Michael Hudson - Thieves of Light

"Some of them are the primary defense platforms, some are decoys. But there's two or three hundred other ships up there at any given time," Parcival said. "All the armed ships, like our Zephyr, are part of the secondary station defense. You didn't think the Arrians were leaving us alone here out of courtesy, did you?"

"No-"

"You should see what it looks like when the First Guardian calls a scramble drill and a hundred or so ships all fire up out of orbit in the span of a few minutes." Parcival turned to the transport engineer. "Two for the Zephyr. She's in slot 914."

"Happy hunting," said the engineer, saluting as they moved past him into the chamber. "May the Light shine."

When the blue cocoon faded, they were aboard the Zephyr, standing amidships at an intersection of two passageways. Parcival stepped forward and slapped the intercom bar on the nearest wall.

"Tech Spec Parcival Pike, reporting in," he said, then moved aside to make room for Bhodi.

Bhodi hesitated for a moment, then reached out and pressed the bar. "Combat aide Bhodi Li, reporting in."

The answering voice was Li-hon's. "About time, you two," he said impatiently. "Come forward to the bridge."

When they reached the triangular bridge, similar to but larger than that on Fraanic, Bhodi learned that the full platoon had not been assigned to the sortie. Tivia and Lord Baethan had been called that morning to back up a force fighting on a planet called Marchia, leaving only Parcival, Pike and Li-hon available.

I wonder if that's why they brought me along, Bhodi thought. Pinch-hitter for the Ego Twins. Except they can't expect me to fill both their shoes. Why did they bring me? What's a combat aide do, anyway?

Even without a full platoon, Zephyr was carrying a full load. Unlike on Fraanic, there was a crew of three, wearing smoke-colored uniforms and manning the bridge stations. Though Li-hon was clearly the final authority on board ship, it was the Riknoid Li-hon called Captain Yier who took Zephyr out of orbit and set her on course for the Cavalon system.

"We can't be everywhere at once," Parcival explained later. "We need someone to fight the ship while we're doing our job on the planet. Captain Yier's a good one- he's been the Ninth's carrier pilot for almost fifteen cycles."

Also aboard was a squad of what Li-hon called the Regulars and Bhodi came to think of as the junior varsity. They wore identical pale-blue light-armor fighting suits with the spectral disk emblem of the Alliance on the sleeve, carried Brackes and Allisons, but wore no Guardian's rings. Bhodi had not known such a force even existed.

"Is that an option for me, if I don't make it into the Guardians?" he asked Parcival.

"No", was the answer. "They're selected and trained by their own planetary governments, not by the First Guardian. Occasionally a Regular is allowed to challenge for the Ring, but we don't send them our rejects."

According to Parcival, the Regulars performed the sort of support roles that would otherwise have divided the platoon's strength or consumed its time unproductively- security, sentinel duty, mop-up operations.

"Most of the time it's the Regulars who escort crystal teams," Parcival said. "In equal numbers, they're no match for the Arrians. And you sure wouldn't ask them to go after the Warn on their own turf. But they do a good job of backing us up. You might say we're the offense and the Regulars are the defense."

Clearly, like Zephyr's crew, the Regulars were considered part of the team, an extension of the platoon. If there had been any doubt of that in Bhodi's mind, it was dispelled when both Captain Yier and Corporal Mlas, commander of the Regulars, were included in the sortie briefing Li-hon conducted when Zephyr was barely an hour out of Rejia.

The briefing was held in a compartment on the lower deck, with the six participants seated around a battle board. "This sortie is a rescue-and-retrieve for the courier Majestic," Li-hon told them. "She was carrying a crystal team and a phalanx of Regulars on a six-stop seeding mission in the Kalath sector. Majestic made her in-system report at Cavalon and hasn't been heard from since. Ditto her escort, the sloop I'olhlm."

"How many crystals was she carrying?" Parcival asked.

"Three. Cavalon was the fourth stop, which means that she was carrying three prime crystals when she hit the system."

"No alternate?" Parcival pursued.

"No. The prime failed on their second stop and they needed to use it."

"Cavalon is awfully deep into our zone for this to be the Arrians," Yier commented.

"I'd like to think so, but it's hard to imagine any other reason. Two ships going silent means four transmitters have to fail all at once, or some accident has to take both ships out simultaneously. Pretty long odds on that."

"One in sixty-three million on the transmitters alone," Parcival said.

"Li-hon's right," Pike said. "It's pretty gutty of them to come in that far, but it has to be the Arrians. The killer is that we're not going to find them hanging around when we get there."

"It has all the signs of a snatch-and-run," Li-hon agreed. "There's been no evidence of any warren-building in the Kalath sector since we pushed them out eight cycles back. I hate to say it, but we're probably looking at two toasters and a lot of bodies to pick up-"

"They like to wait until the team is on the ground, then fry the escort," Parcival whispered, leaning close. "Then they crack the courier open in orbit, take the crystals, and skip-"

The whisper was either too long or too loud to pass notice. "Problem, Parcival?" Li-hon interrupted.

Parcival straightened up on his stool. "Just putting Bhodi in the picture."

"He can speak, can't he? If he's got a question, he'll ask it."

"Yes, sir," Parcival said sheepishly.

"As I was saying, about the most we can hope for is that some of the ground team is still alive. But if by chance the crystals are still around, we're going to go after them."

Pike shook his head in disgust. "Won't happen, curse the dark. We're gonna be late to the dance."

"There's always a chance l'olhlm got in a few licks before she went down," Li-hon said. "In any case, we're going on standard battle prep as of the end of this briefing- combat diet and power sleep. Captain Yier will get us to Cavalon late tomorrow."

"Twenty-half ship time," Yier amended.

Li-hon nodded. "Any questions?"

Bhodi raised his hand. "I've got one. What's my role?"

Captain Yier snickered, and Pike studiously avoided looking in Bhodi's direction. "Your role is to do what you're asked, when you're asked, to the best of your ability," Li-hon answered.

"Can't you give me some idea what that's likely to include?"

"No."

"I'm not asking for promises. You had my Allison and armor picked up and brought along. I figure that means something."

"Less than you think," said Li-hon.

"I just want to know what to expect."

"Expect the worst," Mlas said in a clipped tone. "That way you're never surprised. And picking up bodies is about as bad as it comes. I'd rather wrestle a Warri." He pushed back from the battle board and stood. "Permission to withdraw, sergeant? I'll pass the word to my people."

"Granted. Any more questions?" Li-hon asked, his gaze sweeping around the circle. "If not, get. I don't want to see any of you until Captain Yier sounds the entry alarm tomorrow afternoon."

Twenty minutes after the alarm sounded, the members of the Ninth came together on Zephyr's bridge to look on as the ship entered the six-planet Cavalon system.

The two outermost worlds were cold, pale-colored hydrogen-helium balls. Zephyr's trajectory took it within two light-minutes of the outermost, designated Wegn- six-in the standard numbering system. Tracked by the ship's long-range viewers, Wegn slipped by to starboard like some gaseous ghost in the eternal night.