“But you left no initial tracks that could have endured the rains of the two prior days. And in the river, we leave no tracks at all.”
Thnessfiirm retracted his neck. “Our own sensors would be able to discern the humans’ thermal signatures and outlines as being different from ours. As Keith Macmillan asserted, we must expect no less of the attackers’ sensors. Rather, we must expect them to be markedly superior. Consequently, the humans would leave distinctive signatures unless huddled with us. Nor would such a tactic impede the actions of these attackers.”
W’th’vaathi was silent for several seconds. “You are correct. The attackers showed no interest in distinguishing between Slaasriithi and human targets in space, so we must also presume that they would be equally indifferent to such distinctions planetside. Thnessfiirm, dispatch a sloohav to ask the Third Silver Tower to convey helpful technology to us here.”
“What helpful technology it might have is another concern,” Thnessfiirm answered. “And I hope the sloohav reaches it in time.”
“We may only do what we may do,” W’th’vaathi replied with a grass-in-the-wind wave of her finger-tendrils. “Now, we must gather the persons who will be going downstream on the boat. Ambassador Gaspard must be evacuated, and Ms. Hirano’s injuries require that she departs also. Caine Riordan, your condition makes it clear that you should be the final human passenger aboard the—”
“No. I’m staying here.”
The three Slaasriithi exchanged another set of unseen glances before W’th’vaathi reaimed her sensor cluster at Riordan. “You are the second most senior person in the legation, were requested specifically by Yiithrii’ah’aash, and are barely able to move. You must travel with the boat, Captain.”
“And the last word of your argument — my title — tells you why I won’t and why I can’t go with you.”
“You mean the word ‘Captain?’”
“That is exactly what I mean. My primary responsibility on this mission is as the head of security. That means protecting these people, however I can, whenever and wherever that is needed. That’s what I’m going to do.”
Unsymaajh reached out an appealing appendage. “Caine Riordan, you cannot do so effectively. Your breathing is labored, your vitality low.”
Riordan nodded. “I am aware of that.” You have no idea how aware I am of that. “But there are ways to compensate. For a little while.” He lifted his head, raised his voice. “Mr. Xue?”
Maybe it was something in his tone that announced the change in relationships, but Xue responded, “Yes, Captain Riordan?”
“You gathered together half of the meds we each had in our medkits, correct?”
“That is correct, sir.”
“Then I want half of the amphetamines.” The antihistamines had been exhausted, without effect, almost a week ago.
“Sir?”
“I need to keep going for another few hours, so I’m going to need those pills. Give me the fast-acting formulation with the adrenal stimulant.”
Xue, staring, nodded and hastened to comply.
“You plan on modifying your metabolism to function at a higher level?” W’th’vaathi asked.
I’m taking the pills to keep functioning at all, Riordan thought. But he said: “Yes, as needed. Now, instead of me on the boat, you’re going to take Dr. Hwang.”
Ben was close enough to hear and to shout a negation.
Which Riordan did not let him complete. “Dr. Hwang, this is an order, not a suggestion. In my role as head of legation security, I am instructing you to accompany W’th’vaathi downriver in the boat. You will not turn back, you will not delay the journey. You will do only one thing: make best time for the Third Silver Tower.”
Hwang’s face seemed to be crumbling. “Riordan — Caine — don’t do—”
“Ben, my order is not based on sentiment, but cold-blooded logic. Gaspard is going to need your xenobiological insights during his conversations and negotiations with the Slaasriithi. We suspected as much from the start. Now it’s a clear imperative. And you are still nursing visceral trauma from the crash. The decision is made: you’re going.”
Gaspard passed by, glancing at both men. “No cause for regret, Dr. Hwang. We will not last much longer than Captain Riordan. We shall be in a boat upon a river — the only manufactured object in hundreds of kilometers and leaving a wide wake.” Gaspard snorted his grim resolve. “As soon as the attackers are done here, they will see and come for us.” He shrugged. “That is why I have granted Ms. Veriden’s request to remain behind. Not only is the boat already full, but she is a fighter by nature. She no doubt prefers to meet her end on this battlefield.”
Riordan shook his head. “Not if I can help it.”
“Captain, your courage does you credit, but the stand you mean to make here—”
“Is the lesser half of my overall plan, Ambassador.” Again, Riordan called over his shoulder. “Qwara?”
“Yes, Captain?”
“When we were lightening our load a week ago, how many of the pony-tanks did we keep?”
“Uh, three — no: four, sir.”
Caine smiled. “Good. We’re set, then.”
Gaspard shook his head. “And those tanks will magically ensure that our plans are ‘set’?”
Caine smiled wider. “They most certainly will. Now, here’s what we do—”
Chapter Forty-Three. APPROACHING AND MAKING PLANET-FALL BD +02 4076 TWO (“DISPARITY”)
The Slaasriithi cannonball did exactly what Nezdeh and Idrem had predicted. As it swung around the planetary horizon, it boosted into a shallow slingshot assist that helped it hurtle straight toward Red Lurker and the armored shuttle behind it.
“The Slaasriithi are predictable, if nothing else,” Idrem observed. He and Tegrese had exchanged positions; she was now the ranking Evolved in engineering, whereas Idrem was manning the gunnery station on the bridge.
Nezdeh nodded, watching her first volley of missiles burn hot and hard toward the oncoming cannonball in the holosphere. “Have they spotted the missile we launched from behind the asteroid fragment?”
“Unknown,” Sehtrek answered. “The Slaasriithi craft has not activated its own arrays, and we have no way of ascertaining how many passive or dormant dual-function assets they have in orbit.”
Which meant that the two minutes of low thrust that had sent their hidden missile into an intercept footprint might have been missed (unlikely) or was deemed to be of secondary importance. There were certainly more immediate threats to occupy the Slaasriithi’s attention. Lurker’s relentless salvos of railgun-propelled flechette canisters kept the oncoming enemy craft bracketed in an ever-more constricted approach trajectory. Nezdeh’s current flight of missiles were rushing along that trajectory toward a head-on intercept. “Idrem, illuminate one seeker head among our missiles.”
“In order to acquire a remote lock on the cannonball for our lasers and railgun?”
Nezdeh smiled: what a relief to have Idrem at gunnery. “Exactly. Fire a full flight of penetrators on that lock.”
“So I presumed: to sneak in behind the missiles’ sensor signatures. The lasers?”
“Hold them: I do not want them to point back to our precise position.” Beams, more than any other weapons, had the unfortunate consequence of providing their targets with a reciprocal lock on their attackers.
“Understood. Railgun firing.”
“Has the cannonball fired upon the lead, seeking missile?”
“Not yet. The enemy will probably deny us a reciprocal lock upon its own lasers until the last possible second, in order to close the range.”