First Principles: Samair in Argos: Book 3 (83 page)

              “Of a sort,” Harmon confirmed.  “He doesn’t do that for every ship coming through, or every one coming from the orbital station or the main inhabited planet.  If he did, I think that either his own personal fleet might be bigger, or the government would crack down hard on him.  But I think his position as fuel baron allows him great freedom, so long as he doesn’t get too ambitious, or vicious.”  Harmon paused for a moment, pursing his lips.  It was clear he was wondering whether he should continue with a particular thought.  Apparently, he made a decision in his head and continued to speak.  “It seems that he might have loftier ambitions than simply controlling the fuel for the system.  Samair and one of her AIs believe that he is gathering resources, favors, blackmail fodder, anything he can do to get himself the power needed to make a run at taking command of the system as a whole, ousting the governing council.”

              Kozen’ck gave a low hiss.  “Is he someone we’re going to need to be concerned over?  Are we going to have to treat with him as well as with the governing council at the planet?”

              Harmon gave a half-shrug.  “I’m not sure, to be honest.  Probably is the honest answer,” he admitted, shrugging again.  “But at first, I think, we can speak with the governing council and take the temperature of the system.  I’m sure if he decides that the best thing for him is to stick his nose into our negotiations, he will.”

              Arathos nodded.  “And at that point we can decide how much power he actually wields.”

              “Actually, with the amount of fuel FP’s gas mine is producing, we might be able to turn the tables on him.  If their production yields continue to rise, we might be able to supplement their usable fuel and reduce his stranglehold on them.”

              The meeting continued, more ideas were brought up and discussed and it seemed as though these negotiations might actually have a chance at succeeding.

              By the time
Mondragon
was fully fueled, supplied and with the fuel pods secured to the ventral side of the ship, the rest of the task force departed from the planetary orbit and set out on a vector for the hyper limit. 
Mondragon
departed the shipyard a day after their departure, putting themselves on an outbound vector at a sufficient pace so that the rest of the flotilla would catch her up about twenty hours before they reached the hyper limit.  The refueling tanker came out to top off all the ships’ fuel bunkers, just to avoid a full stop at the mine.  It was a well-choreographed dance, one that looked as though had been performed a thousand times.

              “Not bad for their first refuel on the run,” Leicasitaj muttered from his command seat on the bridge.  He watched as the fuel lines detached from two of the Seylonique SDF corvettes and the two smaller ships pulled back into formation.  The whole process of refueling all the ships had taken a while, but it had been done flawlessly, which was a feat all in itself, since the crews and commanders of the defensive ships (not counting the battlecruiser) were new and had little ship-handling experience.  “Not too bad at all.”  He checked the navigation display.  “Looks like they cut it a bit close, though.  Less than forty minutes from the hyper limit.  Comms,” he ordered, “contact the flagship.  Make sure that Navigation’s jump vector is matching with theirs.  We’ve never jumped with a convoy this large, I’d like to try and make it as smooth as possible.”

              The communications officer activated a channel and started speaking in a low voice.  Leicasitaj looked over to the navigator.  “Make sure you have a hyperspace course set for Ulla-tran, Nav,” he ordered.  “It might get changed by Colonel Gants, but I want to be ready in case.”

              “Aye, Captain,” the young woman replied.  “I’m already on it.”

              “One of these days I’m going to anticipate you, Nav,” he remarked, twitching his facial tentacles.

              She smiled.  “In your dreams, sir.”  Another moment.  “Calculations complete.  Assuming no changes from the
Leytonstone
, we’re ready to jump.”

              “Very well.  Maintain course for now.”

              “Captain, incoming transmission from the
Leytonstone
for you, sir.  It’s the Colonel,” the communications officer called.

              “Put him through to my chair display.”  There was a beep and the display activated, bringing up the human commander’s face. “Colonel.”

              “Captain Leicasitaj,” the man replied, sounding harried.  “We’re approaching the hyper limit.”             

              The Romigani nodded.  “Yes we are.  I just wanted to see how you wanted to deal with the jump.  Are we to all jump separately?  Or are we going to look into slaving our navigational computers to yours?”

              The colonel allowed a very brief look of concern cross his features.  But as quickly as it appeared, it was gone.  Leicasitaj wasn’t even sure he noticed it, if he was honest with himself; human facial expressions had never been easy for him to read. 
No tentacles to show what you’re thinking.
  “That would be the best way,” Gants said after a moment’s hesitation.  “I have my navigation section calculating the course right now.”

              He nodded.  “Very good, Colonel. 
Mondragon
is slaving our navcomp to yours.”  He nodded to his navigation officer who began to type in commands.  After a moment, the navigator turned back to him and gave him a thumbs-up.  “We’re all set, Colonel.  Awaiting your signal.”

              “I am linking the rest of the convoy to our navigation,” Gants said, apparently building up a rhythm.  He turned his face away from the vid pickup and the sound cut off.  He was clearly giving orders to someone outside the camera pickup.  He turned back.  “We will cross the hyper limit in twenty-five minutes.  Prepare for hyperspace jump, sending out jump clock time now.”  A secondary display activated, showing a timer counting down. 

              “Understood and received,” Leicasitaj replied.  “Jump clock is running.”

              “Very good, Captain,” the colonel replied, trying to sound confident, but again, the Romigani thought he detected that the human was a bit flustered.  Then he nodded and signed off.

              “All right, people,” Leicasitaj said, addressing the bridge crew.  “We’ll be jumping in twenty-four minutes.  Make sure all items are secured.  I expect this jump to be smooth, and we’ll soon be on our way.  We’re making history here,” he continued, trying not to sound pompous.  “A new star system for this ship and this crew.  And let’s show the system defense forces how a proper crew handles a trip through hyperspace!”  There was a roar from the bridge crew.

              The XO smiled.  “Comms, send the security recording of the captain to every compartment on the ship.  Make sure the entire crew sees it.”

              “Yes, sir!”

              Leicasitaj looked around in amusement.  He was glad to see that the crew’s morale was so high.

              Gants looked at his displays, checking the status of his ship and the rest of the flotilla.  “All right, people.  This is the first hyperspace jump this ship has made in decades, possibly even as long as a century.”  He looked around the Flag Bridge, at the numerous crew there seated at their consoles, checking systems.  “We are approaching the hyper limit.  Commander Paxton, give me a go/no go on the hyperdrive.”

              “Engineering?” Paxton asked, pressing a control to call down to the Engine room.

              “Hyper drive is spun up and ready to go, Commander,” the chief engineer answered. 

              “Excellent.  Navigation?”

              The navigator nodded.  “Go, sir!  Course laid in, all ships tied into our navigation.”

              “Very well.  Shields?”

              “Shields are up and ready.”

              The executive officer ran down the list of sections and departments until there was a go from everyone.  Then he turned back to the Colonel.  “Colonel, all systems report go for jump.”

              “Thank you, XO.”  Gants checked the timer as it quickly ran down to zero.  “Engage hyperdrive.”

              The helmsman pressed the controls and there was a shiver through the deckplates, followed by a whine from the engines.  The whine grew louder and the shaking grew stronger.  Crewmen grabbed hold of their consoles, a few gritted their teeth.  Then there was a moderate jolt that shook everyone in their seats.  One of the shield operators fell out of his chair, then looked sheepish as the ride smoothed out.

              “I’m compensating for the imbalance,” the helmsman replied, pressing a few controls.  A few seconds later, the shaking stopped.  Crewmen all exchanged looks of relief and then excitement.  They were traveling faster than light!  They were on Seylonique’s first ship, the last of the old vessels before the arrival of Eamonn and his company and the new ships that came after.  And now, finally, the last ship was leaving the system, off to see to Seylonique’s (and her people’s) interests.

              Gants pressed a control, activating the ship’s PA system.  “Congratulations, crew,” he said.  “We are now in hyperspace, traveling in the Yellow level of the hyperspace rainbow.  I’m proud of all you.  We have a month’s journey ahead of us and then we’ll be in Ulla-tran.  Then our mission will truly begin.  Continue normal watch rotation.  First section still has the watch.  That is all.”  There were cheers and applause thundering through the ship as the entire crew complement, the Army Regiment, even the three members of the Administratory Council, who were there on the bridge, celebrated this momentous event.

              “How are you holding up, Councilors?” Gants asked, turning to the VIP’s, who had been (surprisingly) quiet, waiting at the back of the Flag Bridge and keeping out of everyone’s way.

              “This is exciting, I must admit,” Sebastian Chakrabarti replied.

              “Exciting?” Harmon Kly said, grinning, “This is the opportunity of a lifetime!  Of five lifetimes!  I never thought in my wildest dreams that I would be going to another star system, but to be riding in the baddest warship in the Argos Cluster?  It’s a dream.”

              Gants nodded politely.  “
Leytonstone
is a fine ship.  I’m hoping that once we reach Ulla-tran, just seeing us along without escorts will be enough strength.  I’m not thrilled with the idea of having to engage in combat with anyone,” he said, and then scowled when he saw Kly’s smirk.  “But if the locals try anything, I’m confident we can handle it.”

              “I believe you,” Sebastian said, before Kly could open his mouth.  “But as you say, I hope we’re not going into combat.”  Kly grimaced, but didn’t reply.  “The whole point of this mission is to establish good relations with Ulla-tran, not to start a war.”

              “You don’t need to worry about us, Councilor,” Gants told him.  “We understand the stakes.”

              “You just make sure that you keep a tight rein on the other ships in the flotilla, Colonel,” Gants put in sharply.  “While you’ve shown the ability to keep a cool head, the other captains are all new.”

              “I can handle them, Councilor,” Gants said, heat building behind his eyes.

              Kly glared at him.  “See that you do.  We cannot have this whole negotiation derailed because of a shaky commander who can’t handle his salt.”  He turned and walked off the bridge, leaving a fuming Colonel Gants watching him go.

              “He’s invested himself heavily in the outcome of these negotiations,” Sebastian replied, trying to smooth things over.

              “I’m sure he has.  And I know he’s a member of the admin council,” Gants said.  “But he’s also a guest on my ship.  And the council as a whole appointed me to this post,” he reminded the man.  “And none of you have the authority to relieve me of command.  Not without a majority council vote.  And since there are only three of you on board my ship, that doesn’t count as a majority.  So he’d better behave himself and stop throwing accusations or insinuations at any of the people under my command or I’ll have him restricted to quarters.  He can whine to the rest of the council once we get back.”

              “Those are strong words, Colonel,” Arathos spoke up from where he was standing.  He was behind one of the sensor operators, down in the sensor pit.  He was looking at the various displays, watching the operators tune the shield harmonics.  He turned his muzzle back to where Colonel Gants was seated.  “You might want to mind your tone.”

              “You’re on
my
ship, Councilor,” Gants snapped.  “If, once this mission is over and we’ve returned home, you and the rest of the council want to take me to task for making pointed, rude as well as public remarks about one of your own, then that’s your prerogative.”  The colonel got out of his chair.  “But until that time, you have something to say to me, you say it in private.  In the meantime, I will run this ship as I see fit, to protect our assets and to fulfill my mission.”  He stared down the lupusan, an impressive and brave feat, until finally the councilor looked away.  “Now, if you two don’t mind, my bridge crew has had enough excitement for one day.”  He swept a hand toward the doors leading out of the Flag Bridge.