Stand Against The Storm (The Maxwell Saga Book 4) (28 page)

That’s Commodore Wu’s work!
he thought, grinning.
He said he’d provide evidence of his
bona fides,
and that I’d know it when I saw it. This
has
to be it!
However, all he allowed himself to say aloud was, “I’m very glad to read this, Ma’am.”

“So am I. Needless to say, I’ve already removed the reprimand from your record.”

“Thank you, Ma’am.”

“Now that you’re back, I’m going to send you straight out again.” She picked up a thick envelope from the desk and handed it to him. “This contains documents and memory chips for Commodore Wu. He’s already aboard the Eksalansari’s communications frigate, preparing to depart for Karabak. He’ll take these from you, and in return give you a similar package to bring back here. We’ll deliver it to the Sector Admiral on Cassius for further distribution.”

“Aye aye, Ma’am.”

“You’ll also deliver the Commodore’s personal steward and his baggage to the frigate. While you’re there, the Eksalansari wants to say goodbye to you.”

“Aye aye, Ma’am.”

“You wanted to see the Qianjin spacers before they left, so I suggest you go on to their ship from the frigate. You’d better ask the galley to pack meals for yourself and your pilot, because I doubt you’ll be back here in time for supper.”

“Aye aye, Ma’am, and thank you. What are our ship’s intended movements?”

“We should finish offloading supplies for the Engineers by tomorrow afternoon, following which we’ll head back to Cassius for the next load. I’m told we’re going to make two or three more round trips with relief supplies, then load everyone and all their equipment and take them back to Cassius. I expect that’ll keep us busy for the next two months or more.” She heaved a sigh. “So much for our extended liberty period. We’ll just have to wait until this is over. On the other hand, we’ll need more maintenance than usual after our extended period of hard work, so we may end up with twice as long in dockyard hands and twice as much liberty.”

“Here’s hoping, Ma’am.” Steve rose to his feet. “I’d better change into a fresh uniform before I see the Commodore. I’ve also got to get something out of the ship’s safe.”

“Good idea.” She nodded towards the signal he held in his hand. “I suspect Commodore Wu is in your corner. Having got to know him during the voyage here, I can assure you there are no flies on that man.”

“I’m very glad to hear it, Ma’am.”

Inwardly Steve hugged Wu’s promise to himself. If the Commodore had achieved this much already, it was a very good omen for what he might accomplish over the next three months. With luck, Wu would be back by the time
Cybele
finished her final round trip to Eskishi… and then Steve would find out what the next few years might hold in store.

Steve was surprised to find the Eksalansari and the Commodore waiting for him in the communications frigate’s docking bay. The space seemed cramped, diminutive after
Cybele’
s spacious facilities; but then, he reminded himself, the transport outmassed the frigate many times over.

He drew himself to attention and saluted the Karabak flag on the bulkhead, then turned to the Eksalansari. For a moment he was nonplussed. He was senior in military rank to the prince, so technically the younger man should salute him; but on a Karabak ship, Fleet protocol might not be in effect. To add to his confusion, the prince was wearing a civilian suit.

The Commodore saw his confusion and stepped in. “Here the Eksalansari ranks as a Prince of the Blood,” he said with a smile. “Both of us salute him.”

“Thank you, Sir.” Steve grinned as he saluted Iskander, and the prince laughed aloud as he gave a half-bow in acknowledgment.

“As far as I’m concerned, Lieutenant, I’ll always owe you a salute. After all, I wouldn’t be alive to salute anyone, or return any salutes, without your help.”

Steve made a dismissive gesture. “That’s in the past, Eksalansari. Protocol is forever.”

“Don’t I know it!” They shared a rueful glance before Steve turned to the Commodore and saluted him. “Thanks for the ‘evidence’ you provided this afternoon, Sir. I look forward to seeing what happens in three months’ time. I brought this for you from Commander Doibro,” and he handed him the envelope. “Your steward and dunnage are aboard the cutter as well.”

“Excellent! I don’t have an office aboard this ship, but if you’ll excuse me for a moment, I’ll take this to my cabin, to check whether there’s anything needing action on my part before we leave in an hour. I’ll bring an envelope back for you to deliver to the Commander.”

“Yes, Sir. Let me call your steward, and he can bring your baggage to your cabin.”

All was bustle for a few moments as the cutter pilot helped the steward unload the Commodore’s bags, then the two of them set off down the main passage. The prince watched them go before turning back to Steve.

“The Commodore tells me that if the Sultan, my father, approves of what you did, he might allow me to attend training courses with the Marines at your Sector Base on Cassius, or even on Lancaster itself. What’s more, he says that if the Commonwealth concludes an anti-piracy accord with Karabak there may be opportunities for joint missions – Karabak personnel serving aboard Fleet ships and vice versa. Wouldn’t it be fun if we could serve together one day?”

“I’d enjoy that very much. Who knows? In a few years you could be leading a company of your troops in boarding operations from my ship.”

“I promise you, I’ll do everything I can to make that happen. The Governor’s also spoken about that. He’s written to my father praising your actions, and suggesting that in the light of the Fleet’s assistance to Eskishi it might be appropriate to consider closer ties as a gesture of gratitude.”

“Let’s hope his arguments are persuasive.”

“I think they will be, and I’ll do my best to support them. What’s next for you?”

“I’m on my way to say goodbye to the Qianjin spacers. They’re also leaving tonight.” Steve decided it would not be appropriate to mention the jade knife, now resting in his briefcase inside the cutter, chained securely to his seat. “After that my ship has to finish unloading her cargo, then it’s back to Cassius to collect another load. We’ll be shuttling between here and there for the next couple of months.”

The young man frowned. “Surely it must be terribly boring for a man of action like you to be stuck making cargo runs?”

“Not at all.” Steve’s voice was very serious. “Remember, amateurs study tactics. Professional military people study logistics.
Cybele
is an integral part of our logistics chain. It’s impossible for a major Fleet like ours to conduct space warfare, including security operations like those of the Marines on Eskishi, without having many more support vessels than it has warships. There are no supply depots or warehouses in space. We have to bring everything with us, or rendezvous with resupply vessels. Operations like this are valuable training for what will happen in wartime. What’s more, I’ll serve on warships again in the future. Knowing the logistics involved in our operations will help me plan them better and make the best use of available resources.”

“I see. From that perspective, your job certainly makes a lot more sense.”

“It’s that way for all Fleet officers. More than half our career assignments, both shipboard and planetside, will be to logistics, support and training posts, so that we bring our operational experience to them and take our knowledge of them back to operational units. We’ve been rotating our personnel like that for a very long time. It keeps the whole Fleet on its toes, and also gives us a chance to relax with our families for extended periods in between off-planet assignments.”

“I’ll keep that in mind when it comes to my own future postings.”

“Will you stay in the military, or take up Royal duties in due course?”

The Eksalansari shrugged. “I’m the youngest son, so there aren’t many duties left over after they’ve been divided between my two brothers and my sister. I expect I’ll stay in the military for at least the next five to ten years. After that, we’ll see what my father has in mind.”

They heard footsteps approaching down the corridor, and the Commodore came into the docking bay once more. “Here you are,” he said cheerfully, holding out an envelope to Steve. “Please give that to Commander Doibro. Distribution instructions are inside.”

“Aye aye, Sir.”

“All right, young man. I’ll see you again in two to three months, by which time I hope to have interesting news for you.”

~ ~ ~

Steve was surprised to find another reception committee waiting for him in the freighter’s docking bay. It comprised both Captains and both First Mates, as well as Mr. Jiang and Mr. Kwok, the pilot who’d been with him aboard the cargo shuttle.

Captain Chun, as the senior man, spoke first. “Welcome aboard, Lieutenant Maxwell. I understand we have you to thank for the gift of this ship.”

“No, Sir, I merely suggested it. It was the Governor’s decision.”

“That may be so, but I doubt he’d have thought of it without your prompting. Once again, we owe you our thanks.”

Steve smiled. “And I owe you mine. Without all of you I couldn’t have achieved much either planetside or on the cargo shuttle, much less survived!” He patted the briefcase in his other hand. “Can we talk privately somewhere? I have something else for you.”

Jiang’s eyes flared with excitement. “Is it…?”

“Not here!”
Steve warned hastily.

“Of course,” Chun agreed, but his voice was trembling too. “Let’s go to the bridge. There’s a meeting room opening off it. We can talk in privacy there.”

They took the high-speed conveyor forward. As they passed several entrances to personnel pods inserted into the ship’s cargo holds, Steve was unsurprised to see two Qianjin spacers guarding each one. They were armed with Eskishi-issue carbines, obviously to help control the rebels and their families inside if necessary.

“I’m surprised the authorities let you bring your weapons aboard,” he commented. “I’d have thought they’d want them back.”

“They probably did, but we didn’t ask their permission. They let us load the cutters to bring us up to orbit, so we simply loaded a little more than the manifests indicated.”

Steve smothered a chuckle. He didn’t blame the Dragon Tong members at all. For the next couple of weeks they’d have to control over a thousand rebels and their families, then disembark them on a planet they’d never heard of and knew nothing about. The weapons might be needed to keep order during the process – not to mention making sure the passengers left the ship whether they wanted to or not, once they realized the nature of the planet Bairam had chosen for them.

The bridge was manned by an anchor watch. The three spacers on duty snapped to attention as Captain Chun led the way inside.

“As you were,” he told them. “We’re going to use the meeting room.”

Crossing to it, he held the door open for the others, then followed them inside and closed it as they sat down.

Steve took a chair at the foot of the table, instinctively leaving the place of honor for Captain Chun. He laid his briefcase on the table, opened it, and took out a long thin cloth-wrapped bundle.

“I’ve been searching for this for over a decade,” he began. “I promised the Dragon Tong I’d do my best to follow leads related to my late mentor, Bosun Vince Cardle. At long last they’ve paid off. Gentlemen,” and he unwrapped the cloth, “as far as I know you’re the first members of your Tong ever to lay eyes on the jade knife of Lei Sik Hoi.”

There was deathly silence around the table. All their eyes were fixed on the knife. They didn’t even dare to breathe, it seemed to Steve, in case it might blow away. He grinned inwardly as he picked up the knife, walked to the head of the table, and handed it to Chun.

The Captain took it from him gingerly, then carefully drew the ancient blade from its wooden scabbard. He held it up in the light as his eyes filled with tears.
He’s actually crying!
Steve thought in astonishment as he returned to his seat.
They all are! It’s as if a choir of contemplative monks had been allowed to touch the relic of a saint. They’re having a religious experience!

In total silence Chun passed the knife to Captain Qiu on his right. One by one the officers passed the knife down and around the table, each one holding it reverently for a moment. Two of them went so far as to kiss its hilt.

Eventually it made its way to Mr. Jiang, sitting at Chung’s left. “Lieutenant Maxwell,” he husked, his eyes leaking moisture, “I can never thank you enough for this moment. To hold the knife of one of the Five Founders… it’s a gift, a grace, I’d never have believed possible.”

“This will become the most sacred relic of our Tong,” Chun promised solemnly. “We’ll take it back to Qianjin and present it to the Council and the Mountain Master.” Steve knew that was the ancient title of the head of the Tong. “We’ll also make sure they know how much we owe to you, not only for this knife, but for our lives. Without you we’d still be stuck on Eskishi, in constant danger from the rebellion and with no way off-planet.”

“I’m grateful to have been of assistance,” Steve said quietly. “I’d be dead without you, and I know it. There’s something more.” They all looked at him inquiringly as he sat down again. “Mr. Jiang tells me the reward for finding this knife now stands at twenty thousand gold
taels.”

“That’s right,” the
chargé
confirmed. “You’ll soon be very rich.”

“No, I want the Tong to use that reward in other ways. First, I’d like every man who served aboard the rebels’ cargo shuttle to receive five hundred
taels.
They all risked their lives to help me, and I’m very grateful. I’d like them to have an additional reward, over and above their share of the proceeds from the sale of this ship. I also want to give two hundred and fifty
taels
each to the cutter crew who put themselves in danger to help us rescue the hostages. The balance of the reward should be used to help the families of your comrades who died on Eskishi, particularly for the education of their children.”

Everyone around the table was goggling at him as if he were some strange alien creature. First Mate Kun managed to say, “You’re giving away more money than most of us will ever see in our lifetimes!”

“Money isn’t everything, Mr. Kun. It’s not nearly as important as the friendship, assistance and support of the Dragon Tong have been to me. This is my way of thanking you all.”

The other nodded slowly. “I once said to you that you might be a better human being than I. I’m sure of it now.”

“Thanks for saying that,” Steve said simply. He knew it wouldn’t be appropriate to tell them how he and Abha had discussed the reward before they married. They’d both felt that accepting ‘blood money’ would not be morally right – and a
lot
of blood had been shed over the jade knife. He’d have used the reward to get his own ship if he’d had to leave the Fleet, but that looked like it wouldn’t be necessary now. Donating it like this would help to cement his good relations with the Tong. In that sense, it was an investment in his future.

Jiang said slowly, “This puts the Tong even more deeply in your debt, Lieutenant. The Mountain Master and his Council will have to consider how to repay you – if so great a series of obligations can ever be repaid.”

“Mr. Jiang, all I ask is that the Tong should agree to my request, first made more than a decade ago, to provide information that will help me in my fight against pirates. I expect to have more opportunities for that in future as I rise to command ships and lead larger forces. Your information will help my career, and the way I use it will help the Tong by reducing the threat to your ships and to space commerce overall.”

“I’m sure something will be arranged,” Chun assured him. “I’ll speak to the Council personally to argue your case.” He was still fondling the jade knife in his hands, turning it over and over, handling it with the same delicate care he’d lavish on a new-born baby.