was ahead of them clearing their way into Barkyr space. Otroub would bypass the system, not even coming within coherent spectral transmission range of either the system or Prosperity. Kyllikki would send Otroub the mail bound for a military base, which was Otroub’s next stop, and pick up any messages bound for Barkyr or Station Prime, the free orbiting habitat that housed Barkyr Defense.
When she finally made contact with Otroub’s Etha Ckam, Kyllikki wasted no time pushing her traffic. Each message was read, then read back as the ships neared closest approach, then began to separate again.
As she had expected, Kyllikki’s nerves steadied down once the routine was established and she had contact with a friendly, open mind, however formal. They worked quickly and smoothly together and finished before contact faded.
//Kyllikki, what do you make of this business with the Sa’ar livestock?// added Ckam. //Do you think it could be important enough to keep us from delivering our passenger?//
//Passenger? Couriers don’t carry passengers.// To compensate for the fading contact, Kyllikki lowered her barriers, suddenly very interested.
//We’ve got one this trip. He’s some kind of exotic entertainer bound for a court functionary’s reception, or that’s the story. He is gorgeous enough, but—//
Without warning, a whole sensory image exploded into Kyllikki’s mind, filtered and embroidered by Ckam’s libido, and fraught with fulsome overtones. She learned more from that one instant than she could have from an hour of words. But it was illicit knowledge. She’d invaded another mind, and again broken out of audio-analogue. Unaware of what Kyllikki sensed, Ckam added, //—you’re right, no mere entertainer would be on a courier—what’s the matter?//
The image throbbed through Kyllikki’s whole being.
//Kyllikki?// Ckam had withdrawn to a cool professional distance. The image was no longer coming from her, but Kyllikki couldn’t let it go.
//Etha, do you know what race he is?// Can’t be. Just simply can’t be. There are no Dreamers in the Metaji. None.
//Oh...well...//
It was rude to ask about race here. //Never mind. It’s just that he...uh...sounded familiar.//
//You recognized his voice from my memory! Who is he? Come on, you can trust me. I won’t—// Suddenly, her mental voice escalated into a gasp.
//Etha?//
//Six ships! Your Gita One is under attack.// Ckam’s attention went to close focus. Kyllikki strained to follow what was happening on the retreating ship. Meanwhile, her hands flew over her own board, alerting Prosperity’s bridge crew and the Captain minutes before lightspeed transmissions could reach them. A moment later, without any volition, she received another image from Ckam’s mind, the illicit contact suddenly wide open between them, showing her Ckam’s displays.
Six fighters were streaking by Otroub on a heading that would intersect Prosperity at the edge of the Barkyr system, outside local defenses. Two of them were laying down fire at the rapidly maneuvering Gita One, and two more were firing directly on Otroub.
Gita One’s Com Officer yelled a telepathic warning that pierced through Ckam’s mind and lanced into Kyllikki’s awareness like an electric shock. Suddenly, Kyllikki was deadly calm, her mental voice firm as she announced, //Gita Two, Gita Three, this is Prosperity. Gita One and Otroub are under attack by six incoming ships which will intercept Prosperity.// She added speed and course figures. //Barkyr Defense, I have relay from Gita One. Bogeys on trajectory intercept your Station Prime, one-oh-two-mark-six-seven. Advisement; use all force. Shall I repeat.//
//Alert acknowledged, Prosperity. One-oh-two-mark-six-seven. All force. Advise Gita One—//
White pain smashed through Kyllikki’s eyes, a stark searing heat so hot it made death welcome. No. That’s Etha’s pain. She’s closer. The relayed pain hardly touched the icy core of calm within Kyllikki. //Barkyr Defense. Gita One is destroyed.// She made sure the escorts heard also as she tapped the data into Prosperity’s bridge display.
The two remaining escorts near Prosperity were struggling to maneuver around the wallowing liner to meet the incoming ships. The attackers were small, but moving so fast they must have materialized at full velocity somewhere nearby, planning to nail Barkyr’s Station Prime without slowing, then head directly into their next dive point. They were going too fast to change direction, and so were simply taking advantage of the chance to destroy two Metaji ships that happened to be in their path.
In the back of Kyllikki’s mind, Ckam’s awareness of the evacuation sirens on Otroub blatting away mixed with Gita Two’s Captain snarling, “I don’t care if we have to ram them. We’re going to stop them! Override!” Barkyr Defense cut across it all: //Stand clear, Gita Two and Three. We got ‘em.// And, from the very distant colony planet, a nonhuman mentality added, //It’s a diversion. Give me a full scan.//
That must be a Paitsmun telepath. Inanely, Kyllikki recognized the mental tones of her overheard critic, who had no human gene in his body, and who must also be Paitsmun.
And then, for the second time, the world was wiped out in heat, pain, and an unbearable white light that illuminated her bones and sizzled through her guts. She hadn’t realized how deep into Ckam she’d been until she died with her. The darkness was so welcome.
Kyllikki came to draped over her screen’s housing, unbidden tears of pain leaking from her eyes, her own gasping sounding in her ears. Then her mind cleared.
“—llikki, you all right? This is Captain Brev. Answer or I’ll override your seals!” His voice faded. “Lee! Where is Lee? Get him in there!” Then louder: “Com Third!”
“Here, Captain.” Aloud and mentally, she sent to all points. //“Otroub has been destroyed. Com Officer Etha Ckam is dead with all hands...correction. There is one survivor. In a pod. Unconscious. The passenger. I presume.”//
There was no harm broadcasting that. The attackers couldn’t very well turn around and finish the job. They were now bearing down on Prosperity.
Kyllikki had never been so close to death before and was surprised that her hands were steadier than they’d been all day, despite the real pain that burned through her whole body. She tapped into the helm screens and brought up the spectrum display. Minutes out of date, it had just begun to show Gita One and Otroub as expanding clouds of debris. I was out that long? No wonder the Captain was upset. There was no life-pod distress beacon out there. Defective pod?
Nearby, the six attackers showed as streaks of light surrounded by a flashing array of arcane military symbols.
Six Teleod ships. And someone coordinating their attack. Has to be a master telepath coordinating. Not Family, though a middling-good coordinator. Expendable.
All at once, she knew what she had to do and did it.
Mentally, she summoned the proper key image, swallowed the exquisite nostalgia, and ventured through the image into the working realm, a “place” none of the Metaji had the keys or the training to reach.
In a nearby segment of the working realm, the master telepath had created a large cave, a comfortable private space. His presence filled it with multi-sensory gestalts, his orders. To enter his space was to know his plans. Kyllikki lurked in the “shadows,” striving to grasp his tactical thinking without revealing the presence of a Laila Family telepath.
Her
