Lyon's Pride (35 page)

“Indeed and we will,” Ashiant replied as he glanced through the material. “Though the one your brother and Tikele designed seems to be similar.”

“Flavia also informed me that, with Earth Prime's express permission, they are going to approach the Hive-occupied planet.”

Ashiant gave him a hard stare.

“There are good reasons to take the chance,” and Thian grinned, “the main of them being to give the
KVS
under Captain Klml the opportunity to pull the
Genesee
ploy.”

“Steal another Hiver ship?” Ashiant said, almost exploding. “Whatever do we need with
another
one?”

Thian chuckled, as much at the captain's reaction as the one which would surely await the triumphantly returning crew aboard it.

“Captain Klml is of the new Mrdini generation which hasn't seen much direct contact of the kind that allows a color to gain prestige…”

“Damned untried young scuts,” Ashiant murmured, shifting restlessly in his chair, “they could precipitate more trouble…” Then he cleared his throat as he remembered all too vividly the morning's near breach between Human and 'Dini. “Ah, well, I suppose fighting's more recent in
their culture than…Is ‘counting coup' the action I mean…”

“I've heard the phrase,” Thian replied, not remembering where or in what connection.

“Go on. Tell me how this 'Dini plans to gain prestige so I'll know how to prevent it in this squadron.”

“First Flavia got Earth Prime's permission. And I assure you, as Flavia did me, that Captain Soligen would not contemplate such a move unless she was very sure of success.”

“Well,” and Ashiant simmered down, “Vesta's one helluva fine captain, even if she does have some odd ideas of opting for young and virtually untried crew. I assume all you Primes are restricted by the same rules?”

“Yes, sir!”

“Then let me know the outcome of the…what did you call it…”

“The
Genesee
ploy.”

“Osullivan must be pleased by that. Too bad he's stuck at a desk now. And how is Captain Klml intending to get its prize back to our occupied space?”

“Flavia seemed to feel the captain would be able to do so under the ship's power. We were able to establish the disposition of certain controls on the panel. She's known them. And we know what fuel is used…”

“That's fine until the damned thing gets in more traveled space…”

Thian nodded, grinning. “I believe the plan is to decorate the sphere with 'Dini designs to let all and sundry know who is bringing this one in.”

“Do ask your Prime to send out an all-ship warning. Wouldn't do to have a trigger-happy missile crew trying out the new weaponry on a ‘friendly' hostile vessel! And can you get onto the proper authorities to forward all
documentation on known G-star variations, whether the planetary systems have been explored or not. It may well be that the tedious process of elimination will provide the information we need.”

When Thian, who had always prided himself on his eidetic memory, found himself confusing figures of the very complicated spectro-analyses of G-type stars within an hour, he traded off with Rojer. Clancy was about to have to take a turn when Jeff Raven decided his T-1 and T-2 staff had better things to do with their time than mentally transfer such complex data. So the rest of the material from Human astronomical files was 'ported out. Laria 'ported even more from the Mrdini libraries.

Everyone's pretty excited about the theory here
, she told her brother.
You sound in good form, Thi. Things going well for you, Roj and Clancy?

Why? D'you miss us?
he asked teasingly.

Oddly enough, I think I do
, she said.

How's Kincaid?

Kincaid is in fine form, brother!
Then there was a ripple in her mental tone that signified a giggle.
Vanteer, too.
Then she signed off, leaving him to digest that information just as the cargo officer announced the arrival of a small pod from Clarf Tower.

The comparative analysis of G-type stars continued until a special board had to be set up for that information alone. Each ship in the Fleet wanted to access files to support their own theories and constant, lengthy ship-to-ship conversations were interfering with necessary operational messages.

*   *   *

Over the next few weeks, although neither Thian nor Ashiant had mentioned the
Genesee
ploy, most of the Fleet knew that it either was about to happen or had happened. The news that the maneuver had been successful, that the
KVS
had destroyed the space field of the Hivers at Waterloo as well as the three scout ships that had tried to launch from the planet, was anticlimatic but gave an excuse for considerable celebration on all eleven ships.

Barely had they recovered from that than the
Washington's
sensors picked up a reading that suggested the Hiver they were pursuing had sent out its scouts. The target was a G-type sun which the Alliance had first thought the Hiver would, once more, pass by since its spectro-analysis didn't seem that promising.

Instantly crews were scrambled to the
Washington's
fast scouts and Thian ordered Rojer to accompany the
Revere
, commanded by Captain Vergoin.

You'll get yourself in a pod the moment there's trouble
, Thian told his brother.

Aw, Thi
…Rojer began and then, remembering his grandfather's stern warnings, subsided.
Yeah, I
will,
but what about the destroyers? Who's going to keep Prl and Ktpl in check when they get close to the Hiver?

Captain Spktm. It's transferred its command to its first officer and is on board the KLTS
.

Spktm does mean business
.

We all mean business!

Thian sent Clancy, with a similar reminder about saving his Talented skin, to one of the two Human-crewed destroyers. All four larger ships were ordered to shift themselves at top speed after the lighter, faster vessels. The Nebula, the two Constellations and the four Galaxy-class would need more time to attain the requisite speed to catch up and support any action.

We're ahead of the Hiver scouts
, Rojer told his brother several days later,
and they didn't even see us coming in on the ecliptic.
His tone was one of high good spirits.
Are those Hiver queens so utterly oblivious to anything but
their goals? Are they so arrogant they think they're totally invulnerable?

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.”