Dremiks (56 page)

“Lovely. Ensign call them back.”

The same Kigvan promptly appeared on the screen. “Captain Hill. I am Teriwyn ko’Khanaa, Ambassador of the Kigvan court. You received my message?” The Kigvan’s words were translated, slowly, through the computer.

“I did, Ambassador. A point of clarification, in human law, we have a saying: possession is nine tenths of the law.” Hill waited while this was translated.

The Kigvan’s head didn’t move; her expression didn’t change. “Meaning that the entity which has physical custody of an object or person controls the disposition of that object or person?”

“Correct.”

“A moment please. I must confer with my scholars.”

“Quickly, please.”

She gave him a shark-like blink. “Kigvans do not rush on matters of inquiry, human.”

Hill winced. He glanced at the radar displays. “Chi,” he hissed. “I’m resetting all of our systems using my personal overrides. Find me Lander 2.”

“Sir, I cannot locate Lander 2, Ensign Robertson, or Lieutenant Price.”

The captain swallowed the bile that surged in his throat. “Price is dead, and Robertson is presumed dead as well, Ensign.”
I hope he is dead, it will save me the trouble of court-martialing the little bastard.
“Find that lander. You might try locating Ryan Hill’s bio-chip, but I’m betting he’s turned it off.”

The ensign didn’t move. He stared at his captain in shock. “Dead, sir?”

Captain Hill snapped, “Ensign! You have orders! Get to work.” He understood the young man’s shock and dismay; he just didn’t have time for the emotions. They had to salvage this situation. If they lived through this, they would have plenty of time to figure out the extent of Ensign Robertson’s deception. All the captain needed to know at that moment was that his murderous brother had escaped with Robertson’s help, and that two crewmen were killed in the break-out.

The Kigvan female started speaking again. “Captain, Kigvan law on this matter is not the same as human. Human status as the current sole occupants of Dremiks does not convey legal ownership.”

“What about my ownership of the rightful inheritor of the planet under the current treaty?”

A pause stretched long enough to make Hill’s eyebrow twitch. He rubbed it, willing his hands not to shake.

“You own a person?”

“I am the rightful guardian of the child Virginia Dare Hill, born last night on the surface of Dremiks. According to the current treaty, the next species to successfully procreate on the planet inherits rights of ownership.”

The Kigvan turned away from the camera. Her arms and hands waved back and forth while she carried on a conversation with those behind her. Out of the corner of his eye, Captain Hill saw O’Connell walk out of the lift. She looked straight ahead, not acknowledging anyone’s presence as she slipped into her seat and yanked her straps tight. Hill looked up at Guttmann.

Leaning over, the engineer whispered, “Threw her in a cold shower and shot her full of stims. You’ve got maybe two good hours before she crashes—hard. Also, Cassie Ruger is damn near apoplectic down on the surface. We need to fill her in ASAP.”

“You do it, I don’t have time. Get to engineering. If we have to make a run for it I’m going to need every iota of power you can muster.” He stared at the pilot’s seat back. “Commander?”

“Present.”

Come on, say something comforting or inspiring. Something that will get them focused and makes them forget the pain.

He swallowed, glanced around the bridge.

Screw forgetting. Let’s roll with pain as a motivating factor. Pain and rage. Heads up, Kigvans, you are about to learn a whole lot more about human nature.

“Stay alert, Commander. I have no communications requests from that other ship. The working theory is they are Valtoza, and they are listening to every word I’m saying to these Kigvans.”

“Roger.”

Before they could trade any more terse sentences, the Kigvan turned back to the screen.

“You are the parent of this child?”

“No, I am her uncle. Her father is my brother. The child’s mother died this morning. The father, Ryan Hill, stands accused of her murder along with the murder of my crewmen.”

“This is troubling. We extend our condolences on the death of your humans. The crime of murder terminates the guardian rights of this human, Ryan Hill?”

“Under our laws, yes.”

“Where is this criminal?”

“He is currently on Dremiks.”

The Kigvan clicked several times. The computer didn’t try to translate the sound. “Does he have possession of the child?”

“No.” O’Connell provided the answer. “Report from the surface, sir.” She keyed up the information for the captain. “Fortunas reports that Ryan landed thirty minutes ago and demanded entrance to the dome. Fortunas prevented this.”

“How?”

“He locked-down the dome, armed several technicians, and changed the access codes. Also, I have located Lander 2. It is currently lifting off from the dome landing area.”

“One moment, Commander. Ambassador, my brother does not have possession of the child. The child remains secure inside the biological dome on the surface. Ryan Hill is currently leaving the surface in one of our craft.”

“Where is he going?”

“Ambassador, I honestly have no idea. He’s broken faith with humans, Dremikians, and Valtoza. That craft cannot take him far. He has no place to go. Would you view it as a hostile act if I intercepted him and brought him on-board my ship?”

“He is a human. You are a human. Matters between humans do not concern us, as long as the inheritor child remains secure.”

Hill bowed his head, thankful to catch a break. “Thank you, Ambassador.”

“Captain Hill, a group of my warriors will now land on Dremiks and guard the Inheritor. The Inheritor will not be removed from your possession, but her safety must be guaranteed.”

“The Inheritor is a newborn infant under close medical supervision, Ambassador. She must not be taken from Doctor Ruger’s care.”

“Understood. Notify your humans on the surface that my warriors must gain access to the building where the child is, but they will not otherwise interfere.”

He didn’t like it, but the captain didn’t feel he had much of a choice. “I will do so.” He killed the communication. He tried to relax into his chair, but was painfully reminded, again, of the still healing wounds on his back. “Status of Lander 2, Commander?”

The
Hudson
shifted. The decks hummed with the vibrations of the engines straining under an increased power load. O’Connell’s fingers slid over the keys—and those of the co-pilot’s controls—as she maneuvered the ship between the Valtoza craft and the fleeing lander.

“He’s running.” She slammed her hand down hard on a panel, lurched sideways to reach something on Price’s unmanned station, and sounded the collision klaxon. “Never thought we’d be using
that
so often.”

It was an incongruous comment. Chi glanced at the captain, frowned, and ducked his head back down to read more communications from Rhyse station.

“What are we about to hit, Commander?”

She hummed. “Everything?” A soft growl came next. “Maybe nothing, if I do this right.”

The
Hudson
banked sharply to starboard. The gravity well beneath the ship titled with it and clipped the wing of Ryan’s lander. It began to spin out of control.

“Take that, traitor.”

“Congratulations, Commander, but now what are you going to do with…” Captain Hill flinched from the screeching feedback that sounded from every single sensor panel on the bridge. “What the hell was that?”

“Those bastards! They just…. I think….” She was concentrating too hard to answer coherently.

Ensign Chi piped up. “I think the Valtoza shot at us with some sort of focused magnetic beam, sir. There doesn’t appear to be any permanent damage.”

“Except to our hearing. Commander, can you avoid a repeat of that?”

“No freaking idea how. Busy.” High on stimulants and doing the work of two people, she spoke in toneless fragments. “Engines fine, but shorts everywhere. Some weird energy weapon. Not an EMP, but same effect. Ow!”

The beam hit them again just as Dwax arrived. He sprawled face down on the bridge, chirping with pain. When the effect passed, he struggled upright.

“Honored Captain, what is happening?”

“Honored One, I really just don’t have the time. Find a seat.” Captain Hill called the Kigvans. “Ambassador, my ship is under attack from the Valtoza. Does
that
count as a hostile act against treaty members?”

“You have no treaty with the Valtoza, Captain. We have nothing to enforce.” She paused. “Captain, is that a Dremikian on your ship?”

Hill looked over his shoulder, surprised that she could see Dwax. “Yes. Honored one Dwax G’Trujkulis is a guest aboard my ship.”

“That alters the situation, Captain. The Valtoza are firing upon him as well. That
is
a treaty violation. Please remove your ship to a safe distance. I will handle this.”

“You heard the lady, Commander.”

“Cannot scoop up the lander if we move, Cap’n.”

“Let him go, Maggie.”

“Captain!”

“Commander! Move this ship
now!
“

She jerked to obey, as he’d known she would when he barked his orders. She didn’t do it quietly, though. He could hear her muttered curses. Despite the fact that the entire bridge crew observed her obvious insubordination, he ignored it.

“Lander 2 has been pulled into the Valtoza ship, sir.” Chi relayed the information from his still sparking panels.

“I see it, thank you Ensign.”

The
Hudson
shook from one end to the other, from top to bottom. The whole ship rang like a bell. Alarm klaxons blared, sensors chirped, and Dwax squeaked in fear. The ship yawed uncontrollably.

“Guttmann, status!”

“Engines are fine captain, but gravity is failing. Why the hell are we spinning?”

Hill strapped himself into his seat to keep from falling out. “Chi, why
are
we spinning?”

“The Valtoza ship detonated a lorga bomb between themselves and the Kigvans. They are… I cannot locate them, sir.”

The captain gulped as the entire ship rocked to port. “Locate whom, Ensign?”

“The Valtoza, sir. Their ship is—” He moaned in pain. “Sorry sir, hit my head. Their ship is gone.”

He heard the engines scream to full power. O’Connell’s hands flew over the controls once more. She jerked all five fingers down a slide bar. They rocked to port again before coming to a complete stop.

The only things making sound on the bridge were the multitude of alarms. No one spoke. No one even moaned, though that was sure to change.

“I really, really, freaking hate those things.” O’Connell muttered a few more curses. “Ship is secure, Captain. The Kigvans are calling.”

“Of course they are. Get us back to orbit, Commander. We’re going to be here awhile.”

Chapter 34

Kigvan males in full battle gear were more than a little intimidating, Cassie Ruger thought. She passed the security contingent on her way out of her office. Try as she might, she couldn’t relax around the inscrutable aliens. Commander O’Connell greeted her when she entered her quarters.

“You coming to the funeral?”

The doctor nodded. “Are you coming back afterward?”

Maggie finished pulling on her dress uniform jacket. “No. We need to leave immediately if we’re going to get to Earth before news of what happened here.”

Cassie’s face showed her skepticism. “You still think that’s possible?”

“No, but I have to try. Tony’s fiancee and Robertson’s father will be demanding answers. I can’t take the bodies back to them, but I can give them some measure of closure.” She scowled. “Less so for the Senator. I doubt he’ll believe his son was a murderous traitor.” She absently rubbed the scar on her left arm. “I’m still having trouble believing it.”

“Give yourself time to grieve, Mags.” Cassie walked up and hugged her friend.

Stiffly uncomfortable, Maggie nodded. She awkwardly patted the other woman’s back. “Ok, but Marissa was a stupid bitch, Robertson was a dick, and Tony was…” She ground her teeth. “In the wrong place at the wrong time. Damn him. I didn’t even
like
him.”

Cassie stepped back. “That’s ok, neither did I. Isn’t it funny how a man can perform heroic acts and still be so unlikeable?”

O’Connell chewed on that thought while she waited for the doctor to dress. She didn’t speak again until they were walking down the path to the central courtyard. “You ok being Ginny’s temporary guardian while the captain goes back to Earth?”

“I’m overjoyed. She’s a beautiful child, Maggie. I’ll have Ben here to help me, too.”

“Yeah, I’m still not over the ick factor of that, thanks.”

The doctor laughed. “You know he’s not
really
that much older than us. Fifteen years is not that big of a gap.”

“Don’t care, still gross.” The pilot shuddered with exaggerated disgust. Her eyes, though, showed a deeper level of emotion. “Still, if you two make each other happy… Well, you both deserve it. Take care of each other, ok?”

“We will. Don’t get maudlin on me—you’ll be back here soon enough.”

“Firstly, I have no idea what
maudlin
means. Secondly, if this mission has taught you anything, it should be to never, ever, count on a timetable.” She stopped when they reached the small rise outside the dome. Deciding that transporting the dead back to Earth was both creepy and infeasible, and that cremation might cause even more suspicion over the manner of the deaths, it had been decided that the nearest hill provided the ideal location for the first human cemetery on Dremiks. Still awkward, Maggie gave Cassie another quick hug. “I hope I do see you soon. And thanks.”

Cassie blinked away her tears. “For what?”

“Being my friend.”

Across the rise, Captain Hill, Lieutenant Guttmann, and Dr. Fortunas stood watching the women. Swede cocked his large blonde head slightly to the right. “What do you suppose that was about?”

“Absolutely no idea,” the captain answered.