The Broken Peace

Baeder sat at the end of a large table in the Baldrin's officer's dining area. A white tablecloth adorned the table with several pieces of mismatched china resting on the cloth.

Melinda and three others sat around the table as the food was brought in and the wine glasses were filled. They chatted among themselves as their guest arrived for the meal.

"Ah, Captain Hathcox. Please be seated. Make yourself comfortable. The wine is from Phocorus. It's best served slightly chilled. Would you like a salad before the roasted pork?"

"That is generous of you, Captain Baeder. This is more than I expected."

"Don't get used to it. We don't normally eat so lavishly, but this is a special occasion, and the crew and I rarely get to indulge. But please sit, sit."

Hathcox seated himself at the table while one of the crew placed a plate in front of him and another filled his glass. He looked suspiciously at the wine glass, and Baeder seemed to sense his discomfort. The man stood and walked to Hathcox's seat and took the glass. He drank down the wine and gave a disapproving look at Hathcox. "Satisfied?" he asked.

"My apologies, Captain Baeder."

"Not to worry. Now please, a clean glass, and enjoy the wine."

Baeder returned to his seat as the entrees arrived. The crew began to eat their meal without much ceremony. "Forgive us, Captain," Baeder said, "We don't stand much on formalities here. Please, enjoy your meal."

The meal was well prepared, and Hathcox enjoyed it far more than he thought he would when he arrived. "My compliments to the chef," he said.

"He's one of the merry miscreants who joined us after we captured his ship. I will pass along your praise to him. Now tell me, Captain, what brings you out all this way into the unknown?"

"We are a science vessel, we detected a habitable planetary body, and we went to investigate."

"To colonize, no doubt."

"Well, yes, that was a possibility."

"Also, you get to share in the wealth and resources of anything found dirtside, right?"

"That is the usual arrangement, yes."

"Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm afraid we've already settled in. Were you able to make any scans of the planet?"

"Only the most basic. We'd just arrived when you attacked us."

"So, you don't know anything at all then about our little world?"

"No."

"Well, no worries. You and your crew will get to know it soon enough."

"Now I have a question for you, if I may, Captain Baeder."

"But of course."

"Where did you get this ship?"

"An interesting question. We liberated it from a scrap yard if you can believe that. Imagine the Sparitartes were going to let this fine ship be turned into scrap metal. Well, I couldn't allow that."

"Yes, but your weapons and munitions. Where are you getting them? Surely you don't expect me to believe you make them yourselves."

"I'm afraid, Captain, that information is classified."

A woman entered the dining area, "Captain Baeder, you have a subspace transmission."

"If you will excuse me, Captain. Melinda, would you be so kind as to join me? Captain Hathcox, please enjoy the rest of your meal."

Baeder and Melinda arrived at the comm station. Switching on the monitor, a man in the uniform of the Sparitartes naval forces waited for their report.

"You have something?" he asked.

"We've intercepted an Anatolian research vessel near Carissa."

"How close did they come to the planet? Has our operation been compromised?"

"No, they had just arrived when we overtook them. No transmissions were made, and they did not have a chance to survey the planet. Our mining operation is safe."

"Take the ship to its last known position and destroy it. Use internal explosions to make it look like an accident."

"And the crew?"

"Kill them," he said as he cut the transmission.

Melinda looked at Baeder. "Well?"

"You heard him tow the ship and set demolition charges."

"And the crew?"

"Take them to the surface of Carissa. Keep them under lock and key for now."

"And?"

"And nothing. We are not killers. Keep them under guard, but no killing."

"If you insist."

"Yes, I do insist."