"So Laris mentioned that the two females aren't related to the other three. They're only about two years old as well. He might just have bought them from a reserve or some private collector on a different world. But it's in my mind he could also have had them smuggled from Lereyne. There'd be plenty of collectors who'd be ready to sign fake papers for a price. But two unrelated females—they'd spread the gene pool, breed far better. Tigerbats are becoming so rare now that any he breeds would sell for high prices on several worlds with arenas we could all name."
Tani was thoughtful. "That's true. We could also have Versha talk to Lereyne wildlife officers about that. Lereyne may have some way of telling whether the two young ones were born there. If so maybe I can get Laris to take blood or tissue samples. If we prove the bats were smuggled then Lereyne will apply for their return. If they fine Dedran they might be able to confiscate the other three tigerbats as the fine. I think Laris would like that. She doesn't like them being in the circus. She says they aren't really happy there."
"Sounds like a possibility. All right. You three start to get ready. Versha commed while Tani was gone. She'll pick up any who are leaving at around nine-hour. Get moving. You don't have that much time if you want to eat, pack, and sleep before she arrives." They scattered at once.
Versha was on time, her teeth showing white against the dark skin as her face broke into a grim smile. "All three of you. I expected that. I heard the Trastorian authorities were being difficult but there's ways around that if you know the right people." She grinned with wicked amusement.
"I've talked to the patrol officer on Trastor. Jared trained with me until he transferred to the patrol. He confirms that the raider pair were seen again only a few hours ago. He's arranged a stop on their own personal IDs. If they try to board a passenger ship they'll be very politely turned away. I've taken a precaution or two myself. He's also identified their own ship. It looks as if they may be staying on Trastor a while." Her smile broadened.
"Oh?" Logan grinned back.
"Oh, yes. We don't want to spook the game before we reach them. But he's arranged a small party if it looks like they're planning to up-ship before we reach Trastor. After all, they have the ship registered under a false ID. And guess what?" She surveyed three amused faces. Storm was the first to reply.
"You've tied in the fake ID with some complaint."
"Exactly. So until they can prove that the ship the complaint is listed against is not their ship, then they stay right where they are."
"Won't they realize that it's a setup?" Logan queried.
"Possibly. But they may also assume that old enemies have caught up. Gods know they have them if Brightland speaks true. The Trastor broker could have sold them a fake ID to achieve just this. He'd deny it either way and once he hears about this mess—and Jared has arranged that the broker will hear first—he'll vanish anyway. We have a front-man making the very serious and convincing complaint. It can be tied in via Meril and if they get that far, to criminal figures from Bright-land." Versha chuckled richly.
"By the time they've unraveled that rat's nest, talked to Trastor, Meril, and Brightland, found no one there is involved—that will acknowledge it or help them very much, and then traced back our front-man to Trastor again. We could have had enough time to arrive, decide the meaning of life, and arrive back on Arzor lifting on a ship traveling solely by pedal-power. Believe me. They won't up-ship until the patrol says so."
By now all four were grinning. It was bad enough trying to trace an error through the bureaucracy of one planet. Trying to sort out a mistake through the red tape of several was the sort of thing which sent the would-be tracer completely crazy. Experienced bureaucrats had even been known to turn green and resign on the spot at the suggestion. The usual method was to come to an agreement with one's opposite number. Cut out the whole loop and start again. Except that for civilians with suspicious antecedents this wasn't an option.
Storm had been thinking. If it was his problem he might just decide to act like a pirate. Cut out the loop, not in records but in real life. He hoped Versha had thought of that. Better to ask and find she had, than not ask and discover the raider ship had quietly vanished from under the authorities' noses. He asked.
"Hmmmm. You and I would think that way. Jared's a good man. But he's never been in the field. His whole career's had him flying a desk. I never thought to mention that chance. I'll check he's taken precautions. Boot up the com for me while I get the code settings."
Versha was back quickly, taking over the seat Tani swiveled toward her. "Thanks." She flicked a dial, moved a switch carefully, then spoke quietly. It seemed little time before a slow voice answered.
"Patrol Office, Trastor sector. Jared Anwar speaking. That you, Versha?"
"It's me. Listen, there is no time to waste. Have you done anything physically to see the ship we're interested in doesn't lift?"
"Physically?" The slow voice sounded startled. "But there's an injunction against departure on the ship."
"The owners don't seem to be the types to necessarily obey court orders. If they lift and clear Trastor how do you make them come back?"
"Why, I ... well ... I suppose we ... Um. Versha, have you any reason to think they could try that?"
"Only that they're wanted on three worlds including their own under their real names. They've had charges filed for everything from piracy in the space-lanes to assaulting a spaceport official on Aubeare."
Jared was diverted. "Why did they assault the official there?"
"I gather he wanted them to file flight reports from their last couple of stops and as that isn't normally a legal requirement, they didn't see why they should. He tried to prevent them leaving so Baris shoved him down the ship's ramp."
"That's hardly a major offense."
"It can be on Aubeare; most of their officials are minor members of the royal family. But take a look at a few of the other charges. I've just spacegrammed a list. I think you'd better take precautions, Jared. If that ship vanishes, we may lose our best hope in years of getting a line into some of the crime the patrol's been investigating since the Xiks pulled their heads in. If that happens I can name you a whole list of our superiors who won't be happy about it."
There was a thoughtful silence. Then—"Just a minute." His voice was raised in a shout. "Namor, in here." After that they caught scraps of brisk orders being issued. Jared returned. "How much force is reasonable?"
"As much as you have to use. Try to keep that precious pair alive. They won't do much talking dead. But if it's the life of one of your people or theirs, then shoot and we can hold a post mortem later."
There was a moan at the pun. "You owe me a round of drinks to wash that down. All right. I'll put Jola in where she can overlook the ship."
"I want it stopped, not watched as it leaves."
"Oh, don't worry about that. She'll have a scramble-laser. One good burst in the right place, the ship's navcomp is wiped, and emergency set-down is instigated. It can't lift again until the navcomp is recalibrated. Those old-fashioned ships don't have shielding against a well-aimed scramble-laser. Jola's the lady to do it too. She was one of the Trastor's best first-in commando fighters until the Xiks quit."
Versha's tone was envious. "Just how do you rate a scramble-laser?"
"Heh, she liberated it from the Xiks before they pulled back. I slapped a requisition order on it when she joined. Officially it's both her own personal property and ours on permanent lease. That way it can't be taken off us, it belongs to her."
"And it can't be taken off a civilian because it's leased by a secure department," Versha finished. "Smart! If you run into any other civilians with a scramble-laser and an urge to travel, let me know."