Solbidyum Wars Saga 6: Defeat of the Tottalax (36 page)

“You know that, and I know that, but Tetteferd 3 is far from Nibaria, and I would be willing to bet there has never been a Nibarian on the planet.  I doubt that many people on Tetteferd 3 have ever seen one close up either.  Besides, we don’t think she kept this disguise long.  She went to a hotel and checked in, but she never checked out officially.  There were three people who left the hotel that night, one was this lady you see here.  You will notice a slight resemblance to Sisopan as she appears here, only with a different hair style and color.  Our agent followed her back to the spaceport where she booked a ticket to Vassacless, but she never boarded the ship.  Instead she boarded a private space yacht named
FLAME OF BRIGHTNESS,
which departed Tetteferd 3 a few minutes later, giving no destination when it left.”

Are you sure it was Sisopan that left in the ship?”  I asked.

“Wabussie gave me a smile and said, “
FLAME OF BRIGHTNESS
… Brotherhood of Light… think there is any connection?”

“It could just be a coincidence,” I answered.

“Here is one other piece of information, the
FLAME OF BRIGHTNESS,
formerly belonged to Eulshod Rendoid.”

“Wasn’t he the puppet figurehead for the Brotherhood of Light?” I said.

“Exactly, we have no information on what happened to the yacht after Eulshod Rendoid was killed.  Up until this event, we hadn’t seen or heard of the ship since Eulshod Rendoid’s death.”

“Any idea where the ship went?”  I asked.

“None, and we have no idea where it arrived from, either.  All we know is it arrived three days before Sisopan did.”

“Doesn’t the spaceport and customs on the planet take and record such information?”  I asked.

“On most planets. yes, but Tetteferd 3 is very lax on its rules, and even more lax in enforcing them.”

“Has anyone there ever seen the
FLAME OF BRIGHTNESS
land there before?”  I asked.

Wabussie looked startled for a moment and then, “I don’t believe we checked into that, do you want us to?”

“Yes, by all means possible.  If the
FLAME OF BRIGHTNESS
has docked there in the past it’s likely that wherever it goes and hides out is somewhere close by, or at least in that sector.”

“Right, I’ll have our agent on Tetteferd 3 check it out.  He’s still there.”

Over the next few days while we waited for the Brotherhood to show up at Weccies, I had an opportunity to catch up on reports and fleet status.  I met with both Stonbersa and Kophious and gave orders for new assignments for ships and areas to set up defenses.  I also met with the captains of the
SOKAIA
and
FARWAR
to discuss various tactics we might employ when the Brotherhood arrived, and we ran simulations in the War Room of the
MAXETTE
to analyze the outcomes.  I also had time to get into the gym and work out, and I was dismayed at how out of shape I had gotten over the past few months.  As I was working out in the gym on the
NEW ORLEANS,
Padaran approached me.

“First Citizen, I’ve not seen you in here in some time.”

“I know.  I haven’t had the time of late, and I really am out of shape,” I said.

“Well, if you need a partner to spar with, I’d be happy to oblige you.  I haven’t had an opportunity to spar with you since before we went to Goo-Waddle,” he said.

“That seems like it was ages ago,” I replied, “a lot has happened since then.  I’m a bit rusty now I fear.”

“All the better reason for you to get back into the routine.  Come on, Tibby, let’s see how much you have deteriorated,” he said grinning, as he took up a pose on the mats.

“All right,” I said.  I had a feeling I was about to have my pride and ego handed to me on a platter.

For the first few minutes, both Padaran and I more or less tested each other, neither of us making any serious attempt at taking the offensive.  I realized quite quickly that Padaran’s skills now clearly outmatched my own, and he was using moves and techniques that I was unfamiliar with.  I knew he had learned some new moves from Slater and also from one of the Chinese Earthmen we had rescued, but this was the first time I had a chance to go up against him since then.  Finally, I saw what I thought was a careless move on Padaran’s part, and I made my move, however, I quickly found myself on the mat with Padaran’s fist inches from my nose.

“I didn’t think you would fall for that trick Tibby,” Padaran said through a grin.

“I didn’t even know it was a trick,” I replied as he helped me to my feet, “can you show me what you did?”

“Certainly,” he replied as he began to walk me through the moves.  This was to be the beginning of a pattern that would repeat itself throughout the rest of our session and on into following weeks as well.  There was only one occasion was I able to beat him, and that was pure accidental reflex on my part.  At the end of our session, Padaran said, “Don’t feel bad about this, Tibby, I’m sure that if you didn’t have all those synthetic nerve segment repairs, your reflexes would be faster.”

“I certainly hope that’s the reason,” I replied with a touch of embarrassment, “I would hate to think I had gotten so out of form strictly on my own.  In the back of my mind, I was making a mental note to set aside at least 30 minutes every day to run through martial arts moves, a practice I had gotten out of since taking over my duties as fleet admiral.

When I entered the door to my suite, I saw Lunnie chasing a laughing Reidecor, who was running straight at me.  Reidecor had his head down and didn’t see me, and he collided into me with what amounted to a head butt in the groin.  I saw stars and felt myself dropping to the floor just as Kala came in from the other room.

“Tib, are you all right?” she exclaimed as she rushed to my side.  “What happened?”

“Today just isn’t my day,” I said through gritted teeth.  First, I got my butt kicked in the gym sparring with Padaran, and now my son drops me to the floor with a head-on collision with my groin.”  Kala laughed, and a concerned-looking Reidecor said, “Daddy hurt?”  Behind him, a wide-eyed Lunnie said,” Reide you knock Daddy down.  Tell him you're sorry.”

“Are you going to be okay?” Kala asked.  “Do you need me to get you some ice to keep the swelling down?”

“Ah, I don’t think it’s that bad.” I said as she helped me slowly to my feet.  By now, most of the pain had subsided, but my knees felt a bit wobbly.  “I may need Reide to teach me that move for the next time I spar with Padaran.  Kala, Padaran wiped the gym up with me today.  I felt like a novice against him.”

“Well, he does practice every day, and you haven’t practiced in months, and I don’t think you’ve sparred with anyone since, well, before we were on Desolation now that I think about it.”

“Don’t remind me.  I’ve decided that starting today, I am going to practice and drill every day.  I just need to figure out where I can fit it in my schedule.  I’m really starting to envy A’Lappe with his not needing to sleep.  If I didn’t have to sleep, I could spend more time with you and the kids doing things, and still attend to the other duties as well.”  By now Lunnie and Reidecor, both seeing me back on my feet again, resumed chasing each other and laughing.

After showering, and eating with Kala and the twins, and changing my uniform again, because Lunnie smeared some of her pudding on it, I went to the
MAXETTE
.  As I entered the War Room, I was greeted by Marranalis.  “Admiral,” he said, “there are several messages waiting for you.”

“Give me the important ones first,” I said.

“Admiral Regeny said to inform you that Leader Tonclin will be making an unofficial visit to the
MAXETTE
later today, and he wishes to meet with you and Admiral Regeny.  Admiral Wabussie wishes to talk with you; he has some new information pertaining to Tetteferd 3.

“Admiral Kophious has sent a message that one of the patrol ships reported picking up something on their long-range sensors, but they are unable to decipher the data.  According to the data, if it was a ship, it is nearly four times larger than our biggest starship, and we know of nothing that size anywhere.  Kophious thinks it’s an asteroid except that it appears to be in controlled flight and can maneuver.  It also has the signature of being propelled by a Gravity Wave drive.”

“Where exactly was this spotted?” I asked.

“The message didn’t say, sir,” Marranalis said.

“Damn it,” I muttered in English.  “Get in contact with Kophious now; I need details.

A few seconds later Admiral Kophious’s image appeared on the vid screen.

“Admiral, is there something I can do for you?” he asked.

“Yes, this message you sent this morning about the scout ship.  Exactly where did this happen, and what were its coordinates?”  I asked, perhaps a bit more gruffly than I should have.

“I’m having them sent to you now,” he replied.  “I should have included them earlier.  I’m sorry.  I’m also sending you all the recordings from the scout’s sensors as well.”

“Admiral, have you sent any other ships out to look for this object again?”  I asked.

“Yes I sent out a squad, but they were unable to find anything.  It was at the outer limits of the scout ship's sensors that spotted it the first time, and heading away from us.  I doubt we could catch up with it if we tried.”

“It was traveling that fast?”  I exclaimed.  “If it was, it certainly wasn’t an asteroid.”

“It was traveling at GW speeds that match our own,” Kophious answered.

“Sir, we’ve received the data now; would you like it displayed in the hologram?”  Marranalis asked.

“Yes, bring it up,” I answered.

The galaxy appeared slowly rotating in the display area at the center of the room.

“Zoom in to the sector where the object appeared and indicate the position of the object,” I said, and a bright green light appeared indicating the object's location.  “Now, project a line through it showing its direction of movement,” I said.  “Okay, now project a line back along the path in the direction it came from.”  A line extended back from the object in the opposite direction.  “Do you still have the coordinates and displays we made the other day for Weccies, Enpowor, Windsor and the other things?”  I asked.

“Yes sir,” Marranalis replied.

“Good, add that to the display.”

Marranalis did, and there was a gasp in the room as the line projected in the direction of Weccies, and extended straight through it.

“Do you think that’s a Brotherhood ship?”  Admiral Kophious asked?

“I’m sure of it now.”  I responded.

“But there is no ship that big that exists in the galaxy!” Kophious exclaimed.

“Maybe there wasn’t, but apparently there is now.  Admiral, I want you to send at least a third of your ships in pursuit of that object.  I know you won’t be able to catch up with it, but when it gets here to Weccies, and we encounter it, it may turn and run back your way.  I want you there to intercept.”

“Do you think Ming is aboard it?”  Kophious asked.

“Somehow I doubt it.  If he was over here,” I said walking into the hologram and indicating the spot where the broadcast was made when he launched the asteroid toward Maisha, there is no way he could have gotten over here,” I said as I walked to the location of the unknown object, “unless he has a Cantolla Gate.  We have no reason to believe that the Brotherhood has a Cantolla Gate or knows how to build one, let alone understand its workings.”

“But you think it’s a Brotherhood ship?”

“I’m positive of it,” I answered.  “Marranalis, how long before it reaches Weccies at its current speed?”

“Two more days, if it maintains the same speed,” he replied.

“Get in contact with Captain Mareoparen; I want him to send several cloaked scout ships out in the direction of the incoming object, and get readings and recordings of this craft, and get the information to us as soon as possible.  We should be able to get ships close enough to start picking up readings by the end of the day.”

“Yes sir,” Marranalis replied.

I spent a few more minutes going over details with Marranalis and Kophious and instructed Marranalis to transmit the information to Admiral Stonbersa as well as Admiral Regeny and Admiral Wabussie.  I was about to leave to see Wabussie and get the new information about Tetteferd 3, when a call came in for me from Padaran, and I wondered what it could be, as I had only seen him a few hours earlier.

“Admiral,” Padaran began as soon as his image appeared on the vid screen, “you asked me to check and see if there were any Ruwallie Rasson ships near Maisha.  I just received a report back from Nybidong that there is one Ruwallie Rasson ship a few days out from the planet.”

“Thank the stars,” I said, “Can you get a message to them to see if they can intercept the asteroid Ming is sending that way and destroy it, or at least break it up enough to prevent the total annihilation of everyone on Maisha?”

“We can try sir.  Nybidong says the ship is an old one, and its weaponry isn’t all that powerful, but it might be able to divert or break up the asteroid a little,” Padaran replied.

“It’s the first hope we’ve got,” I replied.  “Ask them to do whatever they can.”