Inadvertent Adventures (8 page)

"I am making this recording as a dying declaration. In our memory banks and backed up in my suit's memory is information about the raider who attacked us and who we surmised were their employers, the Amberson Cartel of New Britannia. The
Kiev
should have picked up at least part of it while I was talking to the raider. Don't let them get away with this. Sterling Silver, out."

Admiral Stevenson stared at the recorder and shook her head. "Melodramatic to the end, my love?" she asked.

"I didn't know you were following the
Kiev
with
Willy
and the small-boys. I thought I was really going to die this time." He paused to take a sip of her bourbon. "I thought Denise and Olaf were already dead. Now that the
Jane
has been officially declared un-repairable, I have to find something to do with myself. And pay back the insurance company."

"I already did that," Ann said as she snuggled down beside him. "As soon as I found out that you were alive I contacted the Department of the Navy and let them know what had happened. Your identity is yours to take up again."

"And the loose ends here in Hobson's?"

Ann giggled. "Well, it seems that a little old lady named Harriet Fairmont broke the bank at the Flaming ‘O’ Lounge in a rather spectacular fashion just a few days ago. The 'bank' didn't want to pay up, but she made such a fuss about it that the planetary authorities were brought in to sort it all out. For some reason they thought her son might be upset if they didn't." Ann smiled impishly. "They were terribly shocked to find that not only had Missus Fairmont beaten the games of chance, but those games had been rigged against her and she'd beaten them anyway. Shocking. Missus Fairmont was awarded the entire facility, and the owners were imprisoned on interstellar fraud charges."

"And what is dear Missus Fairmont going to do with a resort satellite?" Sterling asked innocently.

"Why, she is going to run it, of course. As a religious retreat." She paused and slapped Sterling on the back several times until he'd cleared his lungs of the bourbon he'd just inhaled.

"You did that on purpose," he wheezed.

"Of course. Now you're forgiven for almost getting yourself killed again." She smiled evilly and snuggled into his arm. "Mom's not really going to turn it into a religious retreat. That'd cost way too much to maintain. She's having the games repaired and certified, the girls vetted by a real doctor, and some of the more-
esoteric
-of the entertainments removed. Then she's reopening as the Silver City Casino and Resort. She likes the name Silver, by the way."

Sterling chuckled. "I just might keep it this time. Sterling Silver is a really distinctive name."

"And Lloyds of New London will be paying for the
Jolly
Jane
soon. The records here in Hobson's indicate that the insurance goes to
'Whoever of the crew survives, or the Sisters of Stellar Peace if she should be lost with all hands.'
The three of you will get equal shares, as well as splitting the ship's account."

Sterling shook his head slowly. "I wonder what Denise and Olaf are planning?" he asked softly. "You returned my credit chip, and with it and the rest I think I can afford a small cargo ship."

"With thirty million credits you could afford a not-so-small ship, Sterling, even without the rest. What would you name it, though?"

Sterling grinned at her. "How about the
Admiral Ann's Revenge
?" he asked with a wide smile, and then ducked as she raised a fist in not-so-mock threat.

"And your friends?" she asked as she tilted her head to the side.

"I have my old captain's certificate from when I commanded the
Bryn Mawr.
I'd still need a crew, and I owe Denise my life. Olaf, too, I guess. A lot will depend on what size crew the ship requires."

Ann looked up into his face. "And us?" There was a note of pleading in her voice that he'd never heard before.

"I could use a good First Mate-oof!" Sterling ducked away from the second blow, but he and Ann were both laughing. "Okay, okay,
you
be the captain and
I'll
be first mate!"

* * *

In a tall residential tower in New Erin's city of Galway, a man threw a 'Pad across the room as he shouted,
"Bloody hell!"

"What happened?" a woman asked in a mild tone from the far side of the room. She was knitting, an archaic yet remarkably soothing pastime in this modern era, and didn't look up. He was always blowing up about something.

"We've lost the
Flaming 'O'
. The whole bloody thing!"

"Destroyed, or something else?" the woman asked, still not stopping her knitting.

He gave her a harsh bark of laughter. "Something else. A woman came in and started winning. Winning big. She broke the bloody bank. Then that fool Pahna Mah tried to brush her off and not pay. She screamed bloody murder about it and involved the authorities."

"Our people in the system government should have been able to deal with it," she answered as she finally put her knitting down. "What happened?"

"What happened? Wha' happened was tha' she threatened to tell her son."

"Her son?" she asked suspiciously.

"Secretary o' Commerce Fairmont."

She whispered, "Bloody hell."

"That's what I said. ‘Tis a total loss. We don' even dare reveal that we had an interest in it. And there may be even worse news."

"I'd be interested in hearing what could be worse than the loss of a three billion credit resort satellite."

"Amberson may have been exposed."

The woman walked over and poured herself a shot of whiskey. "Tell Harriet to deal with it."

"Aye, that I will. As soon as I get another 'Pad."

I
T ONLY TOOK SEVEN WEEKS AFTER
the incident in the Hobson System before the Department of the Navy found out about what Ann had done and sent her recall orders. The order was short and to the point.

"Rear Admiral Annette Stevenson, you are directed to return to the Georgia System with the CSS
William the Conqueror
battle group to face charges of misappropriating Navy vessels and personnel for personal purposes. You will surrender command of the battle group to Captain Hellete immediately and consider yourself under quarters arrest pending your arrival."

Signed,

Fleet Admiral Edward Teach

CINC Epsilon Quadrant

William the Conqueror
led her escorts out of the Hobson System just three hours later. It only took six days in hyper to reach the Georgia System, and Admiral Stevenson was ordered to the Naval Administrative Habitat to face charges that would cost her her command, if not her commission.

Admiral Stevenson and her guests were met by Admiral Teach's gig and Chief of Staff while the battle group was still maneuvering to their assigned parking orbit. The tall woman in the captain's uniform was no stranger to Ann or Sterling.

"I didn't believe you'd risen from the grave, Sterling," Captain Jenissa Harrisson said as she stepped forward to clasp hands with him.

"Never made it into the hole, Jenny," Sterling said as he smiled up into her dark face.

"Not for lack of trying if what I hear is accurate." Captain Harrisson turned toward Ann and came to attention. "Admiral Stevenson, I am to escort you to Admiral Teach immediately. He was just short of apoplectic when he heard what you did with
William the Conqueror
and your battle group. You'll be lucky to retain your flag."

"No I won't. I'd be beached at best if I stay, Jenny, but I won't stay." Ann paused as Captain Harrisson's expression turned intensely curious. "Sterling accepted my proposal and we're married again. Captain Hellete performed the ceremony before the orders came. I'll be leaving the service to stay with him."

"You're just going to surrender your flag, Ann?" the captain asked, forgetting military courtesy in her shock.

"I am," she replied. The trip over to the Fleet Command Habitat was a quiet one.

Admiral Teach met them in his day room and frowned mightily at the three civilians who followed Ann into his presence. "What's the meaning of this, Admiral Stevenson?"

"Admiral Teach, I believe you know my husband, Sterling Stevenson, formerly of the CSS Stellar Navy." She paused as Admiral Teach's eyebrows tried to climb onto his hairline for a better view. "The other two are associates of his and were instrumental in the destruction of a ship that was engaged in commerce raiding."

"I know your husband," the admiral said, and a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "I sent flowers to his grave. That, however, has no bearing on these proceedings. You, Admiral Stevenson, took your battle group away from your assigned patrol area in pursuance of a personal vendetta against one Pahna Mah in Hobson's Planet orbit."

Admiral Stevenson snapped to attention before answering. "Sir, I was under an obligation to pay the debt owed by my 'deceased' ex-husband, and unable to leave the battle group. Therefore I took the battle group with me to pay that debt."

Admiral Teach scowled as he considered his answer. "I've read the report, including the unofficial bit about Sterling's misadventure and the events leading up to your meeting again. That does not excuse your actions. However, the Navy doesn't want a scandal about this. We can't afford the public relations fallout. While we can't put you in front of a Courts Martial, we can't allow you to remain in uniform, either." Admiral Teach came to attention and looked Admiral Stevenson in the eye.

"Rear Admiral Annette Fairmont Stevenson, you are charged with dereliction of duty in regards to taking your battle group away from your assigned patrol area without orders or authorization. Additional charges of misappropriation of Navy resources in regards to your taking an entire
battle group
off on a personal mission, use of Navy personnel in pursuance of a personal vendetta, and in general behaving in a manner that would be an embarrassment to the entire government if it ever comes to light. Because of the last charge under the ancient Article 134 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, a non-judicial sentence was passed on you in a private session of the Joint Chiefs, and your punishment decided.

"It pains me to do this, because you had a brilliant career ahead of you, but, in accordance with my instruction from the Secretary of the Navy and the Chief of Naval Operations, I must ask you to resign your commission."

"I had intended to do exactly that, Sir," Admiral Stevenson replied and watched the shock on Admiral Teach's face.

"You
intended
to resign, Ann?"

"Yes, Sir," Ann said and looked into his eyes. "I let my career and command of the
Saint Peter
cost me the man I loved. I've spent the last ten years kicking myself for that mistake. We've rectified part of it already, and my leaving the Navy completes the process."

Admiral Teach looked into her eyes and nodded. "If that's how you want it, then I have to say I'm relieved. We can't afford to have the particulars of this incident make it into the news, and if you had decided to fight the charges, they would have. The story you cooked up at Hobson's makes this fiasco sound like something noble. There are a lot of people who don't want to believe it, but most of the people who know the truth are in this room."

"Admiral Teach," Sterling said as he took a step forward, "all we want is to live our lives in peaceful anonymity. We have plans and the funds to make that happen, so we'll be away as soon as we can buy a ship."

Admiral Teach nodded slowly. "Very well, Sterling. Admiral Stevenson, Captain Harrisson has some paperwork for you to sign. Now I'd like a word alone with Sterling, if you don't mind." He indicated the door and everyone except Sterling left. When the door closed the Admiral's expression changed dramatically. "Damn, boy, you sure know how to stir the pot, don't you?" he said as he rounded the desk and stuck his hand out to Sterling.

"It wasn't on purpose, Skipper," Sterling said with a wide grin as he took his former captain's hand.

"No, if what I hear is true, it would have taken someone even crazier than you to do that intentionally. I understand that you turned our tactics around on that raider and convinced it you were the
Kiev.
That took some guts on the part of you and your captain." The admiral looked at Sterling and he nodded.

"Denise Stabenow, now Larsson, and her husband and first mate, Olaf. The other two members of our crew were killed by the raider. I owe Denise my life. That's what set Ann off, by the way. Pahna Mah wanted to kill me because I beat his crooked games and left with my winnings."

"She's too damn impetuous. Always has been. It's a shame, but it's a good thing that you two have gotten back together. You can keep her calm. Always could. Now, as to this ship you're looking for. Another freighter?"

Sterling nodded. "Yes, sir. It's funny, but once I'd been shanghaied my life improved. I never should have left the service or space, and certainly never should have left Ann."

The admiral smiled and grabbed Sterling's right shoulder in a powerful grip. "I'd love to be able to continue talking, but Admiral Gacie is due to arrive in just a few moments. Stop in again before you leave the system."

Sterling smiled. "It was good to see you again, Sir, even under these circumstances." He braced to attention, then did an about-face and walked out the admiral's door as Captain Harrisson opened it to let Admiral Gacie enter.

* * *

Ann's out-processing took the rest of the day, but by dinnertime it was done. She was officially “retired on inactive duty” to mollify her politically powerful family, but they all knew she would never be recalled, and never again command anything even if she was. Now it was time to find a ship to buy that she
could
command.