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"I'm not sure Captain Fargoe would buy that one."
"Ah, but she'd never met Kimmer, and I have." Saraidh gave him an encouraging thumbs-up.
The moment of truth came two long, weary weeks later. The temperature inside the Erica began to rise with its proximity to Rukbat, reaching an uncomfortable level. Benden was sweating heavily as he watched the ominous approach of the tiny black cinder of the system's first planet. That poor wright hadn't had a chance to survive. Bender intended to.
"Burn minus sixty seconds," he a
"Nine, eight, seven," Nev chanted, his eyes glittering with anticipation. This was his first slingshot. "Five, four, three, two… one!"
Benden pressed the Burn button, and the Erica lunged forward. As he was slammed deep into the pads of the contour seat, he knew the maneuver would be successful and surrendered to the mighty g-forces he had just initiated.
Benden returned to consciousness, the blessed silence of space, and the relief of weightlessness. His first glance was for the expended fuel. Point-ninety-eight KPs left. It should be enough—provided the course corrections were accurate. He had one last burn to make as they bisected the Amherst's wake and then turned back to her at a sharp vector.
"My compliments, Lieutenant," Ni Morgana said briskly, unsnapping her harness. "We seem to be well on our way now. I think the cook has something special for lunch today."
Benden blinked at her.
She gri
Benden wasn't the only one who groaned. They'd added supplies at Honshu, but the fresh foods were long gone and they were down to the emergency rations: nourishing but uninspired. And that's all they had for the next two weeks.
When he was back on board the Amherst, Ross Benden was going to order up the most lavish celebratory meal in the mess's well-stocked larder. When—and he gri
When the Erica's sensors picked up the cruiser's unmistakable ion radiation trail, Benden was in the command cabin, teaching Alun and Pat the elements of spatial navigation. The boys were bright and so eager to prepare themselves for their new life that they were a pleasure to instruct.
"Back to your pods, boys. We've got another burn."
"Like the last one?" Alun asked plaintively.
"No, matey. Not like the last one. Just a touch on the button."
Reassured, they propelled themselves out of the cabin and down the companionway, dexterously passing Saraidh and Nev at the door.
"A touch being all the fuel we've got left," Saraidh murmured, taking her seat. She leaned forward, peering out into the blackness of space around them.
"You won't see anything yet," Nev remarked.
"I know it," she replied, shrugging. "Just looking."
"It's there, though."
"And not long gone," Benden added, "judging by the strength of the ion count." He toggled on the intercom. "Now, listen up. A short burn, not like the last, just enough to change our course to match up our final approach to the Amherst." In an aside to Saraidh he added, "I feel like a damned leisure-liner captain."
"You'd make a grand one," she replied blandly, "especially if you have to change your branch of service."
"My what?" Benden never knew when Lieutenant Ni Morgana's wayward humor would erupt.
"Lighten up, Ross. We're nearly home and dry."
"Fifteen minutes to course correction." He nodded to Nev to watch the digital while he contacted the Amherst. "Erica to Amherst. Do you read me?"
"Loud and clear," came Captain Fargoe's voice. "About ready to join us, Lieutenant?"
"That's my aim, Captain."
"We'll trust it's as accurate as ever. Fire when ready Gridley."
"Captain?"
"Roger, over and out."
Beside him, Saraidh was chuckling. "Where does she get them?"
"Get what?" Nev asked.
"Are you counting down, Ensign?"
"Yes, sir. Coming down to ten minutes forty seconds."
Why was it time could be so elastic? Benden wondered as the ten minutes seemed to go on forever, clicking second by second. At the minute, he flexed both hands and shook his shoulders to release the tension in his neck. At zero, he depressed the burn on the last ninety-eight KPs in the tank yawing to starboard. He felt the surge of the good gig Erica as she responded. Then all of a sudden the engines cut out with the exhausted whoosh that meant no more fuel in the tank.
Had the Erica completed the course correction? Or had the engines stopped untimely? The margin was so damned slight! And the proof would be the appearance of the comforting bulk of the Amherst any time now. If the maneuve had been completed before the fuel was exhausted.
Like the two officers beside him, Benden instinctively leaned forward, peering out into the endless space in front of them.
"I've got a radar reading, Lieutenant," Nev said, and there was no denying the relief in his voice. "It can't be anything but the Amherst. I think we're going to make it
"All we need is to get close enough for them to shoot us a magnetic line," Benden muttered.
Nev uttered a whoop. "Thar she be!" He pointed. Benden had to blink to be sure he actually was seeing the ru
Just then the comunit opened to a sardonic voice. "That's cutting it fine indeed, Lieutenant." The blank screen cleared to a view of the captain, her head cocked and her right eyebrow quizzically aslant. "Trying to match your uncle's finesse?"
"Not consciously, ma'am, I assure you, but I'd be pleased to hear the confirmation that our present course and speed are A-OK for docking?"
"Not a puff of fuel left, huh?"
"No, ma'am."
She looked to her left, then faced the screen squarely again, a little smile playing on her lips. "You'll make it. And I'll expect to have reports from both you and Lieutenant Ni Morgana as soon as you've docked. You've had time enough on the trip in to write a hundred reports."
"Captain, I've got the passengers to settle."
"They'll be settled by medics, Ross. You've done your part getting them here. I want to see those reports."
And the screen darkened.
"Got yours all ready, Ross?" Ni Morgana asked with a sly grin as she swiveled her chair around.
"And yours?"
"Oh, it's ready, too. I said that I believed Kimmer suicided."
Benden nodded, glad of her support. "It would have had to have been self-destruction, Saraidh. He would have been far more familiar with airlock controls than Shensu or his brothers," he said slowly, considering his words. "It's really far more likely that he did suicide, given the fact that he had failed to bring along all that metal. Damn fool! He must have known that he was dangerously overloading the ship. He could have murdered us." That angered Benden.
"Yes, and nearly succeeded. I think he was hoping that his death would have brought suspicion on the brothers, as the most likely to wish his demise," Ni Morgana went on. "He would have liked jeopardizing their futures. And discrediting another Benden if he could." When she heard Benden's sharp inhalation, she touched his hand, causing him to look at her. "You can still be proud of your uncle, Ross. You heard what Shensu said, and how proud he was of the way the admiral marshaled all available defenses."