Part 53 (1/2)

That brought her out of her reverie, and across the pa.s.sage onto the bridge. She had never brought a s.h.i.+p in to Federation Central's Docking Station before. Few did; Fleet protected the center of Federation government services, but was not entirely welcome here in force. Some races, and some humans, feared military rebellion and takeover. Hence the slow approach, dropping to sublight drive well outside the system, zigging and zagging (at high cost in fuel and time) to make unhandy checkpoints where defense satellites scrutinized their appearance and orders.

”Commander Sa.s.sinak, FSP cruiser Zaid-Dayan,” said Sa.s.sinak.

”Ah . . . Commander ... ah ... procedures for securing armament, as required by the Federation for all incoming wars.h.i.+ps, must be complete before your vessel pa.s.ses the outer sh.e.l.l.”

Sa.s.sinak frowned, catching Arly's eye. The Zaid-Dayan could, in fact, take on most planetary defenses; she could understand why the more nervous members of the Federation would not want a human-crewed, fully armed heavy cruiser over their heads. But her trust in .Federation Security right now was severely limited. She did not want her s.h.i.+p vulnerable.

”Securing,” she said, with a nod to Arly.

Arly was scowling, but more with concentration than discontent. They had already discussed what to do; it remained to see if it would work. As a technical prob- 50.

lem, Sa.s.sinak thought, watching Arly's hands rove her control board, it was interesting.

The Federation had only one telepathic race, the Wefts. Since the Wefts usually got along with humans, and had nothing to gain by disarming Fleet s.h.i.+ps, any Wefts were unlikely to complain. The Seti would certainly complain of anything they recognized, and the pacifist members of the Federation, the Bronthin, would drop their foals if they knew. But would they know? Would they consider weaponry the same way Sa.s.sinak and Arly did?

The more obvious armament, items specified in the s.h.i.+p's Fleet cla.s.sification, had to be secured. In this context, that meant control circuits patched out, projectile weapons unloaded and projectiles secured in locked compartments, power detached from EM projectors and opticals. A FedCentral Insystem Security team would be aboard, guarding access to these areas, to prevent anyone from launching a missile, or frying something with a laser.

But the ZaidrDayaris power did not reside only in its named armaments. The most dangerous weapon you will ever control, one of her instructors had said back in the Academy, is right here: between your ears. The weapons you can see, or hold in your hand, are only chunks of metal and plastic.

Arly and Sa.s.sinak together had worked out ways of bypa.s.sing the patchouts, producing readouts that looked clean, while the systems involved still functioned. Not the projectiles. Someone could look and actually see whether or not a launcher had anything in the tube. But the EM and opticals, and the locks on the missile and ammunitions storage bins, could appear to be locked.

”Admiral CoromeU's office,” said Sa.s.sinak, facing the ident screen squarely. She had no idea where on this planet the Admiral would be, but the comcomp would take care of that. Surely there was only one Admiral Coromell at this time.

”Admiral CoromeU's office, Lieutenant. Commander

51.

Dollish speaking.” Dallish looked like most Lieutenant Commanders stuck with sh.o.r.e duty: slightly bored but wary. When he'd had a moment to take in Sa.s.sinak's rank, his eyes brightened. ”Commander Sa.s.sinak! A pleasure, ma'am. We've heard about your exciting tour!”

Sa.s.sinak let herself smile. She should have realized that, of course, rumor would have spread so far. Fleet kept no secrets from itself. ”Not entirely my idea. Is the Admiral available?”

Dallish looked genuinely disappointed. ”No, Commander, he's not. He's gone rhuch hunting over on Six and won't be back for several weeks Standard. You could go and-”

Sa.s.sinak shook her head. ”No, worse luck. Orders say to deliver my prisoner and stand by for pre-trial depositions and hearings.”

”Kipling's copper corns! Sorry, Commander. That's too bad. This is no port for a cruiser.”

”Don't I know it! Look, is there anywhere I can give leave to the crew who aren't involved? Someplace they can have a good time and not get into too much trouble?” She did not miss the change in Dallish's expression, a sudden cool wariness. Had she caused it, or something in his office outside the scan area?

”Commander, perhaps I'd better come aboard, and you can give me your message for Admiral Coromell in person.”

Perfectly correct, perfectly formal, and completely wrong: she had said nothing yet about any message. Sa.s.sinak's experienced hackles rose. ”Fine,” she said. ”What time shall we expect you?”

”Oh . . . sixteen hundred Fleet Standard; that's twenty-three fifty local.”

Late, in other words. Late enough Fleet time that he wouldn't be going back to the Admiral's office afterwards; very late in local time.

”Very well. Fleet shuttle, or . .

”Federation Insystem Security shuttle, Commander. Fleet has no dedicated planetary shuttles.”

Oho, Sa.s.sinak thought. So Fleet personnel onplanet are isolated unless Security lets them fly? She asked 52.

for, and got, an identification profile, and signed off. When she looked around, her bridge crew had clearly been fastening.

”I don't like that,” she said to Arly. ”If-^when-I go downside, III want one of our shuttles available, just in case.

Arly nodded, eyes twinkling. Sa.s.sinak knew she was thinking of the last shuttle expedition. And young Timran's unexpectedly lucky rashness.

”Weapons systems lockdown is supposed to include shuttle lockdown,” Arly reminded her.

Sa.s.sinak did not bother to answer; Arly had had her orders. They understood each other. She hoped an unauthorized shuttle flight would not be necessary. But if it was, she trusted that Arly would arrange it somehow.

Lieutenant Commander Dallish, when he appeared in her office shortly after debarking from the Security shuttle, apologized for his earlier circ.u.mlocutions.

”The Admiral told me he considers you in a unique position to provide evidence against the planet pirates,” he said. ”For that reason, he warned me to take every precaution if you contacted his office. I don't really think that anyone there is a traitor, but with that much traffic . . . and one of them a Council bureaucrat ... I decided not to take chances.”

”Very wise,” said Sa.s.sinak.

In person he looked just as he had on the screen: perhaps five years younger than she, professional without being stuffy, obviously intelligent.

”You asked about liberty for your crew. Frankly, you could not be in a worse place, particularly right now. You know the Grand Council's in session this year?”

Sa.s.sinak hated to admit that she had only the vaguest idea how the Federation Grand Council actually scheduled its work, and gave a noncommittal response. Dallish went on as if she'd said something intelligent.