you, Captain. If that Glory had decided to destroy you instead of capture you…”
Ler Traken flushed. “Yes, sir. But with all due respect, sir, you were quite occupied protecting yourself. You couldn’t afford to divide your attention in an attempt to protect us. I felt that my course of action had the best chance of survival for my ship and crew.”
“You may be right, Captain.” Kas said stonily. “But there is no doubt you disobeyed my clear and direct orders. When Starhopper rejoins Rekesh, you will report to me in person. Is that clear?”
“Yes, sir.”
The news from Rekesh was nearly as good. The battle cruiser had been hulled twice, but both hull breaches were in unoccupied areas. They had less than a dozen casualties and no deaths. One woman was in a coma with a serious head wound, but she should survive. Most of the rest consisted of cuts, scrapes and a few broken bones. The results of the damage survey were also encouraging. Tremling reported twenty-two weapons emplacements damaged or destroyed, and the shields had been weakened in several more areas, but none of the damage seriously hampered Rekesh ’s spaceworthiness. Rekesh was in excellent shape to continue the voyage — as long as he could keep her out of further combat.
Tremling asked permission to dispatch repair parties; and he did so with proper military courtesy. Marveling, Kas told him to wait until he checked with Vice Admiral Tu-Ker. The man accepted Kas’ decision with none of his usual anti-military grumbling. Perhaps Tremling had learned something.
At the appointed time, Kas reported to Tu-Ker by laser com. The Admiral was in an expansive mood. His ships had caught and destroyed the Glory destroyers, and two of his own destroyers were escorting the Glory “ambassador” to the jump point. Kas’ damage report only increased the admiral’s good humor.
As he had mentioned, Kas knew Tu-Ker by reputation. The Vice Admiral was an innerworlder originally from Prime itself. Nevertheless, he reputedly had little patience for innerworld bigots. Or outerworld ones, for that matter. He was also an excellent battle commander, with a string of victories in border clashes and minor uprisings extending over the past thirty years. Kas had no doubt that the bluff, cheery officer was prominent on Fleet Admiral Pankin’s “short list” though, of course, neither man mentioned the existence of any such list. After a few minutes’ chat, Tu-Ker sighed and straightened. “All right,” he said, “I guess we’d better get to it. Fleet Admiral Pankin sent me out here as soon as we learned your route had leaked. He figured you would need some help.
“Unfortunately,” the admiral continued, “the only way he could get it past that bastard Ta-Lank was to convince him you might run off. So, I’m afraid I’m as much prison guard as bodyguard. I’m supposed to keep you from running amok and either using the Rekesh to turn pirate and attack a string of civilized planets, or going from system to system spreading plague.” He snorted. “Nobody seems quite certain whether you’re a pirate or a plague carrier, but either way, I’m here to thwart your dastardly plans.” He flashed Kas a wide grin and a wink.
Kas grinned back. “I’m afraid we’re fresh out of plague to spread, Admiral. Dr. Ro-Lecton did an excellent job of curing it. We haven’t had so much as a sniffle since everyone was inoculated.”
The admiral snorted again. “Of course you’ve cured it! D’you think I don’t know you would all be dead or dying by now if you hadn’t? The whole idea’s absurd.”
Kas nodded. “Thank you, sir. I’m afraid we’re out of eye patches and cutlasses, too. I guess I could assemble the crew for a hearty “Yo-ho-ho,” but I doubt many of them would understand the allusion.”
“Pah!” Tu-Ker’s expression was disgusted. “I don’t tolerate fools well. I suspect Pankin was as anxious to get me away from those fatuous civilians as he was to get help to you.” He waved a dismissing hand. “Anyway, I see no reason to alarm your crew-either of them. There will be no further nonsense about arrest and guards. As far as your people are concerned, we are here to make sure you get to your destination safely. Of course, you know that no one will be permitted to leave your ships, and no one will go aboard?”
Kas nodded. “I assumed that, sir. There will be no problem.”
Tu-Ker grinned again. “I was sure there wouldn’t be. Now, I understand your ships might need reprovisioning. We’ve brought supplies for you.”
The conversation moved to the practicalities of ship operations.
Chapter 17
With Tu-Ker’s battle group protecting them, morale aboard Rekesh and Starhopper soared. The fresh supplies they brought helped even more.
Nevertheless, as jump after jump came and went and time dragged, it became increasingly difficult to maintain that initial high morale. Minor irritations became major confrontations. Fights became more and more frequent. As quickly as it had risen, morale plummeted.
Once more Kas was grateful for the presence of Lady Jane. As a civilian, she was outside the military chain of command, and her friendly good humor made her as welcome in the crew’s mess as the wardroom. Kas learned of several instances in which she had stopped trouble before it started. After several weeks of increasing violence, she appointed herself unofficial morale officer, and enlisted the help of Lordsgrace Worshipful, the Commissary Officer. Together, they devised a series of games and contests featuring minor prizes looted from Rekesh ’s cavernous supply stores. Kas first learned of it because he had to authorize issuing some of the Fleet supplies for the prizes, but he became an enthusiastic promoter, and soon ship-wide team competitions were underway.
Unsurprisingly, it worked. The air of tension eased noticeably.
Another positive factor was that the personnel were coming to form a bond. They were becoming a crew instead of a collection of strangers. In a strange way their isolation, the fact that they knew they were confined to their ships, helped mold them into a cohesive group. They knew they had done nothing wrong, and they knew there was no threat of plague, and they were both derisive and resentful of the limitations inflicted on them by the politicians. Pride in being Fleet surged, and even the civilians became unofficial ‘members’.
Kas made no effort to curb this “us-against-them” attitude. It was proving very valuable in maintaining morale. He was careful, however, to leak enough information to make certain that the Empire’s civilian politicians, and not the Fleet, were identified as the “them” involved.
Still, time was heavy on their hands and Kas’ officers had to resume searching for stills — new ones. Kas was forced to order more floggings, and had one petty officer put into cold sleep to await a court martial upon their return to the Empire.
Tu-Ker did what he could; Rekesh and Starhopper enjoyed all the latest holovids and any other luxuries he could think of, and he even sent over wardroom supplies with specific, if unofficial, instructions that they be used to feed the crew instead of the officers.
Nevertheless, the time did pass. They began counting down to the end of the mission in weeks instead of months, then days.
As they entered the final jump, Kas’ relief was tempered by a rise in his own anxiety. Was this where his career would end? How long would he be imprisoned aboard Rekesh? The newsies Tu-Ker had brought led him to suspect he was destined to be a sacrificial lamb for the imperial senate. He was being savagely attacked almost daily, his name and reputation ruthlessly vilified. After reading the newsies he was beginning to think the worst thing that could happen to him would be to be released on nearly any Empire planet. He would probably be lynched.
Once again, Lady Jane helped. She relieved his depression and fear with jokes and tenderness. She joked that perhaps Fleet Intelligence could provide him with a new identity, and promised to smuggle him to the Alliance. By the time they had finished projecting wilder and wilder scenarios of his possible future, they were both roaring with laughter.
However, Kas knew his situation was no joke. His career and his life were on the line.
Tu-Ker was also supportive, but he did not minimize the gravity of the situation.
“When we arrive,” he mentioned as he briefed Kas, “We’ll be greeted by the largest battle fleet ever assembled.” He shrugged. “Sheol, when was the last time two battle cruisers and four destroyers were dispatched on convoy duty?”
Kas frowned. “Never, to my knowledge.”
The admiral nodded. “Exactly. But the assembled fleet is so huge that my little group was hardly missed. They’ve even brought out the old Atropos!”
