Koban 4: Shattered Worlds (104 page)

Mirikami told her that the voice in the message was that of Telour, and that he was now the Tor Gatrol of the Krall war effort. He didn’t say they had known each other.

“Madam President, I will travel to Earth eventually, but I intend to continue helping evacuate people here at Bootstrap for some time. Then I intend to have my ship repaired, to restore its Trap emitters and hull damage.”

“I’m sorry.” She said. “I was unaware your ship had been damaged in the fight against the…, you called it a Dismantler?”

“That is the name the Raspani have for that type ship. The Mark was damaged by clanships that were present to protect it, and I lost half my crew gaining possession of that ship. The ship, named Huwayla, had no offensive or defensive capability of its own, so we fought four clanships alone, to Jump it away from them.”

“It can blow up planets, which seems damned offensive to me,” She snapped.

“Madam President, a shovel can be used as a weapon, but it isn’t designed to be one.”

“Chairfem Bledso tells me you seem assured it destroyed itself.”

“These living ships have a sense of morality, and historically they have technically committed suicide after learning they have caused mass deaths. I believe it entered Tachyon Space and opened its Traps, permitting itself to be disintegrated there.”

“Or it simply quit talking to you. That’s possible too isn’t it?”

“I don’t think it did that, but I have no evidence to support my belief. Any more than we have evidence of any ship lost in Tachyon Space.”

“Your Flight of Fancy was once thought to have vanished like that. However, you reappeared over twenty years later.”

Irritated he asked her, “Are you leading up to something Madam President?”

“Only that you don’t know that the ship destroyed itself. It acted on behalf of the Krall, and then it vanishes suddenly. You say it had over three hundred Krall warriors aboard when you left it at Pittsburg II, and it reached Bootstrap in under an hour, per your estimate of its speed. What happened to them?”

“It told me that the untrusted guests, which were the Krall, were killed when we opened the Hull to get out, and that the atmosphere was fully vented. We observed the venting had continued throughout our evacuation, and no pressure doors had sealed. The corridor doors in the entire ship were locked opened at my request, which would account for the lengthy venting. It’s a large ship, so it held a lot of air.”

“They fought you in armor.”

“Which as I told you, had been discarded when those suits, and their plasma rifles, ceased to work for the Krall. The quantum code key was changed to deny them access. We used their discarded equipment to spread the deactivation to other Krall, which initially were not affected.”

“Like a computer virus, I think was a comparison that was used. You didn’t bring any samples of that virus with you, however.”

“The ship was returning to Bootstrap to help stave off the destruction, it would not Jump until we were off, because it didn’t want to risk the lives of us, as new trusted operators. It feared it might vanish in Tachyon Space, as it eventually did.”

“It didn’t mind risking the Krall lives it had previously protected.”

“They were dead when it arrived here.”

“Two days before your slower ships could catch up with it.”

Mirikami had had enough. “Madam President, I’ve been polite as I can be, and many of my people have died defending our common interests. We have given you alien technology you needed and have used it with you to fight the Krall. I sense you don’t feel very trusting of us right now. I have things to do to save lives here. Do you have any more pressing questions?”

“Watch your tone with your President, Mirikami. I want you to report to Earth at your earliest convenience, Sir.”

“I don't recall being a part of the Planetary Union, Medford. I live outside Human Space. We’ll help you beat the Krall, but none of us are at your beck and call.”

There was an awkward silence, which Carol Slobovic filled with a personal note, which the other end couldn’t hear. “That made her red in the face, Sir. Her fingers clutched at the sound system as if ready to choke you. Thanks. I needed to hear that phrase. That we are not at her beck and call. The Hub people are very arrogant with Rim worlders in general, and we are a notch wilder and more uncouth to them than that.”

“Well, I let her annoy me, so I’m happy to hear it was a two way street. You will continue to be polite However.”

The tone, when Medford recovered her composure was apologetic, but Mirikami felt it was insincere.

“I’m afraid I let our debt of gratitude to you escape me for a moment. I am deeply sorry for the losses among your crew. You must be exhausted after the experiences of the past week. I hope you’re getting some rest. Where can you possibly go to get away from the stress and pressure in a system so disrupted? You said there was damage to your own ship and it can’t Jump. Perhaps we can help you with its repair. Where is it? Chairfem Bledso can Jump one of our space docks to it for repair.”

“It’s in a wide orbit below the southern pole of Bootstrap’s sun right now, to stay clear of the spreading debris field. However, the navy doesn’t have the technology to repair Krall clanships. We’ll have our Prada and Torki friends work on the Mark after we tow it home. As for my getting rest, I take six hours off each night, and Jump out with the Mark’s sister ship the Hellion, to get some needed rest in my own quarters.”

“Well. I’m sorry we went in such a confrontational direction for a moment. We both are under a great deal of stress. I wish you well in your rescue efforts, and I thank you for your service. I know the people of Bootstrap appreciate what you are doing. Good day Captain.”

“Good day Madam President.”

He instantly linked to Carol. “Show me her expression as she signed off.”

He nodded to himself, and thanked Carol.

Maggi had been in a passive link the whole time. “Medford is under tremendous pressure, and I think she needs to produce you for the home audience, to find someone the Krall blames for the Telda Ka attack. She has to give the Hub worlds a face, someone who provoked the Krall into killing billions of humans.”

Mirikami nodded. “Carol saw Medford grin and wink at Bledso. I think you’re right.”

“It’s about damned time you did! I told you which way the political wind would blow. What’s your plan, lip tugging husband of mine?” He had been doing that while he talked to the president.

“Why, I’ll probably Jump out to sleep on the Mark every night, just like I told the president I do.”

Four days later, three heavy cruisers did White Outs seventy four million miles below the ecliptic plane, almost directly below Tau Boötis A’s south magnetic pole. This happened a few hours after another Kobani clanship did a White Out, and briefly docked with the powered but disabled clanship. That clanship had a locater beacon mounted on its hull, making finding it easier for return visits in its slow orbit, positioned far below the majority of planetary wreckage, which was still spreading through the system.

One of the heavy cruisers quickly moved close to the clanship as if to dock, when all three suddenly entered Jump Holes and vanished. The damaged clanship went along, inside an overlarge event horizon.

The Comtap call was apparently expected, because the President was waiting for it at what was a late hour in the capitol, there on Earth. “I can explain, Captain.” Were her first words.

That was a tacit admission she already knew why he’d called, demanding an answer. It was obvious that Carol Slobovic had been kept waiting as well, since the link wasn’t possible without her, and she wasn’t in her own quarters within the PU’s presidential mansion.

“Medford, you ordered the navy to snatch a ship belonging to your allies, in the middle of my sleep time, without even a radio or Comtap call as a courtesy. What is a reasonable explanation, other than an attempted kidnaping?”

“Captain, I made every effort to invite you to Earth, where you could meet with a senate investigative committee. You rebuffed me rudely. I feel justified if I appear to have displayed a bit of rudeness in return. However, it is not an attempted kidnaping. I have a
subpoena compelling you to appear before this committee.”

“What will the committee investigate?”

There was a rustle of paper before she resumed, obviously reading. “The Investigative subcommittee is tasked with studying and investigating the compliance or noncompliance with rules, regulations and laws, investigating all aspects of crime and lawlessness within the Planetary Union which have an impact upon or affect the Union’s health, welfare and its safety.”

“Madam President, am I to be a witness, or the target of the investigation?”

“You will have representation when you arrive in five days. They will advise you of your rights under Planetary Union laws.”

“Sounds like I’m the subject of the investigation.”

“Captain, you have only your own reckless actions to blame. It will be determined by that committee if you should be charged with any crimes that have led to the deaths of billions of citizens, and for the destructions of two Hub worlds of the Planetary Union.”

“I see. Well, my defense is that I have acted on behalf of the entire human race, and not just for the portion that resides within the PU. Had my squadron not intercepted the Krall at Pittsburg II, Earth would be in the cross hairs of a hunk of Jupiter, and you would be fleeing for your life. It is for the prevention of the extinction of our species that I have fought the Krall, and will continue to fight them.”

“We’ll see what the committee has to say about your activities. Then the judicial branch can consider mitigating circimstances after their decision.”

“Oops. Madam President, you just announced in advance what the preordained committee decision will be.”

“I have my own opinions. However, you will be given a fair hearing.”

“I’m sure you’ve convinced yourself that’s true. However, I respectfully decline to participate.”

“Silent or not, you will hear the evidence against you.”

“You misunderstood. I didn’t mean to imply I’d be silent, I meant I will not participate. In plain, no bullshit wording that even a politician can understand, I am telling you that I will not be there!

“Try me, and condemn me in in absentia if you will, but I have other vital matters that occupy me. Such as, defeating the species that wants my people stopped, and you to be slowly exterminated. The Krall.”

“I expected that level of rebellion, which is why I ordered the navy to pick you up. Bledso didn’t think I should try that and was opposed to the plan. Partly, because she didn’t think we could catch you so easily.” There was a note of disdainful humor in her tone.

“By all means investigate, and then have a public trial after the ships arrive at Earth. I predict they will be found guilty as charged, and deserving of the ultimate penalty.”

“Why Captain, now you are presuming the outcome in advance. I think you should wait for justice to be served. You knew, with your genetic tinkering, that some sort of trial would eventually be held concerning the organizers of your cabal. Well-meaning isn’t a very strong defense.”

“Medford, I don’t think you are well-meaning, not in this limited case, but I also don’t think you lack concern for the welfare of humanity. You simply don’t have the guts or fortitude to fight for them. Goodbye.” He broke the link.

Maggi smiled. “I’d like to be there when the navy tells her they have shipload of dead Krall to prosecute.”

“Yep. One damaged clanship looks pretty much like another. Thad retrieving the tumbling wreck from the four they knocked out made a good stand-in for the Mark. The dead Krall will make nice witnesses before that committee.”

Maggi pulled her lip, looking at her husband with an eyebrow raised. It was obvious mimicry, so he asked, “What?”

“If they can’t offer
you
up to the Krall, who else might a president with a weak backbone want to put on public display, and then handover to the Krall? Medford refused to believe we ended the Dismantler threat. Even if she did believe, handing the Krall someone might postpone the next retaliation. For the midterm elections, she
will
have to blame someone for three billion dead, and two Hub worlds lost.”

He knew where she was leading. “You’ve got better political instincts than I do. She can’t give them the heads of the Krall actually responsible, and she needs to keep the loyalty of her military.

“We need to get our isolated Kobani liaisons away from the PU’s grasp. We’re her scapegoats. Why don’t you link and call them all home. Tell them they can use any Jump transportation they can steal. Most of the Comtaps are in patrol boats, so all they have to do is drop off the pilot someplace and fly home, or perhaps go to Poldark. Nabarone will take them in if they want to get back into the fight after dull patrol duty.”

“Right. I’ll start with Carol, since she’s in the lion’s den and better watched.”

“Fine. I want to confer with Noreen, Thad, Dillon, and our other captains, to decide what we might do next to keep the Krall off balance. Staying as part of the rescue effort here and at Meadow leaves us subject to confrontation with the navy, when they show up with orders from the Commander in Chief. I don't think Bledso, or the navy units want to tangle with us, not only as an ally that fought alongside them, but they know what we did in head-to-head fights against an enemy they can’t match. I sure don't want a fight with friends.”