Fic: Altered Trajectory (cont.)

[jeriendhal]

“Pardon me, milord, but have you completely taken leave of your senses?” Mac demanded. It was some six hours later, after they had left Bolt Hole to return temporarily to the safety of the Falcon Claw. Rufus was leaning back in his chair in the ship’s conference room, looking across the table at the security officer with what he hoped was bland indifference, Hazel by his side, while Captain Sharpfang moderated.

“Our orders are to open a line of communication with the Varn Dominion,” he said. “Which I am in the process of doing.”

“Which you have done,” Mac insisted. “All that has to be done now is hand a set of proposed communication protocols to that Galapagos spy, and then we just wait for them to contact us over the ultrawave.”

“Not good enough,” Rufus countered. “Terran Federation agents…”

“Suspected Federation agents,” Sharpfang interjected. “Let’s not speculate here.”

“Someone tried to capture and/or kill Narod Drisden. He was deliberately targeted, which means they were under orders to capture him specifically or anyone resembling his species.”

“Maybe they were all color blind and thought he was a Wazagan,” Hazel suggested straight-faced, earning a withering look from Mac that bounced off her with no visible effect.

Rufus continued. “At any rate, we can safely assume there are hostile forces working actively to prevent us from making diplomatic contact with the Galapagos. I think it would be much more effective to send a live representative to make contact, rather than draw things out via a time-delayed communication link. If the Federation has nefarious purposes in mind, speed may be essential.”

“On the other hand, you’re proposing sending a member of a prominent Farmer Lord family, with knowledge of privileged information concerning Vulpine Prime’s defenses, into the heart of the Varn Dominion,” Captain Sharpfang said. “That’s not a prospect I like.”

“Aside from some cocktail party gossip I don’t know anything more than the average Vulpine,” Rufus countered. “Less perhaps, given that I spent the past seven years lazing about playing the mercenary.”

“It’s still a stupid risk,” Mac said.

“It’s my risk to take. More to the point, Count Lakewalker placed responsibility for this mission’s success on me. Which means (if you’ll forgive me, Captain) that everyone here is effectively working for me.” Rufus rapped his artificial hand on the table decisively, ignoring Hazel’s muttered comment of So do I get a salary then or what? and stated, “So here’s what we’re going to do. Hazel and I, accompanied by Lt. Flashpaw for security, will go down and meet with Mr. Drisen and his contact. Assuming his contact has the means, we will attempt to convince them to take us to the Dominion directly and contact Administrator Gisko and the Varn Gene Mage. From there I will attempt to formalize a line of communication between the Dominion and Council of Farmer Lords. Then we return, protocols in hand, and hopefully begin formal and public diplomatic relations between our two governments.”

“I protest this action,” Mac said.

“Protest all you want, shorty. Rufus is the one calling the shots here,” Hazel said, sounding smug.

“Oh, I will, I will, Miss Swiftfoot. You can count on it,” he growled back.

* * *

The next morning ship’s time they fly their fighters back down to Bolt Hole’s port. When Willy came around to collect their port fees, he gave Rufus a sharp look and some thing even rarer on Bolt Holt, free information.

“Now I’m only telling you this because you’re a good customer, but some fellows were asking for you this morning, Captain Rufus,” he said. “Humans, two of them.”

Rufus frowned. “Did you recognize them?”

Willy shook his head. “Nope. Military sorts though. Fit fellas, crew cuts, always looking around to make sure they’re not going to get snuck up on. I’d have figured ‘em for mercenaries putting on airs, but they were a bit too clean, if you know what I mean. They knew who you were though. Had your name, but not your lady friend’s there,” he said, pointing to Hazel. Behind Rufus, Mac swore under his breath.

Rufus peeled off a couple of bills and started to hand them to Willy. To his surprise, the port administrator held up his hand, refusing the payment. “You’re still good until the end of the day with what you paid yesterday, and the information I gave you is all part of the service,” the man said.

“That’s unusually generous of you, Willy,” Rufus said.

“You’re a good customer, Captain Brushtail. That and I don’t care for the idea of regular military types sneaking around my port. Might mean some damnfool is going to try and bring civilization in, and where will that leave poor me?”

As Willy and his creo bodyguards drove off, Mac turned to Rufus and stated flatly, “If they’ve got your name, that means this operation is blown, Milord. We need to bug out and head back to the Falcon Claw. It’s likely they’ve got agents watching the port with eyes on us right now.”

“Much as I hate to admit it, I’m with Mac on this one, Rufus,” Hazel added. “There must have been at least one survivor from that fight we had who was able to report in. We should head back up to the ship where it’s safe.”

“I don’t care for that idea, but I can’t deny you’re right. Let me contact Drisden and inform him of the situation,” Rufus said. He pressed the secured com into his ear and turned it on. “Drisden, this is Rufus Brushtail. I need to speak to you about a security situation rather urgently.” He waited a moment, only hearing dead silence, before he repeated himself.

“No response?” Mac asked.

“Nothing,” he said. Rufus called into the com again, worry starting to twist in his stomach.

“Don’t panic now,” Hazel said. “For all we know he might be in the loo.”

Rufus shook his head. “I don’t want to count on that. Hazel, help me unship the bike. I want to head over to his lair and check things out.”

“By the Cold and Dark, no!” Mac exclaimed.

Rufus looked at the little security officer coldly. “I don’t know how many times I’m going to have to explain it to you, but you are not in charge of this expedition, Lt. Flashpaw.”

“Fine then. Allow me to on record stating that it’s a frelling stupid idea, milord. There are a dozen perfectly normal reasons for this Drisden to be incommunicado, and none of them require you placing yourself at risk.”

Rufus growled softly. “And I can name a dozen more that mean he needs help. So for the good of Vulpine I’m going to check into this situation personally. Follow me or not, it’s your choice.”

TBC

Comments

[mjkj.livejournal.com]

Wow...

They already got him? That sounds bad...

Nice story, though, as usual :)

mjkj


PS: missing word second to last paragraph:
[quote]Allow me to * on record stating that it’s a frelling stupid idea, milord.[/quote]
I suspect that should read: "Allow me to go on record" or something the like