Part 71 (1/2)

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pure-heavyworlder colony worlds. It still is the richest.” The lift of his eyebrows said so what?

”It's cold, yes.” Lunzie s.h.i.+vered, remembering that cold, and what it had meant. ”And in the first winter, the colonists had heavy losses.”

He shrugged again. ”Colonies always have heavy casualties at first.”

She was furious. Zebara had reason for his bitterness, his anger, his near despair! Coromell had no reason for this complacency but ignorance.

”Forty thousand casualties, Admiral, out of ninety thousand.”

”What?” That had his attention. He stared at her.

”Forty thousand men, who died of starvation and cold because their death was the only hope for the women and children to survive. And even so, not all of them did. Because no one bothered to warn the colonists about the periodic long winter cycles, or provide food for them.”

”Are you . . . are you sure? Didn't they complain to

FSP?”

”To the best of my knowledge, it happened, and what I was told, what I believe is also on that chip along with Paraden and Seti conspiracy, is why the FSP never heard about it officially. Major commercial consortia, Admiral, found it inexpedient to bother about Diplo. And then, because the colonists had turned in desperation to eating indigenous animals, these same consortia threatened to have Fleet down on them. Blackmailed them, to put it simply. The whole long conspiracy, the conscription of heavyworlders into private military forces by Paraden and Parchandri families ... all that results from the original betrayal.”

”But why didn't anyone ever tell us? It's been decades . . . centuries ... no one can keep a secret that longl”

”They can if they're frightened enough. Once begun, it suited the power-hungry on both sides to keep Diplo's population convinced that the FSP would be nothing but trouble. Think of it. Those the consortia dealt with had power. Had that power as long as those they ruled believed no one else could intervene, or would intervene, to bring justice. These chose others, equally ambitious and unscrupulous, to follow them. It was to no one's advantage in the Diplo government or the guilty families to have Diplo citizens confiding in the FSP. No one could come out of the Diplo educational system believing FSP would do anything but interdict the planet for meat-eating and lack of population control.” She paused, watching Coromell's foce change as he thought about it. ”Of course, they do eat meat, and they don't control their population.” His eyes widened again. ”You don't mean? You're serious! But that means ...” ”It means they remember that only meat-eating saved them, and that they'd promised the men who died to carry on their names. They are as serious, as devout, I suppose you'd say, as any upright citizen of FSP who gags at the thought of eating a sentient being. t They've broken the law, and they expect all of us to ^despise them. But they see the law as a weapon which nearly killed them all-for some died rather than eat

-the muskies-and which we use merely to keep them down.”

j. ”But not all the heavyworlder troublemakers are from iDiplo.”

”No, that's true. Though I have no direct evidence, I would imagine that the one place the secret did get out [(was to other heavyworlders in the form of a warning. Some would believe it, and some wouldn't, And so you

ftave Separationists, Integrationists, the whole compli-leated mess that we have here.”

”I think I see.” He stared past her for a long mo-(inent. ”If you're right, Lunzie-and I must say you isent a compelling case-then we are dealing not with today's conspirators, but with long-developed out of the past. If only Sa.s.sinak hadn't disappeared!” 'And you still haven't told me how that happened.” Because we don't know.” Coromell smacked his fist Uto his other hand. ”I wasn't here and no one admits to anything about it. She told her Weapons Offi-that she had an appointment with me, that she was ig Aygar along, and, in essence, not to wait up for 200.

her. No one on my staff knows of any such appointment. She had been informed that I was on leave and was not due back for three more days. The last anyone saw-anyone whose accounts I trust-she and Aygar walked off the down shuttle and into the usual crowd at the shuttleport Pa.s.sed customs, their prints are on file, and then nothing.”

Chapter Thirteen.

fT FSP Cruiser Zaid-Dayan, FedCentral Sa.s.sinak frowned at the carefully worded communication. She did not need to consult the codebook to figure out what it meant. It was in the common senior officers' slang that made its origin very definitely Fleet. Almost impossible to fake slang and the topical references. She had used something like this herself, though rarely. Not something a junior would send to a senior but a senior's discrete way of hinting to the more alert junior.

If she could believe a senior admiral would want a clandestine meeting, would return from leave early, this would be a likely way to signal the officer he wanted to meet. Padalyan reefed her sails, indeed! The . reference to the s.h.i.+p she'd served on before the Zaid-Dayan almost removed her doubts. But it meant leaving the Zaid-Dayan again, and she had not expected to go back onplanet until Coromell returned just before tfe trial. There was nothing illegal about it, with her . s.h.i.+p secured in the FedCentral Docking Station. She : ttill didn't like it.

:* If Ford had been here . . . but Ford was not only not he had not reported anything, anything at all. She 201.

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should have heard from him by now. Another worry. It had seemed so neat, months ago, sending Ford to find out about the Paradens from a social contact, and Lunzie to Diplo, and dumping Dupaynil on the Sett Her mouth quirked. She would bet on Dupaynil to come through with something useful, even if be did figure out his orders were faked. He was too smart for his own good, but a challenge would be good for him.

She realized she was tapping her stylus on the console and made herself put it down. She could think of a dozen good reasons why neither Ford nor Lunzie had shown up yet. And two dozen bad ones. She flicked on one of the screens, calling up a view of the planet below. The fact was that she simply did not want to leave her s.h.i.+p. Here she felt safe, confident, in control. Down on a planet-any planet-she felt lost and alone, a potential victim.

Once recognized, the fear itself drove her to action. She wasn't a frightened child any more. She was a Fleet commander who would finish with more than one star on her shoulders. Earned, not inherited. And she could not afford to be panicked by going downside. Admirals couldn't spend all their time in s.p.a.ce. Besides, she had promised to share her memories of Abe with that remarkable designer woman.

Even after all these years, thinking of Abe made her feel safer. She shook her head at herself, then went to the bridge to give Arly her orders.

”I can t tell you more than what I know,” she said, keeping her voice low. She trusted her crew, but no sense in their having to work to keep secrets. ”Coro-mell wants a meeting out of his office. I'm taking Aygar along as being less obvious than one of the crew. Don't know how long it will take, or when well surface, but stay alert. If you can, monitor their longscans. I have an uneasy feeling that something may be out there, 'way out, and if that happens, you know what to do.”

Arly looked unhappy. ”I'm not breaking the Zaid-Dayan out of here without you, Captain.”

' Don't expect you'll have to. But it won't do me any good if someone slams the planet while I'm on it. ill

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carry a comunit, of course. Buzz me on the s.h.i.+p's line if Ford or Lunzie show up.”

”You're wearing a link?”

”No! They're too easy for someone else to track. I know the corn's signal is hard to home on, but it's better than advertising where the admiral is, since he wants the meeting secret.”

”Are you sure?”

”Sure enough to risk my neck.” Sa.s.sinak glanced around the bridge, and leaned closer. ”To tell you the truth, somethings got my hackles up straight, but I can't tell what. Ford's overdue. Lunzie, too. I don't know. Something. I hate to leave the s.h.i.+p, but I can't ignore the message. Just be careful.”

”And you.” Arly snapped a salute. Sa.s.sinak went back to her quarters and changed into civilian clothes, as requested. Another worry; in civilian clothes, she had no excuse for the ”ceremonial” weapons she could carry in uniform.

She was aware that her bearing would hint Fleet to any really good observer. Why not simply wear her uniform? But orders, a.s.suming these to be genuine, were orders. She stopped by her office and picked up the things she could carry in one of the pouches currently in style. Aygar should be waiting at the access port. He, at least, had sounded eager enough to go Back to the planet. Of course, he had spent only these few months in s.p.a.ce; he was a landsman at heart.

She was surprised to see Ensign Timran waiting with ;'Aygar when she came into the access bay. She nodded V'jta answer to his swift salute. / ”Ensign.” That should send him away quickly. To her Surprise, it did not. Her brows raised. ,-= ”Captain . . , ma'am ...”

**. ”Yes, Ensign?”