Kas returned to shaking down his crew and his vessel. Tremling returned to his solitary ‘special project’. A pleasant bonus was Sha-Tren, Tremling’s replacement as Engineering Department Head. Perhaps warned by Kas’ treatment of Tremling, Sha-Tren had become more careful about his grooming and military courtesies, and had begun insisting on the same from his juniors. The engineering department was beginning to again resemble part of a military ship more than a shipyard workshop.
Raskin and Vertring, the two officers Kas assigned to share a cabin, were another matter. They studiously tried to ignore one another, and were icily polite when forced to associate. But Raskin went out of his way to display the rudest and crudest of outerworld manners, while Vertring was becoming almost a cartoon of a mincing innerworlder. Since both were frequently on the bridge at the same time, the tension was often palpable.
Finally, To-Ling escorted them to the ship’s gym, where she locked them in, with instructions to call her when they had their problems settled. It was some two hours before they called for release. Both were disheveled and panting. Raskin had a bloody nose and was cradling his left arm in his right, and Vertring was bleeding from several small cuts and favoring his right leg. To-Ling savagely dressed them both down, then sent them to sick bay to have their wounds tended before letting them return to duty.
To-Ling’s own distaste for outerworlders was much less obvious. Kas had hopes he would be able to recommend her for command and promotion to Captain when the mission was over.
However, paperwork and personnel matters were not Kas’ favorite activities, and a feeling of relief tinged his apprehension as the jump timer ticked toward emergence.
As the universe flared into existence on the main screen, Kas scanned for Starhopper. He breathed a sigh of relief when she emerged within seconds. But he did not relax until Vertring announced that no other ships in detection range.
Within a few hours, Be’Rak completed her recalibration, and they boosted for the jump point, Starhopper nestled at their side.
Still, Kas found it impossible to relax during the three days in normal space. He kept half-expecting detection alarms to sound at any moment.
All of Starhopper ’s systems were back online, and the civilian techs returned to Rekesh. Wansung remained in command of the freighter, as Ler-Traken had yet to recover enough to return to his duties.
Back in jump, time began to drag again. Then another emergence, and another tense few days. They jumped again. And again.
During their fifth recal, Ler-Traken resumed command of Starhopper, much to Kas’ relief. The young Lieutenant Commander had done a good job, but Kas had been more concerned than he’d have liked to admit about Wansung’s lack of combat ship experience.
His crew was shaking down well. Even Tremling had come around. He had appeared at Kas’ door in a clean, pressed shipsuit and begged Kas to let him resume his duties. Kas agreed, while cautioning To-Ling to let him know if the engineer fell back into old patterns.
Their comfortable routine was shattered during their eighth recal. They had emerged into the system of a red dwarf star, a remnant of a long-ago supernova. The system was empty, since the planets had been vaporized or blown out of the system by the stellar cataclysm.
Be’Rak had completed her recal. They had been driving for the jump point for about 30 hours, with about four hours to go when Vertring shouted “Ships, sir! Five blips. Three read Empire-pattern destroyers, one possible corvette, and one smaller vessel.”
Kas spun to him. “Where’d they come from? Any Ident?”
“They were masked by the sun, sir. They just emerged from the umbra. Receiving ident data now…
“Ident signals are Glory, sir.” Vertring continued. “Confirm Empire-pattern destroyers. One carries flagship ident. Flagship is Sword of Fire. Others are Retribution and Hellfire. Other vessels are frigate Sinkiller and diplomatic vessel Faith.”
“We’re being hailed by the diplomatic vessel, sir,” the com tech reported.
Kas took a deep breath. “Very well. Put it on the main screen.”
The man who appeared on the screen seemed unusually normal, for a Glory. He was well, if conservatively dressed. He looked more like an imperial courtier than a representative of a repressive theocracy.
“You have entered without permission a system claimed by the Mission for the Greater Glory of God,” the man announced without preamble. “I am Ambassador Faithful Godservant. You are ordered to cease all motion relative to this system’s primary and stand by to be boarded.”
Kas suppressed a derisive snort. “This is Commodore Kas Preslin of the Empire Fleet. The nearest Glory system is hundreds of light years from here. We are military representatives of the Empire, and we do not recognize your right to stop or question us.”
The man’s urbane facade began to slip, and a glint of fanaticism appeared in his eyes. “This system has been legally claimed by the Mission, and you are trespassing. You will surrender to the Lord’s justice or be destroyed.”
Kas’ smile turned sardonic. “Now, why do I suspect that the Glory only decided to claim this system after they learned we would be transiting it?”
Godservant flushed. “No matter when my government claimed it, we have done so. In accordance with interstellar law, I hereby accuse the Empire of the military invasion of a system claimed by the Mission for the Greater Glory of God. Be advised that if you do not surrender, you will in effect be declaring war on the Mission on behalf of the Empire. This is your final warning. We will defend our sovereignty!” Obviously, this exchange was being recorded, and the “ambassador” was establishing cause for action in case the Empire learned of this attack and objected.
This time Kas didn’t even try to conceal his derisive snort. “You don’t really expect this to work, do you? I…”
A more powerful signal, obviously from the flagship, suddenly blanketed both ships’ com signals.
The man who appeared wore the white uniform of a Wielder-of-Swords, roughly the equivalent of an Empire vice admiral. He was large and powerful looking, with close-cropped graying hair. The starkness of his simple white uniform was relieved by a chest full of medals. Kas recognized some of them; this was no armchair admiral. “Thou’lt obey the Lord’s will,” he growled, “or thou’lt be destroyed.”
Kas could not resist. They were going to fight no matter what he said. “I didn’t hear the Lord’s will here. Just the ranting of fanatical hypocrites.”
The Wielder-of-Swords recoiled as if struck. For a moment, his mouth worked in shock, but no words came. Then he found his voice.
“Blasphemer!” He thundered. “Unbeliever! Thou’lt pay for thy heresy and impiety!” He controlled himself with an effort. “Thou hast condemned thyself and thy crew to eternal damnation!” His image abruptly disappeared.
The “ambassador” had obviously heard his exchange with the Wielder-of-Swords. When the Wielder’s image faded, he was revealed, staring in openmouthed shock. The shocked expression faded to one of raw, naked hatred. “Then die, heathens!” He spat before cutting the connection.
Kas turned to Wansung, who was staffing the main sensor station. “Sensors to the main screen,” he ordered shortly, and the star field disappeared, replaced by a blackness relieved by five fluorescent blips.
The smallest blip, apparently the “ambassador’s” yacht, was scurrying to get behind the flagship. The three destroyers broke formation in an attempt to encircle Rekesh and Starhopper. The fifth ship, the Frigate, was too small to do serious damage to the battle cruiser, but she was driving at max boost directly toward them. “Com, get me Starhopper,” Kas ordered. As his chair’s screen lit to show Ler-Traken, Kas snapped. “Var, stay close but make sure your lasers are deployed and bear. That damned frigate is either heading for you, or is planning a suicide dive into us.”