Karam Tsaami didn’t react much differently. He’d been piloting in different systems for almost ten years. Probably the only way in which this was a change from his accustomed routine was that he was going to keep seeing a lot of the same faces: in his line of work, that had been a rarity.
Tina Melah and Phil Friel sat close together and had actually smiled upon hearing the news; anything that kept them together was apparently fine by them. Melissa Sleeman’s exchange of glances with Tygg strongly suggested that, although their mutual attraction might be at an earlier stage of development, it was every bit as strong.
The only person who looked at all ill-at-ease was also the only person whom Caine had been surprised to be named to his team, and apparently at her express request, Pandora Veriden. Her arms crossed, she furtively looked at the others, her frown contrasting oddly with the surprised expression on her face. Riordan had the distinct impression that the source of her surprise was herself, or more specifically, that she had asked for this posting. She certainly could have elected to continue her lucrative contract as Etienne’s personal security expert, and Riordan suspected that if Downing were here, he would have been of the opinion that she should continue on in that role.
But she had chosen otherwise once Yiithrii’ah’aash had assured Gaspard and Caine, repeatedly and effusively, that the legation would not be exposed to further risk. A Slaasriithi shift-carrier designed for war—Unassailable Aerie—had arrived to carry them to Beta Aquilae. And several security ROVs that seemed to be almost as autonomous as robots now followed the remaining legation personnel everywhere, their sensors alert, the crowns of their small pop-turrets just barely visible.
Karam was the first to speak. “Morgan’s not coming with us? He could be pretty handy if we run into any trouble — and if he can keep from shitting his shorts.”
Despite her hard-assed self, Dora giggled. Positively giggled.
Riordan smiled. “No: he can’t be spared. Part of the deal we worked out with Yiithrii’ah’aash is that Morgan gets to look at a variety of shipboard systems while traveling with them, and later on as well. Including their shift-drive.”
“Which seems to have better than a one-light-year range advantage over the Arat Kur drive,” Bannor murmured with a satisfied nod.
“Exactly. With all the technical intelligence we got from the Arat Kur, and now the Slaasriithi, we’ll be a lot closer to achieving parity with the Ktor.”
Dora folded her arms again. “Exactly what is our end of this deal you worked out with the Slaasriithi? And why do I think it has to do with our heading to Delta Pavonis Three?”
Riordan shook his head. “I’d like to be able to answer that, Dora, but I can’t.”
Neither Dora’s face, nor her eyes, moved. “You can’t answer, or you won’t answer?”
Riordan just smiled.
Dora nodded. “Yeah. I thought so. Okay, no surprises. So how do we get there?”
“Yiithrii’ah’aash is taking us. We bring all our gear, the armored shuttle the Ktor left behind, all their gear, the clone for continued debriefing, and they repair Puller on the way. According to your specifications, Karam. Morgan’s going over the finer points of our engineering and our weapon systems with them right now, but I don’t expect any problems; our technology is embarrassingly basic compared to theirs.”
Tina’s face had contracted into a vinegary frown. “Why are we taking the clone equipment with us? Hardly seems to be worth the space.”
“Well, firstly, it’s all evidence. And we’re taking everything of forensic value back with us, including the bodies.” And particularly the two mostly-intact Ktor. We didn’t get a chance to harvest any usable DNA from Shethkador, but now we’ve got sources that can’t invoke diplomatic privilege and immunity. “But secondly, in a pinch, we might have want of their gear. Any gear, for that matter.”
“What, us? Hell, you’re a commodore now. Bannor’s a major. We should be able to whistle up whatever we need, I figure!”
Phil smiled, slipped a hand in Tina’s. “And how are we going to do that? Just dock Puller wherever we please and draw from any installation’s stores? We won’t have business being in any system we pass through. They won’t have any record of Puller on any inbound carrier’s manifest. And if they did have any record of us, they’re not going to be rolling out the welcome mat; they’re going to hit the alarm button, because we’ll be about fifty light-years away from our last reported position. And if they were to ask us how we got there—”
Her eyes opened wide. “God, yes: we won’t have arrived in a human shift carrier.”
Karam leaned back, scowling. “Hell, considering just how far under the radar this mission will have to run, our side won’t have any indication that any shift-carrier arrived in the system at all. Given what I’ve seen of Slaasriithi shift precision, they’re going to be coming in behind gas giants, run slow and silent while they take on fuel, and then begin preacceleration for the next shift.”
Riordan nodded. “That’s the expectation. The Slaasriithi are also loaning us some of their technology and technical specialists to help make our job a little easier, but we won’t get a chance to look inside their machinery. Their technical specialists are also duennas for their high-tech toys.”
“What kind of toys?” Sleeman asked eagerly.
“We’ll have a few of those high-speed drone-fighters we saw in orbit: ‘cannonballs,’ according to the apt Ktoran slang. And a few of the autonomous munitions platforms like the one we used at the river battle, but larger.”
Dora leaned far back in her chair. “All weaponry. Why do I not like the sound of that and what it implies about our mission for Yiithrii’ah’aash?”
Riordan shrugged. “With any luck at all, we’ll have no reason to use it as anything other than insurance or leverage. But if we do, then we let the Slaasriithi ROVs both dish out and take the heat instead of us.”
O’Garran nodded. “I like the sound of that.”
Karam scratched his left ear. “There’s something I don’t like the sound of: the length of the trip.”
Caine nodded. “Yeah, it’s long.”
“How long?” Dora asked quickly.
“Six shifts to get back into human space at 70 Ophiuchi. Another three shifts to our, uh, final destination.”
Veriden rolled her eyes. “Yeah, like I don’t know it’s Delta Pavonis.”
Caine smiled but ignored her. “All told, we’ll be lucky to get there by the second week of February.”
“That’s another four goddamned months!” Tina Melah cried.
“It is,” Caine agreed. “And you’ll be spending them in cold-sleep, just like you did on the way out here.”
Melissa’s eyes were wide with interest. “Can the Slaasriithi cold cells be adjusted to handle us?”
Caine shrugged. “They seem to think so, but we’re not going to find out. Since our best medical tests and scanners haven’t been able to detect their organics in our bloodstreams, we’re not about to take the risk of giving them our whole body to infuse. So we’ll rig the long-duration escape pods on Puller for the job.”
Dora folded her arms again. “They’re quad pods. That leaves two of us without a berth.”
“There’s a medical cold-cell in sick bay; that will provide for a ninth person.”