Archuk was again all smiles as he rose to greet them.
“Captain! Mistress Raum!” He greeted them heartily, “Please sit down; we have much to discuss.”
“Then your ship found the derelict?” Cale asked.
The ever-present smile faded somewhat. “Indeed it did, and I’m delighted to say that the evidence it collected completely substantiates your account. Unfortunately, that’s not all they found.
“As we surmised from the attempt on your life, there were survivors among the pirates. As best we can reconstruct the evidence, the pirate captain was one well known to us, a nasty piece of work named Remson. He’s not one of the most successful pirates, but possibly one of the most vicious. It appears that you killed four of his crew, and injured three more. Once they got the ship airtight, Remson cut the throats of his wounded, and put the rest of his men to trying to get his ship under power. They also turned on their emergency beacon. Pirates often do that in an effort to lure in unsuspecting good Samaritans.
“Unfortunately,” Archuk continued with a grimace, “The ruse worked this time. The delta-class freighter Sarah Lu, under the command of Captain Fen Varken responded to the SOS.”
Cale looked puzzled. “How could you know that? I assume the pirates were long gone.”
Archuk nodded soberly. “So they were. They spaced the entire crew alive, and fled in their seized ship. The reason we know the identity of the ship and her captain is that the frozen body of the captain was found entangled in some of the wreckage of Remson’s ship. There were no signs of violence other than those of decompression. We’ve put out a sector-wide alert for the ship and, of course, Remson.”
Dee had gone white as Archuk spoke. “If we’d gone back…” She began.
“It would have been your bodies that were found. Or not, since we would not have been notified to look.” Archuk’s smile was grim this time. “I suspect you owe your Captain an apology, Mistress. By refusing to turn back, he undoubtedly saved your lives.”
The look Dee directed at Cale was full of meaning, though he remained unsure just what the meaning was. Certainly, there was gratitude, but there was also unmistakable suspicion.
“And the men that tried to kill us?” Cale asked hurriedly.
Archuk shrugged. “Neither talked before their executions,” he replied. “But of course we now know that the pirate captain did survive your shootout, and it seems obvious he sent them.”
“In any event,” he continued, “You have been completely exonerated, and I would like to congratulate you on your expertise and courage.”
Cale nodded soberly. “Thank you. Then we are no longer in custody?”
The wide smile was back. “Of course not, of course not. Naturally, you’re both free to go. I hope your stay has not been an uncomfortable one. Oh,” he continued, “Unless you’re leaving in the next 48 hours, I’m afraid you’ll have to remove your ship from the government field and dock at the orbital commercial port.”
Cale smiled courteously. “That shouldn’t be a problem. Our stay has been rather more of a vacation. And everyone here has been most courteous. Now, if that’s all…”
“Yes, yes, of course,” Archuk responded in a professional tone. “If there’s anything I can do…”
They invited Zant to join them for a celebratory dinner
Zant seemed preoccupied. 'Tell me, Cale, why did you choose Ilocan, of all places? It's hardly a hub of galactic activity.'
Cale grinned. 'It certainly isn't. Actually, I have a very close friend whose favorite aunt retired there about fifteen years ago.' He shrugged. 'He used to talk about her and her vids of Ilocan all the time. It sounds like a really nice place. According to the Stellar Index, it's almost idyllic. Gravity of only. 89 standard, thoroughly terraformed but mostly wilderness, almost no heavy industry, only one major city and scattered villages, and only a few million people. Sheol! Last I heard, his aunt had been made President of the place! I'm rather anxious to see if it lives up to its reputation.'
Zant frowned. 'I'm sorry, Cale, but it won't. Not anymore. There's been a war.'
Cale shot straight in his chair. 'A war? With whom? How bad? Who won?'
Zant raised a hand to forestall Cale's flood of questions. 'I'm sorry, Cale. I knew I remembered hearing about Ilocan recently. It was just shoptalk with a captain I was trying to convince to hire me. He mentioned that he had to leave Ilocan in a hurry, because it was invaded by Santiago. Only a couple of ships full of troops, but they took Homesafe by surprise, and took over the city in a few hours.
He leaned across the table. 'Before I came over here this evening, I checked the Worldnet for news of Ilocan. There wasn't much. Santiago is claiming to have 'liberated' Ilocan from its, 'backward, reactionary government', and that their forces were welcomed by the Ilocano people, who had been kept in 'primitive' conditions by their previous rulers.
'It looks like the war itself is over. But reading between the lines, I'd bet there's a serious guerilla war going on. One of the underground newsies here claims to be in contact with an Ilocano 'government in exile'. He claims that the Santies are even having trouble holding onto Homesafe, and that only resupply from space lets them hang on.'
He shrugged. 'It sounds like plain old propaganda from both sides. There's no telling from the newsies what's really going on there. If you decide to go, be ready for a war zone. At the very least, the Santies are sure to have the jump point picketed.'
Chapter 8
Cale didn't answer. He appeared lost in thought for several long minutes of silence at the table. Finally, he turned to Dee. 'I'm sorry, Dee. We'll have to postpone your grand tour. I have to go help. I feel a real connection to John's aunt and uncle. In fact, he said they raised him. If there's even a chance they're still alive, I have to go help them.'
Dee looked shocked. “What! What is this? You’re trying to shut me out?”
Zant looked from one to the other. “What’s going on with you two? I thought you were a pair…” His voice tapered off as Cale shook his head with a reluctant expression. “Okay,” he resumed more briskly, “let’s have it.”
Cale shrugged, his expression morose. “We told you about it. Dee is my passenger. I was to deliver her to a mutually agreeable destination when the pirate attack came up, and we had to detour here. I owe her a ride, and I fully intend to provide it. But I’ve got to go to Ilocan now, and I suspect you might know some things and some people, and maybe some sources I can use. We need to talk, and talk frankly.”
There were unshed tears in Dee’s eyes now. “What is this?” she cried again. “I don’t understand…”
Zant rose abruptly. “I think I’d better let you two work this thing out. I’ll be in the bar.” He hurried off.
Dee's face darkened, and her tone turned quietly furious. 'So, you think you're going to just leave me stranded like poor Zant, here. I'm supposed to sit here and twiddle my thumbs while you get yourself killed?'
Cale flinched. 'Now, Dee, that's not fair. I can't take you into a war zone. I don't know what I'll be facing. For all I know I'll be arrested and interned as soon as I get there.
'And even if I do make it safely,' he continued, 'I'll be a soldier in a guerilla war; running and hiding, sleeping and eating when and where I can. Damn it!' he shout/whispered, 'I can't take you into that meatgrinder!'
'Why not?' Dee's voice was cold. 'You'd better believe there are women fighting there now.'
Cale pounded a fist on the table. 'They're not you, damn it! They're frontierswomen. They're used to living rough, butchering their own meals, and killing for food. They're used to hardship and privation.'
Dee's anger had only increased, and her voice rose. 'Cale Rankin! You know damned well I've had a lot more weapons training than you, and even hand-to-hand combat. Sheol, I'm better qualified than you are to fight a war!' Dee’s tears had overflowed, as had her anger. “What do you think you’re doing? Are you trying to get rid of me?'
Cale took her hand in his. “No! The last thing I want is to lose you. In fact, I’m hoping you’ll wait here on Angeles for me. But I can’t ask you to be involved with this. Some of my ideas, well, they may not be exactly…”
“Legal?” she finished for him in a furious tone. “Are you telling me you’re going off to commit a crime? Or crimes?”
