by C. R. Daems
“Simon, come here and prepare for an attack,” I said and moved the second he stepped forward. A fifth knot, he was prepared for the attack but not this particular one. My attack ended in an elbow to his head, which spun him around and to the ground. Everyone stood there in shock.
“Simon, back here.” I pointed to the spot in front of me. Simon rose quickly but approached with caution. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Terril grinning.
“As with all attacks there are counter-attacks. Those come with experience and the guidance of good teachers like Master Terril. This particular counter that I’m going to share with you, is one of my favorites.”
I spent the next hour working on the attack and the counter attack. When I finished, Terril came walking over.
“I’ve seen that attack before but never that particular counter-attack. I like it. I assume your antagonist liked it as well.”
“Not as much as I did. He helped me learn how to counter quite a few nasty attacks.” We both smiled. In my opinion, counter-attacks were more important then attacks. If you couldn’t recover from an attack, you lost.
I showered, dressed, and headed for the mess hall. When I arrived, I found Petar having breakfast.
“Mind if I join you?”
“No, Commander,” he said, sitting up a bit straighter.
“Relax, Petar.” I smiled. “How’s your assignment to the Weapon’s section?”
“Fantastic. On my other assignments, everyone around me was hostile and my every move was watched and criticized. Not to mention, the assignments were the kind any petty officer first class could have done. Here I feel like a bird let out of a cage. The promotion’s great, but it’s the atmosphere that makes me look forward to work. Alena and I meet frequently, when we’re off duty. Alena encouraged me to poke my nose into everything—like our Leader.” He grinned. “The benefits have been amazing: better morale because the crews see we’re interested, satisfaction that comes from seeing how things work, and confidence from knowing I could help do the work in an emergency. Not to mention, I’m a better officer today than I was yesterday.”
“I understand how you feel. You and the others are doing an excellent job. I told Alena I was going to rotate her so that she gains the experience she’ll need to advance. I plan the same for you and the others on the Leopard.”
“You think we’re going to keep our promotions?”
“Yes, and continue to advance. You need only experience and that requires time and opportunity. I plan to give you the opportunity.”
* * * *
“Ma’am, I’m sorry to wake you. I have that list of officers with access to the Bridge on the Tiger. I thought you may want it right away.” From Iglis’s smile, I knew she was pleased with her find; however, by the way she was fidgeting something had her nervous—probably her having woken me.
“Iglis, wake me anytime you think it’s important. I’ll only be mad at you if you have something important, and you don’t interrupt me. That means no matter what hour or who I’m with,” I said. A small smile lit her face and the tension in her shoulders eased as she explained.
“There were three officers on the Tiger who are currently assigned to the Snowcat, Lieutenalarger with wct Bacchi, 3rd shift Navigation, Lieutenant Rozell, 3rd shift Communications, and Lieutenant Commander Ungar, 3rd shift Tactical. They are all 2nd shift on the Snowcat and performing in the same slots.”
“Thank you, Iglis. You did well.”
It was too early for the first shift, so I went to the Scorpion’s area to work out. When I entered, the room was mostly empty except for a few individuals practicing with stun bullets. They were harmless but caused a one-second three million volts shock when they impacted you. It made me think of my simulator idea. I’d just finished warming up when r-Anath came in, sat down and signed.
*Good morning* the translation box said. Of course, she could have just sent the greeting via Streaming Vid—SV—but probably felt she needed the practice.
For the next hour, I practiced slowly, concentrating on each moment, striving for perfection, while Thalia and r-Anath exchanged SV. Although I was itching for first shift to start, I took my time getting cleaned up and had a leisurely breakfast. While I waited, I couldn’t help but wonder how invincible a Riss who knew Si’jin would be in any unarmed fight. I also made a note to consider what kind of self-defense training they should receive—if any. Although the Riss weren’t killers, they’d entered into a killing profession. Against an unarmed opponent, they would win, but it was unlikely their opponent would be unarmed. They needed to be able to protect themselves, crew, and the Snowcat, if the occasion arose. Another thing I needed to discuss with the Captain.
I felt a tinge of regret from Thalia. They’d wished to see the stars. I hoped the cost would be worth it.
Chapter 13
I lingered at breakfast as long as I could, then made my way to the Bridge. It took all my effort not to run.
“XO on the Bridge,” Vanasse announced. He was the senior officer on the first shift and my replacement if someone managed to kill me. Cheery thought.
“I’ve got the watch, Commander Vanasse.” I walked over to the Comm console and leaned over Kagle’s shoulder. He had his mind on something and jumped.
“Yes, XO?”
“I want you to review every message into and out of the Snowcat since we left Saipha. Every message.”
“What am I looking for?”
“You’ll know it when you see it.”
My nemesis, Gebauer had said the same thing when I’d suggested we detour to Tamerland in anticipation of a raider attack on the planet. He was many things but not a fool.
A satisfying feeling of amusement.
A half hour later, Kagle jumped up waving his message tablet.
“You were right, I’d know it when I saw it. You’re a witch, XO. How did you know?”
“Let’s hope I’m a good witch. What did it say?”
“Two Hunters heading for Ojos, addressed to Jelena Couret on Cloud Pass.” Kagle grinned. “Not very nice sharing our secrets.”
I opened my SID. “Commander Rozell, I’m sorry to bother you. I know you haven’t been off shift long, but Commander Kagle is currently at the medics. Hopefully he won’t be out too long, but I have some priority messages that need to go out immediately. Please report to the Bridge as soon as you can. Thank you.” I switched channels. “Master Gunnery Sergeant Terril this is the XO. Please get a security team ready to report to the Bridge. Wait in the hallway to the Intel unit, until I signal.”
“Is it going to be fun?” Terril asked.
“I hope it’s boring, but you never can tell.” I clicked off. Terril tended to be like Thalia.
“Kagle, why don’t you wait in the conference room so we don’t ruin Commander Rozell’s surprise party.”
Ten minutes later, Rozell arrived. I used my SID to send a ready to Terril. A minute later she arrived with four Scorpions.
“Gunny, place Lieutenant Commander Rozell under arrest. He’s to speak to no one. Commander Kagle will open his quarter's door for you. You will seize his SID and any possessions in the room.”
“Yes, Ma’m.” Terril saluted, then pointed at Rozell. Her escort moved in and seized him.
“I didn’t do anything,” Rozell said as the guards steered him towards the door.
“Then I’ll owe you an apology.”
They had barely left when Sakaata walked in. “Captain on the Bridge,” I announced.
“Well, XO. I see you’
ve had a party and didn’t invite me. I thought we were friends.” Her lip twitched, although she tried to stop it. “Now we’re short a communications officer. Why don’t you and Kagle join me in my office.” She walked to her office with Kagle and me following like baby chicks. “All right, XO, why have you arrested Rozell? I kind of like him.”
“I asked Commander Kagle to review all messages going to and from the Snowcat since we left Saipha.” I stopped for Kagle to hand Sakaata the message tablet.
“That is interesting. Nicely done. Do you think we’ve got the one who tried to sabotage the shuttle?”
“No, Skipper, I could be wrong, but I don’t think so. A review of Rozell’s records doesn’t indicate the kind of background it would take to rig a device of the kind we found on the shuttle. Besides, he was on shift when the device was planted.”
“Maybe we can get him to give up his accomplice?” Sakaata said.
“No. He’s clan. From my experience with them on Saipha, he won’t tell us anything no matter what we threaten.” I’d offered the prisoners a pardon from hanging, yet they had refused.
“I think she’s a witch, Skipper.” Kagle pretended to hold a ball like an old fashioned fortune-teller.
“I would imagine the raiders think so. I’ll see what Colonel Seng can do with Rozell. We might get lucky,” Sakaata said.
Kagle and I returned to the Bridge.
* * * *
I was on the Bridge with the Captain when we arrived in Ojos Cross two days later. After my shift, I decided to stop in and see how Commander MacAll and Alena were getting along. Sometimes officers guarded their domain jealously. If MacAll did, it could be awkward for Alena. I wanted to avoid that kind of friction if at all possible. Problems needed to be addressed early before they were allowed to fester.
When I woke, I was sitting in a shuttle, my hands secured to the seat with the type of plastic bands used to cuff prisoners. McInnis stood over me, grinning.
“You’re a disgusting parasite-ridden excuse for a human. You embarrassed me in front of my friends. They still laugh at me. It’s worse now that you’re back, and doubly humiliating now that parasite admiral promoted you. Given time you and your friends will infect us all. Well, no more. My only regret is that I can’t watch you die, alone in space.” He kicked me in the side. “I’ve provided you with food and water. I want you to live a long time, thinking of me as you travel through space—alone with no hope of survival.”
He started the engine, set the autopilot, clamped down his suit helmet, and picked up the shuttle’s mike.
“This is shuttle N101 with Commander Reese. Clear us for immediate departure.” He waited for the controller to announce all clear, then said, “N101, ready.” He smiled, waving some hand-held device at me before he exited the cabin. “Have fun and think of me often.” A moment later I heard the exterior door close and seal itself, and the autopilot blink green. He seemed to have thought of everything. I could hear the bay doors opening. Minutes later the shuttle shot out of the bay.
I couldn’t believe I was having this discussion with Thalia. Excitement was a good Si’jin match, not being tied up in a shuttle speeding off into space. The good news—McInnis was an idiot. Every shuttle had an emergency beacon. It could be activated from the ship, once they determined the shuttle wasn’t headed planet-side. Furthermore, the heat from the engines would make the shuttle easy to locate. Ten minutes later, I heard a pop, saw smoke coming from the control panel, and heard the engines stop. Great. I was now in an inanimate object speeding though space—a speck of sand on a beach that was growing exponentially larger with every second.
* * * *
“What do you mean, you lost the shuttle? Are you sure it was Reese in that shuttle? Why would she go to Ojos City? She didn’t tell me she was going planet-side.” Sakaata threw out one question after another. Her voice was cold as ice. She stood glaring at Lieutenant Commander Wittlin, the second-shift Radar officer. “How can you lose a shuttle? Call Commander Jengo back on duty. Find that shuttle, Wittlin! And have someone check to see if Reese is on this ship. Something doesn’t feel right.”
Three hours later Jengo entered Sakaata’s office.
“Ma’am, I can’t find the shuttle. There is no heat signature or emergency beacon. It has either disintegrated or had a major system failure. Commander Kagle’s checked with every section head. No one has seen Reese, and she’s not in her quarters.”
“Colonel Seng. This is Sakaata. I want Gunny Terril to search this ship. Reese is missing. You will call Commander Fabert in one hour if Reese isn’t found.” She clicked off and called Fabert.
“Commander Fabert, be prepared to launch your Sharks in one hour. Reese is missing and may be in a shuttle without power or an emergency beacon. Colonel Seng will call you in one hour if she isn’t found on the ship.” She looked back at Jengo.
“Find that shuttle. We don’t lose shuttles on my ship!” Sakaata sat looking off into space, pondering the problem. Had Reese decided to take the shuttle planetside without checking with her? If so, was the shuttle sabotaged? She doubted that Reese would be that secretive. It wasn’t in her nature. It had to be another attempt on her life. Her musing was interrupted by a knock at the cabin door.
“Come,” Sakaata said, hoping someone had found the shuttle or at least discovered what had happened.
“Captain.” Alena stood braced to attention.
“At ease...Alena. Do you have information about Reese?”
“Yes, Ma’am. r-Niamh saw a vid from Thalia. It was fuzzy, but Reese... Commander Reese seemed to be tied up inside a shuttle. I wasn’t sure what it meant, until I heard everyone was looking for her.” Alena remained braced at attention as she talked. Sakaata clicked on her SID.
“Faber, Reese has been ambushed and is in that shuttle. Find her!” Even after she said it, she knew the impossibility of the task. If they managed to find her, it would be by pure luck.
Faber clicked off. Five minutes later, twenty Sharks left the Snowcat with a search pattern beginning a hundred thousand kilometers from the Snowcat, since the shuttle had left the ship over five hours ago. By now the shuttle was somewhere in a three quadrillion cubic kilometer area—a very small stone in a very large ocean. McInnis smiled. The Sharks would have to run into the shuttle to find it. It was just a small piece of junk speeding through space. And the search area was expanding by five hundred billion cubic kilometers per second.
Chapter 14
So I ate the food McInnis had left and forced more water down me. McInnis had left just enough slack in the restraints, so I could reach the food and water he had generously provided. Of course, he hadn’t provided any food I, or anyone else, would consider tasty. It was survival food—a bland gray-looking paste—and highly nutritious. It looked like it could last a month, maybe two if I were careful. I had been stuffing the paste into my mouth for over two hours and was ready to beg Thalia to stop. I gagged with every swallow.
