For Honor We Stand by Harvey G. Phillips, H. Paul Honsinger Page A

built jointly by the Rashidian Kingdom and the Romanovan Imperium (the Romanovans called it the “Gladius”).  The hand-off took place in a series of maneuvers so beautifully choreographed and so quickly and precisely executed that Max knew this particular group of space pilots had practiced this maneuver extensively with this particular group of aircraft pilots.  Either all Rashidian pilots were outstanding, or Max had just seen a crack atmosphere fighter squadron take the place of a crack space fighter squadron.  This was yet another sign of how important his and the doctor’s safety were to the Rashidians.  As an old saying of obscure origin goes, “they cared enough to send the very best.”
    As Max was explaining to the doctor what was going on and why he was so impressed, the comm panel called for attention with two beeps.  Twenty seconds later, the business-like yet studiously relaxed voice of a Rashidian pilot came into the cabin.  “Union Microfreighter Golf Papa Golf Charlie seven-two-one-one-four this is the Tabi’a Commander, my call sign is Yarmouk Three, please acknowledge.  Over.”
    “Yarmouk three, this is one-one-four.  We read you.  Over.”
    “One-one-four, does your database include the communication protocols from the Equilateral exercises held last year?  Over.”
    Max checked.  All the materials from the joint Union/Rashid/Romanova exercises held ten months previously were in the database. 
    “Yarmouk Three, this is one-one-four.  Affirmative.  We have a complete set of documentation for the ex, including the Oscar Hotel and the Romeo Oscar Echo.  Over.”  Meaning, the Operational Handbook and the Rules of Engagement. 
    “Excellent, one-one-four.  Then please implement Formation Comm Protocol Bravo with you as the pigeon.  You are assigned new call sign ‘Sadeek One.’”  Max saw the doctor smile broadly at that.  He made a mental note to ask what ‘Sadeek’ meant.  “If we are not successful in establishing communications in two minutes, return to this frequency and the current encryption.  Over.”
    “Roger that.  Formation Comm Protocol Bravo, I’m the pigeon, new call sign Sadeek One, and if we are not talking in two minutes, come back here using the same encrypt.  Changing frequencies now.  Over and out.”
    Max called up the protocol and started punching in the frequencies.  He also loaded the applicable encryption scheme, known as Casablanca ,into the Clover’s ENDEC, or ENcrypter/DECrypter, better known as the “Blue Box,” even though as long as anyone could remember, they were all painted reddish orange.
    While he was doing this, Max asked, “What does ‘sadeek’ mean?”
    “It is a felicitous choice of appellations.  It means ‘friend.’” 
    “Sounds good to me.”  Pause.  “Or, maybe not.  ‘Speak, friend, and enter.’”  He gave a brief, apprehensive, chuckle.
    “What is ‘speak, friend, and enter’?”
    “An inscription over a doorway in one of my favorite books when I was younger.”
    “What was on the other side of the door?”
    Max thought for a moment, wondering how to summarize something like twenty pages of a complex and classic work of English Literature.  He did his best.  “A long, dark journey, full of wonder and deadly peril.  But, a journey that had to be made.”
    “Let that not be an omen.”
    “Amen.  That author wrote about omens a lot.  But, now that I think of it, I don’t think he believed in them.  All right.  I’ve got everything set up.”  He keyed for transmission.  “Yarmouk Four this is Sadeek one.  Do you read?  Over.” 
    The response was immediate.  “This is Yarmouk Four reading you five by five Sadeek one.  I have new instructions for you.”  At that point, the other pilot described a series of maneuvers, altitude changes, and a new landing point in such densely woven aerospace jargon that, excluding article adjectives and the occasional adverb, the doctor was