su roared and grinned at the scowl on the ex-admiral’s face as Scott careened into the bridge room. “We got a cruiser of the Catteni navy asking permission to land.”

  Ray ran to com desk. “Identify,” he snapped in Catteni.

  “Can’t you clear up the visual, Ray?” asked Matt.

  “Tikso,” Ray ordered.

  “We…kum…frum…Catten. Su-preme Emassi Kamiton. We…coleckt Catteni feee-males and male young.”

  Ray and Matt exchanged startled glances. A Catten was addressing them in English…or trying to.

  The visual flowed clearly on the screen. “This is High Emassi Captain Tiboud,” and there was relief in the Catten’s voice for being able to speak in his own language. The man beside him had a sheet from which he had obviously been reading phonetic English. “All Eosi dead or gone. Catteni now own Catten…and all previously owned planets and installations…”

  “He’s making sure we got that…” Matt muttered sotto voce.

  “With the exception of the Human planet, Earth and, of course, the impregnable Botany. Earth is gratefully returned to its rightful owners and inhabitants in view of the help given by Humans to end Eosi domination. Botany’s extraordinary defense against the might of the Eosian navy has been admired—if silently—by many. We Catteni honor bravery.”

  “Damned white of them,” Matt added sotto voce, avoiding the kick that Ray directed at his shins to shut him up.

  “That is very good news, captain,” Ray said with great poise and solemnity. “Has my home world learned of its freedom from Eosi domination?”

  “The news was relayed by Supreme Emassi in person over a special com link.” Tiboud bowed respectfully. “Good news to you, I am certain.”

  “Indeed it is, and thank you for relaying the message.”

  “Is it possible to have speech with the Excellent Emassi Zainal?”

  “He’s not here,” Ray said, and his elation at the news of Earth’s liberation evaporated. Matt looked shocked.

  “Not there?” Then the short Drassi who had read the English message spoke a quick word into his superior’s ear. “Ah, the Excellent Emassi Zainal was aboard the scout which does not have the speed this vessel has. He will doubtless arrive very soon now.”

  “Then he…he is alive and well?”

  “That is our understanding,” Tiboud said, again With a respectful bow. “We…all Catteni…owe our freedom to the Excellent Emassi Zainal.”

  “We here on Botany owe him as much,” Ray said, returning the bow. Then added, out of the side of his mouth, “For God’s sake, go tell Kris Zainal’s alive while I deal with this.”

  Matt nodded once, eyes round in his face, and departed at speed. Ray heard him shouting at someone in the hangar and then heard the tools dropping and the cheering as the good news was absorbed.

  “We have the honor to collect the mates and offspring of those to whom you gave sanctuary,” the High Emassi Captain continued.

  There were shouts at the door now, which Ray turned to silence. This planet was run properly and wild demands for details would have to wait until he’d finished the interview with the incoming ship.

  “Cool it, guys, I’m doing the diplomatic but tell the Council to get their asses down here on the double.” He turned back to the screen. “Do you need the coordinates of the landing field?”

  “They would be welcome. We understand that the continent on which the original shipments were made is no longer available.”

  “That is correct,” Ray replied with a wry twist to his lips and then supplied the landing field’s coordinates. The appropriate protocols were being scrupulously observed.

  “Received,” the captain said with another bow, “and course laid in. We anticipate touchdown in two of your local hours.”

  The contact was broken. Ray felt the need to seat himself at the desk, wondering why success always weakened you whereas imminent defeat caused you to stiffen in protest. So Zainal’s crazy plan had worked, whatever it had been. And Kamiton had snatched away the leadership. Well, perhaps Zainal hadn’t wanted it. Not with a woman like Kris to come home to. But maybe he’d take her back to Catten. No, not with that sort of gravity to combat on a daily basis. Mitford had mentioned how she had coped, but only just. Mitford hadn’t been too happy with the problem but marines could handle anything.

  Just where in the new power structure, Ray Scott wondered, did an Excellent Emassi fit, if there was now a Supreme Emassi? He wondered what plums had gone to Kasturi, Nitin, and Tubelin. As Catteni went, they’d been pretty straight guys.

  He had only those few moments before people once again plagued him for details. He gave them what he knew and warned them of the impending arrival of a “friendly.” Beverly and Judge Iri arrived together, Rastancil close behind them, and the four had decided that first there would have to be some sort of honor guard. Now that Botany was liberated, it had the right to its own protocols.

  “Why didn’t you just tell them where those bitches were and just get them away from here?” Beverly said, his brows knitting with displeasure. “When I think what a rough time they’ve given Kris…ah, Kris,” for she was standing in the doorway, looking white as a sheet. Behind her, Matt was making all kinds of incomprehensible gestures at him. Warnings, Ray realized, and noticed that Kris was dressed in her Emassi uniform. But the look on her face…He strode over to her.

  “He’s all right, Kris. He survived. He’s on his way back. The cruiser that’s going to land here was just faster and came on a direct line…”

  Her hands, when he took them, were freezing.

  “Kris, he’s all right,” he repeated and, without thinking what he was doing, he embraced her, patting her shoulders and stroking her hair as she burst into tears. Ordinarily tears were enough to drive Ray Scott as far away as he could take himself, but this was Kris. The long and difficult wait was over. “He did it, Kris. He did it and Earth is free. Botany, too.” He held her off. “Do you understand? Earth is ours again as well as Botany.”

  “Botany, too?” She’d taken a deep breath as he started to cajole her.

  “Botany, too. And they asked…asked…for permission to land, which is damned well the first time they’ve done that.” He wondered if Zainal had traded rank in the new government for the freedom of the human colonized planets.

  “That’s a change,” she replied with a crooked smile. And burying her face in her hands started to weep again.

  “Come, Kris, my dear.” Dorothy Dwardie took her off to one side, giving Ray Scott the dirtiest look he had received since he got his junior grade bars.

  • • •

  SO THERE WAS TIME TO PLAN A PROPER CEREMONY when the cruiser landed. Drums, pipes, and two bugles were assembled, and the Council put on their best clothes since they now had some from the same shipment of purloined materials that had gone to clothe the Catteni exiles. Kris decided to keep on her Catteni uniform since she would officially hand over that duty to Captain Tiboud. And relieved to do so.

  The cruiser was so new that there was not so much as meteor gashes on its side, and it bore a much different design on its prow than vessels had displayed under Eosi management.

  Not very artistic, Kris thought, but probably the Eosi hadn’t encouraged the arts and at least the runes used were in different, bold colors. She just ached to be able to ask Zainal what they meant.

  When the crew
, Captain Tiboud leading the formation, drew up in front of the Botany deputation, Ray embarrassed her somewhat by introducing her first. High Emassi Captain Tiboud startled her when he bowed with unexpectedly deep respect to the female introduced as Zainal’s life companion.

  “Excellent Lady Emassi,” Captain Tiboud said, his eyes keenly inspecting her. Then, with an unexpected show of Catten amusement, he pointed to her shoulder tabs. “These are incorrect.” He snapped his fingers, rattled a command to the aide who jumped to his side and then bounded off to the cruiser, almost hitting the top of the hatch he had so misjudged his stride. “Zainal is on his way here or so the Supreme Kamiton himself told me when he dispatched his fastest ship to retrieve all those you were good enough to protect.”

  Kris couldn’t stifle her reaction but hoped Tiboud would not see that relief was the main one. “We secluded them in the safest place on Botany but I fear that the accommodations could not meet what they are used to.”

  The aide was back, bowing as he opened and presented a large box with many pairs of fancy rank tabs. But the pair he selected was the most lavish in terms of the use of platinum, gold, and a fine dazzling diamond.

  “I was ordered by the Supreme Emassi as well as High Emassis Nitin, Kasturi, and Tubelin that you, Kris Buyorzen (which was near enough for a Catteni trying to enunciate a Scandinavian name) be the first to receive the honors which I have brought.”

  With a quizzical look for permission, he stepped forward and made a quick job of replacing her shoulder tabs. The new ones sparkled with the diamonds that capped the platinum half-spheres. She saluted, feeling that was an acceptable gesture. He bowed very low and she followed suit though did not bow as low. After all, she figured, an Excellent was higher in rank than a High Emassi.

  Then he stepped to Ray and frowned slightly as he realized that Ray was not wearing a uniform-type tunic on which it would be easy to affix the rank tabs. But Ray held up one hand before the Captain could start any presentation speech.