`Nice to meet you, Evshenk.

`There'll be drinks in my quarters this evening at 1930, Primes, gentlemen,' the captain was announcing.

`Wayla'll take you to your quarters.' `We could . - .` Blairik offered.

`Anyone but you, Tru,' Mialla said in a gentle tease.

`Be advised,' the captain said ruefully. `My electronics officer's designing a special locator for Dr Blairik.' `You won't need that,' Zara said, `with us aboard. I could find Dr Blairik anywhere.' He gave Zara such a blank stare that it bordered on the hostile.

`Absolutely discreet, I assure you.

But Zara's assurances were no more welcome than her original suggestion.

Leave it, Zara, Flavia said. `In any case, locators should be available for use on any planetary excursions.

`Indeed they will, considering the number of experts and guards needed to do any significant exploration,' Captain Soligen said briskly, `the distances to be covered and the fact that your Talents,' and she smiled to show she was making a play on the word, `cannot be spread too thin.' There was a brief silence, while Zara coped with the embarrassment of her gaffe, which Asia broke.

`I'm a qualified engineer,' she said in such a timorous voice that Dr Blairik regarded her with surprise, `and, if it wouldn't upset anything, I might be able to help with the fabrication.' `Your help would be very welcome, Prime .

`I'm not Prime, only a 4,' Asia corrected Wayla Gegarian in her apologetic way.

`Four, three, five or six, the chief will welcome a qualified engineer,' Gegarian replied heartily.

`So I'll leave you in Mr Gegarian's capable hands then,' the captain said and departed in a brisk fashion.

`Sakers, Perley,' Wayla said, gesturing towards the luggage which was quickly gathered up even as Wayla led the party from the hangar bay.

`We'll see you again at dinner,' Blairik said.

`We're all rather pleased,' Wayla said as they made their way to a lift, `with the way the Columbia's been refitted. Done up in jig time, I'll tell you. Mmost didn't recognize the old tub,' she went on with the affectionate insults of a fond and long-term association.

`We heard there was trouble . . ` Flavia began tentatively.

It wouldn't have taken much Talent to `hear' the fiary and indignation that came out as a blast from the science officer. The emotions were quickly controlled before Wayla Gegarian answered calmly enough.

`Whole thing was stupid and badly handled - by the shore police, too. Good thing we have marines. We'd only minor injuries and the families who had come to see us off got the worst of it. Despicable, useless sort of violence. Didn't change our leaving, though I devoutly hope they'll be gladder to see us return! Here we are.

Just down this corridor.' The odours of fresh paint and the dyes of new carpeting were unmistakable.

`Is blue the captain's favorite colour?' Zara asked, her ebullience returned.

`Actually, green, Wayla said with a grin, `but blue's traditional for officer territory. Here we are,' and she had all of them register their handprints on the door pad.

`We haven't taken someone else's place, have we?' asked Asia uneasily.

`Not at all,' Wayla said so promptly that Asia's uncertainty was set to rest. `Like I said, the ship was refitted, with this expedition in mind, so shielded quarters were arranged. Maybe not as roomy as those on the Washington but not shabby, and definitely suitable for Talents.' Remembering her brief tour on the Genessee, Flavia was quite certain of that: a generous lounge with workstations that could be recessed into the walls or the tables, and six private sleeping rooms.

One end of the room was panelled off into screens: a central large one with three smaller on either side. A semi-circle of six reclinable chairs faced this.

`I think everything in here is self-explanatory but you do have a meal dispenser behind this panel,' Wayla said, indicating the opaque dark brown panel. `Just settle in and use the door call panel if you need any assistance.' She glanced at Rhodri who grinned back.

`What they don't know, I'll teach `em,' he said and her smile lingered on him as she took one final backward look as the door panel closed behind her.

`Made a conquest already, have you, Rhodri?' Rhodri shrugged and winked atJes and Mallen. `Hell, we've just got aboard, coz. And there're two other human ships we haven't even cased. If no-one minds, I'll take this one,' he said and, grabbing his duffle from those the yeomen had stacked inside, mumbled a cheerful tune as he settled in.

Flavia realized quickly enough that her sojourn on the Genessee had been no prelude to this voyage. Not only did the Talents have message and courier services to perform, they had to sit in on long briefings and lectures with the expedition teams, satisfied' the marine commander, Kwan Keiser-Tau, that they were physically fit and were knowledgeable about handweapons. He'd been a trifle put out when all six Talents showed arms proficiency in the Master class.

`You guys using Talent?' he said, jutting out his head and jaw in a suspicious pose.

Zara laughed. `I come from Aurigae, Major, I've been hunting small game all my life. Easier to use reflexes than Talent to hit those stationary targets.' He turned from Zara to Flavia, his mistrust still plain.

`I hail from Altair, also a pioneer planet, Major.' `None of us are city bred, Major,' Mallen said, shifting his position so he was nearer Asia. He had already adroitly intercepted criticism of the shy girl on several occasions.

`And I come from Deneb,' Asia said, enough aware of the discreet support to take advantage of it from time to time.

`Let me reassure you, Major, you need not concern yourselves with our safety,' Mallen continued with a slightly conciliatory smile. `The dedicated scientists aboard, however, are seldom aware of externals and can be quite focused on their enthusiams. Feel free to call on our support to maintain their safety whenever necessary `My orders are to guard the lot of you,1 and Major Keiser-Tau did not much relish these orders.

`Well, then, now that you've checked us out,' Zara said, `work the others and let us get on Watch your manners, Zara, Flavia said.

with our duties,' she finished with no perceptible pause. `I must meet with my `Dinis who are tutoring Captain Soligen,' she added and, making a careful show of snapping the safety on the weapon she was holding, stowed it in the correct rack. Frankly, I think she's language deaf When Squadron B was close enough to the beacon left by Squadron C, Flavia suggested to the captain that they could speed the voyage up by several weeks if they tried a merge.

`I'd remain on the Columbia, put Rhodri on the KMTM, Mallen on the Valparniso, Asia on the Valiant and Zara and her `Dinis on the KVS, and with a merge of all available Talents of lesser ratings, we can reach the Talavera beacon, cutting off two weeks.' `That won't cause you undue strain?' Soligen asked, though she clearly liked the notion.

`Not with the generator gestalt available to us, Flavia said, her expression confident and reassuring.

Vestapia Soligen fingered her lower lip for a long thoughtful moment. `Why put Zara on the KVS?

Wouldn't she be needed on one of the larger vessels?' `I think it is wiser to place Zara and her `Dinis on a ship that is so ready and eager - to meet opposition,' Flavia said. `Zara could stop Kimi's ship cold. Asia's told her how.

Soligen chuckled. `So KimI's . . . attitude hadn't escaped you?' `Captain KimI's attitude was noted by Lieutenant Eagles on his first meeting. He's reasonably sure that the Imoment the system is in range, the KVS will detour.

He thinks it's had private orders to that effect. There hasn't been a real Mrdini strike against a live Hiver in far too long to promote any colour to prominence.' `Run that last statement past me again, Flavia?' `You will have noted that `Dini hides are many different shades. The colour denotes a clan relationship.

All `Dinis in a colour, therefore, gain prestige if one of their colour achieves merit.' `In this instance, blowing up a Hiver sphere even if they go with it?' `That's about it.' `I guess we should be glad that the ethnic groups in human history that considered suicide for whatever cause they espoused an honourable end have now been thoroughly integrated,' the captain said in a tart voice, `or isolated on worlds where that kind of prejudice is limited to that population.' Flavia nodded agreement. `The `Dinis do find our insistence on caution and safety as odd as we find their willingness to self-destruct.' `I wonder how much of a chance the KVS'd have to take out that sphere?' `Captain?' Flavia was astonished at such speculation.

The captain chuckled. `The Fleet's been a passive force a long time, Flavia. I suppose you've also noticed the average mean age of my crew, rating and officer, is younger than on most ships of this class?' `I had.' As much because Asia was suddenly developing poise and the self-confidence that comes from being popular with her peers.

`No matter how we conduct this Hiver campaign, Prime, we're going to have to learn new techniques and some will prove fatal. Maybe not as suicidal as what the KVS might have in mind, but certainly more daring than the usual tactics.

`Maybe the Columbia's in the wrong squadron if that's your thinking, ma'am.' The captain's eyes were ice-green as she gave the Talent a long look.

`Where do you - personally - stand on that ground?' `I come from a planet that is barely settled. I'm used to hunting to feed my family.

There are times when aggression is required, but certainly not courted.

However, I would feel privileged to serve with you on one that might test my theories, too.

`Theories?' The captain leaned forward with obvious interest.

Flavia smiled and dismissed the question. `Right now, let us pass the immediate danger point, keeping the KVS with the squadron. I am obliged to inform you that this sort of manoeuvre is not specifically mentioned in the parameters of my assignment to Squadron B.' `I didn't think it was. I'd call it "bending" to exigencies, myself and it will be noted in my log as a means to the end of saving a planet. I'll hope we can do without too much such "bending" but `I would consider any reasonable request, Captain.' `I appreciate that, Prime. So let this `portation be duly authorized and executed. I'd rather explain this than how a valuable Alliance ship defected. How soon before you can effect this - - by-pass?' `Within the hour.' Vestapia Soligen regarded Flavia with open admiration and a genuine relief dominated her- public mind.

So, the captain had entertained the same notions Rhodri had voiced.

`The sooner the better!

Transferring the Talents to their designated ships, revving generators to their highest effective performance level and alerting every Talent on the human ships was all done within the specified hour.

First, Flavia sent her mind ahead to locate the identifiable pulsations and small mass of the beacon.

Then she called for each of her Talents to gather the lesser ones into the individual merges before she integrated first Rhodri, then Jesper, Mallen, Asia and finally the fine strong blaze of Talent that was Zara.

Let's get there! Flavia said, seizing the exact peak of the generated power for the gestalt.

We've got here! was Zara's exultant response a second later.

When Zara was `ported back on the Columbia, she made straight for Vestapia's ready room and requested an interview `Ma'am, Captain Kinal definitely would've defected.

It's a bit upset at being where it never expected to arrive in the first place, and in the second place isn't too to have been denied "honourable action". KimI s words. My `Dinis say that it's raging that it has been assigned to such a - well, there isn't really a Basic equivalent but ` Zara shrugged her inadequacy.

`Bunch of spineless slugs?' Vestapia suggested.

`That's close,' she replied though there was little levity in her tone. `So I took the liberty of reminding Kimi that this planet had the priority. I get the distinct impression its orders differ from yours.

`In that, Prime, you demonstrate an astute understanding of a classified situation. Do I make myself clear?' `You do, Captain.' `See that it remains classified. And, by the way, Flavia has seen the matter clearly but I would rather the others do not.' `They already may but they won't talk about it.

`We should make an appropriate orbit in three days max. I shall require Captain Kimi to make the initial landing, hopefully deflising a lot of pent-up resentment. I don't think there's a chance there're any Hivers left alive down there but you never know. And since Kimi is so eager to meet the enemy, let us give him first go.

Zara hesitated, then grinned. `You did know that your marines would prefer to claim that distinction?' `They can gain ancestral merit by guarding the scientists everywhere they need to go.

`Yes, ma'am. Did you wish me to convey your orders to Captain KimI?' `Please, since I can barely manage "good morning and do you require supplies" but even that much is progress for me.

`Dis and Pal remark most favourably on your progress.

`Well, they're the only ones. You know. I'd've sworn Mrdinis were pessimists.' `Only those raised on Clarf Can I leave now?' `Yes, but if your `Dinis can, keep in touch with our wily Captain Kinil.' `You just bet they will.' By dint of careful compliments and skilful innuendo not easy in the straightforward `Dini language - Rhodri managed to infer that KimI would be the first Mrdini captain ever to set foot on a Hive colony planet. That fact alone helped soothe Kinil's wounded pride and damaged honour.

`Smart thinking, Rhodri,' Flavia as well as Vestapia Soligen told him when he reported on that successful interview. `I hope Major Keiser-Tau will not feel his prerogative has been usurped.' The captain smiled. `Keiser-Tau will keep his thoughts to himself - fortunately.

He is not looking forward to keeping tabs on scientists.' `Oh, I'm supposed to be down testing those locator buttons with Asia and Lieutenant Ismail,' Flavia said. `If you'll excuse me - -` and she departed without waiting for penflisslon.

`Talking `Dini makes my throat very dry, the captain said, rising from her desk and going to the dispenser.

`Mine, too,' Rhodri said, in the circumstances not above confirming the reason behind her hospitality.

Zara reported hearing the major swear by several god figures she didn't know existed in Alliance space but he desisted the moment he was aware of her presence in the repairs shop.

`He's been briefing his men with every single tape available in the Columbia's library on what they might expect, landing on a Hiver planet,' she went on.

Rhodri grinned. `That was predictable,' was all he said.

`Captain said he doesn't like escorting scientists about. They tend to get themselves lost or in dangerous situations which "sensible" people would avoid.' `We'll have locator buttons,' Asia said with quiet pride.

`Sadler . . . I mean, Lieutenant Ismail . . . has set up a very efficient assembly line of off-duty personnel.' `Like you?' Rhodri grinned affectionately. `No wonder we never see much of you, sis,' he added kindly, rufiling her hair.

`I do wish you'd stop that, Roddie,' she said with far more exasperation than she had ever displayed.

`Sure, sure!' Rhodri snatched his hand away as if it burned.

`Don't get your knickers in a twist!' `Mine aren't!' she retorted with such a sly look that Rhodri unaccountably flushed, causing Zara to demand whom he fancied.

`None of your damned business,1 he said and, going into his room, slammed the automatic door forcefully across the opening.

No speculations at this time, Flavia told Zara firmly.

`When will we get these locator buttons, Asia?' `They're being distributed now to everyone who's to be landed,' Asia said, having retreated to her customary unassuming behaviour.

`Well, it'll be a relief to get on with what we were sent here for.' Flavia said and no-one in the lounge disagreed.

The actual landing was something of an anti-climax, although the state of the planet caused immediate uproar in the scientific corps.

Sensor readings had indicated that the ozone layer was undamaged, which had been a major concern to the ecologists and added to the puzzle of its barrenness. Rivers and lakes, as well as several large seas, seemed to be in good order, life-forms visible if unidentifiable.

There was still top soil but, unless plants could be coaxed to grow, it would sift away in the winds. On the higher ground, erosion was already obvious.

Avidly watched on remote relays, the `Dinis landed in smart array and `secured' the main Hive installation.

Its huge expanse, covering over three acres, was found to be empty of everything save wind-blown debris. KimI had its crew mapping the site and measuring both interior and exterior, plotting the different levels and sections and sending the results up to the waiting teams.

When the tunnels were discovered, KimI itself led the exploratory team. Flavia was asked to `port down more supplies and was very glad that she would not be included in this Operation Illuminati6n. All but one tunnel dead-ended and the completed one was connected with the smaller building ten kilometres from the original, and probably headquarters, building.

Between the two there were signs of attempts to cultivate the land: even plastic-lined reservoirs for water and several hundred metres of irrigation channel.

When Captain Kimi was satisfied that no living enemy was apparent, it allowed `others', meaning the humans, to come down. Despite Flavia's offers of teleportation, multi-purpose shuttles were used as these would provide ground transport, not best accomplished by `portation which tended to go from Point A to any designated Point B.

The Talents were asked to `port down sensitive instrumentation once the base camp was established.

Where the Talents were undeniably indispensable was to see if the panels in the queens' quarters which Kimi had located were still operational. Flavia, Rhodri and Zara slid down the connecting links in the main building while Asia, assiduously accompanied by Lieutenant Ismail and a detachment of marines, went off to the second building.

Mallen and Jesper Ornigo went with whichever group thought they might require Talented help.

enough for the power source to be found, and the `They really don't alter their structures much,' Flavia said when the three Talents picked themselves up off the dusty floor of chambers that so closely resembled the queens' quarters on Refugee. Dust had filtered in a thin film over the "foot' panels but the upper ones had been installed high enough to be covered by only a light layer. Rhodri and Flavia were tall enough to brush this off `First left-hand panel's exactly the same,' Rhodri said, peering at what his hand light revealed. `But these - are different.' `You'd expect that, wouldn't you?' Zara asked with some asperity. `This is a ground operation. So what do we do noW?' `Try to start it up: that panel's the same and I brought mock-ups,' Rhodri said, removing from his thigh pocket a handful of triangular-tipped wands which approximated the shape of a queen's palps. He handed some to Flavia and Zara.

`I'm not damned tall enough,' Zara muttered.

`Nor am I,' Flavia said with some disgust.

`There're plenty of boxes the right size ` and Rhodri pilfered rigid crates from the supply depot for the two women.

`D'you remember the sequence that started the ship, Flavia?' `Engraved on my retina,1 Flavia said, arranging three wands in her fingers on each hand in a triangular pattern. When she got them right, by using a light application for telekinesis, she inserted them in the apertures in the sequence she remembered.

A flickering illumination started - and also a near riot from the unprepared `Dini crewmen still exploring the facility. The light, if one could call it that, lasted long desiccated remains of one queen and nine attendants.

When the corpses had been examined - such pieces as permitted examination of any kind because most disintegrated into dust at the lightest touch - the generally accepted opinion was that death was caused by starvation. Then the arguments began: had only one queen been installed on the planet? That wasn't the usual procedure. Or had only this one been left by others which had escaped to a more hospitable planet?

Had she died before or after their leaving? But fields had been ploughed and seeds sown; a second building had been prepared and a tunnel connecting it: a tunnel large enough for a queen to traverse.

The enigmas quite outweighed the matters confirmed.

Only the queens seemed to have special quarters, though tubes and tunnels connected with what appeared to be large spaces where harvests were processed and stored. Egg tubes opened into each of the queens quarters.

`Work, work, work, work, Zara muttered under her breath when the xeno Yakamasura went into a long explanation of the possible societal structure of the Hivers. `No other ethic but work.

`And conquest, Rhodri murmured back. `Don't forget conquest!' `A change is as good as a rest!

Continuing an orderly investigation, the scientists sampled and examined everything from the dust, to the underlying layers of clay and stone, to the desiccated fragments of vegetation that were found and brought in. Then they moved fiarther away from the now sizeable base camp, inspecting the dying vegetation, tree-like as well as ground-cover. Bushes, shrubs, hedges, plants, large vines, grassoids: all were dead or dying right up to the snow level on the mountain ranges of the continental mass. It was on the higher slopes that scattered piles of skeletals, the remains of various species, were found, as if the creatures - whatever they had been - had sought sanctuary in the highest place away from the predators, and whatever means was used to destroy the planet's indigenous lifeforms.

The large preliminary Reformation dome was constructed over what Ecologist Rovenery Mordmann considered to be a suitable site for an ecological jumpstart. When both human and `Dini airborne investigations returned from the borders of the continental mass, he could be heard bewailing the fact that no life-forms, not so much as ground-burrowing insects, beetles or worms, however insignificant, could be found. His wails took on the form of constant cursings of the Hivers for the murder of this world.

`All right, so the land's dead, but what about the seas?' Captain Soligen asked during an evening session which had consisted of too many Mordmann dirges and nothing of a positive nature whatsoever.

`The seas?' Mordmann regarded her with utter astonishment. `It's the land that the Hivers infest, ma am.

`And it's the seas they never bother with,' Zara reminded him.

`Nor any water. We're drinking river water although there's a rather noxious sulphuric aftertaste `The seas - - . the waters ` Without a single backward glance at the meeting he was precipitously leaving, Mordmann departed and very shortly all heard an airsled taking off `I kept trying to tell him,' the xeno, Yakamasura, said sorrowfully, `but he said it was the land that mattered.' `It is so possible to miss the obvious,' Flavia said soothingly.

Hope for the revivification of Talavera improved considerably when it was found that the waters - seas, rivers, lakes, streams - were by no means as ecologically reduced as the land, though poor in quantity and quality. Mordmann pronounced that the planet's balance could be restored and they would immediately initiate several combinations that might suit. Whatever creatures had lived here before had had different requirements for there were significant basic elements lacking in the soil: chitin, selenium, most of the rare earths, and a paucity of calcium, though quantities of that would have been available from sea creatures. Lack of chitin alone would have been a problem for Hivers since the captive queen ate substances rich with that compound.

Mordmann delayed departure from Talavera as long as he could, to be sure at least one of the - domes showed some signs that seeds were prospering in the revived soil.

`One undeniable fact we have learned,' Mordmann said at his most pontifical as his group settled into the shuttle, carrying them back to the ship.

`And what is that?' Captain Vestapia asked, knowing what she might be letting them all in for.

`That the Hiver policy of fumigation of all life-forms -from the planets they wish to colonize often results in more short-term benefits than they anticipate. I suspect they lose half the planets they find to just such a pyrrhic programme.' Then, looking excessively pleased with himself he folded his hands on his incipient paunch and said nothing more on the short voyage back to the

Columbia.

The installations on the second former colony, Marengo, were more numerous, extending in all directions towards the mountain ranges. The fields had been assiduously cultivated for a substantial number of decades. Analysis of the dirt once again showed the lack of certain rare earths, minerals: chitin, Vitamin A and E, most of the rare earths and selenium, although sulphur was present in quantity. Whatever indigenous life-forms had lived on Marengo had disappeared without trace, though its vegetation, lush and vigorous on the highlands the Hivers had not yet tamed, suggested that perhaps no land creatures had as yet evolved in this almost pleistocene era.

Rhodri reported to Captain Soligen that the Mrdini ship was unlikely tamely to follow the rest of the squadron to the next M-5.

`There's a Hive ship orbiting Waterloo and I shan't want it attacking ours,' Vestapia said, frowning.

`Ma'am?' and when she gestured for Flavia to continue, `I think we might be able to pull the same trick here as we did with Xh-33.' `Trick? Blow the orbiting ship up?' The captain snorted.

`No, steal it,' Flavia said. `We don't, of course, know if the ship is occupied. The one at Xh-33 certainly wasn't. If it is, we can also use Hiver tactics and gas the maintenance crew.

`As I remember the report,' Vestapia said in what Rhodri now privately termed her `captain's tone', `the gas was so corrosive, it took the entire voyage back to Phobos Moon Base to clear the stuff.' `There are other gases available `You know that Kimi's out for Hiver blood -` `What would be on the ship would be the specialist types, maintaining cables and conduits and such like.

Only queens control the ship. It's a queen KimI wants to fight, not her workers.' `I doubt we can supply KimI a queen,' Vestapia said sourly, `but I sure wish we could and end that problem.

I didn't realize - No matter,' and she broke off what she'd started to say with a dismissive wave.

Rhodri `heard' what she didn't say because her mind had been vivid with it - `how bloodthirsty Mrdinis really are'. Quick contact with Flavia told him she'd caught that, too.

`KimI,' Vestapia continued, `will get another first, the chance to invade a Hiver ship, and that ought to give its colour some sort of glory, shouldn't it?' `It'll help,' Rhodri agreed. He was seated on the edge of her desk, hoping to get this planning session over with so he could enjoy another sort of planning. He caught Flavia's look at his informal position and decided discretion should reign. He took to a meditative pacing.

`Certainly,' Flavia said, `we know the inside of the sphere well enough to know where to `port Captain KimI's crew aboard to secure the ship. Kimi can do whatever it likes to what might be on board and that'd be another coup. Then we steal it. The Waterloo Hivers will be stuck on that planet and we can take care of them when when it's been decided what's to be done with Hiver colonies.' Vestapia spent one more moment looking at Flavia 5

elegant features before she started to laugh.

`Think of the honour KimI's colour would gain by bringing back a Hiver ship under its own power.

`Could they do that?' `If there's enough ftiel on board and with a little instruction on how to manipulate the instrument panel from us, yes,' Rhodri said, beaming because he found Flavia's idea as outrageous as the captain did. `Only we'd better have a chance to splash `Dini insignia all over the ship, if we don't want it fired on during its way back. If you wish, ma'am, I'll explain all this to Captain Hptm on the KMTM. It's most anxious that the KVS does not go off half-cocked.

It'd have to rescue it if it could. And the captain's mortally afraid of putting us, as well as its colour, in jeopardy over KimI's dreams of bravura.

`So, we take a page out of the Genessee's log?' `It worked.' The captain considered again. `Only this time, I think we permit the KVS to use its speed and skill and bombard the planet's defences. That is, of course,' and she held up her hand, `if we find they have the same capabilities discovered at Xh-33.' `Why should the Hivers alter their time-soldered habits?' Rhodri asked.

`This time,' Flavia said, `we will clear our actions with Earth Prime.' `Of course,1 Vestapia Soligen agreed suavely, her light eyes as green as Rhodri'd ever seen them.

`That'll be great,' he remarked later in their quarters, rubbing his hands together in anticipation.

`I'll get Jeff Raven's permission,' Flavia said and left the two together. Which was exactly what both Rhodri and the captain wanted at that moment. Impending action had the fringe benefit of arousing other basic instincts as well.

* * * Flavia's contact with Jeff received the necessary permission to duplicate - with the exercise of all due caution as far as the Talents were concerned - the successful tactics of the Genessee.

`That's no flan,' Zara complained. `We'll be observers - as always.

`Yes, but I'll beat cousin Clancy into action,' Rhodri said, delighted with that fact.

`Action?' `All right, close encounter because, brat, we're much closer to our objective - `We're weeks away,' she corrected him.

`But mere weeks instead of more months like the main attack units.' `We may have received permission,' Flavia said, `but who knows if Kiml'll buy the plan? It's one frustrated Mrdini and all of us remember what happened to Rojer.

`That's exactly why nothing remotely similar will be allowed to happen this time,' said Zara in a hard, icy, vindictive tone that startled those who heard it.

Jes broke the silence with his question. `Is the main Fleet closing on the Hiver at all?' `Earth Prime wouldn't say, precisely,' Flavia answered him, a slight frown creasing her usually smooth brow, `but I sensed something - - -, `Then Grandfather wanted you to,' Zara said quickly.

`So what did you sense?' Flavia considered this for a long moment.

`Triumph, I think.' `Damn!' Rhodri said. `They may be moving in for the kill before we can get to Waterloo.' `Unlikely, because I've already located the Waterloo beacon Kincaid so kindly set in place.' She smiled as her team reacted with jubilation. Except for Asia.

`I don't see why everyone is so happy to be pulling primary school tricks on the Hivers. Especially you, Zara.

Zara flushed. `I'll never live that moment down, will I? But you saw what Hivers did t9 Talavera ruined a perfectly good planet. And damned near ruined Marengo the same way. They don't deserve to colonize their backyards.' `Which went nova!' Asia said but her expression was less vehement. `They must be good for something.

Everyone and everything I know is.

`Try as I will,' Flavia said after a long pause, `I cannot find "good" in a life-form that deliberately annihilates all other life-forms so that it can dominate a world for the sole purpose of multiplying itself to the point where it must find yet another world to fumigate and repeat the process.' Asia was so quiet and exuded such a depression that Zara approached her, delicately smoothing the fine hair back from her face.

`They're great farmers, she said softly.

`If that ability could be directed into proper channels -, Flavia began.

`No-one else would ever have to crop-farm, Jesper finished.

`If only there was a way to get that across to them `Mallen added.

`However, we have other plans to make now,' Flavia said, `based on the information we have managed to gather about this enigmatic species and their modus operandi. It does seem a pity, though, that we can't communicate and form a collaborative effort.' `That'll be the day!' Zara managed the last words.

The weeks had moved into months as the main Fleet continued to follow the increasingly strong ion trail of the Hiver 2. Squadron D plodded along after Hiver 3

which had diverted spatially down and towards the `arm of the Milky Way.

Clancy Sparrow proved to have many inventive ways to keep boredom at bay, such as a lottery to guess the particle strength of the trail at the end of each week. It also gave him and Rojer the chance to meet most of the other Talents, covert and open, on the Washington.

`We've got quite a few T-3s on board,' they told Thian and ran down their mental lists, with descriptions.

`All'll answer to the code word now' said Rojer who had done most of the implanting.

`One way or another,' Clancy said and grinned.

Another notion was to give names to the G-type systems which the Hiver ignored. An official name was `drawn' later from those that had been sent in from the squadronwide competition. Kioo joined Clancy and Rojer `porting over to other ships to explain the `procedure' and, in that way, managed to meet more Talents, and pick up a few new ones.

`I don't know how much help I'd be to you,' a T-4

chef said to Rojer in the captain's galley of the Genessee.

`To my knowledge, the only things I have any control over are professional problems.' `What, for instance?' Rojer had asked, propping one hip on the corner of a worktop and eyeing cakes the chef was icing with deft movements of his spatula.

`I never cut myself' and he paused to regard his handiwork, `fat never spatters on me. I've never dropped a hot pan or baking tray and I've handled plenty without so much as a bum blister. That's why they call me Lucky Louie.

Amused and intrigued, Rojer leaned back against the counter behind him. `Anything else?' `Well, I've never broken a bone,' and the roundfaced man grinned, `lost a fight or a card game. I don't play them no more. Didn't think it was fair if I always won.

Rojer took that opportunity to grip the man's shoulder in an expression of approval for such probity, and caught the unmistakable touch of Lucky Louie's mind so that he could bring him to a merge should that be necessary.

`His souffls and cakes never fall either, muttered another galley crewman as Rojer left, but the tone was good-naturedly envious.

On the destroyer Athene, Semirame Kloo `discovered' an unexpected -Talent in one of the electricians who had an extraordinary record of avoiding accidents in a somewhat dangerous job. Chief Petty Officer Lea Day had always chalked that up to the fact that she was careful and never attempted a repair unless she'd thoroughly looked over any schematics. She was vastly surprised to test out as a T-4 kinetic.

`But I've never heard anything in my skull,' CPO Day told KIoo, her expression perplexed.

Thian, KIoo said, I've justfrund us another T-4 kinetic.

CPO Lea Day says she's never heard anything in her skull.

Chief Day? Thian promptly said. Just nod your head to Commander Kloo ri you're hearing me?

Chief Day's brown eyes protruded from her skull as Ishe obediently nodded. Then she leaned towards Rome Kioo and whispered. `Who was that?' `Prime Thian Raven-Lyon.' `But he's on the Washington!' `He's also a T-1 and made me hear him, too. Now, Chief, with a kinetic Talent like yours, we may need to contact you for help real soon.

`What kind of help?' The chief was dubious as well as anxious.

`Nothing beyond your abilities, Chief, but if Prime Thian calls you, put down whatever you're doing and just let yourself go.' `Go?

How?' Kioo relaxed her entire body, hands draped on her thighs, shoulders and chest collapsed.

`That's all I gotta do?' `That's right. Your being relaxed helps Thian tap your kinetic energy.

`That's what I got? Kinetic energy?' `Which is why you've been able to turn aside electrical jolts that would have injured you.

`But how'd I know how to do it?' Kioo was getting very good at proving her next point.

She sprang at Lea Day who immediately assumed a defensive stance.

`Like that, basically,' Kioo said, stepping back. `A basic survival instinct. Only your brain clicks in with its kinetic whammy.' She rose and shook hands with the chief who had a good strong grip with fingers calloused from work. That was the next to the last step of preparation. `If you hear the word Saki in your head, stop what you're doing and relax.' `Saki!' The chief nodded. `What if I'm not near a chair?' KIoo laughed. `Don't tell me, Chief, you can't relax any damned time you have the chance!' `Aye, sir.

The science officers had other puzzles, concerning why the Hivers rejected so many systems. Were they already inhabited by Hivers? Or inhabitable? Had any of them, by any remote chance, once held off a Hiver advance, too? The sceptics thought this area of space far too remote to have received much Hiver attention.

Others argued that the very fact the Hive ship was going so far from its original home world proved it had investigated all the intervening systems and either occupied them or found them useless.

To settle some of these arguments - which often proved agitated Captain Ashiant initiated a programme for the fast scout ships which the Washington carried. Whenever an M-5 system was observed, the scouts - using a different crew each time - left their mother ship for quick discreet surveys.

For these, Ashiant asked the assistance of the Talents who were as glad to have some excitement as any other crew member. Thian always took LieutenantCommander Alison Greevy with him; Rojer favoured a T-3

ensign from Engineering, Cyra Charteris; while Clancy needed to have two to augment his T-2 abilities.

Invariably he chose Semirame Kioo and the only other T-3, one of the gunnery officers, Targia Upland. An attractive girl, her nickname of `Target' was respect for her professional competenceee and a knowledge of antique and archaic weapons.

When the scout was close enough for the Talents to deploy the undetectable plastic units, the relevant planet within the system was probed. Four Hiver colonies were discovered out of twenty worlds surveyed, two with sphere ships in orbit and the usual debris. Once Hiver Ipossession was noted, the scout ship was under the strictest orders to leave the system immediately. Detection had to be avoided.

Hivers often worked moons and other planets for mineral deposits.

An argument arose: how would the Hivers know a system of theirs had been invaded, when they had no intersystem communications and their planet-based sensors had, as shown by the Xh-33, limited range?

`Let us not assume what has not been established beyond doubt,' Captain Ashiant reminded those captains and first officers who attended his weekly updates.

`There are still panels on the Refugee whose function is unknown.' That was the standard warning every scout captain impressed on his or her crew before the scout departed on an exploratory nussion.

Every week the star charts were upgraded by such side-trips and new primaries, including an unusual binary-sun system that fascinated all the astronomy buffs.

After the second Hiver occupation was discovered, the Vadim's new captain, Pat Shepherd, brought up the suggestion that a multi-tasked beacon be set up near the heliopause of Hiver systems: to warn any passing Alliance ship of Hivers; to record any outgoings in which case a message capsule would be released to speed back to Alliance space where any Prime would soon `hear' its shriek and retrieve it. After the Denebian penetration, every Alliance system had installed a device that could identi the Hiver stingg-pzzt and emit a warning.

A contest to design such a device was circulated through the Fleet and small, mechanically oriented groups vied with each other to come up with the successful design. The winning design group came from the Washington, because Rojer and Commander Tikele worked all the hours of the week to win the competition. Then the design was distributed among the machine shops of all the ships to ensure a sufficient supply.

Uninhabited M-5 planets were examined in more detail: one had an indigenous life-form which was abe;idy using primitive tools and had controlled fires.

That system was duly put off-limits. Several planets, despite appropriate atmospheres and distribution of land mass to sea, did not appear viable for human or Mrdini occupation, showing high levels of radiation, too much seismic activity or other anomalies.

`Well, such conditions would account for some of the by-passes,' Captain Ashiant said at one of the weekly `brass' meetings which included the Talents. `One thing puzzles me. How did the Hivers know which to by-pass? If we have probes, what do the Hivers use to obtain the same information, because they surely must? Did anyone ever discover if Deneb had been probed by a Hiver mechanism?' He turned to Clancy.

`Sir, the Denebian penetration happened long before my birth. My uncle who lived through those days never mentioned a probe but then Deneb was pretty primitive in those days. And who was expecting visitors from outer space?' `But did you not as a youngling on Deneb recover quantities of Hiver materials?' asked Captain Spktm.

`Yes sir, indeed, we all did,' and Clancy indicated Thian and Rojer, `and the navy installation on Deneb is still trying to fit the pieces together.' He grinned.

`Probes usually return to the sender to deliver the information they've acquired,' Rojer added.

`True, true,' Ashiant said, fingering his jawline as he often did.

`Flavia Bastianmajani recently sent us a message, Thian went on, that the first of the occupied Hive systems showed a total breakdown which hasn't yet been fully analysed. The xenos and biologists have an unconfirmed opinion that the planet was deficient in some element or elements which are vital to Hive survival. So, if they do use a probe, it doesn't tell them all they need to know.

`So there are discrepancies in their colonial programme,' Captain Germys of the Genessee remarked in his dry fashion. `That's encouraging.' `And they avoid some planets that are fine for us.' `But if that colony failed, what sort of information do the Hiver probes seek?' asked Germys' first officer, Beckin Watusa, a very tall and very dark-skinned man.

`Well, one we saw was mainly islands, some good sized, but no large land masses,' said Selig Derynic of the destroyer, Comanche. `So perhaps that's one of their criteria-large continents.' `They probe for suitable atmospheres as well, since two they've by-passed showed hydrogen-nitrogen imbalances,' Vandermeer said.

`No,' Captain Prim of the KLTL said emphatically, its usually smooth fur ruffling, a sign of agitation, `the probe finds out how much and what kind of life had to be "fumigated" `Then let us be thankful for whatever limitations their probes, if they use them, report,' Ashiant said briskly.

`We can at least propose a few colonial sites for the `So far nothing we have discovered explains why they have ranged so far, especially now,' Spktm said in an almost lugubrious tone, echoing some of the pessimism Prim displayed.

`I would have thought that obvious, sir,' Ashiant replied courteously. `Their homeworld was lost to the nova. They must be seeking an alternate.' `That must not happen!' Spktm said, bringing both upper hands hard down on the table, the percussion felt by everyone touching it.

`That is the purpose of this squadron, Captain, Ashiant said as resolutely. `And, especially, the reason the Washington was conceived and built!' `And the Hivers built their Great Sphere to establish a new homeworld,' Thian said. `Could it be in all the volume of space they, and we, have explored, they have not yet found a similar one? And that's why they have ranged so far, and looked in as many directions as they have?' `You give the Hivers credit for emotions which they do not have,' Spktm said, its poll eye swivelling to give Thian the full glare.

`Now, a moment, Spktm,' Ashiant said, raising one hand, `the Prime has a valid point. Wouldn't Mrdinis, deprived of Clarf, search for one as near to what they'd lost as could be found?' Spktm's flir ruffled firther, and so did Prim's and the other two `Dini captains seated around the table. Thian inwardly groaned at his tactless remark.

Exuding as much pacifying empathy as he could, he followed Ashiant's lead.

MRDINIS HAVE LONG HISTORICAL KNOWLEDGE THAT HIVERS FOLLOW INSTINCT WHICH HAS NOT CHANGED, HONOURED SIR, AND THAT IS, ABOVE ALL, SURVIVAL OF THEIR KIND. THEIR SPECIES MUST HAVE HAD A VERY UWSUAL HOMEWORLD TO HAVE ALLOWED THEM TO BECOME DOMINANT THAT WORLD IS GONE. SURVIVAL OF THEIR SPECIES REQUIRES THEM TO FIND ITS LIKE. THAT IS WHAT THIS ONE MEANT. PARDON THE OFFENCE THIS ONE HAS UNWITTINGLY CAUSED THE HONOURED SPKTM.

The `Dini captain's fur began to settle, and so did PrIm's. Thian felt the wave of relief from his fellow humans that the Mrdinis were molified by his explanation.

`So they haven't found it. And, by my honour, I hope they don't,' Cheseman of the Solidarity said, `but, give us a little hope, Captain Spktm, do we even know what their primary's spectrum was like before it went nova?' Spktm and Thian, who had reached the area where the dead star was still cooling, shook their heads.

`Bluntly, no,' Thian said.

`We've got a helluva lot of space to check out, Cheseman said, made gloomy by the sheer magnitude of the task facing them. `Five years won't be long enough!' `But a lustrum makes a start, gentlemen,' Ashiant said, adopting a firmly positive tone, `and let us not discount what we have managed to accomplish in the past two years. We may have been forced by circumstances to explore firther than any previous programme for either of our species but we have already discovered enough new worlds to support members of the Alliance for thousands of generations to come.

`Let me come back to the point that there may be a more specific goal for these Hive spheres - finding a new homeworld under a sun similar to the original one.

I certainly don't know what spectra-analytical means the Hivers possess,' and Ashiant attempted to inject some humour, `but I'd like our astrogation officers to start checking the spectrums of all G-type stars, however far away they are, on the off chance that it's a certain type they're hunting, not just any G-type system with M-5 planets.

Even the Mrdinis saw the merit of that suggestion and the meeting ended with considerably more enthusiasm and purpose than it initially had. Ashiant later confided to Thian that there'd been some very tricky moments but he was positive they were on to a line of investigation that was going to prove invaluable.

`Certainly it's giving us another purpose while we're tracking that damned sphere to wherever it's going.

What odds would you take that it has a definite primary objective?' Thian regarded Ashiant for a moment before letting out a startled guffaw. For one moment, Ashiant glared at him and then, realizing what he had said, joined Thian in a much-needed laugh.

`In line with that, sir,' Thian said, still shaking with laughter, `maybe I ought to contact Flavia. Squadron B's been to quite a few systems now, too. Maybe they can throw some light on the matter.

`Light on the matter?' Ashiant echoed and enjoyed another chuckle.

`I needed that, Lyon. That was a hairy moment there .

`You mean, of course, when all the `Dini fiir started to ruffle up?' That set them both off again until Ashiant, huffing and coughing, pulled himself back to sobriety, but his eyes still twinkled and he continued to grin.

`Actually, sir, even a process of elimination, based on what types of G-stars they ignore, might help us establish the criteria they're looking for. Even minute differences - the period of variability, sun-spot cycles, size - in a G-type primary can have incalculable effects on the satellites in its system. It certainly has proved so in species adaptations.

`On another subject, Captain - which I didn't have time to pass on to you before the meeting - Flavia's message this morning contains some interesting items.

The first being that they, too, have devised a beacon to be set outside any Hive suspect M-5 system: to warn vessels off and to send a message back to the nearest Prime to warn of any outgoing sphere.' `Great minds, huh?' `I've received specs, sir. Captain Soligen thought you might like to glance over them in case they have modifications we could use.' Thian handed over the hard copy and the software. `Or the other way round,' he added tactfully.

`Indeed and we will,' Ashiant replied as he glanced through the material. `Though the one your brother and Tikele designed seems to be similar.' `Flavia also informed me that, with Earth Prime's express permission, they are going to approach the Hive-occupied planet.' Ashiant gave him a hard stare.

`There are good reasons to take the chance,' and Thian grinned, `the main of them being to give the KVS under Captain KimI the opportunity to puif the Genessee ploy.' `Steal another Hiver ship?' Ashiant said, almost exploding. `Whatever do we need with another one?' do so under the ship's power. We were able to establish Thian chuckled, as much at the captain's reaction, as the one which would surely await the triumphantly returning crew aboard it.

`Captain KimI is of the new Mrdini generation which hasn't seen much direct contact, of the kind that allows a colour to gain prestige `Damned untried young scuts, Ashiant murmured, shifting restlessly in his chair, `they could precipitate more trouble . ` Then he cleared his throat as he remembered all too vividly the morning's near breach between human and `Dini. `Ah well, I suppose it's more recent in their culture than . . . Is "counting coup" the action I mean . . ?` `I've heard the phrase,' Thian replied, not remembering where or in what connection.

`Go on. Tell me how this `Dini plans to gain prestige so I'll know how to prevent it in this squadron.' `First, Flavia got Earth Prime's permission. And I assure you, as Flavia did me, that Captain Soligen would not contemplate such a move unless she was very sure of success.' `Well,' and Ashiant simmered down, `Vesta's one helluva fine captain, even if she does have some odd ideas of opting for young and virtually untried crew. I assume all you Primes are restricted by the same rules?' `Yes, sir!' `Then let me know the outcome of the... what did you call it. `The Genessee ploy.' `Osullivan must be pleased by that. Too bad he's stuck at a desk now. And how is Captain KimI intending to get its prize back to our occupied space?' `Flavia seemed to feel the captain would be able to the disposition of certain controls on the panel. She's known them. And we know what file! is used `That's fine until the damned thing gets in more travelled space Thian nodded, grinning. `I believe the plan is to decorate the sphere with `Dini designs to let all and sundry know who is bringing this one in.' `Do ask your Prime to send out an all-ship warning.

Wouldn't do to have a trigger-happy missile crew trying out the new weaponry on a "friendly" hostile vessel!

And can you get on to the proper authorities to forward all documentation on known G-star variations, whether the planetary systems have been explored or not. It may well be that the tedious process of elimination will provide the information we need.' When Thian, who had always prided himself on his eidetic memory, found himself confusing figures of the very complicated spectra-analyses of G-type stars within an hour, he traded off with Rojer. Clancy was about to have to take a turn when Jeff Raven decided his T1 and T-2 staff had better things to do with their time than mentally transfer such complex data. So the rest of the material from human astronomical files was `ported out.

Laria `ported even more from the Mrdini libraries.

Everyone's pretty excited about the theory here, she told her brother. You sound in good form, Thi. Things going wellwellfare you, Roj and Clancy?

why? D'you miss us? he asked teasingly.

Oddly enough, I think I do, she said.

How's Kincaid?

Kincaid is in fine form, also, brother! Then there was a ripple in her mental tone that signified a giggle. Vanteu, too. Then she signed off, leaving him to digest that information just as the cargo officer announced the arival of a small pod from Clarf Tower.

The comparative analysis of G-type stars continued until a special board had to be set up for that information alone. Each ship in the Fleet wanted to access files to support their own theories and constant, lengthy shipto-ship conversations were interfering with necessary operational messages.

Over the next few weeks, although neither Thian nor Ashiant had mentioned the Genessee ploy, most of the Fleet knew that it either was about to happen or had happened. The news that the manoeuvre had been successful, that the KVS had destroyed the space field of the Hivers at Waterloo as well as the three scout ships that had tried to launch from the planet was anticlimactic but gave an excuse for considerable celebration on all eleven ships.

Barely had they recovered from that than the Washington's sensors picked up readings that suggested the Hiver they were pursuing had sent out its scouts.

The target was a G-type sun which the Alliance had first thought the Hiver would, once more, pass by since its spectra-analysis didn't seem that promising.

Instantly, crews were scrambled to the Washington's fast scouts and, Thian ordered Rojer to accompany the Revere, commanded by Lieutenant Vergoin.

You'll get yourself in a pod the moment there's trouble, Thian told his brother.

Aw, Thi. . . Rojer began and then, remembering his grandfather's stern warnings, subsided. Yeah, I will but what about the destroyers?

who's going to keep PrI and Ktpl in check when they get close to the Hiver?

Captain Spktm. It's transferred its command to its first officer and is on board the KLTS.

Spktm does mean business.

We all mean business!

Thian sent Clancy, with a similar reminder about saving his Talented skin, to one of the two humancrewed destroyers. All four larger ships were ordered to shift themselves at top speed after the lighter, faster vessels. The Nebula, the two Constellations and the four Galaxy class would need more time to attain the requisite speed to catch up and support any action.

We're ahead of the Hiver smuts, Rojer told his brother several days later, and they didn `t even see us coming in on the ecliptic.

His tone was one of high good spirits. Are those Hiver queens so utfrdy oblivious to anything but their goals? Are they so arrogant they think they're totally invulnerable?

Until they came to Deneb, they were, Thian remarked drolly. Have the astronomers come up with any more data on the primary?

Checking sun-spot activity and mnning another one on uvl and irl emissions, and naturally probes have been released on orbital sweeps.

Lots of lush vegetation is reported and some clearly visible seismic activity, g9ad blue seas and a chain of large lakes across the main continental mass we've already identified on the night side.

Smallish ice-covered polar regions but that's normal - so's the ozone layer.

Can't find any signs of civilization, no large habitations, no fires apart from a forest fire raging in the midwest. Ah, but indigenous critters, running straight for the nearest body of water.

Least that's what the science officer says such a cloud of dust could mean.

Could the fire have been set by the Hivers? Thian asked.

Doubt it! Their scouts are just about inside the orbit of the fifth planet, your typical ringed giant.

`Your brother's reporting in?' Ashiant asked from the seat he had taken behind Thian's couch.

Thian gestured for the captain to come around. He hated reporting to thin air and repeated verbatim what Rojer had said.

`Too much potential to leave to the Hivers for any reason,' Ashiant said, which was Thian's opinion as well. The captain opened communications with the bridge. `Primary's spectrum matches to within .0356 of Sol?' Thian pondered that as well as Ashiant. `Hivers never came near Earth, sir. They did try to colonize Sel, though, and Sefs primary is very much like Sol.' `Enough to make it the sun system they're searching for as a new homeworld?' Ashiant shook his head.

`I'd hazard the guess that they might just need to replenish supplies.

They haven't stopped anywhere He bent over the comunit. `Ailsah, based on the examination of the supplies stored on Refugee and the estimated size of those Hiver crews that the `Dinis extrapolated, tell me if they'd be running close to empty?' `You suspect this might be only a supply run?' `It's a possibility but I'll need the figures first.' Ashiant grinned, rubbing his hands together in anticipation.

`How long before the main Fleet can intercept the sphere?' `Seven hours, sir, but she appears to be slowing down.

That would be consonant with a resupply action. We know Hiver scout ships have plenty of range but they may also want to conserve fuel - if they're still in search mode. The KSTS just confirmed that speed reduction and has asked for battle dispositions of the destroyers.

Thian could hear just the minute pulse of excitement in the First Officer's calm voice.

`First, order all ships to be alert for any sign that the Hiver has detected our approach. I've never quite believed the `Dini report on Hiver sensor range. Anyway, Prime, ask your brother to pass my order on to Captain Vergoin to release low-level probes. We might as well establish if it's just animals or potential sentients we're about to save from Hive attentions.' The bridge rang through again. `The KLTL, the Vadim, the Solidarity and the Genessee are asking for you.

`I'll be with them momentarily, First.' When the channel was closed, Ashiant inhaled a deep breath. `I almost look forward to discovering if those new missiles will be effective against a Hiver.' He gave Thian a wry grin. `Do I let the `Dinis do the honours, Thian?' Sensing in that rare moment of Ashiant's candour more than the simple question, Thian smiled reassuringly.

`I don't think "let" is operational, sir, but it'll be a triumph for us all. We'll have reduced by one more ship their chance of finding that new homeworld they're desperate to have: that new base from which they can multiply the problems we ve already got in containing them. Then there's only the one ship Squadron D's following and then we really will have reduced Hiver threat to manageable proportions.

Ashiant gave a short bark of a laugh. `Manageable, Prime?' He laughed sardonically again. `When we're discovering that one in five of the M-5 planets on our way out here has a Hiver colony on it?' Ashiant threw out his hands in exasperation.

`Even that's a good deal more than we knew before `Dinis ran across those three Hivers.' `Damn!' And Ashiant rammed one fist into the other palm. `I'd feel it more of an accomplishment if this system was the one the Hivers have been so desperately searching for.' `Put it this way, sir, it's one more they won't occupy, even briefly!' `Goodoint, Prime. I could almost feel sorry for our prey.

`I won't tell anyone I heard you say that, Captain,' Thian said with a grin as he prepared to `path the new orders to his brother as well as a warning of the Hiver's slowing.

The Hiver scouts never got closer to the lush planet than its outer moon. Nor were they quite so unaware of an opposing force as their directness suggested. As the Washington's scouts moved out of a planetary orbit to intercept them, the Hivers split in a well-calculated distraction even as they initiated a terrific barrage at the scouts before the larger destroyers could move into firing range to shield them.

Thian, film not loud, listen harder. I'm in a pod. Vergoin had two yeomen stuffing me and my `Dinis in here as soon as we began closing with the Hivers. Rojer sounded far more indignant than scared.

Main screen's magnified to show the blasts. Any damage?

Minor's all I can tell. I've got the pod's comunit on but I'm not catching all the . . . Wait a minute Rojer? ROJER?

Don't bother me now, brother. I've work to do!

Thian kept bothering Rojer with constant demands for answers. In between those, he `pathed Clancy who was no more available to his requests for information than Rojer. Infliriated with a disobedience that amounted to downright mutiny, he charged on to the Washington's bridge where the intense atmosphere reminded him that he might be intruding and he had half-turned to leave. Then he saw that the main screen of the bridge gave far larger, clearer details of the battle than the one above his couch. What he saw also made him realize exactly what essential work Rojer and Clancy were doing in deflecting a virtual onslaught of Hiver missiles. Definitely he could tell Earth Prime that this was self-defence: if the Revere took a mortal blow, the Hiver scouts could pick off the pods one by one before the evacuees could get out of range. Rojer had shown good sense with his deflection policy!

The main batteries of the sphere began to open up on the seven Alliance ships which had deployed themselves to prevent the Hiver scouts from escaping while the Nebula and the two Constellations were converging on the sphere. One advantage of the round design was that batteries could be fired in any direction. Thian knew from the Refugee just how much fire-power the Hiver had.

`Look, sir,' Vandermeer said, `the Hiver's wasting ammunition as usual. She isn't within range of our ships.' `The scouts are.' `But her missiles are missing although - - . Sir, Ensign Upland is of the opinion that the detonation of those missiles could cause shockwaves almost as dangerous to scout-ship hulls as a direct hit.' `My compliments to Ensign Upland, Ashiant said, nodding his head briefly in acknowledgement of the information. Then, under his breath, he muttered: `When I get those two Talents, I'll skin `em, I'll keelhaul them.' Thian and the nearer bridge officers heard him.

`But they are managing to deflect incoming rockets.

Tikele, how soon before we are in range of the sphere?' `Twenty-two minutes.

`Why doesn't Spktm use the ones it's got on the KLTS?' `I believe the captain's manoeuvring her into position now, sir,' Tikele responded. `And two of our scouts are protecting her. She's got to be on target, on those fuel tanks, and in range. . she's. . she's fired both, sir.

Unbelievably one of the Hiver's scouts managed to get between the sphere and the missiles, which penetrated it, sticking out port and starboard.

`Like a scurrier skewered on arrows, Thian murmured.

Then the blast occurred, an orange-red eruption of force which hurtled the KLTS backward like a leaf in a storm. Somehow the flanking scouts had peeled away and, although they were scudded further from their original positions, they did not appear to have taken much damage. The KLTS patently had. As `Dini ships still did not carry pods, it was impossible to estimate how many of its crew survived.

ROJER! CLANCY! FOR THE LOVE OF HEAVEN, ANSWER ME, Thian roared, catching the gestalt of the Washington's generators to reachhis targets.

I'm OK, Thian. But I had to bounce missiles. Just like Granddad did when the Hiver attacked Deneb.

Not the same at all, Rojer! CLANCY?

I can hear you, I can hear you. Over the ringing in my ears.

Were we ever lucky? Kloo's a damned fine pilot.

`Thian?' Ashiant called urgently. `Can you get in touch with either of your Talents and ask them to check the status of the KLTS?

The other destroyers must hold their positions to contain the sphere.' `Yes, sir.' Rojer, you've `Dinis. Ashiant's ordering Veigoin and the You do the Clancy's ship bette are moving in for the more That that was what the two doing was obvious while the three medium-sized missiles on the two remain scouts, all the time inching closer to the sphere. - `We've just reached the maximum range of the new missiles, Captain,' Vandermeer announced.

`Signal the Galaxy class ships to assume Formation C and begin firing as soon as they are in maximum range.

The sphere must be distracted from the destroyers.' She's some mother this one, Thian distinctly heard someone say. It could have been anyone on the bridge, even Ashiant, dropping his mind shields in the excitement of battle.

The first of the new missiles the Washington launched was not that far off its target but exploded on contact with a large fragment of the Hiver's scout. The next three, one from the Washington and the others from the Solidarity and the Athene, penetrated the sphere as easily as a sharp knife cut through soft fruit.

`One, two,' began Ashiant under his breath, `three, and he was led by Vandermeer, `FOUR' and it was practically a chorus. No-one got to five'. The Hiver disintigrated by quadrants, like skin being peeled off a round from top to bottom. Then the fireball blossomed and its lurnace expanded, melting all in its white-hot circle.

The KLTL peeled off to follow one Hiver scout and the Franklin went after the other.

With ordinary communications opened again now the enemy was routed, Captain Spktm was able to send its regards to the Washington.

Its voice was shaky but proud of being aboard the ship that had fired the first missile against the enemy. The KLTS had taken a lot of damage from the blast concussion: many Dinis were dead and injured.

Some compartments had had to be closed against the vacuum without knowing if they had been occupied.

Thian did not have time to find either Rojer or Clancy to give them the dressing-down they so richly deserved for disobeying orders in spite of the life-saving success of that violation. By the time he spotted them, some of his anger had dissipated. They were across the Washington cargo hold which had been turned into an auxiliary `Dini sick-bay, doing much the same sort of emergency use of telekinesis he was: `lifting' the injured into beds, onto gurneys. Rojer was helping Medic Sblipk among the injured `Dinis, with Gil and Kat rushing about on errands. Clancy was working among the human wounded.

We'll all have a little talk later, Rojer, Clancy, Thian said in cold voice.

Sure thing, bra. when there's a little more free time .

Don't get cocky with me, Rojer Raven-Lyon!

who? Me? Cocky? After what I just went through, bra?

That was almost . . . almost worse than the KLTL, Thi.

His brother's words, unrepentant though they were, cooled Thian still further but he'd have to tell Earth Prime about their escapade.

He was responsible for all the Talents on this expedition and somehow he had failed to make them obey orders they knew they mustn't ignore.

If he'd had to tell his mother and father that Rojer had - - `Hey, Thi, said a soft voice in his ear, and he felt a touch on his shoulder, `you need rest, honey.' Gravy looked up at him, her blue eyes anxious, though her face was as tired as his. He and his `Dinis had been working with her, using kinesis to help her use her healing skills.

`if I rest, you do, too, Lieutenant Senior Grade,' he said sternly.

She glanced over the now orderly ward, where `Dinis were immersed in tubs of restorative fluids, or wrapped in bandages of various colours, repairing damaged tissues, wounds, burns, and breaks. `Dinis endured discomfort better than humans did, Thian thought, and wondered if that was a species differentiation, rather than stoicism.

`Ah, here comes the new watch, Gravy said with relief that came out close to a sob.

Thian leaned back against the nearest support and `listened' for his brother. Rojer was asleep - Thian couldn't tell where - and so was Clancy. He'd get them both tomorrow . . when he'd had enough sleep.

`Thian,' and Gravy caught him by the hand and pulled him around the corner. `You got enough energy left to `port us to my room?' He put weary arms around her, his head resting on hers, and `ported them to her quarters on the level below. She palmed the door lock and they collapsed in each other's arms onto the bed, asleep almost before they had stretched out on the horizontal surface.

`You realize that that Hiver ship, even with its three scouts, hadn't a chance,' Rojer said, blithely tucking into a huge meal in their quarters late that next afternoon. `Operation Overkill, that's what it was.' `Need I remind you how many `Dinis died in the KLTS?' Thian said, glaring at his brother.

He had read the riot act to both Rojer and Clancy for `endangering' their lives which were far too valuable to be risked. He could also point to the minor cuts and contusions which both had suffered when their respective ships had manoeuvred abruptly or suffered concussive buffeting: those could as easily have been mortal wounds.

`I'm not that slow, Thian,' Rojer replied indignantly, even if I didn't manage to keep my balance through all the bumps and grinds the Revere did. But you should have seen some of the others. I `ported when I could.' `I got most of mine, and Clancy fingered the long pro-skin dressing down one side of his face, the splint on his left arm, the sealed wound on the right, and managed a benevolent expression, `buffering someone else's impact.' `Besides which, big brother,' Rojer said, hands on his belt and an intense frown on his face, `if either of us had made use of the escape pods, you'd really have had bad news to send home. It only occurred to me when I was stuck in it, that the damned pod was the most dangerous place to be! I was at Xh-33, remember, and I watched the queens' pods get blown out of the sky the way we'd pick off avians! Any one of the Hiver scouts could have made a real killing. - - of pods!' `We also saved both the Revere and the Franklin from being made into sieves,' Clancy reminded Thian, `or smashed flat. Shielding the ships shielded us and it's really only a very minor variation of our standing orders from Uncle Jeff.' He grinned engagingly. `Just a larger escape pod.

`I'll have to tell him what you did!' Thian was not about to let them get away without reprimand.

`Go right ahead!' Clancy said, his grin broader, `but I heard that both Spktm and Ashiant are mentioning our defensive action as the main reason casualties were minimal. although I do now appreciate why the Mrdinis had to consider suicide attacks! There can't be much room on those scouts with all those heavy missiles they fire off. And that sphere wasn't going to give up short of total destruction!' Thian could never stay angry long, not in the presence of Clancy, though he continued to feel an irritable frustration, especially as the two young heroes tossed off their actions as nothing out of the ordinary for Talents of their abilities. That almost annoyed Thian more.

`I think,' Gravy told him when they met for a quiet meal in the medics' mess-room, `that you're a little jealous maybe, Thian, that you weren't in on the action?' `Me? Jealous?' He regarded Alison-Anne, startled.

He'd never thought of himself as a jealous person for any reason.

Her blue eyes twinkled up at him. `Jealous of things or people, no, Thian. But jealous, a little perhaps, of prestige. `Are you sure you're still T-5?' I`Probably not,' she said airily with a delighted sigh, `but I am an empath and very empathic for you.' She reached across the small table and stroked the back of his hand lightly, a contact that conveyed more than empathy. `I've picked up as much from you - Talentwise - as I have about treating `Dinis from Medic Sblipk.

More perhaps,' and her eyes laughed at him over the rim of her cup.

`You had the hard part - watching, waiting, hoping. Do Talents pray?' This was said with such an ingenuous expression that Thian felt his aggravation and frustration dissolve. `Besides which,' she went on, teasing him, `you saw action long before they did, on the Great Sphere.' Thian made a face at her. "That little fracas was not against live Hivers.' `The difference is immaterial, Thian. And it was far more dangerous than what your brother and cousin did.' Thian faith%lly forwarded Captain Ashiant's detailed report of the encounter and decided, when he could not help but `feel' Jeff Raven's furious reaction to the heroism of Rojer and Clancy, that he could safely leave any further discipline to Earth Prime, and Callisto Prime, and possibly both Aurigaean Primes. Righteous anger often ripened with waiting.

Thian was called back by Earth Prime later to receive the official commendations and replies from the Alliance and High Council as well as new orders.

The Fleet was now to join Squadron D, using all available Talent to make the `portation, and track down the third sphere with all possible speed. There was great weight being given to the theory that the three spheres had been looking for a particular G-type star, as close a replica to the one which had turned nova as possible.

The High Council did not care to wait until the remaining sphere found such a star and a new homeworld planet.

Once that Hive sphere had been dealt with, the Fleet was to return, making in-depth surveys of all potentially habitable planets and disabling Hiver colonies, using the Genessee ploy whenever possible to remove sphere ships from use.

`What's the High Council after, might I ask?' Ashiant enquired of Thian in an agitated fashion. `A fleet of sphere ships? We've got more than we need right now.

We should blow `em up. Save time and effort.' `Use `em as decoys?' Thian threw out as a possible solution.

`I think this "know your enemy and you can defeat him easier" is going a bit too far.' `Perhaps I misinterpreted, sir,' Thian said, running over the wording in his mind. `Disabling the Hiver colonies could merely mean making certain they had no further space capabilities. Shall I reconfirm?' `Please do.

I doubt the High Council meant to bring more spheres back, Jeff Raven said but his tone was uncertain. But with `Dinis you'd never know, would you? I'll get back to you.

When he did, he was chuckling. Seems the `dinis would like to have an intact sphere for each of their colonial worlds as trophies.

Admiral Mekturian pointed out that the two operational ones presently in our possession could be displayed wherever necessary. I will never understand `Dini logic or honour. The Admiral is more sensible and repeats that the Fleet is to destroy Hiver space-travel capabilities until other remedies can be effected to prevent their colonial aggrandizement.

Other remedies?

That's what's being discussed. There's a poive4\4l lobby that would prevent the Alliance, and not just the human element, from doing unto the Hivers as they have done to others. why reduce ourselves to their level?

what else could be done, Granddad? Not, Thian added hastily, that I believe the annihilation of any spedes could be justified.

Ah, now, Thian, the discussions are ongoing and heated.

Both Gktmglnt and Admiral Mekturian are insisting that nothing be engraved in granite until both investigatory units, the Main Fleet and Squadron B have returned from their voyages, laden, we hope, with information enough to suggest a sensible, humane and `Din fled course of action.

If we've to stop and investigate every bloody M-5 system on the way back, sir, Thian began By then some form of common sense might have resulted from the current shambles. Once more I am relieved that FT&T is involved only in the mechanics, rather than the politics, of this issue. And, there was definite amusement in Jeff Raven's tone, as a messenger, I am too far removed from those I deliver them to, to ster the fate often meted out to the bearers of adverse replies. So, Grandson, I say unto you, bring back as much information as you possibly can, about the bright new worlds that have not been Hiverized and can give the hot-blooded another focus for their energies.

Wouldn't a colonial explosion be following Hiver tactics?

Really, Thian, your sense of proportion is slightly skewed by distance. Humans and `Dinis respect other lifeforms and any planet bearing identifiable sentients is to be scratched off the list.

Oh, but put up one of those warning beacons that'll inform the Alliance of incoming Hive traffic. There're still a lot of those damned spheres loose in this galaxy.

The official segments of that long exchange were duly reported to Captain Ashiant and then repeated to the other captains and first officers, in Basic and in `Dini, so that there could be no misunderstanding of either directive.

Thian excused himself then, to give the brass the chance to discuss the orders privately.

Outside the Talents' quarters, the corridors of the Washington still echoed muted sounds of celebration, although the Nebula class ship was now swinging around the rescued planet on its way out of the system.

Thian knew that the science officers would be busy at every available station, recording whatever scrap of surface information could be learned during the circumnavigation. Probes had returned with samples which would be analysed and essayed. He watched as the planet turned under him even as the Washington turned round the planet to the original sight he had had - - - had it only been two days before? The forest fire had gone out, doused by a rain system which, unfortunately, resulted in smoke obscuring that area so the cause of the conflagration remained a mystery. The creatures which had fled the fire were now browsing by the lake which had saved them and, though none appeared to be more than a variety of large ruminants, grazers, and several equally big predators, none acted with any sentience.

`And not a single creature will ever know, or care about the fate we saved them from,' Gravy said softly from the open door to his room.

When she had come off duty the night before, they'd done some private celebrating. All her patients would recover and she was no longer fearful for the progress of several of the `Dini burn victims.

Thian held out his arm and she came across on bare feet to stand in under it. She liked the fact that she fitted just there. He closed his arm and pulled her against him.

`Are we on our way out of this system, Thi?' she asked, noticing the rotation.

He nodded. `Orders came in. If that door opens, be prepared to get `ported back in.' She started to release him and he pulled her back against him.

`All the brass's there and they've a lot of talking to do, so I don't think we need worry. Besides, MisonAnne,' and he looked down at her, `I'd rather stop playing hide-and-seek `Thian, you know perfectly that your folks will have someone better in mind for you than a T-5

empath who's - Thian put one finger across her lips. `Don't you poor-mouth yourself in my hearing, Lieutenant Senior Grade, sir, ma' am!' `Look, you were a raw kid - - -` I'm no raw kid now, Alison-Anne Greevy, Thian said, turning to pull her full against him and pushing her head up to catch her lovely blue eyes, and I have far more need of a comfortable T-5 empath whom I happen to love, respect and admire for certain earthy and caring qualities I haven `t found anywhere else.

If we can still stand each other's company at the end of this mission, I'd say we had a good chance of enjoying a good life together.

And I'll probably opt for full service as a naval Prime. I'd be the first . I can talk Granddad into creating the position.

Alison could and often did shield her thoughts from him but not the wisfful hope in her eyes.

`If you're thinking of Flavia Bastianmajani, don't, he said and kissed her, loving her with mind, heart and soul. `She had other ideas even when we first met.' `She did?' Thian threw his head back, laughing at her indignation. `She's probably as assiduously pursuing her own way as I have been mine!' `A trained T-1 like Flavia?' `Sometimes, Mison-Anne, you astound me.

`Well, I like to be able to do just that, I can tell you, Prime thian Lyon, sir.

`Good. Come, astound me now. I think I've some free time to fill.' When Thian was called, late that evening, to make contact with Earth Prime, it was to ask permission to exchange the damaged Mrdini destroyer KLTS with the KLLM currently in Squadron D. That was agreed though the other two ships comprising the squadron were to be sent back to be refitted.

I'm told there's an adequate bng on board the Valparaiso so you can send those dissidents back and rid yourself of unnecessary baggage, Earth Prime added.

Thian had not liked that aspect of his responsibilities but it was now no secret that several attempts had been made to tamper with the Washington's missiles' guidance systems. Suspects had been interrogated by the NI officers, with Thian watching in a covert observation booth. In all but one case his Talent wasn't needed and, in that one, he had felt both distress and pity that the ensign, a young woman of otherwise inpeccable record in her duties in the engine complex of the Washington, felt it her duty to humankind to destroy the first of the Nebula class design because a ship that huge and powerful was against the wishes of the God her native planet revered.

How she had slipped through the careful screening of any candidate to the Space Academy became the subject of a dedicated search of both Naval Intelligence and the medical board. She was placed in the brig under maximum surveillance. She protested vehemently about the `paid', godless saboteurs that also occupied the accommodation.

They complained because she prayed both loud and long, trying to bring them to see the `light' and save their `souls'. Only bouts of laryngitis silenced her. And those, according to the officer in charge of the facility, never lasted long enough.

All the Fleet elements were now making their majestic way out of the system so blithely unaware of its escape from annihilation. One day a developing sentient species might wonder about the ring of debris about the outer moon.

In their ready room, Thian, Rojer and Clancy were toting up the potential power they could access to `port the Fleet to Squadron D's present location.

`Well, it's not that far,' Rojer was saying in an attempt to encourage himself. Gil and Kat were lounging on the couch beside him, playing one of the finger games with a piece of coloured string that often absorbed them.

`With ninety T-2s and 3s to spread out, plus the sixty 4s - and don't forget they're mainly kinetics, too strategically placed `There's none on any of the `Dini ships,' Clancy reminded them.

`So we haul them over last `That wouldn't sit well,' Rojer said.

`Look, Thian, you and Clancy haul the Washington. Give me ten 2s and twenty 3s and I'll `port Spktm. It's the mass of the Washington that's going to be the worst to `port. Even Constellations are easy after that.

`Or, I stay here in the Washington and send to you.' `Who's the T-2 on Squadron D?' Clancy asked.

Thian and Rojer gave him a weary look. `Stierlman!' `Oh!' Rojer lifted one shoulder in a shrug. `He hasn't lost anything sent him . .

. yet.

`Well, we sure don't want to aim the Washington at him all of a sudden,' Thian said.

Semirame KIoo and Alison-Anne arrived, off duty now, and Thian absently `ported in more drinks and finger foods for them.

`It's getting the experienced Talents in the right places to buffer the new ones who'll never have had a chance to merge.

`Then why don't you do a drill merge first?' KIoo said with a wicked grin at Thian in memory of a certain mock drill she'd pulled.

`Who? How? What?' Thian asked although he mindtouched his approval of her suggestion.

She tapped out a sequence on the terminal and a spatial view of the disposition of the Fleet came on screen. She sniffed and tapped at the destroyers in flank positions. `Change `em over. Switch the Athene with the Comanche. Just as an exercise.' Then she chuckled mischievously. `See how long it takes the crews to figure out what happened. Could be a bit of fun.' `I think,' Thian said, standing up, `I'd better check such a fleet manoeuvre with Captain Ashiant.' He was grinning with sheer devilment as he asked Ashiant for an immediate interview`More trouble, Thian?' Ashiant demanded, striding into the Talents' ready room almost as soon as he had broken off the call.

`No, sir, not trouble, just sorting out how to make the jump to join Squadron D with most efficient use of the Talents we've got. I'd like to have a trial merge and, say, switch the Athene with the Comanche.' `And see how long it takes them to realize they've been moved,' Rojer couldn't resist adding.

Ashiant looked from brother to brother, his broad face expressionless, hands behind his back.

`Might prove salutary at that. Proceed.' Thian waited a moment.

`Oh, I'd like to remain here, Ashiant added and then grinned, the cloth of his shipsuit beginning to wrinkle with his slow chuckle.

Immediately the two Primes swung onto their couches. `We'll try it, merging with just the Talents on each of the destroyers,' Thian explained. `Me with Athene and Rojer with the Comanche.' `No prior warning?' Ashiant asked.

`Just the code word. Ready when you are, Rojer.

Three, two, one, SAKI, the brothers broadcast and instantly felt the response of Talents: scrambling a little to obey the unexpected and unusual summons.

Switch!

Captain Ashiant, Commander KIoo, Lieutenant SG Greevy, and T-2

Clancy Sparrow stared at the display on the screen.

`Caught it!' Ashiant cried in triumph, clapping his hands together. `No more than a ripple. Now, let's see how `Captain Ashiant, there's been a fluctuation of some kind around the Athene and ` Vandermeer's voice broke off. `Sir, would you come to the bridge, please?' `On my way, First.' He turned back to the Talents just as the bridge door swooshed open, twisted his thumb upwards in an approving gesture and unexpectedly winked.

`Captain, it's very odd, and I don't know how it could have happened,' the Talents heard a perplexed Vandermeer saying, `but I could have sworn the Athene was in the starboard flank position . .

`Incoming message from the Athene, sir. . .` the com officer announced.

`Full marks to the Athene bridge crew, First,' Ashiant said in a calm voice, rippling with an undertone that the Talents had no problems identifying as suppressed amusement.

`Incoming query from the Comanche, sir - - `Tell them to hold their current new positions. A drill has been in progress. Full security was in force. Put the Comanche on . . . Ah, Captain Derynic, your bridge crew needs a bit of sharpening. The Athene reported the change of position a full two minutes before you did.

I want every crew fully alert. We may have defeated one Hive sphere but we've another one we know of out there, and we still are not positive they have no intercolonial communications of a nature we have yet to understand. Yours is the conn, First.' Ashiant returned to the Talent ready room. Once inside and the door closed, he enjoyed a hearty chuckle.

`I think that's a drill that's proved more efficacious than most I've ordered,' he said, coughing a bit into his hand as he finished his laugh. `Did it prove conclusive for you as well, Primes?' `Yes, indeed,' Rojer and Thian chorused.

`With a little more practice none of `em will hesitate, Thian added. `Now, sir, our problem becomes more a matter of protocol: which captain's ship goes first of the bigger ones. We've just proved we can swap destroyers with only their indigenous Talent merging.

`It's the mass that's the problem?' `Not as much as whose nose'll be out of joint by being left to last.

`That's no problem at all, Primes,' Ashiant said. `I'll give the orders and they'll be followed. Captain Spktm on the KSTS goes first, then Captain Germys and the Genessee. I'd want all the destroyers next, then the rest of the Galaxies, and the Washington last. How does that sound?' `Fine, sir. We'll need to rearrange some Talents to more critical positions `Any way you need `em `And it'll take two days to complete the `portation.

`That all?' Ashiant seemed mildly surprised.

Thian wasn't sure if the surprise was favourable or not.

`With respect, sir, Commander KIoo said, `the mass to be `ported is considerable.

`I wasn't complaining, KIoo.' Ashiant turned to Thian. `There is a Talent along with Squadron D, isn't there? To give you an assist?' `Yes, sir, we'll be in contact with him as soon as we've rearranged personnel. That'll take the rest of today.' Ashiant nodded and returned to his bridge, leaving the Talents gazing at each other in puzzlement.

`I don't think he really understands what's involved, Alison-Anne said thoughtfully.

`I'm not all that sure I do, either,' Thian said. He gave himself a shake and briskly started compiling lists of which key Talents would have to be moved and to which ship.

When Thian made contact, the mind of T-2 Stierlman on board Squadron D's Galaxy class ship, the Valparaiso, exhibited such surprise and consternation for the task to be performed that Thian immediately deleted the man from his range of key links. Stierlman's job at his end only required holding a firm mental tone as a beacon. The very mention of the proposed merge weakened Stierlman's touch to the tentativeness of a Tower novice. Thian's sister, Petra, would have been more use. How had Laria stood the man's indecisiveness for as long as she had?

The distance, Prime, it's the distances involved, Stierlman rabbited on. They keep getting longer and longer. We've no right to intrude so far from our homeworlds. We really don't.

They're so far away.

Then you'll be relieved to hear that the Valparaiso is scheduled to be returned to Phobos Base for refitting.

She is? And I can return with her? Hope strengthened his mental touch.

Most certainly. I would insist on it, Stierlman. You've been on such a long tour. Thian gritted his teeth as he `pathed that reassurance but he needed Stierlman able to operate for just two more days.

But how will we get back? We're such a long way out.

Oh, no problem, Stierlman. This fleet's Talent heavy, which wasn't accurate even though Thian felt that he'd reassigned the right people to the right positions. We'll be with you tomorrow. what's your current time?

Ah oh - - 1635.

Inform Captain Halstead that the Constellation Class AS KSTS, Captain Spktm, will be `ported to join you at 0800 your time tomorrow.

what do I have to do? A thin line of barely contained fear trembled in the mental voice.

Nothing, Stierlman, Thian said kindly. You `re already there and we've only to join you.

Two days later `we've only' was a choice of words that Thian with any of the `portations but it had been a draining process for the T-is and T-2s who bore the brunt of each merge.

The fact that each merge had different components also added to the strain on the merge focus. The second day, after a hasty conference, Thian `ported back specially selected 3s and 4s from those whose ships had already joined Squadron D. Rojer had gone to the KSTS to strengthen future links since Stierlman was useless.

Thian had reluctantly sent Alison-Anne to the Genessee with orders for her to report to the Valparaiso and find out what was wrong with Stierlman.

He had occasion to wonder if he shouldn't perhaps have brought the Washington across first and managed from there. But he had no cogent reason why that would have worked better. Especially once he managed the final and major merge that `ported the Nebula class ship.

Now, anyone wakes either Roj or myself any reason short of a Hiverfleet materializing in front of us, I'll kill `im.

So help me, I Thian sighed with immense relief as his heavy, hurting head touched the softness of his pillow and he was immediately asleep.

Though Alison-Anne swore herself blind that Thian had slept fourteen hours without moving, that his `Dinis had been up and about and eaten and were giving their usual tutorials, Thian was positive he had only just put his head to the pillow when she shook him awake.

`I am sorry, Thian, honey, but Rojer says you've got to talk to Earth Prime, too. It's real urgent.' She separated the last two words to emphasize them, her face so bad-news blank that he didn't want to `look' in his present half-conscious state. He drank the stimulant beverage she handed him, grateful that it was cool enough to drink off quickly.

He grabbed the clean ship suit she handed him and, slipping his feet into the soft-soled shoes he preferred, strode across the lounge to the ready room. He had worked the kinks out of his shoulders and his neck by the time the door opened for him. Both Rojer and Clancy were on their couches; Semirame KIoo leaned against the wall, arms crossed on her chest, watching their faces which were blank with concentration. She glanced briefly away from them as Thian entered and jerked her head for him to take his place fast.

He had already picked up the thread of mental message which the two were receiving.

inform the captains to prepare. I know the missiles are heavy work but you `re going to need all you can stuff on board Jeff sounded as if he'd let off a long whistle of Thian! Good morning, said Earth Prime, aware of his entry into the discussion. Briefly, I'll repeat what I've detailed to Rojer arid Clancy. Those warning beacons the squadrons have been setting in the heliopause of Hive-occupied worlds are going off one after another. Captain Soligen informs us that Squadron B is in pursuit of two and worried about another one or two coming up behind them. With only two Galaxy class and two destroyers, one of them minus significant numbers of its ordinary complement, she is not really equipped to tackle two or more Hivers and their complement of over-armed scouts. Nor does she have the new Hive-hull piercing missiles.

Did that mad `Dini captain set off in the captured sphere?

Thian thought with a groan. Did Captain Kimi have any armament?

Did Flavia tell it where we figured the missile controls were?

Easy, Thian. Flavia and the others `ported Klml into CThrf space a week ago. Laria says it arrived, scared the short hairs off half the `Dini population, but let's deal with your current situation. Thian had never heard quite that tone of voice from his grandfather before and concentrated on this briefing. With alarms going off all over the Alliance, the High Council is reluctant to send additional units to support you, despite the fact that you'll obviously have a fight on your hands even with the two squadrons already in your quadrant. But, before you give Captain Ashiant the good news, can you give me any information on this totally unexpected mobilization of spheres? High Council is rather - upset, you might say. Thian grinned, reassured by that flicker of Earth Prime's usual wry delivery. what's this Rojer was telling me about a new homeworld sun?

That looks a much more valid theory now that the Hivers have reacted. I'm also afraid that the theory that Hivers do not have communications just got knocked down a worm-hole.

amazement. The High Council is going to be scared shitless.

Not as badly as I am, sir. This Fleet set beacons, too, you know, and Commander Kloo just handed me a note which confirms that those four beacons have gone off With the two or three Captain Soligen can account for, we can now add another four, AND the one we're chasing.

Seven, possibly eight? And they can communicate with each other?

why now? Jeff sounded exasperated.

I think, sir, we've made the mistake of tpresuming' too much about the Hivers.

Obviously. Let's get back to this homeworld theory.

The Hivers' homeworld sun went nova. They sent out the three Hive spheres to find the right sort of primary with an M-5 planet to replace what they'd lost. The way we're seeing it now is that the original three spheres the `dinis came across were an advance group, spreading out to look for just the right primary which is why they by-passed so many likely colonial M-5s. The Great Sphere was following with everything else needed to set up the new base. So let's operate on the theory - because I don't want to presume anything I can't prove about the Hivers - that this Sphere Three is the lucky one and has located the primary they want with the sort of planet ùthey need. They are either inviting others to come see and/or want additional groups to secure the world. Or, and I like this -possibility less, Three knows it's being pursued and has broadcast for assistance, it being the last exploratory ship left.

ùOr all of them!

Oh! There was a pause while Jeff Raven assimilated that information. Well, we - the Alliance - certainly can't let them establish a new home base. look, inform Captain Ashiant of the situation within the Alliance. Assure him that we will supply whatever new missiles and material you can `port out there but he's got to make do with the two Fleet elements in that quadrant. The High Council is adamant that all other Fleet units remain deployed within the Alliance to counteract any Hive intrusions. I'll do all I can, personally and professionally, to help you, Thian.

Thank you, sir.

Damn it, boy, I didn't think I was letting you, any of you, in for a WAR! Jeff sounded more indignant than alarmed for their sakes.

Sir, we won't let you down!

Remember this, Primes, and Clancy, and I've said this to Flavia, you Talents are to preserve yourselves!

That we will, you may be sure of it. Thian put a good deal of strength in that assurance.

I'd better be, was Jeff Raven's final word.

Rojer and Clancy regarded Thian with sardonic expressions as they all sat at the end of that `pathing.

`And how are we going to do that, bra,' Rojer asked, `when we know the mortality rate of escape pods in a Hive encounter?' Thian started to chuckle, then his amusement so overcame him that he fell to one side on the couch while the others regarded him as if he'd lost his wits.

`Rojer you should . know what's so funny. You did it yourself We use a variant of the Genessee ploy! It's the only logical course of action! Hell, we know the insides of a sphere ship like we know a Tower.

All we have to do is get close enough. And not all that close either.

Semirame KIoo was actually the first to perceive what Thian was thinking and stared at him with an awed expression. `That's no way to fight a war, Thian Raven-Lyon!' `Who was it said that all's fair in love and war! Hell's bells, Rome, why should more than the enemy die in a war they started?' `The `Dini won't look at it quite the same way, Clancy reminded him. `They achieve honour destroying Hiver ships.

Thian dismissed that. `They still have the scouts to take out.

That'll give them glory enough. If I knew the insides of a scout as well as I do a sphere, we might be able to work out something inside `em, too.

`D'you think Ashiant will go along with this bright plan of yours?' KIoo asked sceptically.

`Well, I think it'd be best if we let them all steam a bit. It wouldn't be for me to act, as Grandmother says, like a cocky kid. But didn't the `Dinis approach us to form a mutual protection Alliance because we managed to defeat the sphere with no casualties on our side?' `What was it you said to Granddad, Thi?' Rojer asked, cocking his head at his brother. `About presuming something we don't know for sure?' `For one thing, Thian,' Clancy put in, `using our kinesis to shield against Hiver missiles has a finite limit - our individual strengths. I'll be frank. I'd about run out of the energy to keep up the necessary gestalt on the Franklin before the engagement ended.' Rojer nodded.

`Shielding ought not to be so great a problem. Look, let's inform Captain Ashiant. Even my solution's going to need more naval tactics than I know.' `Glad to hear you admit it, Thi,' said KIoo with approval. `But if I grasped your plan properly, it'd save a halacious amount of lives!' Ashiant heard the report with a blank expression but the way his eyes blinked rapidly from time to time and the way they moved over items on his desk told Thian, who knew him the best, that he was already mulling over available options. At the point where Thian said that the High Council was keeping all additional units in Alliance space, he grimaced and `hmmmd' deep in his throat.

`I can understand that,' he said, allowing the words to emerge on a long expelled breath. `We shall first take Earth Prime up on his offer to send us more missiles and whatever other supplies the Fleet needs topping up.' He tapped the connection to the bridge. `Mr Wasiq, please call a red emergency session of all captains, first officers, gunnery and commissary personnel. The Primes will be standing by to `port carriers to the Washington. Mr Vandermeer, clear the landing bay and be ready to receive human and `Dini visitors appropriately.' Having given the necessary preliminary orders, Ashiant sat very still, not even steepling his fingers as he sometimes did, his eyes unfocused but, if Thian couldn't read the thoughts, he was aware of intense mental activity ùAbruptly Ashiant rose and, with an odd explosion of breath from his slightly opened mouth, pulled the blouse of his shipsuit down.

`We have quite a job of work ahead of us, don't we?' Thian nodded.

Rojer, Clancy and KIoo shot Thian curious glances but he ignored them.

`Rojer, would you be kind enough to discover from Captain Soligen's Primes, what course setting she's currently on in her pursuit of the two spheres? If she knows which systems they emerged from, and where the third one might come from?' Then he looked at Thian. `Has Squadron B been informed of the total picture?' `Earth Prime was not specific on that point, sir.

Ashiant nodded. `Theri tell her, Rojer, and, as tacffully as possible, ask her to refrain from taking direct action. I think we have presumed too much from too little substantiated information -` Ashiant missed the look Thian received from the others, `. . . but from all the `Dinis know, a sphere does not initiate space attacks.

Let us hope they are, as has been their custom, singleminded in their current mission.

Ashiant began to pace then, hands behind his back.

`We don't yet know if their comparable primary has been discovered, do we? How far ahead could you `port a scout, Prime?' `Using the mass of Sphere Three as one reference point, we could possibly send it that much further beyond as the distance between our current position and the sphere's.' We've never done anything like that, Thian, Rojer said, his mind tone aghast with consternation.

I think we may have to do a lot of things that haven't been done before, Roj. But I know we could manage that.

The exchange was so brief that Thian did not miss Ashiant's reply.

`We might be in a tactically superior position if we could establish exactly where the sphere is headed.

I know I would feel a considerable relief if that could be ascertained.

`Excuse me, sir,' Kloo said, `but we don't even know what they're looking for. How would we be able to find what they haven't?' `Since we now have a sizeable file on what they haven't wanted, perhaps any G-star registering odd fluctuations or variations or sun-spot activity, or aberrations not listed, would be worth staking out. This third sphere - and for the first time since receiving news of the unfavourable developments, Captain Ashiant vented agitation. `Bells!

Gentlemen, this is Operation Number Three. So, Number Three will undoubtedly have to make a course correction at some point. If advance scouts - we d best deploy all we have `and he paused to look queryingly at Thian who nodded with more energy than he felt for such a project.

`We will be in a better position to cover possible objectives.

KIoo, you'll command the Revere and, when you assemble your crew, include Lieutenant-Commander Langio. She's the best astrogator, and whatever other personnel might be useful in that aspect. I'll have to let other captains have their byte on selections but you're mine.

KIoo looked briefly towards Clancy but caught Thian's quick head shake and, saluting, retired from the room.

The comunit buzzed then. `Sir,' said the com officer, Eki Wasiq, `we've replies from everyone and most are ready to lift on the "go" from the Primes.' Ashiant nodded to the three Talents. `I'll want all three of you at this strategy conference, too.' Do we know what we `re getting ourselves in for, bra? Rojer asked, echoing the sentiments Clancy held clear to be seen as the three jogged back to their ready room.

No, but we've done pretty well so far, handling matters as they come, haven't we? Thian said with a grin as he swung his feet up on the couch and began to lean into the generators for gestalt. He would use as much artificial help as he could, to spare his energies for what he was undoubtedly to be saddled with all too soon. And I'm Just as scared as you are.

Neither Prime was at all surprised when their `Dinis entered the room and settled beside them as if on guard.

`Who're we to pick up first, Mr Wasiq?' Thian asked.

`Give them to us in batches of threes, please.

`Ah, well, Spktm, Prim and Ktpl sound awful eager `Is there a `Dini officer available to greet them properly?' `Aye, sir.' Take `em in order, Thian said to Rojer and Clancy and reached out to grasp the `Dini carrier from the Constellation KSTS.

`All in neatly, Thian,' Wasiq said, a note of relief in his voice.

`Next are Captains Shepherd, Cheseman and Germys.' All were on board within fifteen minutes and, as the Talents rose from their couches, Alison-Anne appeared with a tray of high-protein bars and more stimulants.

`I told Commander Exeter that you'd need watching, she said, glaring at the three, `and you will! Even your `Dinis know something big's up.' They don't know the half of it, do they? Thian said grinning as he grabbed up some of the bars and deposited them in his thigh pockets and drained the beverage. Rojer and Clancy followed his example.

`Gravy,' he added, grasping her elbow, so she'd at least get an empathic reading of the urgency of the day, `get in touch with all T-2s and T-3s and have them alert and ready for unexpected duties.' Do I use the code?

Not yet. We've got the strategy meeting to get through first But if any 2s and 3s are slated for one of the scouts Rome can have her choice, but I'll want to clear on anyone else first. I'll need the best of kinetics here.

Alison-Anne nodded in response and, while Thian would have liked a quick embrace from her to sustain him, he approved of her moving immediately to carry out his orders.

Rojer, make that `path to Flavia and find out what the captain wanted to know from Captain Soligen.

Right. It won't take long. I don't want to miss a moment of this meeting.

Rojer arrived with that information and gave it to Captain Ashiant just as Thian began repeating the message pathed to him by Earth Prime, along with Captain Soligen's situation. The three Primes setfied back then, to wait until the initial reaction was over and Captain Ashiant called for comments on appropriate tactics. As Thian listened to opinions, options and, more importantly, the almost over-confident optimism of humans, he was half sorry that the recent skirmish with the second sphere and its scouts had ended so successfully. Everyone had recovered from the original scare.

Confidence was useful - in moderation. Presumption, and the Mrdini commanders were the worst in that area, could lead to disaster.

`Prime Thian!' His name jolted him out of his contemplation.

`Sir?' and he swivelled in his chair to face Captain Shepherd of the Vadim.

`Did you identify any communications facility on the control board of the Refugee?' `No, sir, but there was a lot of sort of end-of-the-row positions whose function had not been identified at the conclusion of our assignment.

`Can you find out if such a function has now been recognized?' `I will query Earth Prime on that point, sir. And when Captain Shepherd looked as if he expected Thian to perform his contact then and there, he added, `With respect, Captain, Prime's time is at a premium within the Alliance so I was asked to collect all pertinent data for one sending.

`Oh! Yes, I quite understand though that should be a priority question,' the older man said, his prominent eyebrows nearly touching over the bridge of his nose as he fumed quietly over a delay.

I`Indeed it is, sir, and I'm certain High Council has the Phobos Base working all the hours of a day to discover what and how.' `What good would that do, Shepherd?' Cheseman Iaskedlunfly. `We wouldn't have the foggiest what they were saying even if we did access their communications frequency?' Shepherd considered that but refused to concede.

`We'd at least know when they were contacting each other, and, if we could determine the direction, be warned from what other quadrants we might expect additional units to join Number Three. I'll be candid, Cheseman, Ashiant, one sphere posed enough problems. We may have the state-of-the-art missiles which have now proven effective, but the possibility of eight - or more such ships, plus twenty-four of those over-kill scouts makes a formidable adversary.' `We have reinforcements `Germys began, pausing to frown at the ensign who entered as discreetly as possible to give Ashiant a note.

Shepherd took advantage of that pause and sprang in with: ` Who are themselves not in a favourable situation with a possible third sphere coming up their ass. And what's this, Ashiant, about sending the scouts out ahead of Number Three, to try to find the one G-star in I don't know how many astronomical lengths ahead of us that these spheres could be homing in on? If that is what they're doing? And what is their sudden mass mobilization all about? Frankly, I think they're assembling a punitive force to despatch this Fleet and end its threat to their colonial expansionism!' `Captain,' and Spktm rose to its full height, `what the Hivers do now has never been seen in the two hundreds of years that we have been opposing them. We Mrdini find ourselves in accord with the theory that the three spheres and the Great Sphere went in search of a homeworld to replace the one that was burned up. It is regrettable that the specific nature of that primary is unknown - Ashiant rose, bowing apologies to Spktm for an interruption in its peroration. `As to that, honoured Captain, the specific nature of the Hive primary is known.' He smiled as everyone eagerly awaited his next words and waved the note in his hand. `As you know, we've been examining the systems which the Hivers have by-passed, but one of our bright young astronomically inclined ensigns, Cyra Charteris, hit on the notion of examining tapes from the astronomical files of the Hive quadrant and comparing them with those taken by your good seW Spktm, while at the nova site. We now know that primary's spectrum signature!' His ringing voice echoed in the brief silence.

Then everyone began to talk at once.

`Then I see no bar at all to sending the scouts out to home in on that star before Number Three can,' Shepherd said, almost shouting to be heard.

`We approve,' Spktm said, raising its voice above the second spate of excitement. `But,' and it raised its flipper-like arm, its digits displaying in a fan-like motion, `there are still eight spheres to be disabled, preferably before any reach this star. They would fight more fiercely than ever before to protect it. And to deny us the way to such a reverent destination.' `They will fight with madness never seen,' Prim said.

`Even the new missiles might not work.' `They'll work, all right,' Thian said, suddenly rising to attract everyone's attention, `-if they're put where they will do the most damage and that is a Talent we possess!' That momentary silence was broken by a burst of laughter from Commander Yngocelen of the Vadim.

`Thian Lyon, you have made my day!' And he gave a triumphant whoop of delight, jumping to his feet.

`Don't you all see what the Prime proposes? I mean, with that technique, it doesn't matter a hoot in hell how many spheres come after us, they get a missile where it'll do the most good and booom!' He clapped his hands together and then extended his arms outward.

`This is the Genessee ploy in a new guise. And it means we don't even have to get in range of any sphere to destroy it. We'll only need to know where it is! Thian, Rojer and Clancy here plant the missile hey, it doesn't even have to be a missile `Which actually wouldn't fit in a sphere engine room - Rojer remarked, grinning at Yngocelen's enthusiasm.

- Whatever,' and Yngie flicked that minor detail away with one long-fingered hand. `The package can be delivered and the sphere is history!' `BUT THAT IS NOT THE WAY MRDINIS FIGHT HIVE SHIPS, said Captain Ktpl of the Galaxy class KLTS. Its fur ruffled in agitation and it looked across to Spktm who was still on its feet, glancing from one human speaker to another.

MOST RESPECTED SIR,' Thian said first to Spktm and, bowing to Ktpl, `MRDINIS SOUGHT HUMAN AID BECAUSE WE DESTROYED A HIVE SPHERE WITH NO LOSS OF LIFE AMONG US. NO HUMAN BLOOD WAS SPILT. TOO MUCH MRDINI BLOOD HAS BEEN SPILT IN TWO HUNDREDS OF YEARS. NOW IS THE TIME TO END THAT WASTE OF COLOUR'S BLOOD AND SPEND YOUR TIME FINDING NEW WORLDS ON WHICH TO LIVE AT PEACE. YOU SOMETIMES FIND OUR CAUTION COWARDLY - . A rumble of protest from as many human throats as Mrdini briefly interrupted him. `BUT WE HUMANS DO NOT RE-CREATE AS MRDINIS MAY SO WE ARE CAREFUL OF THE ONE LIFE WE HAVE.' Thian wondered whether he had overstepped the bounds to inteiject that fact but he had to assume all Mrdinis of Spktm's, and probably Prim's, status would know of the re-creation of Kat and Gil. `THERE WILL BE FIGHTING ENOUGH TO SATISFY HONOUR BUT FEWER DEATHS TO CAUSE GRIEF. LET US HUMANS DO WHAT YOU SOUGHT US OUT TO DO - DESTROY THE HIVER THREAT WITH THE LEAST POSSIBLE LOSS OF ALLIANCE MEMBERS.

The few human captains and commanders who had not followed all his impassioned speech were quickly given its gist. Even Shepherd looked approving. Spktm bowed to Thian from its mid-section with great dignity and resumed its chair, thus acknowledging Thian's points.

Hey, bra, good points!

Thian, you're marvellous, came Alison-Anne's comment.

I'm with you, Lyon, was KIoo's enthusiastic acknowledgement.

This is supposed to be a high-level top-secret strategy meeting but, Kloo, kiss that ensign of yours who had the wits to compare astronomical tapes!

Not quite. I'll leave that for you or Rojer!

Ashiant rose and banged the gavel to restore order.

`I observe that most of us here are in accord with Prime Lyon's excellent suggestions, although I'm sure he'll be the first to admit that we haven't solved all the tactical problems facing us. But our priorities are now clearly defined. Yngocelen, figure out what sort of payload would be needed to destroy a sphere if `ported into the engine room.

`I'd need a few details but, considering the fuel Hive ships use, a rather compact package of the right stuff would set off a fuel reaction nothing could stop.' The gunnery officer was unable to stop grinning at such a satisfactory prospect.

`Do we have the requisite components on board?' `Sir, I believe we do.' `That's all well. Our Talents need to reserve their energies for exportation rather than importations.

Ashiant's little witticism took a moment to sink in but Rojer caught it and gave a laugh which he tried to smother behind both hands.

A few more chuckles allowed Ashiant to grin in response. `So, I've preempted the Revere for my scout crew, you gentlemen had best decide on how to man the other five scouts the Washington carries so we can implement the next task on our list - finding the damned star now we know what its spectrum is.' Thian took that opportunity to lean towards Ashiant.

`Sir, if I may excuse myself briefly to inform Captain Soligen of the diy `The diy, Prime?' `Yes, sir, the destroy-it-yourself. . .

Captain Soligen

it's missing here. So what's this variant on the Genessee

will be very anxious to deal with those three spheres as soon as possible and she should. Who knows how many more we'll have to deal with! She's got the Talent to get the ah exportations A flicker of a smile crossed Ashiant's face. `By all means, inform her of the strategy, Prime. And also inform Earth Prime. Some of those anxious boots back in Alliance territory can take the byte and use it themselves to good advantage.' `I'll ask about communications, too, sir.

Ashiant flicked his hand to speed Thian on his message round.

Stay, Rojer, Clancy, and keep our end up!

Thian made contact with Flavia on the Columbia.

Didn't Rojer give you the course headings? We'll let you know the moment they alter, Flavia began, somewhat startled to have two contacts in such a brief time.

No, we got that and the ones you're chasing are on the same heading Number Three is. However, I've got good news.

Can you get Captain Soligen in with you so you can voice to her what I'm about to say? She can think up her questions as we go along.

She happens to be in here right now, Thian, so go ahead.

Flavia, you know how a Genessee ploy works? Well, we've got a variant to try on the spheres fore and aft of you. Are the ones you're pursuing very far ahead?

No, and Vesta's closing the gap daily. I once thought Klml was rngger-happy, but sight of two strong ion trails have altered not only Hptml until its poll eye's gonefuchsia, but Captains Steverice and Hsiang are nearly as bloodthirsty. They want those spheres worse than Klml wanted the one it got. And I'll bet that's one bad-tempered `Dini in Cia thinking of what gambit?

When Thian had explained, he could hear her startled exclamation and possibly an echo from Captain Soligen. And the relief that flooded her mind. She'd been trying to sound so cool and composed. Now he realized that she'd been as scared as he had been until he figured out the advantage Talent was giving both elements of the Fleet. Indeed, the entire Alliance.

what did you just say to Flavia, Thian? Zara demanded.

She's sounding like she's in pain but she's grinning as if you proposed or something.

I didn't propose marriage, little sister, but listen.

By the time he had explained the stratagem, her mind was focusing tight on his words.

Thian, that's marvellous news, Flavia said. You can't hear how everyone is cheering.

Now, let's not celebrate prematurely. I don't want anyone presuming we've got the upper hand what else would you call it, Thian?

Flavia demanded.

We've skills they don't have and never will have, given their mind set.

There's still the scouts to contend with, and who knows how many other sphere ships will come on course. And the Hivers do communicate together on some level what good would that do us, Thian? Flavia replied.

None of us know what medium they use for communication.

The queen made sounds, Zara said, an odd note in her mental tone.

There were tapes and tapes made of her clicks and stutters and glottal stops. I know I'm in a minority, but I still feel sorry for that one and I'm not ashamed of myself for it.

Nor should you be ashamed of a genuine act of empathic kindness, Thian replied firmly, sensing Zara's curious ambivalence. She had, after all, saved the queen once without ever understanding how she knew why she felt so compelled to act. Did anyone ever make any sense out of those sounds, Zara? Thian asked kindly.

Noooo, Zara admitted in a melancholic tone, then more briskly, Have any of you bright boys figured out the frequency on which they communicate?

Thian chuckled. I'll bet they're swarming the Refugee right now trying to figure that out. Probably going over the one Klml brought back to Clarf. Look, I've got to tell Granddad all this, and get him off the hook, with the Alliance in a state of utter panic. One of us will get back to you as soon as Commander Yngocelen's figured out the specifications of the surprise package.

You know, it's so strange how things work out, Thian, Flavia said.

If we hadn't worked on the Refugee, we'd never be able to do what we are about to do.

Though Thian felt the same reverent awe that she expressed, he could never have stated it. He was glad that she could.

And if you hadn't been forced to action at Xh-33, we'd not have had a useful strategy, Thian added.

Oh, someone would have thought of something else.

Well, there're more minds to merge this time round.

By the Cluster, Thian, against how many spheres? Flavia sounded aghast at that prospect. It's just as well there re more sensible alternatives available!

She broke off contact then and her final indignant remark left him chuckling. He wasn't chuckling by the time his grandfather, very much Earth Prime throughout the lengthy interview, had winkled every scrap of all the conversations Thian had overheard in the Washington's ready room, and had Thian repeat his reply to Spktm - a rhetoric which made Thian squirm on the couch as he recited it. Verbatim it sounded more pompous and impassioned than it had when the phrases and ideas had just formed in his mind and issued from his mouth.

Then there was that long pause before Jeff spoke again, more Granddad than Prime.

I concur with Flavia, Thian lad. There has been a remarkable inevitability, starting at Deneb years ago, that leads inexorably to this confrontation. Perhaps the Hivers had had warning as far back as Deneb that their sun would turn nova.

You may be sure the High Council will be relieved to hear of this turn of events. Not to mention every other fnghfrned citizen of this Alliance. And grateful to you and that young astronomer ù ù ù what was his name? You didn't mention it.

Her name is Cyra Charteris.

Thank you. ffAshiant doesn't give her afield promotion, she'll get official word of one very soon. So get on with the workings and keep me up to speed. Or let Clancy make the contact if it's just information. Spare yourself as much as possible. You're in the catbird seat out there, boy. How do you like it?

No more than you ever did, sir. But I'm here.

And I - ù ù am here for you, Thian.

Thian never knew until much later who decided the deployment of the Washington's scouts, but the three Talents, with a little help from three T-2s brought in to the ready room for this mass `portation, got the six scouts into their assigned positions.

None of the Talents liked using Number Three as the reference point - they all caught the heavy stinggpzzt - but they got the scouts safely past that obstacle without alerting the sphere to their passage.

Yngocelen had the help of every other munitions expert in the Fleet. Late that night, when he came to the Tower ready room so he could be present while Thian passed the requisite instructions to Captain Soligen, he told the Talents that it took more time to hear everyone 5 theories than it did to make up sufficient `surprise packages' `We made a lot more than I hope we'll ever need,' Yngocelen said, shrugging his bony shoulders and grinning. `But hell, once we got started, we kinda just continued. They're compact, handy little mothers!' He grinned again and then yawned.

`Don't do that,' Thian said, answering yawn with yawn as he slipped onto the couch.

Oh I'm so glad to hear from you, Thian, Flavia said. We've got three behind us unless our sensors are seeing triple Don't fret. Is Captain Soligen near by? your gunnery officer?

I called Rhodri. He can take down the information and save you more effort. You're tired.

Never mind. Link with Rhodri so he can ask any relevant questions. Here's the way Yngocelen's made the surprise package.

Hey, coz came the unmistakable tones of Rhodri Eagles, that is one neat little dealie. We've got everything on board, too. Ah, Captain just arrived. I'll see f' she has any queries.

Oh, Thian, will this work? Flavia was trying very hard to maintain her usual composure.

These men know what they're doing with explosives. And we know how to deliver. Remember where there're all those connecting pipes in Refugee's engine room, Flavia?

Yes, yes, I do.

That's where you plant it. Detonation can be set just before you `port it. Yngie suggests no more than five seconds because it just might be noticed. They see better in the dark than we do.

I've got that. Captain Sohgen sends you her most profound thanks and Lieutenant-Commander Searles says it's neat, easily assembled and he's just left to do it. Vesta says she's going to do the ones behind us first. She says it makes her nervous having those things rolling up our backs ides.

I'd agree. Clancy's taking the first watch so let him know what happens.

There was a brief pause when Thian knew that Flavia had not yet broken the contact.

Good luck, Thian Lyon!

Good luck right back at you, Flavia Bastianmajani! And give Rhodri a chance to help `port. He'll never stop bragging but that'd be better than his complaining he was left out.

I had actually decided to bring him in on it. Flavia's mental tone held a ripple of amusement.

While Thian slept, curled around Alison-Anne, with Mur and Dip snuggled against his back, he had good dreams. And while he slept, Flavia, with assists from Rhodri and her brother - Zara flatly refused to have anything to do with the `portations - delivered the packages.

`She said,' Clancy reported to Thian over breakfast, `that everyone joined the countdowns and saw the distant bursts that marked the destruction. Captain Soligen reports all four spheres removed and she's running at top speed to join us. Flavia said that Earth Prime was delighted.' He waited a beat, ducking his head, his expression full of chagrin. `I thought we should have waited until you were awake and could do the honours. Rojer spoke out, too, but once Yngie had assembled the bombs, Spktm couldn't wait to see if they'd work so Captain Ashiant ordered us to despatch em.

`What're you looking like that for, then, coz? You didn't muff the job, did you?' `Hell, no!' Clancy said on a nervous laugh, but I really think it was totally unfair for you not to be able to plant one.

Thian gave Clancy an affectionate clout on the shoulder. `So long as you left Number Three for me - and he fixed his cousin with a stern stare.

Clancy raised his hands and recoiled slightly at the thought of such perfidy.

`OK, then! Relax. So long as Number Three's mine!' `Only because Captain Ashiant wants to be sure, said Rojer, joining them then, `it leads us to the right star.

`Twinkle, twinkle, little star. Tell me, please, which one you are!' Clancy said, grinning with devilment.

The two Primes groaned in unison.

Any word on which?' Thian asked.

`Not yet, but we've got six scouts doing broad sweeps and it can't take for ever - - - If Number Two had to stop to resupply, Number Three must be running low, too.

`Maybe she did,' Clancy said. `Wasiq had been running through D's log tapes and found that they had lost the trail for about three weeks and had to trawl ù around to pick it up again.' `Stierlman never mentioned that.' `Well, it's in the official log.' `Bet Ashiant was furious,' Thian said, cursing Stierlman.

`With Captain Halstead, not Stierlman. At least they found the ion trail again.

Thian sighed. `How far behind Number Three are we hanging?' `Far enough so there's no chance of any known sensors picking us up on Number Three.

`But, if they do have communications `Look, bra, the spheres that got blown up wouldn't have had time to send a click, clack or clatter!' `A lack of communications from ships known to have been operable and following Number Three would make the rest of them suspicious,' Thian said, running an impatient hand through his hair, and hauling back into place the white lock that was always falling in his eyes.

`Ashiant feels the same way,' Clancy said and then shrugged. `But they won't know what took `em out. I'd say Great-Uncle is making sure none leave Alliance space. Ashiant ordered the KLTR and the Comanche to hang back and sweep for any late arrivals.' `So, it's a waiting game again, is it?' Thian said.

`Looks that way,' Clancy replied.

`We can always pass the time making up a few more packages, Thi,' Rojer suggested. `We don't know how many Hiver colonies there are, or how many spheres lurk on our way to Paradise Regained.' The Franklin, crewed by a mixture from the Vadim and the Galaxy KLTS, discovered Number Three's destination: a youngish G-type star, matching the original Hiver primary within .0378 disparity in its spectrum which the astrogators considered close enough. It had eleven planets, two of them with the suitable atmospheres and the correct proportion of land mass to sea that Hivers preferred, in the M-5 and M-6 positions.

The sphere would shortly have to make a course alteration if this were, indeed, the primary it sought.

Tension mounted in the Fleet while reports from Captain Soligen that she had `surprised' another sphere coming up behind her added to the dismay of those wanting to reach confrontation.

Captain Ashiant broadcast ship-wide that as soon as Number Three made that course correction to approach the heliopause of that system, they would intercept it.

As a precaution, he asked Thian to arrange the `portation of Captain Spktm and the KSTS and two Galaxy class, the KLTL and the Vadim, and the destroyers KLTS and the Comanche, in case Number Three sent her three scouts out ahead of her to confirm the suitability of the system. He recalled the furthest ranging scouts but let the Franklin and the Revere remain with the task force.

Jeff Raven reported phenomenal success with the Genessee ploy and Captain Osullivan was reassigned to one of the newly commissioned Constellation class ships to play an active part in the defence of the Alliance. His old crew toasted their former captain with considerable enthusiasm, with Captain Germys springing for the beverages served. If Rojer looked a little smug, since it was he who had actually originated the Genessee ploy, no-one who knew that denied him that right.

Since Zara remained `unavailable' for the offensive manoeuvre, Captain Soligen redeployed her squadron to cover a larger area of space. Asia and Mallen Bastianmajani were transferred to the KMTM and Rhodri and Jes to the Valparaiso: the two Galaxy class ships hung slightly back of the Columbia's centre and she was guarded by the two destroyers as she maintained her course following the ion trail of Number Three, the main Fleet ahead of her.

Only one more sphere ship met its end by their method but, to the chagrin of the main Fleet, it gave Squadron B an impressive total without a single casualty.

`Number Three's slowed,' Ashiant said over the comunit to the Talents. `She's hanging outside the heliopause. Ah, now she's deploying her scouts. Could she have sensor readings of our forward elements?' `Whether she has or not, sir, will it make any difference now when she receives the package?' Thian asked, striding towards his couch. This one's mine, remember!

Gee, can't we watdi? Rojer asked in a pesky kidbrother voice.

`Commander Yngocelen, here, Prime Thian, package is ready to go.

`Thank you, Commander.' Thian settled himself', caught the gestalt of the generators, `found' the explosive package where it sat on the floor of the landing bay, sent his mind ahead to the darkness of Number Three's engine room, the macaroni junction of tubes and pipes and `ported the package there.

One . . . and Rojer had jumped to the terminal to activate the forward-view screen.

`Two,' Thian said, racing on long legs to the bridge door. When he got there, Ashiant was saying `Three' The bridge crew, eyes on the main view screen, chorused `Four!' Rojer, Clancy, four `Dinis and Alison-Anne crowded at the entrance as everyone said `Five!' The screen showed the vivid blossoming of the distant explosion, tiny though it was at this distance.

The screen cleared more rapidly than perhaps the watchers could wish at this moment of ultimate triumph, but the after-image of that dramatic climax to a long search would be remembered often in the mind's eye. No-one felt like cheering, but there were sighs of relief to be heard around the bridge and thoughtful expressions on every face.

`Mr Wasiq, check with the KSTS to see if the scouts got away,' Ashiant said, breaking the silence. Other muted sounds on the bridge indicated the resumption of normal duties.

`Sir, Captain Spktm and the other ships have engaged two of the scouts, the third was caught in the blast destroying Number Three. The captain believes that the scouts received some damage `With no Minds to guide them, of course they have, Thian murmured.

and the Vadim and the KLTS have launched a barrage. Sir, Captain Spktm reports the demolition of both remaining scouts.

`Operation Number Three completed, Ashiant said quietly.

As Thian lay on the couch, readying himself to report Captain Ashiant's words to Earth Prime, he felt none of the sense of triumph he had anticipated. Relief was the dominant emotion, relief from tension, strain, apprehension, uncertainty. This phase of the centurieslong struggle against Hiver aggrandizement no longer threatened the Alliance. But there were all those other Hive planets, and who knew how many spheres waiting until their populations had swelled to the point where yet another planet would have to be `prepared' to receive the Hive species. That could be his job for the rest of his life: finding all those myriad colonies.

Not necessarily, Thian, came his grandfather's voice softly in his mind. Though I'm sure you could pick whatever Prime opportunity you choose.

You know Number Three's gone?

I read that. I also perceived your state of mind and on that you have my most sincere compliments. You are a credit to our calling and to your family. A war where only the enemy dies!

Thian was startled to hear his own phrase repeated, though the thought would have occurred to more than one person who disliked unnecessary violence.

We have won this part of the war, Thian lad, but only this part.

if it gives your mind any ease, a great many people, wise and simple, are trying to find out how to control the population pressure on Hive worlds, in that way reducing the species' need to colonize, eliminating their aggressiveness.

Either is preforable to their solution for hfr on other planets, Thian said.

War-weary, are you?

Weary, yes, sir.

How about finding new worlds humans and `Dinis can live on, either together or by the species?

There are a couple of hot-sun worlds the `dinis can have all to themselves, sir. I gather that we are to explore all possible colonial systems on our way back?

Yes, those are the official orders to relay to Captain Ashiant, plus his promotion to Admiral of the Fleet.

Thian grinned, feeling pleasure at such a task pushing back the various types of relief that had dominated his present mood.

meanwhile, the sociologists and bios and xenobs and all the rest of that strata of reparational specialists will be using the data the Fleet has amassed to see if we can't come up with a solution to containing, but not necessarily restricting, Hivers to their current colonies.

Zara would like that part especially.

There was a beat of a pause. Yes, I suspect with her ambivalence, she would and she may join them in that research, especially if she's a burden on Captain Sohgen and Flavia.

You might, sir, transfer Rojer to the Columbia !if' you reassign Zara to a research situation.

The little Asia enters into that suggestion?

She does.

Well, the degree of ousinship is not a detriment, and Thian thought his grandfather sounded mildly pleased and surprised. Hmmm.

Both squadrons will now be assigned colonial explorations but I see no reason to put the boy through any more emotional stress than he's already had. He likes Asia that much?

Sir, he's very protective of her. Either a steady dose will cure him or consolidate his current interest.

You don't like Asia? This was definitely Grandfather talking.

She's sweet and engaging and, when she's out of shy mode, she can be fun but She's not your type.

In a word, yes. And, Grandfather, I've got my own plans.

So I understand, Thian. And we approve.

Abruptly, although a chuckle echoed distantly, Jeff Raven had broken the contact.

ROjER! CLANCY! Thian shouted. Did either of you mention - ?

YOU THINK WE'RE CRAZY! The two Talents answered in unison and Rojer burst through the door to the Tower room, glaring at Thian that he'd believe him guilty of such an indiscretion.

Then how the hell does Grandfather know about AlisonAnne?

Rojer shrugged. `How the hell does Grandfather know half of what he does? He just does and what did he just tell you? Thanks, maybe?' Don't be cocky, boy, Thian said, with a grin and a punch on his brother's arm as he passed him on his way to Captain Ashiant's ready room down the hall.

Well, give us a clue, wontcha? Clancy added his complaint to Rojer's.

Thian heaved a sigh as he knocked politely on the captain's door.

just listen in. I get so tired of having to repeat things - ù `Captain Ashiant, the compliments of Earth Prime who forwards the deep thanks and appreciation of the High Council and all Alliance citizens for the speedy settlement of this threat to our civilizations.' Ashiant regarded Thian for a long moment.

`Is that really what he said they said?' `Well, sir, if not, that's how it should have been phrased. Earth Prime is deeply relieved that, as he did say, this is a war where only the enemy died.' `Not quite, but near enough to make it a valid comment,' Ashiant said, nodding acceptance.

Then Thian grinned broadly. `I've also the happy duty to inform you that you have just been promoted to the rank of Admiral of the Fleet in recognition of your services.

`Prime, I don't take kindly to practical jokes.' `No joke, sir, not to you, Captain Ashiant.' `Admiral, hmmm?' and Ashiant swung his chair around so that, when Thian next saw his face, it was as composed as ever, save for a brief upward slant of the corner of his mouth. He tugged at the blouse of his shipsuit. `That's rather good news and certainly an honour.' `Aye, aye, Admiral, sir, an honour to your family, your colour and everyone serving under you.

`If you don't mind, Prime, I think we had best wait until this has been officially confirmed, but I thank you for apprising me of it.' There was another polite tap on the door but First Officer Vandermeer did not even wait for Ashiant's response before she entered, holding out the usual documents corner.

`This just `ported in, sir, and it's addressed to "Admiral Ashiant"! Sir!' Face wreathed with a broad and happy smile, she handed him the narrow carrier with her left hand while snapping him one definitely high-class salute.

`Well,' Ashiant said, uncapping the cylinder and taking out the tightly rolled official document, `well,' and he unrolled it, `well, and so it says.' `May I be the first to congratulate you, Admiral Ashiant?' Vandermeer said, tears of pride in the corners of her eyes.

`Why, that's splendid news, Admiral Ashiant,' Thian said quickly, stepping forward and holding out his hand.

`I'm honoured to be present on such a felicitous occasion. My sincerest congratulations, Admiral Ashiant, for a well-deserved promotion!' Ashiant cocked a sardonic eyebrow at the Prime but there was no way Thian would have deflated Vandermeer's moment.

The news was -all over the ship before Thian finished the further report and the orders he was to relay from Earth Prime. It didn't matter that Rojer and Clancy had been instrumental in its dissemination. The promotion was official and everyone went about their duties grinning: Ashiant was a popular man.

`So, our orders are to make our quadrants of this great galaxy safe for us harmless human and `Dini colonists,' Rojer said when they were all back in their quarters.

Thian was grooming Mur and Dip, a pleasant task he enjoyed but had had little time to do.

`We signed up for a five-year mission,' Thian reminded him.

`That could have some dangerous moments, too, Clancy said in a hopeful tone. `But Cousin Raven's correct. There's a lot more to be done to see if we can't alter the Hivers sufficiently to reduce the threat they pose.

`Did those boffins at Phobos Base discover how to communicate with the spheres?' Rojer asked, remembering that unresolved line of endeavour.

`Who knows? We destroyed all the spheres they could have talked to. But there's got to be some way to establish contact.

Communication might even explain to them - in a much nicer way that what they're doing isn't currently acceptable social behaviour,' Clancy said facetiously. `That would settle the problem and we'll divvy the available M-5 worlds equally among us.

`Only the Hivers would want to be more equal than the rest of us,' Rojer said. `They breed faster.' By evening, everyone knew of Ashiant's promotion and he had to tour the messes on all the nearby ships to take the toasts due his new rank. When Alison-Anne got off duty, Rojer insisted that he could as easily `port the Admiral wherever he needed to go so Thian should go enjoy dinner with Gravy and Clancy.

`You know, don't you,' Alison said, a certain remonstrating tone in her voice as she fixed Thian with what she called her `nurse glare', `that you should have had the promotion? You're the one that thought of the idea that got Ashiant his promotion.' `Come on, now, honey,' Thian said, putting his fingers on her mouth and trying to make it curve up into a smile. `Ashiant deserves his admiral stars. Don't deny him.

`But does he realize that without you Primes,' and she included Clancy in her gaze and rattled her fingers at Rojer in the ready room, he'd be in deep kimchee right now with spheres doing billiard balls, with him the 8 ball.' `Honey,' and Thian's voice raised above her unexpected championship of Talents. He patted the chair beside him for her to take. `We're all in the same boat, win or lose. We did win, if that's what killing all your enemy is about.' With a deft snake of his arm, he pulled her to his lap though her body resisted him, tense and unrepentant. He kissed the nape of her neck and felt her give just a little. `Look at it from my point of view, han. I'm just not supposed to be a combatant at all. I'm supposed to `port and `path and that's all I did.' `Yes, but that's what won the war for Ashiant and all of us, love. And that's the only time in my life I hope I'll have to do that! Don't you?' He tried to turn her head towards him so he could look her in the eye. And then, those tactics unsuccessful, he tried another one.

I've asked Grandfather to send Rojer to the Columbia and Asia.

He's really missing her ù `Oh, did you, Thian darling!' She was suddenly supple in his arms again and twisted to put hers around his neck.

Neither noticed Clancy's discreet withdrawal, with Mur and Dip, through the ready room.

`Oh, what a marvellous idea. I mean, we've still got years of this mission and I think Rojer's really and truly in love with her Thian was more interested in cuddling Alison's pliable form than her opinions about his brother's love.

I know it hasn't come up between us recently, he said kissing her lovingly to end the unprofitable conversation, but isn't it nice to be able to talk together the way we are and still be able to kiss?

Hmmmm, was her response as he picked her up in his arms and, deftly managing to maintain firm contact on her mouth, carried her towards their room.

grandfather also approves of us, you know, he said.

She broke the kiss and stared at him, wide blue eyes incredulous.

`The Prime of Earth approves of meeee?' With reference to your complaint about who should get the credit for all this, as long as I have you, Alison-Anne Greevy, I won't complain.

I guess, she said in a dreamy contemplative voice as he laid her gently on the bed, maybe I did have just the tiniest bit of precog when I first met you Did you now? And what did your precognitive Talent tell you?

That I'd be doing this with you a long time!

THE END