Cobra Slave-eARC (36 page)

And though it was hard to tell at this distance, it looked to be the same material as the hatchway and the Squire’s hull.

“So we have a stalemate,” Ghushtre said.

“Not for long,” Tamu said. “The Marines in Stronghold are preparing to move on the Government Building. Their orders are to take Uy and Omnathi into custody and bring them here.”

“They will not succeed,” Ghushtre warned. “Not four men. Not against a world full of Cobras and Djinn.”

“I think they will,” Tamu said. “Shall we make a test of it?”

Jody frowned. Suddenly, something that had been nagging at the back of her mind came into focus.

The ship was quiet. Extremely quiet, with only the soft whooshing of the air system to fill the gaps in the threat-filled conversation.

Only it shouldn’t be. Tamu was under attack from within and was facing the possibility of threat from without. Even more telling, he’d threatened in turn to open fire on the people of Stronghold.

A definite and serious threat, assuming Tamu wasn’t lying about the gunbays…except that the Squire wasn’t in any position to carry it out. It was sitting here in the landing area, hundreds of meters from the city itself. The only way for Tamu to bring his guns to bear—on anyone—would be to physically raise his ship and fly it over there.

So why hadn’t he started his engines? There was only one reason Jody could think of.

And if she was right…

“This is ridiculous,” she spoke up, cutting off whatever threat or counter-threat Ghushtre had been starting to make. “Shahni Omnathi doesn’t have any idea where Qasama is, so if that’s what you’re going for you’re out of luck. But if Commodore Santores really just wants to talk to him—as an equal—then I say let’s do it and get it over with.”

Ghushtre was staring at her in disbelief. Jody shook her head quickly, lifted a finger to her lips. His eyes narrowed, but he nodded.

“What do you suggest?” Tamu asked cautiously, apparently just as surprised as Ghushtre.

“We bring His Excellency and his entourage aboard and fly them to Aventine,” Jody said. “He and Santores have a chat, and when they’re done you bring him back. Nice, neat, and no one gets hurt.”

“If he refuses?”

“I think I can persuade him,” Jody said. “He doesn’t want bloodshed any more than the rest of us do. Get me an open channel to the Government Building and let me talk to him.”

There was a short pause. “One moment,” Tamu said.

Abruptly, an odd hum filled the air. “What are you doing?” Ghushtre murmured.

Jody frowned; and then the humming sound clicked. It was the special Cobra sonic frequency designed for suppressing bugs and other listening and recording devices. Ghushtre was making sure Tamu wouldn’t be eavesdropping on their conversation. “Tamu’s threatened to starting shooting at Stronghold,” she murmured back. “But he hasn’t fired up his engines—if he had, we’d hear them. The only explanation for why he hasn’t is that he can’t.”

“We’ve done no damage to any major equipment,” Ghushtre said, frowning.

“I think the equipment is fine,” Jody said. “It’s the people who aren’t in position. Tamu may have gotten himself and his gunners behind locked doors, but either the pilots or the engine room crew didn’t make it to their stations before he locked everything down.”

Ghushtre peered down the corridor toward the engine room door. “You suggest we stunned them when we were neutralizing the personnel on this deck?”

“Or else Tamu panicked and locked the doors before they could get there,” Jody said. “Were you poking around upstairs earlier?”

Ghushtre nodded. “We retrieved our combat suits immediately after escaping our cell. Commander Tamu wasn’t in his cabin at the time.”

“Then that’s probably what happened,” Jody said, nodding. “He returned to his cabin after you got the suits, realized you were loose, ducked into whatever this CoNCH thing is—probably the command room—and hit the panic button. Maybe literally.”

“And he can’t open it again because he fears an ambush.”

“Because he doesn’t know exactly where all of you are,” Jody confirmed. “If I’m right, we should be able to use all this against him. Did your combat suits include the usual sleep-gas canisters?”

“Yes,” Ghushtre said. “But if the control and engine doors are properly sealed, the gas won’t be able to enter.”

“We don’t need it to,” Jody said. “I’m hoping I can get Tamu to open up the door.”

Ghushtre’s eyes were steady on her. “Using His Excellency as bait?”

Jody’s mouth suddenly felt dry. Qasaman loyalty was right up there with Qasaman ingenuity and dedication, and even suggesting the idea of a hint of betrayal could be an extremely unhealthy thing for her to do. “I think it’s the only way, Ifrit Ghushtre,” she said as calmly as she could. “You have to trust me.”

“I trust you with my life, Jody Moreau,” Ghushtre said. “I’m not sure I trust you with His Excellency’s life.”

There was click from the speaker. “Broom? Are you still there.”

The hum of Ghushtre’s sonic disappeared. “I’m here, Commander,” Jody said. “You have a connection?”

There was another click— “Ms. Broom, this is Governor Uy,” Uy said, his heavy formal tone showing he knew Tamu was listening in. “I understand you have a proposal for us?”

“I’m just trying to avoid bloodshed,” Jody said, acutely aware of Ghushtre standing close behind her. “I thought that if Shahni Omnathi and his people were willing to go to Aventine and talk with Commodore Santores, this whole standoff thing could end here and now.”

There was a short pause. “You really think that’s a good idea?” Uy asked.

“I think it’s the only way,” Jody said. “Commander Tamu has everything locked up tight, and he’s threatening to fly over Stronghold and take potshots at anything that moves.”

“Is he, now,” Uy said, and Jody could sense fresh interest beneath the formal tone. “Do I have to remind him that such action would constitute an act of war?”

“There’s no such thing as war between member worlds of the Dominion of Man,” Tamu put in. “It’s a legal impossibility. All the law allows for is rebellion and corrective action.”

“My mistake,” Uy said stiffly. “Tell me, Commander: if His Excellency agreed to accompany you, what guarantees would you offer for his safe conduct to Aventine and his subsequent safe return?”

Jody felt her heartbeat pick up. The fact that Uy was even suggesting he might hand over Omnathi was proof that he’d caught her hint, confirmed the Squire’s lack of engine emissions, and had come to the same conclusion she had.

“As a foreign head of state, he’s entitled to full diplomatic protection,” Tamu said, so sincerely that Jody almost believed him. “I also give you my personal pledge that he’ll be returned safely to Caelian, or anywhere else he wishes to go.”

“Such as Qasama?”

“Anywhere he wishes to go,” Tamu repeated. “The Squire is completely at his disposal.”

“Good to hear,” Uy said. “And Jody Broom?”

“She can accompany Shahni Omnathi to Aventine or stay here on Caelian,” Tamu said. “Her choice.”

There was another moment of silence. Uy consulting with Harli and the other Cobras? Possibly with Omnathi himself? “If His Excellency was willing, what procedure would you wish to follow?” Uy asked.

“I have four Marines still in Stronghold,” Tamu said. “They could meet Shahni Omnathi and his entourage at the door of the Government Building and escort them here to the Squire. Once they’re aboard, Ms. Broom will be allowed to leave if she chooses.”

“I presume that by escort him here you mean they would fly together in an aircar?”

“I could certainly send an aircar for him,” Tamu agreed. “I don’t trust my Marines in one of yours, of course. Confined spaces, limited fields of fire—I’m sure you understand.”

“I understand only that I have no intention of letting His Excellency simply disappear into an aircar niche inside your ship before Ms. Broom has the opportunity to leave,” Uy countered. “You can send your aircar, but it will stop at least fifty meters from your ramp, and Ms. Broom and Shahni Omnathi will emerge into the open at the same time. They’ll cross in plain sight of all of us, and then she can choose whether or not to return to the ship and travel with him to Aventine.”

Jody clenched her teeth. Uy and Omnathi had deduced her plan, all right.

Except they’d only deduced half of it. They’d figured out that she was planning to use the sleep-gas canisters on Omnathi and the Marines, but they were assuming she herself would be the one to set them off.

And that half by itself would be disastrous. Gassing everyone that far away from the Squire’s hatch would undoubtedly leave the party still in range of the ship’s gunbays. With Ghushtre and his companions still on the loose inside the ship, the situation would once again settle into a stalemate.

Except that the stalemate would now include Omnathi lying helpless in Tamu’s sights.

And she couldn’t warn Uy about the gunbays. Not without tipping off Tamu that she had something devious in mind.

“That would be acceptable,” Tamu was saying. “I presume Cobra Ghushtre and his men will wish to remain aboard.”

“That will be a decision for His Excellency.”

“Of course,” Tamu said. “I merely mention that because if they remain aboard there will have to be safeguards against mischief on their part. But the details can be discussed once Shahni Omnathi is aboard.”

“His Excellency is, as you say, a foreign dignitary,” Uy said. “How large an entourage would you be prepared to host?”

“As large as he wishes to bring,” Tamu said. “It’s only a day’s journey to Aventine, after all. Of course, any additional Djinn or Cobras would have to submit to the same safeguards I’ve already mentioned.”

“Such safeguards including constant surveillance by your Marines?”

“That’s one option,” Tamu said. “But again, it’s only a single day’s journey. Surely men trained to war will be able to put up with a few minor inconveniences for so short a time.”

“Very well,” Uy said. “Give me a moment to discuss this with His Excellency. I’ll return shortly with his reply.”

And almost too late, Jody had the answer. Maybe. “And please remind His Excellency that he needs to bring his translator along,” she spoke up as casually as she could. “There may be subtleties of Anglic during his conversations that he’ll miss but that she’ll catch.”

She held her breath, feeling Ghushtre’s frown on the back of her neck. As far as she knew, Rashida Vil was the only Qasaman woman on Caelian. If Uy and Omnathi picked up on the hint and were able to follow Jody’s logic…

“His Excellency will of course bring her along,” Uy said, his voice carrying the patient stiffness of someone who’s just been lectured on the obvious. “A moment, if you please.”

The speaker went silent, and the hum of Ghushtre’s sonic once again tickled at Jody’s ears. “What is your plan?” he asked quietly. “Why do you require Rashida Vil?”

Jody felt her stomach tighten, his comment about trusting her with his life flashing to mind. “The only way for Shahni Omnathi to be truly safe is to get him off Caelian and back to Qasama,” she said. “That means we need a ship, and this is the only one available.”

“You plan to seize control,” Ghushtre murmured. His forehead was wrinkled in thought, but his voice was calm enough.

“Yes,” Jody said. “The problem is the gunbays. If they’re as secure as Tamu says, we’re not going to be able to get in there quickly and knock them out. We’ll only be able to get one more group inside before they realize what we’re doing and lock down all approaches to the ship. That’s why we need Rashida Vil to come aboard now, along with His Excellency.”

“Understood,” Ghushtre said. “Tell me your plan.”

“Tamu’s not going to open his command room until he knows exactly where all three of you are,” Jody said. “I’m guessing Tamu will try to get all of you to meet the aircar, and that he’s already instructed the Marines to signal him when they can see all three of you in the entryway. I’m also guessing that Tamu will want to lift off as soon as possible once His Excellency is aboard.”

“Which means he’ll open the door for his pilot as soon as he knows it’s safe.”

“Exactly.” Jody gestured above her. “Do we know where this CoNCH place is, by the way?”

“There’s a large sealed room in the center of the middle deck past the mess room,” Ghushtre said. “It’s just past the point where the main corridor splits into a T-junction. The only door that I saw leading it faced toward the rear of the ship.”

“Sounds like the place,” Jody said. “Okay. Where’s—?”

She broke off as the speaker clicked. “His Excellency Shahni Omnathi agrees,” Uy announced. “He and his entourage will meet your aircar at the city gate.”

“Excellent,” Tamu said, and there was no mistaking the relief in his voice. “My Marines will meet him at the Government Building.”

“Your Marines will meet him at the city gate.” Uy said tartly. “My Cobras will also be accompanying him.”

“Sounds a bit crowded,” Tamu warned. “But not impossibly so. The aircar is on its way.”

“And you will treat him with respect,” Uy added. “Or I promise that you’ll answer for it.”

“Have no fear,” Tamu said, and Jody could envision the man’s condescending smile. “We will treat him with all the respect and honor he deserves.”

“Then we shall see you again soon, Commander,” Uy said. “Safe travels.”

There was a click as Uy cut off his side of the conversation. “Ifrit Ghushtre?” Tamu called. “Are you still there?”

“I am,” Ghushtre said.

“Proper Dominion procedure calls for a military honor guard to welcome dignitaries aboard,” Tamu said. “Since you’ve already neutralized the entire onboard Marine contingent, I’d like you and your companions to provide that escort.”

“Of course,” Ghushtre said stiffly. “We would hardly leave His Excellency to the mercies of your forces. I trust you’ll be on hand to greet him personally, as well?”

“Under normal circumstances, I would be honored,” Tamu said grimly. “In this case, I’d prefer to wait behind locked doors until my men confirm there’s no threat to my ship.”

“Such courage you have,” Ghushtre said sarcastically. “Now allow me a time of silence. I need to meditate on the proper welcoming greeting.”