“What?” Cole asked. “If you can get one to open his mouth, just toss a plasma grenade down his throat. The hide’s tough enough to keep most of the blast inside, but be sure to avoid the mouth, nose, eyes, and…well…rear.”
“That sounds suspiciously like personal experience,” Sasha said.
Cole shrugged but said nothing.
“How soon can we have system pickets for Baldur and the mining system?” Sasha asked.
“Reinforced system pickets,” Cole added. “I want there to be enough ships to run down pirates or criminals who try to separate on multiple vectors.”
“When are you looking to move on Baldur?” Sev asked. “If it’s soon, we’ll have to pull ships from existing tasking and replace them once we recycle Trask’s fleet.”
“What systems can we pull from without compromising them?” Cole asked.
“You’re looking at it the wrong way,” Sato said. “All of our system claims are publicly registered in addition to claim buoys placed at all the jump gates in the systems. I don’t recommend pulling ships from the pickets near the old Commonwealth, simply as a matter of prudence, but those systems more than two jumps away from our borders don’t really need pickets. No one in their right mind is going to start a war with us.”
“How many system pickets do you feel we could pull?” Cole asked.
Sato manipulated controls outside the video pickup of the hologram system, and a star chart of Beta Magellan’s space appeared above the conference room. “We currently claim these systems. The border systems and the systems one jump in from the border need pickets, not to mention Gateway and Beta Magellan itself. That leaves us these nine systems that currently have pickets but are far enough from the border that the pickets aren’t really needed.”
“Those systems have the standard pickets?” Cole asked.
Sato nodded. “Yes, they do.”
“That’s…some serious firepower,” Cole said, his eyes flicking across the star chart. “Okay. Pull ‘em. Pick a rally point in Gateway, and the battlegroup will meet them there. Sev, I want you to focus on getting Trask’s ships recycled as fast as possible. We’ll be moving on those five systems that sent emissaries to us eventually, and I’d prefer not to reduce the forces ‘back home,’ as it were, to achieve our objectives in those systems.”
“I’ll have an estimate to completion for you when you return from the Qeecir operation,” Sev replied.
“About the emissaries from those Coalition systems in the old Commonwealth,” Sato said, “have you reached a decision about their proposal?”
Cole sighed. “Yeah, I have. As much as I might prefer otherwise, I agree that there needs to be some kind of stabilizing influence in this region of space. It certainly isn’t the Coalition, and so far, none of the independent worlds seem to be organizing anything. I’d just as soon stick to our own situation and leave the rest of the galaxy to itself, but I can’t abide the Coalition slaughtering innocents. I don’t want that leaving this conversation yet, though. There’s a long way to go from where we are right now to announcing that, and I don’t feel we’re anywhere near ready.”
Everyone nodded, and Cole couldn’t miss their smiles. He could see they were glad he decided to accept their advice to proceed with founding a successor state to the former Commonwealth.
Cole allowed the silence to extend for several moments before he tapped the table with both palms and said, “Okay. If there’s nothing else at this time, I’ll take the battlegroup back to Gateway and bring Vince’s ship aboard Haven. Once the pickets from those nine systems have gathered, we’ll all head out for Baldur. Let’s get to it, people.”
That said, Cole put actions to his words and pushed back from the table, standing and leaving the briefing room.
Chapter Thirteen
Near-Station Space, Babylon Station
Gateway System
12 August 3003, 07:35 GST
Haven and her battlegroup floated in the void, just outside the traffic patterns surrounding Babylon Station. Vince Comstock’s courier-class ship was already sitting on the flight deck, courtesy of a pilot who ‘won’ the job during Emily’s daily flight-crew briefing. It seemed all that remained was waiting for the nine system pickets to arrive.
Cole entered his office and sat at his desk. A thought had just struck him, and he wanted to discuss it with Painter and Paol. Accessing the comms function of his workstation, he typed up a quick text message that asked Painter to arrange a conference call with Paol whenever she and the statesman had a spare minute or three. He chose the quantum comms network as the transmission medium and fired off the message. He didn’t even have time to close the comms function before an ‘Incoming Call’ alert appeared.
Cole blinked and accepted the call. A small hologram showing Painter and Paol sitting together appeared, hovering above the desk’s surface.
“Morning, sir,” Painter said. “Paol and I were discussing other matters when your message arrived, and we saw no reason to make you wait. What’s on your mind?”
“A couple things…basically, the government of Beta Magellan,” Cole replied. “Where are we with that, Paol?”
Paol cleared his throat. “Well…honestly…I’m still working on the constitution. The basic body of laws was very straightforward, and as you know, I submitted those for your approval quite some time ago. Until we have an actual government, those laws will be enforced by marines under the authority of Colonel Hanson; it’s not perfect, but it works for now.
“Your insistence that Beta Magellan’s government be as a light and agile as possible and with limited bureaucracy is proving the most challenging aspect to writing the system’s constitution. I’ve been studying historical examples, and I’ve cribbed quite a bit from Thomas Jefferson and the democracies of the ancient Greek city-states. At the time, true democracy wasn’t practical in those city-states for a variety of reasons, but with our quantum comms network and a few tweaks, I think we might make it workable—at least a modification of it, anyway.”
Cole nodded. “Okay. I’ll continue to leave the matter in your hands, and when it comes time to write the charter for that federation the emissaries want us to build, that will probably end up being all you as well. If you feel you’re underpaid or understaffed, let me know, so we can discuss it. So, aside from all that, I have two ideas I think we need to start working on sooner rather than later: a Ministry or Department or Whatever of Research and a Ministry or Department or Whatever of Defense.
“My main concern is that we form a cadre of researchers to take the knowledge and technology present in Srexx’s archives and start building on that. I can’t imagine the Gyv’Rathi stopped their technological advancement after they exiled Srexx, so we need to start ours. We have an enormous tech advantage right now, and I want to keep it for as long as we can.
“As far as the Whatever of Defense, I think we should focus on the Navy and Marines at this time. We need an academy and training facilities. Involve Sato in that. Heh…I’ll have Srexx forward whatever training curricula he swiped from the Commonwealth and Solars. Something tells me he didn’t just walk away with the cookie jar; I’m betting he has the whole pantry. I’m thinking this will be in the conceptual stages for quite a while. After all, we just received a major influx of spacers and marines that I don’t think any of us were expecting, but it’s something we should have in place before we actually need it. Any questions?”
Paol and Painter looked to one another before looking back to Cole and shaking their heads.
“No,” Painter replied, “I think we’re good here. I’ll start working up recruiting lists for scientists and engineers.”
Cole nodded. “Thanks. Oh…and you might want to work up a consideration of folding CIE into Beta Magellan’s research department, maybe a sub-branch or something. Beta Magellan will always be a direct holding of the Coleson line, so there’s no reason not to do that unless you find something. Just something to consider. Thank you. Cole out.”
The hologram above his desk vanished as Cole closed the call. A quick series of commands brought up the system scan and showed him the system pickets hadn’t arrived yet, and Cole leaned back in his seat as he considered what he should do next.
Courier-Class Ship
Baldur System
21 August 07:15 GST
Cole stretched and looked at the pile on the adjacent bunk. The gun belt, holster, and fighting knife were three pieces of his past Cole never expected to need again. Well, the holster wasn’t the one he used to carry as Jax, and neither was the pistol it held. Srexx had refused to allow the courier ship to leave the flight deck unless Cole agreed to a sidearm that was the best the available Gyv’Rathi tech could provide, and he provided a holster and multiple charge packs to go with it. Cole wasn’t too surprised to see Scarlett wearing the same holster and kit, either.
In many ways, the courier reminded Cole of the Courageous Sloth, the ship where he’d been an apprentice pilot and met Scarlett while she was still Red Pattel, the Pirate Lord of Sector 82. There was a cockpit, three passenger quarters, a galley, and a space the ship plans called a cargo hold which was really more of a storage closet with a high-security door. Unfortunately, the so-called cargo hold hadn’t contained any goodies when Cole checked upon boarding for the first time…for old time’s sake.
Cole entered the cockpit and sat at the pilot’s console. Scarlett occupied the co-pilot’s seat and smiled as Cole entered.
“Morning, sleepy-head,” Scarlett said, adding a suggestive wink to her smile.
“Morning, Scarlett,” Cole replied. “How are we doing?”
Scarlett made a show of consulting the co-pilot’s console before she spoke. “We’re a couple hours in-system from the Bounty jump gate. I’ve calculated a flight path for the sole station in the system, Baldur’s Gate, which will ensure we don’t arrive until the fleet is here. We’re proceeding along that flight path at a sedate one-tenth-lightspeed, and we have no contacts on the scope at this time.”
Cole nodded. “Wow. Thanks.”
Scarlett leaned back against her seat, her playful demeanor returning as she turned to look at Cole. “So, do you ever think back to when we met and wonder what it would’ve been like if you had stayed with me?”
“Honestly?” Cole asked, swiveling his seat to face her.
“Well, yeah…of course, honestly.”
“Nope,” Cole replied without missing a beat. “But keep in mind, Scarlett, I am not—nor have I ever been—the kind of person who’d consider piracy a viable life choice. That’s not to say I haven’t thought of you from time to time down through the years. You’ve always been very attractive physically, and you’re a much more attractive person now that you’ve decided to leave Red Pattel behind.”
“Then why haven’t you taken me up on any of my offers?” Scarlett asked. “Not to put too fine a point on it, Cole, but there have been times I’ve done everything short of holding up a flashing neon sign that I’m yours for the taking. I’ve had a devil of a time figuring out whether you’re playing hard to get or just oblivious.”
“Sorry about that,” Cole said. “When you first came aboard Haven, I couldn’t be sure whether it was genuine interest—or at least genuine boredom—or extreme gratitude for saving your life. Then, later on, you worked for me. It always seemed…wrong, somehow…to date people who worked for me. Too much of a captive audience, I guess; I’d never know whether someone said ‘yes’ out of true interest or fear for her job.”
Scarlett somehow managed to lean even further back in her seat, adopting an appraising expression as she asked, “So, that’s why you’ve never pursued Sasha?”
Cole blinked. “Sasha? Why would I pursue Sasha?”
Now, it was Scarlett’s turn to blink. “You have looked at your first officer, right? Aside from that, I’m pretty sure she’s head-over-heels for you.”
Cole’s jaw literally dropped as he leaned forward. “Seriously? What makes you say that?”
“Well, for one thing, do you remember how she always glared daggers at me when I first came aboard Haven? It didn’t start until you and I began spending time together. She either saw us or heard about it and probably drew the wrong conclusion. It wasn’t until we made it back to Beta Magellan without anything ever happening between us that she started treating me halfway civil.”
Cole relaxed against his seat, leaning back as he directed a blank stare at the decking. After several moments, he heaved a sigh. “Well, this complicates matters. I almost wish you hadn’t told me.”
Now, it was Scarlett’s turn to blink. “Excuse me? One of the most eligible and desirable women in Beta Magellan is seriously into you, and you wish I hadn’t told you? Care to explain that?”
“You said it yourself. She’s my first officer, Scarlett,” Cole said. “I can’t…that is…what kind of example would I be setting for my people if I started a relationship with my first officer? And just think of what kind of trouble I’d be in if it went sour. Talk about a mess.” A sudden thought occurred to Cole, and he jerked his head up to face Scarlett. “Is that why she declined command of a cruiser?”
Scarlett shrugged. “Beats me. We’re not exactly best friends, but it wouldn’t surprise me. Sometimes, we take the best we can get when it looks like we can’t have what—or who—we want.”
“If you’re right, I’d think the last place she’d want to be is Haven’s first officer,” Cole countered. “If she really does feel the way you think she does, wouldn’t her current placement just be a slow torture?”
“Hey…at least she sees you every day. She gets to hear you laugh, see you smile. It could be a lot worse.”
Cole closed his eyes and shook his head as if to clear it. “Damn, Scarlett. I’m not going to be able to get this out of my head. Why did you tell me?”
“You’re facing a pretty big decision about the whole family thing,” Scarlett replied. “I just wanted to be sure you were aware of all your options and didn’t end up making a colossal mistake.”
“You know about everyone getting on my case about the lack of an heir?”
Scarlett shrugged. “It’s pretty obvious if you stop to think about it. Just don’t rush into anything…and be sure to look at your options from every angle.”
Cole sighed again and shook his head once more. “You know, you could’ve waited until after the mission to tell me.”
“There’s no guarantee we’d have the time. You’re pretty much a captive audience right now, tiger.” Scarlett punctuated her statement with another playful wink.
Cole fought the urge to sigh again. It was going to be an even longer trip to Baldur’s Gate than he first thought.
Chapter Fourteen
Baldur’s Gate
Baldur System
22 August 3003, 22:57 GST
The courier approached near-station space for Baldur’s Gate. There was no sign of Haven or any of the ships that traveled with her, but Cole had a message from Sasha saying they were in position. It was time to go see an old ‘friend.’
“So, you haven’t really discussed the plan for when we get in there,” Scarlett said as Cole input the commands to take the courier into its docking bay.
Cole chuckled. “Nope…I have not. If I had brought it up in the meeting, someone—possibly multiple someones—would’ve argued about it. It would’ve been this big thing that served no purpose.”
“So what are we going to do when we get to Qeecir?” Scarlett asked.
“Does he know you as Red Pattel?”
Scarlett shrugged. “I’m sure he knew of Red Pattel, but to the best of my knowledge, we’ve never met.”
Cole turned that over in his head for a moment as he checked the docking progress. Finally, he said, “Okay. Don’t mention Red Pattel at all, unless somebody else does first. Qeecir won’t disarm us or search us or anything like that. He’s an arrogant lizard that way, and it’s going to be his downfall. Your job is to watch my back. Qeecir and I will have a litt
le back-and-forth; there may be a little excitement, and then, we’ll call in the marines.”
“This has to be one of the vaguest plans I’ve ever heard,” Scarlett said. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you didn’t trust me.”
Cole shook his head. “It’s nothing like that. I just have a very specific reason for doing it this way, so just this once, I need you to trust me. You’ll understand on the other end of this, I promise.”
Scarlett gave Cole a sidelong look as he brought the courier into its docking bay; she didn’t like the undertone she was picking up in Cole’s voice, but she owed him her life. She chose her side back in Centauri. The ship was small enough that it didn’t need an external airlock, and within minutes, Cole had the landing struts extended and was bringing the tiny ship into the bay. Even after three years since he’d touched helm controls, Cole’s mastery of piloting showed. There was hardly a thump as the courier settled onto its landing struts, and it took Scarlett a moment to realize they’d landed in the docking bay.
“Damn, Cole,” Scarlett said as she stood to leave the cockpit, “you’re smooth. I don’t think I could’ve landed her that smooth.”
Cole grinned, and for a moment, his face and entire demeanor made Scarlett think of a giddy boy, overjoyed at doing what he loved most.
“I hardly ever get to pilot anything anymore,” Cole said as he stood. “It’s nice to know I still have the touch.”
“You could get a small runabout, you know,” Scarlett said, leading the way out of the cockpit. “I mean, you own one of the largest shipyards in known space. I’m sure it wouldn’t be that difficult to get something built.”
“You are absolutely right. I could do that, but if I did, what about Srexx?”
Scarlett blinked at the apparent non sequitur. “What about him?”
“I’m his first friend, Scarlett. The people who built that ship left him entombed in what was a planet at the time, because they found out Srexx achieved full sentience. And I promised him we’d see the galaxy together. What would he think—how would he feel—if I asked Sev to build me a runabout? Sure…I could be overthinking the situation, but he’s done so much for us—for all of us—that the last thing I want is to hurt him in any way.”
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