In Fire Forged: Worlds of Honor V-ARC (18 page)

“Acknowledged,” Forman said.

Charles looked at Mercier, noting the grim edge to the other’s standard poker face. Whatever had happened, the Peep was just as much in the dark as Charles was.

Casually, Charles walked over to Weiss’s side. “The
Derfflinger
is Herzog von Rabenstrange’s ship, isn’t it?” he asked.

“That’s correct,” Weiss said. His voice and manner were as grim as they’d been for the past two days, but Charles could hear a touch of pride beneath the concern. “You won’t have known this, but he’s been my patron for most of my governmental career.”

“Really,” Charles said with feigned surprise. Of course he’d known of Weiss’s relationship with the Andermani duke. It was the reason he’d picked Weiss as the point man for this operation in the first place. “He’s, what, fourth in line for the throne?”

“Third,” Weiss said. “More than that, he’s a cousin and close confidant of the Emperor. That’s why I sent word directly to him as soon as I returned from Karavani.”

“And he asked us to meet him
here
?”

“Actually, he asked us to meet him at New Berlin,” Weiss said. “But events have dictated otherwise.” He gestured at the screen. “A merchant convoy was attacked here a few days ago, its escort badly damaged and one of the freighters disabled.”

“They were attacked
here
?” Charles asked, his stomach tightening. Was this some bizarre coincidence? “What was it, pirates?”

“Apparently not,” Weiss said. “The attacker was running a false ID code, but the escort’s captain believes it to have been a Manty heavy cruiser.”

Charles shot a look at Mercier. There was nothing in the
Ellipsis
’s orders about attacking Andy merchantmen. Or of leaving Irrlicht at all, for that matter. “That seems…strange,” he said.

“At the very least,” Weiss agreed. “I understand that the admiral will be briefing us personally once we’re aboard.”

“I’ll look forward to that,” Charles murmured, and wandered away from Weiss again.

What in
hell’s
name was Tyler playing at?

*
   
*
   
*

The pinnace was waiting precisely where the traffic coordinator had said it would be, and arrived alongside the
Hase
within minutes after the courier boat dropped its wedge. Half an hour after that, their black-uniformed
Totenkopf
Marine escort ushered the three visitors past two similarly uniformed Marines into one of the
Derfflinger
’s conference rooms.

Three men were waiting at the table, all of them resplendent in Andermani naval uniforms. At the head of the table was Rabenstrange himself, flanked by his intelligence officer, Commander Chiro Schmidt, and a man in a captain’s uniform whom Charles didn’t recognize. All three Andermani were looking grim, but the captain’s expression carried an additional edge of shame and smoldering anger. Spread out strategically around the walls were another half dozen armed
Totenkopfs
.

“
Herr
Weiss,” Rabenstrange said gravely as Weiss led the party into the room. “It’s good to see you again, Lyang.”

“And you, My Lord,” Weiss said, just as gravely, “though I would have preferred happier circumstances. May I present my guests: Charles Navarre of the Solarian League, and Thomas Mercier of the Star Kingdom of Manticore.”

“Welcome aboard the IAN
Derfflinger,
” Rabenstrange said. His gaze flicked across Charles, evaluating him in that single glance, then settled onto Mercier. “Your countrymen,
Herr
Mercier. What exactly are they up to?”

“I don’t know, My Lord,” Mercier said, his voice pitched even darker than Rabenstrange’s and Weiss’s. “And with your permission, may I state that they’re no longer
my
countrymen. I fear the Manticore I grew up on no longer exists.”

“Perhaps,” Rabenstrange said. Clearly, he was a man who didn’t jump lightly to conclusions. “We shall see.” He gestured to his right. “This is Commander Schmidt, my intelligence officer—” gestured left “—and Captain Vien of the IAN
Eule,
the ship whose convoy was attacked here twelve days ago. Captain, perhaps you could give our guests a brief summary of those events.”

Charles listened in fascination and ever increasing horror as Vien detailed the disguised cruiser’s approach, its sudden attacks on him and the freighter under his care, and the mysterious warning the attacker had given before fleeing the system. By the time a copy of the transmission was played, with the visual proof that the attacker was indeed Captain Tyler and the
Ellipsis,
it was such a complete lack of surprise that Charles didn’t need to worry about his face giving anything away. Mercier, he was certain, was in equal control.

“Comments?” Rabenstrange invited when Vien was finished.

Protocol, Charles knew, required him to allow Weiss the opportunity to speak first. But the other remained silent, and after a moment Charles cleared his throat. “I suppose the first and most obvious question is whether we’re certain the freighter was not, in fact, carrying any armaments.”

“What difference does that make?” Vien snapped. “For Manticore to attack an Andermani vessel carrying
any
Andermani cargo within Andermani borders is a blatant act of war.”

“Captain,” Rabenstrange said quietly.

With a visible effort, Vien regained control of himself. “My apologies, Admiral,” he said. He paused. “And to you, as well,
Herr
Navarre.”

“The fault was mine,” Charles said, ducking his head and trying furiously to come up a more politic way to get to the point he’d been trying to make. Tyler’s irresponsible action had been way over the line, but there was nothing Charles could do about that now. What he
could
do was use the occasion to help solidify the tentative conclusion that the mysterious attacker was, indeed, a Manty. “I’m simply trying to find some reason for the attack, rational or otherwise. May I ask the freighter’s name?”

“The
Krause Rosig,
” Rabenstrange said. “And since you ask, it was carrying machine parts, farming equipment, electronics, and foodstuffs.”

“The
Krause Rosig,
” Charles repeated, frowning in thought. “Thomas, wasn’t there a Peep arms freighter in that last intelligence report that was supposed to be flying with an Andermani ID and the name
Crossroads
?”

“I was just wondering about that,” Mercier agreed without even a fraction of a second’s hesitation. “Its real name was the
Overland,
as I recall.”

“Right,” Charles said, turning back to Rabenstrange. “
Krause Rosig
—
Crossroads
. I wonder if this could have been an honest mistake, My Lord, with the Manties either garbling the report of the arms freighter’s name or the convoy list.”

“An
honest mistake,
you say,
Herr
Navarre?” Vien demanded. “A military intrusion of Andermani space, an
honest mistake
?”

Charles winced. “Another poor choice of words on my part,” he said. “My apologies. I’m simply trying to make some sense out of this.”

“There is one other possibility, My Lord,” Weiss spoke up hesitantly. “Perhaps the Manties were concerned about security in the matter which I recently reported to you.”

“Yes.” For a moment Rabenstrange eyed his protégé. Then, turning to Vien, he nodded. “Thank you for your time, Captain,” he said. “You may return to your ship now. As soon as Commander O’Hara and her investigators have finished examining the damage, I’ll give orders for your repairs to be expedited.”

“Thank you, Admiral,” Vien said. Standing, he saluted both Rabenstrange and Schmidt, nodded to Weiss, then strode past the Marines and left the room.

Rabenstrange turned to Schmidt. “Commander, perhaps you’d be good enough to take
Herr
Weiss and
Herr
Mercier to the duty mess down the hallway and offer them some refreshment. While you’re there, have someone assign them quarters. We’ll be leaving within the hour.”

“Yes,
Herr
Herzog.” Schmidt rose briskly to his feet and gestured toward the door. “Gentlemen?”

“As for you,
Herr
Navarre,” Rabenstrange added, “I’d like a word with you in private, if I may.”

Mercier flashed an unreadable look at Charles as he stood up, but made no comment as he followed Weiss and Schmidt from the room.

The door closed behind them, leaving Charles and Rabenstrange alone with the six Marine guards. Apparently, Charles mused, this was what passed for privacy with a member of the Andermani royal family. “How may I help you, My Lord?” he asked.

Rabenstrange pursed his lips. “You can begin by telling me what exactly you’re up to.”

Charles frowned. “I’m not sure I understand.”

“You’re a Solly, or so you claim,” Rabenstrange said. “Yet here you are, involving yourself in matters the Solarian League has unequivocally stated are none of its citizens’ business.”

“Yet many of my fellow citizens
are
so involved,” Charles pointed out. “The shipment of contraband Solly weaponry which
Herr
Weiss observed in the Karavani system is merely one proof of that.”

“Granted,” Rabenstrange said. “Which brings up interesting questions of its own.” He leaned back in his chair. “For example. You alert
Herr
Weiss to this shipment, and in adequate time for him to witness its arrival. Oddly enough, it happens that the Manties also learn about it, also in sufficient time to send a ship to destroy it.”

“As
Herr
Weiss has no doubt informed you, I have certain sources of information,” Charles reminded him. “As to the Manties’ timely arrival, I expect
Herr
Weiss’s report has given an explanation for that.”

“Yes, it did,” Rabenstrange said. “Information which I note also came from you. The question thus becomes whether all this valuable information came
to
you or
from
you.”

Charles shook his head. “You give me far too much credit, My Lord,” he said. “I merely glean interesting bits of information out of the vast collections gathered by others.”

“Perhaps,” Rabenstrange said. “I also can’t help noticing that you seem to be playing both sides of this situation.”

“I don’t understand,” Charles said carefully.

“Allow me to lay it out for you,” Rabenstrange said, the temperature of his voice dropping a few degrees. “You send
Herr
Weiss to Karavani with the express intent of betraying to him a supposed deep Manty secret. Yet only moments ago you actively defended those same Manties in this attack upon Andermani sovereignty.” His eyes narrowed. “So are you with the Manties, or against them?”

Charles shook his head, a bit of relief seeping into him. Rabenstrange had the right idea, but was a comfortably safe distance from the actual truth. “I’m on no side but my own, My Lord,” he assured the admiral. “I’m simply a businessman, trying to wrest a small profit from a vast and uncaring universe.”

“And how is this profit to be made?” Rabenstrange asked.

“I was hoping to rely on Andermani gratitude,” Charles said. “If I’m right about—” he glanced at the nearest Marine “—the matter of which you’ve already heard, I have no doubt the Empire stands to reap substantial economic benefits.” He waved a hand. “All I wish for my services is a small finder’s fee.”

Rabenstrange smiled faintly. “And this small fee would amount to…?”

“As I said, I would rely on Andermani gratitude.”

For a long moment Rabenstrange gazed thoughtfully at him. Charles held the other’s eyes evenly, putting every bit of honest capitalistic sincerity into his face and body language that he could. “The courage of your convictions does you credit,” the admiral said at last, his tone carrying a faintly mocking edge. “Does your colleague share that same purity?”

“Hardly,” Charles conceded. “
Herr
Mercier’s motivations are so complex that even I sometimes have trouble following them. But I can handle him.”

“I hope so,” Rabenstrange said. His eyes flicked to the Marine directly behind Charles. “If we do have to take over that duty,
Herr
Mercier will regret it. So, very likely, will you.”

“Understood, My Lord,” Charles said, and the shiver that ran up his back was completely genuine. The
Totenkopf
Marines had a reputation that extended even to the League’s normally oblivious public. “Will that be all?”

“For now, yes,” Rabenstrange said. “If you wish, you may join the others.”

“Thank you, My Lord,” Charles said, standing up. Now came the equally tricky task of convincing Mercier that he hadn’t used his time with Rabenstrange to betray their mission. The
Totenkopfs
might be able to take down the StateSec man if he got out of line, but probably not before Mercier did the same to Charles. Nodding to Rabenstrange, he turned toward the door.

“One more thing,” Rabenstrange said from behind him.

Charles turned back. “Yes?”

And froze at the deadly look on the admiral’s face. “Who are you?” Rabenstrange asked softly.

Charles felt a fresh surge of adrenaline flood into him. “
Herr
Weiss has already told you that,” he managed, fighting to keep his voice steady. “I’m Charles Navarre of the Solarian League.”

“I don’t think so,” Rabenstrange said. “In his dispatch
Herr
Weiss expressed a certain lack of clarity concerning your identity. I therefore took the liberty of doing a more extensive search than he was capable of with the limited resources at his disposal. Including variant spellings, there are approximately one hundred and thirty thousand Charles Navarres on the League’s citizen lists.” He paused. “None of them appears to be you.”

And suddenly Mercier was the least of Charles’s worries. “There must be some mistake.”

“No,” Rabenstrange said flatly. “There isn’t.”

Charles grimaced. When the big lie doesn’t work, as the old saying went, try mixing in just enough truth to wash it down. “All right, you’ve caught me,” he said with a sigh. “My real name is Charles Blake. I’m an investigative journalist, writing for the
Star Universal
and affiliated sites under the name Rufus Perry. You may have read some of my reports?”