by Terry Mixon
The trip was brief. He took a moment to admire Athena’s lines through the port. Athena was only a destroyer, so she looked like a toy beside Best Deal, the converted freighter housing the science teams.
Freighters needed to be large to carry as much cargo as possible between systems. It stretched 3,500 meters and looked like a block 450 meters wide and tall. It displaced millions of tons and could only crawl along under that tremendous load, even with upgraded drives.
The labs only took up a small amount of that vast space. They’d left the remaining cargo areas as-is to carry any recovered artifacts. Six cargo shuttles seemed like overkill to Jared, but the ship normally carried them as well as two civilian personnel cutters. Jared had to admit they might come in handy.
The freighter normally flew with thirty officers, and three hundred and seventy crewmembers, but that took a full load of cargo into account. The Captain of Best Deal had released two hundred of his crew slots to the science teams. That made the remaining crew grumble, but if push came to shove, they could compel the scientists into manual labor. Although Jared was sure doing so would cause innumerable complaints.
Athena might look like a minnow beside Best Deal, but she was a deadly one. She was a mere six hundred meters in length. Her hull was one hundred and twenty meters across and eighty tall. Her crew compliment was much larger than the size difference would suggest, with twenty-one Fleet officers and two hundred and twenty nine crewmembers. The ship also had a detachment of thirty marines to provide armed personnel.
She also had twice the speed of the massive freighter. This meant that she could make the journey to the target star system in a little over two weeks if traveling alone.
Thankfully, the flip points in a system were usually just outside the system’s habitable zone. If they were further out the trip would take even longer.
The placement had something to do with the mass of the host stars, but that didn’t seem to dictate the number of flip points in a system. It made cosmologists a little crazy because no one really knew why only some stars had them. If someone ever figured out that mystery, he or she would win the Lucien Prize for sure.
The cutter maneuvered adroitly to the forward docking port assigned it and mated with hardly a bump. Jared waited for the light over the lock to go green and entered his ship. Athena had three personnel cutters and two marine combat pinnaces. The marine small craft berthed at the aft of the ship near marine country. Up front, the cutters took up three of the four docks. The fourth was for visiting vehicles.
The closest lift took him to the bridge in a matter of minutes. It wasn’t in the nose of the ship as the entertainment vids liked to portray, but in the ship’s center. Command and control needed to be one of the most protected areas of the ship—not because the commander was more important, but because loss of control meant probable death in combat.
Not that he’d ever been in real combat. No living Fleet officer had.
Helm and tactical took up the front of the bridge. His console was in the center of the compartment and three unattended consoles faced to the rear and side of the oval chamber. Extra crew could staff those positions if something happened to the main consoles, but they typically housed observers.
It was a much tighter fit than in the vids, too. Barely seven meters long and five wide. A heavy cruiser’s bridge was about twice that size.
Graves stood as Jared entered. “You made it back alive, I see. I was just about to send the marines.”
Jared smiled and took the seat his XO had just vacated. “It was a close thing, let me tell you. What’s our status?”
“All personnel are present. The last load of supplies came on board five minutes ago. Best Deal is running behind. Of course. Things seem a little disorganized over there. Captain Keller said they would be ready in ten minutes.”
That likely meant fifteen or twenty minutes. Anything that had to do with the civilian scientists seemed to be prone to delays.
Jared shook his head with a smile. “There’s no use pushing for them to go faster. That would slow them down even more. I can’t wait to see the first emergency drill over there.”
Charlie rolled his eyes. “No kidding. People running in every direction and some not bothering to go to emergency stations at all. Too busy with real work to be playing sailor. It’ll be a real laugh.”
“I wouldn’t start chuckling just yet. I’m sending you over to set it up and grade the results. Then you’ll work with Captain Keller to get a training plan in place to see they get better. If things go to hell, I don’t want them killing themselves.”
“Thanks,” Charlie muttered.
Lieutenant Anderson turned toward them. “Captain, there is a cutter requesting permission to dock. It says they have a couple of late arriving crewmen.”
Jared arched an eyebrow. “I thought you said everyone was aboard, XO. Did you misplace someone?”
Graves looked puzzled. “Everyone is accounted for.”
“Zia, who are the crewmen?”
She spoke into her headset. “They say they have the diplomatic representatives on board.”
Jared brought up the crew manifest on his console. No diplomatic representatives. According to his orders, he’d be representing the Empire if need be. “Permission to dock is granted. I’ll go down myself and find out what’s going on. Charlie, you have the bridge.”
“Aye, sir.”
Jared took the lift back down to the forward docking bay. He heard the muffled clank of the cutter docking just as he arrived. A bit of cold mist puffed out of the lock as the interior and exterior doors slid open. A crewmember in a dark grey flight suit stepped out and saluted him, right fist to chest. He’d just returned it when two other people followed the man out.
Jared didn’t know the gentleman in the lead, but he looked like a diplomat. Tall, his dark hair shaded with distinguished gray, and impeccably dressed. However, the young woman behind him was all too familiar.
“Princess Kelsey,” Jared growled. “What are you doing here?”
Chapter Six
Kelsey made certain to keep Carlo Vega between Jared and herself. The diplomat didn’t react to her half-brother’s expression as he held out his hand. “Captain Mertz. So kind of you to meet us. I’m Ambassador Carlo Vega from the Department of Imperial Affairs. I’ll be your diplomatic attaché on this voyage of discovery.
He stepped to the side, exposing Kelsey. “I believe you know my assistant, Kelsey Bandar. For the duration of our assignment, she will not be acting in her Imperial capacity. Rather she will operate solely as Deputy Ambassador.”
Jared’s face clouded even further. “This isn’t a casual trip through the park, Ambassador Vega. It has the potential to be very dangerous. I cannot be responsible for a member of the Imperial Family under these conditions, no matter how they choose to style themselves.”
A mulish expression settled across her face, although she tried to fight it. “I apologize for the surprise, but this matter is settled. I’m staying.”
“The devil it is. I cannot be responsible for your safety in this environment, Your Highness. You’re leaving, even if I have to strap you into that cutter myself.” Jared assured her. He looked like he’d do it, too. She’d never seen him so angry.
Vega’s bland expression didn’t flicker at their exchange. “I’m afraid this assignment isn’t open to debate, Captain. These orders come directly from his Imperial Majesty. All four expeditions are receiving experienced diplomats and young people with extensive negotiating experience to train in this role for future missions.”
As two crewmen wheeled a cart full of luggage from the cutter and began unloading it on the deck as, Jared swore creatively. Kelsey made note of some of the catchier phrases for personal use later.
“This is madness,” her half-brother finally managed. “What if she’s injured or killed? She’s second in line to the Imperial Throne!”
Vega smiled. “And I believe her father was a Fleet officer wh
en he was Heir to that very throne. He understands the dangers inherent to her making this voyage. No fault will attach to you or Fleet if such a tragedy were to happen.”
“I am well aware of the risks as well,” Kelsey said. “I’m fulfilling my duty to the Empire just like you are, Jared.”
He pinched the bridge of his nose, possibly counting to ten. “Fine. I’ll see that we assign appropriate quarters to you. But I want to make a few things very clear.”
He stepped into Kelsey’s personal space and stared down at her. It took a great deal of willpower not to step back. “This is my ship. I am the commander of this mission. You may be an Imperial Princess, but on my ship you will obey my orders. I will not tolerate disobedience or disrespect of any kind. You are subject to the same rules and expectations as the rest of my crew. Do you understand me, Deputy Ambassador Bandar?”
She opened her mouth to say something, but Vega cut her off. “Yes, Captain. We understand completely. I accept full responsibility for educating Deputy Ambassador Bandar on the behavior required of her.”
Not bothering to hide the doubt on his face, Jared stepped back. “See that you do, Ambassador. How many guards has she brought with her?”
“None. When I said she wasn’t acting as an Imperial Princess, I wasn’t kidding. And before you offer, she will not need any marines to act in that capacity. We trust this environment to be free of that kind of threat.”
Jared shook his head. “More madness. Very well then, I’ll send some crewmembers to get you settled in. Report to the Executive Officer once you’ve stowed your belongings.”
He turned on his heel and stormed to the lift without any parting pleasantries. That was probably for the best.
Kelsey had never seen that side of her half-brother before. Gone was the polite officer that came to visit a few times a year. Missing was the man who’d accepted her cold anger and indignant distain without a word in his own defense. The intimidating man she’d just seen was no less a ruler than her father inside this, his domain.
Vega turned to her as the crewmembers from the cutter brought out the last of their luggage. “I trust you see how serious Captain Mertz is. He’ll be looking for any reason to drop you off in a life pod and let someone else pick you up, so you’d best keep that sharp tongue of yours under firm control, Kelsey.”
“I have no intention of getting crossways with my half-brother, Carlo. I’ll behave.”
“And that is your first mistake. Listen to me very carefully. Forget that man is your half-brother. We are no longer in your domain. Captain Mertz is now God and his Executive Officer is his Prophet. Familiarity is your enemy. If you want to make this assignment work, you need to treat him as a total stranger. Be formal. As far as you are concerned, his first name is now Captain. If it’s a really good day, perhaps ‘sir’ will work.”
“And if he says ‘run’ I ask how fast?”
“No. You don’t say a word. You run as fast as you possibly can. Consider this your first challenge as a diplomat of the Empire. If you avoid getting locked up, you’ll be doing pretty well.”
She pondered that while they waited. The crewmember waved at them and shut the hatch to the cutter. A loud clank announced its departure. A departure that trapped her on a ship with an angry man that didn’t want her anywhere close. She’d best listen to Carlo’s advice and take this very seriously.
They only waited a few minutes before the lift opened again and three men came out. Their uniforms were subtly different from one another. The man in front had the same blue tunic over black pants that Jared…Captain Mertz had worn.
The other two men had black tunics over black pants. They also had red strips on their sleeves where the man in front of them had two wide red bars on the shoulders separated by a thin red line. She’d probably best spend some time learning what those meant. The two men in back bowed.
The man in the blue tunic did not. She couldn’t help noticing he was more than passingly handsome with his cropped blond hair and blue eyes. A hint of deviltry sparkled in his smile. He held his hand out to Vega. “Welcome aboard, Ambassador. I’m Lieutenant Commander Charlie Graves, Athena’s Executive Officer.”
Vega took his hand and smiled as he shook it. “Thank you, Commander. It’s a pleasure to be here. I’m very sorry for the last minute disruption. I assure you I had my very own version of it a few hours ago when the Secretary of Imperial Affairs woke me up. This is my assistant, Deputy Ambassador Kelsey Bandar.”
The officer’s expression told Kelsey he knew exactly who she was, but no hint of it made its way to his voice. “Deputy Ambassador Bandar. A pleasure.”
“For me as well, Commander Graves.”
“Ratings Welch and Soto will see that your gear is stowed. I’m afraid the cabins don’t have enough space for everything you’ve brought, but all your bags will be readily accessible if you need something from them. Come this way, please.”
He led them back into the lift leaving the two ratings to handle the baggage. “We’re putting you into separate cabins. They were two person cabins, but I think it best for senior personnel to have some privacy to do their work.”
Vega nodded. “Excellent, Commander. I like Miss Bandar quite a lot, but not that much. She might snore.”
Kelsey laughed when Carlo winked at her. “If I might ask, where are the displaced officers going?” she asked.
“We have some missile tubes offline for repairs. They’re almost big enough for one person each, if they hold their arms over their heads.”
Kelsey felt herself gape before she remembered that hint of wickedness she’d seen in his eyes. She snapped her mouth closed and shook her head. “You had me for a moment. I’m going to need to keep an eye on you.”
He grinned, making himself look even more roguish. “I couldn’t resist. We’re adding extra bunks in one of the small conference rooms. They’ll need to go into marine country to use the head, but they’ll have some extra space to make up for the inconvenience.”
“And why didn’t you put us there?” Vega asked.
“Because you’d need to go into marine country to use the head.”
“I’m sure the marines aren’t so bad,” she objected.
“Of course not, but they are a little rough around the edges. I shudder to think about the diplomatic crisis one of their late night poker games would cause.”
The lift opened onto a tight corridor with several crewmembers hurrying along on some duty or another. She followed Graves’ example and pressed her back to the wall when they passed. She wondered why the officer was giving precedence to the others for a moment, but decided it was not the right time or place to ask the question. There was probably a logical explanation.
Graves stopped at a hatch marked ‘6P432’. “This is your cabin, Ambassador Vega. Deputy Ambassador Bandar is two down and on the other side of the corridor. Memorize your room numbers so someone can get you home when you get lost. Everyone does when they first come aboard, and so will you.”
“Or they’ll put us into a missile tube,” she muttered, imagining the pranks that could happen to new people on a ship.
The Executive Officer laughed. “That particular prank isn’t appropriate for civilians. You’re not going to end up in marine country either. Not unless you intentionally go there. The crew will find…subtler ways to welcome you aboard.”
He pressed his thumb on the lock and the hatch slid open. “I have authority to enter every cabin, but won’t do so unless there’s a reason. In this case, I need to be inside to add your access to the room. I could do it remotely, but I don’t have your biometric data. Please press your thumb to the lock Ambassador.”
Vega did so and looked inside the cabin curiously. “Very interesting.”
Graves did something inside the door and stepped back outside. “Ratings Soto and Welch will see that you have access to your belongings and help you stow away what you will need in your cabin. While the compensators keep the grav drives from tossing
things around during normal maneuvers, we secure everything just in case. They will also see to your safety briefings. Deputy Ambassador Bandar?”
He had her press her thumb to the lock beside her hatch and gave her identical instructions. Her cabin was ‘6P435’. Vega still stood inside the open hatch to his cabin, so the officer looked at both of them when he spoke again.
“Don’t wander around until you get your orientation. This ship can be a dangerous place to the uninitiated. Not because of the people, but some equipment can be lethal to the untrained. If you inadvertently found yourself in engineering, you might touch something that could kill you before your body hits the floor. Everything dangerous is marked as such, but you don’t know how to recognize that yet. Stay put. Understood?”
His voice held a hint of command. Not like Captain Mertz. More subdued, but crystal clear.
“Yes, sir,” she said.
He smiled. “I don’t need a ‘sir’ from either of you. Just pay attention while you learn your way around the ship. Feel free to examine your cabins while you wait. Now, if you’ll excuse me, we’re about to break orbit and I should be at my station.”
Graves returned the way they’d come with a purposeful stride.
Vega gave her a pointed look and went inside his cabin. The hatch slid shut.
Taking the not so subtle hint, she stepped into her new home. The hatch slid closed as soon as she stepped away from it. One quick glance told her a fact that should’ve been obvious before she came aboard. Space was at a premium. Her closet at the Palace was larger than this two-person cabin.
Life was full of unexpected challenges.
The layout was quite spartan. Two bunks folded out from the wall, one above the other. The far wall had a compact desk that looked like it folded up when not needed and a hatch. The wall opposite the bunk had two wardrobes built into it.
Even with two, she wouldn’t have much space at all for clothes. If she stretched out her arms, she could easily touch the bunk and the wardrobe at the same time. Three strides took her from the foot of the bunks to the desk. A glance through the hatch revealed a cramped bathroom. The sonic shower looked about the size of a coffin.
