Drifter's War (16 page)

Air pressures equalized and the hatch whirred open. Teex stepped out of the shuttle and onto the cruiser. The entry port was intended for the exclusive use of high-ranking officers, and given the politics involved, the Sand Sept officer had opted to use it rather than the more utilitarian launch bay.

The reception area was equipped with a Class B sensurround that, while not quite as detailed as a Class A, still managed to be very realistic.

It looked, felt, and even smelled like the surface of Imantha. Desert stretched off in every direction, real sand shifted under his platelike hooves, and a wave of heat wrapped him in a warm embrace.

The entry was flanked by two Sand Sept troopers, one to each side. They crashed to attention and towered over Teex as he swept by.

The Ilwik was annoyed by the fact that no one had seen fit to receive him. Was it an oversight? Or a deliberate slight by Quarter Star Sept Commander Ceeq? The first salvo in a political war?

If so, Half Sand Sept Commander Heek was the cause. Heek had dropped hyper without warning, asked for situation reports, and invited both officers to dinner. For what? To enjoy their wit? To tie their tails in knots? The second possibility seemed most likely.

It was quite conceivable that Ceeq had assumed the worst, declared political war on Teex, and was already pumping lies into the old geezer's oversize ears. If so, he'd be sorry. Teex fancied himself a reasonably good politician and had the rank to prove it.

The desert shimmered slightly and a cavelike opening appeared. It looked like the entrance to an underground tunnel but was actually a cross-ship corridor. Teex had heard that a lot of geeks, humans included, made little or no effort to enhance the interior of their ships. A rumor that reinforced the Ilwik's already low opinion of geeks everywhere.

Teex hadn't traveled more than ten paces before a rather harassed-looking sixteenth commander popped out of a side corridor, saw him, and came to quivering attention. His tail signaled respectful-submission mixed with heartfelt apology.

"Sir! Welcome aboard the
Wrath of Imantha.
Quarter Star Sept Commander Ceeq sends his compliments. This officer apologizes for the way in which you were received and will surrender himself for punishment."

Teex fought to restrain the grin that threatened to take control of his face. It was possible that the youngster had been remiss in his duty but very unlikely. No, knowing Ceeq, the youngster had most likely been given two tasks and ordered to accomplish both of them "immediately." Besides, to punish him would be to admit that a slight had occurred, thereby ceding a point to Ceeq.

Teex peered at the name tag on the young officer's chest. It said "Zeeg."

"At ease, Zeeg. I see that Commander Ceeq honors me by sending one of his most promising young officers. Shall we proceed?"

Much relieved, and somewhat surprised by his good fortune, Zeeg led the way.

The tunnellike corridor zigzagged in typical Il Ronnian fashion, a throwback to the time when the entire race had lived in subterranean caves and been divided into warring septs. Back in those days each bend in a passageway represented a strong point where the invaders could be slowed or even stopped.

Now they were part tradition and part practicality. In the unlikely event that the ship was boarded the passageways would function in the same way that they had thousands of years before.

There was a steady stream of naval personnel headed in both directions and their tails snapped into the attentive-subordinate position the moment they saw Teex.

Then Zeeg led him down a side corridor and into officer country. By now the traffic had dwindled to a few officers and ratings with specific business in that part of the ship. And since Teex outranked everyone aboard ship except for Ceeq and Heek, they signaled their respect.

The corridor ended in front of an armored hatch. It irised open. Zeeg motioned for Teex to enter but remained outside. The older officer signaled thanks with his tail, stepped inside, and heard the hatch close behind him.

Ceeq's quarters were large by shipboard standards. His dayroom, currently set up as a dining room, was more than twenty paces long. Three of the bulkheads modeled a cozy underground cave, complete with water shrine, and a variety of wall niches. Each niche boasted a piece of carefully selected alien art.

Nothing from the human empire mind you, since that might be construed as a form of admiration, but the Il Ronnian-ruled client states were well represented. Though not interested in art Teex was reasonably well informed and recognized an Alhathan dance mask, a Uzzeelian egg lamp, and an Oopthant wine vessel. All were carefully placed and lit.

The fourth bulkhead appeared to be transparent. Ceeq had positioned his command ship so that the world known to Il Ronnian computers as NBHJ-43301-G hung right in the middle of the viewscreen. It looked like an enormous gem. Teex saw an ice-covered pole, twin oceans top and bottom, and a single continent that circled the world like a belt. The south pole was invisible from that particular orbit.

Ceeq was full of good cheer and bonhomie as he came forward to greet Teex. There was a smile on his lips and warmth in his voice. He was huge, a bit overweight some said, and towered over his guest, a fact that Teex found especially annoying.

"There you are, Teex… I was getting ready to organize a search party! I sent Sixteenth Commander Zeeg to meet you,

but you know how the young ones are these days, terribly unreliable."

"Really?" Teex inquired as he surrendered his cape. "I wouldn't know. The Sand Sept goes to considerable lengths to identify slackers and weed them out."

Ceeq frowned and Half Sand Sept Commander Heek smiled. Officers of his rank were supposed to be above such mundane matters like interservice rivalries, but he'd been a ground pounder all his adult life, and couldn't resist a jab at the navy's expense. His tail signaled mild regret.

"You walked right into that one, Ceeq. You should have known better."

Heek was old, old enough that his skin had faded from red to light gray, and his back was slightly stooped. But his eyes were bright as ever, and the famous oversize ears still stood straight out from the side of his head, and he had a lifetime of hard-won experience at his beck and call. He knew what was going on and was determined to keep it under control.

"As for you, Teex, I suggest that you withhold the insults till dinner is safely out of the way. There's no telling what sort of swill we might dine on otherwise!"

The younger officers laughed politely, signaled agreement, and resolved to continue the war later on.

Ceeq had spared no expense for dinner. Like most senior officers he maintained a private larder paid for out of his own purse. And thanks to the miracles routinely performed by the ship's head cook, he had acquired quite a reputation as a host. But as sumptuous as the meal would be, the water prayer was carefully Spartan.

Each officer took his place at one side of the triangular table—a table that could take the shape of a square, a pentagon, or a hexagon as the occasion demanded. If the gathering included more than six individuals, additional tables would be added as appropriate.

At this point the table was completely bare except for two simple clay cups. One of them was filled with water and the other was empty.

All three of the officers had worn the first Ilwik's bracelet, had passed the many tests necessary to become a warrior-priest, and were equally qualified to say the prayer. But Ceeq was the host, and by long tradition, the privilege fell to him.

All three turned their attention inward to the place where perfect peace must dwell before true knowledge can manifest. Ceeq's voice had a melodious singsong quality. He lifted the cup and poured. The water flowed slowly, reverently, from one container to the other.

"You are all powerful. Solid rock melts before you. Mountains shrink from your touch. As you flow from one vessel to another flow also through me that I might flourish and grow."

There was silence for a moment as all three officers added their own private thoughts to the group prayer.

After that an immaculately clad steward appeared, removed the cups, and set the table with Ceeq's best stoneware. The reddish clay had been mixed, shaped, and fired on Imantha itself. Tiny pieces of glass had been mixed into the clay and glittered with reflected light.

The first course consisted of flat disks of unleavened bread. Originally peasant fare, garnished with little more than animal fat, Ceeq's cook had transformed the dish into a tasty appetizer. The officers ripped their bread into chunks and dipped the pieces into a variety of sauces. Some were sweet, some were sour, and some were a combination of both. The platter emptied quickly.

Then came a salad of fresh greens, picked on the planet below, individual Uzzeelian game hens straight from their stasis bags, and a dessert so light that it seemed to float on their tongues. All of the dishes were brought out at the same time and grouped in front of each officer.

The conversation however was a good deal more substantial. "So," Heex said, gesturing with his knife. "You are wondering why I came."

It was a statement rather than a question but the younger officers signaled agreement.

"A routine inspection?" Ceeq asked hopefully.

Heek speared a piece of meat, eyed it critically, and popped it into his mouth. The game hen was very, very good. He signaled amusement.

"No, much as I enjoy your company, I don't go this far out on routine inspections. There are younger, less valuable officers for that sort of thing. No, much as it pains me to bring it up, certain members of the Council are unhappy with the way things have gone. They asked me to drop in and take a look."

Teex felt the bottom of his stomach fall out. The Council of One Thousand ruled the empire! The merest frown by a council member could end an otherwise promising career. The Sand Sept officer felt his appetite melt away. He placed his knife on the table. "Unhappy? About what?"

"Well," Heek said thoughtfully, "much as you might doubt it at times, we
do
read your reports. And the more interesting stuff is sent on to the Council."

Heek signaled amusement. "What did you expect? Mysterious ships, green blobs, and geek revolts. Things like that are bound to attract some attention."

It had been Teex's experience that the Council was a lot less efficient than Heek made them out to be. He'd seen some major peccadilloes slip by them undetected. This, however, was no time to bring it up.

Ceeq feigned indifference. "If they read my report, then they know as much as I do. An alien ship dropped hyper, attacked my squadron, and disappeared. Presumably into hyperspace. I lost some ships, but given the geek's armament, there was little I could do."

Heek nodded agreeably, popped the last bit of game hen into his mouth, and burped politely. "Yes, Quarter Sept Commander Ceeq, the facts seem clear enough. It's your judgment that they question."

Ceeq choked on a bite of salad. He felt dizzy. To have his judgment called into question, and to have it done in front of Teex, was worse than anything he had ever imagined. The sense of shame was overwhelming. "What? What did I do wrong?"

Teex kept his eyes on the food in front of him, embarrassed for the other officer, and knowing that he would be next.

Heek regarded Ceeq with a level gaze. "The Council members want to know why you opened fire on the alien ship without any sort of provocation."

A jumble of thoughts crowded Ceeq's mind. He took refuge in the one thing that might save him. His general orders.

"We ordered the ship to stop in all the standard languages. We fired warning shots. It kept on coming. My orders give me permission to fire in a situation like that."

"Yes," Heek said, helping himself to some of the game hen that Teex had pushed away, "your orders give you
permission
to fire. They don't
require
that you fire. And that is where the question of judgment comes in. Did those aboard the alien vessel have the means to recognize the languages you used? Did they understand the symbology of a warning shot? Or did they see it as an unprovoked attack? We may never know. And neither will those who died aboard the
Rock of Imantha.
The alien vessel was an opportunity to learn. An opportunity missed."

Ceeq stared straight down at his plate. His tail signaled shame.

Heek jabbed his knife at Teex. "And now it is your turn. In spite of some earlier attacks on our troopers, you allowed the geeks to congregate in some sort of heathen temple, and were taken by surprise when they attacked."

Teex made no response. He too hung his head in shame.

Heek shook his head in amazement. "You drop out of a clear blue sky, enslave everyone in sight, and it never occurs to you that the geeks might attack."

The Half Sept commander's statement was far from fair. It ignored the fact that Teex was attempting to hold an entire planet with a fraction of the troops required to do the job.

But Teex knew better than to debate it. Besides, the underlying point was true enough. A fact that made Teex squirm in his seat.

"So," Heek continued calmly, "we are going to talk. And then, when the talking is over,
you
are going to act. In a competent, orderly, and cooperative way. Is that clear?"

The younger officers looked at Heek but avoided each other's eyes. They signaled respectful-assent and picked at their food.

"Good," Heek said mildly. "Now, give me the latest. Teex, you first."

Teex tried to gather his thoughts. It was hard to do in the wake of the worst ass chewing he'd experienced in many years. Still, he had some new information, and that might help. He dabbed at his lips with his corner of the triangular tablecloth.

"Well, there have been some interesting developments. When the geeks gathered in their so-called temple they placed plastic disks on their foreheads. And while the disks seemed innocuous enough, I had them submitted for analysis."

Heek signaled interest with his tail and Ceeq frowned. Was Teex about to roll the rock off something new? Something that would leave him sitting in the hot seat all by himself?