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  “And this LOLA you talk to?”

  “The ship’s AI. She runs the ship and looks out for us, kind of like a guardian angel but made from molycirc and organic memory and powered by a tame singularity.”

  The Chief frowned. “As in a black hole?”

  “The very same. We’re coming up to the ship now. View ahead please LOLA.”

  “As you wish Zed.” The screen flickered to show the starry firmament.

  “Where’s your ship?” The Chief leaned forward.

  “Right there.” A crack of bright light lit the screen as the clamshell door swung open. “The ship itself is cloaked, as are we. The people of Earth wouldn’t understand if CNN were to put a picture of us on the evening news.”

  “Are those flying saucers I see parked there?” The Chief sounded as if he were having trouble believing his own eyes.

  Zed unbuckled his lap belt. “Yup. When you exit the shuttle you will be met by someone who will show you to the Dining Hall and then to your quarters. You will all be provided with directions to the Bow Wave Lounge, but I’d like to remind you to drink responsibly. IN Processing, along with a medical exam, will take place tomorrow.” Someone groaned.

  Decorated to resemble a woodland glade, the spacious Dining Hall held rustic looking tables that sat scattered under the spreading limbs of huge trees. Capable of seating hundreds, the room still felt small and intimate. Zed was particularly taken with the flooring that at first glance resembled leaves and pine needles but on closer investigation turned out to be a well-made and ingeniously woven carpet. The slightly cool air carried the faintest hint of cedar trees.

  Zed and Kat sat facing Dimitri, who was in the process of devouring a plate of spicy Shashlik, or spicy skewered lamb, and Okroshka, a sour cold vegetable soup. Zed winced at the combination. “How is your recruiting drive going for Spetsnaz troops?”

  The big man put down his spoon and looked up. “Good. Tomorrow or the next day all will be ready. Sixteen good troops from 45th Detached Reconnaissance Regiment.”

  “Make that 15.” Zed said a little sourly. “One of the Seals had an accident. I wouldn’t want there to be more Spetsnaz than Seals.”

  “As you wish.” Dimitri went back to attacking his lamb.

  “The 45th is an airborne regiment, isn’t it?” Zed commented in a neutral voice. “Your old unit, perhaps?”

  The big Russian didn’t look up. “Perhaps. How did you know?”

  “You’re just too good Dimitri, you and Larisa both. What was your rank?”

  “What IS my rank?” Dimitri corrected. “Kapitan, and Larisa is Leytenant.”

  Zed smiled. “I thought as much. Are the powers that be aware that I will require an oath of service from your troops, as I did from everyone on this crew?”

  Dimitri looked up. “The soldiers know. The powers as you say, do not.”

  “Seals and Spetsnaz serving the same commander could mean trouble.” Zed muttered seriously.

  “They are good troops.” Dimitri growled in a paternal voice. “Will cause no trouble. I guarantee.”

  “Vozmozhno.” Zed replied in Russian. “Perhaps.” He turned to Katherine and gave her a wink. “Start looking over the new technicians. Put them where you need them. I’d like for us to be under way in three days, or just as soon as our Russian friends are aboard.” He looked up at the ceiling. “How is the Frigate Boston coming LOLA?” The Rose of the Dawn was big enough to have not only a main hangar, but also a construction bay that could build or repair any ship up to and including a frigate, as long as sufficient raw materials were available, like a moon or the HMS Gryphon.

  “The Boston should be fully mission capable in ten more days. Make that fourteen days for me to finish all the little fiddly bits and pieces like Dining Hall décor, the sauna and of course the club. What would you like to name it?”

  Zed picked up his empty plate and stood. “That would be up to Alina. She’s the captain of the Boston, after all.” He gave Kat a considering look. “You might meet with Alina and help her select out a third of the new technicians, and some of the new science types. She should have a crew of no less than a hundred, or fifty percent of her allotted spaces. With the strike teams, scientists, new technicians and old hands, that still leaves us with a bit under fifty percent crew ourselves.” He shook his head. “It’s a hell of a way to start a war.”

  Kat stood up beside him. “We had less than this before, and we did OK.”

  Zed stopped and turned to the young woman at his side. “I came very close to losing you last time. I don’t ever want to do that again.” She didn’t say anything, but as she placed her tray in the recycling bin he saw the tears in her green eyes.

  Zed’s quarters were in the bow of the ship, one deck above the Bow Wave lounge, and picture windows looked out over the splendor of nighttime Earth. Beneath the window stretched a huge four meter couch, and ensconced in each end was a cat. Not just a cat, but a Dramul CatTrace. The size of panthera pardus, the cats were sleek, well fed, and had the run of the entire ship. Not just pets though, the CatTrace proved to be efficient fighters when it came to eliminating the Creednax version of human nanites; green spiders with bodies the size of tennis balls, with lethal neuro-toxic stings. The female, Ling, had the markings of an Earthly Siamese, only in shades of gray while the male, Feng, had the coloring of Bengal Tiger, but again in shades of gray and black. Thanks to ancient Dramul genetic engineering, his race was both smart and more than a little telepathic. Zed glared at them. “You two have your own room with your own window. Why do you insist on spending most of your time here?” He really tried to sound gruff, but the cats knew that he was just bluffing. He was as crazy about them as they were about him, for some strange reason. Ling yawned and began to wash her face. “I get no respect.” The human muttered, plopping down on the couch between the cats.

  “You have a call, Zed.” Although he could speak to LOLA with his mind, Zed preferred to speak aloud. It was an old-fashioned attitude, but he was like that sometimes.

  “I’ll take it.” Kicking off his shoes, he propped his feet up on the low coffee table. A face appeared in the air over his feet. “Evening Dan. How are you tonight?” Admiral Daniel Grinwell still sat at his desk in the Pentagon and the piles of paper in front of him looked even higher than the last time Zed had seen them, only seven days earlier.

  “Fair. I’m about done here for the night.” The Navy officer looked at his desk and grimaced. “I spoke with Ian yesterday. He said that he expects a colony ship to arrive within the week. I have 1500 good people already selected, and another few thousand waiting for the next bus.” He gave Zed a wide grin. “I decided to take up your offer. I’ll leave on the first of Ian’s colonizers. I’ll miss commanding a ship and standing on the deck, but I’ll get used to it.”

  “Don’t get too comfortable as a civilian, Dan.” The man at the desk frowned. “Good Captains are hard to find, and there isn’t much difference between commanding a cruiser and commanding a starship. The Terran Fleet is a young organization and we’re always looking for new suckers… ahh, volunteers.” He corrected with a disarming grin.

  “Funny.” Dan Grinwell replied dryly. “Do you know if Alina is busy? I was going to say goodbye before you folks shove off.”

  “I don’t know.” Zed replied honestly. “She’s in command of the Frigate Boston and Mike is her Number One. They’re trying to sort out the crew right now.”

  “Frigate huh?” Dan sounded impressed.

  “Yup. 143 meters long with a crew of 200. She’s a fast and deadly ship going in harm’s way. The Boston will only have a crew of 100 right now, and that’s all we can spare.”

  “It’s a rotten way to go to war, young man.”

  Zed let out a sour laugh. “I said the same thing earlier. The Russian end of our Strike Team should be coming up tomorrow, and we’ll be on our way.”

  Dan’s face became deadly serious. “Be careful of the Russians, Zed. They like to play games and s
ome of them are loose cannons.”

  “I will, Admiral. You have a bon voyage also. When you get to your destination please give Cybele my best.”

  “I thought Cybele was a planet.”

  “She’s also the AI for Thal’ark Station and the planet Cybele below. You might brush up on your French. It’ll tickle her fancy.”

  “You speak as if she were a person.”

  “She might not have a body, per se, but she’s as much a person as you or I.” He looked at the ceiling. “Or LOLA.”

  “Thank you Zed.” The voice said out of the air.

  “Do svidaniya, Daniel. Until we meet again.”

  “You also, Zed.” The transmission ceased.

  Chapter Three

  THE SCOUT

  Zed stood gripping the bridge railing, his heart pounding. It was always like this when they started out. A golden Sol was peeping over the shoulder of the sleeping Earth, while the Colony Ship Mistral, a three hundred meter silver cigar floated serenely at Lagrangian Point 2, cloaked and shielded from Earthly eyes and waiting for her colonists. Large observation ports ran the length of the unbroken hull, and were located in common areas to relieve the monotony of the voyage for the pioneers. From the bridge of the Rose the Mistral looked like a silver spike in a black starry sea. He took a deep breath.

  “Whenever you’re ready Captain Johansen.”

  “Shall we give the people of Earth something to remember us by?” Katherine’s green eyes sparkled, and he suspected trouble. He knew her too well by now. This morning she wore her red hair in a single thick braid over her left shoulder.

  “As you wish, Captain.” He fought down the smile. He had an idea what she was planning.

  “LOLA, please decloak the Rose, and without overdue haste, take us out of the system on a course following our probe. Please launch an FTL communication pod letting Cybele know the Mistral has arrived, what has been going on and what we are doing.”

  “Done Captain.” The blue jewel that was the Earth dropped slowly astern.

  “The Earth forces are freaking out and CNN is having a field day.” Atsuo Tanaka, the physical Sciences Officer who was handling communications at the moment gave them a shy smile. Kat let out a bright laugh.

  “We will be able to engage supra-light drive in two hours Captain,” LOLA continued, “just as soon as we have cleared the solar magnetic influence.”

  “Thank you LOLA.” Katherine and Zed gazed out as the stars rolled before them. Beside them other members of the bridge staff stared, and checked their section statuses with LOLA. Behind them in the shadows stood the images of a half dozen trainees, watching the departure and too entranced to speak.

  “Section status.” Katherine began the familiar pre-mission litany. “Astrogation?”

  “Course following the probe laid in Captain. All sensor suites fully operational.” The once willow slender and now more than slightly pregnant blond Lucy Holingberry replied, in a soft scouse accent from her Liverpool background. She gave Kat a wide smile.

  “Weapons systems?”

  Thomas Covati, former NASA Systems Specialist and Marine pilot shot her a grave look. “Magazines and shields at one hundred percent. All weapon systems fully operational.”

  “Very good. Life Sciences?”

  Helen Sutherland, an older woman standing behind the regular bridge staff piped up. “Life Sciences almost fully operational.” Heads turned. “Francois and Janine down in Hydroponics are still packing away the new seedlings Francois managed to get smuggled aboard before we left. I…” She paused, looking into the air, and smiled. “That was Francois. Life Sciences fully operational.”

  “Good. Research Division?”

  Taking the place of Ian Sutherland in control of all the civilian scientists on the Rose, George Cabrera was a short wiry man with quick darting eyes. “Research Division is set to go.” Like the man, his voice was short and clipped.

  “Thank you George. Physical Sciences?”

  Atsuo Tanaka gave Katherine a small bow. “Physical Science section is fully operational Captain.”

  “Thank you Atsuo. LOLA, ship status?”

  The elfin figure, with green hair today gave Kat a serious look. “The ship is ninety seven percent operational Captain.” Before Kat could comment LOLA continued. “The three percent is solely the result of construction on the Frigate Boston, which will be ready to launch in approximately one week.”

  “Thank you LOLA.” Kat took a breath, and turned to Zed. “The ship is fully operational Fleet Captain. New crewmembers are slowly settling in, and I’m sorry to report one fight already between the Spetsnaz and Seal Team. It was broken up before more than a couple of bruises had been exchanged.”

  “Already?”

  Katherine looked embarrassed. “My apologies, Fleet Captain.”

  “It’s going to be a long trip.” He muttered, more to himself than anyone else. “How long until we intercept the probe, LOLA?”

  “Three hundred and eighty four hours, Fleet Captain. Just over two weeks.”

  “We have two weeks to get ready then. Captain Johansen, please set up a rigorous training schedule for our Strike Teams. I want them too tired to get into any more trouble. It might also be a good idea to set up a few training simulations for the Weapons Systems, and work the bugs out.”

  Kat gave him a flat look. “Aye Sir.” Zed winced.

  “The ship is yours then, Captain. Please engage Supra-light drive as soon as it is convenient. Have you briefed the rest of the crew and scientists on what we might expect and why we’re chasing the Creednax… again?”

  “I have, Fleet Captain.” She replied somewhat coldly. “They weren’t very happy. They wanted some time on Earth, but they understand.”

  He turned to leave the bridge and then stopped. Kat looked at him curiously. “I have a vintage bottle of French Bordeaux I picked up on Earth. If you like we could sample it over dinner in my quarters at say, 18:30?” He asked hopefully.

  She took the offered olive branch. “I would love to Zed. I’ll see you then.”

  LOLA had done an exceptional job on the chateaubriand, and the 20 year old vintage wine from the Chateau Olivier Vineyards in Bordeaux France was superb. Zed looked at Kat over the top of his glass. “I hate this job.” He swirled his wine in the deep bowled glass and sniffed the heady claret appreciatively. “The perks are great, don’t get me wrong, but chewing people out and then flying them into battle isn’t my idea of a good time.”

  Katherine set her glass down and folded her hands in her lap. “And what is your idea of a good time, Fleet Captain?” Her face was serious, but her eyes glowed.

  “Ohhh, I’d like to settle down on Cybele with you, watching the planet and our kids grow. Then, when it begins to get crowded we could move further out. I suspect that we’ll always have a starship handy, one way or another, if we ask nicely.”

  “You would have to ask VERY nicely.” LOLA murmured out of the air.

  “LOLA! Private conversation. You agreed not to listen to those.” The sound of a wet raspberry filled the room and Kat laughed softly.

  “And how are you planning on reproducing, Fleet Captain?” The corners of Katherine’s mouth were quivering with laughter. “Mitosis? Binary fission, or perhaps parthenogenesis? We aren’t married yet, and you seem to have forgotten that I am not a loose woman.”

  Zed leaned over the table and took her hands in his. “I plan on correcting that oversight just as soon as…” The table jumped, spilling the two glasses and tall bottle of wine to the floor. There was another distant concussion followed by the sound of breaking glass. “What the???”

  “I’m sorry to interrupt your dinner, Captain, Fleet Captain, but there seems to be an altercation in the Bow Wave Lounge between the Spetsnaz and Seal Teams.” Somewhere there was a rending crash.

  Katherine’s face turned white with fury and she was already stalking toward the door. “LOLA, does this ship have a brig?”

  “No Captain Joha
nsen it does not.”

  “It will have one by the time I get to the lounge. Have Security meet me there, and have their weapons set to stun.”

  “They’re on their way, Captain Johansen, and the brig will be ready.”

  When Zed headed for the door Kat stopped and turned on him. “This is not your job, Zed. It’s mine. I will report to you when the situation has been resolved.”

  Zed had never seen Katherine so angry. “As you wish Captain. Killing our Strike Teams would be frowned upon. Anything short of that, however…” Kat’s teeth were showing in a predatory smile as she left.

  Zed turned to see the last of his dark red vintage wine flowing out of the overturned bottle, and into his cream carpet. He picked the bottle up and stared dejectedly at the scant inch of liquid that remained. “LOLA, I don’t suppose that you could duplicate this?”

  The bottle disappeared from his fingers. “Hmmm; this is a complex mixture of chemical compounds in a hydro-alcoholic solution with a pH around 3.0. Ethyl acetate is the most common ester in this wine, being the product of the most common volatile organic acid — acetic acid, and the ethyl alcohol generated during the fermentation. It will be difficult, but I don’t think you’ll be able to tell the difference between what I make and the original. If I might suggest, you have another case of various wines in storage. If I process them now you will never run out.”

  “Oh you might as well. I blew my one chance tonight, and the opportunity will never come again.” Zed said in a melancholy voice.

  “How little you know Katherine.” LOLA quipped hotly, and then her voice changed to all business. “The altercation in the lounge has been terminated. Three Strike Team members have been taken to the medical bay for various contusions, and the rest are being…” She stopped for a moment. “The rest have been stunned and are being dragged by Security to the brig. I don’t believe that I would care to face either Katherine or Dimitri when they are mad. Dimitri hit the biggest Russian I’ve ever seen and knocked him across the room. I suspect that the man will be eating through a straw for some time.”