Until they came to Deneb, they were, Thian remarked drolly. Have the astronomers come up with any more data on the primary?
Checking sunspot activity and running another one on uvl and irl emissions, and naturally probes have been released on orbital sweeps of the planet. Lots of lush vegetation is reported and some clearly visible seismic activity, good blue seas and a chain of large lakes across the main continental mass we’ve already identified on the night side. Smallish ice-covered polar regions but that’s normal—so’s the ozone layer. Can’t find any signs of civilization, no large habitations, no fires—apart from a forest fire raging in the midwest. Ah, but indigenous critters, running straight for the nearest body of water. Least that’s what the science officer says such a cloud of dust could mean.
Could the fire have been set by the Hivers? Thian asked.
Doubt it! Their scouts are just about inside the orbit of the fifth planet, your typical ringed giant.
“Your brother’s reporting in?” Ashiant asked from the seat he had taken behind Thian’s couch.
Thian gestured for the captain to come around; he hated reporting to thin air. He repeated verbatim what Rojer had said.
“Too much potential to leave to the Hivers for any reason,” Ashiant said, which was Thian’s opinion as well. The captain opened communications with the bridge. “Primary’s spectrum matches to within .0356 of Sol?”
Thian pondered that as well as Ashiant. “Hivers never came near Earth, sir. They did try to colonize Sef, though, and Sef’s primary is very much like Sol.”
“Enough to make it the sun system they’re searching for as a new homeworld?” Ashiant shook his head. “I’d hazard the guess that they might just need to replenish supplies. They haven’t stopped anywhere…” He bent over the com unit. “Ailsah, based on the examination of the supplies stored on Refugee and the estimated size of those Hiver crews that the ’Dinis extrapolated, tell me if they’d be running close to empty?”
“You suspect this might be only a supply run?”
“It’s a possibility but I’ll need the figures first.” Ashiant grinned, rubbing his hands together in anticipation. “How long before the main Fleet can intercept the Sphere?”
“Seven hours, sir, but she appears to be slowing down. That would be consonant with a resupply action. We know Hiver scout ships have plenty of range but they may also want to conserve fuel—if they’re still in search mode. The LSTS just confirmed that speed reduction and has asked for battle dispositions of the destroyers.”
Thian could hear just the minute pulse of excitement in the First Officer’s calm voice.
“First, order all ships to be alert for any sign that the Hiver has detected our approach. I’ve never quite believed the ’Dini report on Hiver sensor range. Anyway, Prime, ask your brother to pass my order on to Captain Vergoin to release low-level probes. We might as well establish if it’s just animals or potential sentients we’re about to save from Hive attentions.”
The bridge rang through again. “The KLTL, the Vadim, the Solidarity, and the Genesee are asking for you.”
“I’ll be right with them momentarily, First.” When the channel was closed, Ashiant inhaled a deep breath. “I almost look forward to discovering if those new missiles will be effective against a Hiver.” He gave Thian a wry grin. “Do I let the ’Dinis do the honors, Thian?”
Sensing in that rare moment of Ashiant’s candor more than the simple question, Thian smiled reassuringly.
“I don’t think ‘let’ is operational, sir, but it’ll be a triumph for us all. We’ll have reduced by one more ship their chance of finding that new homeworld they’re desperate to have: that new base from which they can multiply the problems we’ve already got in containing them. Then there’s only the one ship Squadron D’s following and then we really will have reduced Hiver threat to manageable proportions.”
Ashiant gave a short bark of a laugh. “Manageable, Prime?” He laughed sardonically again. “When we’re discovering that the odds are one in five that any M-5 planet on our way out here has a Hiver colony on it?” Ashiant threw out his hands in exasperation.
“Even that’s a good deal more than we knew before Dinis ran across those three Hivers.”
“Damn!” And Ashiant rammed one fist into the other palm. “I’d feel it more of an accomplishment if this system was the one the Hivers have been so desperately searching for.”
“Put it this way, sir, it’s one more they won’t occupy, even briefly!”
“Good point, Prime. I could almost feel sorry for our prey.”
“I won’t tell anyone I heard you say that, Captain,” Thian said with a grin as he prepared to ’path the new orders to his brother as well as a warning of the Hiver’s slowing.
* * *
The Hiver scouts never got closer to the lush planet than its outer moon. Nor were they quite so unaware of an opposing force as their directness suggested. As the Washington’s scouts moved out of a planetary orbit to intercept them, the Hivers split in a well-calculated distraction even as they initiated a terrific barrage at the scouts before the larger destroyers could move into firing range to shield them.
Thian, if I’m not loud, listen harder. I’m in a pod. Vergoin had two yeomen stuffing me and my ’Dinis in here as soon as we began closing with the Hivers. Rojer sounded far more indignant than scared.
Main screen’s magnified to show the blasts. Any damage?
Minor’s all I can tell. I’ve got the pod’s com unit on but I’m not catching all the…Wait a minute…
Rojer? ROJER?
Don’t bother me now, brother. I’ve work to do!
Thian kept bothering Rojer with constant demands for answers. In between those, he ’pathed Clancy, who was no more available to his requests for information than Rojer. Infuriated with a disobedience that amounted to downright mutiny, he charged onto the Washington’s bridge where the intense atmosphere reminded him that he might be intruding and he half turned to leave. Then he saw that the main screen of the bridge gave far larger, clearer details of the battle than the one above his couch. What he saw also made him realize exactly what essential work Rojer and Clancy were doing in deflecting a virtual onslaught of Hiver missiles. Definitely he could tell Earth Prime that this was self-defense: if the Revere took a mortal blow, the Hiver scouts could pick off the pods one by one before the evacuees could get out of range. Rojer had shown good sense with his deflection policy!
The main batteries of the Sphere began to open up on the seven Alliance ships which had deployed themselves to prevent the Hiver scouts from escaping while the Nebula and the two Constellations were converging on the Sphere. One advantage of the round design was that batteries could be fired in any direction. Thian knew from the Refugee just how much firepower the Hiver had.
“Look, sir,” Vandermeer said, “the Hiver’s wasting ammunition as usual. She isn’t within range of our ships.”
“The scouts are.”
“But her missiles are missing although…Sir, Ensign Upland is of the opinion that the detonation of those missiles could cause shock waves almost as dangerous to scout ship hulls as a direct hit.”
“My compliments to Ensign Upland,” Ashiant said, nodding his head briefly in acknowledgment of the information. Then, under his breath, he muttered: “When I get those two Talents, I’ll skin ’em, I’ll keelhaul them.” Thian and the nearer bridge officers heard him. “But they are managing to deflect incoming rockets. Tikele, how soon before we are in range of the Sphere?”
“Twenty-two minutes.”
“Why doesn’t Ktpl use the ones it’s got on the KLTS?”
“I believe the captain’s maneuvering her into position now, sir,” Tikele responded. “And two of our scouts are protecting her. She’s got to be on target, on those fuel tanks, and in range…she’s…she’s fired both, sir.”
Unbelievably one of the Hiver’s scouts managed to get between the Sphere and the missiles, which penetrated it, sticking ou
t port and starboard.
“Like a scurrier skewered on arrows,” Thian murmured.
Then the blast occurred, an orange-red eruption of force which hurtled the KLTS backward like a leaf in a storm. Somehow the flanking scouts had peeled away, and although they were scudded further from their original positions, they did not appear to have taken much damage. The KLTS patently had. As ’Dini ships still did not carry pods, it was impossible to estimate how many of its crew survived.
ROJER! CLANCY! FOR THE LOVE OF HEAVEN, ANSWER ME, Thian roared, catching the gestalt of the Washington’s generators to reach his targets.
I’m okay, Thian. But I had to bounce missiles. Just like Granddad did when the Hiver attacked Deneb.
Not the same at all, Rojer! CLANCY?
I can hear you, I can hear you. Over the ringing in my ears. Were we ever lucky! Kloo’s a damned fine pilot.
“Thian?” Ashiant called urgently. “Can you get in touch with either of your Talents and ask them to check the status of the KLTS? The other destroyers must hold their positions to contain the Sphere.”
“Yes, sir.” Rojer, you’ve ’Dinis. Ashiant’s ordering Vergoin and the Revere to aid the KLTS and assess their condition. You do the liaising…
Clancy’s ship better come with us—the Hiver scouts are moving in for the kill and we’ll have to bounce some more…
That that was what the two Washington scouts were doing was obvious, while the three destroyers slung medium-sized missiles on the two remaining Hiver scouts, all the time inching closer to the Sphere.
“We’ve just reached the maximum range of the new missiles, Captain,” Vandermeer announced.
“Signal the Galaxy-class ships to assume Formation C and begin firing as soon as they are in maximum range. The Sphere must be distracted from the destroyers.”
She’s some mother, this one, Thian distinctly heard someone say. It could have been any one on the bridge, even Ashiant, dropping his mind shields in the excitement of battle.
The first of the new missiles the Washington launched was not that far off its target but exploded on contact with a large fragment of the Hiver’s scout. The next three, one from the Washington and the others from the Solidarity and the Athene, penetrated the Sphere as easily as a sharp knife cuts through soft fruit.
“One, two,” began Ashiant under his breath, “three,” and he was joined by Vandermeer, “FOUR,” and it was practically a chorus. No one got to “five.” The Hiver disintegrated by quadrants, like skin being peeled off a round fruit from top to bottom. Then the fireball blossomed and its furnace expanded, melting all in its white hot circle.
The KLTL peeled off to follow one Hiver scout and the Franklin went after the other.
With ordinary communications opened again now the enemy was routed, Captain Ktpl was able to send its regards to the Washington. Its voice was shaky but proud of being aboard the ship that had fired the first missile against the enemy. The KLTS had taken a lot of damage from the blast concussion: many ’Dinis were dead and injured. Some compartments had had to be closed against the vacuum without knowing if they had been occupied.
* * *
Thian did not have time to find either Rojer or Clancy to give them the dressing down they so richly deserved for disobeying orders in spite of the life-saving success of that violation. By the time he spotted them, some of his anger had dissipated. They were across the Washington cargo hold, which had been turned into an auxiliary ’Dini sick bay, doing much the same sort of emergency use of telekinesis he was: “lifting” the injured into beds, onto gurneys. Rojer was helping Medic Sblipk among the ’Dinis injured, with Gil and Kat rushing about on errands. Clancy was working among the Human wounded.
We’ll all have a little talk, later, Rojer, Clancy, Thian said in a cold voice.
Sure thing, bro. When there’s a little more free time…
Don’t get cocky with me, Rojer Raven-Lyon!
Who? Me? Cocky? After what I just went through, bro? That was almost… almost worse than the KTTS, Thi.
His brother’s words, unrepentant though they were, cooled Thian still further but he’d have to tell Earth Prime about their escapade. He was responsible for all the Talents on this expedition and somehow he had failed to make them obey orders they knew they mustn’t ignore. If he’d had to tell his mother and father that Rojer had…
“Hey, Thi,” said a soft voice in his ear, and he felt a touch on his shoulder, “you need rest, honey.” Greevy looked up at him, her blue eyes anxious, though her face was as tired as his. He and his ’Dinis had been working with her, using kinesis to help her use her healing skills.
“If I rest, you do, too, Lieutenant Senior Grade,” he said sternly.
She glanced over the now orderly ward, where ’Dinis were immersed in tubs of restorative fluids, or wrapped in bandages of various colors, repairing damaged tissues, wounds, burns and breaks. ’Dinis endured discomfort better than Humans did, Thian thought, and wondered if that was a species differentiation, rather than stoicism.
“Ah, here comes the new watch,” Greevy said with relief that came out close to a sob.
Thian leaned back against the nearest support and “listened” for his brother. Rojer was asleep—Thian couldn’t tell where—and so was Clancy. He’d get them both tomorrow…when he’d had enough sleep.
“Thian,” and Greevy caught him by the hand and pulled him around the corner. “You got enough energy left to ’port us to my room?”
He put weary arms around her, his head resting on hers, and ’ported them to her quarters on the level below. She palmed the door lock and they collapsed in each other’s arms onto the bed, asleep almost before they had stretched out on the horizontal surface.
* * *
“You realize that that Hiver ship, even with its three scouts, hadn’t a chance,” Rojer said, blithely tucking into a huge meal in their quarters late that next afternoon. “Operation Overkill, that’s what it was.”
“Need I remind you how many ’Dinis died in the KLTS?” Thian said, glaring at his brother.
He had read the riot act to both Rojer and Clancy for “endangering” their lives which were far too valuable to be risked. He could also point to the minor cuts and contusions which both had suffered when their respective ships had maneuvered abruptly or suffered concussive buffeting: those could as easily have been mortal wounds.
“I’m not that slow, Thian,” Rojer replied indignantly, “even if I didn’t manage to keep my balance through all the bumps and grinds the Revere did. But you should have seen some of the others. I ’ported when I could.”
“I got most of mine,” and Clancy fingered the long pro-skin dressing down one side of his face, the splint on his left arm, the sealed wound on the right, and managed a benevolent expression, “buffering someone else’s impact.”
“Besides which, big brother,” Rojer said, hands on his belt and an intense frown on his face, “if either of us had made use of the escape pods, you’d really have had bad news to send home. It only occurred to me when I was stuck in it that the damned pod was the most dangerous place to be! I was at Xh-33, remember, and I watched the queens’ pods get blown out of the sky the way we’d pick off avians! Any one of the Hiver scouts could have made a real killing…of pods!”
“We also saved both the Revere and the Franklin from being made into sieves,” Clancy reminded Thian, “or smashed flat. Shielding the ships shielded us and it’s really only a very minor variation of our standing orders from Uncle Jeff.” He grinned engagingly. “Just a larger escape pod.”
“I’ll have to tell him what you did!” Thian was not about to let them get away without reprimand.
“Go right ahead!” Clancy said, his grin broader, “but I heard that both Spktm and Ashiant are mentioning our defensive action as the main reason casualties were minimal. Although I do now appreciate why the Mrdinis had to consider suicide attacks! There can’t be much room on those scouts with all those heavy missiles they fire off. An
d that Sphere wasn’t going to give up short of total destruction!”
Thian could never stay angry long, not in the presence of Clancy, though he continued to feel an irritable frustration, especially as the two young heroes tossed off their actions as nothing out of the ordinary for Talents of their abilities. That almost annoyed Thian more.
“I think,” Greevy told him when they met for a quiet meal in the medics’ mess room, “that you’re a little jealous, maybe, Thian, that you weren’t in on the action?”
“Me? Jealous?” He regarded Alison Anne, startled. He’d never thought of himself as a jealous person for any reason.
Her blue eyes twinkled up at him. “Jealous of things or people, no, Thian. But jealous, a little perhaps, of prestige.”
“Are you sure you’re still T-5?”
“Probably not,” she said airily with a delighted sigh, “but I am an empath and very empathic for you.” She reached across the small table and stroked the back of his hand lightly, a contact that conveyed more than empathy. “I’ve picked up as much from you Talent-wise as I have about treating ’Dinis from Medic Sblipk. More perhaps,” and her eyes laughed at him over the rim of her cup. “You had the hard part—watching, waiting, hoping. Do Talents pray?” This was said with such an ingenuous expression that Thian felt his aggravation and frustration dissolve. “Besides which,” she went on, teasing him, “you saw action long before they did, on the Great Sphere.”
Thian made a face at her. “That little fracas was not against live Hivers.”
“The difference is immaterial, Thian. And it was far more dangerous than what your brother and cousin did.”
* * *
Thian faithfully forwarded Captain Ashiant’s detailed report of the encounter and decided, when he could not help but “feel” Jeff Raven’s furious reaction to the heroism of Rojer and Clancy, that he could safely leave any further discipline to Earth Prime and Callisto Prime, and possibly both Aurigaeans. Righteous anger often ripened with waiting.
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