it through the vent space with his hand, as Tiet tried to evade the whipping tongue of the teragore.
'Tiet!! Take it!!' cried Orin.
Tiet saw the weapon in Orin's hand and leapt upward after it. The kemstick leapt away to meet him in the air. He caught the weapon just as the tongue of the teragore found purchase around his legs. It brought him full body into the ground. The impact knocked the breath out of him and the kemstick out of his hand.
The great tongue began to retract quickly, dragging him toward the beast's mouth. He realized the kemstick was not in his hand and reached out with his mind to retrieve it, as he was pulled across the ground. The kemstick obeyed and rolled after him; leaping into the air to find his hand as Tiet was lifted upside down toward the gaping mouth of the creature. He caught the weapon as the creature pulled him inside and the jaw closed after him. The teragore raised its great head and swallowed the young warrior whole.
Grod was grinning from ear to ear as the lump of flesh began to slide visibly down the creature's throat. Orin's heart was about to leap from his chest as he watched the heir of his king devoured by the animal. Suddenly the visible lump stopped its descent within the teragore's throat. A rod of bright orange light erupted from the creature's neck and quickly whirled around in a great circle from within. The teragore's massive head pitched forward as the neck separated from the rest of the animal's body. He leapt out of the orifice within, landing near the severed head covered in the creature's secretions.
'Unbelievable!' shouted Grod.
He was out of his chair on his feet in amazement. 'I have never seen such a display of power and skill!'
Suddenly Tiet sprang into the air and caught a hold of the vent where Orin was located.
'Get back!'
Orin was still in amazement himself at the wonderful escape his protege had just executed. He slid backward fast to allow Tiet to gain entrance. Tiet stabbed the ignited kemstick into the armor plated grating and cut through it with ease. The hot piece fell out and landed on the floor of the dome below as Tiet crawled inside.
Orin backed his way out of the smaller vent shaft with Tiet following him on his belly. Soon they came out into the larger main shaft.
'Good to see you again!'
'And you. Quickly, put this on. It will hide you from their scanners.'
Tiet pulled on the Barudii cloak and the pair headed back down the main shaft on their knees the way Orin had come in.
'Where did he go?! And how did that weapon get into the arena?!' growled the General.
'We're searching sir. It appears he has gone into the main ventilation system but his life signature has disappeared from our scans.'
'Find him now!!'
VII
Estall had been doing a good job getting the Vorn battle ships ready for departure. With the enemy under control here, they had been able to gain control of the ships that were still docked on the planet. Ranul had come up with technology to allow them to operate the Vorn control systems. The devices converted the Vorn computer language to Castillian and vice versa, allowing them to pilot the craft through the rift if necessary.
A number of pilots from various Castillian tribes had already signed on for the mission, and now it looked like it would be necessary to go through and intercept the fleet before they attacked as Kisch k'ta had threatened. According to Ranul's readings of the data, the rift would be stabilized within five hours and they needed to be in space waiting for it.
The Vorn fleet still had not contacted the Governor and Ranul could only conclude that the massive attack sphere was the cause of it. According to the files contained in the Vorn database, the Sphere had been constructed by the Barudii. It still blew his mind to think that on the other side of the rift there was a twin planet to his home world Castai.
He was as anxious to see it as he was to know what had become of his friends. Perhaps they might find the Vorn engaged in a battle with the Barudii sphere and be able to aid in the fight to destroy the Vorn armada. The communication link sounded. 'Yes?' said Ranul.
'Ranul, all seven battle cruisers are under way. Are you ready to go?' said Estall.
'Yes. I'll meet you at the pad in ten minutes. How does everything look?'
'Everything seems to be operating smoothly so far. Those translation devices are allowing everything to go smoothly.'
'What about the Vorn?'
'They're tucked away nicely in one of their own prison compounds, guarded heavily by my men. The other Aolene warriors are settled in on the warships and ready to join Orin and the others in the fight across the rift.'
'Very good. I'll join you shortly.'
He did not mention to Estall that the Saberhawk may very well have been destroyed by now. He assumed that Estall could have figured out how dangerous the mission was in the first place, or maybe he just had that much confidence in Orin and Tiet.
The Barudii warriors were powerful, but in a space battle that would make little difference. He hoped Estall's optimism was well-founded. He also wanted to see his friends again-alive.
Ranul glanced over the data screens once more as he grabbed a pack of his own technical gear and headed for the exit to the lab he was working in. He boarded a nearby transport tube and was whisked away toward the main launch platform where he was to meet Estall.
Within three minutes he was across the large compound and exiting the tube to find Estall waiting for him with a shuttle. They greeted each other unceremoniously and climbed into the small ship. Estall, a capable pilot himself, operated the shuttle controls as they ascended to the Vorn battle cruiser hovering one thousand feet above the compound.
The other warships were already en route for the Transdimensional Rift and would be leaving the atmosphere by now. The small six man transport was dwarfed by the ominous size of the Vorn ship which received it into itself like a mother pulling in its young.
The battleship was easily ten times the size of the Saberhawk and much more heavily armed. These same types of ships had destroyed the Castillian space fleet in the early years of the war with the Vorn. Now, they would allow the Castillians to exact retribution for those losses and more.
They made their way to the bridge where a Castillian crew piloted the ship with the aid of Ranul's translation devices. They had all spent so many years under the heel of the Vorn, that it was a tremendous feeling to have taken so much control back from their oppressors. The ships were quite powerful and Ranul was pretty confident that if they had to face the Vorn fleet they would fair well in the battle.
The cruiser soared upwards toward space, breeching the atmosphere. The rest of the ships appeared on the main monitors with the Castillian language equivalents. The new Castillian space fleet pushed onward toward the Transdimensional Rift. Neither Estall nor Ranul had ever been in space. The sight of the rift, as they approached, was ominous. It was so huge in comparison with their ships. Absolutely nothing could be seen beyond the void.
Ranul checked the science station readouts on the stability of the rift. It would still be several hours before it became permeable enough to cross. He continued his work on communication with the Barudii sphere. If the Sphere was in the area of the other Castai, then they would need to quickly establish contact with it to show themselves as Castillian and not more Vorn ships to be attacked. The void lay before them, and everyone wondered what they would find beyond.
WITHIN the ventilation system, Tiet and Orin were making good time, as they passed under a vent coming from above. Tiet, who was bringing up the rear, heard a clattering sound like something coming toward them. He looked upward into the tube and saw a mechanical beast of some sort coming fast at him. There was no room to
