indistinct shapes of enormous proportions began to register, only a moment before the carriers themselves became visible. The three immense ships went through the second line of defense like mowers reaping a field, leaving nothing but Velmeran's assault force as he led it to the safety of open space. The Methryn circled back to follow, accelerating quickly to move ahead, whfle the Delvon and the Karvand continued on. Their presence in the first field of battle would decide matters there very quickly.
Once they were well away of the area of Vinthra and the possibility of any danger, Velmeran cut acceleration to give the Methryn a chance to overtake them. He waited as she moved ahead and positioned herself before the packs, matching speed for their final approach. The transport separated from the rest, heading for its own bay just ahead of the big holding bays. The four packs moved apart, each orienting on one of the Methryn's four flight decks as the fighters fed back in single file for landing.
The welcome sight of home served as a signal to Velmeran that it was time to shut down, in spite of his best efforts to remain alert. He had not eaten in ten hours now, too long for a Kelvessan under any circumstances, who could starve to death in only three days. He was able to bring his ship in for an acceptable landing with only the greatest effort, then sat back in his seat, wondering how he was going to get himself out of the cockpit. Benthoran was there as soon as the rack was in place, unstrapping him and actually lifting him out of the cockpit to all but carry him down the platform to the deck, leaning him against the platform of the rack.
'Can you hold on here for a moment?' Benthoran asked.
'Yes, of course,' Velmeran insisted.
'Someone wtil be along to help you in a minute. You are needed on the bridge.'
Velmeran nodded, and promptly forgot all about it as he wished for something to eat. Because he was not looking up, he did not see it coming. Four strong arms suddenly closed about him as he was hugged with crushing force, so tightly that he squeaked in protest in spite of his armor. He had no idea who might have hold of him; all he could see was white armor, brown hair and a pointed ear. All Kelvessan had brown hair and pointed ears. The white armor was the clue, and it was not tall enough to be Mayelna. He could think of no one else who would spare him such obvious affection except… Consherra?
'Meran, you did it!' she exclaimed. Definitely Consherra.
'I know I did it. I was there.'
She let go of him quickly, looking as if she had committed the worst of indiscretions. Remembering the container she carried in one hand, she pulled off the top and gave it to him. 'Drink this.'
Velmeran took the container and drank deeply. It contained a concentrated solution of sugars that Kelvessan could put to immediate use as a source of energy, as he had suspected.
'That is just to get you going again,' Consherra explained. 'I have more waiting. Just now you must get to the bridge in record time.'
'What is it?' Velmeran asked as she began to lead him toward the lift.
'Someone wants to talk to you.'
Consherra put them on a waiting lift, refusing to say another word except to explain that nothing was wrong. She distracted him from asking too many questions — which she would not answer anyway — by placing something to eat in every free hand he had. By the time the lift reached the bridge, he was beginning to feel not quite so hungry and a great deal stronger. Best of all, his mind was once again clear and his thoughts sharp.
As they entered the bridge, Velmeran saw that Mayelna was standing at the com station, both she and Valthyrra peering over Korleran's shoulder. All three glanced over when they saw that Consherra had returned with him. Mayelna hurried over to intercept the pair, drawing them up short.
'Listen to me well, Meran,' she explained quickly. 'Councilor Lake is on the com and he wants to talk to you. Understand this. The ships have withdrawn their packs and the Vardon's memory cell is safely on board. We have had no losses, not a dent, scratch nor scoring. Your plan worked perfectly.'
Velmeran nodded in understanding. With the taking of Vannkam behind him, he must now play the part of the Starwolf extraordinaire, the young hero whose name made Sector Commanders swear and company executives turn pale with fright. He accepted that, because it was important to his plans. Mayelna led him to the communications console and Korleran surrendered her seat to him.
'Councilor Lake?' he said as Korleran helped him adjust the com mike.
'Commander Velmeran?' the Councdor asked in return.
'No, just pack leader,' Velmeran corrected him.
'Excuse me. I confer tides where they are deserved,' Lake explained. 'I am so glad to be able to catch you at home. I do want to thank you for being so efficient. I went to take a quick look after you left. It looks a mess, but it is all superficial. I want to thank you for sparing my city.'
'And you knew it,' Velmeran said. 'You ordered the evacuation of the three buildings that you knew we would destroy.'
'So? The only intelligent move I made in this affair. I thought I was so smart, figuring out that you would be paying me a visit. Do you know, I had the dome shield rigged to collapse after a shot or two from your big ships?'
'Indeed? I like my way better.'
'Of course it was better! I should have known that you would not kill a city to get at the thing, but how was I to know that you would come up the drain?' He paused for a moment. 'Did you, by any chance, happen to run across Don?'
'Yes, we met.'
'And you shot him?'
'I had my duty,' the Starwolf explained. 'He ran from me, and I shot him in the back. I do not know if he survived, but he did disappear while we were preoccupied with other matters. Either he crawled out the door, or someone came to collect him.'
'I suppose that I would have to collect all the king's horses and all the king's men and go look for him,' the Councdor mused, then grew serious. 'You know, perhaps, that he set up the test date on our new weapon to trap you? Well, there is something else you should know. I dread having to tell you, but I do not want Don — if he is still alive — to use it as a weapon to hurt you sometime in the future.
'You see, we know that he killed Dveyella. Her body was intercepted and sent to me on a courier. Of course, I recognized her at once, and I knew that she was special to you. Now, before you send your fighters back to get me, I must tell you that I allowed no one to touch the body. I had it delivered into our sun, according to your own ritual, and attended the ceremony myself. I do hope that you can forgive me. Don may have already payed for it with his life.'
'Such payment is of no value to me,' Velmeran replied evenly. 'Dveyella is avenged in a way that would mean something to her.'
'I imagine so,' the Councilor agreed hesitantly. 'Then I do not think that we will ever meet again. Farewell, my young friend. I wish that you were on my side. No, I take that back. I wish that I was on your side.'
'Farewell for now, Councdor,' Velmeran replied. 'You would hear from me from time to time.'
'Ah, yes. That is exactiy what I am afraid of,' Lake muttered as his link began to fail.
Velmeran sighed and leaned back heavily in the chair as Korleran reached over him to return communications back to monitoring their own ships. She glanced down at him tolerantly. 'Captain, I have work to do.'
He opened his eyes to look up at her. 'Can you get me up?'
'I can,' Consherra said, and hooked a hand under each of his arms to haul him unceremoniously out of the seat. As soon as Velmeran was able to stand, he brushed her away impatiently.
'I can walk!' he insisted. 'Why should I be any more tired than the pilots who flew under me?'
'Because you have been under the stress of responsibility for those pilots and their mission,' Valthyrra replied. 'I doubt that you have rested in days, not since the morning when you first tried to fly underwater. And perhaps not for days before that.'
'Which, I suspect, is true,' Mayelna added, turning him in the direction of the lift. 'Your mission is complete, so rest while you can. We will be making a nine-hour jump to a system where we can straighten out our affairs in peace, and we will not need you until then. Consherra, would you take him to his cabin, un-can him and see that he gets the rest he needs?'
'Actually, I believe Consherra is due to go off duty herself,' Valthyrra observed.
'I am?' she asked, pausing to look back. That was not what she believed. Then she understood, and
