She related the series of events, beginning with her father's illness, which led to her temporary command of McClure Shipping, up until J'Qhir heard the Starfire land. She omitted J'Qhir's attempt at the Zi failure ritual and their intimacy. "It took some adjusting, but water and food were plentiful. I think we would have survived, barring a fatal illness or accident, especially when we moved to warmer climes nearer the equator in the spring. Now, how did you three get together?"

"I think Corru ought to begin the story." Drew motioned to Corru. Feathers ruffling, the Paxian declined with a tilt of his head. Corru was, Leith observed, a quiet being although she didn't know if this was a trait of the Paxians in general or Corru in particular. He had said little at their initial meeting, other than to keep the partic.i.p.ants focused.

"As I understand it," Drew began, "when Corru left you outside the tavern on Arreis, he was followed and attacked in an alley."

"Were they human?" Leith interrupted, directing her question to Corru.

"Yes," he confirmed.

"Steve set it up," Leith explained. "Just before we left the tavern, he stopped short and I ran into him. He nodded toward a group of humans sitting at a table in the far corner."

"We thought as much. Anyway, they meant to leave him for dead, but the Paxians are tougher than they look. Shortly afterward, he was found and security rushed him to a med unit. Unfortunately, he was in a coma until a few weeks ago. By the time he regained consciousness, the story of the Warrior's and your disappearance was old news. It was several days before he learned what had happened. Corru knows the Warrior well and didn't believe the story Steve had concocted, even though almost everyone else in the galaxy did. He returned to Arreis to start his own investigation. That's where he met Lieutenant Rohm'dh."

Everyone turned to the smaller Zi. His saurian eyes blinked rapidly at the sudden attention. "Beg forgivenesss, mine Terran Ssstandard isss not well. Continue?"

Leith shivered inwardly. It was strange to hear the sibilant speech coming from someone other than J 'Qhir.

Drew shrugged and continued. "Rohm'dh refused to believe the Warrior would disgrace his position or his people by denouncing his government, kidnapping a human, or any of the other things Steve made it look like he'd done. At the risk to his own position within the Zi force, and if I understand correctly, much greater risk to his clan's position in Zi society, he made enough noise that the Council authorized him to investigate what happened on Arreis."

"Elder M'Bat'h give authorize," Rohm'dh clarified.

Leith noticed how J'Qhir's eyes widened as if he were surprised M'Bat'h, the Elder who had been his father-in-law and always opposed him, would care if he were found and the truth known. Leith wanted to point out that M'Bat'h might not like him, might even hold him accountable for T'hirz's death in some irrational way as J'Qhir believed, but M'Bat'h also knew J'Qhir and knew he'd never do anything dishonorable.

"Corru and Rohm'dh ran into one another on Arreis and compared notes. Still, they had no proof, only speculation. They would have gone to Cameron, but Corru knew of his illness, so they had to settle for me."

"Drew!"

He laughed and chucked her chin. "Cameron had his suspicions all along. Truth to tell, so did I. Although neither of us really suspected Steve. If we had, I might have checked the encoded log of the Catherine McClure sooner."

"Surely, Steve had the foresight to change the log." Leith shook her head. "He's crazy, but he's not stupid."

"No, Steve isn't stupid, but he is farking crazy if he ever thought this scheme would work. Too many variables, like Corru surviving the attack and Rohm'dh's faith in the Warrior and a nice feature of the latest starships. I don't know if he never knew about it or forgot about it or a.s.sumed his plan was so brilliant no one would ever doubt him. The primary log is the normal log every ship has. It can be easily altered if one knows how. But the newest ships have an auxiliary log. The encryption code is virtually impossible to break. Most encryptions are broken within days of release to the public. This has been on the market six standard months and no one has broken it yet."

Leith shook her head. "Steve stays on top of new developments. We were supposed to take one of the older ships, but there was a mix-up and it was leased out the morning before we left. Steve was furious. He tried to recall several of the older ships, but none of them could be returned in time. The Catherine McClure was the only one available large enough to hold the cargo. If he already had his plans in place and contacted the Crucians, he had to take the chance."

"Well, it was one of several mistakes he made and the most damaging. Everything else was pure conjecture, but this was concrete proof against him. The log clearly indicated the trip to Paradise when he said he'd left Arreis only after he'd been given clearance and returned straight to Earth. We decided he had to have left you two on that planet."

Drew went on to detail their trip to Paradise, but Leith stopped listening. The food she had eaten had tasted wonderful, but it didn't seem to be settling well on her stomach and threatened to come back up. She tried to draw in deep, even breaths, and after a few moments the nausea pa.s.sed.

Corru had wrapped himself in his voluminous wings and appeared to be meditating. Drew, J'Qhir, and Rohm'dh had gravitated toward the bridge consoles. Drew happily explained the meanings of all the b.u.t.tons, dials, and lights while J'Qhir and Rohm'dh listened intently. Leith drew near them and watched a while.

She was all too aware of J'Qhir, how close she was to him in the confining quarters, yet how far away she was in that she could not touch him or speak to him the way she wanted. When J'Qhir never once looked her way, she sighed softly, and started to walk away. At her movement, J'Qhir turned toward her. His amber eyes blinked once, but otherwise his expression did not change as he returned his attention to Drew.

Leith calmly walked away from them, but inside she was inconsolable. She maintained a steady pace until she reached the bunks. With careful, deliberate movements, she climbed the ladder and lowered the bunk at the top of the tier of three. After crawling onto the mattress, she pulled the curtain for a modic.u.m of privacy.

She didn't give in to the hollow sobs that threatened to shake her body, but tears filled her eyes and overflowed. She wiped them away as quickly as they fell, dampening her fingers and the thin pillow beneath her head.

Another wave of nausea rippled through her, as if her stomach rebelled against the food she'd eaten. She decided it was the sudden change in diet as well as emotional stress. She swallowed hard and closed her eyes, waiting for the ill feeling to go away.

Leith slept and a couple of hours later when Drew woke her the nausea had gone. Her eyes felt swollen and grainy, and Drew asked her how she was feeling.

"I'm fine," she a.s.sured him. "Have the calls gone through yet?"

He shook his head. "If it takes much longer, we'l have you back on Earth and you can tell your parents in person that you're alive before the call ever gets through to them."

"How long before we reach Arreis?" Leith asked as she descended the ladder. As she stepped off the last rung, a mild wave of nausea hit her. Drew had his back to her and couldn't see her. She clung to the ladder and closed her eyes until it pa.s.sed.

"Another eight standard hours. The Starfire could make it in less time, but I'd rather not push her. Nothing beats a Rover in short bursts, but it's better to keep her at a moderate speed over long distances."

Leith nodded and followed Drew toward the bridge. J'Qhir and Rohm'dh were still studying the control panels. Corru hadn't moved from his meditation. Leith sat and pulled a viewer into place. With nothing else to do, she could catch up on news of the past two months. The ship's library would have past news accounts in its backlog. Perhaps later they all could watch a vid together.

She had viewed several weeks' worth of news when J'Qhir called out, "Captain Garrissson."

Leith looked up from the viewer and warmed at the sound of his voice. She wished she could sit with him, as they had atop the hill, watching the starscape slip by on the large viewer above the control consoles. Her body ached for some physical touch from him and the closeness they couldn't demonstrate in front of Rohm'dh. If only he wasn't here. But if not for Rohm'dh, Drew might very well have put off Corru or ignored his own concern. She couldn't wish Rohm'dh hadn't become involved, but she could wish that Drew had brought a larger ship.

"It's another ship, Stellar cla.s.s. According to the I.D. imprint, the ship is the Brimstone. It's within hailing distance," Drew commented as he examined the readouts. "I'l contact them and see if they've managed to get a call through on LinkNet."

Drew punched b.u.t.tons on the comm panel and spoke clearly, identifying himself and the Starfire. He waited a few moments and when no response came, repeated the hail.

Starfire and Brimstone...a shiver ran up her spine at the ominous connotation.

Finally, communication opened between the two ships and Drew punched one more b.u.t.ton. The large viewer flickered, went black, then a face appeared onscreen.

J'Qhir was the first to react. "Hanc.o.c.k!"

Chapter 12.

Leith froze as the life-sized image of Steve Hanc.o.c.k fuzzed then cleared to crystal sharp resolution. She felt as if he were actually present on the Rover, once again looming over her, demanding her complete attention. She pushed the small viewer out of her way and started to rise, but she realized there was nowhere to run as well as no reason. He was aboard the other ship, not the Starfire.

She held her breath and tried to steady her nerves as Steve looked at each of them in turn. His gaze rested on Drew.

"Well, Captain Garrison, you managed to find them. Maybe you're not the dorgian pilot I've always said you were." His dark eyes lit on Corru, who had unfurled his wings and stood. "The Paxian is still alive, I see. Tsk, tsk. I knew I should have taken care of you personally."

Drew scowled. "Give it up, Steve. As you can see, it didn't work. I've already contacted the GPs- "

"I don't think so, Captain. LinkNet is still jammed in this sector because of a blown transmitter. They don't expect it to be up and running for another twelve standard hours. Don't try to bluff, Drew. You're no good at it. Remember who always won at Martian poker."

Drew's face flushed red. "We always suspected you cheated, Steve, but no one could ever prove it."

Steve laughed. "Sure, blame me for your lack of skill. Ah, Leith..." He turned his eyes on her and the humor left them. "Sorry your vacation was cut short. Did you enjoy yourself?"

Even though she was separated from J'Qhir by several meters, she sensed him tense as Steve addressed her. Before Leith could frame a suitable caustic reply, J'Qhir spoke, drawing Steve's attention away from her.

"Your plan ha.s.ss failed, Hanc.o.c.k."

Steve cut his eyes to J'Qhir, then to the smaller Zi, and back again to J'Qhir. "Two Reps with one stroke. I consider this my lucky day."

"What the h.e.l.l-" Drew suddenly shouted and lunged at the control panel, frantically punching b.u.t.tons. "Are you insane?"

Steve's frenetic laughter answered Drew's question. His image winked out to be replaced with the radar scan. Leith saw the blip that represented the Starfire and the slightly larger blip of Steve's ship...and the torpedo pulse that traveled between them. Steve had fired at them!

"Defense shields are powering up, but they might not reach max before it hits," Drew shouted. "Harness up and hang on!"

Leith barely had time to snap the harness in place before the Starfire pitched to starboard upon impact. Neither J'Qhir nor Rohm'dh had harnessed up, but both remained in their seats. She glanced at Corru who had returned to his seat, the harness secure over his shoulders.

"Dammit! The b.a.s.t.a.r.d knows what he's doing." Drew's fingers flew over the controls. "I opened the SOS beacon, but the torpedo demolished that section before the shields. .h.i.t max."

"Can it be repaired?" J'Qhir asked, snapping his harness in place.

Drew shook his head. "I don't know. Damage is extensive. Here comes another one. Besides, we won't get a chance to make repairs if he keeps throwing torpedoes at us."

This time, the Starfire rocked to port.

Drew examined the readouts. "Shields are holding at one hundred percent, but a few more hits, and they'l start to deteriorate. I'm going to try to outrun him, but it's a Stellar cla.s.s ship and he'l catch up before we can reach the nearest port."

Leith closed her eyes. She thought being rescued meant being safe, but she hadn't counted on Steve 's desperation or tenacity.

It was over, wasn't it? A Rover couldn't outrun a Stellar, and the smaller ship wasn't outfitted for battle. Its main defenses were the powerful shields and ability to gain high speeds at short distances. Rovers weren't built for deep s.p.a.ce exploration and great distances. She watched as Drew fired back at the Brimstone, but the torpedo pulses were like mosquitoes buzzing around a human-annoying but hardly lethal.

She listened as J'Qhir made suggestions for defensive maneuvers. Drew put them into action, avoiding the next three torpedoes. Leith knew Drew was an excellent pilot, but he had never been in a real battle. Simulations were not the same as actual wartime experiences. Drew wisely turned the helm over to J'Qhir's console. The wait, if only in seconds, of J'Qhir having to explain a tactical maneuver could mean life or death for them.

All of this only delayed the inevitable. Leith opened her eyes and reconfigured the viewer in front of her to display the same readings as the control panel. According to the readouts, the Brimstone would catch up to them and erode the defense shields long before they reached the safety of a planet, just as Drew predicted. Steve had already cut off their path to Arreis, and they headed in another direction. Before Leith could determine the nearest planet, a salvo of torpedoes. .h.i.t and Leith rolled with the ship.

"His system is computing your maneuvers," Drew explained, "and antic.i.p.ating the next move before firing."

J'Qhir nodded. Leith could only see the back of his head, but she could imagine the grim determination on his face as he concentrated.

They were going to die. The worst part was Steve would probably get away with it. The only beings who knew his plans were on this ship. Once they were dead, Steve could concoct a plausible story. He probably already had an alibi in place for this time period.

Leith released the harness and stood. Everyone's attention was on the viewer or controls. Even Corru didn't notice as she slipped to the back of the ship. The next salvo of torpedoes. .h.i.t and Leith, clinging to the edge of a bunk, remained on her feet.

"Shields at ninety-four percent," Drew announced.

Leith pushed the b.u.t.ton to open the tube door. On a ship as small as a Rover there was no lift, only a ladder between the two decks. She swung onto the rungs and placed the insides of her booted feet firmly against the outsides of the ladder, then slid all the way down. Steve chose this moment to send another salvo against them. Slightly off balance from her rapid descent, what few seconds she had saved were wasted as she fell against the bulkhead. Her hold on the ladder prevented her from going down.

The secondary control room was to her immediate left. She sat in the lone chair and snapped the harness in place.

The room was barely larger than the facilities, yet the ship could be operated from here if the main bridge were damaged or destroyed. Leith had taken the required basic flight courses in school. She could fly a ship the size of the Rover, but since she wasn't here to take over command, her eyes bypa.s.sed the flight controls and settled on the communications panel.

Leith had decided if they were destined to die by Steve's hand, the universe would still learn of his treachery as well as the truth concerning the Zi-Crucian conflict. Leith took a few moments to gather her thoughts, pressed the record b.u.t.ton, and began to speak into the microphone.

Fifteen standard minutes and two torpedo salvos later, she turned off the recorder. She hadn't explained the situation as eloquently as J'Qhir since she lacked the pa.s.sion of the oppressed, but she tried to remember his words and repeated as much as she could.

Unfortunately, message beacons couldn't penetrate the defense shields. With shields up, they were essentially cut off from all communications, but she had seen a trick used in a vid last summer and hoped it was based on reality. If not, her only hope was the survival of the black box. She had inserted her recording in with the continual stream of the ship's data. A ship could be blown to stardust, but the black box usually survived. A wry smile crossed her lips as she thought of the old joke, if the black box was indestructible, why didn't they make the ship out of the same material? She had never heard a satisfactory answer to the question.

And then it occurred to her how many things she would never learn or do. Her life would end here and now. She thought of her parents and tears filled her eyes. She would never see them again. They already thought she was dead, but then they would learn she had been alive and rescued only to succ.u.mb to Steve's drive for vengeance. They would have to grieve all over again. She wished she could somehow spare her parents, but the only way was to delete her recording. In this instance, the salvation of an entire species was more important.

She thought of J'Qhir, of their differences both physical and cultural. She regretted only that she had never told him she loved him. Until this moment, she had believed she couldn't truly love him. Because of their differences, yes, she had to admit that, but also because they had known each other for such a short time. Love, she believed, a deep and abiding love developed over time, aged like fine wine, and withstood the test of time as well as hardships. Until now, she thought their physical intimacy was the result of their situation, nothing more. Two abandoned souls reaching out to one another rather than face the empty loneliness of a lifetime.

In these last few moments of her life, she realized with crystal clarity, she loved J'Qhir. With the realization came the resolve to tell him before they died. When she finished here, she would return to the upper deck. She would stand behind him and lay her hands on his broad shoulders, to have a connection to him when the end came. She would wait for a moment in between attacks, when she wouldn't be a distraction. She would share with him one last kiss and tell him that she loved him. The action would shock Rohm'dh, but she didn't care and she hoped J'Qhir didn't either. She didn't think her declaration of love would mean much to J'Qhir because he had never spoken of love in any context, but it would give her the strength to face whatever lay beyond death.

Leith wiped the blurring tears from her eyes and glanced at the readouts. Shields were at seventy-nine percent. She remembered from the battle simulation course that with standard torpedo pulses shields lost five to seven percent with each hit until they reached sixty percent. After that, percentage loss was geometrical and the chances of shield recovery were slim and none.

Leith prepared the message for general dispersal and pushed the send b.u.t.ton. Under normal conditions, the send light would flash green and automatically spew the message into all subs.p.a.ce frequencies. With the defense shields up, a flashing red light warned the message wasn't going through. The trick was in the torpedo pulses. Upon impact, the shields disintegrated for a few nanoseconds, then rebuilt. At the point of disintegration, the message would deploy.

Leith watched the panels. For every ten salvos the Brimstone tossed at them, only one scored a hit due to J'Qhir and Rohm'dh's expertise. If not for them, the Starfire would have been blasted to stardust long ago. As each salvo grew closer, Leith kept her eyes on the send indicator and braced herself. When at last a torpedo hit, the indicator light briefly turned green then resumed its annoying red flashing.

Satisfied, Leith released the harness and stood. She would leave the message to be deployed as many times as possible before the destruction of the Starfire. She had no hope that someone would receive the message in time to save them. Subs.p.a.ce communication was excruciatingly slow, but the message would eventually be heard and the word spread.

Leith hurried to J'Qhir's side. She was inside the tube and halfway up the ladder when the next salvo hit. Unprepared, the force knocked her backwards off the ladder. She crashed into the bulkhead and fell to the deck. Pain ripped through her head as stars burst across her eyes. When the lights faded, blackness consumed her and she lost consciousness.

Leith opened her eyes to find Drew perched at her side on a bottom bunk. He held a coldpack to the side of her head. She saw movement at the edge of her vision and turned, much too quickly, but caught a glimpse of J'Qhir as he paced back and forth between the sleeping area and bridge. She brushed Drew's hand away.

"Are we-" She stopped short and bit her lip. She had almost asked, Are we dead?, but she didn't believe the afterlife would be eternity aboard a Rover. Somehow they had survived. Somehow the Starfire had outrun or out-maneuvered the Brimstone. Somehow the danger was past because Drew was too calm.

At the sound of her voice, J'Qhir had stopped pacing. He hovered near, but not too close, just out of range of her sight.

"We're safe," Drew a.s.sured her and tried to replace the coldpack, but she pushed him away again. "You have a concussion. How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine," she said a little too loudly and started to sit up.

Drew placed his hands on her shoulders and forced her to lie back again. She didn't argue. The Rover had begun to spin around her, and the pounding in her head increased.

"The med said you shouldn't move?"

"What med?" As far as she knew, there had been no med aboard the Rover unless he had been hiding in the hold.

"From the Artilian ship that's towing us in."

"Artilian?"

"By the time it was all over, we were closer to Artilia than Arreis anyway. The Artilian ship picked up one of the messages you sent and came to help. The Starfire took a beating, so they're towing us to Artilia." Drew tightened the hand he'd left on one shoulder. "Steve's dead."

Relief flooded through her. "I hate to say it, but I'm glad. How did it happen?"

"It was amazing, Leith. The shields were all but gone, and the Brimstone had almost caught up to us. We were bombarded with torpedo salvos. Steve made the mistake of following too closely. J'Qhir kept turning in ever tightening circles until he suddenly switchbacked and the Brimstone followed along, getting caught in its own crossfire. I still don't know how J'Qhir did it. Anyway, Steve was blown to stardust along with the ship."

"Steve is insane, but he's not stupid," Leith said uneasily. She'd said the same thing earlier when Drew told them about the auxiliary log encoded in the Catherine McClure. It was one thing for him to ignore something he had no control over and hope for the best, but quite another to blindly get caught in a maneuver, however complex. Steve was a better pilot than that.

"Maybe one of his dorgs was actually at the helm," Drew suggested.