Free The Devil's Nebula by Eric Brown Page A

reached out and touched the screen before him, and all five turned in their seats and stared up at the viewscreen.
    Carew shifted uneasily, as much as the constricting metal band would allow, and transferred his attention to the screen.
    The scene of deep space flickered and was replaced by a view of their ship, The Paradoxical Poet , as it phased from void-space in orbit around Hesperides and began its spiraldown.
    Jed hissed, “How the hell?”
    “A drone, obviously,” Carew said.
    He wondered if drones circled all Vetch-territory worlds now, waiting for the appearance of trespassing vessels, or if they had been betrayed and followed.
    The viewscreen showed the Poet as it landed in the jungle south of Valderido. The viewpoint of the drone remained elevated, speeding through shots of the jungle canopy until the trio emerged in the city.
    Commander Gorley waved at his screen and the image stilled. He stared at Carew. “The charge: transgression of Vetch space, unlawful landfall on Hesperides. How do you plead?”
    Carew had another ploy he used, this time with dignitaries in command: far from refusing eye contact, he would attempt to out-stare them, holding their gazes until they relented and looked away.
    He stared at Gorley and said, “How do I plead? I make no plea. I refuse to acknowledge the legitimacy of any court upholding the aggressive annexation of Expansion territory by the Vetch.” His eyes bored into Gorley’s abnormally thin visage. The Commander held his gaze.
    A small woman at the end of the table leaned forward and murmured at her screen. “Plea inadmissible.”
    Commander Gorley said, “Lania Takiomar? How do you plead?”
    Lania licked her lips. “I, too, refuse to acknowledge the charge.”
    “Jedley Neffard?”
    The engineer looked terrified. “Me too.”
    Carew smiled across at Gorley, who looked away to consult his screen. He had scored a small victory.
    The viewscreen flickered and the scene of deep space beyond the station resumed.
    The woman beside Gorley began reading from her screen.
    “The further charges, pending, on each individual run thus: Edward Tracey Carew charged with the transportation of one renegade telepath to the colony world of Xaranxa, Deneb III, in the year 1731; such transportation deemed illegal and likely to destabilise the political situation on Xaranxa. How do you plead?”
    Carew said. “I refuse to acknowledge the right of this session to judge the lawfulness of my actions.”
    The woman went on, “Lania Tara Takiomar, you are charged with, on the fourth of Jeremy, 1735, absconding from military custody on Blanchard’s World, Altair II and illegally obtaining a Jenson-Meers smartsuit from military stores. How do you plead?”
    Carew saw Lania’s hands form into tight fists as she said, “Fuck you all.”
    He smiled to himself. She had never mentioned her past, or rather had given him a sanitised version of how she had come to own the smartsuit, and he found himself wanting to know more.
    He was overwhelmed by the notion that he might never now have the chance.
    “Jedley Neffard, you are charged with, on the seventh Sacristian, 1739, absconding from police custody on High’s World, seriously injuring an officer of the law, and stealing an air-car. How do you plead?”
    Jed stared defiantly at the woman. “Not guilty,” he said.
    Commander Gorley was saying, “These are specimen charges, of more than twenty-five in total, with which the Expansion may try Carew, Takiomar and Neffard.”
    The official to his right spoke in modulated tones. Gorley listened, nodded, then leaned forward, his hands clasped before his chin as he stared across at Carew. He spoke, and for the first time Carew received the impression that the man was not following a prepared script.
    “For almost thirty years, Edward Carew, you have roamed the Expansion aboard your ships, first The Grayling and then The Paradoxical Poet , no doubt playing out, in your own imagination, the role of