🚀 go-pugleaf

                                A Worthy Loophole cont'd...


He'd been skimming the exosphere, using his short-range scanners for 
surface information. Now he dropped into a steep dive, hoping he'd be 
able to control his ship through the next few maneuvers-- Centurions had 
been built with little more than a nod toward atmospheric flight, one 
reason Seth hated taking it into near-surface combat. Well, it could be 
worse, he thought cheerlessly. He could be in one of the "flying lawn 
darts"--  a Ferret or a Thunderbolt III, never designed for atmosphere at 
all.
	He pulled out of the dive at a sheer one hundred meters, cursing as the 
Centurion shook. He turned the force shields off, greatly reducing his 
drag-- dangerous to leave himself vulnerable, but necessary for his next 
trick. He had three minutes until he got within range of the volcano, and 
a quick radar check showed him that the Vaktoth had entered a circling 
pattern in that area. Seth unstrapped himself, slowed to about a thousand 
kilometers per hour airspeed, hit the autopilot, and dashed into his tiny 
cargo hold to execute a quick chore, then leaped back into the pilot's 
seat just in time to give a startled yell and pull up away from a killing 
energy barrage from the Vaktoth, which had broken off to attack him head-
on. A radar peek showed that the Vaktoth had shot past him and was 
turning around, and a siren warned him that a heat-seeker was after him. 
Seth punched a button to toss out a flare to decoy the missile, but 
realized that he was too close now to the volcano base to deviate course 
if he was to succeed. He held his breath until the heat-seeker locked 
onto the flare, and the lock warning siren died.
	Seth had to time his maneuver exactly right; he had only one chance, and 
no computer targeting to aid him. His cargo hold had an emergency 
jettison hatch-- the last resort for the contraband runner-- but it 
hadn't been designed as a bomb bay. If he was to drop his cargo of 
nuclear weapons down the mouth of the volcano, he had either to time his 
release with perfect accuracy, or to skim dangerously close to the target.
 Seth decided to take both options.
	Pulling up on a course that would take him within meters of the top of 
the volcano, Seth pushed the first two buttons in the emergency jettison 
sequence. The last button would drop the load straight down, or so Seth 
hoped. He'd never actually used it before... he was a good smuggler. The 
jungle below him formed an mesmerizing green blur as Seth swept down 
below the most effective range of any anti-aircraft weapons that might be 
mounted on the volcano edge. He didn't dare cut speed as he made his fly-
by; his radar told him the Vaktoth was right on his tail.
	There was a small explosion as the missile hit the flare. The Vaktoth, 
which had apparently dropped shields just as Seth had, had no choice but 
to swerve away from the blast. Seth was in the clear. He checked his 
chronometer... still thirty seconds till the nukes in his hold detonated. 
Plenty of time.
	Seth rapidly approached the top of the volcano, praying that the 
corvette wouldn't pop up at the last second to ruin his party. He held 
his course... twenty seconds on the nukes... with a warcry he hit the 
jettison button, dropping ten multi-megaton nuclear warheads into the 
mouth of the volcano, then pulled straight up and jetted up toward the 
stratosphere. He laughed as he saw, looking behind him, that the nukes 
had bounced off the top of the corvette just as it was coming up the tube 
of the volcano. Seth accelerated violently, hoping he wouldn't shake his 
ship apart; he didn't want the Kamekh to catch him with tractor beams, 
and he didn't want to take a dose of radiation to go with his victory, 
but he had to cover fifteen klicks in ten seconds. He pushed his 
afterburners until his fuselage glowed red despite its heat-shielding-- 
he burst up into the exosphere just as the nuke timer hit zero. The 
explosion back down on the surface was too far away to be seen as 
anything more than a pinpoint of light, but Seth knew that the Kilrathi 
plans for their new "Vaktoth" had been set back a few months.
	Seth looked at his radar and corrected himself. Apparently the Kilrathi 
in the remaining Vaktoth had also made it up to space before the 
explosion. Good enough. Seth turned to attack, intending to wipe out the 
last of his enemies before leaving the system. He streaked toward the 
Kilrathi, checking the charge of his guns. He was out of missiles, though 
he had another laser mine and a few other tricks left. His tachyon guns 
and turreted plasma guns would have to do.
	Seth decided to take this fight carefully. The Kilrathi might well go 
kamikaze at this point. Seth's concern was validated as the enemy craft 
turned to face him and then shot forward on a collision course. Seth 
exchanged shots with the Vaktoth, losing most of his front shields, 
inflicting less than half the damage he'd expected to. That Vaktoth must 
be shielded like a blasted capital ship! The Kilrathi kept coming, and at 
the last second Seth pulled out, breaking down and below the enemy so 
that the enemy would have to take negative G to follow him. Almost at the 
same time as Seth broke, the Kilrathi pilot pulled a reverse Immelmann, 
doing a tight roll and loop that placed him exactly on Seth's tail while 
avoiding the negative G. The Kilrathi opened fire with full guns.
	Seth twisted and turned, trying desperately to shake his severely 
underestimated opponent, watching in panic as his rear shields went down 
by leaps and bounds. Seth's ship jounced violently around him as he began 
taking armor damage. His armor had already been torn up by the missile 
that had hurled him into this mess-- he swore violently as the damage 
control systems began to light up. Acceleration absorbers, light damage. 
Maneuvering jets, heavy damage. Rear turret guns, destroyed. Jump drive, 
heavy damage. Seth whistled-- the Vaktoth's guns were a lot more powerful 
than he'd expected. The energy barrage stopped as the enemy waited for 
his gun batteries to recharge. The next shots would be the end of Seth 
McGuire, and with his maneuvering jets shot, he had no hope of dodging.
	Suddenly, Seth had a crystal-clear moment of inspiration. He had the 
perfect solution. It was such a simple idea; he should have thought of it 
much sooner.
	Seth straightened out his course, activated his rear-mounted tractor 
beam, locked it onto the enemy. The weak beam could have little effect on 
a ship the size of the Vaktoth-- all it did was help keep the Kilrathi 
straight on target. Seth pushed the beam up to full power... and dropped 
his other laser mine. The Kilrathi tried desperately to swerve, but the 
tractor beam slowed his movements. Seth's cabin lights and readouts 
flickered as Seth channeled all his ship's power into holding the 
Kilrathi on course.
	Impact. The mine exploded, and a green flash blazed inside the yellow 
inferno for a second. Chunks of scrap metal and ship parts flew outward 
in every direction. Seth gave a relieved sigh. Another victory. Now to 
get to work fixing the jump drive... again.






He was on his way aft when he heard the distinct sound of his hold door 
irising open and then shut. He dashed back to the cockpit and checked his 
computer. Right after the Vaktoth had exploded, the targeting system had 
located another radio source and locked the tractor beam onto that. Seth 
cursed. He really did have to upgrade that targeting computer. When the 
tractor beam had pulled its prize close enough to the ship, it 
automatically took it into the hold. Seth began to worry. Bringing up a 
security camera and activating the hold's worklights, he surveyed his 
dubious prize.
	In the middle of the hold was a large spacesuited Kilrathi, standing up 
from an ejector seat. As Seth watched, it moved around the cramped area, 
appraising its situation. A shiver ran up Seth's spine as the Kilrathi 
turned to look directly at the surveillance camera. Seth could see the 
unreadable yellow cat-eyes of his prisoner through the flight-helmet's 
facemask.
	Seth turned on the intercom, connecting to the hold. He'd memorized 
several useful insults, but his conversational Kilrathi was terrible. 
"You try bad thing, I kill you. Be still, I not kill. Yet."
	The response that came back, though muffled by the Kilrathi's helmet, 
was in perfect Terran. "Do not mangle our tongue further, human. Answer 
my questions. Why have you shamed me with this... this "mercy?" Why did 
you not just complete my defeat?"
	Seth decided that telling the truth would lower his position. "I may 
have a use for you." Then he wondered why he didn't just jettison the 
Kilrathi anyway instead of talking to it. "Perhaps you'd like to make a 
bargain."
	The Kilrathi gave a hissing cough. "I believe I am in no position for 
bargaining. And I shall be of no use to you if I have any say."
	"You have no say. I can kill you at any time."
	"Do so. I will lose my life before my honor."
	Seth was tempted to hit the jettison button right there, but decided 
against it. He had one more question to ask. "Where is this world?"
	"How can you not know? Are you not a Confederate strike commander?" The 
Kilrathi's voice registered a note of interest rather than its initial 
despair.
	"I'm just a tourist with a fragged nav console. Can you tell me where I 
am?"
	"Such a "tourist" just destroyed two fighting wings of elite Drakhai. I 
demand to know your name."
	"What is yours?" Seth demanded right back.
	"I am Kharrik nar Raghitagha, called "Iron Law." I am of the noble blood 
of the great house Raghitagha, and a champion of Kilrah."
	Seth smirked. "I am Seth McGuire, called "Lensman". I am of the noble 
blood of a space pirate and a barmaid, and a champion of my own damn self.
"
	The Kilrathi seemed to bristle through his flight suit. "I have been 
defeated by a mere commoner? My honor is truly destroyed."
	"What, from just one defeat? Can't you just make it back up by getting 
revenge?"
	"Correct me if I'm wrong, O wise commoner, but I believe you hold all 
the cards right now." Seth was surprised to hear the Kilrathi use both 
sarcasm and figurative speech.
	"Where did you learn to speak our language so well?"
	"That is not yours to know, human. Kill me if you will, or "bargain" if 
you dare."
	"All right. You've sparked my interest. Here's the first part of my 
bargain. In return for your life, you tell me my location."
	"My life is worth little to me. I shall tell you your location just to 
relish your panic. You are currently in the Shakar-ith system... on the 
far side of the Kilrathi Empire." Beneath its facemask, the Kilrathi 
bared its teeth.
	Seth sighed. He'd expected something like that. "All right, so I'm deep 
in Kilrathi space. See if I care. I just fix my jump drive and get out."
	"Your jump drive?" The Kilrathi's voice took on a sly note. "You mean 
that half-slagged chunk of metal next to your fusion engine? You'd never 
fix it without the aid of a highly-trained aerospace engineer, such as a 
Kilrathi wing commander. And even if the drive was repaired, you'd never 
make it to human space without a Kilrathi to send the correct codes to 
passing patrols."
	Seth frowned in concentration, realizing what the Kilrathi was up to. 
"Are you suggesting something?"
	"Just assuring you as to the futility of your situation. Just so that 
when you die and your flight recorder is recovered, my comrades will look 
with pride at my final defiance."
	"Ah. I think I'll, um, come down to the hold and, uh, kill you in person.
" Seth turned off the camera and intercom, and then deactivated the 
ship's flight recorder. He grabbed a laser pistol from the weapons locker,
 then sealed the weapons locker on "Primary Security"; anyone but Seth 
would die a short and incendiary death trying to open the locker.
	Seth held his laser pistol at the ready and hit the button to open the 
door from the hold to the cockpit. The Kilrathi stood at the far end of 
the room, hands empty. A sidearm of Kilrathi make lay in the center of 
the hold.
	"As you can see," the Kilrathi said, "I am willing to be reasonable 
about this." It-- he, Seth corrected himself-- indicated the pistol on 
the floor. "Now if you would do me the courtesy of sheathing your own 
weapon."
	Seth did not comply, but he did lower the weapon to his side. "Okay, 
Kharrik nar Raghitagha. I believe we have matters to discuss. Apparently 
you are offering your assistance in return for your life. But I thought a 
defeated Kilrathi was always dishonored, unless he killed the one who 
defeated him. I don't relish the thought of being fanged in the back for 
accepting your deal."
	The Kilrathi took off his flight helmet. He had a long golden mane with 
distinct reddish stripes, a mark of high caste. "I earned the callsign 
"Iron Law." Once I, or any Kilrathi, gives a word of honor, it will not 
be broken."
	"Really? And what about that little "truce" two years ago? That Jukaga 
slimeball..."
	"Baron Jukaga was a disgrace to Kilrah! I admit that even I believed in 
his philosophy of victory through understanding, but his double treachery 
against Terra and Kilrah both have earned him the eternal punishment of 
cowards! I spit on his name!"
	"And yet, you once worshipped him, didn't you," Seth whispered, seeing 
something in Kharrik's eyes.
	Kharrik composed himself. "I have benefited. Study of humans has 
afforded me many insights. I have heard much of your type, the 
"privateers." You hold yourselves higher than mere pirates, and you value 
your version of honor as highly as we do ours. This is what assures me 
that I can trust you... once our contract is decided."
	"Which brings me back to square one," Seth said. "You will fix my jump 
drive and steer me past Kilrathi patrols. But what is my side of the 
bargain?"
	"Simple. If it were ever learned that I was defeated by a human, and a 
commoner at that, I would be demoted to Fourth Fang and sent on a suicide 
mission, and I would be glad to die rather than live in disgrace. But 
shame and guilt are quite different-- I feel no guilt over losing to one 
better than myself. And shame is a function of status-- meaningless if 
the offense is unknown."
	"So what's your idea?"
	"After you captured me... I captured you. You came down here to talk 
with me, and I overpowered you and took the ship." Seth tensed. The 
scenario was all too possible, and it could still happen.
	"Relax, Seth McGuire Lensman. I give you my word now that I shall not 
attack you without prior warning." Seth looked down, and realized he'd 
brought his gun back up to firing position. He forced himself to lower it.

	"So then what? How do we part ways under this little piece of theatre?"
	"Simple. We proceed to a Kilrathi outpost, Yakra-arh, near the border 
with the human colonies. I shall tell the Kilrathi there that you had 
taken me all the way to that point before I was able to capture the ship; 
that will explain our great distance from this system. You shall be 
imprisoned there, awaiting interrogation and execution. Meanwhile, I 
shall order your ship refueled and repaired-- to be shipped to Kilrah for 
analysis. Then, your cell door shall be accidentally left open, and a way 
accidentally cleared for you to reach your ship. Naturally we will 
attempt to launch fighters to chase you, but somehow you managed to 
sabotage every single one of them before you escaped. The result-- I 
order the executions of the Kilra'hra common scum who failed to stop you, 
and you escape free. My honor is preserved, as is your life."
	"And you can just as easily just allow me to be interrogated and 
executed."
	"Of course not. I shall swear right now, by the blood of Sivar and the 
bones of my father, that I shall do all in my power to ensure the outcome 
I have just explained."
	"And I swear by... uh... I cross my heart and hope to die that I'll do 
my share as well, deliver you safely there and not give away your little 
secret." Seth really, really hoped he wasn't going to regret striking 
this bargain.


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to be continued...
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Anything wrong? Tell me. Anything right? Tell me.

Completely indifferent to anything regarding this fanfic? Oh, well. I 
tried.



I move around a lot, so for the best chance of reaching me mail both

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                                            Alan "Insert nickname here" 
MacDougall
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