The Parafaith War (28 page)

Trystin felt as though the ship had been dropped right out from underneath him. “It’s nice to meet you. Where are you headed?”

“Me? I’m getting one of the new cruisers-the Tozmi. Smaller than the Willis, but faster, more torps. Very deadly.” She looked at the three bulging kit bags. “I need to be going. They’re holding the Adams for me. I managed to pull a few strings. No sense in waiting another week for the Morgenthal. The station CO would have too good an idea of what to load on me. Good luck to you. Lieutenant.”

With a quick nod she hoisted the bags. “It’s been interesting, James. If you want to make commander, though, let him do the delicate piloting.” “If he’s as good as you think … why not?” Trystin swallowed a smile. What a pair! The Doniger family had been in the ecological hierarchy of the Coalition as far back as the history texts ran, and the Sasakis had evolved from using metalworking to bury nuclear wastes on old Earth into becoming the premier arms producers of the Coalition.

And now he had to take orders from Major James Sasaki.

“Let’s go have something to eat.” Sasaki smiled his broad and boyish smile. “They don’t tell you about it, but there’s a small restaurant on the lower level that has some real seafood-if you know enough to ask.”

Sasaki’s eyes glazed over momentarily, and Trystin could feel the net link. “Liam? The new second and I have to go stationside for a couple of hours. You’ve got it. Keiko’s on the deck.”

The major’s eyes unglazed. “Liam’s weapons and comm. He’s a former senior tech, and he can be duty when we’re docked. Otherwise, it’s you when I’m not around or have to sleep. Contrary to rumor, CO’s do sleep.”’ He smiled again. “Let’s go. I’m ready for some decent food.” Trystin followed the major out to the quarterdeck.

“Keiko, Trystin and I have some things to do stationside. Liam’s got the duty until we get back.”

“While you’re gone, I’ll have the lieutenant’s gear put in his stateroom.” Keiko smiled pleasantly. “Have a good meal. Captain.” “I’m sure we will.”

“I can do that when I get back,” Trystin protested. “Don’t worry about it, ser.”

Trystin tried not to shake his head as he walked beside Major Sasaki back out the lock tube he had entered what seemed only moments before.

The major led him through a maze of corridors Trystin had never seen in his two weeks on the station.

The restaurant lay behind a bronze-colored plastic door panel bearing the name Le Tank. Trystin frowned, but followed Sasaki inside, to find eight small tables with real linen cloths upon them. A single table was occupied, by a woman wearing a single marshal’s four-pointed star.

“Major!” A rotund woman in white bounced across the floor.

“Vivienne.” Sasaki bowed. “This is my new pilot officer, Trystin Desoll. Trystin, Vivienne LeClerc. This is her domain.”

“Welcome back, James.” The dry voice came from the marshal at the corner table.

“Thank you, Marshal Toboru.” James Sasaki bowed. “Don’t mind me. By the way, your father is looking well. I saw him last month … and your brother.” The marshal returned her attention to the soup in the gold-trimmed white porcelain bowl before her.

Vivienne led them to the table in the corner farthest from the marshal.

“I’d like anything that’s fresh from the tank,” requested Major Sasaki. “And then whatever your special is.” Vivienne nodded and looked at Trystin. “What are my choices?”

“For appetizers, the raw fresh seafood is either clams casino or octosquid today. We also have slizirki mushrooms, sauteed, and fresh greens.”

“The mushrooms, please.”

“The specials are soft-shelled spotted crabs or broiled young silver trout amandine.”

“I’ll have the crabs.” The major added, “Don’t worry, Trystin. This is my treat. You’ll earn it later.” “Thank you,” said Trystin. “I’ll have the crabs also.” With a nod, Vivienne stepped back, only to return with two crystal goblets and a bottle. “The Villa Tozza is the only white right now.” Sasaki shrugged.

Trystin just watched as the woman poured half-glasses for each of them and left the bottle in the holder.

“Not bad, although I still think the Mondiabli would have been better.”

Trystin sipped the wine, enjoying the slightly nutty, slightly fruity scent as much as the taste. “You like wine, don’t you?” asked Sasaki. “When I don’t have to be on duty.” “How do you know you won’t be?” The major laughed and offered the boyish grin again.

“I don’t, but you aren’t likely to just hand the ship to me.”

Vivienne set one of the gold-rimmed porcelain plates, filled with sliced white circular objects, in front of the captain, and a second, filled with steaming browned and buttery mushrooms, in front of Trystin.

“Where are you from, Trystin?” Sasaki used the silver seafood fork to pick up one of the white slices and began to chew.

“Cambria, Academy district. ” Trystin took a second sip of the Villa Tozza. Even the background hiss of his implant seemed muted.

“Are your family academics? That’s an expensive place to live.” Another swallow of the white food followed.

“Actually, my great-great-grandfather built the house and donated the land to the Academy.”

“It must have been difficult, especially in the early years.” Trystin repressed the urge to strangle his superior officer. “My father worries that there’s more prejudice now than there ever has been.” “How is the octosquid. Major?” asked Vivienne. “Good. Very good. My congratulations.” “Thank you. It did take some doing. I appreciate your help.”

“It wasn’t much.” Sasaki frowned. “The slizirkis look good. Could I have just a few?” “Certainly. Most certainly.”

While the two talked, Trystin had several bites of the slizirki mushrooms, which carried a crispness, a warmth, a tanginess, and an unidentifiable flavor. “I take it they are good?”

“Very,” answered Trystin. “How did you find this place?”

“I didn’t. I helped Vivienne get started. It’s good to have someplace decent to eat that’s not planetside.” Sasaki refilled his glass then looked back at Trystin. “I take it you come from a large family.”

“No. I have one sister. She’s Service, too. A senior lieutenant in charge of a biological modification section on the Helconya project.”

“What about your parents?” Sasaki chewed more of the raw octosquid. “Not bad for a tank animal. Almost like the real thing.”

“My mother was a ships’ systems engineer. After she retired a few years ago, she got a second doctorate in music. She teaches at the university. My father’s an independent integrator.” “Job-shop stuff?”

“Actually,” Trystin said, “he’s been designing integrated regional sewage and disposal systems for stage three planoforming projects.”

“One of the big boys, then. Interesting. Quiet, longtime anglo family. Well-off, cultured, and very highly educated. Probably not many of you left.”

Vivienne slipped a small plate of the slizirki mushrooms onto the table. “Thank you.” Sasaki chewed one slowly. “Very good.”

Vivienne smiled, nodded, and backed away. Trystin ate several bites more before taking another sip of wine.

“Why did you choose to go Service?” “I always wanted to be a pilot. I spent a tour on Mara-perimeter officer-before I went to Chevel Beta.”

“These days, most pilots do. It’s a good idea. You test your warriors first, sort of like the old Shintos …” Sasaki let his words trail off as Marshal Toboru paused by the table.

“Don’t try to corrupt him too fast, James.” She offered a smile and a pat on the shoulder before she slipped out of the restaurant.

The major took a long swallow from his glass and refilled it.

Vivienne removed the empty plates. “So many of our problems with the revs date back to antiquity, even before the Great Die-off. If the old Shintos had won the second global war, or whatever they called it, then the anglo forerunners of the revs couldn’t have built their power base and amassed the fortunes that they took to Orum. And that would have meant that the white neo-Mahmets…:”

Trystin held in a sigh. It was likely to be a long tour. “Do you want any more wine?” “Not yet, thank you.”

“It’s good. Not great, but good … anyway, as I was saying, all of those problems relate to the economic relationship between the Shintos and the angles …”

Trystin nodded, hoping the main course would come soon, even as he pushed out of his mind the thought that the meal might be costing the equivalent of a week’s pay-or more. Instead, he took another, very small, sip of the Villa Tozza. It was good, but he had the feeling that everything associated with James Sasaki had a high price.

Trystin put the last of his uniforms into place in the locker beside his bunk, then refolded the two bags into small oblongs that he tucked into the back corner before he closed the locker door.

He’d had to wash and wipe out the locker first, getting rid of a residue of powder. He’d also wiped the dust off the console screen. Clearly, Major Doniger hadn’t been the neatest of people. She had left what appeared to be a complete and updated set of hard-copy manuals on the Willis, though, with paper slips inserted throughout. Trystin walked over to the console and picked up the top manual, opening it to one of the slips. “. .. peak power limitations of the F4-A(R) fusactor…” A single paragraph was highlighted. Trystin read it, and was surprised to learn that each of the twin fusactors could actually deliver one hundred ten percent of load for five minutes without damage-or one hundred twenty percent for two minutes. Would he ever need to use that knowledge? He frowned, deciding that it might not be a bad idea to study the manuals, and to start with the noted sections.

Major Doniger might have been personally messy, but she had essentially told him that the captain was a lousy shiphandler, and the manuals laid out on the narrow space next to the console conveyed another message-that the captain might not be any great expert on systems, either.

Trystin took a deep breath, feeling the ship’s net around him. For the moment, he was the duty officer, and he hoped nothing happened. While he supposed he should have been up front, with the net it didn’t matter where he was, and he wanted to get settled as quickly as possible. There was a rap on the door.

“Come in.”

Keiko Muralto stood in the doorway. “Yes, Tech-Keiko?” he corrected himself. The tech carried two flat volumes in her hands. “Before she left. Major Doniger asked me to get duplicate copies of these for you.”

Trystin looked at the two thin volumes. “What are they?”

“This is the manual for the translation system, and this one is the programming layout for the ship’s infonet.”

Trystin shook his head and pointed to the manuals beside the console. “She left me quite a stack already.” He took the two. “Looks like I’ve got a lot of studying to do.” “Yes, ser.” Keiko’s face was almost blank. On impulse, Trystin kicked up his reflexes and hearing, before asking, “Do you think it’s very important for me to learn all this as fast as I can?”

“Yes,” came the subvocalized response. “You would know best, ser.”

“There’s a lot I don’t know, Keiko. I’m still a rather junior pilot. Which one of these”-he gestured-“would be the best place to start?”

“Infonet.” Keiko paused. “You could start anywhere, ser.”

“I’ll have to learn it all, anyway.” ” . . soon…” The tech waited, then answered clearly, “I suspect that it’s something all pilots are expected to learn.”

Trystin caught the glint in the tech’s eye. “You’ve worked with a lot of junior officers Off the perimeter lines, haven’t you?” “Yes, ser.”

“Well Trystin said casually, “I appreciate having all of the manuals, and I’ll work through them as quickly as I can. Sometimes, you almost have to read between the lines to figure out what’s important.” “I would imagine so, ser.”

“I appreciate it. “Trystin didn’t have to fake the warmth. “Thank you, ser.” Keiko paused once more, then added,

“The captain will be introducing Lieutenant Akibono to you once they get back.”

“Akibono? Oh, is he the weapons/nav officer? Liam?” “… watch it…” “Yes, ser.”

“It’ll be good to get the names and faces straight.” Trystin nodded. “Do we have time for you to introduce me to the rest of the techs?”

“Yes, ser.” Keiko Muralto smiled for the first time. Trystin tried not to swallow, wondering exactly what kind of mess he’d stepped into. “Let’s do it.”

He followed the senior tech out of his stateroom, number two, predictably, and aft. The first technician he met was a young, broad-shouldered and brown-haired man.

“Lieutenant Desoll, this is Tech Albertini. Albertini, this is our new pilot officer. Lieutenant Desoll.” “Pleased to meet you, ser.” “I’m pleased to meet you, Albertini.” -After that, he was introduced to two other technicians-Muriami and Reilli. Trystin and Keiko then headed forward.

“Albertini is new on board. He’s barely been here a month. He handles low-level maintenance. Muriami-she’s a wonder on individual components, but has trouble with systems. Reilli is pretty much the weapons tech.” “And you do everything,” suggested Trystin. “I try.”

As they reached the quarterdeck, Trystin heard feet in the lock tube, and he dropped his reflexes back to normal, trying to slow his breathing.

“Must be the captain. He was up in station operations,” suggested Keiko.

Major James Sasaki stepped through the open lock and tucked his beret into his belt. A squarish officer followed him, dark-skinned and black-eyed, with the muscles of a power lifter.

“Ah, I was going to look for you, Trystin.” He paused. “This is Liam Akibono. He’s the best weapons/navigation officer in the fleet. He’s also a damned good supply officer.”

Liam offered a bow.

Trystin returned the bow, but with a shade less inclination. A ghost of a frown flicked across James Sasaki’s face. Had Trystin revealed too much of the early martial arts training he had received with and from his father?

“We’re headed back to your old stomping grounds, Trystin-back to Parvati system,” announced the captain. “The revs are really pushing there, and the Planning Staff has decided to beef up the patrols off the outer orbit control platform. We’ll hit Mara first, though. We’ve got some dispatches.” “When do we leave?” asked Trystin. “About ten hours. That’s enough time for you to get some sleep, and to spend some time in the cockpit familiarizing yourself with the feel of the ship. Andrya reminded me that early familiarization was important. The systems aren’t that different, but there are a few things you should know.” He shook his head. “Quite a person, that woman. Quite a person.” Liam only raised his eyebrows.