Tor's agonized eyes fixed on his captain. "She really asked you to make me leave her alone? Really?"
Jirik nodded. "She really did. I'm very sorry, Tor.
As the boy rose dejectly to his feet, Jirik continued, "Tor, leave her alone. If she ever comes to return your love, she'll come to you." His face hardened with renewed resolve. "Meanwhile, I want you to leave her alone. Remember what I told you before she came aboard. And one other thing; If she should become involved with anyone else, there will be no immature jealousy. Is that clear?"
Tor nodded wordlessly and left the cabin, his entire being a picture of misery and dejection. Jirik felt like hell.
Chapter 10
The fifth recal point was the one that all of them had been dreading. This was the first system without either a Planetary Guard or a Patrol presence, and therefore the one at which they were going far outside interstellar law. So far, they were guilty only of showing an improper ident beacon; a felony, but one which they had at least a chance of explaining away. Now, however, they were going to use a false plague beacon, an offense which could net them all years on a prison planet; and their explanation would buy them no sympathy from any judge in human-settled space. It was therefore unsurprising that the tension began to build as the jump timer ticked patiently toward emergence.
As the last minutes ticked away, Jirik had Tor activate the plague beacon and fake ident beacon, and reminded Bran to alter the drive traces. Then he abandoned the command chair to Via. It had been decided that only one human crewmember should be seen on board, and prudence demanded that it be the Astrogator, as she was best equipped to handle any technical discussion that arose. Tor slaved all the comm circuits to the command console, then he and Jirik stepped outside the bridge hatch, taking no chances that they might be seen.
Bare seconds after they emerged, Via's sensor screens showed six blips, all headed at max acceleration away from the Lass. No one seemed anxious to be near, or even to talk to, a plague ship. After a few minutes, Via began her jump calculations, hampered by the inadequate computer access of the command console. Nearly half an hour passed before the expected challenge came.
"Plague Ship K'laakriit! Plague ship K'laakriit! Do you understand Galacta?" blared from the comm screen. This demand was followed by screeching and growling, evidently an attempt to translate the question into K'jinnth.
Via activated the comm. "This is K'laakriit. I'm human, and understand Galacta."
Before she could continue, the blaring voice shouted, "Do not attempt to approach any planet of this system, or you will be destroyed. Do not attempt to exit your ship, or you will be destroyed. You are ordered to kill all motion relative to this system's primary, and stand by. Picket boats will be placed around you, with orders to destroy you if you attempt unauthorized maneuvers. Do you understand?"
Via activated the steering jets, counteracting all residual motion relative to the system's sun. "Understood," She replied crisply, "I have complied. All relative motion has been canceled."
The comm screen lit up, and Via was confronting a youngish man in a ridiculously ornate uniform. The man's shoulders, which had been rigid with tension, were relaxing. "What is your emergency? How can we help? Do you require medical advice?"
"Negative," Via replied, responding to the man's obvious military status. "The K'jinnth crewmen have become seriously ill. We have two human crewmen, myself and an engineer. Neither of us have been affected."
The man in the screen relaxed even more. "I'm sorry, but it may take some time to locate an xenobiologist, or an expert in nonhuman medicine. I'm sure that you realize that no aid can be rendered that requires approaching your ship, or anyone or anything exiting her."
Via nodded. "Of course, sir. We require no such help anyway, My Captain's final command before he also succumbed to the illness was to return them to K'jinnth for treatment as soon as possible. All that I will require is the opportunity to recalibrate and maneuver to my jump point."
Some of the tension returned to the man's shoulders. "I do not have the authority to authorize you to maneuver. I must consult my superiors. How long will you require to recalibrate?"
Via shrugged. "I began preliminary calculations a few minutes ago, but I'm afraid that I may have to recalculate them. I was afraid to leave the command console to use the astrogation comps for fear that someone would call, see the empty chair, and think we were a derelict. Using the astrogation comps, I would estimate slightly over three standard hours."
The man looked satisfied. "That will be acceptable. I will consult my superiors and call you back within that time. Turn up the volume on your comm speakers, so that you can hear at the Astrogator's station. I repeat my order. Do not attempt any maneuvering without authorization."
"Understood," Via replied. "I will await your call. Thank you for your consideration." She flashed a blinding smile. The man smiled a response, and the screen blanked.
Jirik poked his head around the hatch coaming. "All right so far," he said, "You're doing fine."
Via's head jerked. "Don't come in here, Captain! That popinjay could call back at any moment!"
Jirik shook his head. "Don't worry. A uniform like that means a military that's for show, with lots of levels of command, and every one of them will want to get his two minims in. You'll be lucky to hear from him by the time you've recalibrated.
"Maybe," Via replied soberly, "but it's an unjustified risk to chance it.'
Jirik grinned. "Damned if you aren't right. All right, you're on your own. Let's go get some coffee, kid, we aren't needed here."
Jirik did have Via take the precaution of plugging the intercom into the comm circuits, on a hear-only setting, but once that was complete, he and Tor adjourned to the mess deck, where they found Bran waiting.
Almost three hours later, the comm's signal made all of them jump. Via hurried to the command console. The man on the other end was not the man to whom she'd spoken earlier. This man was much older, the chest of his absurd uniform covered with ornate medals.
"Plague ship Kelackerith" the man mispronounced, "Respond please!"
"K'lakriith here. I have completed my recalibration. I request permission to maneuver to my jump point."
"Hmph!" the man replied pompously, "Not so fast, young lady! In this system we take no chances with plague ships. You will do exactly as you are told, or you will be destroyed. Is that clear?"
"Of course, sir," Via replied hurriedly, "I meant no offense, sir, I merely assumed that you would prefer us to depart your system as soon as possible."
Via's reply threw the man off stride. "Er . . . Yes, of course. However," he continued, regaining his composure, "We can take no chances. You say that you have completed your maneuvering calculations to your jump point?" At Via's nod he continued, "Excellent. You will immediately transmit your maneuvering calculations to us, so that we can verify them, and to assure that your calculations do not allow you to approach any planet of this system. Is that clear?"
"Yes, Sir!" Via replied crisply. "Are you prepared to record?"
The pompous tone returned. "Of course we are. We have naturally been recording every contact with you. I'm surprised that you didn't assume that we would do so."
Via shrugged. "Frankly, sir, I hadn't considered it either way. This is the first time I've ever had to use the plague beacon. I pray that it will also be the last! At any rate, I am transmitting now." She reached over and flipped a switch on the console, transmitting her jump point coordinates and maneuvering data.
The man on the screen glanced aside then said, "The data have been received. Stand by for further orders. Do not attempt maneuvering without permission." The screen blanked.