Tales from the Academy

Chapter 37

"There will be no shenanigans aboard my ships, Mister Payne! I want you to be absolutely clear on that! None! With anyone! You step one centimeter out of line and I'll ship you home on a fast courier with a report that will make sure you never set foot on an imperial warship again! You understand me, girl?"

Anny sat bolt upright on a chair in Admiral Vorkoff's cabin and tried not to let either her fear or her anger show on her face. She glanced at Major Lurray in the chair next to her, but his expression was unreadable. "I understand, Admiral. No shenanigans. I'll continue to behave exactly as I have for the last three years at the Academy."

The Admiral snorted and the expression on his face told her that he didn't believe a word she'd said. "I'll be perfectly blunt with you, girl: I didn't ask for you and I don't want you. I was ordered to take you so here you are. But I will not tolerate any disruptions to my command. And I don't give a damn if you're as pure as the Maiden of the Lake! If there are any incidents caused by your presence, anything at all, I'll hold you responsible even if you didn't do anything to deliberately cause them!"

Major Lurray cleared his throat. "That's hardly fair to Ensign Payne, sir. You can't hold her responsible for…"

"The hell I can't, Major! This is my command, and there will be order! If I see something or someone disrupting that order I'll take the steps I must to rectify the problem. So if you want Payne to be treated fairly then I suggest you and your troopers make damn sure no disruptions occur! You read me, Lurray?"

"Yes, sir, I think you've made yourself perfectly clear."

"All right then, I'm holding you both responsible. Dismissed." Lurray got to his feet and Anny did so as well. They exited the cabin and walked down one of the corridors of His Majesty's battlecruiser Indomitable. They had shuttled up from Fort Vormeyer yesterday. When they reached a spot where no one was in earshot, Lurray stopped and turned to face her.

"Well, I think that was plain enough, don't you, Ensign?"

"Yes, sir. Couldn't have been much plainer. I'm sorry if I'm causing you problems, sir."

"I've survived worse problems. I'd be hard pressed to name a stranger problem, but worse ones, definitely." He gave her a small smile. "But tell me, Ensign, are you honestly telling me—and the Admiral—that you've never engaged in any 'shenanigans' during your time at the Academy?" Anny flinched but Lurray went on: "Normally it wouldn't be any of my damn business, but since the Admiral seems to have made your chastity my problem, I feel I do have a right to know."

Inside Anny was furious; not at the question itself but because he was doubting her word. "I told the Admiral the truth, sir," she said through clenched teeth. "And now I'm telling you the truth. On my word as an officer."

"I see," said Lurray who gave no sign that he noticed her anger. "One of the reasons I asked was that I've seen your medical records and I noticed that you've had a contraceptive implant installed. I had to wonder."

Anny's anger abated slightly, but only slightly. What damn business did he have with her medical records? "That was at Countess Vorkosigan's suggestion, sir. We had no way of knowing what I might end up facing at the Academy and she felt it was a reasonable precaution. And since it would stop my menstruation, it would also solve another problem at the same time."

Now Lurray did react, blushing slightly. "I see…"

"You've seen my record, sir, but you might not be aware that it took over a year to get all the red tape straightened out to permit me to go to the Academy. During much of that time I was receiving preparation from the Countess, Commodore Clement Koudelkas, and his wife, who was the personal bodyguard to the Emperor when he was a child. The Countess is Betan, sir and we discussed the sexual aspects of the situation quite thoroughly. The Commodore and his wife also made it quite clear how disruptive… shenanigans on my part, or even the hint of shenanigans, could be to military discipline. I have been very careful, sir. And I will continue to be very careful."

"Interesting," said Lurray. "When I learned you would be assigned to my battalion I did some checking. There are some rumors about you and Ensign Naddell. So those rumors are false?"

Anny bit her lip. Damn. All those dances… "We're good friends, sir. He's been my first sergeant since my first year and we have a close working relationship. But Ensign Naddell is every bit as much aware as I am of the potentially disastrous impact on our careers if we became anything more than friends. Still, I can see how rumors like that might get started." Had she just lied to him? She and Jer were certainly more than just friends. But they hadn't done anything except in their hearts. Well, the night of the Formal… but that's what the damn Formal was for! They'd just been carrying out orders, right? Thoughts don't count the Countess had once told her, only acts of will. Or in this case acts of won't. Whatever they felt for each other it would not get in the way of their duty. But why did it all have to be so complicated?

"Yes," said Lurray. "Well in any case, I'll be assigning the two of you to different companies for the voyage. You might run into each other dirtside, but I trust you'll have the sense to, uh, continue to avoid shenanigans."

"Yes, sir. I was assuming that would be the case."

"All right then. You carry out your end of the bargain and I, and the rest of the battalion, will give you all the support we can. We look out for our own here. But don't let me down, Mister Payne."

"I won't sir."

"Good. Carry on."

[Scene Break]

The personnel pod eased out of Indomitable's hanger bay into the blackness of space. Anny unfastened her seat belt and pushed herself into the pilot's compartment, moving carefully in the zero-g. Alby Vorsworth was right behind her. The pod was automated. There was no pilot, but there was still a control station in the event of emergencies. "Sure hope this thing knows where it's going," said Alby. They buckled themselves into the chairs and looked out through the large viewport.

Barrayar floated below them, beautiful in her greens, browns, blues and white. Anny never tired of looking at her home from space, but today her eyes were elsewhere. A dozen white specks were around them, distinct shapes rather than the bright pin-points of the stars, the other ships of the task force. "I think that one's Courageous," said Anny, pointing at one of the specks.

"We do seem to be headed towards her," replied Alby. "Wonder what it will be like?"

So did Anny. Not so much the ship as the people aboard her. She'd studied the layout of the heavy cruiser, of course. She was relatively new and had been modernized during a refit just the previous year. Fast, powerful weapons, and strong defenses for something that wasn't considered a capital ship. Of more concern to Anny, she could carry a full company of assault troops. At this moment she was carrying G Company, 2nd battalion, 42nd Infantry. Anny and Alby were on their way to join them.

The task force consisted of the battlecruiser, three heavy cruisers and nine frigates. In just a few hours they would be leaving Barrayar and making the wormhole jumps to Komarr. There they would become the escort for a large convoy of nearly forty merchant ships heading out on an extended trading voyage through the nexus. The four companies of the battalion would be quartered on the battlecruiser and the three heavies but would have squads detached to the frigates on a rotating basis, and, if the rumors were true, to some of the merchant ships as well. If the jaygees were treated as real officers then Anny might well find herself in command of a squad or a platoon all by herself.

"So how are you doing, Anny?" asked Alby. "Seems like we've hardly had time to say howdy-doo since this little pleasure excursion began."

"Yeah, it does seem that way sometimes. I guess I'm okay. Tired, of course, but who isn't? How about you?"

"Surviving. Not bad, really. I… uh… Anny, I've been wanting to talk to you alone and this is the first opportunity in ages. I've been writing to Abigail quite a bit. Was doing it even when we were still back at the Academy. I know you told us to cease and desist, but I didn't think… I hoped you wouldn't mind us writing to each other."

Anny smiled. "No, I don't have any problem with that. What goes on in your hearts and your heads is none of my business. As long as you act sensibly, it's okay."

"Like between you and Jer?"

Anny blushed. "Yeah, like between me and Jer. Is it that obvious?"

"For those of us who are with you all the time, yeah, it's kinda hard to miss. I don't think anyone else is going to notice. You both do a good job of staying professional. You really love him, Anny?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"I'm glad. Really. Before I met Abbie, I think I might have been jealous, but now I'm glad for you both." He looked out the window for a moment. "Too bad you got paired with me instead of him."

"It might be for the best," said Anny with a smile. "We're only flesh and blood after all."

"Really? I thought you were computer circuits and battle armor, Anny."

"Oh, that's just a façade. Underneath I'm this scared little girl who thinks she can be a soldier."

"You are a soldier, Anny. You prove it a dozen times a day."

"Yeah, and then I have to prove it again the next day and the next and the next. It's wearing me out, Alby." She wasn't sure why she was saying all this to him—but it was a relief to be able to talk freely with someone.

"Someday you won't have to prove it to anyone anymore. You're going to show them all, Anny."

"I hope so," she sighed. But then she smiled. "Thanks for all your help, Alby. Thanks for being such a good friend."

Alby blushed. "Heck after all you've done for me, it's the least I can do."

"No it's not. I see the 'least people can do' every day. You do a lot more than that." She reached out and gripped his hand. "I can't tell you how much it means to know there's someone beside me I can count on absolutely. You and Patric and Jer. They try to teach us this stuff about loyalty and comradeship, but those are just words." She squeezed his hand hard. "This is real. Thanks."

"You can count on me, Anny. Always."

"I know I can." She let go of him and leaned back. "So how are you and Abigail getting along? Do you think you're in love with her?"

"Maybe. I'm not really sure. I like her an awful lot, but…" He trailed off.

"Well, at least she's Vor."

"Yeah, that shouldn't matter, but it does make things easier. Her family's not nearly as prominent as mine, but they are pretty important on Sergyar. And…" Alby laughed weakly and shook his head. "My father isn't doing too well. Grandfather's death and his retirement has taken a lot out of him. Before much longer there might not be anyone left to disapprove of a match with Abbie."

"I'm sorry to hear that," she said. Anny wasn't sure just how she felt about Alby's father. At first he'd been an enemy and then later an ally of sorts. He was retired now, but the mere fact that he'd been able to arrange that all of Alby's friends were assigned to the same unit during this apprentice cruise showed that he still had power. Not someone to be trifled with, that was for sure. "But you said that he's reconciled with your sister, right? If he did that, I can't see he'd be all that upset about Abigail."

"I can hope. But yeah, it was pretty amazing seeing him with my sister's kids. Grown grandchildren that he's hardly ever seen. It was awkward as hell at first, but by the end of my leave he was… well, he was acting like a grandfather. Or at least I guess he was, my experience with grandfathers is a bit skewed, too. Amazing."

Anny glanced out the window and saw that their destination was growing large. Barrayaran warships had a characteristic shape to their hulls that lent them a distinctly—and deliberately—menacing feel. Legend said that Mad Emperor Yuri's eccentric architect had some input in the designs of the first Barrayar-built warships even though he knew nothing about space ships. Whatever the case, Imperial ships looked powerful and dangerous and the heavy cruiser Courageous was no exception. A tiny thrill went down Anny's spine at the sight of her.

"Home sweet home," said Alby.

"For the moment anyway."

A short while later the pod was clamped to an airlock and the pair debarked, carrying their gear. There was an ensign at the lock in navy black. "Permission to come aboard, sir?" asked Anny saluting. The man returned her salute and told them where to report to. He didn't seem the least surprised at seeing her, nor the least bit interested in engaging in conversation. She supposed that Admiral Vorkoff had issued bloodthirsty orders to the whole task force forbidding anyone to look crossways at her. That might seem silly, but it might actually be for the best, too. If everyone just avoided her, she could deal with that. At least she'd have Alby to talk to.

The ensign had just given them a compartment number as their destination and hadn't offered any directions nor any help. But Anny had studied the ship's layout and had her hand computer to guide her and they managed to find their way without too much trouble. The assault troops had their own section of the ship assigned to them and there was a sentry at the hatch that led to it. He came to attention as they approached.

"Private, we've just been attached," said Anny. "Where can we find the OOD?"

"Right through there, sir. First compartment on the left."

"Thank you." They went through and found the company office just where it was supposed to be. A lieutenant in fatigues sat at a desk and he looked up as they entered. Anny and Alby both saluted. "Ensigns Payne and Vorsworth reporting for duty, sir," she said.

"Ah, right," said the man. "We've been expecting you." To her surprise he got up and shook hands with both of them. He touched me! He touched me! Shenanigan alert! Call the Admiral! "I'm Ben Fenwick, the exec. The Skipper isn't here at the moment, but welcome to George Company."

"Thank you, sir. Good to be here."

"Yeah, right. Well, Mister Vorsworth, you'll be bunking with the other junior officers." Fenwick came around the desk and stepped past them into the corridor. They followed. "Third hatch on the right," he said, pointing. "I'm afraid we're a bit cramped at the moment. You'll have to sling a hammock. Once we start sending out squads to the other ships we'll have more room."

"Not a problem, sir, I've been in a hammock before." Alby picked up his gear and headed down the corridor. Fenwick turned to face Anny.

"Your quarters, Ensign, are in here." He stepped to the first hatch on the right and pressed the entry button and the door slid open. He stepped back and motioned for Anny to look. She did so and saw a small but comfortable cabin with a single bunk, desk, and its own attached shower/toilet. She looked sharply at Fenwick.

"These are the company commander's quarters, sir."

"Indeed they are, were, but for the moment they are yours. There will be a palm lock keyed to you installed by the end of the day. The orders to you are as follows: No one but you will ever be allowed in this compartment. No exceptions. You will remain in your quarters except for meals any time you are not on duty. Understand?"

"I… I'm being confined to quarters, sir?"

"Technically, yes. In practice, we will be keeping you so busy for the next few weeks the only time you'll be in here is to sleep and probably not nearly enough of that as you'd like. Once the convoy embarks things will change and we'll just have to see. But for now, that's it."

"Yes, sir, I understand."

"Good. Get yourself squared away and then report to Ordnance Sergeant Gilroy in the armory. Carry on."

"Yes, sir." Fenwick went back to his office, leaving Anny alone in the corridor. She shrugged and hauled her gear into the room and let the door shut behind her. Exiled again. Just like my cottage back at the Academy!

Stowing her gear took about five minutes. She didn't even touch the desk and kept a lot of her stuff in her duffle bag rather than trying to find a spot for it. She couldn't imagine she'd be in here for the whole trip! Then she changed into her black fatigues, refreshed her memory about where the armory was, and left the cabin.

She looked into the cabin where Alby was bunking, but he was already gone. She saw his gear piled in a corner with a hammock tossed on top of it and felt guilty about her soft bunk. Her path took her past the main barracks compartments for the company and saw that it was swarming with troopers busily storing equipment. She had to remind herself that the whole battalion was newly arrived on the ships. The company commander, Captain Vorhuber, wasn't being kicked out of a cabin he'd occupied for years on her account. A few heads turned to look at her as she passed and she heard a couple of laughs. She reached the hatch to the armory. A sentry stood there, but he let her pass without challenging her. There was a loud voice talking inside…

"…typical bureaucratic foul up! When the hell are they going to start talking to us before they pull these little stunts? All right, we'll just have to…" The speaker was a tall man in fatigues just like hers, except there were blue captain's tabs on the collar. Vorhuber? He turned as she came in. "Ah, there you are, Payne. I was just telling Vorsworth and the others here that we've got a hell of a mess and you are the lucky ones to get it sorted out." She looked at Alby, who just rolled his eyes. There was a small crowd of enlisted men gathered round, too. The Captain hadn't even introduced himself…

"We've had the great good fortune to have been issued the latest model battle armor," continued Vorhuber. "Normally that would be a good thing. But the bastards at BuOrd just sent the new stuff directly here and ordered the ordnance officer at Fort Vormeyer to send our old suits into storage! We've got two hundred suits still in their packing crates! Those idiots know perfectly well that a set of armor takes nearly forty man-hours of prep work before it's ready to use! So I've got a company with no armor! What the hell am I supposed to do if there's an emergency? Well, there's nothing for it, we'll have to do it ourselves and I want it done before we reach Komarr! Sergeant Gilroy, I'm putting you in charge of this. Take our young gentlemen and anyone else you need but get it done, you read me?"

"Yes sir," said an older man with sergeant's chevrons and an ordnance insignia. "We'll take care of it, sir." Vorhuber nodded at the man and then left. Gilroy ran his eyes over the assembled troopers and then came back to Anny and Alby. He grinned.

"Hope you don't mind gettin' your hands dirty!"

[Scene Break]

Lieutenant Fenwick had been right about her cabin: she didn't get to use it nearly often enough. For the next four days they worked twenty hour days and Anny learned more about the inner workings of battle armor than she'd dreamed possible. She was tempted to say that she learned more than she'd ever want to know, but that wasn't really true. Assault troopers lived and died by their armor and you could never be too familiar with it. She'd need an advanced engineering degree to know how it all worked, but that wasn't necessary. It was enough to know that the targeting unit G874-B should put out exactly these reading on the test monitor and if it didn't then replace the damn thing with a new one and run the test again. That and a hundred other systems. Power supply, weapons, defensive screens, life support, communications, they all had to be tested, tuned, and tested again. Anny had four enlisted men working as part of her team. Unpack the armor, assemble it, run the tests, they all had a job and Anny had to make sure each step was done properly. No shortcuts here! Someone's life would depend on the job they did. It was hard, grueling work, but Anny didn't resent a moment of it. Alby had his own team and there were eight other teams led by experienced non-coms. Anny didn't have any trouble with the men assigned to her, but then they were doing by-the-book tasks that they all knew were important. Suit by suit they did the job.

Each night she'd flop on her bunk and be out in an instant and then get up seemingly moments later and start again. Still, all in all she was happy. She was learning new things and meeting new people and she was doing an important job as a part of her company. Most importantly, the other members of the company were letting her do her job.

But there were one hundred and eighty-nine sets of armor to check and even working round the clock they only had half of them done when the last jump to Komarr was being set up. Anny leaned against a workbench with a cup of coffee during a rare break and shook her head at Sergeant Gilroy. "We're not gonna make it, Sarge."

"Of course we're not. The Captain knew that when he gave the order."

"But then why…?"

"Just his style of doin' things, missy. And it gives me an excuse to ride all your tails with no mercy." He grinned at her. "But we'll have enough for two full platoons by the time we make the rendezvous. That will let him send those off to the other ships. Nothin's gonna hit the fan while we're at Komarr or Escobar and we'll have 'em all up and running before we get anywhere else."

"You seem to have it all planned out, Sarge."

"Part of my job. You'll get the hang of things after you've been here a while." Anny sighed and went back to work.

Shortly after the last jump into Komarr space Captain Vorhuber came to check on their progress. He growled and griped about the fact that they hadn't finished and at the same time managed to convey an unspoken 'well done' that had them all feeling pretty good. Anny resolved to study the Captain's command style. It was… interesting. He also ordered them to stop breaking out new suits and to get the ones that were done adjusted to their owners. They'd be rendezvousing with the convoy in another day and he wanted 1st and 2nd platoons ready to deploy. Sergeant Gilroy gave her a wink when they heard that.

"Oh, and Payne," Vorhuber paused as he turned to go. "Pick out a suit for yourself. You'll be going with 1st platoon."

"Sir? Yes sir!" She was surprised. She and Alby hadn't been assigned to platoons yet, hadn't even really met any of their officers or NCOs except in random encounters in the mess hall. She had been half-expecting never to be assigned to a platoon. Maybe the Captain was planning to keep her around as a gofer where he could keep a close eye on her. Apparently not.

Fitting a suit of battle armor to its owner didn't take as long as prepping a cold suit for use, but it was just as exacting. For obvious reasons all suits of battle armor were identical in their size and shape although there were numerous variations in the weapons and equipment attached to them. But the men wearing the armor came in a variety of sizes and shapes and the armor had to be adjusted for a good fit if it was to function properly. Anny remembered how if Patric had been just one centimeter taller he would have been disqualified for assault troops: he wouldn't have fit into the armor!

So, one by one the troopers of the first two platoons came and got fitted for their armor. It only took a couple of hours per man, but the complaints were non-stop. A well-worn set of armor was like an old, comfortable pair of shoes to these troopers. None of them were happy about giving up their old set despite all the fancy gimcracks in these new ones. Of course there wasn't any choice since their old suits were all light years away back at Fort Vormeyer. So they grumbled and bitched and as soon as the fit-out was complete they were painting regulation unit patches and non-regulation pictures and slogans on their suits as happy as kids with new toys.

Not all the troopers were old veterans. The company had a few other new people besides Anny and Alby: replacements for men who had retired or transferred or been lost to injuries or other mishaps. A transfusion of fresh blood for the regiment. Anny glanced at the next trooper in the queue to be fitted out and saw that he was one of the newbies, way younger than the others she'd been working with. "You're next private… uh, Karal," she said consulting her list. Karal? She took a closer look at the man, who was grinning openly. His hand snapped up in a parade-ground salute even though the standing order was for no salutes on shipboard.

"I said I'd hafta salute you the next time we met," said the man, his voice tinged with a familiar Dendarii Mountain's accent.

"Zac? Zac Karal?" gasped Anny. It was really him, the same kid she'd met on the bus to Hassadar! He was a little taller and far more muscular, but it was really him! "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Same's you, I guess: tryin' to be an assault trooper."

"But… but you've only been in the service, what? Eighteen months?"

"Nineteen."

"And you made it through Basic and Infantry School and into an assault regiment in nineteen months?" That seemed unusually fast to Anny.

Zac grinned and scratched his head. "Got lucky. And all the advice you gave me helped, too. The drill sergeant was so impressed with all the little tricks you told me about I was made a brevet corporal in my training company. Then we were in the Fire—I know you were involved in that, too—and I kept my head in an emergency we had and well, that seemed to impress some folks. I was posted for advanced training and one thing led to another and here I am."

"Well, that's amazing. Oh, and I met your folks when I was up that way during the Fire."

"I know. They wrote me about it—and what you and your men did. Thanks for that, sir, thanks a lot."

Anny nodded. "So how come this is the first I've seen you here?"

"Oh, we've all been ordered not to bother you. And they've kept me real busy, too."

"I can believe that! Well, we better get on with your fit-out before Sergeant Gilroy catches us goofing off."

"You out-rank him don'tcha?"

"Yeah, maybe, but it's still his armory and in here he makes the rules. Come on, step over here." They got down to business, but had only been at it a few minutes when Gilroy came up and he seemed unusually flustered.

"Ensign? Uh, Ensign we've got a problem." Was the man blushing?

"What kind of problem, Sarge?"

"It's uh… it's about your armor. Y'see I was getting a suit ready for you, like the Captain said, and it just struck me that the … the… uh…" Yeah, he was definitely blushing.

"The what?"

"The… uh… the plumbing connections! They… they won't work for a… a…" the man was turning an amazing shade of crimson.

"A woman?" Anny tried not to grin—and failed.

"Yes! I don't see how I'm gonna, I mean how you're gonna, I mean…" Gilroy sputtered to a stop.

"Relax, Sergeant," laughed Anny. "I was meaning to talk to you about that."

"But… but…"

"I've already got an undersuit modified for my anatomy. How'd you think I'm able to wear a space suit?"

"But that still needs to connect to the armor's plumbing!" protested Gilroy. "How am I gonna…?"

Anny walked over to her little work bag and rummaged around in it for a moment. She pulled out a small contraption of plastic pipes and flexible tubes and handed it to Gilroy. "I had the workshop at the Academy tinker this together for me before I left. It's a standard item in other militaries who already have women. I think it will solve our problem, Sergeant." He took it like it was a live grenade. "You should be able to figure out how it fits into the armor."

"Well I'll be damned…" He started to wander off, scratching his head. "Now how the hell does this thing go…?"

Anny turned back to Zac who was trying not to laugh. "Now where were we?"

[Scene Break]

They jumped into Komarr space and then immediately proceeded to the wormhole jump point leading to Escobar. The convoy was assembling there and waiting for its escort. There would be no stop-over at Komarr itself and Anny was perfectly happy to miss it this time. She had little time to worry about that or anything except getting ready to deploy. The members of 1st Platoon were not all strangers to her since she'd been helping fit some of them to their armor for a full day, but most she did not know. The commander was Lieutenant Ovrasky and he already had one ensign working for him, a sandy-haired youth, named Palese who didn't look much older than her. Under normal circumstances there wouldn't be much need for a second ensign, but convoy duty was different. The platoon was going to be broken up into three slightly over-strength squads and sent out to different ships. Ovrasky would take one, Palese the second and technically she'd be in command of the third. Technically, because the platoon's senior NCO, Sergeant Zeckman, was also being assigned to the third squad and Ovrasky made it clear that Anny was in command only so long as she followed Zeckman's advice. It honestly didn't bother her to have a watchdog like that: as long as she listened to him she couldn't get into too much trouble. Alby had been assigned to 2nd Platoon with a similar arrangement except that 2nd Platoon didn't have the luxury of another ensign so one of the squads was going to be commanded by a sergeant. A brief message she'd gotten from Jer told her that the other jaygees from the Academy were being similarly handled in the companies they'd been assigned to.

"Three of the squads will be assigned to frigates to act as shipboard troops," explained Captain Vorhuber during their briefing. "If it hadn't been for the screw-up with the armor you would have been over there before we left Barrayar. The other three, Vorsworth, Palese and Payne, you'll each be assigned to one of the merchies. As you might know, we'll provide escort to non-Imperial ships on the same run for a fee. But we've been having problems with hijackers the last few years and almost every time they've been aboard these non-Imperial ships. So the Admiral wants a closer watch kept on them. Mister Vorsworth you'll be aboard a ship from Earth, Mister Pelese, your ship is from Pol and Mister Payne, you'll be on an Escobaran ship. Keep in mind that you are guests aboard those ship up to the moment that the Admiral declares an emergency. At that point you are in charge and don't take any shit from the ship's skipper. Understood?"

"Yes sir." Anny was surprised and excited at the prospect of getting aboard a foreign ship. She didn't think she'd ever met anyone from Escobar.

Ten hours later they rendezvoused with the convoy and Anny and her squad—which to her delight included Zac Karal—found themselves on a shuttle heading for the Escobaran merchant-liner Pogthress. She wasn't sure what the name meant, she'd have to ask. They were all wearing their undress greens. Their armor and weapons, except for sidearms, were all stowed with their gear. They'd been ordered not to appear like a hostile boarding party.

The shuttle hooked up to an air lock and Anny went in and waited for it to cycle. When the hatch swung open Anny was surprised to see the ship's captain waiting to greet her. She'd expected a junior officer. She was even more surprised that the captain was a woman, a tall, dark-haired woman who she'd guess was in her late thirties. The woman smiled and offered her hand.

"Ensign Payne? Welcome aboard. I'm Captain Bothari-Jesek."