Firestorm d-6

by Taylor Anderson

  She’d become a devout follower of the English faith since her child- hood indenture, and even after her freedom was purchased by the “Americans” on the skinny iron steamer, she clung to it still. The Americans, of both species, seemed to care little what she believed as long as it wasn’t harmful to them or their cause. She kept her faith and found, through conversation, that it wasn’t much different from that of the Lady Sandra. If it had been, that might have caused her to convert, since she was utterly convinced that Sandra Tucker hung the moon.

  Diania was in the Navy now; she, along with a number of other Respitan women, had taken the oath to defend the Constitution of the United States-whatever that was. She didn’t really care what the “Constitution” was; she’d have sworn an oath to a rope if Lady Sandra said she should. There’d been some commotion over her enlistment, mostly among the human men, she’d noticed, but she supposed that was to be expected. Women served as Naval Auxiliaries in the Empire, but none were allowed in the Navy itself. Lady Sandra clearly held more power than any woman she’d ever heard of; yet she wielded it with an ease and confidence Diania had rarely seen in men. It was all so strange, but exciting too. The Lemurian females took her induction as a matter of course, and she’d made a lot of friends. Even Sandra wouldn’t let her run around without a shirt, though, as female ’Cats sometimes did, and she wondered what to make of that. Still, she was in the Navy, with all the “rank and privileges” due any “seaman recruit”! She’d been told she could “strike” for any position she desired, and though she’d been a carpentress, she didn’t know if that was what she wanted to do. The great engines fascinated her, but so did the frail-looking “airplanes.” She yearned to learn more about Maaka-Kakja ’s many weapons. For now, however, she was more than content to be Lady Sandra’s “steward” while she learned the ropes and figured out what she did want to do.

  She descended below the magazine compartments and the muted voices beyond locked doors, down into the very bottom of the ship. She knew the sea rose high around her outside the mighty hull, and down here she could even hear its booming, disconcerting rumble. Sometimes, she still grasped distant, nightmarish memories of her childhood voyage in the hold of a Company ship. The smell of rot and mildew brought them most readily to mind, but here, the new timbers still smelled sweet and the bilge had not yet soured. She took a lantern from its hook and advanced toward a raised deck where the officer’s stores were kept. She planned to cook something special tonight; as special as she knew how, for Lady Sandra and her friends. She needed some of the purple-brown sugar the “People” used for the glazed topping she wanted to make.

  Something stirred in the darkness beyond her feeble light, startling her. All the thoughts of demons must have left her on edge. “Innyone there?” she called quietly. She heard another noise, a slight rustling. “Ach! You! Gi’out! Thisiz off ’ser’s stores! I’ll report ye!” she said, as menacing as she was able. Clutching the lantern and ready to swing it, she advanced. “Gi’out, I say! Show yersef!”

  There was a loud clunk! and suddenly a gray-white form lunged from the darkness and fluttered in front of her face, accompanied by a thundering “Booby, booby-boo!”

  Diania sprawled backward over one of the massive diagonal braces and dropped the lantern in the shallow water of the bilge. It hissed and died, plunging the compartment into darkness. With a cry, she scrambled to her feet and raced for the feeble light of the companionway she’d just descended, launching up the stairs like a rocket. Behind her, the deep, demonic voice continued chanting, “Booby-boo! Booby-boo!”

  The demon didn’t pursue her. She made it through the darkened forward magazine spaces where the various types of ordnance were stored, levering past a growing number of staring ’Cat sailors and working her way aft. She’d chosen to traverse that deck instead of the one above because of the quicker association with non-demonic creatures, but now she was anxious to get into the light. Gasping, she raced up the compaionway forward of the number one fireroom and found herself on the broad but cluttered hangar deck. Spinning, looking for someone she knew, she attracted even more stares before scrambling to starboard through the jumble of “Nancys” and the surprised crews working on them. There was only one place left to go; she’d find Lady Sandra on the bridge. She might not believe her-Diania didn’t know Sandra’s position on demons-but she’d seen something in the hold, and people had to know… before whatever it was ate a hole in the ship!

  It was windy topside, and Sandra’s increasingly customary ponytail had been undone by the stiff, westerly gale. She faced into the wind alongside Colonel Shinya and Captain Lelaa, her still sun-streaked and tow-highlighted hair streaming to leeward. It was too long, she thought, longer than she’d ever allowed, and it was difficult to control and much too difficult to style. Matt had once hinted that he liked it long, however, and she meant to surprise him. Who knows how long it’ll grow before I see him now, she thought moodily. She didn’t know exactly what she expected would happen when they reunited in “the Isles,” but she was sure what she hoped for. With the end of the “dame famine,” their own situation had finally changed, and she supposed she harbored inner fantasies of a dramatic, romantic, Imperial wedding. But Walker wasn’t there. She’d steamed into the vast Eastern Sea to protect their new allies’ important colonies from a threatened Dom attack.

  It was necessary she knew, and only the old destroyer had the speed to get there in time, but she was beginning to wonder if hers and Matt’s stars weren’t doomed to be crossed forever. She sighed. We’ve all been through so much, and I’ve become… such a sight; nearly thirty now too… She couldn’t always suppress an almost-instinctual concern that he might not even want her anymore. She honestly doubted that. She didn’t think she’d have fallen for him if he was that sort. But she was a woman, and despite her outward confidence and professionalism, she possessed normal apprehensions and insecurities common to the species, she supposed. She sighed again.

  Lelaa-Tal-Cleraan felt the almost-imperceptible working of the ship and watched the oilers pitch dramatically alongside. The whitecapped sea had become a sparkling metallic gray beneath a humid, gray-blue sky. She heard her friend’s sighs and suspected what was on the human female’s mind. She found it vaguely amusing that the “iron woman” could worry so about nothing. She didn’t personally know Captain Reddy well, but his and Sandra’s unrequited love had reached almost-mythical, if imponderable dimensions within the Alliance. Of course, based on the extremely limited examples, human mating customs in general were imponderable to Lemurians. The People were straightforward about such things, and either a male or female, usually of higher perceived status, might “propose” to a prospective mate. Sometimes, among sea folk, this even involved mating outside one’s “clan,” or specialty, but that was rare. Those within the same clan, or among land folk in general (Aryaal and B’mbaado aside) who were considered “equal,” often gravitated toward “matrimony” in an apparently more “human” way, through a style of courtship in which prospective partners became intimately acquainted. All this was more tradition than rule, but it was fairly universal-at least before the war. Now, many of the old clans-wing runners, Body of Home, etc.-were becoming increasingly diverse and fragmented into something like “clans” representing the various naval divisions. There were attempts to found ordnance clans, engineering clans, deck clans, all under the greater umbrella of “snipe” and “ape” clans, within the overall “Amer-i-n Na-vee” clan, but this sort of regimentation was frowned on and even discouraged by the senior officers. It was all very confusing, and the “sub” clan system itself was probably doomed. Regardless, considering how long Matt and Sandra had “courted,” and how well they had to know each other by now, Lelaa thought it appropriate to worry about the man’s safety; he was a warrior on a dangerous mission. She considered it silly to worry about his feelings.

  Tamatsu Shinya was thinking about other things. The effort to “liberate” New Ireland was scheduled
to begin almost immediately. He understood the political necessity but thought the attempt precipitous. Chack and Blair’s plan seemed sound, and he had confidence in it. Besides, even if it failed, or came apart in some unforeseen way, TF Maaka-Kakja should arrive in plenty of time to prevent a disaster. Still, he worried. He didn’t know these “Doms” and had no “feel” for them. All he knew came from Chack’s and Captain Reddy’s reports. The new enemy appeared almost as insensitive to losses as the Grik, but they were human and had to be more tactically flexible. Didn’t they? Even though it failed, the plan to seize the Empire had been bold and cunning, and strategically, came far too close to success. He felt he needed to be working on a plan of his own, but the only “maps” they had of New Ireland were rough sketches Jenks had left. Surely better ones would be available when they stopped at Respite Island? He brooded.

  Sandra, Captain Lelaa, and Colonel Shinya were all jarred from their respective thoughts when Diania suddenly burst upon the bridgewing, gasping for air. The dark-skinned woman sketched a hasty imitation of salutes she’d seen, and, eyes wide, breathlessly proclaimed, “Beggin’ yer pardons, but there’s a daemon in the for’ard hold!”

  Rendered speechless by the sudden, distracting news, Sandra noticed a disturbance down on the flight deck and saw a group of ’Cats assembling around a tall, blond-headed figure with a shiny new eye patch. The man bowed occasionally to those around him as he strode toward the offset conn tower, or patted them on their heads. He was looking up at Sandra with that weird, distinctive grin.

  Sandra’s eyes narrowed. They’d learned that Silva had somehow escaped the “Buzzard,” but no one had any idea where he was. “I believe you, Diania,” she said angrily, “but the ‘demon’ is on the loose now.”

  “I ain’t AWOL,” Silva denied, “I been here all along-not ‘absent’ a’tall!” He was standing in Captain Lelaa’s “great cabin,” surrounded by a collection of humans and ’Cats. He’d never get a more sympathetic hearing since nearly everyone present owed him their lives, but this was a serious matter. Despite his plea, he was inarguably absent without leave, and in direct violation of orders. In contrast to the last time they’d seen him, covered with grease, he was actually fairly presentable. Some, such as Lawrence and Princess Rebecca-and, Petey, her weird little pet-were openly gleeful to see him, as was Midshipman Brassey. Irvin and Shinya appeared less pleased.

  Sandra couldn’t tell what Lelaa or the other Lemurian officers thought, and she groaned. When it came to rationalization, Dennis Silva was an artist, and judging by his opening shot, this was liable to be a masterpiece. What was more, she knew Lemurians were susceptible to the type of “performance art” Dennis excelled at. Ultimately, Silva’s punishment would be decided by Captain Lelaa, but Sandra felt compelled to play the role of the “reporting officer.”

  “Mr. Silva, as I’m sure you’re aware, ‘here’ isnt where you’re supposed to be!” Sandra said severely. “And you’re ‘AWOL’ from where you were ordered to go!”

  Dennis affected an expression of concentration. “An’ I’ve given that a lot of thought since Mr. Riggs passed them silly orders,” he admitted. “Has anybody ever seen fit to in-vestigate whether he’s a Jap… or even a Grik spy?”

  “My God, Silva!” Laumer burst out. “Are you insane?”

  Brassey and Princess Rebecca stifled chuckles, and most of the ’Cats’ tails twitched with amusement.

  “It’s possible,” Silva confessed, “but you know, that scamp never liked me much ever since…” He paused. “Well, it ain’t pertinent, an’ I won’t refloat bygones if he won’t. But think about it; my original orders, spoke right at me by the Skipper himself, was to guard the Munchkin Princess to the death. After our recent… situation with the Comp’ny, I’m pretty sure them orders oozed over onto you, Lieutenant Tucker. You need me. Maybe Bernie thinks he does, back in Baalkpan, but I can wire any screwball schemes I come up with back to him from here, but I can’t protect you ladies nor help the Skipper from there. That’s what got me wonderin’ about Mr. Riggs; such a blatant misallocation o’ resources-me-in time o’ war, can only benefit the enemies o’ freedom, baseball, an’ beer.”

  The ’Cats roared and stomped their feet. Even Captain Lelaa grinned. Irvin covered his eyes with his hand and even Shinya stared hard at something else in the compartment. Sandra glared at Lelaa. As the senior naval officer, she should’ve at least tried to keep a straight face. Sandra realized she should have let Laumer do the grilling, but while now a genuine hero, the submariner and current exec of Maaka-Kakja, was still a little in awe of Silva-and most of the “original” human members of the Alliance. He had a tendency to overcompensate for that, and Sandra hadn’t known if he’d be too harsh or too lenient on Dennis. When the tumult died away, she persisted.

  “Mr. Riggs is not a Jap-or Grik-spy! He’s acting chief of staff to the most powerful figure in the Alliance. You can’t pick and choose which of his orders to obey!”

  “I can when they come over the wireless! Shoot, they might’ve been fake! Captain Reddy’s orders came face-to-face, an’ his orders trump Riggs any day. Always follow the last, highest-up orders you get; that’s my motto!”

  “But… Captain Reddy confirmed the orders!” Sandra said adamantly. Silva was already shaking his head.

  “Over wireless. Which he’s too busy to go over every little housekeep-in’ chore in the Alliance, an’ old ‘Gap Sparks’ Palmer probably gapped it up.” He shrugged. “Wire the Skipper again, get him to personally ex-voke his standin’ orders to me, an’ I’ll go to Baalkpan, meek as a sheep.”

  “You know, he’s probably right about the confirmation,” Shinya said, surprising everyone. “A ream of routine requests was sent to Walker, once the relay was in place and communications were reestablished. All were granted.”

  Sandra looked at Shinya, as startled as the others. She rounded back on Silva. “How long did it take you to figure all this out?” she demanded. “If you’d pulled this before the ‘Buzzard’ left Manila, you might’ve gotten away with it.” She paused. “Come to that, how did you get back to Manila in time to sail with us? We all saw you get on the plane!”

  “Dee-vine providencilva exclaimed piously, casting his one eye to the overhead. “You personally ordered me on the plane, an’ I got on. Wouldn’t never disobey a direct, face-to-face order. Beyond that?” He shrugged and his twisted grin spread. “I’ve always been mortally fearful o’ flyin’. I guess, combined with that an’ all the other things I had to say, I must’a been miracled aboard!”

  “Only to be discovered once it’s too late to fly you back to Maa-ni-la, and Walker has steamed beyond wireless reach yet again,” Shinya observed dryly.

  “Is that so?” Silva asked innocently. He glanced at Diania, standing away from Lelaa’s “wardroom table,” ready to refill Sandra’s water cup if asked. The small woman was staring at him with barely restrained fury. “I do apologize for startlin’ your girl there, by the way,” he said. “I was whoopin’ some empty grain sacks off me when all of a sudden, there she was! Scared me half to death!”

  There were chuckles, and Diania’s dark face darkened further.

  Lelaa cleared her throat. “Regardless of Walker ’s position, this task force is currently steaming under blacked? Blanketed… communications to prevent discovery by the mysterious Jaap destroyer, the whereabouts of which is still unknown… but perhaps you considered that as well?” she pondered aloud, contemplating the big man looming before her. She shook her head, blinking. “Until Captain Reddy can be consulted, to resolve this matter, Mr. Silva will cease berthing in the forward hold, and will be entered as a chief gunner’s mate in the ship’s rolls.” She looked hard at Dennis. “Work with the gun’s crews; they’re all ‘green,’ I think you say? Behave yourself, or you’ll be returned to the hold-in irons!”

  “Aye, aye, Cap’n Lelaa!” Silva said. “Gunnery’ll be up to snuff directly!”

  Lelaa paced the offset bridge, surveying her doma
in. “Tex” Sheider had the watch, and she was free to simply enjoy her ship, and honestly, her position. It hadn’t been that long since the biggest thing she’d commanded was a medium-size fishing felucca. It had been her Home, her life. When the war came, she’d been given a razeed Grik prize, a Navy “corvette,” or “DE.” She’d loved USS Simms, but when she was destroyed by Billingsley, and Lelaa herself joined Sandra and the others in captivity, she’d never expected to command anything again, even if she survived. She certainly hadn’t expected to command something like Maaka-Kakja, the largest, most powerful, and advanced vessel likely ever built on this entire world. She loved it.

  On the bridge, she was surrounded by an assortment of devices she’d once have considered miraculous or magical, and was amazed that she’d almost begun to take them for granted. What was more, she understood them, and People, Mi-Anaaka, operated them with growing precision and practiced ease despite their inexperience compared to other “carrier” crews. Much of that was due to Maaka-Kakja ’s veteran teachers. The still-weak Orrin Reddy was doing his best to help organize the air wing, and though he wasn’t very communicative, Gilbert Yeager taught engineering by example extremely well. Now I have Dennis Silva, Lelaa thought somewhat smugly, to shape my gun’s crews. Things couldn’t be much better from her perspective.

  As the sun faded aft, quickly plunging the sea into darkness, she blinked her trust at Tex and stepped out on the starboard bridgewing. The oilers were out there, churning doggedly alongside through the calming sea as the wind continued to lay. They were venturing more canvas now, to ease the burden on their engines and bunkers, and the sails flashed from purple-gold to gray. Soon, darkened as they were, the ships would be invisible to all but Lemurian eyes, and she welcomed the cover of night. Danger lurked in the darkness; even her people’s vision had its limits. Sleeping, wallowing mountain fish, with their blue-black bodies, could become virtually invisible against the black sea and sky. But oddly, the massive beasts appeared to actually avoid Maaka-Kakja -a courtesy they didn’t always extend even to her huge sailing cousins. Tex proposed that Maaka-Kakja ’s size, combined with her massive pounding screw and-to the sound-sensitive behemoths-thunderous, machinery noises, might actually frighten them. Lelaa didn’t know, but the oilers had orders to stay as close to her as they dared. So far, it was well.