The Better Part of Valor (11 page)

“I meant it.”

“Okay.” Answering a gesture from the general, Torin left him standing there—hopefully reevaluating his place in the current scheme of things, but she doubted it. An ego like his had to be resilient.

“Staff Sergeant, I want you to accompany Commander Verite and the security detail she’ll be taking down to meet our unexpected visitor. I want to know everything that’s said.”

“Yes, sir.” She shot a glance at Captain Travik—who was looking petulant—and slid it over to Lieutenant Stedrin.

General Morris read her question from the motion. “I’m not sending the lieutenant, because I don’t want to give this representative from Sector Central News too much credence.”

“Yes, sir.”

He didn’t bother explaining why he wasn’t sending Captain Travik. But then, he didn’t need to.

*   *   *

“Hey, Sib, that ship’s particle trail leads right back to the exact point the
Berg
exited Susumi space.”

Sibley frowned over at the tiny ship surrounded on all planes by the six fighters, their extended energy fields all that was holding it together. It was smaller than an STS shuttle, smaller than the
Promise
would be without her cargo panels. “Is there even room in that thing for a Susumi engine?”

“Well, they sure as
sanLi
didn’t take the long way out.”

“Good point. And good piloting. Given the readings coming off it, I’m amazed they’re not sucking vacuum.”

*   *   *

The nine members of the security team were wearing side arms. Neither Torin nor the commander were carrying weapons.

“Sensors read three Katrien in there,” Commander Verite said softly as they took up positions at the air lock’s inner
door. “No weapon signature, but if this is some kind of an elaborate trick, Staff Sergeant, I want you to get out of the way and let my people handle it.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Telltales are green, Commander.” The crewman by the door had one hand on his weapon, the other about a millimeter above the release pad.

“All right.” She checked her masker and nodded. “Open it.”

Torin had been on Sai Genist when the media had landed—it was like being attacked with both hands tied, with the Marines helpless to do anything in their own defense. Fortunately, it hadn’t lasted long. The vid crews seemed to believe that, while they were shooting, they were immune to what everyone else was shooting. They weren’t. And the signal from their equipment made it easy for the enemy to lock in. Torin’s platoon had been covered in debris, but the enemy’s aim was so exact no Marine was actually injured.

Vid crews got smarter after that. At least the vid crews from that particular news company. She didn’t think they belonged to Sector Central News although a number of the crew had been Katrien.

The moment they had room enough between the door and the bulkhead, the three Katrien pushed out into the corridor, all talking at once.

Torin recognized the one in front. Recognized the silver fur edging the dark mask and running in single lines down each side of the muzzle. Recognized the way the black vee ran up the collarbone and over both shoulders to spread into a dark cape that ended in a narrow triangle halfway down the spine.
And if that’s not enough, they’re the same fukking dark glasses.

“Staff Sergeant Torin Kerr.” The Katrien pushed right by the commander. “I are Presit a Tur durValintrisy, Sector Central News. I are thanking you for your help in leading us to this story.”

The next Katrien out was definitely recording.

Torin could feel the eyes of the entire security team now locked on her rather than on their visitors.

“Staff Sergeant?” The commander’s voice was a low growl. Things were about to get ugly.

“One minute, Commander.”

There was a slow way to get to the truth, and a quick way. Torin chose the latter.

Katrien were small, barely a meter high. They were, like all of the Elder Races, noncombatants. They were also very fast, but they had to know they were supposed to start running.

Torin dropped to one knee and leaned forward until her nose was almost touching the damp black tip of Presit a Tur durValintrisy’s muzzle. Reaching up, she pulled off the dark glasses and locked eyes with the Katrien. “Please, explain,” she said softly in a tone that had once caused a new recruit to piss himself in fear.

A wave rippled down the soft gray fur of the reporter’s throat as she swallowed. “We are interviewing Captain Travik, and he are saying he are leaving on a top secret mission with General Morris. We are knowing General Morris are using you, Staff Sergeant Kerr, on his previous secret mission, so we are watching all shuttles from OutSector for Marines of your rank. Once we are finding you, we follow and find out you are going to
Berganitan
, then we are following
Berganitan.
You are not giving away the secret mission. We are not intending to cause you trouble.”

“Thank you.”

Pupils constricted to pinpricks, she put her hand on Torin’s wrist. “Glasses?”

“Of course.” Torin returned them and straightened.

Presit a Tur durValintrisy shook herself and spun around to face the Katrien who was recording. “Are you getting that? I are threatened!”

Ears flipped up and then down, the Katrien equivalent of a shrug. “Staff Sergeant are saying ‘please’ and ‘thank you.’”

Torin got the distinct impression that Presit a Tur durValintrisy was less than popular with her crew. Hardly surprising if the near fatal trip had been her idea.

“Right. Well. Looks like you’re in the clear, Staff Sergeant.” The commander signaled her security team to fall in around the news team. “If you’ll all come this way, Captain Carveg and General Morris would like to speak with you.”

Torin stepped back as Presit a Tur durValintrisy swept forward and fell into step beside the commander, who was
shortening her stride considerably. She found herself walking beside the third Katrien. Probably a male, but she didn’t make assumptions. When she glanced down, it held up a hand.

“Durgin a Tar canSalvais. Call me Durgin.”

She stroked her palm across his—a Tar, male. The skin was so soft it felt as though it had been dusted with powder.

“Nice you’re not holding a grudge at least.”

His ears flipped. “Hey, I are just her pilot. What are I caring if you are intimidating the
aururist
?”

The way the hair lifted off Presit a Tur durValintrisy’s spine, Torin figured that had to be a very bad word. Now that she was getting a better look at it, that black triangle was too regular to be natural. It had to be dyed.

“Actually,” Durgin continued, “I are thinking you are going to pick her up by the throat and shake her.”

Torin’s eyes narrowed as she watched the reporter mincing up the corridor. “Yeah. So was she.”

“G
eneral, General.” The reporter raised a gently protesting hand, silvered claws glittering. “Protests are beside the point. Under laws of full disclosure if media are present, media must not be denied. If Marines are going into ship, we are going in with them.”

“All three of you?”

“No. Durgin are pilot only. He are staying with my ship. I, Presit a Tur durValintrisy, and my crew, Cirvan a Tar palRentskik, are going in.”

Her crew didn’t look too happy about it.

“We don’t know what’s in there, Presit a Tur durValintrisy…”

She smiled winningly, showing many tiny points of teeth under the black line of her lip. “Call me Presit.”

“…but it will be dangerous. You’ll be putting yourself and your crew in danger.”

“I are not going in, in front, General Morris.” The tiny points of teeth reappeared, and a purple tongue swept lightly over them. “But I are going in.”

Teeth, tongue, body language; if the reporter had been Human, Torin would have said she was flirting with the general. She looked like she was about to rub against his leg.

By the time the security detail had escorted the three Katrien back to the briefing room, the scientists had been cleared out. Only the three Marine officers, Captain Carveg and two of her officers, and Craig Ryder remained. As far as Torin was concerned, they should have tossed Ryder out with the other civilians—having reached the alien ship, there was no longer a need to suck up in order to get his Susumi equations. The
general had probably gotten used to including him and hadn’t even noticed he was there.

Hands behind his back, General Morris frowned down at his reflection in the reporter’s dark glasses. “All right. You and your crew may accompany the science group into the ship. You will not go in with the Recon team because I will not have you exposed to unknown dangers.”

“A compromise, General? According to law, I are not having to compromise.” She lifted one hand and combed her claws through her whiskers. Alien body language or not, Torin recognized a smug gesture when she saw one. “But I will.”

“Good. And now, the other matter—you said you followed Staff Sergeant Kerr to the
Berganitan
…”

“No, no, no,” Presit interrupted. Leaning around the general, she showed teeth at Torin. This time, it didn’t look anything like a smile. “I are only following Staff Sergeant Kerr until I know what ship she are taking. Then I are following that ship to
Berganitan.
”

“Fine. You followed Lieutenant Commander Sibley’s Jade to the
Berganitan.
How did you follow the
Berganitan
through Susumi space?”

Presit actually waved a tiny finger at the general. If Torin hadn’t disliked the reporter so much, she’d have been enjoying this. “I are not having to tell you that, General Morris. Thanks to suspicious Parliament, full disclosure works only one way. You are having to disclose to me, but I are not having to disclose to you. But,” she added as the general flushed puce, “it are no big thing. I are merely…”

Durgin trilled an interruption. Torin figured he objected to Presit’s pronoun.

“…locking on the tail end of the
Berganitan
’s Susumi signature,” she continued, ignoring her pilot. “It are a tricky maneuver—we are having to be close enough to follow but not so close we are being swept up in the wake and destroyed—but are not a secret.”

His broad cheeks lightening slightly to maroon, General Morris attempted to lock Durgin in a steely glare, but it kept sliding off the nearly black lenses of his glasses. “You’re a pilot, you had to have known how insanely dangerous that was. You could have destroyed both ships. As it was, you nearly destroyed yourself and your passengers.”

The pilot’s ears flipped down and up. “Unfortunately,” he began.

Presit cut him off, her glasses still pointed toward the general. “Durgin a Tar canSalvais are working for me. If he are intending to continue working for me, he are keeping certain things to himself.”

Durgin’s ears flipped again. “Yeah, what she are saying.”

“Fine.” Taking a deep breath, the general appeared to accept the situation the law had placed him in although his voice retained a snarl around the edges. “Owing to the unfortunate, near destruction of your vessel, Presit a Tur durValintrisy…”

“Please, Presit.”

“Yes, Presit.” He cleared his throat and continued through clenched teeth. “Captain Carveg has kindly offered all three of you quarters on the
Berganitan
.”

“Where she are keeping an eye on us,” Presit murmured, summing up exactly what Torin had been thinking. “Still…” The fingers of her left hand made three quick passes through her whiskers. “…I are graciously accepting.”

Captain Carveg stepped forward. When a Krai showed that much tooth, the more edible species usually found some distance to put between them. “If you’ll just accompany Yeoman Sanderson,” she said politely, her tone in complete opposition to her expression, “he’ll show you to the guest quarters. This is a warship and space is at a premium, so I’m afraid your pilot and your crew will have to share.”

“They are not caring.” Leaning around the other side of the general, Presit waggled silver-tipped fingers toward Captain Travik. “We are talking later, you and I.”

The captain nodded graciously, “I’d be honored.”

“You’d be honored?” General Morris asked, turning slowly to face his subordinate.

“Yes, sir. The full disclosure law may require my compliance, but if Presit a Tur durValintrisy of Sector Central News wants to speak with me, I would be honored.”

He sounded sincere.

Torin couldn’t decide what she wanted to do more, puke or smack him, but it certainly explained why he was so popular with the press.

“And this one, General.” Presit’s attention switched to
Torin, who met her gaze with bland indifference. “You are intending to deal with how she are behaving to me?”

“That are…is, between myself and the staff sergeant.” He nodded at the yeoman, who stepped forward.

“Ma’am.”

“So polite.” She smiled up at the young Human. “You are leading us, so go. We are following.”

Looking slightly confused by the syntax, Yeoman Sanderson led the way from the briefing room, the reporter and her crew close on his heels, talking rapidly in their own language. Durgin fell in behind, occasionally interrupting. Cultural rules seemed to differ when communicating in Katrien as opposed to Federate.

General Morris rocked back on his heels as the door closed. “I don’t suppose there’s any way the locks on their quarters can malfunction until we’re done here?” he snarled in Captain Carveg’s direction.

Recognizing the snarl had nothing to do with her—which was lucky for the general—she shook her head. “Sorry, no.”

“I can’t believe they followed us through Susumi space.”

“So it seems.”

“That’s insane.”

“Yes.”

“We have to get their equations. If they’ve actually found the sweet spot—and aren’t merely the luckiest three S.O.B.s ever evolved—the information will have major military applications. Is there some way you can access their ship’s logs?”

“Legally? No. Accidentally…” Captain Carveg smiled.

The smile suggested her people were already working on it.

“Good.” Nodding, he repeated “good” to himself a couple more times, then turned toward Torin. “Now then, Staff Sergeant Kerr.” His voice frosted over. “If I could have a moment of your time.”