A Matter of Honor (Privateer Tales Book 9) (13 page)

"Roger. I'm working on it. Give me a couple."

We were once again accelerating toward the derelict field. To say there was a lot of activity on the bridge was an understatement.

I'd just finished handing off the navigation plan to Nick when the shooting started. I looked up and worriedly checked the position of
Fist of Justice
. They'd settled back to a comfortable distance of five thousand kilometers. Ada pushed the
Mastodon
around again and I noticed our hits percent had increased significantly.

Once we were on the other side of the derelict field, I stood up. I was tired of sitting and we were still twenty minutes from Curie. I walked over to Marny's station. "What happened? Looks like our accuracy jumped but our number of shots was down by quite a bit."

"Nick dropped out," she said.

"What do you think?" I asked.

"She's got some teeth, not to mention a really nice feature where we can dial back the intensity of the blaster bolts," she said.

"Would we stand a chance against
Fist of Justice
?" I asked.

"Do you think it'll come to that?" Marny asked.

"I do. If only we could outrun her. I've never been in a position of being both slower and less powerful."

"Earthers have a phrase," she said. "It's called being a sitting duck and that's what we'd be if
Fist of Justice
chose to mix it up with us."

I sighed. "Good to know."

"Prepare for hard burn," Ada said.

We'd shifted in and out of hard burn enough times in the last couple of hours that I was having a hard time keeping track.

"Nick, can you give me an idea how long we'll be in fold-space?"

"Yes. It's not exactly linear for distance traveled, but generally shorter distances require fewer folds and therefore less time in the fold-space bubble. We're looking at a total of ninety-two minutes," he said.

"And how long to get back if everything goes to crap?"

"Almost a year," he said.

"A year? I thought we were making a short jump," I said.

"Short as I can come up with," he said. "We're limited by available fuel. We'd sail back nine months with
Mastodon
, then another three months with
Hotspur
. Most efficient way I could come up with."

"Let's hope we don't need that," I said. "Can you program two more jumps?" I asked.

"What do you have in mind?"

"We're going to wait wherever we drop and see if
Fist of Justice
shows up. If they don't show up, we'll know we've lost them."

"And if they do?"

"We'll get a good reading on how closely they can jump in on us and how much time it takes," I said. "If things get dicey, we're going to want that information."

"I'll get right on it. That's good thinking," Nick said.

I beamed. It felt good to have Nick's approval. It always felt like I was leaning on him to do the heavy mental lifting.

I sat back and drank the coffee Jonathan had provided. It was delicious. Given the source, it was no doubt the real thing. "Ada, I'd like to take her through the atmosphere, we're going to enter fold-space just as soon as we're on the other side."

"Roger that, Captain," she said. "All systems are nominal and repairs are continuing."

"I relieve you," I said.

"I stand relieved," she answered.

I enjoyed watching Curie grow as we approached. Tullas probably had an idea something was up as we hadn't slowed on our approach. She'd have to swing wider if she wanted to miss the atmosphere since she was going just as fast as we were.

All hands, prepare for turbulence and be warned we'll be jumping to fold-space in thirty... twenty-nine
…

With the extra speed, the ship actually seemed to shake less violently, although not by much. I watched the sensors and was pleased to see that
Fist of Justice
was swinging even wider than I thought necessary.

"Liam, fold-space on your command," Nick said.

Cue Allman Bros, Midnight Rider through all ship's speakers
.

I heard groans throughout the bridge, but secretly I knew they loved it.

Well, I've got to run to keep from hidin',

Not gonna let 'em catch the Midnight Rider
.

"Engage!" I said. It was probably a little louder than necessary, but the excitement of the moment took me.

The shaking of the ship settled out immediately as all visible light smeared in a more or less horizontal direction, like a child with a fist full of markers on a drawing board. The first time I'd experienced this visual distortion, I'd been unprepared for it, but this was my fourth jump and I guess I'd become jaded.

Once the smearing stopped, I quickly gathered my bearings. My HUD showed the fold-space bubble around us and I looked frantically for the line I needed to keep so as to not be knocked back into normal space.

"Nick. I'm not seeing the edges here," I said.

"You won't. We're not sailing between TransLoc gates so there's no risk of falling off," he said.

"Frak. You could have told me."

"Sorry, I guess I thought it was obvious," he said.

Good
, I thought sarcastically, at least I didn't need to worry about getting a big head about things.

"Potty break?" Tabby asked. "You got this, Luv? I think us girls are going to find the head. You coming, Marny?"

"I could use a break," Marny replied.

"Just be back in an hour," I said. I watched them leave and then said, "You know, something's been bugging me."

"What's that?" Nick asked.

"Tullas didn't even question if we'd be making the jump. She just wanted us to know that she'd be there to wipe the floor with us if we did. Something in the way she said it made me believe she not only could jump, but could follow us into fold or maybe even track us."

"Chilling thought," Nick said.

"No doubt."

One of the things I appreciated about Nick was his ability to sit quietly and not fill the room with idle chatter. If he had something to talk about, he spoke up, but he was just as happy to leave me to my thoughts. I desperately needed time to think, too. Just because everyone agreed to this mission didn't mean I was off the hook. We needed some sort of advantage when facing off with
Fist of Justice
. I couldn't see one.

"Warmup?" Ada asked when they got back.

I looked up at her, startled from my reverie. She was holding a coffee pot. "Uh, yup, that'd be great. You find the head all right?"

"There's one right at the back of the bridge," she said. "We just needed an excuse to explore the ship. You should see it, this whole deck is gorgeously designed. Tabby picked out a nice room with a king-sized bed complete with a standing jetted tub."

"I don't even know what that is," I said.

"You'll see… and I'll be getting a full-report from Tabby."

My cheeks flushed. "She wouldn't."

Ada punched my shoulder with her free hand, "Too easy, Hoffen."

We were only a few minutes from dropping out of fold-space when Tabby and Marny returned, talking excitedly. My best guess was they'd found some sort of exercise equipment. Oh, joy.

"All hands, normal space in four minutes," I said. "If
Fist of Justice
shows up we'll be jumping right away, otherwise we're going to burn for an hour."

"Captain?" Anino's voice came over my private comm.

"What's on your mind, Phillippe?"

"By my calculation, we should have forty-six minutes before Tullas arrives."

"Thank you. Do you believe she's tracking us or following?"

"Not sure what you mean."

"Is there something about the ship that gives away our destination or location or is she just following us line of sight?"

"Every time a ship drops out of fold-space it's registered on a central device controlled by Belirand. She's definitely able to track us. Worse yet, speed in fold-space is completely proportional to mass. She's just twice as fast because we're so big."

Forward conversation to Nick. I instructed the AI.

"Thanks, Phillippe, that's helpful," I said.

"Welcome," he said and terminated the comm.

"You get that, Nick?"

"Yup. We'll be down for thirty seconds to let the engines cycle, but we'll jump right back in," he said.

"How long?" I asked.

"Sixty-two hours," he said.

"Copy that."

I'd been concerned that we wouldn't be able to jump to fold-space twice, but my fears were unfounded. A minute after dropping out, we reoriented and jumped right back in.

"Okay, kids. We're taking four-hour shifts. That's the good news. The bad news is I want two crew on the bridge at all times. I'll post the schedule, but first up will be Marny and me," I said. "Make sure to get some rest. Who knows what we're getting into once we drop out in the deep dark."

It was the nature of space flight. Moments of high activity followed by hours of quiet. Some referred to it as boredom, but not me. I had plenty of things to keep me busy, one of which would be to learn as much about
Mastodon
as I possibly could. I had a feeling our very survival depended on it.

***

As it turns out, a standing jetted tub is quite interesting. The user steps in to a small compartment roughly the size of a small head. The interesting part is that the doors and walls, which can be either transparent or completely opaque, seal fully. Warm water fills the compartment to about chest depth and jetted water massages you. Let's just say for a young couple, still excited to explore each other, it's about one of the coolest inventions I've experienced.

***

"Cap, we're thirty minutes out." Marny's voice woke me from a deep sleep.

I'd asked for the wakeup call and quickly dressed, then stopped by the main galley toward the aft of the deck and grabbed a fresh mug of coffee and a meal bar. I wasn't used to such a long ship and excitement caused me to break into a jog.

I palmed my way onto the bridge.

"Captain on the bridge," Marny announced.

"Welcome back, Luv," Tabby said. She'd been in the captain's chair and started to get up.

"Your watch, your chair." I sat next to Ada in a pilot's seat.

"Normal space in five… four…"

The dancing stars that were the hallmark of fold-space solidified into a single picture.

"All stations report," I said.

I checked my holographic display. Everything checked out green.

"Marny, keep an eye out for
Fist of Justice
, please."

"Aye, Cap," she said.

"Nick, any reading on
Cape of Good Hope
?"

"Yup. Got her," he said.

"Frakking aye!" I said.

"There's a problem," Nick said. My heart sank, of course there was. "
Fist of Justice
is already here."

Yishuv Settlement, Planet
Ophir

The morning sun had not yet fully risen as Eliora looked over her training group. The council hadn't completely accepted Captain Gian's request for a citizen army, but had agreed to allow volunteers to receive training.

"Trainee Popette, where are the three vulnerabilities of an Ophie?" she asked, walking down a more or less straight line of two score.

"There are four acceptable soft vulnerabilities: groin, just above the groin into the chest cavity, throat beneath the chin but above the armored collar and the heel, as you demonstrated on the mountain," a late-teen girl answered. She held her arms stiffly to her side as she stared forward.

Eliora moved on to the next trainee. "Jesse, how is a long sword best utilized?"

"Defensively. It is effective at deflecting an Ophie's club strike. Otherwise it is acceptable for a jabbing attack, ideally in a vulnerable location, less ideally in a direct thrust to the rib cage where the heart is located centrally, but lower by a hands-breadth than a human's," a blond, twenty stans old farmer answered.

"Coral, how is a katana used to deflect an attacking club strike?"

"The katana is not an appropriate weapon for deflection, it is best used for slashing or thrusting," a middle-aged woman answered.

"Correct. Coral why would someone choose a katana over a long sword?"

"It requires less strength, but must be used quickly and confidently, often upon first being drawn from its scabbard."

"Saya," Eliora corrected.

"Yes, ma'am. Saya," she said.

"Okay everyone. Pads on. You have thirty minutes with the practice swords using the first two forms. Take it seriously. This is as much strength building as it is training your muscles to use the swords. When you're in battle, these forms must become second nature to you," Eliora said. "Any questions?"

"Ma'am?"

"Trainee Coral?"

"We were promised real swords. It's why most of us joined."

"First, we would never practice with real swords. They are too valuable and dangerous. Second, the smithy is working as quickly as they can. As you know, they're supplying protectors first. I've been assured we'll start seeing swords within four tendays," she said.

"What if the Ophie attack before we get them?"

"I won't lie to you. If Ophie breach our walls, you are vulnerable without steel weapons. This training will make you strong and capable when those weapons become available," Eliora said. She stepped back and scanned the score of volunteers that had assembled. They'd been practicing for a month and there had been improvements, but it was disheartening to see just how unprepared her charges were for combat. "Now, let's get to it."

"Eliora, I apologize for calling you out on this. It's just… there are rumors," Coral said.

"They are not rumors. I have seen firsthand the Ophie scouts in the forest. You must train hard so you will be ready."

The middle-aged mother of two nodded her head in acceptance and joined her cadre in pulling on their pads for practice.

In the distance, Eliora saw the bouncing lights of an approaching vehicle and waited for its arrival.

"Merrie, have you finally decided to join us?" Eliora asked as the vehicle pulled to a stop.

"Not yet. I've too much work to do and not enough hours in the day."

"I don't have much time to talk. What brings you out this morning?" Eliora asked.

"I have presents and need your help," Merrie said.

"Can it wait? I'm training right now."

"It's about your training. I've made five compound bows; I think you could start training your volunteers with them," Merrie said.

"They're extra? What of the protectors?"

"Merik convinced the council to allow us to make a big run of the bow components. These are extra and we should have enough for your entire squad by the end of tenday," Merrie said, removing the oilcloth from the cargo compartment.

"I only see two score arrows. Are there more?" Eliora asked.

"That's where I need your help. I've convinced two of our carpenters to supply the wooden blanks, but we need many hands to run them through the shapers and apply feathers and heads," Merrie said.

"I will make it a condition of receiving training on the bows. You will have your help. When would you like them?"

"I've set up shop at the old tannery. I need someone I can train on the equipment and who will take responsibility for teaching others," Merrie said.

"I know just the person. Trainee Coral, would you join us?"

***

"I would like to take my squad on a patrol outside the wall," Eliora said.

She sat with Second Protector Shem and Captain Gian at a table in a room atop the barracks. The weather had turned cool, barely reaching ten degrees at full sun. It was a time of low activity for the Ophie, who, like earth reptiles, did not move as quickly in the cool weather.

"Bakers and housewives?" Shem asked.

"Two of them, yes, but I'd put Coral against any archer in the protectors. That is, except you, Shem," she said. "It's one thing to train behind these walls, but it's too academic."

"What happens when one or more of them doesn't come home?" Gian asked. "Will it not ruin your training program? You've already had setbacks."

"You are right, of course. I'm down to eight. I know they look unlikely as fighters, but they're stronger now. They need to take this next step."

"Where would you take them?"

"Pessach reported seeing a partial pod of Ophie on the mountain path yesterday," she said.

Gian was incredulous. "You would put them into combat?"

"Where there are two, there are five," Shem said. "It is the way of the Ophie."

"Then have a regular patrol follow us. We cannot hide behind these walls. The Ophie grow bolder and we grow more cautious."

"I will agree to patrols, but I am not sending your trainees against a pod of Ophie. You will venture no more than a kilometer from the wall and there must be a protector with them at all times," Gian said.

"This is ridiculous. It's hard enough with all the new recruits and now you'd have us babysit these… these…" This sputtering protest came from Shem.

"Citizens," Eliora helped.

"Fine. Citizens. They will get us killed," he spat.

"I understand your frustration, Shem. Let's not forget, we would all welcome more recruits," Gian answered. "If Eliora's trainees prove capable, it is an interesting way around the council's restrictions and would be a welcome relief. It will not hurt us to do a trial."

Shem nodded. "That should not be
too
disruptive
if
Eliora babysits them. Do you truly believe they are ready, Eliora?"

"That is what I seek to find out. We all know that until tested in battle, one can never tell. I have already chosen my squad leader," she said.

"That carpenter, Dael? He's a big one," Shem said.

"No. He would be a good choice though, both strong and intelligent. I chose the baker, Coral, who has raised two children with no father."

"You wouldn't!" Shem exclaimed. "That woman is no fighter. She is in terrible shape! Who would follow her?"

"
That woman
gets up every day and runs thirty minutes before practice. She then works the entire day, while keeping track of two her children. Her success will inspire others," Eliora said.

"Her death will leave two orphans," Shem said.

"Don't you think she knows that? It is people like Coral that we need. She knows exactly what she has to lose."

Gian put his hands out, placating them. "Alright, knock it off you two. This is Eliora's decision and I'll expect a full report next tenday. Now, tell me about that pod on the mountain trail…"

***

Eliora woke up earlier than usual the next morning to prepare for what would no doubt be a long day. She'd stayed up late the night before, poring over maps of the surrounding area.

"What's up chief? You're here early," Coral asked, still breathing hard from her run.

"We're going on patrol this morning," Eliora said.

"As in, outside the wall?"

"That's right. You up for it? I need five volunteers to fill out the patrol."

"Do squirmunks bark? Of course, I'm in. You know, I heard a patrol spotted a couple of Ophie up the hill two days back."

"Captain's put a leash on us. We're not to get more than a kilometer from the wall," Eliora said.

"How far up were those Ophies?"

"Just past the two point six marker."

"Shite. We won't even get close," Coral said

"Really, you want to run into Ophie?" Eliora asked.

"I had to watch an Ophie rip my David in two, which left me to raise two girls on my own without their father. There was no remorse in that monster's face, just a mindless, focused, killing machine. If it were to me, we'd be out hunting them every minute of every day," Coral said.

Eliora was set back. The woman's deep seated hatred shocked her.

"You know, I've fought them," Eliora said. "They're fearless and extraordinarily strong. What if your daughters were to lose their mother also?"

"What has waiting done for us? We've waited three centuries to be rescued by a world that's forgotten us. In that time our technology has slowly but surely rotted and failed. It is as if we're waiting to die. Not me. I say we take the fight to them. Let the Ophie fear us for once."

Eliora couldn't help but smile. The once soft, mother of two, was ready for the war Eliora could feel coming. They would need many more like Coral if they were to survive.

"Good. I've slayer-tipped arrows, ten for each of us," she said.

"That is more than enough," Coral said, standing up straighter, exuding confidence Eliora was glad to see. She'd need it.

Twenty minutes later the entire group assembled. It was big for a patrol, Eliora preferred a smaller, quieter group, but it would have to do.

"We'll break into pairs," Eliora instructed. The patrol strode two-by-two down the deserted street. "Under no circumstance will you leave your partner. Do you understand me? I don't care if you have to tinkle or toot. You are to call out if you see trouble. The Ophie are better at tracking than we are because their senses of smell and hearing are considerably better. That said, their eyesight is poor. At fifty meters, they might as well be blind."

"I hear they smell like old socks," Popette said. "Is that true?"

"Mold. Yes. Ophie live in hovels with four others in a pod. It's believed the same Ophie live together their entire lives," Eliora recounted. It wasn't the first time they'd heard the information, but she knew they needed something to keep their nervous minds engaged.

"Keeper of the gate," Eliora called.

"Ho, Eliora." A man poked his head over the edge of the wall.

"Bashi – We're going out on patrol. Open the gate and please enter it in your log."

"Yes, ma'am."

And so, that was how they started every day. The citizen patrol, led by Eliora, quickly became a fixture of conversation within the village. And for two tendays the patrol went out at the crack of dawn only to return two hours later with nothing more than a new appreciation of the terrain around the small village.

Halfway into the twenty-third patrol Dael raised his fist, his arm held at a ninety degree angle from his body. It was an oft-repeated gesture as the lead saw or heard something that caused them to question what they were running into.

Dael breathed a sigh of relief. The movement he'd picked out on the side of the hill at thirty meters was simply a buckthorn, a fifty kilogram, furred game animal. It wasn't the first time they'd run into one of the animals that morning and Dael started to lower his arm.

Eliora's heart raced. She picked out what Dael missed. The buckthorn had been spooked by something up the hill. She flapped her right arm rapidly trying to gain the patrol's attention and then held her fist up and then down, angled from her body. Contrary to instinct, rapid movements weren't easily picked up by Ophie, but verbal communication could be. Her hand signal called for the patrol's archers to step forward.

Coral grinned grimly as she nocked a slayer-tipped arrow. She was one of four archers who had been chosen for long distance shots. They'd run this same drill a dozen times, each turning out to be a false alarm. This time, it felt different and something in Eliora's posture raised the hackles on Coral's neck.

Eliora pointed at her own eyes and then up the side of the hill. The Ophie had set up along the patrol's path, blending into the surrounding hillside almost perfectly. It was odd to see the large reptilians, completely unaware of the fact that they were being observed. Coral counted two. At thirty meters it was a long shot, but well within her range. Her hands shook with excitement and the blood rushed in her ears.