“Yes, sir.”
“Then you admit to violations of interstellar law, treaties, and conventions. You stand condemned out of your own mouth. What have you to say in your own defense?”
Finally, Kas thought. “I was ordered on a mission, the first part of which was covert. The ship, as you noted, was a Fleet vessel specifically prepared for this mission. Fleet Intelligence created the documents you mention. For my part I was, and am, a Fleet officer, carrying out the orders of a senior Fleet officer with the obvious approval of high imperial authority. Were you under the impression that I simply cooked up some papers in my cabin one lonely night, then built and armed a ship, all without the knowledge or approval of the Imperial Government?”
“Hmph,” the senator grunted. “And did your orders include a ruthless attack on a civilian vessel and the murder of what I am told is over a hundred innocent people?”
It took Kas a few seconds to understand what Ta-Lank was talking about. Suddenly it hit him, and he snorted.
“I can only assume that what you are talking about is the destruction of a corvette showing no ident beacon, occupied by Glory military personnel without insignia. In other words, a Glory ‘pirate’. It is well known that the Glory uses such vessels so that it can deny responsibility for such intrusions as you have mentioned. I did fire on and destroy that vessel in order to rescue a civilian freighter she was attacking at the time.”
“So you say!” It was another of the senators, a woman this time. She was horsey and plain, her mousy hair drawn into a severe bun. “We have a reliable report that you attacked a civilian vessel without provocation. You savagely murdered over a hundred people. What proof do you have of your scurrilous charges against our friends in the Ministry for the Glory of God? Your word?” The last words were a sneer.
“Yes, mistress,” Kas replied, unruffled. “My word and that of the survivors of the civilian freighter the Glories were attacking. And the testimony of my crew, and the various sensor logs.”
Panic surged across the woman’s face, fading almost instantly as she regained control. A dark scowl had settled on Ta-Lank’s face. “Survivors?” She said, struggling to appear calm. “But the Gl… I mean, we were informed that no survivors were found when the wreckage was examined.”
Kas nodded. “That’s true, mistress. No survivors were found because we had taken them with us in order to preserve security. They are two Alliance citizens, crew of the free trader Lady Jane. Since we were unable to release them at Remor, they are at present aboard Vir Rekesh. I’m sure they would both be happy to testify.”
The woman glanced nervously at Ta-Lank, who was glowering at Kas. This was not going as scripted. Ta-Lank raised his hand and stroked his chin for a moment. Then his eyes narrowed and he raised his head.
“Yes, well,” He began, “We’ll see about that. We will obviously have to subpoena those logs and carefully examine your report to higher authority. I think we can defer further questioning until those documents and memory crystals have been carefully examined.
“There are more urgent matters to deal with anyway. You are aware that your vessels are under medical quarantine. The military may go off adventuring, but the senate takes very seriously its duty to protect the citizens of the Empire from the consequences of those hastily conceived and ill-advised adventures.
“Accordingly, the senate has assembled a board consisting of two dozen of the most skilled and prominent medical practitioners in the Empire. You will make available to this board all documents and logs relating to the plague. You will also insure the presence of all medical personnel now aboard your vessels for questioning.
“When, and only when, that board determines that there is absolutely no risk of the plague spreading to the Empire at large your ships and personnel will be released from quarantine. Until that time, your vessels have been declared plague ships. Be very careful, Commodore. You have a reputation for lacking respect for higher authority. Nevertheless, this time there will be no nonsense. Try to power up one engine, try to launch one boat, and both your vessels will be destroyed immediately.”
Ta-Lank sat back in his chair with a satisfied expression. “I think that’s all for today, Commodore. But we will be talking again.” The image of the five senators faded, and Kas let out pent-up breath in a massive whoosh.
Less than an hour later, the head of Ta-Lank’s medical board, a Dr. Nol Sho-Tra called. Sho-Tra was a portly, elderly red-faced man with an officious manner. He had called to arrange for the delivery of all records relating to the plague, and to arrange interviews with every member of the medical team aboard Rekesh.
Kas kept the man on the com while he summoned Dr. Ro-Lecton. This promised to be interesting.
Ro-Lecton appeared, and Sho-Tra repeated his demands in a peremptory tone. As he spoke, Ro-Lecton’s eyes widened, and the little man swelled perceptibly. “ You?” He demanded in an outraged tone. “You expect me to submit our work to you? For your approval? Ridiculous!” Ro-Lecton reached around Kas and snapped off the com. Sho-Tra’s image, puffing wordlessly, faded.
Ro-Lecton whirled on Kas. “Did you know about this, Commodore? What can that… that nonentity possibly imagine that he’s doing?” The old Ro-Lecton, the one who had been awakened aboard Starhopper, was back and in full blossom.
Kas explained about the “medical board” and showed him the recording of Ta-Lank’s final words.
The little man was furious. He called Sho-Tra back, just long enough to demand and receive a list of the members of the investigative board.
“They’re all second-raters and mediocrities,” he told Kas. “Political types. Most of them have not seen the inside of a lab for years. This epidemiologist, for example. I guess they thought they needed one, since they are supposed to be investigating a plague. Unfortunately, the best epidemiologists in the Empire are aboard this ship. So, they dug up Tancre. The man has not done any fieldwork in over thirty years. He’s director of Public Health on Satterlee, and a pompous, self-important…” He cast about for a sufficiently insulting word, gave up with a wave of his hand and a sigh of exasperation.
Kas was struggling to suppress a grin, but Ro-Lecton must have spotted the twinkle in his eye. The little man’s expression softened to one of rueful humor. “Oh, very well, Commodore. He’s much like I was when I was first awakened.” He chuckled. “I might as well warn you. The most effective counter to this nonsense is to be more pompous than they are. We’re dealing with politicians here, whether they call themselves Senator or Doctor. Fortunately,” he continued with a smile, “that is an area in which I have a certain expertise.”
Ro-Lecton paused, and frowned. “Commodore, I have enjoyed the last few months more than I can say, and I’ve come to like and admire your fleet people. It was also rather a pleasure to have someone else bear the burden of command.
“But now the military mission is finished. The problems we face now fall more within my area of expertise than yours. In this situation, what are normally military virtues become liabilities; the chain of command, subordination to civilian control, and so on. Could you perhaps call your Admiral and more or less throw up your hands in despair? Tell him that we are refusing to accept military authority any more, or something? Anything that minimizes your responsibility for whatever we may say or do.
“What I’m suggesting is that you step aside and let me handle the medical aspects of the situation. I don’t want you or your people held responsible for anything I may find it necessary to do or say. Do you understand?”
Kas nodded, and now his grin was one of genuine pleasure, tinged with anticipation. “Indeed I do understand, Doctor. And I thank you. Technically, the mission is complete, and therefore it could be argued that you are no longer under my command. And something tells me I’m going to have my hands full dealing with other aspects of the situation.” He threw up his hands. “I’d been wondering what to do about this board.”