“Then I may still be able to turn a profit. Providing supply transport, for example, to and from the hulk. That sort of thing. I can’t really say how The Guild might get involved until I know more details. But if I could obtain a little inside information, I’d not only know what to offer, but maybe I could get an inside track on the bidding.”
“As far as I know, the government’s not using civilian contractors out there,” she said. “I was there because I found the thing in the first place. But the rest seems to be entirely a Navy operation. I’m sorry, but I don’t really think I can help.”
His eyes flashed for an instant. Then the smile was back. “Come, come, Captain. You haven’t even heard my offer. Fifty thousand for your information, and a ten percent share of any profits I might turn from it.”
“Fifty thousand…” That was substantially more than Max Kruger had paid her for the original information about the Karga. Tempted, she turned and walked to the far side of the office, gazing out the small transplast porthole over her desk at the busy starport outside. Finally she turned back, shaking her head. “I’m sorry. I can’t help you.”
“You’re afraid I might misuse the information?” He was frowning now. “Look, from what you say the government is already there, and from the size of the battle group that went out and didn’t come back with you and Independence I’d say they were protecting this derelict pretty damned well. What am I going to do? Sell the story to the Cats? Even if they were interested, they couldn’t do much without mounting a damned big raid, and by the time they did anything the Navy would be ready for them. Anyway, dealing with Cats is hardly ever profitable. And I swear all I’m trying to do is make a good business move ahead of the pack.”
She studied him for a long moment, her thoughts prey to conflicting emotions. Despite his reputation Banfeld had generally played the part of a patriot during the war, though he’d also turned a handsome profit at the same time. She didn’t really think he’d betray anything she told him to the Kilrathi. And fifty thousand credits…
Her eyes came to rest on the computer terminal where she’d been poring over the Landreich’s forms and endless bureaucratic garbage. What did she really owe the government now, anyway? She’d done the job they’d hired her to do, led Richards and his men to the Karga and then wasted months hanging around waiting for them to decide to pay what they owed her. And Galbraith had treated her ship and crew like so much debris the whole trip back. If she chose to make some extra money off her find at Vaku, how would that hurt Max Kruger or his lackeys?
Fifty thousand credits…
“I’d want a contract, Mr. Banfeld,” she said at last. “Not that I don’t trust you, but…”
He smiled again, his eyes burning hotter. “I anticipated the need, Captain. Shall we go over it now?”
Terran Confederation Embassy Compound, Newburg
Landreich, Landreich System
1315 hours (CST)
“We have them, Commissioner. We have Richards, Tolwyn, and Kruger! All we have to do is decide how to deal with them.”
Clark Williams regarded Colonel Mancini with a sour look. “Not more of your rumors,” he said. “More barroom gossip about Kilrathi ships abandoned in the sector. I’ve had just about enough of hearing all the drunken speculations of the bums who hang out at those places down in Startown.”
“Not a rumor this time, sir,” Mancini said. “This time we have the information straight from the source. Vision Quest landed this morning.”
“What?” He sat upright, his chair creaking under him. “Got the Springweatner woman in here as soon as possible! We’ll squeeze everything she knows out of her…”
“That won’t be necessary,” Mancini said. “Fact is, one of our agents spotted her arrival and moved on his own initiative. Tied her up aboard ship by persuading the authorities to give her more than the usual share of Inward Clearance nonsense, and then moved in for the kill.” He smiled. “It’s amazing how much you can get when you combine greed and frustration in one package.”
“Well? What did your agent get?”
“I’ll let him tell you himself.” Mancini touched a stud on his shirt sleeve, activating a tiny communications device. “Send him in.”
The door opened a moment later to admit Zachary Banfeld. “Ah, Commissioner,” the newcomer said pleasantly. “Good to see you again.”
Williams nodded. “And you, Mr. Banfeld. It’s been…what? Two years now?”
“Since that little situation on Freya. Yeah.” Banfeld smiled as he took a seat beside the CSB colonel. “That was quite a nice little operation, as I recall.”
Williams studied the man assessingly. Here on the frontier Zachary Banfeld was regarded as something between a romantic highwayman and a black-hearted pirate, depending on who you asked, but no one suspected that he was also a freelance agent of the Confederation government. The Guild really did do legitimate business, organizing merchant convoys and taking on contracts to ship needed materials through spacelanes no other civilian trader would willingly travel. And it sponsored privateering raids, hitting vulnerable targets and looting them for resale later. Banfeld’s people also dabbled in black market deals, arms smuggling, mercenary operations, and training local militias to handle combat situations.
Behind all these dealings, though, Banfeld also took on odd jobs for the Confederation from time to time, especially in the last few years. He had been recruited, not only by Mancini’s CSB, but by the other, more shadowy organization that Williams and Mancini both belonged to-the Belisarius Group. And he had been a useful tool on several occasions of late, when Belisarius needed to flex its muscles out here on the frontier without any direct Confederation involvement in frontier affairs. Guild ships had staged a few raids on Landreich outposts to confuse the issue after Kruger had started complaining of Kilrathi incursions, for instance, leaving clear-cut evidence of human pirates at work. And they had raided into Kilrathi space as well, to keep the pot boiling and to make it look as if Ragark was being provoked into action by Kruger and his “irresponsible warmongers.”
Zachary Banfeld was a man with a mission. He had grown rich and powerful along the frontier by exploiting the war between humans and Kilrathi. With the end of the war his shadow empire was threatened, and he wanted nothing more than to see the fighting start again so he and his could get back to their business of profiteering, privateering, and pirating. Fortunately, that goal was perfectly in accord with the needs of the Belisarius Group.
“All right, Mr. Banfeld, the Colonel tells me you have information we can use.” Williams smiled coldly. “What have you found out?”
“The stories about the government finding a Kilrathi derelict were true, after all,” Banfeld said. “A supercarrier that was caught in a battle but not quite destroyed, out in the Vaku system. Kruger’s expeditionary force went there with the idea of recommissioning the ship and adding it to his fleet. Apparently the job is well in hand.” He went on to describe the situation as Springweather had explained it to him.
When he was done, Mancini summed it up. “So what we have here is a supercarrier that could alter the entire balance of forces in the region if it completes repairs and joins the FRLN. But for the moment she’s still weak. Her combat shields still aren’t operating, and she only has half of a flight wing for protection until their pilots train on the Kilrathi planes they’re salvaging.”
Williams frowned. “That ship could ruin everything we’ve been working for,” he said. “The only alternative I can see is to take it out of the picture now, before it becomes operational.”
“My thoughts exactly,” Mancini said. “Mr. Banfeld, I think your strike force might be of use to us once again. Do you have enough information to do the job, or should we arrange for a more…thorough talk with the good Captain Springweather? I could have Y-12 pick her up and interrogate her further, if you wish.” Y-12 was the designation of the Belisarius Croup’s covert operations unit. Mancini held the rank of colonel in that organization, as well as the Confederation Security Bureau.