Galactic Freighter: Scourge of the Deep Space Pirates (Contact) (28 page)

Astounded at hearing her name, her hand covered the involuntary gasp that escaped. Not knowing why, or what to expect, and confused, maybe dumbfounded, Brenna cautiously approached the Emperor and bowed. She looked up; her eyes clearly betrayed her angst.

"Lord Fryman told us of your extraordinary courage in assisting, making possible the capture of Prince Victor's killers at Barnard's Star, and attempting to save Doctor Mirabelle Giddings. Accordingly, we have created a new title to add to the distinguished names of those who have served the realm. From this day forward, you shall be received as
Lady of the Realm
." An aid stepped forward and hung a delicate gold necklace with a large emerald centered on the Emperor's crest around her neck. She turned and faced the group to their applause.

Sebastian walked from the dais through a door as Buck embraced the three honorees and they accepted congratulations from the assembled.

Afterwards, Buck returned to his office.

"The Emperor wants to see you," Bethany said.

"I just came from there. He said nothing about a meeting," Buck said as taking off his coat.

Bethany Silvers had been in the job for one week. His former secretary had taken a leave of absence to care for her ailing husband.

Buck had grown accustomed to the raucous behavior of her predecessor and found this one's subdued manners disquieting. Molly recognized that all the years as a freighter had accustomed him to less than polite surroundings. She assured him he could and would adjust. "Just be patient with the woman."

"Any idea what it concerns?" he asked.

Quietly, she said no and closed the door. In the past, from his previous assistant, a comment like,
think I should ask the Emperor?
Would have been the response but not with this reticent woman.

Buck called for his aircar, wrestled back into his coat, and headed for the palace.

Sebastian, Iona's Foreign Minister, ambassadors from Alexandria and the Federation were having coffee when he arrived. He bowed to the Emperor, shook hands with the men, and sat, accepting a cup. The steward bowed and left.

"The gene, gentlemen. We need to resolve how we are to introduce it. Actually, what we decide here will affect the entire galaxy."

Buck didn't ask why he was there; he knew but had no idea how to introduce the gene let alone the best or proper way.

A lively discussion followed during which he kept quiet.

It ended with the decision to call a meeting of all Federation worlds to meet on Galactica and offer the secret to everyone at the same time.

"Lord Fryman, It would mean a great deal if you accompanied me to Galactica," said the Ionian Foreign Minister.

Surprised by the request, Buck said, "Sorry, Minister. I have a company that needs attention and as you know I've been off world for some time and they don't run themselves." He added, "A to spend some time with to as well. Certain events have kept me away from both." He didn't add,
far too long
. By ‘events,’ Buck meant running down the prince's killers.

The Minister remained persistent, as if toying with Buck. The visiting ambassadors exchanged surprised glances and moved off to the side.

"Telling the rest of the galaxy of this seems a matter left to those best suited for such and that leaves me out," said Buck with finality. He had never cared for the foreign minister's high-handedness. His manner was dictatorial and always adversarial.

Buck’s response was short, curt. "There's nothing my presence would add."

"Quite the contrary," the man retorted. What he left unsaid were the accolades that would come to Buck and thus to the Foreign Minister.

"I must insist you find someone else. I am needed here." This was true. Buck had been away from Iona for over six T-months. The business and ministry were important and needed his attention. More than anything, his two sons were growing at a prodigious rate and he wanted time with them and Molly.

Sebastian cleared his throat. "Perhaps a break is in order. Let's reconvene in, say one hour."

Buck was the first to bow and leave. Sebastian invited the others to join him in his arboretum.

As Buck passed through the secretary's office, the small man said, "Lord Fryman, may I join you join for a walk?"

Buck suspected Sebastian anticipated a problem and had the man monitoring the talks. This had to be at Emperor's urging.

"Yes, please. It would be my pleasure."

As they casually strolled down the hallway, the Secretary asked, "Have you ever traveled with the Minister?"

An odd question Buck thought. "No. I've never had reason and frankly, don't care to."

"You're very forthright with your answer."

"Does the Emperor have a preference?" asked Buck.

"He would be pleased that you care."

"That isn't an answer." Buck's response was casual.

The Secretary stopped, waited for some people to pass, faced Buck, and said, "The Emperor will not be disappointed if you stiff the Foreign Minister."

Buck gave a chuckle. "Why does he keep the man?"

"A cousin. Had to put him somewhere and in a role that had some meaning. It's a royal thing. Gets into all kinds of stuff on how a royal must treat a royal. And…" he paused, "…and with Prince Victor's death, Marcellus, well Prince presumptive Marcellus, was next in line for the throne. The murder provided an excellent opportunity for him to remind everyone of his rightful status. All he had to do was find the way to do it. He made the most of the tragedy, greatly irritating the Emperor."

"Well, I'll be damned. No, I had no idea. Why doesn't he use his title?"

"The way things work around here, his ministerial title provides more up front exposure than the marriage of his parents that put him in the royal line—that is until recent events. The man likes the limelight. Some say the royal title reminded people he would never sit on the throne. That was until now. He even went so far as to have his wardrobe changed to reclaim his position and that angered the Emperor as well. Victor's son was born the week past and Sebastian plans to announce the grandson as next in line for the throne. Marcellus doesn't know about the child. That will displease Marcellus, and Sebastian sometimes, no often, looks for ways to piss-off the Minister."

Both men chuckled at the choice of words. Sebastian's manner was never haughty and the Emperor cared deeply for his subjects: something Buck would never attribute to the Foreign Minister. Even their physical make-up was quite unalike. The Ambassador's facial features were hard as was his manner quite the opposite of Sebastian.

The two stopped in the cafeteria and swapped stories until it was time to return. Buck learned that Sebastian had resisted calls for him to declare himself Emperor even though the empire now included seven other worlds. Most had joined by treaty although two came by conquest. He thanked the man and before reentered the Emperor's office, the secretary said, "I will tell you Sebastian sincerely wanted you to govern Katakan and Seltsam as Regent and was disappointed with your refusal."

Buck understood that as regent, if the royal line of succession was broken, he would become Emperor. He wanted no part of that under any circumstance. And there was the problem of distance: the two worlds were on the opposite sides of the realm. He decided not to comment as he'd said it all before.

The Foreign Minister turned as Buck entered and said, "Well, I'm waiting for your ‘yes’."

Buck ignored the man and bowed to the Emperor. Then he faced the Minister, at least a head shorter than the freighter, and nonchalantly said, "I thought I made it clear I have matters that require my time. No, Minister." He didn't add ‘maybe another time,’ which would have been the courteous way to end the matter. Buck was in no mood to humor the man.

Sebastian clapped his hands once. "Okay, gentlemen this meeting is over."

Buck bowed to Sebastian, shook hands with the Galactica and then Alexandrian Ambassadors, nodded to the Minister and left. From the corner of his eye, he caught the Emperor's slight smile.

Arriving at his office, Bethany hesitantly coughed.

"Yes," Buck said. "Got something to say?" Still put off by the events, he quickly regretted his terse response.

Sheepishly, she looked at him. "News travels very fast around here, My Lord."

"What is that supposed to mean?" he asked, softening his voice.

"Word is that the Foreign Minister has demanded the Emperor fire you."

"Good." He laughed and skipped into his office.

Seeing a two hundred plus centimeter tall man skipping brought a laugh from the lady.

***

Between spending the better part of a month working the pile of vids and squelching fires, Buck made sure his family got the majority of his attention.

He punched the flashing icon. "Yes, Buck here. What's on your mind?"

"Lord Fryman. I have a load, a good one that I can't deliver to Seltsam. What's going on?"

Buck had made sure every freighter could call him directly. The bureaucracy he'd created to handle the administrative chores objected but Buck ignored their complaints. Seltsam's entry into the empire was on-going and under the jurisdiction of the Foreign Ministry and that meant Marcellus.

"Don't know but will shortly. I'll get back to you with an answer."

Instead of calling the foreign ministry office, he jabbed at the registry office icon. "What's going on with Seltsam?" He forced his voice to remain casual and did not identify himself.

"Foreign Ministry has to approve any ship going to the planet," the comm answer. "Got the order a month ago."

"How many spacers have hauls for Seltsam?"

After a slight pause, the voice answered, "Damn, thirty. Who's this?"

"Fryman," he answered curtly. Buck was in no mood for casual conversation and he well understood using his surname would get the result he wanted.

"Sorry Minister. Didn't mean to be discourteous."

"Relax; not a problem and you weren't. Was the order signed?"

"Yes, Sir. By the Foreign Minister himself."

Buck thanked the woman and broke the connection. He punched another icon. "Danko, how long will it take to get the Molly Celeste ready to space?"

"Take a week to get provisioned," his number one answered. "Where we going?"

"Seltsam," Buck said.

"Add a week. That's a long trek. What are we hauling?"

"Don't know. You need to find a load."

He keyed the caller who'd brought the complaint. "Contact everyone who has a haul for Seltsam. Tell them there's a meeting at fourteen hundred. Here at the Ministry, main hall." He broke the connection.

At two p.m. Buck stood before the group of forty. Most captains had brought their number twos, a common practice. Four of those in attendance were freighters from his company. He'd have a serious talk with them for not sounding the alarm earlier.

"Gentlemen and lady, in two weeks, you will all space for Seltsam with your hauls. Expect to deliver them as you normally would. Captain Danko will head the flotilla."

A rancorous discussion followed and Buck enjoyed every minute of it.
Damn, how he missed these people
. They had accepted him, royal title, and all. Most saw his becoming a Lord of the Realm as raising
their
status. He was one of them and always would be.

Chapter Twenty-Eight:
Seltsam

B
uck commed Ivan. "Want to go to Seltsam?" He anticipated a cautioned response.

"You going?"

"Nope. Got too much work to do."

"I don't know if that's a good idea. Charlene may not want to see me. Might make her mad. Besides, I heard Seltsam was off limits, need a permit to go there." He was referring to Proctor Charlene Olbrich, soon to be Seltsam's first Governor-General. That is, as soon as the bureaucrats completed the integration into the empire.

"Yeah, I heard the same thing. Can't say as I agree though."

"I'll go," Ivan said quickly sensing a good brouhaha would was about to happen. That and seeing the Charlene again was something he wanted.

***

A flotilla of twenty Ionian Naval ships, destroyers and light cruisers, orbited Seltsam as the freighters arrived.

Danko commed the Fleet Commander and told him their purpose. Even though freighters listed their ETD, ETA, and destination with the Registry, it wasn't uncommon for side trips to occur. Arrival times for freighters were an iffy matter despite Buck's efforts to bring some order to their spacing.

"Captain Danko, I am under strict orders of the Foreign Minister not to permit any landings unless they have his specific approval," the Admiral said. "And you don't have that. I received a comm over a two months ago denying you landing rights."

"Sir, I have a document from the Inter-World Transportation Ministry saying just the opposite," Danko said. "I watched the Minister sign it myself."

"Looks like we have a problem," said the officer. He excused himself and then came back on the comm.

"Proctor Olbrich is insistent that you be allowed to move your cargo to the surface." Olbrich had insisted she preferred Proctor to Governor-General designate.

That settled the matter. One week later, with those ships lucky enough to get a back haul loaded and ready to space for Iona, Danko thanked the Admiral and prepared to space. He commed Ivan and learned Lord Fryman's bodyguard, Ivan Dovacec, would remain on Seltsam, at least for the time being.

Early the next morning, aboard the Molly Celeste, the comm came alive with the klaxon sounding general quarters. Danko raced from his cabin to the bridge his fingers jabbed at flashing icons. "What the hell's going on?"

"Someone just took a shot at us," the comm replied.

Quickly, Danko scanned the plot and punched the inter-ship comm. "All freighters to these coordinates."

The astrogator quickly calculated the vector. A fleet of thirty ships under stealth was approximately forty million kilometers above Seltsam well out of range of the planet's energy cannons, and shooting torpedoes at the unprotected orbiting ships.