Dirty Tricks

by Mr. David R. Dorrycott

Nola looked up from her book, studying the night dark scene through her tiny ships cockpit. Above her, all such terms being relative in space, the BARNARD'S STAR seemed to drift lazily along. Actually they were moving at a fair percentage of 'C', having dropped out of Null Space some nine hours ago to investigate an sudden heavy 'thump', as Le Clerc had put it. Nola had been sound asleep. BARNARD'S STAR, like the swift Battle Carriers she'd served on so long ago, was simply too massive for her to have noticed anything. Short of an attack that was. Once they'd dropped out of Null-Space she'd launched. Her tiny home built fighter was much faster and maneuverable than the shuttles aboard. And in better repair.

Over seven hour's ago she'd spotted the damage, a bright gray star near cargo hold three. Not very large but remarkable. Solid objects rarely entered Null Space naturally, it must have been a freak impact with something left by a transversing ship. She yawned, the thing could be anywhere from two hours to two hundred thousand years old. Null Space was getting full of such garbage. She checked her attitude thrusters again, plenty of fuel, and returned to her book. Outside Neeki Elodea and Bob Bernardino worked to patch the rupture. Their luck had been off the scale lately, starting with Nola's recovery and ending with single handedly defeating a more powerful foe. At nearly the cost of the little Naorhy's life. It was about time something went wrong. Every so often she glanced up, her canopy's coating protecting her from the occasional flare of Bob's welding torch. Nola wasn't there to protect them, though her fighter was more than capable. She was there in case something happened. Like one of them drifting off. 'Rescue duty' she thought. 'Worse than combat. Ninety nine percent boredom followed by another ninety nine percent boredom.'

The huge Urisonid was studying the impact damage and what he saw bothered him. Something had hit the 'Star' but no where near as hard as he'd have expected. At least it hadn't penetrated the hull, still better to make the patch now than have any weak point. He glanced up at the nearly invisible fighter drifting a hundred meters above him. Visible only because he knew where to look, and Nola had her landing lights on to help visibility. Every since the lynx had shown just what she could do while fighting that pirate a few months ago, he'd started forming a deep respect for the deadly little craft. And a huge desire for armor over everything. The STAR showed his new found respect. A Civilian craft she was protected nearly as well as a military craft twice her size, much to Leo Goldpaws disgust. Armor was mass, and mass needed energy to move. He'd complained more than once that Bob's additions had reduced their profit margin by several percent. Bob huffed, Betty kept their huge Captain in line. Nightly whispers of how protected she felt in his arms followed by stories of how much pirates seemed to like rabbit stew. That'd taken the wind from Leo's sails, but he still groused now and then. Waving Neeki away he started shifting the last patch into place. Once they landed or docked he'd do a first class job, right now keeping the inquisitive plant woman from cutting her suit was more important. Leo never let anyone out on the hull alone, and since Nola had finished her ship he'd started ordering her out in case of rescue. 'Never needed' he thought, But the lynx's ability to drift hours on end without complaint was downright heartening. Intent on his work he never noticed the moving shadow behind his partner.

Neeki really wasn't that interested in the work, but the excuse for getting out of the ship was one she'd grabbed at. All she was doing was playing helper, holding small items, watching to make sure none of the cables Bob needed got in the way. And above her drifted Nola. Neeki still didn't like the furred woman, still kept the heavy poison's circulating in her system. Unbelievably the cat had become nearly a vegetarian after sampling her new galaxy's offerings of flesh, and Neeki was basically vegetable. A Sentient vegetable. Occasional nightmares of ending up on Nola's plate as a midnight snack kept her on edge. She didn't hate the cat, she just... Well it was better to be safe. You could always apologize if you were proved wrong. Being proved right could be down right fatal. A sudden jerk caused her to look around in alarm. It felt like she'd bumped something, or something had bounced off her. There were dozens of projections within a meter or so but nothing closer. She twisted, trying to look at her suit. Nothing, no damage, nothing stuck to her. Her readouts showed everything in order. No sudden leaks. Maybe an internal support fiber had failed. Confused and a bit worried she made a mental note to check her suit after she took it off.

"Tha's it" Bob announced a few minutes later. "Ge' us ten tah clean up ahn ge' back in Nola, then yah can head fer tha barn." Neeki began helping with the cleanup while Banards Star sported another patch to meld in with the hundreds of others within sight. Nola's voice filled the plant womans helmet suddenly. "I stay here. Wait make sure nothing sitting hungry. Barn when Captain orders. Good work both you." Bob's sigh followed and Neeki giggled, her own transmitter sending the sound into space. Bob was pretty laid back, the fact he worked hand in hand with Nola still didn't change his basic feeling that she was way to military. Then, she'd been raised military, served in wars that gave most of them the willies just to listen too her stories. Her opinion of Bob wasn't public knowledge but Neeki thought she might feel about the same towards him. Still the two worked together well and liked each other enough that their arguments usually devolved into giggling fits as each searched for some new horrible name to call the other. She grabbed the last clamp, following Bob to the waiting airlock.

Nola watched the two vanish, waited until the airlock sealed then put her book away. With professional practice she brought her tiny ship closer to the huge freighters hull. Camera's buzzed, taking pictures in every wavelength she had been able to afford. Practice, she didn't expect to find anything but she was Security Officer. Keeping in practice just might make the difference one day. As her systems scanned she thought about Neeki. Word had covertly come to her of the plant womans fears. A lessor person would have used that against Neeki, finding ways to make her life difficult. But Nola had learned that hard lesson herself a long time ago. She made a point of staying as far from Neeki as possible, turning her back to her when they had to be close. Whatever she could do to appear less threatening. Maybe it worked, maybe it didn't. But if Le Clerc made one more crack about the 'Walking Salad Bar' she was going to ignore Leo's specific orders and teach the Frenchman a lesson he'd not soon forget.

"Time to come home girl" Leo's voice announced, pulling Nola from her daydreaming. "We're buttoned up and ready to move."

Nola checked her systems, they had finished their runs some time ago. "Understand. Homecoming" she replied. A few sharp maneuvers later than the deadly little ship was backing into its launch tube. A maneuver Betty kept badgering Nola to teach her. The lynx smiled, there were a few maneuvers she'd love to teach the plump rabbit. If she weren't Leo's mate. Nola had no attraction for the plant woman Neeki, the very idea of becoming involved with a plant, even a sentient one sent nervous shivers down Nola's spine. But Betty... Yum, if she could only find a rabbit for herself on some planet. Preferable not quite as plump and well endowed as Betty. But she'd take what she could find. Powering down her ship Nola popped the canopy while turbines whined down. 'I really have to find a lover' she thought, 'There's just no one available aboard.' Grabbing the memory pack from her camera's she crawled out of her snug cocoon. Studying her scans would get her mind off the now nearly constant itch between her legs. A soft twisting in her stomach notified her they were back in Null Space. Safe from any outside attack. She glanced at the box in her hand, that she was aware of of course.

"Nothin'" Bob announced as he pushed the folds of cloth away. "Notta mark girl. Yer sure yah felt somp'thin?"

Neeki looked at her suit, legless because she was legless. "Yes. Something. Maybe my imagination?"

Bob yawned, stretched and stood. "Better tah be over imaginative than nah round suits" he said. "Pack 'er up, Ah'll get yah a new one from stores after ah get som sleep."

"'Kay, thanks" Neeki agreed. She started packing away the suspect suit after Bob had left. She'd felt something, but there was no evidence. Still her suit was near the end of it's design life. Unpacking a new one was the best option. She hummed to herself as she worked, never noticing the tiny insect-like thing that slipped out of the chamber behind her.

"Back where we belong" Le Clerc announced to no one in particular. As soon as they'd engaged the FTL drives everyone had left, except himself. He had the Bridge to himself. Himself and that constantly humming security board Nola was always upgrading, and the chirping comm board behind him. And... He blinked, well none of it was alive though he was beginning to suspect Sandy's upgrades. "Ah" he sighed, "Captain Le Clerc of the HMS DRAGONSTAR... Imperial warship..." He drifted off into his own fantasy world as automatic systems kept the ship where it should be. For a civilian ship having anyone on the Bridge during a Null Jump was fairly uncommon. But Leo Goldpaw was an uncommon Captain. A large ship, a small exotically mixed crew. Everyone pulled their weight.

It scuttled along until it found a vent. Squeezing in it started hunting a communications line. Programmed to be nearly self aware it still missed the tiny camera mounted near a corner. Civilians didn't mount military grade security systems so it hadn't been programmed to look out for any. Tiny antenna lifted, hunting the high frequency emissions of a null-space transmitter cable. Nothing here. It moved on.

Bob was snoring, Leo and Betty busy with their own lives as Neeki slipped past the closed doors. She could just hear Betty's squeal of delight. A smile grew on her face, that was something she liked to hear. Slowing she listened a little longer, then headed to the ships sickbay. It was her turn to inventory their supplies. Since the addition of herself and the aluminum blooded lynx Sick Bay had been enlarged. More to hold the exotic equipment and supplies the two women needed than for anticipated problems. Still it needed to be kept up and Neeki like the idea that a large bed of rich soil was always ready should she need it. A sharp tapping walk caught her attention. Nola. It had to be her, she was the only one who wore military style shoes, the hard heels made a click as they hit the deck. Neeki shivered, holding back her unreasoning fear as Nola turned the corner.... And stopped dead.

"Apologies" Nola said sharply, spinning on one heel and vanishing as quickly as she'd arrived. Neeki let out a long held breath, she'd been noticing that Nola tried to stay away from her. Here was definite proof the lynx was taking Neeki's feelings into consideration. Any of the rest would have simply walked around the slower moving plant-woman, ignoring or totally missing her discomfort of being the slowest aboard ship. Nola was if not the fastest, nearly so. She was certainly the deadliest for her size, constantly giving Leo workouts that left the massive lion dripping with sweat and Nola panting. If anyone ever boarded this ship Neeki hoped they made the mistake of crossing either of the two. Preferably both... At the same time. A warm feeling traveled down her trunk at the thought, it'd be like running into two wound up buzz saws. Yet Nola was the only one who seemed to understand Neeki's discomfort around faster lifeforms. Thinking over her current situation Neeki slipped into sickbay, shutting the door behind her. 'How come the one I'm most afraid of is the only one that watches out for me?' she wondered.

It scuttled faster. There. There was the cable it needed. Moving forward it wrapped its 'legs' around the heavy cable. A thin wire appeared at its 'mouth', boring slowly through the armored cables insulation. Another reached out, hunting access to the ships nearby navigation systems. Payday was coming.

Nola yawned, it was near the end of her duty shift and she was honestly tired. Remaining alert while drifting in space wasn't as easy as it seemed. One wanted to sleep. It took conscious effort to remain awake. She touched a button, bringing another view of the patch up... and was suddenly very wide awake.

Le Cleric. busy in his own fantasy never noticed the sudden activity behind him. Sandy's communication board lit, strange symbols flickered across the screen as power built in the transmission array.

Betty was just waking, enjoying the feel of her mates muscular body underneath her, and inside her. She was still somewhere between awake and blissful sleep when Nola's voice snapped her into reality. "Lord Captain. Problem" the lynx stated sharply. Leo was awake instantly, lifting the rabbit off him as if she weighed nothing while he rose to a sitting position he reached for the nearby handset. Archaic, but better to have if you lost artificial gravity. "What is it?" he asked sharply. He'd learned thar the Naorhy woman never bothered him off duty unless it was important.

Real important.

Several seconds of conversation later and he waved Betty over to the video link. "Channel two, full link" he whispered as he listened. Betty hurried to obey, this looked important and in space important usually meant life or death....

She watched as the screen flickered, automatically stepping aside when Leo stood to see. On the screen was a picture of the hull damage, rays of material were highlighted. "Yes, I see it too. Damn, we should have had you run your scans first, then fixed it. I won't make that mistake again."

Betty studied the scene, the section of hull Bob and Neeki had fixed a few hours ago. Nothing unusual, just a dull flat plate with lines running away in all directions. Suddenly the screen cleared, Nola appeared. She was looking down at some of her notes. "Computer estimates six-tenths a kilogram, plus minus. I like Neeki run figures again be sure. But wasn't bomb meant hurt us, onlyyyyyy ......" She had looked up, now her eyes were locked on the scene before her. Leo, in all his glory, as well as Betty.

"Damn" Leo laughed, toggling the privacy switch. There were several long seconds of breathing over the link before Nola started talking again. "Um.. ...bomb... ah... Make ship drop null space real space." There was another prolonged period of deep breathing, Nola was obviously having problems. "Maybe remote link. Not know. I check camera logs now." The sudden click had barely sounded before Leo broke out laughing. Grabbing his mate he dragged her to the bed. "Com'on girl. We got a few minutes before she'll get her composure back. And here I always thought of her as an ice princess..."

Nola was having problems. That little itch had broken out into a full fledged forest fire at the sight of two very attractive, and very nude people. Especially the male. Nola had never told anyone, but she'd never seen a nude male before. The sight had affected her deeply. Fighting her natural desires to run to Leo's room she fought for calm. He was after all her Captain, and thus untouchable. The same went for Betty as Leo's mate. Nola groaned, ran a dozen matra's through her head and felt the fire ebb. Sitting again she called up her camera logs. Even at fast forward it'd take hours to view them all. In a burst of deduction she decided to start with the ones nearest Bob & Neeki's re-entry lock.

Le Cleric was just finishing his logs when everyone piled into the Bridge. "Wha? Aler' test?" he asked.

"Problem" Betty announced. Moments later Neeki arrived, seeming to glide across the floor to her computer station. Le Cleric sometimes wondered how the plant girl moved, then after a few weird dreams decided he didn't need to know. She was cute, pretty and available. Just the way he liked them. Wither she had legs or not wasn't important. Anyway, he really did like her. It was her protectorate lynx bodyguard he couldn't stand. The slightest off comment and he found himself wearing his meal... You'd think they were lovers he'd often grumbled. Not likely though, Neeki was deathly afraid of the lynx and Nola had her own agenda.

"Here" Nola's voice announced, the huge screen near Le Cleric changed views. He found himself looking at a strange sight, one that made sense when Neeki covertly reversed up & down on the feed. "Ah, A conduct access" he mummered. "What's that???" He watched with the rest as the image expanded... "A MOLE!"

"It's been transmitting at least forty minutes" Sandy announced. "Damn Le Cleric. Don't you watch anything? Full course, destination, cargo... Just a locator beacon now... Should I cut it off?"

"No, let it run" Leo decided. "It's done its damage. All we can do is try to outwit whoever set it." He leaned forward, "Le... Drop us as close to the station as you can. No final check for errors, anywhere within a couple of light minutes."

The skunk shivered. No drop at the systems edge to check for errors? "Leo... We could end up inside the station as well as out. I'm good... But..."

Leo's huge hand dropped on Le Cleric's shoulder. "Lets just see if your as good as you've bragged all these trips."

Le Cleric swallowed. 'Oh well' he thought. 'I've got a couple of days to figure it out.'