Intrepid

10

''Shall we leave a jump buoy?'' Captain Drago asked, as they halted in front of the jump between Xanadu and Pandemonium.

''We didn't leave buoys at the jumps from Cuzco,'' Kris said. She hadn't wanted to make the Great Guides mad before she talked to them. Fat lot of good that had done. ''We gave them a month. We can wait. Captain, take us through.''

''Aye, aye, Your Highness. Sulwan, make it so.''

With a quick shot of maneuvering jets, they were in another system. Drago put on one gee and boosted sunward even before sensors reported back on what the locals had shortened to Panda.

Passive sensors were the first to hint at trouble.

''I'm not getting any chatter on the communication circuits,'' Chief Beni reported with a frown. ''And I'm getting neutrino emissions from what looks like two ships in orbit over Panda.''

''We've never had more than one freighter show up a year,'' Andy Fronour said from the jump seat he occupied on the bridge. ''How could there be two now?''

''We'll have to wait until we establish communications,'' Kris said. ''At this distance, there's an hour lag time between us saying anything and them answering back.''

Thirty minutes later, the main screen on the bridge opened up with full visuals. Kris knew at first glance things were not good. Staring at her in the impeccable uniform of a merchant captain was Captain William Tacoma Thorpe, former commander of the Patrol Corvette Typhoon, and, given a choice between early retirement and a court-martial, formally of the Wardhaven Navy.

''What is he doing here?'' was Kris's first question.

Nothing good, had to be the first answer.

''Unidentified freighter, there is no business here for you. Sheer off and do not approach Presley's Pride.''

Kris mashed the kill-screen button.

''Presley's Pride?'' Fronour said, leaping from his jump seat. ''I don't think there's anyone on the planet with that name.''

''Apparently there is now,'' Kris said, and filled them in on who was talking to them.

Captain Drago didn't seem surprised. He did want to make sure he got it right ''He was your first skipper in the Navy.'' Kris agreed that he was. ''And he ended up retiring out of the Navy in lieu of a full court-martial.'' Kris agreed he did.

''Explains why I get such interesting looks at the bar when I admit skippering your ship,'' Drago said, rubbing his chin.

''Stay on my good side,'' Kris suggested.

''What happened?'' Drago said, very serious now.

''You're not authorized that information,'' Jack told him.

''But I sure would like to hear the story,'' Abby put in.

''If she told you, I'd have to kill you,'' Jack said.

''You and what army?'' Abby said, with a toothy smile.

''Me and my Marines.''

''Might be interesting to see who'd be the last one standing.''

''Folks,'' Kris cut in, ''I think we have a full to-do list for today. Could we put a rousing good intramural fight off until we have some free time?''

''We never have any free time,'' Abby complained.

''Considering what you do with it, is it any wonder I keep you busy?'' Kris said.

''Ah, folks, what do we tell this former associate of our princess?'' Drago asked. ''In about an hour we'll be getting a new message from him, one showing his surprise at once more crossing paths with his well-remembered subordinate.''

''You're the captain,'' Kris noted.

''I feel a sudden case of laryngitis coming on,'' Drago said.

''Take a pill, quick,'' Kris said.

The captain shook his head. ''Sorry, my princess, but this is not the part I signed on for. I and my crew will support you fully, but this,'' he said, with an expressive shrug, ''is a matter for ‘one of those Longknifes.' ''

Well, gal, you did want to have all the fun, didn't you, that nagging little voice in the back of Kris's head said.

Yeah, but I was so looking forward to exploring. Who'd have expected Captain Thorpe to be here ahead of me?

Afraid to face your old captain? Scared he'll buffalo you like he did last time? Kris took a deep breath. Yes, he'd run her ragged, but she'd come up for air … and then she'd changed everything. She was the one still serving. He was the one out.

Kris unsnapped her station-chair restraint and went to stand squarely in front of the forward screen.

''Chief, how long before something comes back from Thorpe?''

''Five, maybe ten minutes, ma'am.''

''Tell me before you put it on-screen.''

Captain Thorpe did not keep her waiting. Five minutes later, Chief Beni announced, ''A new message is coming in.''

Kris squared her back, schooled her face to neutral, and said, ''Put it on the main screen.'' And found herself staring into Captain Thorpe's confident smile.

''Long time no see, Ensign. Ah, so it's lieutenant now. Tell me, what could bring you out here, so far from the nearest debutante ball? Over,'' he said, signaling he was ready to yield the connection to her.

''I am Princess Kristine Longknife, commanding the exploration task force on the USS Wasp. We are exploring matters beyond the Rim, and thought we'd drop by Pandemonium for some fresh vegetables. Over to you, Captain Thorpe.''

Kris kept her voice even, allowing no special inflection to either ''Captain'' or ''Thorpe.'' She'd gone over that very carefully in her mind. Chief Beni cut the commlink.

''What do we do now?'' Jack asked.

''Wait to see how he reacts,'' Kris said. ''He said Presley's Pride. We said Pandemonium. With luck, he'll explain the discrepancy. Meanwhile, Mr. Fronour, could you and Chief Beni please connect us with your family? We've got an hour before our next conversation with Thorpe, and I'd like to know something about things dirtside.''

''Lieutenant, I'm getting something from one of the ships in orbit,'' Chief Beni put in.

''What kind of something?''

The chief's round cherubic face looked pained. ''Just a bit of backscatter from a very tight beam it's sending down to the planet. Nelly, could you maybe make something of it?'' It was the absolute first time he'd ever asked Kris's pet computer for help.

''It is very weak, and very scattered. We are only picking up parts of the message. And it is very encrypted. I will need a lot more of the message to crack it,'' Nelly said.

''Have at it, girl. It's not like there's a lot to do. But you, Chief, tell me what kind of noise that planet is making.''

The chief shook his head. ''There is nothing down there. No power plants, no net. Not so much as a ten-watt radio.''

''You sound like Xanadu,'' Kris told Fronour.

''Not us, ma'am. We had dams pumping electricity to lots of homesteads two years ago. There was a full net, voice and video. Where's it gone?'' he asked, voice breaking.

''Someone's closed it down,'' Jack said.

Kris liked the way Jack chose the gentlest option. The place was just closed down. In time, they would turn it back on. And the young man would hold his baby and wife.

''Jack, put your Marines on alert, just in case we need to help folks turn Pandemonium back on.''

''Our pleasure, ma'am,'' Jack said, with a jaunty salute and a quick about-face. ''Mr. Fronour, you want to come with me. The pictures from out here are a bit poor. We could use your help in figuring out the layout of the land.'' The farmer went with Jack, eager to help. With luck, the Marines would keep him busy and his mind off of the many reasons why his home could be so silent.

Kris turned to Captain Drago. ''Check out the lasers. I want the capacitors at full as we approach. Sulwan, could you arrange our final approach to orbit so that we're behind Pandemonium's largest moon for as long as possible?''

''I was about to make the same request,'' Captain Drago said. ''Do it, Sulwan.''

''And what other approach do you think I'd make to a former corvette captain's unidentified ship?'' Sulwan said with a harsh laugh. ''Please, you didn't hire any dumb officers.''

The chuckles around the bridge sounded relieved at that.

''Now, Chief, talk to me. Tell me stories about the ships ahead of us and the planet they orbit. So far, you've been way too quiet for my tastes,'' Kris said, as she pulled her station chair over next to Beni's.

''Ma'am, I regret as much as you that there is not all that much to talk about.''

And thirty minutes later, when the commlink flashed red, the chief still had said far too little for Kris.

Kris took a moment, as she stood before the main screen, to make sure that her undress whites were properly in place and her gig line was perfectly straight. She would not allow her former captain to pick at her before her command.

Satisfied, she waved at the chief. ''Put him on.''

Again, Captain Thorpe's face filled the screen. But it was the bridge behind him she studied. It, and the people on it.

Thorpe's Merchant Marine uniform was impeccable. But those behind him wore a thoroughly ununiform mix of civilian clothes. Two were in mismatched khakis; one's hat had a rated officer's emblem on it, the other a chief's.

His bridge looked about as Navy as Kris's did. Was it his reality … or only appearance like Kris's? Good question, gal. Do you see any answers? Kris didn't.

One thing was apparent. To the right of Thorpe were two stations. Navigation and helm? To his left were two more. Offensive and defensive weapons? No question, there were too many stations on that bridge for an honest, working freighter.

No doubt, Thorpe had done his own check around Kris's bridge and identified too many stations for a simple exploration ship.

''Well, Princess,'' he said, twisting her princess status into some kind of crime, ''as you can see, this is not the Pandemonium you are looking for but a just-started new colony, Presley's Pride, dutifully registered under Iberium regulations on Cuzco.

''You have no business here. If you do not have enough reaction mass to reverse course and boost out of this system, you may divert to the nearest gas giant and refuel.

''If you approach this planet, I will assume that you are hostile and take appropriate actions. Be aware, my ship is not unarmed,'' he ended, giving Kris a stern, captainly scowl.

Apparently, his sensors had not yet advised him of the size of the lasers Kris was now powering up on the Wasp. She would love to see the reaction on his face when they did, but strongly suspected it would fall between their brief talks. From the way Chief Beni was working his boards, he would soon have a report on Thorpe's guns. Kris could wait on that.

NELLY, WHAT ABOUT HIS CLAIM ON PRESLEY'S PRIDE?

ALREADY SEARCHING THE DATA DUMP WE GOT ON CUZCO. YES, THERE IS A PRESLEY'S PRIDE. HOLD IT! THAT SYSTEM IS ALL THE WAY OVER ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ASSOCIATION. THEY HAVE NO CLAIM ANYWHERE NEAR HERE.

Nelly opened a small window on the main screen. It showed where they were, the six planets in the Iberium Association, and, some fifty light-years from Pandemonium, Presley's Pride.

Kris allowed herself a deep scowl. ''Captain Thorpe, not for the first time, you seem to have a problem telling the truth to me. Maybe even to the crew you are skippering. Presley's Pride is a long way the other way from Cuzco.''

Kris paused to let that sink in on those who would be listening to it a half hour from now on Thorpe's command.

''The Wasp has aboard her the grandson of the founder of Pandemonium, as well as fifty containers of cargo purchased for this planet. We are going to make delivery. I suggest you cause me and my ship no trouble as we go about our lawful business.''

With that bombshell, Kris cut the commlink.

The ship's clock said it was noon, and Kris was hungry enough to be glad of it. ''I'm headed for chow. Captain Drago, call me if we get any more message traffic from my old friend. Chief Beni, you're eating with me in officer's country.''

Putting her best smile on, Kris headed for the wardroom.