The Veritian Derelict (Junkyard Dogs) (7 page)

He and his small security force had
immediately gone to the communications suite, on the opposite side of the station from the security offices, to survey the damage and secure the area. Discovering that the communications suite was now open to space, they sealed off several compartments adjacent to it to provide a pressurized buffer between the damaged area and the rest of the station.

"Why in Space would these bastards want to attack a mining station?" asked one of the men
as they made their way back towards the security suites.

"For starters," said Hartmann, "they wanted to
hijack that Tunisian destroyer."

"
They hijacked a destroyer? Are they mad?"

"Maybe, but they appear to have succeeded. Seamus O'Connell watched it happen out of
the front viewport of the
Donegal
. It looks like the crew managed to disable the weapons first, though."

"
But why attack the station itself? And why did they blow the communications equipment?"

"
I can understand them destroying communications," replied Hartmann, "we won't be able to contact anyone outside of this system for help."

"Yeah, I guess that makes sense," replied the man.

That and there are a lot of other things of value on board a mining station," continued Hartmann. "We have a lot of partially refined ore that's waiting to be shipped back to orbital smelting facilities. It's a little bulky but it could be worth something to them. More likely they're after something more compact and more readily exchanged. Every now and then the miners find a big chunk of something really valuable. I think there was more than a kilo of gold, several kilos of cobalt and smaller amounts of platinum and titanium in the big vault on the lower level."

"So
you think they're looking for some spoils that are easily converted to credits to help bankroll their operations?" asked one of the other men.

"Probably, these people are almost always short of cash, no matter how fierce they
appear to be. There's also the NITrans supply ship that's only about half unloaded. Any terrorist organization would be more than happy to get their hands on food, medicine, liquor and other goods that they could put to immediate use or also convert to easy credits."

"It makes a lot more sense
, now that you explain it."

"Yes, it does, doesn't it
? Are the transfer berths secured yet?

"
Yes, we got right on that as soon as the
Glendaloch
undocked, Deputy Chief."

"
Good, that takes care of one major concern. The station is pretty well locked down at the moment; those terrorists up in the airlock area aren't going anywhere anytime soon. I had the cargo handlers transfer those pure metals onto the
Glendaloch
just before she undocked. No sense in giving these terrorists any chance of getting their hands on anything that valuable. Now have the workers secure that NITrans supply ship. The freighter was headed to Patagonia and then to New Ceylon after they got done here. I have half a mind to send the mining ships with her and see if the Federation can send us some help. We should be fine for the time being though. With two months of supplies on hand, we can hold out here longer than these terrorists, I would think. I'll talk it over with O'Connell and Patrick, but first I think we should see if we can get some more information on what these terrorists are up to."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean we need to interrogate some prisoners."

"How are we going to go about doing that?"

Hartmann
gave the man a wolfish grin. The grin, combined with the Spacer tattoo on his left cheek, gave him a particularly sinister look "We have plenty of weapons and we also have a fair amount of riot gear. I think I know might know a way to take on a soldier in battle armor."

Chapter
9.

New Ceylon Orbital Station, November 29, 2598.

Helen Murdock was sound asleep when the com unit in her posh hotel room
softly announced that someone was trying to contact her. It was early, only 0530, and the man sleeping next to her, Engineering Technician Second Class Angus Rory Hawkins, did not awaken. Murdock smiled as she looked over at him, still a little overwhelmed by the intensity of a love affair that had united the two of them so late in life.

She slipped on one of the plush, full-length robes that came with the expensive hotel room
. Murdock and Hawkins, key players in the successful defense of the New Ceylon Orbital Station just a few weeks ago, were guests at the hotel, compliments of the Station Government. After fluffing up her kinky medium-length hair, she sat down at the com unit and pushed the "accept communication" key. The screen showed a handsome, immaculately groomed, dark-haired man in a Federation Navy uniform with Commander's insignia on the collar.

"Commander Kresge," said Murdock. "It's early. What can I do for you?"

"I received some disturbing news from last night's courier ship communication, Helen. As of yesterday at about 1800 hours, the Federation has officially begun to mobilize. Intel says that several of the more militant Islamic Alliance governments have been quietly building up their own forces for several months now. No one is willing to say just where they think this is all heading but I have been ordered to mobilize our forces out here, such as they are, and prepare defenses. I suppose we should have seen this coming, but it's still kind of a shock."

"Not good news, Commander, and I
sure do appreciate the personal call to warn me, but what can the Skipper of an eighty-year old Bombardier freighter possibly do to help the Federation Navy?"

"I've been ordered to get the Scrapyard back up and functioning
," replied Kresge. "Your ship looks to me like a good temporary solution to the problem that we no longer have a main living facility. It's my understanding that you had intended to bring the
Greyhound
out to the Scrapyard anyway for replacement of some of her propulsion system components. She could act as accommodations for us while the repairs are done. Naturally, I am authorized to pay you a reasonable fee for the use of your ship. The fees would be in addition to whatever equipment is required to be installed and calibrated on the ship. The Navy has already agreed to donate the parts and labor."

Murdock had listened quietly while Kresge made his proposal, nodding her head in understanding.

"I don't know how to refuse, Commander, my finances aren't in the best of shape. In fact this sounds almost too good to be true. What's the catch?"

Kresge sighed,
"There is always a catch, isn't there?" He took a deep breath before continuing. "We don't know how long it will be until the Navy can get a new main facility transported out here. I was originally told we should have a new facility within a month. Since that was around six weeks ago, I'm not holding my breath. The Navy is woefully short of just about everything right now. To be brutally honest, we might be needing you and your ship indefinitely."

"I see.
" Murdock made her decision without wasting any more time. "I don't really have any short term plans, Commander, and hauling freight could turn out to be a pretty dangerous occupation for the near future. The
Greyhound
is at your disposal."

"Thanks, Helen. I assume that Hawkins is with you?"

"Yes he is, Commander, but he's still sleeping. Should I wake him?"

"Not necessary. Would you be so kind as to tell him to report
to the briefing room later this morning? I'd like you to come too, I have a meeting scheduled for 0800."

"We'll be there, Commander. Anything else you want me to do?

"I'd get packed up and ready to spend some time aboard ship out in the Scrapyard, Helen. We've got a lot of work to do. Kresge out."

The screen went blank.

Chapter10.

"...The so-called Sheik of Barsoom is known to be ruthless and violent as witnessed by the alarming number of atrocities that have been strongly connected with him and his followers. He and his group have taken credit for many more acts of terrorism and his penchant for boasting and exaggeration make him, if not a desirable figure, certainly one of the more colorful of the Muslim dissidents. His origins are not known with certainty, though credible accounts indicate that he may actually be the son of nobility as his title implies, but it is every bit as likely that he comes from more common origins. His whereabouts remain unknown, and interplanetary authorities consider him and members of his group to be armed, extremely dangerous, and very unpredictable. Recent holographs of the Sheik and a physical description are included in this pamphlet. If you have any information about the Sheik of Barsoom or his followers, please contact the United Federation Terrorism Task Force (UFTTF) at the number listed below. Your communication will remain strictly confidential...

Urgent December Update
: The UFTTF has received reports from reliable sources that an individual believed to be the Sheik of Barsoom was recently sighted on an orbital station in the border region between Federation and Meridian Space. If you see this man, DO NOT ATTEMPT TO APPROACH HIM! Instead, contact Federation authorities immediately. A reward is offered for substantial information. Once again, your communication will remain strictly confidential..."

Hartwell Wrist Comp reference note highlighted for further review by Tamara Carlisle. Excerpt is from "Known Muslim Terrorists and Dissidents: Midyear Update." Short video download and hardcopy pamphlet prepared by the UFTTF for screening and distribution to travelers headed to the Meridian planetary system. No author is listed.

On board the
New Tunisian Warship Mahdia
, an obsolete destroyer recently stolen by the Sheik of Barsoom, somewhere in the Catskill-Soroyan Star System, November 29, 2598.

T
he Sheik of Barsoom was livid as he paced the small bridge of his stolen destroyer. He and his formidable battle group had been forced to flee in disgrace from two battered old mining ships. Mining ships? And he had a destroyer in his possession!

"
Mining ships!" he ranted. "We had to run like cowardly dogs from two mining ships! How was it that those accursed gunners were able to ruin the pulse beams?" he shouted. "What are we to do now? We are supposed to rendezvous with the others in just a few days. This ship was to be part of the attacking forces! Now I must divert forces to finish the takeover of that accursed mining station as well!"

Two of the three people in the
compartment with the Sheik chose that moment to study the tips of their shoes. The third man, a little older than the others and a cousin to the Sheik, ratcheted up his courage and volunteered a possible solution.

"
I know that it is little consolation, my Sheik, but Captain Hassad should still have more than sufficient forces to accomplish his mission at the Santana Nexus. It is a great pity, but we will simply not be able to take part in the glorious attack."

"
I am not pleased but I have become resigned to that fact, Utbah, we must think beyond that now, tell me, what of the future of this ship?"

Utbah appeared lost in thought for a long moment, finally he said,
"I have a suggestion, Sire, but I do not think you are going to like it."

"What is it?"

"I implore you to think about it before rejecting it out of hand, Sire."

"At this point I am open to most any suggestion, Utbah. Pray, tell us your plan."

"Perhaps we should contact your Christian friend?" suggested Utbah, gingerly.

"Ezra Brimstone? That fool is no friend of mine! He squandered a golden opportunity to rid the Galaxy of that son of a dog Ambassador Saladin. I will kill that idiot Christian with my bare hands if I ever see him again
! He took ten thousand of our credits and what do we have to show for it? Nothing! He will die for his failure!"

"Your pardon,
my Sheik, but under the circumstances, one could make a compelling case that this Brimstone owes us a favor. He knew someone who could mount those old pulse beams on his cargo ships and get them to function. Perhaps this same person could repair our guns, No? In return we offer to spare his worthless life."

The Sheik still looked
like he'd swallowed something unpleasant but seemed to cool a little as he thought through his Lieutenant's proposal, his manner transitioning from anger to truculent acceptance.

"You are correct,
" replied the Sheik, "I do not like it! However, it may be the best chance we have of continuing with our plan. Good thinking, Utbah. Perhaps something useful can come out of our connections with that fool yet!"

The Sheik made use of
the stage II Whitney communications console on the
Carpathia
. Like everything on board the old ship, it was far from the latest design but this minor detail did not make the equipment any less effective. He also contacted the Captain of the
Minotaur
, another destroyer that had defected from the Meridian Navy, to inform him that two dozen of their men had been trapped on the Piedmont Mining Station and would require relief as soon as it could be provided.