“Don’t worry, boy; I can assure you that when the Abh commit to a fight, they go all out. Once a proper battle begins, negotiation and compromise ain’t on the table. They take the fight to a fiery end either way. And that’s why they know what a frightful thing war is — and why they avoid it if possible.”
“I don’t know about that...”
“Take a look at history, boy. The Empire’s never once sprung a war on anybody else.”
“That’s not true, though. The system I’m from didn’t even know the Empire existed before their warships came pointing weapons at us.”
“Your system? The Countdom of Hyde?”
“Oh, so you hadn’t heard, Lonh-lym Raica. Hyde was a system isolated from the rest of human society. Until seven years ago, that is.”
“I see,” the old man nodded. “I think I’ve got a better idea of your family history now.”
“I mean, setting that aside...”
“Don’t take this the wrong way, boy, but the Empire only battles other interstellar nations. If it’s a fight with another interstellar power, then they’re ruthless. But when it comes to terrestrial worlds, they’re practically charitable. It ain’t like they do ground wars, after all. Well, to be honest, they look down on surface worlds. Literally. From space. They don’t consider them rival powers.”
“Kinda don’t know how to feel about that,” he said, but that did bring him some reassurance.
Meanwhile, that exchange left Lafier feeling alienated. “You’re Abh, too. Why are you speaking as if it has nothing to do with you?”
“Fïac, said Sruf with all due reverence, “I only truly became Abh after learning what the Abh learn. This boy — ahem, this young man, noble prince of the Countdom of Hyde, is still learning how to become Abh.”
“I’ve still got a lot to get used to,” Jinto added.
“But must you act so rude? Don’t analyze me like I’m some kind of zoo animal!”
“My apologies.”
“Sorry!”
But she didn’t feel they were quite sincere. “It’s irritating,” she insisted.
“I get it, I’m sorry!”
“In any case, Your Highness,” Sruf interrupted, “Could I ask you to take the ship to the pier reserved for the lord? There’s nobody over there.”
“Yes, understood. Do you have access to blyséragh (Flight Control functionality)?”
“Yes, total access.”
“Then disengage the landing gear for me.”
“I would love to, but we can’t afford to take too much time using this terminal. Let’s give the functionality back to the Flight Control Room.”
“But...”
“I say this with the understanding that they follow my orders, of course.” The former baron picked up the phone and connected a call to the Flight Control Room. After a brief back-and-forth with Mwineesh, the Senior Flight Control Officer, he secured her loyalty, and then carried out a series of operations on his end.
“Can we trust her?”
“If she goes back on her word, then I can always take back functionality anyway.”
Lafier shrugged. “Febdash Barony Flight Control, come in.”
“Yes, this is Flight Control speaking.”
“Requesting permission for takeoff.”
“Permission granted. When will you take off?”
“Now.”
“Roger. Disengaging landing gear.” The coupling mechanism released.
Using her frocragh, which included the map of the estate, she ascertained the location of the lord’s pier and crawled along the ceiling at low propulsion.
“Come in, Febdash Barony Flight Control.”
“Yes.”
“Requesting touch down at the lord’s pier and propellant resupply at said pier.”
A pause. The face on screen was visibly cross.
“Permission granted,” Mwineesh said at last. “Do you need guidance?”
“No,” said Lafier. She still didn’t trust her completely. Moreover, for a steerer who possessed frocragh like her, she didn’t even need help navigating at such short distances.
It took less than a minute for Lafier to touch down on the pier that the Baron typically used. The propellant had been automatically resupplied.
“Now to take my leave, Your Highness.” Sruf stood up and saluted her. “I will look to clearing up the confusion that’s taken hold of the orbital estate. I hope you fare well in your travels, and you can expect a visit from me someday.”
“Okay,” she nodded. “There are some in the estate who aided us. The servant staff by the names of Seelnay and Arsa. Others may have helped as well. I have a message for them, if you would care to relay it for me?”
“I wouldn’t mind at all,” said the former baron, “But if I might make a suggestion, would it not be a better idea for you to tell them yourself?”
“Yes, of course,” she said, inserting a memory crystal into her compuwatch.
Meanwhile, Sruf extended a hand toward Jinto. As Lafier watched, wondering what he was up to, the noble prince of Hyde himself looked at his hand, surprised, before taking it.
“See ya sometime, boy. Come see me one of these days when you’re free. Regale me with the chronicles of the founding of the Countdom of Hyde. If ya do, I’ll teach ya all about the intricacies of the Abh frame of mind.”
“By all means. I’d love that.”
“And be sure to make it back around before you have kids, would ya?” he winked.
“Sure will,” said Jinto, matching the old man’s smile with his own.
Then Sruf glanced in her direction. Thus reminded that she had an errand, she held her compuwatch to her lips.
“Attention, servants Seelnay and Arsa, and all the other imperial citizens that helped whose names I don’t know. I, Trainee Starpilot Ablïarsec Néïc-Dubreuscr Bœrh Parhynr Lamhirh thank you not only on my behalf, but on behalf of the Empire. As of this moment, I cannot take you with me. However, do not mistake that as my reneging on my vow. I shall be returning to fulfill your wish as soon as the circumstances allow it, and your goodwill shall be rewarded. It is with deep respect that I must ask you wait for me in the meantime.”
Her recording complete, she popped the memory crystal out of the compuwatch and handed it to the former baron. “Thank you.”
“Recording received,” he said, conscientiously placing it in his long robe’s mauscrh (MOHSK, pocket) for her to see.
“Well, Baron Emeritus, I suppose this is it. May your good health last until we meet again,” she saluted.
“I wish you the same, Your Highness,” he said, not dwelling on his adieu. He strode through the air lock room’s door and promptly disappeared.
The room’s opposite door, leading into the pier, opened and closed in its turn. The former baron had left the vessel.
After double-checking he’d disembarked safely, Lafier called the Flight Control Room once again. “Touchdown objectives completed. Requesting permission to leave domain. Over.”
“Permission granted,” came in a morose Mwineesh. “Your Highness, we’re still processing what happened, so I implore you to consider our extenuating circumstanc—”
“Sure,” said Lafier, before dropping the call unceremoniously. She didn’t mean to come off cold, but the flight controller’s tone of voice was too tragic, too pathetic to stand. So Lafier re-equipped her control glove and commenced liftoff procedures.
“Well, that took a bit longer than anticipated,” said Jinto, taking the seat next to her.
“Yes. It did,” she replied.
Liftoff. They accelerated in the direction the ship’s bow would intercept the Febdash Gate in its orbit.
“Ah!” said Lafier, startled.
“What? What is it?”
The brilliant red silk draping her lap caught her eye. She’d been wearing a dressy long robe the whole time. “This daüch, I forgot to give it back.”
“Then are we heading back?”
Lafi
er shuddered at the thought. “I could never do something so undignified. Not after that weighty farewell.”
“I see,” Jinto nodded sternly.
“By the way, Jinto...”
“What?”
“What was that you were doing with the Baron Emeritus before? Where you were gripping his hand? Was that some kind of sexual deviance?”
“Sexual WHAT!? No, of course not! That’s just how we greet each other on my home world. Though I didn’t think Lonh-lymh Raica would know about it. Actually, I heard somewhere that that custom derives from the Age of Earth. It must’ve survived across a bunch of different terrestrial worlds, crazily enough.”
“That so.” But something was tugging at her. After a moment’s thought, it came to her. “Don’t people on your home world greet each other by leaping back a step, though?”
“‘Leaping back’!? The hell would do that?”
“Isn’t that what you told me?”
“Huh?”
“You told me when we first met...”
“I don’t recall that... Oh!” he blurted. “Right, I remember now.”
“So you were lying.”
“I wouldn’t go so far as to call it a lie.”
“Just to warn you, I don’t enjoy being lied to.”
“What a coincidence — me neither,” he offered meekly.
“Tell me the truth, what was that little leap?”
“Well...” Jinto cast his eyes down.
Jinto was sweating a cold sweat as Lafier stared at him balefully from the side. “Looks as though we’ve found something to talk about on our way to Sfagnoff. I’ll give you time to think of a sensible excuse.”
“Thanks, I’ll try,” he said, voice tinier than a mouse’s.
But no such bolt of inspiration ever came.
Chapter 5: The Saudec Sfagnaumr (Sfagnoff Gate)
Jinto was eating some combat rations, which consisted of pre-cooked tube things. Probably safe to assume they were nutritious. Each one possessed its own unique flavor, too. Yet they all shared what the Abh liked in their food: those varied flavors were all very, very light.
He was sick of them. Don’t NCCs aboard Abh ships ever complain?
Maybe the people on planets like Martinh and Delktu just had sensitive tongues compared to the majority. He regretted not having Sruf supply some of his food. If only all that turmoil hadn’t distracted him.
Jinto washed down his rations with a juice that could only charitably be described as sweet.
“Jinto, the Sfagnoff Gate has come into view,” said Lafier.
“Cool.” Jinto deposited his trash in midair, as he’d be throwing it out later. Without much gravity to pin them, all the garbage drifted flakily through the room. “How’s it look?”
“Can’t be sure yet.” Lafier’s gaze was fixed to her screen. “There’s a group of space-time bubbles. Can’t tell whose side they’re on...”
“What do we do if they’re the enemy?” Jinto was a hundred percent aware what it meant if they were the enemy, but he couldn’t not ask.
“We break through, obviously. Even if we wanted to turn back, we don’t have the fuel. You see that, surely?”
“Oh, you don’t have to seek my consent — I know what you decide is for the best.” How many times did he have to be reminded how useless he was?
“We’re set to cross the Sfagnoff Gate in seven hours’ time.”
“Sure hope they roll out the welcome mat for us.”
“Sadly, they may roll out something else entirely to greet us.”
“I’ve said it once, I’ll say it again...”
“Yes, I really know how to cheer people up,” she said, taking it in stride.
“Dammit.” Jinto had tried tossing a wrapper straight into the trash slot, but it missed its mark, and now he had to take off his seat belt and go collect it.
It had taken around two hours for the area surrounding the Sfagnoff Gate to become more clearly visible. Twenty-odd space-time bubbles were prowling the vicinity of the Gate, like an uneven helix.
“This isn’t looking good.” She was tapping the screen (which was displaying the map of flat space) with a finger.
“What isn’t?”
“Jinto, I have some bad news.”
“Don’t worry, I expected as much. You don’t need to tell me. Can I ask how you know?”
“That’s not a Star Forces formation. Were they Star Forces ships on the lookout, their formation would be more elegant. And I don’t think they could possibly be isadh transport freighters, either.”
“Gotcha.” Jinto tried picturing what a “more elegant formation” looked like.
...He failed.
Oh well. If he was lucky, he’d learn at the quartermasters’ academy.
“Guess it’s gonna take us that much longer to get to Lacmhacarh now, huh?” Jinto sighed. He pondered how homey a United Humankind prison camp might be.
Then, the space-time bubbles shifted. One of their number began heading toward their small connecting vessel, but at a terribly languid pace.
“It must be massive,” said Lafier calmly.
“Then it ought to be easy to dodge, right?”
“In effect.”
“Phew.” It was difficult to see how things could go their way even after escaping from that crowd of bubbles — but then again, he didn’t much care to see UH soldiers up close and personal, either.
“Don’t be too happy; judging by its size, that bubble most likely contains a battle-line warship.”
“Is that bad?”
Lafier gave him some side-eye.
That jogged his memory — alaicec “battle-line” warships were designed to shower the enemy with a rain of space mines. In a battle in normal space, that was no match for a résic patrol ship, but in flat space it was the strongest vessel of all.
On her map, their little connecting vessel was represented by a blue blip, with likely-hostile space-time bubbles as yellow blips. Agonizingly slowly, the distance between the two dots kept changing.
Around an hour later, the Sfagnoff Gate blocked the way between the yellow and the blue. The blue dot made no bones about driving headlong to its destination.
“I’m picking up a friend-or-foe call sign,” said Lafier, clutching her froch sensory organ from above her circlet.
“From an Empire ship?” asked Jinto, with a faint hope.
“Can’t tell where it’s coming from, but the one thing that’s certain is that it’s not the Empire asking.”
“Boy, I could really use a pleasant surprise from time to time.” He wanted to cry, but he managed to hold back his tears. “Could we lie and say we’re allies?”
Lafier seemed impressed. “You can come up with some underhanded tactics.”
“I blame my upbringing,” Jinto sulked.
“To answer the question, no, we can’t.”
“I hate how my hunches are always on the mark.”
“There it is!” Lafier scowled.
“There what is?” Whatever it was, it couldn’t be good.
“Their detention order. If you don’t assume the stationary state we’ll attack.’”
“Let me guess, we’re not stopping.”
Lafier’s shock showed on her face. “You’d want me to?”
“Hell no,” he said, in the heat of the moment. But his words belied his true feelings. “Just making sure.”
A short while later, Lafier mumbled: “They’re near.”
Now that it had come down to it, Jinto didn’t reply with his customary “What is?”
Three dots split off from the big yellow one. Three extremely fast mines. Faster even than their vessel. Rapidly, they closed in.
As he eyed those blips zeroing in after them on the map, his mind suddenly expanded to the possibility that, just maybe, life in a prison camp was in fact wonderful.
The connecting vessel swerved not. Jinto probed Lafier’s expression as she stared intently at the screen. Had she given up?
At long last, Lafier gripped the steering gear and made their vessel’s bubble strafe to the side.
A slight while after the blue blip on the screen altered its course, the yellow ones turned in pursuit.
Persistent bastards, thought Jinto, grinding his teeth.
He wanted to break out into a bawl. He wanted to call Lina’s name. But the image of Lafier doing her level best beside him helped him keep his emotions from erupting.
Why was she putting in so much effort, though? Even if they did escape, the mines would come after them, and they’d catch up eventually.
Suddenly, it clicked. Lafier’s big plan. She was waiting for the mines’ fuel to run out. That’s why she was trying her damnedest to postpone their chance encounter with fiery death.
Of course, she had to get closer to the Gate at the same time. Otherwise, the battle-line would just fire more mines. If they didn’t get beat out by the additional mines, they’d run out of fuel anyway.
God, if you really exist, then I beg you, poof these guys out of existence!
He made the sign of the cross and cast his eyes on the yellow blips. He should have gone to church more often. Then he’d have been able to snuff it with a more tranquil soul.
The yellow boss dot fired off another round of three mine-dots.
“I don’t remember asking for more mines!” Jinto shouted, unable to bottle it up any longer.
“That may be a sign we’re going to win!” said Lafier excitedly.
“What do you mean!?”
“The reason they had to fire again is because the first set is running out of fuel...” Sure enough, as Lafier panted out her commentary, the first three blips faded away.
“YES!” Jinto whooped... but his mood took a drearier turn when he remembered the other three.
“It’s okay. We can do this!”
The Sfagnoff Gate was close by. The crooked helix was reminiscent of a spider web, and the blue dot, a butterfly chased by a bird.
Lafier inserted her left hand into the control glove. The connecting vessel trembled, proof the saic (engine) was ignited.
The yellow dot was hot on the blue dot’s trail, snapping at their tail end and closing the distance.
A War Most Modest (JNC Edition) Page 7
