The Black Fleet Crisis_ Tyrant's Test Part 32

Eckels nodded. "It was no malfunction, Colonel just a bit of clumsiness."

Pakkpekatt fanned his fingers and gestured dismissively.

"You were speaking of an NRI s.h.i.+p."

"When we reached Maltha Obex, there was a military vessel here. I presumed it was NRI, though nothing was ever said Openly," Eckels said.

"It was the s.h.i.+p that brought our late colleagues here. The pilot guided us to their bodies before he left. That was an unexpected courtesy, to have him wait--I do give you credit for that."

"It was no courtesy, Doctor," said Pakkpekatt.

"Just a bit of bureaucratic paralysis."

"I see." Eckels sat forward in the booth. "It was impatience that killed Stopa and Krenn, Colonel--their own, and that of whoever dangled a bonus worth twice their annual research budget in front of them.

It's curious that what was so urgent suddenly became unnecessary.

Or did it? I was willing to accept Dyson at face value, as another of the artifact hunters who hover around the Inst.i.tute. But your arrival here is one coincidence too many. Dyson is one of you, isn't he?"

"I don't know who he is, Doctor," said Pakkpekatt. "A meddler who's succeeded in manipulating both of us, it seems."

Eckels was taken aback by the unexpected answer, but quickly recovered his momentum. "What is your business here? And what's this about our vessel being at risk? Did you mean that as a warning or a threat, Colonel?"

"A warning," said Pakkpekatt. "A s.h.i.+p may be coming here--a s.h.i.+p that has already destroyed or crippled at least five wars.h.i.+ps from four different navies.

Our business here is to intercept it. Your vessel will be at grave risk if you remain here. I suggest you wrap up your work and move on."

"That's not possible, Colonel," said Eckels. "We're scheduled for another thirteen days here, and we need every minute of every hour."

"It may be possible for you to return at another time," said Pakkpekatt. "But Maltha Obex is not a safe place to be now."

"That has been the case for quite some time, Colonel."

"Are your people willing to keep working on the surface knowing that you can't promise them you'll have time to come back for them? Are they willing to risk freezing to death with the memory of seeing Penga Rift turn into a very brief bright spot in the sky?"

"You are trying to frighten me, Colonel. That shows a disappointing lack of respect," said Eckels.

"I am trying to save your life, and the lives of those under your command."

"You are trying to protect your secrets," said Eckels.

"What kind of s.h.i.+p is coming here, Colonel?"

"One that destroyed an Imperial-design cruiser with ease, just two days ago," said Pakkpekatt. "Perhaps you should consult with the captain of Penga Rift and ask him how he views the prospect of commanding it in battle."

"I will not cede Maltha Obex to the NRI," said Eckels. "The work is important--and a friend died here.

Both of those things matter to me, Colonel, even if they mean nothing to you. Do what you need to here. We won't interfere with your business if you grant us the same courtesy."

"It isn't our interference you need to be concerned with," said Pakkpekatt. "Doctor, I cannot offer you protection--" "Oh, yes, from the mysterious s.h.i.+p that's no threat to your vessel, but a terrible threat to ours. The rampaging juggernaut that dispatches wars.h.i.+ps with ease, yet apparently will cower when confronted by your yacht. I don't believe a word of it. Really, Colonel, couldn't you have invented a more plausible lie? I thought spies were supposed to be good at that--" Pakkpekatt hissed and lunged forward, his threat ruffles unfolding. Eckels startled, sitting straight up.

Even Barjas, watching on the flatscreen display, flinched noticeably.

"I have spoken only the truth to you," Pakkpekatt said, his voice thick with anger. "The dead will wait for you. Leave this place before you join them."

This time, the threat was effective. Only simple stubbornness trumped the sudden flash of fear that showed in Eckels's eyes. "Perhaps you are telling the truth, as you say," he said. "But if you had the authority to order us to leave, you would have already done so. So let it just be understood between us that we're staying.

We accept the risks. Others may return here in the future, but this is our time."

"You do not know what you risk by that decision, Dr. Eckels."

"You remain free to enlighten me," said Eckels.

"What kind of s.h.i.+p is coming to Maltha Obex?"

Pakkpekatt sat back and folded his hands in his lap. "A Qella s.h.i.+p, Dr. Eckels."

Eckels stared, dumbfounded, then cast his gaze downward. Twice he opened his mouth as if to speak.

Both times he momentarily clOSed his eyes and shook his head, as though disowning the thought trying to reach his lips. Finally he ran a hand back through his thinning hair and raised his head.

"Would you care to come aboard Penga Rift, Colonel?"

Eckels said, his voice surprisingly steady. "I believe I owe you an apology, and then we need to talk."

"That's what you wanted from the start, isn't it?"

Taisden said when the link was terminated, looking at Pakkpekatt in surprise.

"I never intended for them to leave," Pakkpekatt agreed. "That s.h.i.+p contains all of the New Republic's experts on the Qella. What they know--however little-mmay be the difference between success and failure."

"Sure--and if we can make use of them, better to keep them here than chase them away. But you played him like a kolo-fisher working a record catch, " said Taisden. "Chances are you left him thinking he won that showdown, with a chance at the vagabond as his reward for hanging tough."

"I had the insuperable advantage of being able to tell the bait from the hook," Pakkpekatt said, rising.

"Still, perhaps there's something about sitting in Calris-sian's couch that brings such manipulations more readily to mind and tongue."

"What manipulations?" Taisden asked, his expression innocent of humor.

"After all, Colonel, just as you said, all you told him was the truth."

But they both knew that Eckels had not yet heard all of the truth.

Pakkpekatt left Colonel Hammax in command of Lady Luck's flight deck and charged Pleck with making the arrangements with Coruscant for the recall signal to be rebroadcast from NRI stations and vessels operating in the open. Then he and Taisden went across to Penga Rift in the research vessel's skiff.

They brought with them a selection of images from Gmar Asklion, a copy of the genetic catalog, and a re quest for one of Penga Rift's...o...b..tal relay satellites.

Standard equipment aboard research and exploration vessels--but not aboard Lady Luck--the generic hel-met-sized units were ordinarily used in sets of three to give a single s.h.i.+p global comm coverage.

"We can and will originate the recall signal from Lady Luck,"

Taisden explained. "But for obvious reasons, we might not want to be right next to the antenna if and when the vagabond jumps in-system."

A profoundly distracted Joto Eckels agreed with a wave of his hand.

"Yes, of course. We carry two spares--Mazz will make one available to you." The holos of the vagabond escaping from the armada, juxtaposed with selected views of the destroyed Prakith cruiser, had made a deep impression on Eckels.

But the major distraction was the dispatch containing the report on the Qella genome. "This is very good work," Eckels said, studying the sequences on his datapad. "These Eicroth bodies--what an extraordinary discovery. This report is based on the single example I delivered to Harkin Dyson, yes?"

"I a.s.sume so," said Pakkpekatt. "It appears to be the only Qella material to have left the system."

"Then we do not know if these Eicroth bodies are typical of the species, or indicate an abnormal condition, or represent a variant of the species," Eckels said.

"With only a single example, no generalizations can be made."

"Presumably not."

Eckels closed his datapad. "Colonel, we have five additional Qella bodies in the specimen lab. They've all been fully scanned, but the scans haven't yet been reviewed in detail--" "Why not?" Taisden interrupted.

"We scan them as soon as we receive them because of the risk of sample deterioration," Eckels said, turning toward the younger man.

"a.n.a.lysis is something we can do on the way home, or at the Inst.i.tute."

He looked back at Pakkpekatt. "Colonel, we did not know about this secondary genetic material. If I could take this data back to the lab for a few hours, I may be able to answer that question, and perhaps some others as well."

"That copy is for your use," said Pakkpekatt, "a.s.suming that you will accept one restriction."

"Any reasonable one," said Eckels. "This really must be looked at right away."

"I ask only that the data not leave this vessel in any form, by any channel, until we better understand it. If what you hold there is in fact the key to stopping and controlling the vagabond--" "I understand.

An intact Qella vessel would be a treasure far too valuable to risk.

This data will not leave my personal custody," Eckels vowed. "I will do this work myself, under isolation protocols. Will that be satisfactory?"

"Entirely satisfactory," said Pakkpekatt. "In the meantime, we will return to our vessel with the relay satellite and continue our preparations."

"I'll signal you when I have something," said Eck-els, waggling the datacards. "Can you find your way back to the skiff by yourselves? I want to get started immediately."

"Of course."

"Thank you. I'll have First Officer Manazar meet you there with the relay satellite."

As they waited for Manazar at the skiff, Taisden asked quietly, "When are you going to tell him about the general being onboard?"

"When I know that Calrissian is still onboard," said Pakkpekatt.

"By now even the most prudent rationing, the most severely restricted activity, will have exhausted their personal consumables. I have been wondering if that might be the explanation for the beckon call to Lady Luck--a last act of desperation by the last surviving member of Calrissian's team, in the last hours of his life."

The somber mood set by Pakkpekatt's words stayed with them all the way back to Lady Luck, and cast a long shadow on the work waiting for them there.

Instead of signaling, Dr. Eckels came calling. By the time the skiff came alongside Lady Luck, her entire complement had gathered to learn the reason for the change of plans.

"Colonel," Eckels said, ducking his head as he stepped through the inner airlock. "Agent Taisden.

These other gentlemen I do not know--" Pakkpekatt supplied perfunctory introductions. "Is something wrong, Doctor?"

"Wrong? No, quite the opposite. I think I have good news for you.

Is there somewhere we can work?"

Pleck led them forward to the lounge of Lando's personal suite.

"You'll have to go slowly with us, Doctor," said Hammax as they filed in. "Combat medicine isn't long on theory, and I don't think the rest of them have had even that much."

"I understand. I'll try to make certain no one needs to be telepathic to keep up," Eckels said. His voice had the faintest hint of a playful lilt.

"An excellent policy," Pakkpekatt rumbled. "I follow it myself."

Taisden cleared his throat. Otherwise, there was silence as the five sorted themselves into the available seats.

"You checked the other cadavers for these Eicroth bodies?" asked Pakkpekatt.

"The first thing I did," Eckels said. He ran his hands over the soft leather covering of the padded arms, then looked around the cabin, taking in the luxury appointments. "Are all NRI s.h.i.+ps outfitted this way?"

"Not generally," Pakkpekatt said.

"This is a, uh, special-use vessel," added Pleck.

"What use would that be--bordello?" asked Eck-els.

"Well, never mind. I've long suspected that I took the wrong career path. Yes, Eicroth bodies. They all had them."

"That confirms it then, right?" asked Taisden.

"They're normal parts of Qella physiology."

"By itself, it would only be strongly indicative,"

said Eckels. "A common parasitic infestation would still be a possibility. But I have other evidence."

Taisden looked to Pakkpekatt. "So we need to send all three sections of the code."

"No, no," said Eckels, waving his hands in front of him. "Sending a third of it should be sufficient. Here, I will explain. In your cells, and mine, and even those of the colonel here, there is a universal pattern--a chemical alphabet with four letters, a vocabulary of words two letters long, a grammar of sentences three words long."

"Nucleotides, base pairs, and codons," said Pakkpekatt. "This is elementary biology."

Eckels's gaze narrowed as he looked toward the colonel. "Yes," he said. "Every sentence specifies a component of a biochemical structure.