“Was that necessary?” Koriannasked, speaking into her helmet microphone.
“Was what necessary?” Toemekaglanced over at Koriann and noticed she was pale and shaky.
“The rolls. I feel a littlesick.”
“Sorry, I forgot about yourpregnancy,” Toemeka said, regretting her maneuvers. She rememberedher own discomfort when she was pregnant—especially during thefirst three months. She put up deflector heat shields and flew towardthe edge of the planet atmosphere.
In open space, Toemeka leanedback in her seat, enjoying the feeling of freedom that space travelalways gave her.
“You’re pretty skilled withthis spacecraft, considering you’ve never flown it before,”Koriann said.
“I’ve put in a lot of timeflying many types of fighter ships. I couldn’t fly something as bigas the Blue Lady, but this ship isn’t much different than thefighter ships I’ve piloted.”
“This ship is more powerful.”
“True, it’s a winner. Youshould build a whole fleet of them.” Toemeka spoke to the ship’scomputer. “Larvice, bring her up to full power.” The ship surgedforward, responding to the verbal command. Toemeka checked readoutsand adjusted the stabilizers. “Good so far. She seems stableenough.” Toemeka flipped on the computer tracking screen and soonlocated the fleet. “There they are! We’d better make radiocontact. Are you ready to do some fancy talking to convince a wholespace fleet to call off the attack and return home? It won’t beeasy. They may even try to force us to go back.”
“You do the talking. I’m sureyou’ll convince them, like you did me.”
Toemeka switched on the radiomicrophone. “Star Rider to Cruiser. Come in.”
There was a slight delay, thenErling’s voice came across the intercom, sharp and forceful. “Thisis Cruiser. What the hell are you doing?”
Toemeka laughed and looked atKoriann. “Oh my, he’s mad. I’ve never heard him talk like thatover the radio before.” She turned on the microphone again.“Requesting permission to board for refueling. Over.” She smiledat Koriann. “He can’t refuse that.”
“Permission granted.” Toemekaturned off the radio.
“Toemeka, do you regretquitting the Coalition? Do you miss the excitement and adventure?”
Toemeka looked at her, readingmore into her question. “You’re thinking of Erling, aren’tyou?”
She nodded. “He gets sorestless. Sometimes late at night, when I know he’s exhausted fromthe pressures of the day, he won’t come to bed. Instead he’lltake out a ship — a fast, experimental craft like this one — andgo for a test run.”
“It’s just his way ofrelieving pressure. He loves to fly. I imagine at times it’s hardfor him being a ruler and married with a child on the way. It’s alot of responsibility. But he loves you and I’m sure he doesn’tregret quitting the Coalition.”
Toemeka flew into the landing bayof the headquarters ship and parked the fighter. As they deboarded,she tossed her helmet onto the pilot seat and nervously tucked in afew strands of hair that escaped from her braided bun. Her hands feltice-cold and a knot formed in her stomach. She hadtoconvince Michio and Erling to abort the mission; the risk was justtoo great.
“You’re ordered to go to thecontrol deck, Queen Fenian Marsindi,” an officer said, coming up tothem.
“Since when am I orderedaround?” Koriann demanded.
“This is a military operation.You don’t have authority here.”
“We’ll see about that,” shesaid, pushing past him. They walked to the spacelift that took themthrough the large ship to the control room.
When they arrived, Toemeka lookedaround apprehensively at the control deck. Military personnel werestationed at computers about the room and several pilots were seatedin command seats, facing the large view port. She spotted Erlingsitting in the main pilot seat with Michio standing beside him.Toemeka braced herself for a confrontation.
Michio turned. Upon seeing them,his eyes narrowed. He spoke to Erling, who gave the controls toCaptain Flint, then the two men walked over to their wives.
“What are you doing here,Toemeka?” Michio asked. Beside him, Erling glowered at her. Bothmen stood more than a head higher than Toemeka. Their size andposture made her feel like a child, trying to interfere with adecision made by adults.
Refusing to be intimidated, shesaid, “You know perfectly well why I’m here. You have to call offthis mission.”
Michio turned to Koriann. “Ithought you were going to keep Toemeka at the palace.”
Koriann’s chin rose up a notchand she looked him directly in the eye. “She convinced me thismission is a mistake.”
“Really,” Erling said in asarcastic tone. “And how did she do that?”
“She—” Koriann faltered andlooked to Toemeka for support.
“Don’t be condescending,Erling!” Toemeka snapped. “I know as much about warfare as youdo. While I was at Devil’s Eye, I found out all I could about theirmilitary. It would be suicide to attack them.”
Toemeka felt the barrier Michioput up against listening to her and wasn’t surprised when heinterrupted. “Why couldn’t you just stay at the palace? We’vealready planned this out thoroughly and made all the necessarypreparations. I’m sending you back.”
“I think we should at leasthear her out, Michio,” Erling said. “Toemeka is a trainedprofessional and knows what she’s talking about. She worked manymilitary operations. We’re not giving her advice enough credit.”
Grateful for Erling’s support,Toemeka waited for Michio’s response. The men’s eyes locked andshe felt tension building between them. She knew Michio didn’t wantto retreat.
Finally, Michio crossed his armsacross his chest. “All right, I’m not going to fight the three ofyou. Let’s hear it.”
Toemeka explained all she knewabout the military force on Devil’s Eye and why she though it wastoo dangerous to attack Commander Rochambeau’s compound. The menlistened gravely as Toemeka ended by saying, “You don’t even knowif Commander Rochambeau is still there. He’s not an outlaw. He’sone of Samrat Condor’s top military personnel. He abducted me toget you both to come to Henotaux, so he could kill you and take overcontrol of Jaipar and Haklute. You’re playing right into his hands,though there’s a good chance Samrat Condor has sent him somewhereelse by now.”
“It does sound like we’retaking a risk that could cost the lives of many military personal andnot even succeed in killing our target,” Erling said. “We didn’teven send in a spy to see if Cadmus is still there.”
The knot loosened in Toemeka’sstomach as she waited for
