Free Hunt the Heavens: Book Two of the Shadow Warrior Trilogy by Chris Bunch Page B

standby.”
    “Understood.”
    Wolfe swung down a mike. “This is the yacht
Otranto
, broadcasting on standard emergency frequency. Identify yourself, and give authority for your request.”
    “
Otranto
, this is the
Ramee.
We made no request but demand you stand by for inspection. We are in pursuit of a dangerous Federation criminal.”
    “Ship,” Wolfe said, “give me any specs on the
Ramee.
”
    “No ship of that name found.”
    “Do you have any entry, anywhere, on the name
Ramee
?”
    “Otranto, Otranto
, this is the
Ramee.
Be advised we are armed, and will launch to disable unless you communicate instantly and cut your drive. Do not attempt to enter N-space. We will match orbit.”
    “Ramee,”
the ship said calmly.
“More commonly known as Petrus Ramus. An eminent logician. A native of ancient Earth, of the country then known as France. Most noted — ”
    “Stop,” Wolfe said. “With a name like that, a Chitet?”
    Taen moved his grasping organs. “From what you have told me, it would make sense that they would name their spacecraft after thinkers,” Taen said. “Hardly a subtle maneuver, however.”
    “Doubt if they care, this far from anything.” Wolfe keyed the mike. ”
Ramee
, this is the
Otranto.
I must protest this piracy in the strongest terms. There is no one on board this craft but the captain and four crew members. We are delivering this craft to its new owners on Rialto.”
    “This inspection will take only a few moments. Stand by. We will be sending a team across as soon as we are in conjunction with you.”
    “So much for an honest face,” Wolfe said. “Ship, do you have any ID on the
Ramee
from its dimensions?”
    “The ship resembles three classes of vessels. However, two of them are rare prototypes, so it is most likely the ship is a somewhat modified
Requesans-
class destroyer built by the Federation. I display its possible weaponry, performance.”
    Wolfe scanned the screen. “Fast little bastard. Fine. Ship, give me a screen with the
Ramee
on it and its probable orbit in relation to us.”
    Another screen lit. The Chitet craft, four times the size of the
Grayle
, was closing on the
Grayle
from directly “ahead.”
    “Cautious, ain’t they? Ship, dump one missile out of the tubes. Do not activate drive, do not activate homing system, maintain on standby.”
    “Understood.”
    “At my command, you will go to full secondary drive. Put us as close to the
Ramee
as you can. As soon as you clear the other ship, activate the missile behind us and home it on the
Ramee.
Then take us back toward Malabar. I want an orbit that closely intersects the abandoned ships, emerges on the far side of the planet.”
    “Understood.”
    Breathe … breathe … reach …
    Wolfe felt the Al’ar beside him stir.
    Fire, burn …
    “Ship, go!”
    Drive-hum built around him. Wolfe had an instant to see the
Ramee
blur up onscreen,
felt
it pass, then, in a rear screen, saw the computer-created flare that represented his missile as its drive cut in and it shot toward the Chitet starship.
    Ahead, the clutter of Malabar loomed.
    “The
Ramee
has launched three countermissiles. One miss … one bypass … third missile impacted. Our missile destroyed.”
    “I guess we couldn’t hope to surprise them like we did the
Ashida
,” Wolfe complained. “Ship, how long on the far side of Malabar will we be able to jump?”
    “At full secondary power, seventy-three minutes.”
    “What’s the status on the
Ramee
?”
    “It has recovered and has set an intersecting orbit. My systems indicate it is preparing to launch an attack.”
    “I thought they wanted us alive.”
    “If these Chitet are not experienced soldiers,” Taen said, “perhaps they have great faith their weapons will do exactly as they wish and only cripple this ship and leave us to be captured.”
    Wolfe managed a grin. “Yeah. I believed that, too, once. But I’d just as soon not help them learn a missile’s about as selective as a