Afterburn

by S. L. Viehl

  Damn it, I need my relay channels open so I can warn the pod and coordinate a defense. She looked out and saw Saree flying past her and assuming point in a standard defense pattern. The other strafers pulled into position around her. They must have heard Carada’s signal, too.

  We have to take out that strafer.

  The pod is assuming an attack formation, Shon said over Burn’s headgear. They’re defending the ship.

  Against us? Burn tried again to signal his cousin and the other ’Zangian pilots, with no success. Why are they doing this, Shon? Don’t they know the agent is on board?

  Without working transponders we can’t know. But if we want to stop the Ylydii ship, we’re going to have to fly through the pod.

  Everything inside him twisted. I’m not shooting at my own people. The last time I did that in the simulators, I killed all of them.

  I’m open to suggestions.

  Liana reached out and touched his fin. Burn, you don’t have to kill them. You can disable their ships without harming them, the way your cousin did when she saved the Skartesh from mass suicide.

  Those were religion-crazed civilians, Burn told her. These are trained fighter pilots.

  She held his gaze steadily. So are you.

  Shon broke in with, I hate to interrupt, but they’re coming for us now.

  Burn checked his panel and saw three strafers on an intercept course. Shon, I can’t do this without wiring up to StarFire. I need you to fly like you’re in an asteroid belt. Closed profile, avoidance pattern.

  Acknowledged.

  Burn reached out to his mate. I won’t be able to speak when I’m in the bubble. He had never been good with farewells, but he had always believed in making them. I love you, Liana. I wish you had stayed on-planet.

  I don’t, she told him, nuzzling his fin.

  Duo, she was so beautiful. Wherever we go, I will be with you.

  Shon flew beneath the trio of oncoming ships, avoiding the warning shots they fired and coming up behind them. Ahead, the remainder of the patrol was waiting for them. Gunner, engage weapons array.

  Acknowledged, Major. Burn gave Liana a final caress before moving back in his harness and engaging the StarFire. The targeting/firing sphere swallowed him eagerly, the neuroclamp transmitters taking him into their tight embrace as he went into free spin. The n-trans’s delicate leads tickled his haffets as they curled and linked with his brain.

  Sublieutenant, we are under attack, Shon said over his com. Fire at your discretion.

  He had no time to appreciate being hooked up to the weapons array as the first pair of strafers attacked. Saree and Loknoth, Burn decided as he locked on to their positions and tracked their fire. He was able to take out the power cells on the male ’Zangian’s weapons systems, but the wing leader outflew Shon and streaked away.

  Slippery bitch, Shon muttered as he avoided three more strafers coming in on a flanking pattern.

  The sphere began to spin faster as Burn countered the pulse fire with his own blasts, taking out weapon cells when he could, and engines when he couldn’t. The precision it took not to destroy the other ships was exacting, and he silently swore he would never again complain about gunning the enemy.

  With five ships now disabled, the patrol broke formation and regrouped—all but one strafer, which Burn recognized as Dair’s ship, the Wavelight. Dair moved out of firing range and sat a short distance away, almost as if she were observing the battle.

  That’s Jadaira, isn’t it? Shon asked.

  Yes. Watch her; she’ll fly right up your nose without a twitch. Burn spun around and prepared to fire on the strafers grouping in a mass attack pattern. Shon, don’t skim around them, weave. They’ll hold their fire so that they don’t hit each other.

  Good idea. Why aren’t you a pilot?

  I am. Burn felt the n-trans leads shifting to penetrate his haffets, and winced. I’m just a better gunner.

  During the weave pass, Burn was able to render two more strafers’ weapons systems inoperative, but when Shon tried to advance after the Ylydii ship, the wing leader rolled in front of them in a daring move and took out the IceBlade’s primary engine cells.

  Perceptive and slippery, Shon said, his tone wry and admiring. I’ve got secondary engines and thrusters left, Sublieutenant, and then we’re dead in the water.

  You’re starting to sound like a ’Zangian, Major. Burn assessed the battlefield. Fifteen strafers stood between them and the Ylydii ship, which would soon reach Ninra. It would be fifteen again.

  If the Ylydii ship reached the planet, it would only take a few minutes for it to cross too far into the atmosphere to be rescued. It would crash, and all of this would be for nothing.

  Run that by me again? Shon asked.

  Never mind. Fly a straight skim pattern down the line.

  Shon understood what he intended to do. Burn, you can’t fire that fast.

  StarFire can, and it’s hooked itself directly into my brain. Burn set the sphere spin to maximum. Do it, Shon. It’s the only way we can get at them.

  Shon brought the ship about and flew directly at the line of strafers, turning the IceBlade on its side so that it presented only the upper hull to their weapons’ fire. Burn began firing at each ship as they passed, so rapidly that the pulse fire appeared as a continuous stream.

  Halfway through the strafers, the Wavelight came up alongside the IceBlade and shadowed Shon’s profile. Dair’s ship acted like a shield and took the pulse fire intended for the IceBlade.

  What the hell is that crazy female doing? Shon shouted.

  Playing dam, Burn muttered as the sphere slowed. Dair’s ship was blocking all of his shots, too. She’ll keep them off our tail, I think.

  Dair did exactly as Burn predicted. Once Shon had flown out of firing range, she took a position between the IceBlade and the rest of the patrol and sat like a guard between them, her weapons aimed at the patrol.

  Burn disengaged StarFire, wincing again as the leads withdrew from his haffets, and looked around the sphere. The liquid atmosphere tasted faintly of his blood. He rubbed one of his haffets. Maybe StarFire does need a little more testing in the lab.

  Shon flew on course to dock with the Ylydii vessel. We’re only ten minutes from geostationary orbit, he warned Burn. When we board, we have to do this fast.

  Liana was the one who answered him. It won’t take that long, Major.

  A group of concerned-looking Ylydii crew members were waiting for them inside the ship. Liana waited only long enough to assure that Major Valtas was given the proper breathing rig before she moved past the fussing females and into the corridor.

  Burn caught up with her. Have you picked up the agent’s scent?

  You could say that. She swam directly to the ship’s helm, where the captain was issuing orders to assume orbit. Carada, Fokrej, and Miglan were also on the helm, and all three reacted violently to Liana’s arrival.

  My lady, we were told you were dead! Miglan squeaked.

  Fokrej hurtled toward her, his barbs ready, only to be knocked aside by Burn. How dare you touch me!

  Go near her again, Burn told him, and I’ll bite your bloody head off.

  Carada surged forward with her fins unfurled, until she came snout-to-snout with Liana. How did you do it? A clone?

  An exchange with the Goddess, Liana said. This female is not my mother, Burn. She kidnapped the real Carada from Ylyd some time ago and took her place.

  Burn whirled to give her a stunned look. You knew she was the agent, all this time?

  Fokrej uttered a horrible sound and swam directly at the two females. The imposter produced a strange-looking emitter and shot the Ylydii male with a focused beam of energy. The beam punched a hole through Fokrej’s skull and killed him instantly.

  I never liked him, Carada said to Burn. But he had his uses.

  Like torturing me to insure my silence and cooperation. Liana regarded the SEAL agent. It wasn’t Fokrej who kept me silent. It was knowing you held my mother
hostage and would kill her if I did not. She looked at Burn. At least, that is what I believed. Just before she shot me in the head, she told me that my mother had never been held hostage. She was killed as soon as she was captured.

  I do regret that, the agent said, but we needed the body parts. They’re down in one of the storage bays, if you would like to wish her a final farewell.

  No, Liana said. I am finished with taking commands from you.

  You can’t stop this, Liana, the imposter told her. The ship’s engines will be failing any moment, and the damage to them cannot be easily fixed. I will have the chance to send off one more frantic message—for which I will turn off our jammer—and tell how the Ninrana have attacked us and are sacrificing us to their gods, just before we crash. When they search the site, they will find Carada and your remains, along with anyone else who could tell the story differently.

  And Urloy-ka? Burn asked harshly.

  The agent looked into Liana’s eyes and moved back. The Ninrana were given a choice: cooperate and live, or fight and watch the Hsktskt bombard their miserable world into dust. They chose to cooperate. What is wrong with your eyes?

  I am a royal female of Ylyd, Liana said as she unfurled her veils, including the two that lay tucked and hidden under twin flaps of hide that ran the length of her spine. She knew her black eyes were turning a bright and glowing green now. Didn’t your research tell you about Ylydii who are born of the green?

  We knew you had the green markings of a queen. Why do you think I was made your mother’s twin?

  Liana’s spine flexed as the multijointed spines of her embracing veils slowly curled out into the liquid atmosphere. It took time, for they were twice as long as her body. I will be queen, yes, but not because of my colors. She moved in toward the agent. It is because of my song, and my embrace.

  The agent scoffed. Singing does not make a monarch.

  Liana answered with deathsong, and watched the notes paralyze the agent, Burn, everyone on the helm. The agent’s emitter weapon fell from her slack grasp and floated down to the deck. Liana’s embracing veils lifted, revealing the barbs concealed in the green, flowing membranes. Unlike her other barbs, this pair were a meter long and shaped like swords. Her other veils extended around them, creating a net. She summoned the agent to her with her song, and the imposter swam forward as if in a dream.

  Liana’s song crested on a high, pure note as her veils wrapped around the agent. With a single contraction, she drove both of her embracing barbs into the agent’s body. When she released her victim, the agent’s body floated away in three pieces.

  It took a moment for the effects of the deathsong to fade, and then Burn came to her. Is there anything else I should know?

  Yes. Liana touched his cheek. I love you, and I want to be with you. Always.

  Oh, I’m never saying no to you again. He held her close for a moment. But let’s evacuate the ship first.

  The reception for the Mayer-Hansen wedding was held at the URD, so that Ylydii and older ’Zangian friends of the couple could attend in comfort. Among other refreshments provided were a penned feeding area for the aquatics on the outside of the dome, and a long banquet table inside filled with food from a dozen different worlds. It was there that Ana Hansen found her assistant, Emily, in deep conversation with her Omorr friend, Dr. Hkyrim.

  “I don’t know, Emily.” He was giving one of the dessert dishes a dubious inspection. “Seed pod flesh with ground seed and bark in crushed grain paste?”

  “Apple tarts,” her assistant told him. “They’re delicious, and they don’t taste anything like pillow stuffing. Hello, boss.”

  As Ana greeted the pair, she felt glad that Liam had found a treatment to neutralize the nanites released by Noel Argate on K-2. It made it possible for the Omorr to remain on-planet, and was also helping the Core, who had also had adverse reactions to the nanite contamination.

  “Have you tried anything yet?” Ana asked, looking at their empty plates.

  “We are still making our choices,” the Omorr said.

  Ana smiled. “Save some room for cake.”

  As she walked away, she heard Hkyrim say to Emily, “Do not tell me what the ingredients are this time.”

  Ana went to William and slipped an arm around her new husband. “You look so handsome in a tux.”

  “You are beautiful.” Once more he admired the traditional ivory wedding tunic gown she wore. “Have you heard from Teresa?”

  Her smile dimmed. “Not for weeks. She left the planet right after that ’shrike escaped from the expedition vessel. Dair hasn’t had a single signal, either. Teresa charted a private transport; we don’t even know where she went.”

  Onkar walked up and offered a polite wish for prosperity. “There is someone who would like to speak with you both, Administrator, but she cannot leave the water.”

  “One of the Ylydii.” Ana took Liam’s hand in hers. “You’ll have to act meek and submissive.”

  She laughed out loud when he leaned over to whisper, “Later.”

  The newlyweds went to the moon pool, where Ana was surprised to see Dairatha circling around the tank. Another, smaller ’Zangian with a lighter hide was hovering in the center of the pool, and looked up when the two Terrans approached the edge.

  “I don’t recognize her,” Ana murmured, and called to Dairatha. “Is this someone from another pod?”

  The big male only strummed a laugh and swam over to the female, who lifted her sleek head from the water and ejected water from her gillets before filling her lungs with air.

  Ana nearly fell into the pool when she saw the female’s familiar eyes. “Terri?”

  “It’s me,” Teresa Selmar’s voice said. “Well, some of the inside things still are, anyway. Everything else is ’Zangian SEAL augmented and still healing, so I can’t leave the water yet. By the way, do you know how annoying it is to breathe air when your body is used to breathing water? I feel like apologizing to every ’Zangian I ever made to come up topside.”

  “I don’t believe it,” Ana said faintly. “You gave up your body? To become an aquatic?”

  “I finally figured out that I was born in the wrong body.” Teresa looked down at Dairatha. “We’re going away for awhile, Ana. To give me time to learn how to live out here. I’ll be back, and seeing you both again. Give my love to Dair.” With that Teresa dove under the water and disappeared with Dairatha.

  Ana turned to Liam. “How am I going to explain this to Jadaira? A Terran alterforming herself to become ’Zangian?”

  “After the honeymoon,” Liam said, and kissed her.

  Burn saw the two Terrans nuzzling and decided not to disturb them. He returned to the main reception area and went to the panel where his mate was watching from the water. Znora was at her side, and fussing, as she had been doing since discovering Liana was pregnant. Oddly, Liana seemed to enjoy the attention, and even now she gave him an amused look.

  He looked at Dair when she joined him. “Well, at least I didn’t have to dress up and say all those words with Liana.”

  “No, you just have to go and rule Ylyd with her,” Dair snapped.

  Burn strummed out a laugh. “Didn’t I tell you? Liana gave up the throne or queenship or whatever it is. There’s another female like her who is almost old enough to take her place, and the ruling queen agreed to let Liana stay on K-2.”

  “Good, you’d make a lousy king.” Dair’s expression softened. “You also have a new assignment. As your next duty ship, you’re flying Rescue Three.”

  “I thought that was Shon’s ship.”

  “Shon is leaving.” She sighed. “I don’t know why but he says he has to.”

  Burn thought of telling her, but remembered his promise to Shon. Also he thought the oKiaf should be the one to tell his cousin about his gift. “He’ll be back. In the meantime, give Rescue Three to someone else.”

  “Someone else?” Dair tapped the side of his head. “Hello, cousin, you’ve been pestering me for months
to fly that ship.”

  “I know. It’s just that someone needs to keep testing Starfire, and Verrig wants to update the strafer weapons array, and . . . I’m a gunner, Dair. It’s what I do best. I know it’s not as grand as a pilot, but it’s what I am, and what I want to be.”

  “I’ll still need you as a backup pilot,” she warned, and then shook her head. “I can’t believe it. All those hours training, all those sim sessions, and all it did was teach you that you were fine as you were?”

  “Oh, I’ll never be the same.” Burn looked out at his mate. “But I’m going to try to be better than I was.”