She moved in from the side. But at the very last instant they turned as one and drove straight at her, almost as if they meant to ram. Too late to open fire, Dveyella tried to turn away. Her atmospheric shield pierced one fighter, ripping it apart. Its four underwing missiles exploded barely fifty meters ahead of her ship, and she had no choice but to follow straight through the core of that white-hot cloud.
Bits of metal, caught up in her shield, rang against the hull of her ship. An instant later it was through the debris, scorched but whole. Dveyella had not fared so well. Even through the mirrorized windows of her fighter, that flash had been brilliant.
"Was that you?" Velmeran asked over com.
"Did you see that?" she asked.
"It was a funny color for lightning."
"I will be flying blind for another minute. Can you watch for me?"
"There is one on your tail right now."
"I know it," she said. She could sense the Union fighters; her concern was for running into the ground. The fighter on her tail was closing cautiously, its pilot aware that something was wrong. She teased it in and deftly winged it with her rear cannon.
"We are finished here," Threl reported. "How is your vision?"
"Clearing fast," she reported.
"Then we are on our way out. Try not to shoot us as we pass."
"After that remark, you should worry!" Dveyella retorted. "Valthyrra, how is the traffic up there? I sense confusion overhead."
"Fighters and stingships are scattered far and wide," the ship replied. "But we have them on the run. Nothing big cleared the docks. Mind the stingships, though."
"Right. Velmeran, take the lead," she instructed. "Punch a hole in anything you meet, unless it is dressed in black. I will bring up the rear."
Velmeran fell in ahead of the transport, widening his lead to several kilometers as they accelerated straight up toward open space, while Dveyella moved in as close as she could behind the larger ship. The single remaining fighter gave chase but was quickly left behind. In a last, desperate move it fired all four of its missiles. The pilot, learning from past mistakes, kept them under the superior control of his fighter's on-board guidance system.
The path out was not as open as they would have liked. Three stingships in close formation were closing quickly, and help was still too far away to prevent it. The three wolf ships were still forcing their way clear of the upper atmosphere, and were fairly easy targets. Already the Union ships were bringing their long noses around to align their cannons.
"They are about to open fire," Velmeran warned.
"This old hulk has a few guns that should surprise them," Threl said. "Spread out so that we can all open up. Dveyella, we need your cannons up front just now."
"Make it quick," she replied. "There are missiles just ten seconds behind me."
The three ships moved slightly out of line, each one orienting on a different target. Both groups opened fire at almost the same instant, but the Starwolves had the advantage of deadlier aim and better shields. They opened the hole they needed and went through.
"So much for what lies ahead. What about those missiles?" Velmeran asked. The Kelvessan could not sense such missiles or any type of combustion engines, only the high-energy emissions of crystal drives and conversion generators.
"They fell away," Dveyella replied. "They do not have much range. If those things had real engines, they might almost be deadly."
"We are clear, then," Velmeran said. "Home?"
"Lead the way," she answered.
* * * *
Valthyrra Methryn directed the returning group into the upper left landing bay, one of the two abandoned upper bays that were only just being restored to service. The three ships shot into the bay like animals into a den. The transport went in first, coming in quickly to settle in the middle of the flight deck, and the smaller ships set down to either side of it only a moment later. Valthyrra brought in racks for the fighters immediately as spare bay personnel moved in swiftly to lock them down. Two pairs of overhead arms, normally used in transporting racks, were brought forward to pin the transport to the deck. The Methryn was at battle alert, and she could not have unsecured ships on her decks.
The small group waiting to one side approached as soon as the ships began to unseal. Any thoughts that Keth might have had of a triumphant return and warm welcome were quickly dashed. Mayelna and Valthyrra, in one of her usual remotes, went immediately around the front of the transport to Velmeran's fighters, followed by a small group of technicians and Dyenlerra, the chief medic. The younger members of his pack, dressed for battle, silentiy brought up the rear.
Velmeran had just finished unstrapping when he looked up to see this group descending upon him, not unlike wolf ships descending upon any unwary freighter. His first impulse was to seal the cockpit. Only Consherra was missing from this group of worried mothers; the first officer had been left in command of the bridge. He used the overhead bars to pull himself out of the cockpit and descended the steps of the boarding ladder to meet them.
"Hold up a moment," Mayelna ordered, and waved a technician ahead of her.
"He took a shot dead center of the control panel," the tech said as he inspected the damage. He carefully pried open the panel and pulled down the cracked mirror, only to have it come out in his hand. He slipped it into a pocket before he bent to inspect the controls. "Just a good, hard knock… must have kicked something loose. If the cooling is still in operation — which is obvious — then the shot could have done him no harm."
"I could have told you that," Velmeran said.
"Hypermetabolism," Dyenlerra offered by way of explanation. "It is not uncommon for our kind to go quite some time unaware of injuries we have received. Pilots fly entire battles, unaware that their suits are immobilizing broken bones."
Velmeran looked surprised. "Bones? Can our ships fly after impacts that could break our bones?"
The medic only shrugged. "I did not say that it happens often. Just take off that armor somewhere and tell me what you find underneath."
"A leading statement if I ever heard one," Valthyrra remarked.
"Just a moment," Mayelna said, holding him back as the others hurried to check upon the rest of the returning members. "Well, you seem to have come through that one all right."
"So I did," Velmeran agreed guardedly. "I am pleased with the results. Did Valthyrra accomplish what she set out to prove?"
Mayelna caught her breath so sharply that she choked. "What would you know of that? What do you believe Valthyrra's motive was in contriving this?"
Velmeran shrugged. "How should I know? I have only been given to wonder if she means to get rid of me."
"Do you mean… she thought… you might stay in special tactics?" she asked, visibly shaken by the thought. "But… why?"
"For being too popular," he replied. "A child prodigy among pack leaders, and a cause of dissension among the veterans. Political exile, you might say. Does that surprise you? I just might go, if Dveyella still wants me."
"Well, you are certainly free to go, if that is what you want," the Commander said sharply. "But I honestly doubt that Valthyrra has any such plans. And you certainly will not leave this ship without my having something to say about it!"
"I suppose that we will have to wait and see," Velmeran answered, although he was no longer certain what to think.
"I am going to take Keth aside as soon as I can," Mayelna continued as they turned to join the others. "Do not say it! I do not want to hear what you consider your duty. I am one of Keth's contemporaries, nearly his own age. Meran, this means putting an end to a career that has spanned three centuries. He will not want to hear it from a twenty-five-year-old kid who has his whole career yet ahead of him. It would be too easy for him to think that you could have no understanding or sympathy for him, an old wolf being chased out of the pack by the cubs."
"I can see that, contrived analogies notwithstanding," Velmeran agreed reluctantly. "You do it."
<
br /> "Besides, I have come up with an alternative," Mayelna added. "Do you think that Keth suffers from any failings that would make him an untrustworthy teacher?"
"No, Keth's problem is in his bones, not in his head," Velmeran replied thoughtfully. "In fact, that conceit of his always made the students think that he is better than he ever was. That could be important, if a retired pilot is to maintain the respect of his students."
As they passed in front of the transport, they found Dveyella standing a few paces from the nose of her fighter, wearing a thoughtful expression as she stared at the little ship. The cause of her concern was obvious; the fighter, once matte black, was now a dusty black-gray. It was badly scorched from the explosion it had passed through, and such damage was enough to retire this ship. Too much of its machinery, particularly wiring and hoses near the surface, would have been damaged by the heat. The quartz glass in the windows and focusing lenses would have been weakened, as well as the seals around the canopy and panels.
Valthyrra hovered nearby, the snakelike neck of her probe stretched to its limit as she inspected the damage. "How long have you had this ship?"
"Three years now," Dveyella replied. "Our ships have a rather limited life expectancy."
"So it would seem," Valthyrra agreed. "I can refit this one as a trainer. But you will need a new one, for your line of work."
"And a very dangerous line of work it would seem," Mayelna added as she walked up behind them. "It cost you a ship and Velmeran a suit of armor."
"Ah, but this was an easy one!" Dveyella insisted. "We did what we intended and returned safe. A good run indeed."
"Good?" Mayelna asked in disbelief.
"A bad one is when they shoot the fins off your ship, so that you bounce through space like a ball," she said quietly, indicating Baress. "Velmeran surprised me, if I may say so without embarrassing him greatly. He thinks quicker than I do, and he will be better than I am in a very short time. With a couple of years experience behind him, he will lead this pack. To be frank, I want him."
Valthyrra's neck snapped around so fast that the hinges popped. "You want him? Are you asking that I transfer him to you? Right now?"
"Not right now," Dveyella said, hiding a smile with effort. "I have only just indicated that I would take him, and I would allow him time to decide."
"It is his decision," Mayelna agreed.
"He is also my best pilot," Valthyrra said, glancing at the Commander in a manner that indicated a fierce glare. "I have plans for him, and I would not willingly part with him. I have no replacement for him."
"It is, of course, his decision," Mayelna said again.
Velmeran, who had remained silent so far, watched in fascination and amusement. Valthyrra Methryn was so agitated that he almost expected to see smoke escaping from the cowling around her retractable neck.
"Yes, and he does not have to decide soon," Dveyella added. "Several weeks may pass before we are requested somewhere else, and it is customary that we remain where we are until then."
"That is true," Valthyrra agreed quickly, her camera pod lifting hopefully. She turned to look at the larger group standing to one side of the scorched fighter. Dyenlerra had moved in on Keth, and had already attached a portable diagnostic unit to the leads inside the control panel of his suit. "I want to thank you for returning our merchandise safely. Now let us see if it has suffered from its rough handling."
The entire pack was gathered close, silent as they awaited the medic's judgment. Keth himself bore a pained expression of barely restrained impatience, obviously of a mind that all this was unnecessary. Dyenlerra appeared equally exasperated with her patient's unwillingness to cooperate.
"Good enough," she decided as she jerked out the leads. "At least until I can get you out of that armor and properly checked."
"I am all right?" Keth asked with both impatience and concern.
"You are not ill," Dyenlerra said as she bent over the device and pointed toward the lift, indicating for it to put itself away. It turned and rolled off at a quick pace. "Like so many of us, you are getting old."
Keth's reply was a moment of thoughtful silence. Obviously the matter of his age did bother him, whether he chose to believe it or not.
"They did not mistreat you?" Mayelna asked.
"No, certainly not," Keth answered quickly. "They were scared to death of me, although I did nearly starve on their rations. They eat like birds."
"We eat like wolves," Dyenlerra corrected him. "At least they did keep him cool."
"They let you keep your suit?" Velmeran asked.
"Not at first, but I convinced them that I had to have it," Keth replied, obviously pleased with his ingenuity. "I thought that I would need it, since I knew that someone would be coming after me. Actually, it was quite comfortable in those caves."
"We will need a complete report later," Mayelna said. "For now, you report to sick bay for a complete checkup. I want to see you in my office as soon as you are finished."
"Immediately, Commander," Keth agreed with only minor reluctance, well aware that he had been given an order. He departed alone. Some of the others watched him leave but no one was inclined to go with him, no doubt to his annoyance. They were waiting for their pack leader.
"Dyenlerra," Mayelna said softly. "Just what is his condition?"
"About the same as when he left, less about two kilos from light rations," the medic replied. "As I said, he is getting old — fast."
"Would you be willing to declare him unfit to fly with the packs?" she asked suddenly.
"I might have to." Dyenlerra did not seem surprised by that question.
"Valthyrra and I already have, although I would like to have your support on that. Is he capable of being an instructor?"
Dyenlerra nodded. "Yes, he should be up to that for another twenty years, certainly ten."
"Then so it shall be," Mayelna said, and glanced over her shoulder at the younger pilots waiting silently as a group. "I trust that the lot of you can be counted upon to be more discreet than your superior officers. Let this business serve as a lesson to you on the virtues of honest introspection, but do not make the mistake of thinking that foolishness will always be forgiven. I have a present need for an instructor, and as such Keth will be useful to this ship. He might be foolish enough to refuse. Now, forget what you have heard."
No one answered, but there was no question that they took the point to heart. They had matured enough in recent days to recognize a threat when they heard one, although most of them still did not realize that they had been meant to overhear what had been said.
"Then I must leave you," the Commander continued. "There is a war and, unlike Valthyrra, I can only be in one place at a time. Just now I am needed on the bridge."
"I am calling the packs in," Valthyrra said. "We will be under way as soon as they are secure."
"Make it quick, then," Mayelna said as she left with Dyenlerra.
"Well, children, the last order of business is port leave," Valthyrra continued. "There are two packs and several other members of this crew, not to mention our hardworking visitors, who are to be rewarded with leave. There are also eight packs and a large portion of this ship's crew whose tardiness and lack of devotion will be punished by being denied leave. What will be your choice?"
"Kanis!" Tregloran exclaimed, answering for them all. Kanis was one of three places that all Starwolves liked best; the climate was good — meaning cold and dry — the port was interesting but tame enough that they did not have to worry, their kind was very well liked by the locals, and there was no Union base. The others were quick to nod in agreement.
"You are all agreed on Kanis?" Valthyrra asked. "Very well, then Vinthra it is!"
Velmeran looked at the machine questioningly. "Vinthra? Why Vinthra?"
"I have business in Vinthra," she answered simply.
"And since Vinthra is also the capital world of this sector, you also have a lot of brass — if you will pardon the pun — pok
ing your big nose there immediately after your last two encounters with the military."
"So it would seem," Valthyrra agreed. "All the more reason, in my estimate, for going to Vinthra."
Her probe turned and drifted off at a sedate pace toward the lift door, no doubt to return itself to its rack; Valthyrra had transferred immediately to the bridge the moment she was finished there.
"Then we are not going to Kanis?" Tregloran asked, as mystified as the rest of the pack.
"Copperbottom asked us where we would like to go," Velmeran explained the ship's odd sense of humor. "She never promised to take us there. Some of her jokes are older than she is."
Tregloran only shrugged. "The underground city of Vannkarn should be just as much fun."
Dveyella frowned. "Actually, I have had quite enough of underground cities for now."
"You wish to speak to me, Commander?" Keth asked hesitantly, standing in the doorway of Mayelna's office behind the upper bridge.
Mayelna quickly put away her computer terminal, swinging the monitor around on its support arm until it locked into place on the arm and flipped the keyboard over so that the wood grain of its bottom matched inconspicuously with the rest of her desk, while using one of her free hands to indicate the two chairs before her. Although she seemed distracted, she watched Keth closely as he crossed the room slowly to take his seat. It seemed that he was at last beginning to understand how matters stood in regard to his future. Understand, perhaps, but not necessarily accept; he still wore his black armor.
"So, how did your visit to the medic go?" she asked casually.
"I thought that you might tell me," Keth replied nervously. "You have the report. There is something wrong?"
"No, there is nothing wrong for someone your age," Mayelna said, with slight emphasis on that final word. "Keth, Valthyrra and I have a small problem that you might be able to solve for us. We have some busy times ahead of us, and we want more packs for those two bays we are reopening. We have a whole class of students, fourteen in all, just waiting to begin flight instruction. They can be fighting in two years, with another class of twelve ready to begin when they are finished. All they need is an instructor. I thought that you might want to do that."
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