The Ascent

Chapter 45

I knew we were closing in on our missing ships when the local authorities greeting us grew increasingly hostile. A rumor spread that Kenneth Phon and his fleet had turned pirate and had set all the Golden Worlds ablaze, venting and looting every transport they came across. I was very glad to have my escort of cruisers then and let Commander Gautier handle the conversations with the locals, though if they had stopped to ask themselves why a handful of Spartan light cruisers were allowing what looked like a private custom-built racing yacht to follow them around, things could have gotten more difficult for me.

We found what was left of the Solarian/Pentaminc fleet at Two Worlds as Director Sharkey had said. I located the Phoenix and sent Commander Brennon a request to talk. He responded immediately.

"Commander Phon! I can't tell you how glad I am to see you!"

"Requesting permission to dock, commander," I said.

"Absolutely. You're timing couldn't have been better. We really need you right now."

"Why is that?"

"The locals have basically put the entire fleet under house arrest. Not long after we got here, news of the colonials' raids got out and, though we were obviously not involved, they refused to give us permission to leave for fear we would go off and join them."

"Well, fortunately, I just spoke with the director of Spartan Interplanetary Defense, I'll see if I can't pull some strings to get the fleet released. Go ahead and have your crews prepare to depart. One way or another, this fleet is leaving."

Commander Brennon gave me a relieved smile. "So, you're returning to take command?"

"If your commanders will follow me. Please schedule a meeting with them in two hours. I'm going to need to brief you all on the situation."

"Are we working for the Spartans now?"

"Let's just say we're allied with them, but first we have to go join up with those renegade colonials ships.

* * *

The race which had colonized the local worlds called themselves The People and reminded me of sloths. They had sloping foreheads, shaggy body hair and a dopy expression similar to the animal's. The local governor, who had been too busy to take any of the commanders' many calls, responded immediately to my request to talk.

"Directly please be answering yourself, Citizen Kenneth Phon, to the entrance security forces," he said the minute we connected.

"And why would I do that?" I asked.

"Numerous and various crimes and piracy complaints others have charged against you."

"If that were true, that would be quite a trick as I only entered the Golden Worlds 15.35 STU ago."

"A court of adjudication will have to determine that."

"I'm afraid we don't have time for this nonsense. I'm under direct orders from the Spartan military to collect those Solarians causing you trouble and remove them from the Golden Worlds."

"Say you the Spartan military?"

"You can check with Director James Sharkey of the Spartan Interplanetary Defense yourself, if you like. In the mean time, I suggest you dismiss these obviously spurious charges and assist our fleet in its departure."

"Please leave not the system while we consult."

The connection ended while, no doubt, the governor made frantic calls to the Spartan ambassador. Meanwhile, having docked the Argippus in the Phoenix, I brushed past a startled flight deck attendant with a casual "good afternoon." I made my way straight to C&C, which was being used for temporary storage, and booted up the com panels in one of the pods.