PROJECT WASTELAND
Pathfinder Series: Book Two
Chapter X: Really, Really Bad Diplomacy
Aboard the Ali Rinai…
It took some time, but the crew manning the Command Center eventually managed to turn the Ali Rinai around in a large, curving arc that brought them side-by-side with the sizeable convoy of ships. In order to dock properly with the lead vessel, it made sense to present their undamaged port flank to minimize potential problems. Adam felt better about the matter anyway, because the sight of their badly torn up starboard hull was a discomforting sign that something undeniably bad had taken place prior to the ship’s trip to the nebula. Whoever was commanding the convoy also appeared eager to obtain answers, since they were already waiting once Adam’s helmsman completed the wide turn. As soon as the two vessels lined up alongside one another, a docking ring extended from the Ali Rinai, locking onto the other ship’s airlock.
Snee Vasten and four of his men were already waiting for Adam at the airlock. He handed Adam a small earwig transceiver, requesting that the Captain replace the one currently anchored in his right ear. “This is on a private, encrypted frequency,” he stated curtly. “I’ve already incarcerated three prisoners who tried to give away our position, so it makes sense that I be able to alert you if anything major happens while you talk with whoever is commanding this new fleet. Be advised, try not to lie outright unless you absolutely have to.”
Gratefully, Adam accepted the replacement and switched it out. “Do you think we’re safe letting an inspection team come aboard?”
A wry grin from Vasten was the immediate response. “The time for an immediate departure has long since passed. I don’t think we have any choice,” he replied with a small smile. “They don’t have to do much damage to knock out our Point-to-Point drive. Your Crasel friends are already down in the engine room, getting us ready for a quick run up to transit. They’ll need at least ten to fifteen minutes to prepare.”
“Then let’s hope that nothing major happens while the men from the other ship are here,” he concluded.
“I believe they will strongly suspect that something is wrong,” Vasten predicted. “Outwardly, the ship appears to be severely damaged, all three shuttles are gone, and we have a supply ship docked on the upper hull. At the very least, you’re going to get asked a lot of questions, so you’d better be ready to answer.”
Eyeing his colleague with a raised eyebrow, Adam grinned back at him. “And if we find ourselves in the worst case scenario…”
“Then you had better be prepared to work some more of your magic,” concluded Vasten. “If at all possible, we’ll need to contain the boarding parties for as long as possible and keep them from alerting the ships in their fleet. That’s the primary reason I want to be able to talk to you. Some sort of VIP will likely come aboard to supervise and condescend to you… they always do. No one will want to do anything until they hear from him. Every second we can delay a shooting match will help guarantee a safe escape.”
Through the airlock windows they could see men approaching from the other side. “Don’t let anyone search this ship unescorted,” Adam said, pointing sharply at his acting Executive Officer for emphasis. “Even if it’s informal, make certain that all visitors are watched. They are not to touch anything unless I approve it.”
Vasten nodded in acknowledgement, their time to confer privately at an abrupt end. He worked the wall controls, opening the inner airlock and stepping forward to repeat the procedure with the outer door. The windowed doors parted with a soft hiss, allowing eight fully armed soldiers dressed in Yakiir uniforms to enter. They spread out, four of them on either side of the inner door, and waited for the ninth man to arrive. He did so with a flourish, head held confidently high and eyes blazing with intensity. His face was swarthy and unshaven, hair dark black and pulled back in a tightly tied ponytail. His build was enormous, and he appeared fully capable of fighting multiple men simultaneously. Adam, Vasten and the other waiting soldiers pressed a palm to their forehead, saluting the newcomers according to protocol. Using his enhanced vision to study their bio-presence, Adam surveyed them closely…
…and swiftly determined that all nine men were secretly Kuth aliens in disguise.
“Who do we have here,” boomed the leader of the newcomers proudly, glancing around at all of the strange faces. “I’m looking for a Captain… uhhm… forgive my bad memory… Captain…”
“Barrek,” stated Adam crisply, stepping forward and bowing slightly. “Captain Saj Barrek, at your service.”
“Ah, I’m pleased to meet you Captain Barrek,” replied the other, also bowing in a polite response. “For the purposes of our visit, you may call me Admiral Deek. Deek is my surname, and all I am allowed to share with you.” He smiled, flashing them the dark malevolent leer of someone not to be trifled with. “We tried to access your communications logs, but I’m afraid my officers are having some difficulty doing so. It appears you’ve fought a recent battle and taken casualties. We are naturally curious as to who was tragically lost during that… incident.” He studied Adam’s reaction to his news meticulously, carefully gauging his response. “Your Command crew are not responding to our transmissions, even when the proper codes are submitted.”
“As soon as we’re done here, I’ll send my Executive Officer up to our Command Center to take care of that problem for you,” replied Adam with a warm and welcoming smile. “Allow me to present my Executive Officer, Snee Vasten.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you as well, Snee Vasten,” grinned Deek, also taking a moment to bow toward the Ali Rinai’s XO. He scrutinized Vasten’s unreadable countenance closely, searching for anything out of the ordinary. “Field promotion?” he speculated. “Our records indicate that this ship’s Executive Officer was one Lih Bok. I hope nothing has happened to him.”
Adam glanced toward the Admiral, doing his best to appear crestfallen. “The battle against our enemy was a terrible one, I’m afraid, and cost us many lives, including officer Bok.”
“Oh?” Deek was genuinely intrigued by the news.
“He died admirably, with honor, while protecting the quashing weapons in our starboard cargo bay.”
The Admiral digested the news silently for a moment. “Captain, unfortunately we have protocols to follow whenever a crossing of this nature is completed. I do not wish to burden you further after your recent battle, but am obligated to ask that you submit to a standard inspection of all key areas on your vessel. Does this present any problems for you?”
Adam shook his head negatively. “None at all. Bring your teams aboard. We’ll allow them access anywhere they wish to look, and my chef will feed you all a decent meal before you return to your own ship.”
Deek loved that answer and laughed delightedly. “My search teams are already here,” he nodded in reply, repeatedly snapping his fingers toward the men on his left and then to his right. “They work in pairs, and will conduct their search while you and I visit some more.”
Vasten appeared surprised. “Don’t you want to bring any bodyguards with you?” he asked inquisitively.
“Oh, I doubt I will need any,” responded the Admiral cheerfully, but his tone was laced with a subtle malice that chilled Vasten’s soul. “We’re all friends, after all.”
Silently, Adam watched the exchange. No, actually you’re a Kuth alien capable of ripping most humans in half with your bare hands, he thought to himself. If the need arises, I’m sure that the nine of you are fully capable of seizing control of a vessel this size just long enough to board additional help. But then I digress…
Deek put a friendly arm around Adam’s right shoulder, guiding him away from the airlock and back out into the corridor. “Walk with me Captain,” he said amiably.
*
At Adam’s direction, the chef that Snee Vasten had recruited from the Pyrhh prepared an assortment of dishes for the Admiral, including a lightly braised meat that Deek specifically requested be extremely
rare. A kitchen aide brought them directly to the Captain’s personal quarters, where the two men decided to meet in private and finish their conversation.
“I don’t eat real meat that often while out in space,” he said by way of explanation, “so when I do eat it, I like it very rare. Sometimes I have the urge to simply devour it raw!” He laughed loudly at his own inside joke while Adam sat by silently, sipping at a cup of hot broth and nibbling on a sandwich. “So tell me,” the Admiral decided finally, touching the tips of the fingers on both hands together lightly. “How did an unmarked Yakiir supply vessel manage to end up crashing into the starboard side of your warship?”
Stiffening in response to the question, Adam smiled dryly. “You don’t waste any time do you?”
“Doing so only inconveniences both of us,” snapped Deek with mild irritation. “What did you do?”
“I followed orders,” shrugged Adam indifferently, acting suddenly interested in his food. He allowed some of the nervousness he was feeling to show through but not all. “I have Captain’s discretion, when I deem it necessary, to take out enemy targets en route to a quashing. An opportunity to destroy an enemy cruiser presented itself and I did exactly that.”
“Your ship is heavily damaged, all three of its shuttles are missing and at least a third of your crew are dead,” the Admiral declared in a sharp rebuke. “Some might call that borderline incompetence.”
“I have recorded images of the warship we destroyed,” replied Adam nonchalantly, with more confidence than he felt. “The Zaketh have pressed our borders recently, but they will think twice before doing so again.”
“You risked losing the quashing weapons to them and got Lih Bok killed in the process. He was one of our most valuable assets out in the field and the Caucus – not to mention me – will miss him greatly.”
“It was his idea to attack the Zaketh and he also volunteered to stand guard in the starboard cargo bay.”
“Oh really Captain Barrek, must you tread down this simple path… that’s quite convenient of you to claim so, since we can’t exactly ask Bok to confirm your story, now can we?”
Again Adam shrugged his shoulders. “We can. I made him put those orders in writing. The official record of our change of orders is in the computer up in Command, logged under his authorization code.”
“Is that so?” The Admiral patted at his lips with a napkin after hungrily devouring his meal and then folded it in half, laying it gently next to his plate. “Are they stored in the very same communications computer that the technicians from my vessel are currently unable to access?” His annoyance and temper were both growing in leaps and bounds, no longer masked by the carefully feigned cheerfulness.
Considering his next words carefully, Adam unexpectedly received help. The presence of another mind touched his and Kaufield softly spoke to him. [“I really like how you’re handling this, my friend,”] his former commanding officer told him sincerely, [“but it’s not in any way going to end pleasantly no matter how well you deflect. That battle was an atrocious mess, and based on what the Admiral has told you, I don’t see how he can possibly leave you in charge.”]
[“I’m open to options,”] Adam thought back, allowing his conversation with Deek to lapse temporarily. His silence only served to infuriate the Admiral even more and it showed plainly on his face.
[“Modifications to the Pathfinder have been completed and we’re working on the crux of a larger plan back here based on what we’ve seen today,”] Kaufield informed him. [“The Kuth are arrogant and impulsive, far too sure of themselves. But they are easily panicked by the unknown, as proven by our chance encounter with the Wasteland ten years ago. They’re paranoid… frightened that their plan will be revealed before it can be completed. So we’re going to use this against them.”]
“If you like, we’ll walk up to Command and I’ll let you inspect Bok’s orders for yourself,” Adam told the Admiral sternly while silently digesting the new information from Kaufield. “I need to check on Vasten anyway, he should have complied with my orders by now.”
“Yes, definitely, let’s do that immediately,” responded Deek with barely concealed disgust, touching his own earwig as he received a transmission. “On the way, perhaps you will explain to me why there is green blood in your cargo bay. Bok would only have reverted to his true shape under emergency circumstances. Explain that.”
“I don’t know why Bok chose to do what he did,” said Adam truthfully, refusing to let the other intimidate him. He stared back at Deek with a glaring intensity and self-assured confidence that noticeably caught the Admiral off guard. “The men he chose to use the supply ship as bait were inept and allowed it to be captured and rammed into my warship. All he cared about was saving the quashing missiles while I remained in Command so that I could save my ship.”
[“Do NOT let him out of that room,”] Kaufield communicated silently. [“We want you to incapacitate and detain all of these creatures… every one of them. Hold them temporarily, long enough for your ship to move away from that convoy and PTP to a safe location. No one on the other ships, fighters included, will act without direct orders from the top, and that particular individual has delivered himself right into your lap. Since they’re all Kuth, he thinks they’re safe amongst the mere humans. Make him pay for that mistake Adam. We need the Caucus to be afraid of us because that will panic them into carelessness.”]
[“How do we get safely out of here? There are NINE capital ships out there, not to mention the fighter escort.”] His mind raced with sudden possibilities. What the devil is Kaufield up to?
[“You’ll find out. For now, take care of the matter at hand, Adam. That’s an order.”]
The Admiral rose to his feet and sneered at Adam. “If you’re lying about even one minor detail in this affair,” he declared with utter contempt, pointing angrily at the human for added emphasis. “I’ll skin you myself. Do you hear me? Did you hear what I said? If you’re lying…”
“Yes,” said Adam softly. “I hear you.” Then he raised his arms and fired his wrist guns at a moderate setting, blowing the Admiral backwards and into the far wall.
Deek’s body was already shifting, changing shape beneath his uniform much more quickly than Bok had reverted. And yet, Adam was ready for him as the Admiral sprang forward on all fours, like a rabid wolf, and leaped into the air in an attempt to clamp his sharp teeth around his opponent’s neck. Another blast from the wrist guns, intensity setting elevated, slammed Deek back against the wall much harder this time. There was an audible crunch from somewhere inside his body, and he landed in a snarl of activity, turning to bite angrily at an unseen injury on his back. “What in blazes is going on?” the Admiral shrieked in a voice that was no longer entirely human, the words barked in harsh, guttural syllables rather than voiced normally. “Who are you?”
“You seem to have miscalculated,” replied Adam vehemently, right before he blew Deek’s head off.
The headless corpse fell to its knees and then collapsed onto its right side, a large pool of blood already forming beneath the neck. What was left of Deek’s head was splattered in dark green against the far wall along with pieces of his skull and fragments of brain matter. [“Good Lord,”] said Kaufield, his voice once again speaking to Adam’s thoughts. [“We wanted him incapacitated Adam.”]
[“And just how ELSE would you suggest I go about doing that against NINE opponents?”] he asked, hot emotion still burning through his blood. [“There isn’t a precise series of intensity settings for the wrist weaponry, and I don’t exactly have the time to use him as a test subject to determine the percentage needed to knock him unconscious. Did you notice that he was ready to report in to his ship using his own earwig?”] He paused to let Kaufield think but his confidence never once wavered as he walked over to Deek’s body and stood looking down at it. [“Take a closer look at this guy – these Kuth look as though their strength could break through even steel shackles. I won’t have more men die because they’r
e trying to restrain prisoners who cannot be restrained. If it came to gun violence, I’m not even certain grenades would slow these guys down.”]
Touching his ear transceiver, Adam exhaled in a calming effort aimed at reducing his anxiety. Once again, his hands were shaking almost uncontrollably. “Vasten, can you hear me?”
“This is Vasten.”
“Are those men who boarded this ship done with their search?”
“Affirmative. I asked them to wait in the Mess Hall, where they’re currently eating everything that our chef sets in front of them. They want to speak with the Admiral as soon as possible.”
“Please escort all of them to the port cargo bay. Tell them that the Admiral and I plan to meet them inside in less than ten minutes. I want to show them something.”
Vasten noticeably hesitated, sensing something was amiss. “Aye. I will pass along your message, Captain.”
Adam sat down on the edge of his bed for a moment, steadying his frayed nerves and preparing himself for what was to come next. With Kaufield’s voice in his head urging him to be careful, he took one last look at Deek’s still bleeding body and then headed out into the corridor. [These guys hate our guts Mr. President… have you noticed? I feel it only fair to warn you that I’m starting to hate THEIR guts too.”]
*
Snee Vasten was already waiting for him when Adam arrived at the port cargo bay’s exterior hatch. There was still a great deal of debris and charred spots to be found in the main corridor, along with the usual bullet holes after the fierce battle so recently fought there. Ignoring the deteriorated condition of the ship, Adam’s eyes found Vasten’s. “Are they in there?” he asked, watching his XO nod in response. “Alone?”
“Yes, except for two of my men. They figured they may as well take a look in there, too, while waiting.”
The Pathfinder Trilogy Page 59
