This is the conclusion of a two-part story. If you’ve not read Part 1, you can link to it here.
Search
Ada gaped at the Denebian vessel. “How does it fly without wings or propellers? It’s too small to be an airship.”
“It’s hard to explain in layman’s terms,” said Luken. “The engines manipulate gravity in and around the ship, so that the thrusters can lift and propel us. That’s how I lifted the rail car, too.”
“How fast can it travel?”
“That’s even harder to explain,” said Otto. “We could travel to anywhere on this planet within a few minutes. Once we get to the edge of the star system, we can jump to another system in a few minutes. Getting to the edge of the system is variable, though. At maximum thrust, we can reach the edge of the system in a few hours, but under normal conditions, it takes a few days.”
“Why don’t you use maximum thrust under normal conditions?”
Luken smiled. “Why does a long-distance runner not sprint the entire race? He’d run out of strength quite quickly, wouldn’t he? Besides, the G-forces an emergency thrust exerts on passengers and crew are quite unpleasant. Imagine suddenly feeling seven to ten times heavier than you are.”
“That does sound dreadful.” Ada looked thoughtful. “How long does it take to get to your world? Will I be able to see it?”
“Absolutely not,” said Otto. “It’s bad enough we brought a primitive on board, Captain, but bringing her back with us? That would surely spell the end of both our careers.”
Ada’s face flushed. “Primitive? Don’t you mean savage?”
Otto shrugged. “This world is technologically and socially primitive. That’s a fact, not a value judgment. I apologize if it sounded as such.”
Ada nodded. “I’ll forgive your slight. Besides, it isn’t as if I’ve not been called worse. To the Nazis, we aren’t even human.”
“Why do they hate your people so much?”
“History is full of people trying to eradicate the Jews. This is nothing new.”
“I’m sorry,” said Luken. “I can’t imagine what that must be like.”
“Why did you do it?” asked Ada. “Why did you lift the train?”
“We’re not supposed to get involved in local matters. We were sent here to survey the planet and observe, that’s all. I’ve seen some terrible things over the last few months. A couple of weeks ago, though… I don’t want to talk about it. I just couldn’t stand by and do nothing anymore.”
Ada took Luken’s hand. “Are you going to get into trouble because you saved me?”
“He’ll probably lose his command, at least,” said Otto. “It was a most unwise decision.”
“It was indeed,” said Luken. “But sometimes it’s better to do what’s right. I plan on making a great many more unwise decisions before we’re through here.”
“Well, they can only hang you once.”
Searching for Ada’s parents turned out to be a far greater challenge than Luken had anticipated. The planet’s lack of advanced computer technology meant that prisoner records would have to be searched through manually.
“I hope you’re not assuming we can just go in and ask to see their prisoner records,” said Otto. “We might have papers, but no one’s going to believe we’re German soldiers.”
“This is true,” said Ada. “Your hair and eyes are too dark.”
“We can alter our appearance,” said Luken. “It would take little effort to lighten our hair, and we can wear tinted contact lenses on our eyes.”
She shook her head. “And what if you have to speak? Your German is… well, no one would mistake you for a native speaker.”
“She’s got a point, Captain.”
Luken shrugged. “I have to try.”
“I can’t let you go alone,” said Ada. “Bring me with you.”
“Absolutely not,” said Luken. “It’s too dangerous!”
“I’m not afraid. Let me do the talking. We’ll say your vocal cords are injured, or something.”
“You couldn’t pass for a soldier. You’re too young.”
“I have seen younger children than me wearing Nazi uniforms.”
“I’d never forgive myself if anything happened to you.”
Ada laughed. “Then don’t let anything happen to me.”
Luken and Ada entered a local precinct. Luken wore a thick bandage on his throat. They had stained it with ram’s blood to make it more convincing, as long as no one looked under the bandage.
“You’re sure you don’t want me to slit your throat?” Otto had asked. “I promise it’ll be superficial.”
Luken had considered it, but Ada adamantly refused. She didn’t quite trust Otto not to “accidentally” cut too deep and assume command.
“We would like to see records of the Jews taken from the ghettos,” Ada said to a tired-looking clerk.
“Why?”
“A Jew attacked the Captain. We are tracking him down.”
“Why didn’t you just kill the man right then and there?”
Luken made a gagging noise and looked angrily at the clerk.
“You mustn’t anger the Captain!” said Ada, shying away from Luken. “He has a short temper since he’s lost his voice. The people with him were more concerned with saving his life. Now he seeks revenge.”
“Name?”
“No. You will bring the records to us, and we will find him. It is the Captain’s order.”
The clerk nodded and turned. “This way.”
Luken kept his hand on his pistol as they followed the clerk. Just in case.
The records room was full of boxes and ledgers. There was a small table and a lamp in the corner.
“Leave us,” said Ada. “We promise to put things back where we found them.”
The clerk shrugged and left, closing the door behind him.
Luken stood guard while Ada began searching through ledgers. “Do you think he bought it?” he whispered.
“Maybe, but I’m scared, anyway.”
“You hide it well. You’re doing great, so far.”
“I want to cry.”
“When we get back to the ship, you can cry all you want.”
Ada looked through hundreds of pages. “They’re not in here. They must have been processed somewhere else.”
Luken looked down the lists. “I don’t see your name, either. Is it possible that they didn’t record every name?”
Ada frowned. “I hope not. How will we find them?”
On the way out, Luken tipped over the shelves. The crashing sound brought the clerk running.
“The Captain is quite angry at the sloppy record-keeping in this precinct,” said Ada. “He says that when he returns, things better be improved, or he will do this to the staff, next.”
The clerk’s face went pale. “Tell the Captain I take full responsibility. Heil Hitler!”
Ada returned his salute. “The Captain can hear you, idiot. His voice was damaged, not his ears.”
Once they were back on the ship, Ada laughed. “Did you see his face? He was more terrified than I was.”
“You did well. I’m proud of you. I’m sure your parents would be, too.”
Ada nodded, then broke down weeping.
Luken, unsure of what else to do, held her tightly as she cried.
Luken and Ada used their cover story half a dozen times before rumors of their search began to precede them. One clerk nearly fainted when he saw Luken with his bandaged throat.
“Y-you are here to search for Jews, yes? I will take you to the records room, right away. I hope you f-find everything in order.”
Luken nodded.
“So does the Captain,” said Ada.
The clerk led them into the room and left, closing the door behind him.
“This is getting a lot easier,” whispered Ada.
“Too easy for my tastes,” said Luken. “I say we look through the logs and get out of here as quick as we can.”
They scanned the prisoner logs until Ada found several names she recognized. “They were our neighbors in the ghetto. We must be getting close. Here! I think I found my mother and me!”
Luken looked at the page. “You were on separate trains, even though you went through the checkpoint together?”
“The train was full after my mother. Actually, it was overfull. They shoved her on before closing the doors. You saw how packed my train was.”
“That’s how you got separated. Sorry, I didn’t realize.”
Ada shrugged. “I tried to follow. They almost shot me.”
“I’m glad they didn’t. I never would have met you.”
Ada smiled, in spite of herself. “I’ve been nothing but trouble for you. Otto seems to think so.”
“Let him think what he will,” said Luken. “I can’t just give up now.”
They said nothing for a moment, then Luken cleared his throat. “Um, does the ledger say where they took your mother?”
Ada blushed and looked down at the list. “It just has a number.”
“You have the same number next to your name. If I hadn’t taken your train, you might have met up again there.”
“That doesn’t matter now. If we find out where this is, we can go there and find her. There would have been no chance of rescue if you didn’t do what you did.”
“What about your father?”
“He’s not in here. I don’t know where he worked, so I don’t know where they could have taken him.” Ada sighed. “Or if he’s still alive.”
“I’ll do whatever I can. For now, let’s go find your mother.”
They wrote down the number and headed for the door. The knob wouldn’t turn.
“It’s locked,” said Ada. “What do we do?”
Luken looked around for another exit. There wasn’t one. From behind the door, they could hear boots stomping down the hall. Luken closed his eyes and tried to discern distinctive gaits.
A voice from behind the door called out in Polish.
“He says to stand out in the open with our hands up,” said Ada. “If we resist, we’ll be shot.”
Luken smiled. “Yes, I figured it was something like that.” He drew his pistol. “Stay behind me. I’ll get you out of here.” He adjusted the pistol to fire a wide beam. “I don’t think there are more than three of them, including the clerk. I just hope they don’t have backup outside.”
“You’re going to take them on alone?”
“Just stay behind me.”
The door opened and two soldiers charged in, rifles in hand. They saw Luken’s weapon and raised their guns, but they weren’t fast enough. Luken fired his pistol, and the soldiers fell to the ground. The clerk, who had unlocked the door, also caught the beam and slumped to the floor.
Luken quickly took cover by the open door and checked the hallway. “It looks clear. Stay behind me.”
Ada stepped over the soldiers, picking up their rifles. “Are they dead?”
“No, this is a stunner. The wide beam isn’t as strong as a narrow one, but they still shouldn’t wake up for at least twenty minutes.” Luken removed the clips from both rifles.
“Shouldn’t we bring the rifles? We might have to fight.”
“Rifle fire will make too much noise. We need to get to the ship as quickly and quietly as we can. The stunner will clear the way, as long as—”
“I know. I’ll stay behind you.”
Luken gave Ada a wink. “Ready?”
They moved out into the hallway, staying close to the wall. Two guards stood out in the lobby, watching the hall. Luken stunned them before they had time to react to his presence.
“I think that’s all of them.” Luken carefully peeked out the front door. There was a military police vehicle parked out front, but there were no soldiers visible. “Follow me. Walk quickly, but don’t run.”
They quickly made their way out of the building and into an alleyway. As soon as the coast was clear, they ran.
“That was too close,” said Luken, once they had changed out of the Nazi uniforms. “I don’t think we’ll be able to use that cover story again. At least we have a lead on your mother.”
Ada sighed. “How do we discover what the number means?”
“Not that I’m condoning this activity,” said Otto, “but I’ve noticed that all of the bases have numbers posted on the gates. The labor camps probably do, too.”
“Good point,” said Luken. “We can scout the camps and take down their numbers. Once we find the right number, then we can go in.”
“I don’t suppose you’ve figured out how,” said Otto. “You’ve already nearly been captured. If the Germans know you’ve been searching for Jews, they’re going to have your description at the camps. You aren’t going to be able to just walk in, and you’re not going to be able to get anyone out.”
“One thing at a time. We need to find the camp, first. Then we can watch it before we make any plans.”
Otto shook his head. “I should have signed up with an ore convoy.”
Release
It took several weeks to find the labor camp with the correct number. It was situated at the end of a railroad line in an area surrounded by vast fields of grain, corn, and potatoes. Several large fields were surrounded by fences topped with razor wire. Guard towers dotted the fields and patrols kept the women under almost constant surveillance.
“Do you really plan to infiltrate that, Captain?” said Otto, looking through a pair of binoculars. “Even if you could get in, there’s no guarantee the mother is in there. No guarantees of getting out of there alive, either.”
“The good news is that this camp is fairly far from any military bases,” said Luken. “It would take at least half an hour for any backup to arrive, assuming they could radio out.”
“We can jam their radios, but that wouldn’t stop them from sending out a motorcycle courier. That gives you an hour, tops.”
“What if we stunned the whole camp? Use the ship’s weapons on a wide beam and zap them as we fly over.”
Otto looked at Luken inquisitively. “Is that even possible? I didn’t think they were designed to be used against personnel. Then again, I wouldn’t have thought of using the docking clamps to lift a rail car, either.”
“I think I could make it work,” said Luken. “There are two problems with my idea, though.”
“Only two?”
Luken ignored Otto’s sarcasm. “First, the beam would only stun those who were outside at the time. Anyone indoors won’t be affected. Second, the stun beam would be indiscriminant. It would knock out everyone, guards and prisoners alike.”
“That sounds dangerous,” said Ada. “People will get hurt if they fall on their scythes, or under machinery.”
“Not only that, you can’t fire weaponry while we’re cloaked,” said Otto. “The ship would be visible!”
“Why can’t you?” asked Ada.
“Weapons and cloaking both draw lots of power from the engines,” said Luken. “Using both at the same time could cause a power surge and blow the engines. Of course, I wasn’t planning on cloaking for this operation.”
“You would risk exposing us?” gasped Otto. “You can’t be serious! Captain, I’ve been complicit up to now, but I’ll have to relieve you if you cross that line. I’ll be court-martialed right alongside you, otherwise!”
“If you have any better ideas, I’d love to hear them.”
Otto shrugged and shook his head. “No, sir. But I do recommend we wait and watch before you try anything. Maybe a solution will present itself.”
Ada put her arm on Luken’s shoulder. “I admire what you are trying to do for my mother, Luken, but Otto’s right. I don’t want to see you hurt, or punished, for helping me. There are too few good men left in this world.”
Luken smiled. “I’m not of this world, Ada.”
“I still wish you to be cautious. After our near catastrophe in the police station…” Ada hugged him tightly, sobbing.
Luken stroked her hair and gently kissed her forehead. “It’s okay, Ada. I won’t let them harm you.”
“It’s not my welfare I’m concerned about,” said Ada, wiping her tears. “I—I don’t want to lose you.”
Otto shook his head. “Whoa, there, kiddo. I hope you don’t think you have a future with the Captain. We’re here to do a job, and once we’re done, it’s back to Deneb for us. After the inevitable inquiry, I doubt he’ll ever get another command.”
“I’ll never see you again?”
Luken sighed. “He’s right, I’m afraid. I’d be surprised if I ever did get another command. I’d be even more surprised if they ever sent me back to Earth again. But I’ll not leave you alone until we find your family. Once we do, then… we’ll talk.”
A solution presented itself after a few days of watching the camp. As they watched from the ship, a rather luxurious-looking car drove up to the gate and entered the camp.
“That’s no officer,” said Otto. “He’s not in uniform, or anything.”
“I wonder who he is, then,” said Luken. “We should watch the gate and follow him once he leaves. He might be able to help us.”
“He cannot be trusted,” said Ada. “If the Nazis let him come and go without question, he might be a collaborator. He could just as easily betray us.”
“I don’t intend to trust the man,” said Luken. “I just want to talk to him.”
After fifteen minutes or so, the man left the camp.
“He is no longer alone,” said Otto. “There are three young women with him. No one is armed. I think they’re prisoners. From their heart rates, they’re obviously terrified. I hope the man isn’t trafficking them.”
“Wouldn’t surprise me,” said Luken.
“Trafficking?” asked Ada.
“Some unscrupulous men will enslave young girls and force them into prostitution,” said Otto, gritting his teeth. “It used to be a big problem in some of the mining systems. Today, it’s one of the few crimes that carry the death penalty in the Union.”
Ada shook her head. “I don’t see why any citizen would take a Jewish prostitute. It’s a crime to ‘taint the pure Aryan bloodlines’ in German-controlled areas. It’s punishable by death, at least for the Jew. But I’ve seen Gentiles arrested on the mere suspicion.”
Luken frowned. “By the One, I hope the Germans lose this war.”
Ada sighed. “My people have been persecuted for centuries, by pretty much everybody who isn’t one of us.”
“He’s heading toward that large building. A factory of some sort, it looks like. The women don’t seem terrified anymore. He must have said something to calm them down.”
“How can you tell that from here?”
“The ship’s scanners can detect life forms and measure their temperature and heart rates. It’s no medical scanner, of course. We use it mostly to make sure there aren’t any large animals or unwitting sentient beings in our landing sites. Especially armed ones.”
“There are six armed guards around the factory,” said Otto. “Four in the work area, and two at the door. Use caution when you go in there.”
“Don’t I always?”
Otto rolled his eyes. “We wouldn’t be in this situation in the first place if you did. Sir.”
Luken and Ada dressed in civilian attire to visit the factory. Their experience at the police station made them leery of posing as officers again. This time, Luken was an entrepreneur and Ada his assistant.
“Good afternoon,” Luken said to the guard at the door. “I wish to speak to whoever is in charge, please.”
“Who are you?” said the guard. “You don’t sound German, or Polish.”
“No, I’m neither. My name is Luken Zaio, and this is my assistant, Ada. Where I’m from is, frankly, my own business.”
The guards glanced at each other. “Mr. Schindler is not expecting anyone.”
“No, I have no appointment, but I wish to speak to… Schindler, is it? Either let us through, or don’t. My time is too important to waste here.”
The guards looked at each other, obviously unsure of what to do next. Finally, one said, “I’ll take them up, I guess.”
The guard took them up to a large office. “Mr. Schindler, there is a man here to see you.”
Schindler looked confused but nodded. “Let him in. Then you may leave us.”
The guard nodded, turned, and left.
Schindler closed the door and returned to his desk. He motioned toward a pair of chairs. “What can I help you with?”
“It depends on your answer to the following questions, Sir. First, I’d like to know what you intend to do with the three young ladies you retrieved from camp G-29. Second, I’d like to know if this office is soundproof, and private.”
Schindler looked him over, then Ada. “Odd questions, both. How did you know about the women?”
“I will answer any questions you have after you answer mine.”
“I needed a housekeeper. The Jewish prisoners are, as you know, rather inexpensive workers.”
“Slaves, you mean.”
Schindler nodded suspiciously. “That term seems to trouble you. Who are you?”
“Luken Zaio is my name. This is Ada. I am helping her look for her parents.”
Schindler looked at Ada carefully. “You don’t look Jewish. Not right away, at least.”
Ada gave Luken a nervous glance, then nodded. “I have changed my appearance, with Luken’s help.”
“This office is secure. No one outside can hear us, as long as you keep your voices down. By now, Gunther is back at his post, so none of the Nazis here will hear us. The women were workers of mine who were mistakenly taken to the camp. I went to fetch them back.”
“Why?”
Schindler gave Ada a kinder look than she could remember receiving from anyone but Luken. “To save their lives, my dear. Life in the labor camps is harsh, and many who enter never leave. I fear a time is coming when the Nazis will exterminate them all. I have ‘hired’ as many as I can, without raising the Nazis’ suspicions.”
Luken sighed. “I believe you, sir.”
“Please, call me Oskar. My friends do. I can’t place your accent, but I can see you’re neither German nor Polish. You’re not a Jew, either.”
“Where I’m from, you might not believe. About a year ago now, I witnessed the rape and murder of a young girl by two Nazi soldiers. I left them tied up next to their victim in hopes they’d be punished.”
“That was you?” Oskar laughed. “So you’re the vigilante. The men were stripped of their rank and sent to prison. I should point out that it wasn’t for the rape or the murder, so much as their incompetence in being subdued and tied up. Quite embarrassing to the Reich.” He sighed. “I might have been able to save her. I’ve seen a few atrocities, myself, you know.”
“The fact that you call them atrocities makes me believe I can do business with you, Oskar. Please, call me Luken.”
“So how did you and Ada come to be together?”
“A month or so after the aforementioned incident, I liberated a rail car full of frightened women. Ada was one of them.”
Oskar gasped. “Impossible! I’ve heard of a freight car that vanished without a trace, but I assumed it was an alcohol-fueled tall tale. You are a magician after the order of Houdini, I think. How did you do it? Where is that car now?”
“I’m told that a true magician never reveals his secrets,” said Luken.
“Ah, well.”
“I, however, am no magician. I’ll show you, if you’ll agree to help us. And swear never to tell another soul.”
“You believe Ada’s mother is in G-29,” said Oskar. “I pray that is not so.”
Ada looked stricken. “Why not?”
“It’s a terrible place. My girls had only been in there for three days, and they came out looking like they had been mistreated for years. One of them may have a broken arm. I have a doctor on staff checking them over.”
“Can you help us?” said Ada. “Her name is Stein. Helen Sarah Stein.”
“Of course her middle name is Sarah,” said Oskar, rather disgustedly.
“No, she was given the name at birth. My father’s name is Isaac. Have you seen him?”
Oskar shook his head. “I know no one by that name. But hundreds of thousands have been rounded up, maybe even millions by now. I’ve only managed to hire a few hundred. I can have my man draw up papers for Helen Stein, though. Tomorrow, I will go and ask for her. If she’s there, and alive, you’ll see her tomorrow.”
The following day, they returned to the factory. Oskar greeted them and escorted them up to his office, then closed the door. “Ada, your mother has never been interned at G-29. I’m sorry.”
“But we traced her here,” said Luken. “The records were in a police station ledger.”
“Those records are often poorly kept, I’m afraid. They may have intended to send her there, and found it full, so brought her elsewhere. I wish I could have brought you more solid information. The Commandant was quite agitated that I’d wasted his time. It may be some time before I’m allowed an audience with him again.”
Ada slumped in her chair. “I will never see either of them again.”
“I am truly sorry. I suppose I have not earned the chance to learn your secrets, eh?”
Luken shrugged. “You are a good man, Oskar. If you’ll be so kind as to give us a lift, I’ll show you something you’d never believe otherwise.”
Oskar nodded. “That much I can do for you. I also had my man gather up credentials for you. Letters of authorization, should you wish to visit other labor camps in the future. He is alarmingly good at forging signatures.”
Luken smiled. “For those, I certainly think you’ve earned a look.”
They drove out to the fallow field that served as their landing site. The ship was cloaked, so it appeared that they were out in the middle of nowhere.
Oskar looked around. “Is this the right place?”
Luken smiled and tapped his ear. “Otto, we’re here. Are we alone?”
“There are no other souls for miles, Captain.”
“Then please disengage the cloak.”
“Aye, sir.”
The field shimmered as a silvery saucer-shaped vessel coalesced into view.
Oskar gasped. “What the…?”
“It flies,” said Ada. “I’ve been inside.”
“This is how I managed to steal a train,” said Luken. “I broke a bunch of rules doing it.”
“Who are you, really?”
“I’m just a man, like you. Human, even. But not from Earth. A long way away.”
“Why show me this?”
“Well, I hope that someday Earth is a part of the Galactic Union, and we’ll get a chance to meet again. You seem a decent fellow. I trust you’ll keep this to yourself.”
“As if anyone would believe me, otherwise. May we meet again. Good fortune to you both.” Oskar took one last look at the ship, then got in his car and drove away.
Luken put his arm around Ada’s waist. “I’m sorry this lead didn’t pan out. We’ll keep looking.”
Ada shook her head. “I had no idea how difficult the search would be. I had no right to ask you to help me.”
Luken gave her a crooked grin. “Every person has the right to ask for help.”
“No one has the right to expect it, though. Otto keeps talking about a disciplinary hearing, and you losing your command. The night we met he even mentioned a hanging. Are you really going to be punished that severely for helping me?”
“Hanging? Hardly. Loss of command, maybe.”
“It will be my fault.”
“No, it won’t. Ada, listen to me. Whatever happens to me, you are not to blame. I chose this path, not you.”
Ada was silent for a long time. “I had no choice. For years, I had no choice. I was forced to leave my home. I was forced to flee with my family. I was forced away from my mother. I was forced onto the train.”
“You’re free, now. You can do whatever you want to do. Go wherever you want to go.”
“I don’t know if I can. I have to find my mother.”
“I’ll help you.”
“Why?”
“Because I can. Because it’s the right thing to do.”
“There are probably lots of girls looking for their families.”
“Probably.”
“You can’t help them all. Why help me?”
Luken smiled. “Because you asked me to.”
“I can’t ask you to do more than you’ve already done. You don’t have to help me anymore.”
“Yes, I do.”
“But your command!”
“My command is not as important to me as you are, Ada. I won’t leave you alone in this dreadful place.”
“What if we never find her?”
“I don’t know. We’ll keep looking, I guess.”
Ada took his hand in hers. “What if we do find her?”
Luken didn’t speak for a long time.
“Luken?”
“I don’t know. I mean, I know what I want, but it’s not my decision… it’s yours.”
“What do you want?”
“I want you to be happy. I want you to be free. I want you to choose.”
“Do you… love me?”
Luken closed his eyes. “Yes, Ada. I love you.”
“Look at me, Luken.”
He did. “I love you, Ada Stein. I’d like to bring you back to Deneb with me.”
“I love you, Luken Zaio. I want to come with you.”
“But we must find your parents.”
Ada nodded. “Yes.”
“What then? I would offer them passage to Deneb with us, but they might not wish to leave the only planet they’ve ever known. If they decided to stay, and you came with me, you’d probably never see each other again.”
“At least I would know they were safe. And they would know I am.”
Luken nodded. “That would be a small consolation.”
“Do I have to decide now?”
“No, but the sooner you decide, the easier it will be when we do find them.”
“If we find them.”
Luken held Ada as she wept.
Reconciliation
The papers Oskar had forged for them worked far better than either of them could have hoped. Guards and commandants alike blanched when they read them. They were given full access to all camp records, and they were at liberty to requisition any prisoners they saw fit.
They had not searched far before they discovered an account of Ada’s father’s death. He had been part of a work detail building a water tower in Warsaw when a scaffolding collapsed. Dozens of men were killed, and more were injured. Rather than waste resources treating their injuries, soldiers gunned them all down. The men were buried in a mass grave on the outskirts of town.
To her credit, Ada showed no emotions over the event until they were well away from the labor camp. Once they were safely back on the ship, Ada broke down in Luken’s arms.
“I’m sorry for your loss, Ada,” said Otto. “I managed to obtain a twenty-four-hour candle for you. I understand it’s tradition on the anniversary of his death.”
Ada accepted the candle and kissed Otto’s cheek. “Thank you, Otto. That is thoughtful of you. How did you know?”
Otto cocked his head and gave a half-smile. “Part of our mission is to study the customs and practices of the planet. While you’ve been looking for your family, I’ve been collecting books. The Nazis have been burning a lot of them, and I’ve gotten pretty good at looking like I’m throwing a book, when I’m actually stashing it.”
Luken laughed, in spite of himself. “Why, Otto, you scoundrel! What happened to keeping to the rules?”
“I am keeping the rules, Captain. I follow them to the letter. I call no attention to myself, and I don’t interfere with their insanity. I also obtain information.”
“I will most certainly recommend you for promotion when we return home. I hope my endorsement doesn’t ruin your career, my friend.”
Otto shrugged. “I’m sorry I haven’t been a very good friend to either of you.”
Luken laughed. “On the contrary, you’ve often been the voice of reason, logic and wisdom. From a certain point of view, you have always had the correct opinion. It’s just that sometimes rules must be bent to do what’s right.”
“Or broken entirely, right? I think I’m beginning to understand what drives you. While I have not always agreed with your methods, I can’t fault your intentions.” Otto cleared his throat. “So, where are we headed next?”
“Well, there are still a hundred or so camps on our list. Given what we now know about Ada’s father, may he be at peace, we can narrow our search down to only camps that hold women prisoners. That still leaves sixty. I suggest we just go down the list.”
Otto nodded. “I’ll take us up and look for a suitable landing spot near the camp.”
Once he had gone up to the cockpit, Ada asked, “Doesn’t this ship ever need fuel?”
“Not for orbital and suborbital flight,” said Luken. “We get plenty of energy from the sun and cosmic rays. Thrusting out of orbit and making hyperspace jumps takes a lot of energy, but the reactors are good for at least a hundred system-to-system flights, assuming we don’t emergency thrust all the time.”
Ada laughed and rested her head on Luken’s chest. “I hope you don’t think me slow and ignorant, but I only understood about a quarter of what you just said.”
Luken put an arm around her. “Nah, only pilots and engineers ever talk like that. I should grant you access to the library, so you can learn all you want about the Union, or Deneb, or whatever you want.”
“You have a library?”
Luken reached over and picked up something that reminded Ada of a clipboard, except it had no clip, and it glowed. “This is a tablet. I’ll show you how to use it. It’s got thousands of books worth of data. When we get back in range of a Res Net beacon, it’ll give you access to billions more.”
Ada’s eyes grew wide. “All that fits in such a small device?”
“It can play music and video, too. You can have this one.”
“I can’t accept a gift like that. This must be priceless!”
“No, really, you can have it. If we’re going to be together, everything I have will belong to you, too. I’ve got another one around here somewhere. I think it’s in my quarters.”
Ada kissed him. “It’s still quite a treasure. Thank you.” She touched the screen. “The text is in German!”
Luken nodded. “It will also work as a translator. You can use it to help learn Euskara, the official language of the Union. I’ll help you with that, too.”
For the next several hours, Ada immersed herself in reading all she could. When Luken brought her dinner, she started. “Have I been gone that long?”
Luken laughed. “About three hours. Even Otto was beginning to worry.”
“Sorry. There’s just so much. Now I want to see your world more than ever.”
“You will, sooner or later. That’s a promise I know I can keep. We’ve landed, in a clearing in the woods surrounding another labor camp. We’ll go in tomorrow. Don’t stay up too late reading, love. You’ll want to be alert when we go in.”
“Luken… do you want to share a… a maitalea with me?”
Luken nearly fell over. “What?”
“I was reading about different types of relationships Denebians have.”
Luken sat down beside her. “I’d be lying if I said no, Ada. I love you, and I want to share everything with you, even our bodies. But that is going to have to wait. First, you’re still only seventeen. I’m twenty-six. You know I’m not a big stickler for rules, but it would be unlawful for me to take you to bed before you’re eighteen.”
“That’s only a few more months away.”
“We’ll talk on your birthday, then. But there’s more to it than just your age. It’s perfectly acceptable on Deneb, not to mention a bunch of other worlds, to engage in temporary relationships. But on other worlds, it’s taboo. I don’t know much about your world, but I’ve seen soldiers rape girls younger than you. It troubles me. I don’t know if you’ve witnessed that, too.”
Ada nodded. “I have.”
“Maitalea relationships are all about the physical relationship. I want our experience to be more complete. I want us to be maiteak first.”
“You want to marry me?” Ada placed her hands on her hips. “You were planning on asking me, not just assuming it’s going to happen, yes?”
Luken blushed and smiled. “Of course I intend to ask you. But not just yet. When we find your mother, I’ll ask for her blessing. Then, I’ll ask you to marry me.”
Ada kissed him. “I will say yes when you do.”
Escalation
Luken and Ada continued to visit the camps that held women. After forty or so inquiries, they were still no closer to finding her mother.
Otto looked up from his screen as they entered the galley. “Still nothing?”
“It’s as if she disappeared off the face of the Earth,” said Ada. “There isn’t another Denebian survey team here, is there?”
Luken shook his head. “No, it’s just us. What’s going on in the rest of the world, Otto?”
“I was about to call you, actually. There’s something brewing in the Pacific. A large Japanese fleet is crossing the ocean toward the Americas.”
“That is most unusual. Opinion?”
Otto shrugged. “I’d say they’re planning a blockade or something. Or maybe an attack. No idea why. As far as I can tell, the Americas aren’t even involved in this war.”
“Maybe we should go into space and observe,” said Luken. “I’m sorry, Ada, we’ll have to pause our search for your mother for a few days. This could be important.”
“I understand, my love. We’ve been getting nowhere lately anyway. What is it like in space?”
“Come up to the cockpit with us,” said Luken. “You’ll get a view of Earth that no one on your planet has ever seen.”
Once everyone was strapped into a seat, Luken lifted off. Within minutes, the ship was in space.
Ada gasped. “The sky is black as the night sky, but the sun is still shining brightly!”
Otto nodded. “Once your eyes adjust, you’ll be able to see stars, too.”
“The Earth looks so beautiful and peaceful-looking from up here. You couldn’t even tell there was a war going on.”
“That’s one reason we do surveys,” said Luken. “From out far enough, you can’t even tell if there’s life, let alone sentient life.”
“Is there life on any of the other planets? Jupiter? Mars?”
Otto shook his head. “Mars is completely barren. Jupiter is too far away from your sun. Not enough solar energy reaches the planet to sustain life. But beyond this solar system, there are thousands of inhabited worlds. Five hundred and forty-seven of them belong to the Galactic Union. I’ve been to a dozen of them, myself.”
“That should do it,” said Luken. “We’re in sync over the Pacific, now.”
“What does that mean?” asked Ada.
“It’s short for synchronous orbit. We’re orbiting the Earth, but the length of a single orbit is the same as a day on Earth, so we’ll always appear to be stationary to an observer on Earth.”
“Can we be seen?”
“Not likely. Even if we weren’t cloaked, we’re too small to be seen by any but the most powerful telescopes. But cloaked, we’re undetectable.”
“I’ve located the fleet,” said Otto. “Putting them on screen, now. Six aircraft carriers, twenty-eight ships in all. Looks like twenty-eight underwater craft, too.”
“You can see underwater craft?” said Ada.
“The scanners can detect heat signatures and metal. There are a bunch of whales in the area, too. It doesn’t look like they’re with the fleet, though. I think they’re staying neutral, just like the Betelgeusians said.”
“Would whales take sides?”
“Probably not. They’re leery of both sides, due to their being routinely slaughtered by humans in general.”
“How do you know this?”
“Some of my best friends are whales,” said Otto. “Betelgeuse has been in contact with the whales of Earth for centuries. I once dated a mermaid there.”
“A real mermaid?”
“She was beautiful,” said Otto, wistfully. “We were maitalea for the duration of UnionCon. I spent so much time in the water, I almost grew gills!”
“They can be surgically implanted, you know,” said Luken.
“I know. If the relationship had become permanent, I might have. In the end, I chose my career over the girl. If I ever do marry, it’ll be another pilot.”
“Can women become pilots, too?” said Ada. “It’s almost unheard of on Earth.”
“In most systems, women can do all of the things men can do,” said Otto. “There are a few systems where one sex bears authority over the other… not to mention a few systems where gender is meaningless, at least to outsiders. Clarissa—that was the mermaid’s name—she didn’t want to leave Betelgeuse, and I didn’t want to live there.”
“I’m sorry it didn’t work out,” said Ada.
“Oh, it worked out very well. We both enjoyed ourselves, and each other. I don’t remember much else about UnionCon that year, though. Like I said, I spent a lot of time in the water.”
They tracked the Japanese fleet for a few days until the attack occurred.
“Oh, by the One, Captain! The Japanese just started launching planes from the carriers. Hundreds of them! It looks like they’re heading for the Hawaiian Islands.”
“The American naval base?”
“Probably.”
Luken scanned the base on Oahu. “The Americans are totally unaware. They’ll be decimated!”
“Can’t you do something?” said Ada.
“One survey vessel against hundreds of warplanes? They’d cut us down for sure. But we can perhaps send a warning, since it’s obvious the Japanese have not.”
Otto nodded. “Got it, Captain. Rules be damned.”
“That’s the spirit!”
Otto sent a signal to the base’s commander. “Alert! Japanese planes attacking. ETA forty minutes, if you’re lucky.”
“Who is this? How did you get this number? This is a secure line!”
“No time to explain. You have to prepare. I’m tracking over a hundred… no, wait, strike that… a second wave just launched. Now there’s over three hundred planes inbound.”
“Yeah, right.”
“This is no joke!”
“Identify yourself, then.”
“Can’t do that,” said Luken into the mic. “It’s classified. You have a choice, to heed our warning, or not. Either way, we’ve done all we can. My conscience is clear.”
Otto disconnected the connection. “Do you think they’ll listen?”
Luken shrugged. “We can only hope.”
They watched helplessly as waves of warplanes destroyed the base. Ada buried her face in Luken’s chest. By the time the Americans mobilized, it was too late. The entire battle lasted only about ninety minutes.
“Damn,” said Otto. “I wish they’d taken us seriously.”
“This is going to pull the Americans into the war,” said Ada. “Maybe they will help defeat the Nazis.”
“Let’s head back to Poland,” said Luken. “I want to find Ada’s mother and get off this rock.”
The Americans declared war on Japan the following day. Within weeks, thousands of American troops joined the European Theater, and nearly the entire world was at war.
The escalation of the war made the search for Ada’s mother both more difficult, and more critical. Some of the labor camps began stocking up on deadly chemicals.
“We need to find out what’s going on in there,” said Luken. “It looks to me like they’re going to start actively exterminating prisoners instead of merely work them to death.”
“The monsters!” said Ada. “What drives men to such evil?”
“I wish I knew.” Luken checked his papers. “You can stay on the ship, if you want. You don’t have to witness this.”
“No, I’ll come.”
They borrowed a car and drove to the next camp on their list. As they approached the gate, the guards snapped to attention.
“I have papers,” said Luken. “See? I wish to speak to your Commandant.”
They looked at the papers and motioned them in.
The Commandant looked at the papers, then at Luken and Ada. “Everything seems to be in order. You know Herr Zimmer, ja?”
Luken nodded, smiling cordially. “Oh, yes. We’re supposed to dine with his family a few days from now.”
“When did you see him last?”
“Oh, a few days ago, I guess.”
“Then how could you not know that his house was destroyed last week in a British bomber attack? Herr Zimmer and his whole family are dead.”
Luken gasped. “How terrible! I had no idea.”
“It is war,” said the Commandant. “These things happen. To be honest, I shed no tears. The man was a fool.”
Luken nodded. “That, he was, truth be told. A shame about the family, though.”
“With his death, you see, this letter of recommendation is no longer valid. You should have received a new letter from his successor.”
“Perhaps it crossed in the post.”
“Yes, of course.”
“I guess we have no business, then, until I receive my new letter. We’ll take our leave, then.”
The Commandant nodded. “I trust you’ll see your own way out.”
“What do we do now?” asked Ada as they drove back to the ship.
“I don’t know. I imagine we could return to Oskar and see if his man can forge us new papers, but I don’t want to endanger his work.” Luken checked the mirror and swore. “I think we’re being followed.”
Ada looked back. “Are you sure?”
Luken made a series of random turns. “Yeah, pretty sure. He’s still back there. I’m not sure what to do about it.”
“What went wrong?”
“I think the Commandant was suspicious that we hadn’t heard about Herr Zimmer. I tried to cover my surprise.”
“I’m scared.”
“It’s okay. I am, too.” Luken tapped his comm. “Otto? We’ve got a situation.”
“What’s up, Captain?”
“We may have picked up a tail. We’re heading back to the ship. Be ready to cover us. You’re a good shot, right?”
“I’m a pilot, not a marksman!”
“Use the stun rifle, then. Wide beam. Stun us all if you have to.”
“Yes, Captain. ETA?”
“Ten minutes. If you don’t hear from me in twenty minutes, abort the mission.”
Silence.
“Otto?”
“Yes, Captain. The One be with you.”
“It’s been a pleasure.” Luken pocketed his comm.
“Do you really think…?” Ada trailed off.
“I’m pretty sure we’ll make it. I wanted to make sure Otto gets away, just in case.”
They entered the field where the ship was waiting, cloaked. They got out of the car quickly and ran for the ramp.
The car that was tailing them stopped. Two men in uniform got out and began shouting at them.
“Run as fast as you can!” Luken shouted. He pushed Ada forward, putting himself between her and their pursuers. Two bullets whizzed past his head, and one tore through his thigh. Ada reached the ramp and disappeared into the ship. Otto aimed the rifle and began firing. One of the soldiers crumpled to the ground.
Luken kept running, trying to ignore the pain in his thigh. Pain exploded in his side as another bullet found its mark. Two more tore through him, and Luken collapsed in a pool of blood. Otto kept firing until the second guard fell.
Ada shrieked and ran back down to where Luken lay. She fell to her knees beside him. “Luken! No!”
“Help me get him inside,” said Otto. “Quickly!”
They got him up onto an exam table. “All I can do is try to stop the bleeding. After that, he’s going to need medical attention. By the one, I hope the bullets didn’t damage anything vital!”
“I can’t lose him, Otto! I love him!”
“I know you do, kiddo. Secure the straps on the table, then go on up to the cockpit and strap yourself in.” Otto sighed. “We’re going back to Deneb. Emergency thrust.”
Repercussions
Under Emergency Thrust, they reached the Deneb jump point in less than four hours. As soon as they completed the jump, Otto called for backup. “This is the Sol Survey Ship One. Medical emergency. Gunshot wounds. Request nearest medical vessel. Proceeding to Deneb.”
“Survey One, this is Enpressa. Ten minutes to rendezvous.”
“Acknowledged. Survey One out.” Otto breathed a sigh of relief. “Enpressa has full med facilities. If anyone can save the Captain, they can.”
Ada nodded, but she didn’t look well.
“I’m so sorry! In the chaos, I forgot to warn you about the hyper jump! I should have had you close your eyes. Don’t worry, the queasiness will pass.”
“Do you ever get used to that?”
“Most people don’t ever see it. Pilots either get used to it, or they remember to close their eyes as soon as it starts. I don’t even notice it anymore.”
“That thrust was terrible, too.”
“Yeah, that’s the number one cause of injury on a spaceship, getting thrown around by a max gee. Never ignore the order to strap in.”
Medics took Luken straight into surgery the moment the ship docked with Enpressa. Ada gasped at the sheer size of the Union’s flagship. “It looks bigger than the town where we used to live!”
Otto nodded. “Yeah, this super-carrier is the largest ever built in the known galaxy. It’s a wonder that it was in the Deneb system, rather than its home, Aldebaran. Lucky for the Captain it was, too.”
“Your ship was long overdue,” said an extremely tall blue man. Ada tried very hard not to stare at him as he spoke. “We’ve been growing increasingly concerned.”
Otto bowed. “Yes, Mediator. The Captain has been on a… mission of his own.”
The blue man nodded. “Ah, yes, I can see that. Does she have a name?”
Ada stepped forward. She tried to keep her voice steady as she introduced herself. “Ada Stein is my name. Luken was helping me look for my parents.”
“I am impressed that you can understand and speak Euskara, Ada Stein.”
“Uh, Luken and Otto have helped me learn, sir.”
“I am Dok Fil, Mediator for the Galactic Union.” Dok Fil bowed. “Welcome to the flagship Enpressa. I am quite eager to learn of your adventures.” He glanced at Otto. “I am sure it will be a most intriguing tale.”
“Luken won’t get in trouble because of me, will he?” Ada asked.
“I will have to withhold judgment until I’ve seen the full report, Miss. I trust you are here of your own volition, yes? We tend to frown on abductions, as a rule. Terrifies the locals.” Dok Fil laughed. “But of course, our Captain Zaio is not known for his strict adherence to the rules!”
“I did want to come, sir, just not… like this.” Ada finally broke down and began to cry.
Dok Fil handed her a tissue. “There, there. I know this is all a lot to take in.”
“She’s had a tougher time than that, Mediator,” said Otto. “It’s all in my report.”
“Thank you, Lieutenant. I will read it soon. I’ll take care of Miss Stein for the time being, if you’d like to call your family.”
Otto nodded and strode off.
“I imagine you must be tired, too, my dear. I’ll have the quartermaster arrange living quarters for you, as well as a change of clothing. Be not afraid. You’re among friends, now.”
“Thank you, sir. I’m not afraid.”
“After you’ve settled in, I wonder if I might speak with you. I’ll read the report, of course, but I’d like to hear in your own words how you came to be here.”
Early the next morning, Ada sat in Dok Fil’s office, telling him all she had been through before and after her first contact with Luken and Otto, up to his being shot and the flight out of the system.
“Yes, hyperspace can be a most unpleasant experience,” said Dok Fil. “I am astounded that anyone can witness so much hate in their lives without becoming bitter toward the world.”
Ada shrugged. “The world is a big place, at least until you see it from space.”
“Your world has grown immensely, hasn’t it?” Dok Fil smiled. “You’ll be glad to know that Captain Zaio is out of surgery. The doctors are optimistic that he’ll recover fully.”
“When can I see him?”
“Soon. I will escort you there myself in a moment. First, though, I have an important question for you. Two, actually. The first is whether you wish to be returned to your planet or remain here, and the second is whether you wish to remember the suffering you have endured.”
“Why would I not want to remember? What I’ve lived through makes me who I am. And I certainly don’t want to forget about Luken.”
Dok Fil tilted his head. “I see. You have feelings for him.”
“I love him.”
“Does he know?”
“Of course he does. We’ve talked about marriage, once we’ve found my mother. He loves me, too.”
Dok Fil raised an eyebrow. “Ah. That does simplify some things… and it complicates others.”
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t wish to burden you, my dear, but the purpose of the mission to your world was to observe, not to make contact, and certainly not to intervene in the conflict.”
“So he shouldn’t have rescued me from the Nazis?”
“Don’t get me wrong. I believe he acted on noble principles. Attempting to warn the American base of an enemy sneak-attack might have saved lives, but not everyone will see it that way. There might even be some who would condemn his rescue of the women in the freight car.”
“I don’t think I like those people much.”
Dok Fil laughed. “I wouldn’t blame you.”
“I’ve answered your questions, Mediator. May I see Luken, now?”
“You have, and you may. There are still some things I would discuss with you, but they can wait until later.”
Luken was sitting up in bed when they entered his room. Ada ran to him and hugged him, carefully. “I was so afraid I’d lose you!”
He stroked her hair with his usable hand. His other arm was bandaged to his side. “I’m sorry to put you through this.”
“I blame the Nazis, my love.”
“Have they treated you well? I see you’ve met Dok Fil.”
“You should see my stateroom. I think it’s bigger than your ship! I haven’t seen Otto.”
“He was here, earlier. His sister flew in to see him. I think she was relieved that I was the only one wounded.” Luken turned his eyes toward Dok Fil. “I suppose I am going to face another disciplinary hearing, huh?”
Dok Fil nodded, solemnly. “Your CO is livid, I’m afraid.”
“You don’t seem terribly angry, Mediator.”
“He sees things in terms of rules and regulations. I see things in terms of right and wrong. Some people believe them to be the same thing. I don’t.”
“What’s going to happen to Ada?”
Ada scoffed. “I’m more worried about you, love!”
Dok Fil nodded. “Ada will be granted Union citizenship. I will see to her education and help her acclimatize to our way of life.”
“I want to be with Luken!”
“Luken will be hospitalized for at least a few days, and he will require rehab until he fully recovers from his wounds. You will get to see him whenever you wish.”
“What about his hearing?”
“You may attend, of course, as an interested party. I must warn you not to interrupt the proceedings. Also, you may be called as a witness.”
“Whatever I can do to help.”
“I am not certain whether you’ll be called as a witness for the defense or the prosecution, I’m afraid. Perhaps both.”
“I won’t testify against him!”
“You’ll have no choice, I’m afraid. I am limited by what I can do to help.”
Ada sighed. “I understand. I hate it, but I understand.”
Deneb struck Ada as being not that much different from Earth. Plants and animals looked no more exotic to her than might a cactus or an ostrich. Buildings were much taller than she was accustomed to, and the cities seemed to be made of glass and metal.
In the countryside, though, she could easily have been flying over German or French vineyards. “Why, those look like grapevines!”
Luken smiled. “They are. Deneb is the wine capitol of the Union.”
“I had no idea.”
“Earth used to be a Denebian colony, thousands of years ago.”
Ada nodded. “I know. I read about the use of terrible weapons. Considering the war, I don’t doubt it. Luken, what’s going to happen at your hearing?”
“They’re going to decide whether or not I get to keep being a pilot, for one. They might revoke my commission. If that happens, I won’t be able to keep my promise to you. I’m sorry.”
“You don’t have to apologize. You would never have been wounded if you weren’t trying to find my mother. After seeing the quality of life in those camps, I hope she died long ago. At least then she’d not be suffering, and she’d be with Father. I’ve lost everyone else I love. I don’t want you to go back. I can’t lose you, too.”
Ada sat in the gallery at Luken’s hearing. Dok Fil and Otto sat with her.
The court clerk read an opening statement. “This hearing is to determine if Captain Luken Zaio violated standing orders during his mission to Sol III. He is charged with interfering with the governments of several nations of said planet. Specifically, Germany, Poland, Denmark, Japan, and the United States of America.”
The presiding judge looked at the charges. “Captain Zaio, do you wish to enter a plea?”
“I do, your honor. I did violate the letter of several standing regulations during my mission there. I would also state for the record that my copilot, Lieutenant Otto Horne, is innocent of all charges. He acted under duress.”
Under his breath, Otto mumbled, “Doesn’t mean I didn’t agree with him.”
Ada patted Otto’s arm. “I know,” she whispered.
“‘The letter,’ you say?” said the judge. “That is all that this court is convened to review.”
“Well, I was under the impression that survey commanders are instructed to use our judgment when contact with headquarters isn’t possible. I recognized that lives were in danger, and I was the only one who had any power to protect them.”
The judge nodded. “I will grant that in that particular incident, your actions were pardonable. However, you then embarked on a series of infiltration missions, attempting to reunite one Ada Stein with her family. The proper course of action would have been to send Miss Stein away with the rest of the refugees.”
“She asked us to help. I got the distinct impression that if I had refused, she would have attempted the search on her own. That surely would have resulted in her death.”
“That would have been her decision.”
“Sir, I’ll admit my judgment was clouded in that decision. You will note the rape and murder that we had previously witnessed.”
“You stunned the perpetrators and stole their identification and their uniforms, by your own admission.”
“I could not stomach allowing it to happen again. I would also have no respect for anyone who would.”
“Do you presume to make yourself judge over this court?”
“What? No. That is, not unless you would stand idly by and let a young woman get herself killed.”
The judge’s face got red as laughter filled the courtroom. “Order! You are bordering on contempt, Captain.”
Luken looked about to say something more, but he kept silent and bowed.
“You also attempted to warn the United States of an impending attack on one of its bases.”
“Union Law stipulates that any attack on another entity is a crime, unless both entities are demonstrably at war with one another. I looked it up!”
“Before or after the fact?”
Luken shrugged. “I don’t see how that is relevant, Sir. If ignorance of a law is no excuse for breaking it, then certainly knowledge of a law is not a precedent for upholding it.”
The courtroom erupted in laughter again.
“Is Luken a lawyer?” asked Ada.
“No,” said Dok Fil. “He’s just been in a lot of disciplinary hearings.”
“Order!” shouted the Judge. “I will clear this chamber!”
Luken waited for the noise to die down before he continued. “Sir, the Japanese launched an illegal attack against the United States. I couldn’t stand by and watch without attempting to warn them. It didn’t matter, anyway. They thought we were pranksters and ignored us completely.”
“The outcome does not mitigate the attempt.”
“The attempt was still lawful, sir.”
“It was a violation of your orders. You were not supposed to reveal your presence!”
“We didn’t identify ourselves, Sir. Perhaps if we had, we would have succeeded in getting them to listen to us.”
The judge seethed. “This court will take a short recess to deliberate.”
“It doesn’t look good for the Captain,” said Otto.
“Will he be imprisoned?” said Ada.
Dok Fil shook his head. “Fear not. This hearing can only determine his future within the Survey Corps.”
“He can still do time in a military detention center,” said Otto.
“It won’t come to that,” said Dok Fil. “You have my word on this.”
The hearing was reconvened after only an hour.
“It is the finding of this court that Captain Zaio has not violated any orders in his rescue of the rail car inhabitants. Those charges are dropped.”
“Thank you, sir,” said Luken.
“However, the subsequent infiltration of government institutions is a violation of standing orders. In so doing, you also put the life of Miss Stein in jeopardy. This, we find, is in violation of your own statement that your actions were intended to prevent her from coming to harm.” The Judge cleared his throat. “This court therefore finds Captain Luken Zaio guilty of disobeying orders. The Captain is stripped of all rank and privileges, and is summarily discharged from the Denebian Survey Corps. These proceedings are closed.”
“At least he won’t serve time,” said Otto. “Shame he’ll never get to fly again.”
Luken turned in his rank insignia and met Ada and the others outside the courtroom. “Well, I can’t say I’m surprised. Or terribly disappointed.”
“Otto says you won’t get to fly anymore,” said Ada. “I’m sorry for that.”
“Well, I won’t fly Denebian military craft,” said Luken. “I can still get a commercial license. Not that many companies will hire a guy with a record. But I can freelance.”
“Sorry how it turned out, Captain,” said Otto. He saluted Luken.
Luken smiled. “You don’t have to call me Captain, Otto. I’m a civilian, now. If there’s any justice, you’ll make captain yourself, soon.”
“I’m still invited to the wedding, right?”
“Of course. You’ll be one of our witnesses.”
Ada took Luken’s hand. “You still want to marry me after all this?”
“That’s the one thing I’m certain of.” Luken pulled a box out of his pocket. “I made sure to buy this before they might decide to yank back my pay. Will you marry me? After you’re eighteen, of course. That’s not too far off, is it?”
Ada kissed him. “Of course I will. And no, it’s not.”
“Congratulations, both of you,” said Dok Fil. “On your engagement, that is. Not the outcome of the hearing.”
Luken shook his hand. “I knew what you meant, Mediator. I hope I wasn’t too much of a disappointment to you. I know it was your recommendation that got me the job in the first place.”
“I am far from disappointed in you, Luken. On the contrary, I think the DSC was wrong to discharge you. I believe the Office of the Mediator could use people like you. I will be on Deneb for the next few days. Stop by my office, if you’re interested.”
“Thank you, Mediator, I certainly will.”
Dok Fil placed his hands upon Ada’s shoulders. “Once you’ve completed your education, I would invite you also to join the OM. I think your experiences with persecution will give you great insight when dealing with others. You would make a fine Envoy. Not that I am dictating how you should steer your course. You are free to choose for yourself.”
Ada hugged Dok Fil. “Freedom is a new experience for me. I wish my parents might have tasted it, too. I should like to become an Envoy, if it means introducing others to freedom.”
“You make me proud, Ada Stein. Your attitude gives me hope for Sol’s future.”
Epilogue
A small group of friends gathered at the Office of the Mediator on Deneb to witness their wedding.
Otto shook Luken’s hand. “I hear you still get to be a Captain, after all, eh?”
“Yes, of the consular ship Ohore. It’s Envoy Fen Gale’s ship.”
“Of Aldebaran? I hear she has the same respect for established protocols as you! You’ll fit right in, I’m betting.”
“The best part is that we can travel together,” said Ada. “Fen Gale is going to be my mentor.”
Luken nodded toward Otto’s insignia. “You’ve made Captain, too, I see. Congrats!”
Otto nodded. “We’re heading back to Sol III to observe their handling of the war. From orbit, though. I have strict orders from Command on that point. Won’t be as much fun, I’m sure, without Nazis shooting at us. There’s talk of reintroducing Sol to the Union, depending on the outcome of the war.”
Just before the ceremony, Luken announced that he was adopting Ada’s surname.
“I love you, Ada, and I don’t want your family name to be forgotten.”
“That’s so sweet! Is it legal?”
Luken scoffed. “Since when have I ever worried about the law when deciding what’s right?”
Dok Fil smiled. “It may be unconventional, but it’s perfectly legal, and a noble gesture.”
In front of Luken’s family, and several OM staff who had become Ada’s friends, they exchanged oaths.
“I, Luken Zaio, before these witnesses, name thee, Ada Stein, Maiteakren. All that I have is yours. To preserve your family name, I adopt your name as my own. From this day forward, my name is Luken Zaio Stein.”
Ada’s eyes began to tear. “I, Ada Stein, before these witnesses, name thee, Luken Zaio Stein, Maiteakren.”
Dok Fil smiled. “Congratulations, Captain and Mrs. Stein. I believe the correct blessing is ‘mazel tov?’ The One bless you both.”
Luken took Ada on a honeymoon tour of the Great Falls on Polaris. “These are the tallest falls in the whole known galaxy. My parents say they came here after they married. It’s a popular tourist site.”
An old Aldebaran man nearby sighed. “They aren’t what they used to be, though.”
“Really?” Ada looked up. “I’ve never seen anything so amazing!”
“You should have seen them when I brought my bride here a hundred years ago.” The man sighed. “Her dying wish was that I see the falls again.”
Ada placed a hand on his. “I’m sorry for your loss.”
“We had a hundred years together. We’ll be reunited in the One soon, anyway.” The man smiled kindly. “But you two are young! You don’t need an old man spoiling your experience. Newlyweds?”
Ada smiled and nodded.
“Congratulations. It does my heart good to see you both happy. It reminds me of my happiest times. I wish you both well.” The man shook their hands and shuffled off. He came to another young couple and began talking to them, too.
“He makes me sad,” said Ada. “Will you be like that when I die?”
“No, way, Maiteakren. I’m going to die first.”
Ada punched his shoulder. “Don’t even joke about that! I’ve almost lost you once already. I don’t ever want to go through that again!”
Luken kissed his bride. “Everyone dies, eventually. What’s important is how we live. Whether we have a span of hundred years or not even five, I intend to love you every moment of it.”
“You’ve turned into quite the philosopher, Maiteakren. And you always know just what to say to cheer me up. Let’s go back inside.”
“Don’t you want to see the falls?”
Ada looked up at the falls. “I see them. They’re lovely. Let’s go back inside.”
“And then what?”
Ada just looked over her shoulder at him and winked.
