Pyxis alpha discovery

[Azjah von Drachen Walde]

Wil Savage
Young Wyrm

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A blip came on the screen that was obviously different than the blips from the debris field of Saturn's ring system. Then three others materialized on the screen, all obviously ships - ships with an intent to take what wasn't theirs. Wil listened to Azjah speak to Gabriel, but unlike the German that was used on the moon, this was a language he was not familiar with. He could tell that Azjah was straining to not interfere, as he would have if the situations were reversed. He watched her put up the shields while he was already taking defensive maneuvers.

A smile came to his face as training and reflexes kicked in and his movements became automatic. The pirates were not unlike street fighters who surround a victim and then begin to swing their fists wildly. The technique might be effective against someone who’s untrained and hampered by fear, but if the “victim” happens to be a well-trained boxer, the poor street fighters would soon find themselves outmatched.

”Ready for that duck hunting?” he heard Azjah say.

He grinned and replied without taking his eyes off the blips and the view through the window. “I think what I need to do is get all our pretty little ducks in a row.” The first blast was at the Star Dragon’s engines, but the shields held as he anticipated they would. Pirates used fast and maneuverable ships, but their weapons were seldom of a type and power to be immediately effective against a shielded ship.

“Get ready to hold on,” he said as he tightened his grip on the controls and timed his maneuver. “It’s time to play follow the leader.” Damn, but he wished he had a cigarette between his lips. Somehow that always helped, or at least that was his impression. Wil made a sharp turn to port, made even sharper with a 60-degree roll. Just as he suspected, they turned and followed, the single ship first, and then the three others lined up further back, making them look like a “dot dash-dash-dash” of the old Morse Code.

“They're about as dull as a draw full of hammers,” Wil muttered as he readied his next maneuver. “Notice that only one can fire on us, the others are blocked by their own ships.” And the one (the “dot”) did fire, but once again the shields held. “It’s time for the hunted to become the hunter. Hold on.” He pitched the ship up full, feeling the forces vibrate the ship as it began its tight arc. In an atmosphere, the g-forces would have exceeded the stress levels of most ships, but the vacuum of space was more forgiving and allowed such maneuvers. The Star Dragon began a 180-degree loop, and with the ship “upside down” from its original orientation, the three “Dashes” were in full view as the “Dot” past by beneath.

Wil’s thumb flipped up the trigger cover, engaged the head-up display symbolics, and locked on the first two ships that were still in a line of three. The grid of the symbolics lit up red and as the target was locked on and Wil fired. He had time to take out the first two “dashes” before slipping beneath the last and heading in the opposite direction. He rolled the ship and flicked to “Rear Screen” to see two fireballs rapidly disappearing from view behind them. The other two blips of the two remaining ships did a right angle back to the more dense area of the debris field. Soon the blips were off the screen.

“Pansies,” Wil muttered as he put the trigger lock back in place and turned off the weaponry symbolics of the heads-up display. “I guess our duck hunting is over already,” he said, turning to Azjah. “Nice ship you have here,” he added as he removed the shields to relieve the drain on energy resources.

They were soon far enough out of the range of the rings that they could relax. Wil set a course to return home and leaned back in the right seat. He looked at Azjah, grinned and shrugged playfully. A fire fight was like sex . . . good sex, and right now he needed a cigarette. Badly.
_________________
Si vous voulez que j'aime encore,
Rendez-moi l'âge des amours;
On meurt deux fois, je le vois bien:
Cesser d'aimer et d'être aimable
C'est une mort insupportable;
Cesser de vivre, ce n'est rien.

[Azjah von Drachen Walde]

Gabriel remained standing right behind Azjah as the ships moved in on them. He knew she was second guessing her decision to let Wil fly, but the intent was to see what he could do, and if needed, Gabriel could take over the second seat and get the Dragon out of harm’s way. The only variable was deciding when to remove him as the pilot.

Azjah glanced at Wil, noting his smile as he seemed more on auto-pilot than on conscious thought as the pirates took their first shot at them. In fact, if she didn’t know better, he seemed to be enjoying himself, “I think what I need to do is get all our pretty little ducks in a row.” Her fingers itched to take over flying the ship, but her guest pilot seemed to understand that The Dragon was designed for maneuverability and speed. A fact that Wil seemed to be cognizant of; and adequately prepared to make use of. She gave a wry smile to herself as the thought flitted through her mind, ‘and gunned far beyond most personal craft.’

Wil pulled the Star Dragon into a sixty degree roll, and just as he’d intended, the pirate vessels all turned to follow. Azjah’s attention remained mostly on the screens and read outs, but she did steal a few sidelong glances at the man beside her. “They’re about as dull as a drawer full of hammers,” he muttered.

She noted that he had them lined up such that only one could fire on them, which it did, but Azjah had already adjusted shields for the new angles of approach. Then Wil pitched the Star Dragon up full, and the ship vibrated from the strain he’d put the air frame under. The pirate vessels shot past them and Wil got a weapons lock on the first two and fired.

They shot past the remaining two as their comrades exploded in the vacuum. No sound reached them, but the blast of shattered ships sent shrapnel in all directions. The remaining two made for the debris fields, clearly understanding that they were outclassed and out gunned. Wil muttered, and Azjah glanced at him. Had he truly called the pirates “pansies”? He gave her a grin, “I guess our duck hunting is over already. Nice ship you have here.” He shut down the display and removed the shield reinforcements to relieve energy drain. Then he set a course back toward RhyDin and leaned back comfortably in the right seat. His grin and playful shrug said he’d enjoyed himself immensely.

[Azjah von Drachen Walde]

The tension that had stiffened her spine during the attack eased, and Gabriel gave Wil a long look before giving Azjah a bow and vanishing. No verbals were exchanged and that left her alone in the cockpit with Colonel Savage.

“You handled my ship with more competence than I expected Mr. Savage. Thank you. I rather like this vessel, and the thought of losing it always distresses me.” She took a look at all of the read outs before un-strapping herself from the left seat. “I could use a cup of tea. Scotch would be better, but somehow I doubt you’d care for a pilot sipping something that would impair reflexes. Would you care for something?”

Azjah moved out of the cockpit and into the common area before giving a barely audible sigh of relief. Then she made herself a cup of cranberry tea, and leaned one hip against the counter as she sipped the steaming brew.

They had several hours before they’d need to return to the cockpit, and as she prepared Wil’s drink, she decided to take him to the small observatory. Perhaps he would speak about his experiences, and after seeing the way he handled her ship, she knew he was field experienced Colonel, and not some desk jockey.

“We have some time, would you care to rest, or perhaps do some star gazing until we are needed?” She remained in the doorway between the cockpit and common room. Perhaps he’d prefer some solitude, and she couldn’t blame him, not with everything he’d been through of late.

He agreed to join her in the observatory, and as the two left the cockpit, Gabriel materialized in the right seat. He would keep watch over the systems, and for potential attacks. He’d done what he could to warn Azjah about the male in her company. Unless or until he did something dangerous, that was all he would do.

Azjah let him to the small space in the left wing. The viewing ports were well placed and showed a great deal of velvety blackness that was punctuated by the most beautiful images she’d ever seen. A Schmidt-Cassegrain compact telescope was mounted to the floor. The catadioptric telescope employed both mirrors and reflectors in its design. It was a very powerful telescope housed in a very small package. The eleven inch scope has a limiting magnitude of nearly 15. For pleasure viewing, it is a wonderful set up, and Azjah did not turn on lighting as they moved into the room. No point in continuing to ruin their ability to see into the universe by having excessive background lights. She did turn on some floor markers that glowed faintly. “Do watch your step Mr. Savage, there is not much in here besides the telescope and some seating, but I would not wish you to bruise a shin.” She gave a light chuckle as she led him toward the scope.

As she set about activating the systems, she glanced at him, “It’s not research grade, but it is capable of 660X highest useful magnification, and will resolve to 0.5 arc seconds with an angular field of view of 0.6 minutes. “ She gave a moment of consideration before asking him if there was something special he would like to view.

Before she could garner Wil’s reply, Gabriel’s voice intruded, “We are being hailed Marchioness, by someone identifying themselves as belonging to the 209th Kestrals, Long Range Surveillance unit. They are requesting our reasons for entering their space.”

Azjah’s brow rose. There had been no space defense around RhyDin before. She glanced at Wil, “Have you ever heard of the 209th Kestrals?”

[Goldglo]

“All right Epsilon, this is our first hop, so keep your eyes peeled and follow my lead. This should be a nice five-point patrol. Remember, asteroids’ll be near Nav Three, so watch for stray rocks.”

Casey Ripkus keyed off her mic and settled back into her seat as her P-64C Ferret cut through the void. This was a far cry, she thought, than the recon sorties she’d become used to during the Terran-Kilrathi War. She, like many other TCSF vets, had followed the call of one Colonel Simon and joined this crazy operation he’d dreamed up. Why Chase Jones, the squadron’s commander, had picked her out as a flight lead (something she’d never done before) was a mystery, but she suspected it had something to do with her status as an ex-Confed pilot and some influence from the Colonel-turned-Governor.

If you asked her, this whole deal made little to no sense. Forget the fact that an ex-combat pilot was now, somehow, Governor of a city nobody’d ever heard of, but why that city needed point recon and defense was beyond her. It’s not like the place was constantly (or likely ever) under threat from aerial attack or orbital bombardments; still, the Governor called for the formation of not one, not two, but three full squadrons plus a training group. In her mind, she could sum it up in one word: Overkill. But it wasn’t her place to complain; the operation, mercenary as it was, paid well enough, it alleviated the utter boredom she’d found once the war ended and it gave her a constant spot in the flying rotation. The difficult part was that each pilot who signed up had to bring their own ship with them which, especially considering the pair flying in V-formation off her wing, made for quite the eclectic grouping of vessels. She’d caught herself gawking more than once, having never seen or heard of half of these ships prior to this and she wouldn’t be caught dead flying in most. No, she’d stick to something she was used to; thankfully, she’d been able to purchase the Ferret rather cheaply.

The Ferret was a perfect recon ship; sleek, fast, maneuverable, yet poorly armed. She’d wanted the upgraded P-64D SuperFerret which at least could carry a pair of missiles, but none had been available when she’d needed to make her purchase. When she earned enough money, she’d have to modify this one herself. Besides, it’s not like she expected to run into a combat situation; that was a job for the Vanguard pilots of the 103rd if they even had a chance to sniff battle which, given her take on things, would likely be never. No, these missions would be simple and easy. She had a hard time psyching herself up for them beyond the chance to get in the cockpit; she had a sense that the other two pilots sensed that from her. She didn’t know them that well yet but at least this was a chance to see how they handled their ships and how her Ferret ranked against what they were flying. Darconum, they had said. Geared specifically for recon and surveillance, they had even less armament than she did. She keyed the mic again.

“If we’re fast getting there, I think we should take a closer look at the rocks in that field; we can check ‘em for mineral and ore deposits. Might be a chance to get a mining operation out here to harvest whatever they’ve got.”

The computer beeped at her as they flew past their first Nav-Point; she dipped her nose and banked into a lazy turn. Nintey-thousand klicks until Nav Two. They’d definitely need to check out those asteroids just to break up the monotony.

Then it was her turn to hear a voice in her ear. “Lead, we’ve got something on inbound approach. Single ship, my data’s not picking up the type.”

Casey frowned and flicked a gloved finger against her radar display. Apparently the Darconum had better long range sensors than the Ferret.

“I guess this is where we get to make use of our meet and greet skills. Let’s go see who we’ve got.”

The three ships banked starboard, taking a straight-line approach at the incoming vessel. Two minutes passed before her radar finally registered a target; the white blip wasn’t broadcasting an IFF code her Ferret recognized, and her computer didn’t recognize its type any more than the Darconum had.

Following protocol to alert the Vanguard in these situations, she sent an encrypted fast-burst transmission to the designated relay beacon. “103rd, Epsilon Flight has one unidentified en route and crossing into marked space. We’re intercepting. Initiating contact now. Standard deviation applies, Epsilon out.”

Blowing out an anticipatory sigh, Casey opened up a wide-channel broadcast, changing her angle of approach just slightly so the trio didn’t seem as if they were coming in an attack position. “Inbound vessel on approach zero-two-nine mark four, this is Epsilon Flight Lead of the 209th Kestrels Recon and Early Warning. You’re entering designated Rhydin space. Please identify yourself, your destination, and stand by for a standard cargo scan.”

Checking to make sure the two Darconum remained in formation, she resisted the urge to nudge the throttle forward as she awaited a reply.

[Wil Savage]

“I could use a cup of tea. Scotch would be better, but somehow I doubt you’d care for a pilot sipping something that would impair reflexes. Would you care for something?”

“Tea would be great, thanks,” he said as he released himself from the right seat and stood and stretched. He really wanted a cigarette and a cold beer, but that wouldn’t look very professional.

“We have some time, would you care to rest, or perhaps do some star gazing until we are needed?”

Wil took a sip of his tea and smiled, thinking she just wanted to get him alone in the dark. “Nothing like a little star gazing,” he said. He was surprised, and almost disappointed to discover that she really meant star gazing when she had said “star gazing.” He recognized the catadioptric telescope immediately and just grinned and shook his head. She seemed to never ceased to amaze him. He was glad she didn’t turn on the lights. Being this close to Azjah in the dark and detecting her fragrance was making this trip a whole lot more pleasurable than he had anticipated.

When she asked if there was anything in particular he’d like to view, he was about to say, “Yeah, but I don’t need a telescope,” when Gabriel intruded about the 209th Kestrals. “Damn,” he thought to himself, “just my luck. Can’t a guy get a moment of peace in space anymore?”

“Have you ever heard of the 209th Kestrals?” Azjah asked.

Wil shook his head, “Can’t say I have.” Before he could say more they were heading quickly back to the flight deck. “Wasn’t that the girls marching band at Oberon High. . .” he just mumbled while following Azjah back through the ship. He slipped back into the right seat and immediately began a mental checklist, turning on the scanners that brought the blips of the ships onto the screen.

“Inbound vessel on approach zero-two-nine mark four, this is Epsilon Flight Lead of the 209th Kestrels Recon and Early Warning. You’re entering designated Rhydin space. Please identify yourself, your destination, and stand by for a standard cargo scan.”

“What the . . .?” Wil looked at Azjah, then back at the blips. “When the hell did Rhydin actually get designated space? It always happens this way. You’re gone for a day and return to some crazy crap that proves a vacuum will always want to be filled.” He contemplated getting on the radio and informing them that he’s Colonel Wil Savage of the Interplanetary Intelligence and Security Commission and to get their butts out of the way, but this wasn’t his ship or his decision. He would defer to Azjah and see how she would handled this intrusion.

“You’re pilot in command, Azjah; you better take it. I’ll be ready if you should need a little backup.” He gave her a wink, regretting he lost his star gazing opportunity for this.

[Azjah von Drachen Walde]

Azjah turned and headed for the cockpit in long, quick strides. As she strapped in, the radio came to life again, “Inbound vessel on approach zero-two-nine mark four, this is Epsilon Flight Lead of the 209th Kestrels Recon and Early Warning. You’re entering designated Rhydin space. Please identify yourself, your destination, and stand by for a standard cargo scan.”

“Blutige Hölle! Wem denken sie sind?“ (Bloody Hell, who do they think they are?) Azjah muttered as she scanned systems of the Star Dragon. She flipped on the com link, “Epsilon Flight Lead, this is Star Dragon, please identify your authorization to interfere with inbound flights. Rhydin has no space authority.” She glanced at her IFF transponder, realizing that she never changed the settings because she only needed to identify her vessel when she went to other systems. She switched it over from Rigelian to Common as she waited for response. She also knew there was no way in Hades she was going to allow a cargo scan. The Germanium clathrate was a substance that would generate far too many queries, and this could just as well be a new pirate ploy as anything else.

Gabriel powered up weapons. If it was pirates, they’d be prepared to fight for their ship and cargo. He then increased the shields protecting the cargo bay. They both hoped the scanning systems of their contact could not penetrate the shields. Weapons usually invite unwanted attention, and the J-Type had been a custom construction for just those reasons.

The transponder had been emitting its information along Rigelian frequencies and codes. The computer took the new command and the ship’s identity was now being transmitted in the common bands. “Star Dragon, Rigelian registry, J-9766, speed 0.63 sublight, direction 029.4”

[Goldglo]

Casey’s left VDU flashed as the incoming IFF codes flooded her systems with information about the vessel, quickly followed by a warning beep as the Star Dragon raised shields and armed its weapons.

She uttered a curse. So much for easy.

Presumably, someone on the Star Dragon had already scanned her trio and informed its captain that their ships were lightly armed. She had no idea how hard of a punch the Star Dragon could throw, and she didn’t want to find out.

Switching channels, she spoke to the pilots on her wing, knowing they were seeing the same things. “This isn’t starting out so promising; there should be an SWACS close by. Let them know our situation and get the Vanguard to dispatch a wing over here; we’re not geared to fight this thing. Don’t arm your weapons yet, I don’t want to provoke anything more; if they open fire, cut and run toward Nav Three. We’ll regroup in the asteroid field and lose ‘em in the rocks if we have to.”

Without waiting for a reply from either Darconum, she re-opened her wide-beam channels, trying to keep her nerves in check – she hadn’t engaged in combat for over a year and hadn’t counted on today being a reintroduction to the art form. “Star Dragon, this is Epsilon Lead. You’ll have to talk to Governor Simon about who has authority over what; our orders as part of the new Rhydin Air And Space Guard are to gather data on inbound traffic. If Rhydin’s your destination, we’ll need a scan or cargo manifest; if you refuse and continue on, you’ll be escorted in.”

She had no idea what would happen after that escort, but such things weren’t her concern at the moment. Right now, she needed to diffuse whatever tension might set off the trigger-happy tactical officer on the Rigelian ship.

[Wil Savage]

“Star Dragon, this is Epsilon Lead. You’ll have to talk to Governor Simon about who has authority over what; our orders as part of the new Rhydin Air And Space Guard are to gather data on inbound traffic. If Rhydin’s your destination, we’ll need a scan or cargo manifest; if you refuse and continue on, you’ll be escorted in.”

Savage shut off his mic and then nearly fell out of his seat laughing. When he finally recovered enough to speak he looked at Azjah and wiped a tear from his cheek. “This is too much. It’s got to be a joke. You set this up, didn’t you? You’re testing me! It’s either a Rhydin April Fool’s joke or you’re checking out my dismal diplomacy tendencies. I’m not falling for it.”

He took a deep breath, recovering. “Rhydin Air And Space Guard? What do they do, intercept dragons flying too low over the city? Do they round up misguided flying horses? I know Governor Simon. I voted for him. He’s governor of a city, not the whole damned planet. I’ve not been on this planet very long, but I do know there are other kingdoms – Barsi, Westridge, Mana, Eldicor, on and on; and other nations, races, and cities far larger than Rhydin. Do they also set up a check point on the Nexus? Lord knows more weird crap comes through the Nexus in one day than through Rhydin airspace in a year!”

None of this made sense to Wil. It had to be a joke. He was sitting in a sub-light ship over a planet where half the population considered a good sword to be a technological wonder, and they were being intercepted by the RAASG? “Okay, what the hell, Azjah; let’s let them scan our cargo. What are they going to find, anyway? Tea bags? A month’s supply of toilet paper? They can have their fun and we can get back home and perhaps go to dinner. How does that sound?” He smiled, hoping she’s go for it.

Savage had no idea what the Star Dragon really had stored away in its holds. He assumed he was simply on a checkout flight to make sure all repairs were made correctly, with a little evaluation of his abilities craftily thrown in by the Marchioness. Life was filled with surprises.

[Azjah von Drachen Walde]

Gabriel remained behind Azjah, then he spoke quietly in his rich baritone, “They are not prepared to take on the Dragon.” They had closed the distance and Azjah slowed from 0.062 down to 0.035 as they approached the triad of ships that no one had expected. Their course remained zero-two-nine mark four.

Azjah nodded, thankful for that bit of information. If they were not prepared to fire on them, they probably were not pirates, and then Epsilon Lead’s voice broke the silence, “Star Dragon, this is Epsilon Lead. You’ll have to talk to Governor Simon about who has authority over what; our orders as part of the new Rhydin Air And Space Guard are to gather data on inbound traffic. If Rhydin’s your destination, we’ll need a scan or cargo manifest; if you refuse and continue on, you’ll be escorted in.”

Azjah’s brows wing upward as she glanced at Wil as he burst into laughter. He thought she’d set this all up?? His mirth had bubbled over into full fledged hilarity, “You set this up, didn’t you? You’re testing me! It’s either a RhyDinian April Fool’s joke, or you’re checking out my dismal diplomacy tendencies. I’m not falling for it.” He told her through gales of laughter.

Gabriel snarled low and dangerously as Wil wiped tears of mirth from his cheeks.

Azjah maintained a sober demeanor, “I am very sorry to disappoint you Mr. Savage. I am absolutely shocked by this turn of events, and I certainly have not arranged any of this for your amusement. It was however Matt Simon’s campaign promise to provide improved security, but I hadn’t heard that he’d make this change this quickly.” She gave the comm. link a dubious look, then replied, “Epsilon Lead, please repeat your authorization contact.” She didn’t want any mistakes regarding just whom she needed to go talk to when they were back in RhyDin.

As Governor Simon’s name was repeated, Azjah gave a soft chuckle. “It would seem that I need to have a discussion with the Governor.” She glanced at Gabriel, "have they penetrated the hold shields?" He shook his head negatively.

Clearly Wil wasn’t convinced that she hadn’t arranged this as a test, and when he said, “Okay, what the hell, Azjah; let’s let them scan our cargo. What are they going to find, anyway? Tea bags? A month’s supply of toilet paper? They can have their fun and we can get back home and perhaps go to dinner. How does that sound?”

That shocked her into a moment of utter speechlessness. “There is no question of scanning my cargo hold Colonel. My cargo would simply raise too many questions. Between the Germanium clathrate, and the weapons scheduled for delivery, I am not prepared to discuss them with an unknown group. And I suspect, more questions that you would like to answer as well.”

She opened hailing frequency again, “Epsilon Lead, we are bound for RhyDin spaceport, but after our recent attack by 4 vessels at Saturn just a few hours ago, you will forgive us if we do not comply with your request for scan pending verification of your stated mandate. No scan, no boarding. Star Dragon out.” She turned and glanced at Wil, despite the fact that he still thought she had complicity in this whole turn of events. “Do you think it’s possible he could have pulled this together in such a short amount of time?”

She would keep the weapons warmed up as a precaution. She noted that the three ships had not armed weapons, so just maybe they were legitimate. Maybe, but she wasn’t prepared to trust just yet. And she wondered, would they really seek to follow?

Then she glanced at Wil, “However, once we do land and get this cleared up, I believe dinner would be an acceptable end to this journey.” Then she gave him a quick smile as the Epsilon Leader spoke again.

[Wil Savage]

Wil was suddenly not laughing. He looked at Azjah and raised a brow, “We’re carrying Germanium clathrate and weapons on a checkout flight?” He now knew what was in that 8 Kg package she had paid for. “Interesting.” This gave him concern. Did she really know who he was, and if so, was she using him; or even worse, playing him for a fool?

“And here we have three ships from some Rhydin Air and Space Guard intercepting us without knowing by what authority they do this, and with insufficient weaponry to even carry it out correctly. Funny, but I didn’t realize Rhydin’s crime problems were space related. Is this our taxes at work?” This had to cost plenty and he wondered just where Governor Simon (if he was really behind this) was getting the money to finance such an operation. And if he wasn’t financing it, then to whom were he and Rhydin suddenly so greatly indebted to?

He was getting to be a little annoyed with this entire operation, and that was not a good thing.

[Goldglo]

Casey rolled her Ferret as the trio approached the Star Dragon, sliding the throttle to lower her speed to 100kps as she spiraled slowly upward and away from the Rigelian ship. Her right VDU indicated an incoming transmission from the SWACS as she replied to the female voice.

“Stand by, Star Dragon.”

Altering frequencies once more, Casey keyed in a code so the computer would decrypt the inbound message.

“Epsilon flight, this is Alpha One from the one-oh-third. Two wings are inbound to your coordinates to assume escort and should be there in less than five minutes. Please advise as to your status. Alpha One out.”

Good. The Vanguard fighters would take the escort role and leave her to do something much safer. Like examine space rocks for minerals.

“Alpha One, this is Epsilon Lead. Inbound has weapons armed and claims to have recently left a firefight. They’ve refused cargo scan and are asking for further verification of our legitimacy. Looks like the Governor didn’t share his plans with the rest of the universe. I’ll let the bogey know you’re going to provide escort back to Rhydin; I don’t think they’re looking for a fight but stay on your toes. And you better get someone on the ground to clean up this mess when these people land. Transmitting data on the vessel now. Epsilon out.”

With the SWACS playing middle-man, the Vanguard fighters should receive her encoded message and details on the Star Dragon in seconds. She loved having SWACS support; responses came and went much faster than if they had to solely rely on relay beacons. It also made her feel a sense of comfort; as long as SWACS were out there, they were tracking her. If trouble broke out, anyone who needed to know would know immediately. And out here, seconds definitely mattered.

Halting her lazy spiral, she led the two Darconum on a wide left-hand bank and assumed a position parallel to but several hundred kilometers starboard of the Star Dragon. Taking a moment to look over the foreign ship, she searched for visual evidence of damage that might help confirm the Saturn combat story. Moments later, streams of light poured through the cockpit glass and obscured her view; she lowered the glare-shield on her helmet as their course brought the ships in line with the system’s sun, bathing everything in a blinding yellow-white glow. Squinting at her VDU’s, she re-established the communications channel, improvising what she hoped would pass as diplomacy.

“Star Dragon, your concerns are noted and have been relayed. These security procedures are a new undertaking for everyone involved and you’re one of the first to arrive under the new directives. Four heavies from the 103rd are en route and will escort you the rest of the way in. Please maintain your current course on zero-two-nine mark four. We’ll stay with you until the Vanguard arrives and then be on our way.”

Glancing to her left, Casey swept her eyes over the patch of space from which the 103rd should be approaching, thinking they couldn’t get to her soon enough.

[Azjah von Drachen Walde]

Gabriel’s dark brow lifted, “Something has changed aboard those three vessels. The sensation of relief is palpable.” They were too far away for him to accurately read minds, but strong emotions usually projected themselves, even across these kinds of distances.

Then the message came in that explained it, “Four heavies from the 103rd are en route and will escort you the rest of the way in. Please maintain your current course on zero-two-nine mark four. We’ll stay with you until the Vanguard arrives, and then be on our way.”

Azjah swore in seven languages. “Gabriel, get a hold of Lucien. Someone needs to get to Matt Simon. In the Governor’s rollo dex are my license authorizations for the company. This could get very messy in a hurry.” She leaned forward as she considered her diminishing options. More and more, this sounded less like a pirate ploy, and more like the real deal.

She gave the blips on her screen a long look before opening the channels back to Epsilon Lead, “Epsilon Lead, our flight is filed with RhyDin station. We know the way very well. Escort appreciated, but unnecessary. The pirates lost two of their own back in Saturn’s rings. Perhaps Vanguard can improve security by catching the other two.” While they’d taken fire, the shields had held, and the chromium hull remained unmarred, with perhaps a hint of sooty looking residues, but no damage recorded. The pirates had been out maneuvered and out gunned during the brief assault. Besides, their goal had been to take them intact, a ship blown to smithereens didn’t do them any good.

She flipped the com link off, knowing full well they were not going to break off now. She glanced at Wil, “Are you prepared for a delay to that dinner? We could be significantly later than planned. I have the authorizations required, but not with me for this flight, never expected to require them coming home.” She didn't think having them transmitted now would convince Epsilon Leader, and again, weapons would simply make more questions than answers. She'd been through that before in other places.

Gabriel reached Lucien via the Carpathian bond that they shared. Dyson would be sent with the Drachen Walde certifications and permits to meet the flight at the docking bay. Lucien was even now headed for the Governor’s office to attempt to find the man. Until they had some support, the cargo bay on the Star Dragon would remain sealed and shielded. That could be brief, or protracted. It would depend on finding the Governor now.

Long range picked up the four heavies making for their location. Sensors indicated that they were significantly better armed than Epsilon flight had been. The Dragon was not equipped for this kind of fight. Not four to one, and Azjah prayed this was a legitimate force and not a dangerous organization by pirates.

Azjah shook her head, “Well Mr. Savage, it would seem I have taken you on an ill fated ride. I hope your credentials that wrought such a change on Enceladus in the Commander will work here for you.”

The new vessels slowed their approach and the channel crackled to life.

[Goldglo]

“Epsilon Lead, this is Alpha One, we’ve got visual contact. Anything new?”

Casey smiled as four ships broke through the glare; a half-second later, her eyes widened in surprise.

“I’ll be damned.”

She recognized all four fighters, but seeing them paired together would take more than just a little getting used to. The lead pair flew Confederation F104A Bearcats, followed by another, older Confed. ship, the F-57 Sabre. The sight of the fourth fighter, a Kilrathi Vaktoth, rattled her. She’s spent too many years trying to dodge Kilrathi patrols and knew that particular class all too well. It could down her Ferret with one or two well-placed shots and though she could easily outrun the heavier ship, she found little comfort in the thought.

Blowing out a sigh, she opened the communication channel and replied. “That’s a negative. We haven’t tried getting close enough for a detailed scan and they don’t seem the like the idea of being shepherded into port.”

“Roger that. Your team can cut loose. Enjoy your rock hunting, Moonshine.”

Casey’s hand froze midway through sliding the throttle forward and she could see the smile plastered on the faceless voice. Nobody called her Moonshine. At least, nobody in a good long while. The voice clicked inside her head, and she laughed. She should have recognized it before.

“Major? That you, Barclay?”

“Ex-Major, Casey. Good to see you out here.”

“Same here. So you joined up with this bunch, too? And you’ve got a cat on your wing. Never thought I’d see this day.”

“A lot’s changed since the war ended, Casey.”

“Yeah.” And maybe not all for the better, she silently thought. “All right, I’m splitting off, this is your show now. I have a date with a rock.”

“Understood. Good hunting, Casey.”

“You too.”

Pushing the throttle forward, Casey lit the Ferret’s afterburner and began an upward loop, placing her back on course toward Nav Three. The pair of Darconum followed suit, leaving the Star Dragon and its new escorts behind.

----------------------

Inside his Bearcat, James Barclay cycled through all the data his computers held thus far on the Star Dragon. He’d overheard enough of the back-and-forth between its spokeswoman and Casey to sense something was slightly amiss. He could understand their surprised reaction at the sudden changes in policy regarding security but they were just a bit overeager to avoid a simple cargo scan and maintain a solo approach into Rhydin.

He opened a direct-feed relay into the SWACS. If things went sour, they’d have a record of everything that took place as well as quickly direct reinforcements to help.

“All right, boys and girl,” he spoke to the trio behind him as he slid into the same position Casey’s flight had just vacated, “keep your weapons on hold but be prepared for anything. I’d like to avoid incident reports on day one, if you get my drift. If they try to run, let ‘em go and follow at a safe distance until we can determine their destination. Baker, nar Caxxi, you take their starboard side. We’ll stay on port.”

The Vaktoth and Sabre split away, moving toward a similar position to the Bearcats on the other side of the Rigelian ship as Barclay began to address its crew.

“Star Dragon, this is James Barclay of the 103rd Vanguard Space Defense Squadron, Rhydin Air And Space Guard. It’s my understanding that you’re refusing a cargo scan. My records show you’ve docked here several times so I’m sure you’re aware of the recent troubles and the need for increased security regarding inbound traffic. We’re here to escort you into port if you’re still intent on making entry. And we’ll handle any pirates that come our way if you attract another set. You’ve probably had enough fun for one day. I’ll take the lead. And I’d feel more comfortable if you’d return your weapons to standby. If we wanted to jump you, we’d have done it already.”

Barclay spoke like a man who’d commanded before; a veteran of several campaigns, he’d had more than his fair share of practice. He kept his tone even and firm, not relaying direct orders but also not making the escort sound like an optional choice. His reasoning in moving his Bearcat forward and in front of the Star Dragon was twofold. First, placing his own ship square in the sights of the foreign vessel would hopefully show a sense of trust to its crew regardless of whether they kept their weapons active or not. Second, any shots going his way would mean that many less directed at the other three Vanguard who could quickly move into a triangulated attack position.

He pulled far enough ahead to feel comfortable that he’d have enough time to react if the Star Dragon opened fire; he wasn’t out here to die after all.

[Wil Savage]

Wil Savage looked through the window to his right and watched the lead intercept ship take up a starboard position and recite her intentions. He heard Azjah asked Gabriel to try to get the license authorizations, but he doubted that would do any good at this point.

“Are you prepared for a delay to that dinner? We could be significantly later than planned. I have the authorizations required, but not with me for this flight, never expected to require them coming home.”

Wil continued to watch the maneuvers of the ships. They were obviously biding their time and waiting for reinforcements. He’s seen this kind of thing too many times before. “No problem about the dinner.” He wasn’t very hungry now anyway.

“Well, Mr. Savage, it would seem I have taken you on an ill fated ride. I hope your credentials that wrought such a change on Enceladus in the Commander will work here for you.” Will thought of saying that it wasn’t the first time he’s been taken for a ride, but he restrained himself. The need to say anything was quickly replaced with new blips showing on the screen. When they came closer he just shook his head and mumbled a curse beneath his breath. “Great. Just great. We’ve now have a couple of Bearcats, a Sabre and a damned Vaktoth joining this little parade.

“Star Dragon, this is James Barclay of the 103rd Vanguard Space Defense Squadron, Rhydin Air And Space Guard. It’s my understanding that you’re refusing a cargo scan. My records show you’ve docked here several times so I’m sure you’re aware of the recent troubles and the need for increased security regarding inbound traffic. We’re here to escort you into port if you’re still intent on making entry. And we’ll handle any pirates that come our way if you attract another set. You’ve probably had enough fun for one day. I’ll take the lead. And I’d feel more comfortable if you’d return your weapons to standby. If we wanted to jump you, we’d have done it already.”

Wil just sat there thinking, the forefinger of his right hand tapping on the protective cover of the firing trigger, then flipping the cover up and down. If he was in his own ship he could take out the Bearcat and be out of range before they knew what happened. The Star Dragon had decent speed and firepower, but it just wasn’t designed to extricate itself from a mess like this. Besides, it wasn’t his ship to risk.

“Damn.” He spit out the curse then pressed his lips together and took a breath. “Time for Plan B, Lady Caer.” He opened up the line of communication.

“This is Colonel William Savage of the Interplanetary Intelligence and Security Commission. James Barclay, you haven’t identified your rank or position. Furthermore, no one has yet to indicate exactly what item or items are on your scan list. You know as well as I that indiscriminate scanning of ships and cargo violates free trade privacy regulations. One other little matter. I don’t see your security operation here at Rhydin registered with the I.I.S.C.” At this particular point he was bluffing. He hadn’t gone into the I.I.S.C. files because that would immediately leave a traceable “fingerprint” and he was not very anxious to give his employer any knowledge concerning his whereabouts.

“I’m sure you understand the need to have all of these planetary operations registered. It not only makes it easier to identify pirates impersonating official business, but it keeps the vigilantes from running amuck as they did on Arkab 5.” He was sure that Barclay knew of it. Everyone did. Arkab 5, or Eta Sagittarius, was an infamous situation where space vigilantes formed to put a stop to the out-of-control piracy that went on around the Eta Sag star system. It was not long before the vigilantes became more of a problem than the pirates, and they nearly started an interstellar war when they intercepted and destroyed the ships of several diplomats. It had required a full-scale military operation to put an end to them, and it was the catalyst for the recording of all legitimate planetary protection forces within the I.I.S.C. data banks.

“We welcome the security you are providing and we’d of course be happy to follow you down to the Rhydin Spaceport, but until you’ve officially registered and received I.I.S.C. documentation, we’ll have to decline any invasive activity which would of course include cargo scanning and inspection. I’m sure you understand.”

Wil disarmed the Star Dragon, put his communication on mute and looked at Azjah and shrugged. “It’s worth a shot. A perfect compromise, right?”

[Azjah von Drachen Walde]

Gabriel gave the read out another look, “Marchioness, we have two Confederation F104 Bearcats, one F-57 Sabre, and one Kilrathi Vaktoth moving into position. We are strongly out gunned and will have little choice but to accept escort back to RhyDin.” Gabriel always maintained an air of detachment, even when faced with situations such as this. In that moment, Azjah wished she could do the same. Her first instinct was to put a great deal of distance between these new threats and her ship, but with an innocent passenger on board, she didn’t dare risk getting blown out of the heavens.

Gabriel’s elaboration of just what had joined the stand off elicited a very soft groan. “Where is that kind of fire power when we’re dodging Cepheans?” She hazarded a glance at her co-pilot for the day. He toyed with the firing controls, but thankfully did not actually fire on any of the vessels around them, even with the addition of the four heavy fighters, which had begun to seriously concern Azjah. They were not prepared nor equipped for a serious fight, and she truly did not want one. She had hoped that having the weapons warmed up would get Epsilon Lead to back off.

Then, the three vessels they had initially encountered lit their after burners and vanished into the blackness, leaving behind the four bigger craft. Azjah watched the screen as they moved into assorted positions, two on either side. The com link came to life, “Star Dragon, this is James Barclay of the 103rd Vanguard Space Defense Squadron, Rhydin Air And Space Guard. It’s my understanding that you’re refusing a cargo scan. My records show you’ve docked here several times so I’m sure you’re aware of the recent troubles and the need for increased security regarding inbound traffic. We’re here to escort you into port if you’re still intent on making entry. And we’ll handle any pirates that come our way if you attract another set. You’ve probably had enough fun for one day. I’ll take the lead. And I’d feel more comfortable if you’d return your weapons to standby. If we wanted to jump you, we’d have done it already.”

The man spoke as though abruptly he were in charge without giving actual orders, and Azjah’s temper rose several degrees. She reined back her initial reaction and took a deep breath before opening the channel, “James Barclay of the 103rd Vanguard, This is Star Dragon. You are correct on two points, I have docked here many times, and I am refusing cargo scan. Given my established history in RhyDin, perhaps you will understand that I have no need of escort.” It was a futile hope, but she was unwilling to escalate further.

It was a cold day in hell that she’d downgrade weapons to standby. This whole thing could still be an illegitimate ploy, and she wasn’t about to be caught unprepared. She touched the link again, “And Mr. Barclay? Most pirates don’t jump vessels they are intent upon stealing from with the weapons you are sporting. None the less, until your mandate is validated, I will maintain vigilance.” The mere fact that they hadn’t blown them to kingdom come was no proof of anything.

“Damn.” Wil spit out the curse then pressed his lips together and took a breath. “Time for Plan B, Lady Caer.” He opened up the line of communication. Azjah was startled by his change in demeanor. Gone was the man willing to leave it to her to resolve, and present was a man who seemed more than at home taking command of things.

Nearly simultaneously, Wil responded to Mr. Barclay’s message, “This is Colonel William Savage of the Interplanetary Intelligence and Security Commission. James Barclay, you haven’t identified your rank or position…”

Azjah’s eyes widened slightly as Wil spoke. She had an agent for the I.I.S.C. aboard? It was no wonder the Commander on Enceladus reacted the way he did when Wil showed him ID. Well, this was getting more and more interesting as the day went along. As Wil put weapons into stand by, Azjah nearly argued the point. She didn’t like not being ready to defend her ship and her cargo, but something in Wil’s expression made her change her mind.

She glanced at Gabriel as Wil sought feedback from Mr. Barclay , “Any luck finding Matthew Simon?”

He shook his head, “No, they are still seeking the Governor; however, Dyson has arrived at the port with appropriate documents. I suggest we land quickly.”

Tense moments passed as the four heavy fighters surrounded the Star Dragon. Gabriel’s black velvet whisper caressed the nape of her neck, “Lucien has located the Governor. He was walking in Rhydin with a Lt. Cowrie near Ariel’s shop. The Governor has been advised of the situation.”

Azjah nodded as she followed the Bearcat toward RhyDin’s docks, wondering how to advise Matt Simon without advertising the contents of her hold.