War Angel: part seventy-three

Ben leapt out of his chair and ran to his father. The older man looked up as he heard the shout and immediately warmed upon seeing his son. Ben threw his arms around the elder Drake and hugged him tight, tears beginning to gently fall down his cheeks. “Dad…” he whispered.

Patrick Drake responded with a quick “Oww! Easy, boy. Easy. You’re putting the hurt on your old man!” He broke the hug with his son and placed his hands on his shoulders, eyeballing him from head to toe. “You alright son? Your voice sounds funny and you’re awfully bruised up. Bad accident?”

Spying Kate out of the corner of his eye, he replied “Something like that, yeah.”

F’ath M’isti cleared his throat. “A lovely reunion. But now we dine. Idvall loses its flavor if not eaten quickly. You will have plenty of time to catch up after we’re done, I assure you.” Jack and Sarah shot glances at one another. “Please sit,” he said, pointing at the two empty chairs.

Jack nodded at Ben. “Yes. Let’s remember that we’re all civilized here and follow the host’s lead.” He turned to M’isti. “Is it customary for the host to try the food first or the guests?” The Omegan reached for his knife and sliced off a slice of the meat, then shoved it into his mouth. He chewed for a moment, then began to smile. Taking this as a cue, the rest of the table began digging into their dinner.

As they ate, the crew of the War Angel navigated the etiquette of the situation. Most attempts at small talk were waived off by M’isti and T’reen, but Sarah posed a question that finally engaged the enemy commander. “Tell us, Supreme Commander, what do you think of the War Angel? She looks pretty good for her age, don’t you think?”

M’isti tossed his napkin onto the table and leaned back in his chair. “I think you’ve done a remarkable job, Commander Matto. Remarkable.” A far away look crossed his face. “Remarkable. She hasn’t aged a day since I sent her crashing into your Earth’s moon.”

Gina coughed up the bite of salad she was chewing. “I’m sorry, what? You –“

“I was the commander of the ship – well a pair of ships – that fought your ship and sent her toward her final destination.” He frowned. “Or so I thought.”

Kate, eschewing tact, jumped in. “She take anybody with her?”

“Oh, yes. Both of my ships. I watched the War Angel crash from the window of my escape pod.”

“A glorious and honorable victory, then,” Jack chimed in.

F’ath M’isti leaned forward with his elbows on the table. “Yes. And an honorable defeat as well. Many warriors made their way to Erestia that day. But I lived on.” He paused. “I live on.”

“As befits a Supreme Commander,” Sarah said, raising her glass.

His eyes narrowed. “Yes. And now she is risen from the dead, your precious War Angel. Imagine my surprise when I began reading the EAD files and discovered the ship was spaceworthy once more. Then I read about the improvements you’ve been working on, including the tachyon scoop. A fascinating piece of technology.” All movement in the room stopped. “Which is, of course, missing from the ship, along with your main computer core. Bold gambit, Captain Keys.”

“You obviously know that I cannot allow that kind of technology to fall into your hands, flag of truce or no flag of truce, Supreme Commander.” He shrugged his shoulder. “But I give your warriors full marks for the speed with which they have obviously scoured my ship.”

“The absence of medical supplies and food and water is interesting as well, Captain. You aren’t very trusting.”

“Would you be if our positions were reversed?”

The Omegan grunted. “Of course not. But I would have never suggested a meeting of this nature, either.”

Jack coughed and wiped sweat away from his forehead. “Desperate times, sir. Desperate times.”

M’isti stood and backed away from the table. “Well. It is certainly shaping up to be a fascinating evening. Captain Keys, I believe that you and I are due for a private discussion. As to the rest of you…”

Wilma raised her hand. “My apologies, Supreme Commander. May I take Mr. Drake and his son to your infirmary and check them over? Lieutenant Drake was already under care before we came, and it certainly appears as though Mr. Drake could use a once-over.”

The Omegan snorted. “Very well. T’reen will escort you there. As for the rest of you,” Sarah, Kate, and Gina looked up, “I am tempted to hold you in the brig while Captain Keys and I chat. But it would be… rude. Instead, you will remain here under guard. Feel free to have more food and drink.”

From around the table, the faces of the War Angel crew turned to Jack. “Okay,” he said, calmly, “you heard him. We’ll meet back here after out chat.” They all nodded. “Where to, Supreme Commander?” Jack stood from the table.

“Follow me,” M’isti replied, and turned to leave the room.