"That's not on my itinerary," Santyana said with a slight smile. "Getting off this ship is."
"You guys ain't Pilgrims?" Maniac asked, his eyes finally open.
"We are," Henrick said. "We were loyal to Aristee until the massacre at Mylon Three. She never told us we would torpedo the planet. I speak for us all when I say we don't mind taking on the Confed military-but leave the civvies out of it. She wanted to make a statement. We heard her, all right."
"Then skids up," Maniac said. "Key open the door. You guys armed?"
"Can't do that now," Santyana said. "We'll try to recruit a few more, then we'll make our break before we leave Aloysius. We'll be back for you."
"Yeah, I believe that," Maniac sniped. "When opportunity knocks, your asses will be airborne without a second thought. Why did you guys even waste your time coming down here? You don't give a shit about us."
Santyana nodded his understanding. "Truth is, Mr. Marshall, we need you. Sure, the more the merrier for our escape, but you've been in contact with Commodore Taggart. We could use his help to get off this ship, but we can't get close to him."
"So your whole plan is resting on us getting Taggart's help?" Maniac asked. "Guys, we've only seen him once since we've been down here. I'm sure that Aristee's already leading him around by the-"
"If we can get him down here, talk to him," Blair interrupted, "I'm sure he'd help. He probably can't get away. And I'm sure that he's been busy trying to get Aristee to stand down."
Maniac cursed under his breath. "Blair, you're so naive."
"Taggart may still be with us," Santyana said. "But rumors have it that he and Aristee have become quite close. He's been seen on the bridge with her and seen leaving her quarters. But that's scuttlebutt. We need to know if we can count on him."
"Forget him," Maniac argued. "You guys want to get out of here? You get to a small arms locker, load up, and come back. We'll shoot our goddamned way out."
"But even if we make it to a ship, once we launch, they'll blow us out of the sky," said Henrick with a sobering nod.
Maniac shrugged. "I'd rather die trying."
"What if they can't get to Taggart?" Henrick asked Santyana. "Maybe we should leave him out of this and create a diversion of our own."
"I sayz we jet off onez we reach Aloysius," said Jadyk, her voice brushed by her Enyoian accent. "We go out on patrol and never come back. If we can get jump coordinatez, I think we can get out of range before they know what'z happening."
"That'll work for you three," Santyana said. "And if that's what you want, then I'll be your diversion. But I have a wife and child. I'm not leaving without them."
"We'll take the Diligent," Blair said. "I know the access code to her helm. But we still need cover after we launch."
"There has to be a way we can get to Taggart," Santyana said, "If only to get him down here. Look, no matter what happens, rest assured that we'll be back for you."
"I'm convinced," Maniac said, no mistaking his sarcasm.
Santyana opened his mouth to retort, but the general quarters alarm beat a loud rhythm that echoed through the brig.
"We're making orbit," Henrick said. "C'mon. They'll miss us on the flight line."
Santyana widened his eyes at Blair. "We will come back." The young man nodded. "I believe you."
With an uneasiness fueled by their proximity to the Kilrathi border and by his growing feelings for Amity Aristee, Paladin stood on the Olympus's bridge as the supercruiser shifted into a low orbit of the planet Aloysius Prime. They would meet their contacts on one of the northern continents, where lush, tropical terrain stretched to escarpments overlooking a turquoise sea that rivaled Earth's Caribbean in its beauty. While the planet's gravity remained slightly higher than the Earth standard reproduced on board the carrier, her atmosphere fully supported humans. Sure, the slightly denser air would take some getting used to and oxygen masks might be required for the first day or so on planet, but adjusting would be far easier than some of the other places Paladin had visited. Aloysius stood as one of those rare gems in the Confederation, a world whose exotic species of flora and fauna flourished under Confederation protection from colonization and tourism. The fact that Aloysius stood on the Kilrathi border only helped to dissuade poachers and other scum from plundering the planet. An elaborate satellite defense system warded off unauthorized vessels, but Amity had assured him that her people on planet, one hundred or so Pilgrim mercenaries who had been amassing foodstuffs and ordnance for nearly a year, had taken care of that problem.
Sure enough, as they continued in their orbit, they encountered no resistance. However, Confederation cap ships assigned to the quadrant frequented the system as part of their routine patrols. Aristee could not protect against that threat. She gambled that she would have enough time to collect her personnel and supplies before being spotted. Paladin had not even mentioned the Kilrathi threat; no doubt they were looking for her- and no doubt she knew that.
In a few moments, Aristee would grace the bridge, offer him one of her loving glances, then snap into the cold efficiency that had become her trademark. He would stand by, as he had in days past, and simply observe.
I'm letting this go too far, he thought. It's been twenty-four days. What am I waiting for? She won't stand down. I know what I have to do.
But knowing doesn't help.
He should not have dined with her that first night. He should not have shared drinks. He should not have fallen back into her bed. But the bond of their pairing felt too strong to ignore. He knew he would succumb to its power, but even within that force he had thought he could still perform his duty. He had told himself that he would not be a Dante, guided by a lifelong idealized love. He would resume a relationship with Aristee, gain her trust, then sabotage her ship. He had already observed enough and had formulated several plans to do so. He had to act soon. Each day the responsibility of his position weighed heavier.
But an equally painful weight rested on his heart. He had to strike a balance somewhere. He had to dismiss his feelings and meet the expectations of the Confederation, of the intelligence community, of Admiral Tolwyn, and most importantly, of himself. I'm not this weak. Or am If
"Thinking again?" Aristee asked.
Were they on the bridge of a Confederation supercruiser, her arrival would have been announced, but Paladin had noticed how her people embraced the practical side of military efficiency while dismissing or changing the more ceremonial aspects. No one saluted or snapped to; officers were sometimes addressed by rank, sometimes simply referred to as Brotur or Sostur. No one seemed entirely comfortable with the changes.
"Thinking again?" he repeated. "Yes. Bad habit."
"In your case, it is." She ran a finger along the collar of his robe, then let it travel over the Pilgrim cross she had given him on the day she had said good-bye. She traced the half-circle on the cross's top and added, "The sun has risen for us, James. I feel warm."
The ship's XO, a blonde, boyish-looking officer named Vyson, moved up beside Aristee. "Ma'am, our contacts on planet have transmitted landing coordinates. Escort fighters have launched and are in position. Troopship holds have been cleared out to make way for provisions and have been pre-flighted. They await your orders for launch."
"Give the order, Brotur Vyson."
"Aye, ma'am." He shifted back toward the communications station.
Aristee smiled over a thought. "I just came from Frotur McDaniel's quarters. He'll be supervising the cargo loading on planet."
Paladin frowned over the unlikely choice of supervisor.
"Yes, I know," she said, reading his expression. "I don't want him to go, but you know the way he is. Seems he's spent a lot of time researching this planet. Wanted to see it for himself. Of course, I'm sending along a Marine escort. Now then, are you ready? The captain's launch is waiting."