by Nate Johnson
“I am aware of many things, White,” the admiral barked. “Take care of your ship. You will be given every opportunity to make a full report.”
The skipper nodded and saluted one last time. As he walked past Logan, he shot him a look of apology mixed with hope. He would stick up for him the look said.
Logan sighed internally, he wasn’t worried about the skipper. It was the rest of the Navy that was going to crucify him. They had a saying in the navy, ‘guilty until proven innocent.’
“You two,” Admiral Harris said, indicating Logan and Kaylee. “Come with me.”
Kaylee glanced at him with a worried look, then shrugged her shoulders. Logan tried to figure out what was going on but kept coming up blank. Nothing made sense, but then it hadn’t for two weeks.
As he settled into the seat in the admiral’s vehicle, Logan wondered if he should ask to speak to a lawyer. It was probably the smart move, but there were things the Navy needed to know.
Screw it, he thought. He’d tell them what happened and let things fall where they might. It wasn’t like they wouldn’t learn everything anyway. He and Kaylee had left a path a parsec wide across the galaxy.
The ride was short and silent. Admiral Harris spent the time lost in reports on his tablet. Every so often he would glance up at the two of them and shake his head before returning his attention to his work.
As they passed through a tall gate manned by two Marines, Kaylee gasped.
“We’re going to the Foreign Office, not the Department of War?”
Admiral Harris simply nodded, then focused on his reports.
Logan’s mind spun with different scenarios. The intelligence services worked out of this building. Maybe that was why they were here.
His stomach fell. Of course, he’d heard of the mind-bending tools the spies used to tap into every thought you ever had. Not good, he thought. Way not good.
As the vehicle pulled to a stop in front of the building, Admiral Harris hopped outside before his driver could open the door. Without looking back, he started up the steps to the front entrance.
Logan glanced at Kaylee, then shrugged his shoulders and held out his hand for her to exit. She smiled back and hurried after the admiral.
The two of them caught up with him at the large oak doors and followed him into a large gallery. Over three stories tall, with two stairways leading up to the higher floors. The giant entranceway was filled with statues and beautiful paintings. Each of them depicting different parts of the Empire. A white marble statue of Burrell who had discovered Corona caught his eye. A beautiful oil on canvas of the red lakes of Valeria hung on the wall to the left.
Logan could tell right away. This place was made to impress, and it succeeded on all fronts.
“Sir,” Logan said, “I’m wearing my work uniform. Shouldn’t I be in my shore dress blues?”
The Admiral scoffed and shook his head. “You’re with me,” he said as if that was all that mattered.
Logan began to relax until the admiral added, “Besides, your uniform selection is the least of your problems.”
Their footsteps echoed off the walls as they scampered to keep up with Admiral Harris. The man was on a mission. Obviously, he wanted to get somewhere fast and be done with this business.
Logan glanced over at Kaylee, she wasn’t gawking or admiring her surroundings. She’d probably been here a dozen times before, he realized.
The idea reaffirmed his belief that she came from a different world. A world he would never understand.
“This way,” the admiral said as he turned down a wide hallway.
Two armed Imperial Marines stood on either side of a large double door at the end of the hallway. Both of them snapped to attention as the admiral approached.
Neither made a move to stop him as he opened the door and held it open for Logan and Kaylee to enter.
Logan stepped into the huge office. Like the gallery below, the office was tastefully decorated with some of the galaxy’s finest artwork.
Next to him, Kaylee almost tripped when she saw the small man sitting behind a desk at the far end of the office.
The look on her face made Logan hesitate. He’d never seen Kaylee so shaken.
“What is it?” he whispered.
“Prior Darrad, the Foreign Secretary,” she hissed. “My father’s boss.”
Logan smiled to himself. Hell, that was nothing, he’d been escorted by Admiral Harris, In Logan’s world. That was about twenty-six levels higher than his.
The man rose from his desk and walked towards them with a big smile on his face. Dressed in a gray, pinstripe suit. He was shorter than most men of the galaxy, yet still seemed to radiate strength and power. His quick, intelligent eyes burned with curiosity as they took in the approaching group.
“Ah, Kaylee,” he said as he held out his hands to bring her into a quick embrace. Was there anyone high in the government she didn’t know, Logan wondered.
“You look wonderful.” The Foreign Secretary said. “I was so pleased to hear of your safe return. I know your father will be ecstatic.”
“Thank you, Sir,” Kaylee said as she stepped back from the man’s arms.
“And this is Miller,” he said as he took Logan’s hand in a firm grip. “I’ve heard so much about today. Welcome, sit, sit,” he said as he indicated the two chairs across from his desk.
“Can I get you anything?” the man asked. “Something to drink? How about you Jason,” He asked the admiral. “Would you like something?”
Logan’s had to fight to keep his jaw from dropping. The man must have the guts of a Valerian wolf to call Admiral Harris by his first name.
“No thank you, Sir,” the admiral said as he moved to stand behind the desk, next to the sitting secretary.
Even though his throat was dryer than Corona’s desert at high noon. Logan decided to follow the admiral’s lead. Logan shook his head and said, “No thank you, Sir.”
The man smiled kindly, but Logan could see firm steel behind his eyes. The kind of eyes that didn’t miss a thing and were quick to judge.
“I’ve received the Blackthorn’s report of course.” The man said. “But I would like to hear your version. Please, tell me everything,” he added as he smiled and leaned forward.
Logan glanced at Kaylee and silently told her, ‘it’s your turn’.
Kaylee smiled back at him weakly. This was it, he realized. Everything they had been fighting to get to was here before them.
She removed the small silver data disk from her pocket and placed it on the desk in front of her.
“Sir,” she began, “my father believed that someone hoped to influence the choice of which planet would be allowed into the Empire next. He also believed that these people, whoever they were. Would attempt to kidnap me and use me to influence my father’s recommendation.”
The Foreign Secretary nodded, silently indicating she should continue.
Kaylee glanced over at Logan, then taking a deep breath said, “In addition, I believe that forces within the Empire are planning a coup against the Emperor.”
Chapter Twenty-One
The surprised look on the secretary’s and the admiral’s face let Logan know everything he needed to know. These men had no idea what was going on.
The secretary’s smile had disappeared. “That is a very serious statement, Miss Williams. What has led you to this extreme conclusion?
Kaylee swallowed hard then glanced at Logan. He could tell she was silently asking for his support. He smiled and nodded for her to continue.
“Sir, over five standard weeks ago, while in the Montlake market. I was approached by a man. A man I had never met before. He said his name was Eagleton, and that you would know it.”
The secretary’s face blanched for a moment, then he turned to Admiral Harris and said, “One of mine, we haven’t heard from him for over six months. I thought he was lost.”
The admiral nodded solemnly.
Logan’s brow scrunched
up in confusion as he tried to work out what the man meant.
“This man, Eagleton,” Kaylee continued, “said that people would try to kidnap me. That they would use me to force my father.
“At first, I dismissed him. He was rather disheveled. Obviously deranged. Or someone trying to shift my father’s thinking. There were so many possibilities. None of them really made sense. The Empire wouldn’t rely solely on my father’s recommendation.
“Actually,” the Secretary said, “we probably would have. The government is pretty much split on the idea of who should be admitted next. That was why the Emperor asked your father to study the question. I do know that fortunes will be made and lost based upon which planet is selected.”
Logan shook his head. This was so far above his pay level.
Kaylee nodded and then continued. “Yes, Sir, but I didn’t know that at the time. It was one of the reasons I dismissed this man. It was only, a few days later, when I mentioned it to my father that I realized that he might have been right.”
The secretary nodded for her to continue.
“At first, my father acted as if the idea was crazy. I had also put it out of my mind. A few days later though. I was accosted on the streets of Montlake. Four men tried to force me into a vehicle.”
Logan’s heart jumped. She hadn’t told him about that. He gently reached over and touched her arm.
She smiled at him and said, “I didn’t tell you or Commander White. It didn’t seem relevant at the time. And everything after was so much worse.”
Logan nodded. He could understand why she hadn’t said anything.
“When they tried to take me, Mr. Eagleton arrived with several policemen. It seems he had been following me. My attackers, seeing that they would not succeed, fled. That was when Mr. Eagleton gave me that disk and told me that people were going to try and overthrow the Emperor.”
The secretary nodded his head slowly as he inserted the disk into the side of his screen. Once he had the report up and running, he adjusted the screen so that neither Kaylee nor Logan could see what was on it.
As the two men studied the screen, Logan watched the color drain from their faces. This was serious, and whatever they were looking at was having an impact.
The secretary looked at Admiral Harris, raising a single eyebrow. The admiral looked back then nodded. “I will send a frigate to retrieve Ambassador Williams.”
The secretary nodded, then turned to Kaylee and asked her to continue.
“Well, Sir,” she said, “I left the next day, on the Voltaire. As we got ready to leave Montlake space, we were attacked by what turned out to be pirates. We had no valuable cargo.”
“Fast turnaround,” the admiral said in an aside comment.
“Anyway, I hid, but they killed the crew, then the Blackthorn showed up. And Logan saved me. The ship was losing air, I didn’t have a suit. He gave me his and got me to safety. If it weren’t for him. I would have been killed, and you never would have received that report.”
The secretary smiled, obviously relieved at her well-being. Smiling he turned to Logan and said, “Perhaps you can continue the story from there, Petty Officer Miller.”
Logan swallowed hard, glancing at Admiral Harris to make sure he should continue. The admiral nodded.
Taking a deep breath, Logan began to tell them the rest. He repeated his story. The rescue of Kaylee, the return to Montlake.
“Hold on,” the secretary interrupted only a short time after he had started. “You’re telling me the Blackthorn received instructions from the Embassy NOT to escort Miss Williams back to the Embassy? Some silly idea about being worried about upsetting the Montlake government?”
“Yes, Sir,” Logan said.
The Secretary’s eyes grew cold as he turned to the Admiral. “Please make sure that our Ambassador to Montlake, Collins, is on that frigate.”
“Yes, Sir,” the admiral said.
“Please go on,” the secretary said as he focused on Logan.
Logan continued. Telling them about the paint raft, the race through the streets then the race across the rooftops. He told them about the call to Kaylee’s father and their escape once again. Then finding the Blackthorn gone.
“How did that happen,” the secretary asked the admiral.
“I don’t know Sir. Lieutenant Commander White reported that our Naval attaché on Montlake. A Captain Townsend delivered orders for their immediate departure.”
“Townsend?” the secretary asked with a deep frown. “Where do I know that name?”
“He is the Navy’s man on Montlake. He’s risen about as far as he will go. Too much staff time, not enough with the fleet. His mother is the sister of the Duchess of Kent.”
The secretary’s eyes grew big for a brief second then settled back into their normal contemplative selves.
“Interesting,” he said as he looked off into the distance for a second. Then, coming back to reality, he told Logan, “Her husband is the Viceroy of Valeria and the Emperor’s cousin.”
Logan grimaced, he was lost. He didn’t know who the hell they were talking about or why it was important.
He sighed and told them about stealing the pirate’s vessel. The admiral’s eyebrows about reached his hairline when he told them about hotwiring the Starship Princess and subduing the two pirates.
“They were very bad men,” Kaylee interjected. “They had already killed five crewmen on the Voltaire. He didn’t have a choice. And he didn’t kill them, even when he had the opportunity.”
She shot Logan a questioning look as if silently asking if what she had just said was true or not.
He laughed and smiled reassuringly.
The secretary waved his hand as if the fact that he hadn’t killed the pirates was immaterial. “Go on,” he said.
Shrugging his shoulders, Logan told them the rest. Every step of the way. He didn’t leave anything out. Well, all except the kiss he had shared with Kaylee. And the whole floating naked girl thing. There were some things they had no need to know.
“So,” the admiral said with a deep frown. “Let me get this straight. Noticing that you had missed your ship’s departure. You subdued two hardened criminals. Hotwired their starship. Canceled an official Navy message and replaced it with a forged message. Then you put a block on all the beacons to stop any message traffic dealing with either you or Miss Williams.
“Not all the beacons, Sir,” Logan said. “Only the ones we maintain. I didn’t have access to the second half of the Empire. The I.S.S. Ironwood handles those.”
The secretary looked as if he were trying to hide a smile. The admiral looked as if he wanted to strangle someone.
“So,” the Admiral continued. “You put a block on half the beacons in the known galaxy. Then single-handedly, guided a decrepit, forty-year-old starship across that same half of the galaxy.
“Sir, the Princess was a good ship,” Kaylee said as she lifted her chin daring anyone to dispute her.
“Kaylee,” the admiral said with a slow shake of his head. “I know for a fact that the ship you call the Princess was condemned over five years ago. No insurance company would have touched it. I’m sorry, but it was a piece of crap.”
Logan felt a small anger build inside of him. There was no reason for the admiral to put the Princess down. He might be correct. But the ship had character. And it had gotten them here. They had their damn report because of that ship.
“Anyway,” the admiral continued. “Once you had passed Azortha, you were chased by two pirate ships. You used spare parts and pieces of junk to destroy one ship and held the other off long enough for the Blackthorn to get there and rescue you. Is that about it?”
Logan slowly nodded and said, “Yes, Sir.”
The two older men looked at each other and slowly shook their heads. Logan couldn’t figure out what they were thinking. He was wondering if they were silently deciding which laws he had broken and which could be proven.
“Sir,” Kaylee said. “The
report, did it convince you? Did it tell you who was going to attempt the coup? It was encrypted of course so I couldn’t tell if it was valuable or not.”
The secretary stared at her for a long moment then shook his head.
“It was interesting, and some things need to be investigated. But it is not enough to charge anyone. Not yet.”
Her shoulders slumped. “It just that Spacer Drake was killed. The crew on the Voltaire were killed. Logan was wounded. All because of me and the need to get that report to you. I hoped ...”
The secretary smiled softly. “I understand,” he said. “And, while I can’t divulge the contents. I can tell you that we will look into it. I promise you. If it had not been for this report, we wouldn’t be investigating.”
A silence fell over the group as each of them thought about what had just been discussed. At last the secretary looked up and smiled.
“I need you both to keep all of this to yourselves. At least for now. Petty Officer Miller, you will have to remain onboard the Blackthorn. I’m sorry, but that is the way it has to be. At least for now.”
Logan ground his teeth but managed to get out a “Yes, Sir,” without sounding pissed off.
“Kaylee,” the secretary continued. “I will have to ask that you stay with your Aunt Carol. No going out. No sneaking off. Do you understand?”
Kaylee’s brow narrowed in confusion. “Am I under house arrest?”
“No, No. This is for your own safety. Believe me. It is only for a few days.”
She slowly slumped back into her chair and nodded her acceptance. Logan sent up a silent prayer. At least he wouldn’t have to worry about her while he was trapped on the ship. These men would make sure she was protected.
“Sir,” Logan said. “The Blackthorn is due to leave in a few days.”
“The Blackthorn isn’t going anywhere. At least not yet.” Admiral Harris said.
Logan swallowed hard. That was pretty final, he thought.
“Now then, is there anything else?” the Foreign Secretary asked.
Logan hesitated, then said, “Sir, there is one other thing. I don’t know if it is pertinent. But when I was analyzing the radio traffic. Making sure the blocks were working. I noticed something.”
