“And suborn Primes whenever they could be found...” Clancy added. “Like your grandmother on Altair.”
“Granddad was the one who was really suborned. He had had no intention of leaving Deneb ... before he met Grandmother.” Thian's grin was broad. “Had the Hivers but known they had met their match in Jeff Raven and Angharad Gwyn aka the Rowan as partners, they might have quit while they were ahead.”
“Not while there were Hiver queens needing planets to colonize,” Clancy put in.
“And that, of course, brought the entire FT&T organization in at the time of the Deneb Penetration with the Rowan as the focus for the Mind Merge that helped Jeff Raven dispatch the Hiver scouts trying to depopulate his homeworld,” said Rojer.
“And why the Mrdinis decided to ask us, through Mother and Dad, to join forces and defeat the Hivers,” Thian said, “since we could take out a Hiver sphere without having to resort to suicide missions.” He leaned back again, pleased with his summation of the events leading up to recent developments: denying the Hivers a new base from which to continue their unique form of colonization.
“I wonder how many of the bleeding hearts and conservatives have bothered to see the Hiver queen at Heinlein Base,” Rojer said. “The sight of her would be instructive.”
“We could ask Cousin Roddie Eagles.” Thian gave his brother another sly look.
Rojer's anxiety to get to the
Columbia
had much to do with his courtship of Roddie's youngest sister, Asia; an engineer as well as a T-4. Initially the
Columbia,
flagship of Squadron B's five ships, had been sent to examine four M-type planets that had been used, and abused, by the Hivers, oneânamed Marengoâbeing on the verge of total ecological disaster. The massive effort initiated to save the world was well under way and some encouraging succession of hardy grassoids had already been triumphantly broadcast. Ruins of Hiver occupations were evident on two of the other planets, Waterloo and Talavera, while the fourth, Ciudad Rodrigo, seemed to have an active Hiver colony.
“I should be aboard the
Columbia. Now.
Not still stuck here.”
“Don't fret so, Roj,” Thian said, broadcasting soothing thoughts to his pacing brother. “Our orders were approved by both High Councillors, Admiral Mekturian and Gktmglnt. They'll handle any interference to the rest of our mission.”
“Not to mention Earth Prime Jeff Raven and Callisto Prime Rowan,” Clancy added. “I see no reason for anxiety, Roj.” Clancy at least forbore to tease his cousin about the real reason for his fretfulnessâmissÃng Asia.
“All we have to do on our way home,” Thian said, “is find
all
the Hiver-occupied planets ... and constrain attempts by any of them to dispatch another colonial venture.”
“That's all!” Rojer's voice dripped with sarcasm.
“Which will probably take the best part of our lives,” Clancy said, not particularly depressed by the prospect. “I might even make commander by the time we're done.”
“I doubt we'll devote our lives to the project,” Thian said, gesturing to include his brother.
“No, you're Primes,” Clancy agreed without rancor.
There was a pause.
“Think I can talk the Admiral into letting me get down on the Hiver world we're heading for?” Thian asked wistfully. He clasped and unclasped his hands in frustration.
“You're a Prime, Thi,” Clancy said. “Too valuable to be risked.”
“And far more capable of defending myself than anyone else on the ship,” Thian said, then bowed quickly to his brother. “And you too, Roj. I'm sure I'd find something no one else could.”
“You're a Lyon, aren't you,” Clancy said, “as well as a Prime? You will,” he added with a reassuring grin, and stretched his legs out, yawning. “The Admiral won't deny you anything.”
“Well, then again, Ashiant may be under orders not to risk you on anything, Thian.” said Rojer in a knowing drawl.
“Oh?” Thian's raised eyebrows encouraged Rojer to elaborate on that statement.
“You can't be risked, bro,” Rojer said with a snort. “They need you to take over from either Grandmother or possibly Grandfather.”
Thian gawked at his brother. “How do you come to that remarkable conclusion?”
“You've been the focus for all our Mind Merges. I'm surprised you didn't guess. It's obvious to me”âRojer looked over to Clancy, who nodded in agreementâ“that you're the logical successor.”
Thian sat for a moment, mouth agape; then he “glanced” into the minds of his younger brother and cousin and realized that both were certain of that. Slapping his forehead dramatically, he flung himself back on the couch, staggered by the prospect.
“Not for a few more decades,” Rojer said consolingly, “since, praise be, our grandparents seem in excellent health.”
“Spare me!” Thian said, groaning, his hand still clapped to his forehead.
What's the matter, Thian?
asked Alison Ann Greevy, T-5, nursing empath, from the sick bay.
Thian let his lover, Gravy, “hear” the conversation.
Oh, I thought something was wrong,
she said with a mental sigh of relief, and her mind touch left his.
“What's wrong with that sort of future, bro?” Rojer asked. “You're at least getting a chance to travel now and see real life and all that good stuff. Besides, you've got Gravy. And it isn't as if you can't pick a nice inaccessible spot to live in to enjoy your private life when you do get stuck with being Earth Prime.” Rojer rolled his eyes, coloring his thoughts with envious scenes of marital harmony.
That's enough of that!
Thian said sternly, abandoning his shocked surprise.
Rojer only grinned, delighted to have annoyed Thian. “And don't keep me here one moment past getting the last load of supplies on board.”
“I'll be well rid of you,” Thian said emphatically.
“I'll never be more than a thought away,” Rojer said, and teleported himself out of the room before his brother could take physical vengeance.
Thian caught Clancy's amused glance and, with a laugh, was restored to his usual good humor.
“Younger brothers,” Clancy murmured sympathetically.
Â
That evening in the privacy of their quarters, Thian and Gravy had talked over the prospect of his having to take up either of those tremendous responsibilitiesâEarth Prime or Callisto Station. Since both his parents and grandparents had expressed their approval of Alison Ann, the couple no longer needed to conduct their liaison as discreetly as possible. Indeed, once Thian knew his attachment to Gravy was approved, he teleported her belongings into his quarters.
“Frees space up for someone else,” she'd muttered as she saw her things neatly being fitted into his closets and drawers. “Though it was kinda fun being zapped about by you, Thi darlin'”
“You never knew where you were going to wake up, though,” he'd teased, hugging her tightly against him.
“Well, I'm here where I belong,” was her contented reply.
She was, however, surprised when Admiral Ashiant adroitly started including Lieutenant Greevy when he invited the FT&T personnel to his mess table, a tacit recognition of their current status as well as public approval. Once Alison Ann got over the shock, she rather enjoyed the perks that now came her way more frequently.
“âSides which, no one dares complain about 'em either,” Gravy added, tweaking Thian's nose. “They're jealous and can't do a thing about it.”
Â
The next morning Earth Prime Jeff Raven contacted Thian.
Supply drones are ready, Thian,
said Jeff.
Let's see how many we can forward at a time, shall we?
As you like,
Thian replied, accepting the challenge, and allowed his grandfather to hear him summoning the merge on his end of the exchange. He smiled to himself, remembering Rojer's prediction, though he kept that very much in the back of his mind. He didn't intend to be styled a “cocky boy” by his grandmother, the Rowan.
Incoming cargo,
he 'pathed to the other ships in the Fleet in a broadcast alert.
Thian's team quickly assembled in their “command” room, with its comformable couches: Rojer teleported in, Clancy and Commander Semirame Kloo used their own feet, and so did CPO Lea Day since she had been nearby when she received Thian's summons. The Fleet electrician was a new addition to the team but was improving steadily with each new opportunity to use her previously unexpected parapsychic Talent. She liked being what she called a “power weasel.”
They had only just arranged themselves on the couches when Jeff warned them of the first shipmentânine drones.
And we thought the big daddies from Iota Aurigae were heavy,
Rojer said, and warned the boat bays to stand by to receive the drones about to be imported.
On their way,
Jeff said, and the team caught the first shipment at the halfway mark and deftly brought them in to the readied space.
That's for the
Washington.
Are the other boat bays alerted?
asked Jeff.
They have been,
Thian replied, and checking briefly, knew the other ships' Talents were standing by to receive.
Then Jeff called out which drones went to which ship and they spent the next half an hour completing the reprovisioning.
Now can I go to the
Columbia,
Grandfather?
Rojer asked.
Are you packed?
There was a malicious laugh tagging along with that question.
Half a mo,
Rojer replied, frowning in concentration.
“We'll send on anything you left behind,” Thian said at his most helpful. “And say hi to all when you get there.”
Rojer disappeared from his couch, his 'Dinis, Gil and Kat, with him.
We're set. Takes longer to get into the carrier than
...
Thian didn't really need his team's help to push Rojer's personal capsule to the
Columbia,
for he felt his grandfather's touch assisting him, then Flavia's when Rojer arrived at the Constellation-class Columbia flagship.
Thanks, Jeff
,
Thian. We've been expecting him.
Keep him out of trouble, Thian
said, and sent a fleeting kiss to Flavia and his younger sister, Zara, who was present in the
Columbia's
teleport team.
You couldn't,
was Zara's pert reminder, and Thian kinetically tweaked her nose to remind her of his seniority. She sent a laugh back over the incredible distance between them.
How soon will you arrive at the first suspect system, Thian?
asked his grandfather, all business after the sibling exchange.
Admiral...
Thian paused to emphasize the new rank and felt his grandfather's satisfaction.
Ashiant advised us last night that we should make the heliopause by tomorrow evening. We're slowing now. The first exploratory probe indicates that the M-4 is occupied and has an old Hiver ship in orbit.
Strange the Hivers didn't notice the proximity of such a close match for their homeworld.
There's quite a distance between the two star systems, sir. And besides, if the ship's as old as it looks to be, the colony queens probably didn't know it existed when they stopped at this one.
Same sphere ship design? asked Jeff.
Hiver design never changes ... except to get bigger. Anyway, analysis of the pitting and metal fatigue on this sphere suggests this one has been hanging in orbit a long time.
Garbage?
Jeff asked succinctly, since Hiver planets invariably used space as a refuse dump.
Not as much as you'd think from the age of the sphere.
Hmm. Check it out thoroughly.
Why? Does another 'Dini planet want its own display?
There had been four vacant spheres captured in orbit around other Hiver-occupied planets. These had been brought back to the 'Dini homeworlds, much honor accruing to the colors of the prize crews.
No. We're more curious about length of settlement as well
as
its current population. There doesn't seem to be a hard-and-fast rule of when queens send out new expeditions.
Or when their planet begins to get overcrowded?
That's it.
Why is that important, Grandfather?
Thian asked.
If we knew precisely what factors precipitate a need for migration, we might know how to inhibit them and contain the queens on the planets they now inhabit.
Trouble with the conservatives? Or the bleeding hearts?
Thian caught the amusement in his grandfather's response.
A bit of both.
From which source? Human or 'Dini?
A laugh echoed between minds.
A bit of both.
All right. I'll refrain from asking questions you have no intention of answering.
Your grandmother sends her regards. So do your mother and father.
And the presence that was Jeff Raven left Thian's mind.
When he took notice again of his immediate surroundings, Gravy was there with a glass of his favorite restorative. Even though that had not been a particularly taxing use of his Talent, Alison Ann in her capacity as Talent nurturer insisted that they all replenish their bodies after every teleportational session. She had half finished her own drink. Clancy, Semirame and Lea Day were dutifully sipping theirs. The “power weasel” didn't look as tired from this day's work as she had been from others'. She was shaping up nicely into a good backup kinetic. She raised her glass in a toast to him. As he returned it, his eyes fell on the couch that Rojer had so recently occupied. He blinked.