"Then it's no bluff," Yael said.
"But neither the Andromedans nor the Milky Wayans know that Llume is operating the ship alone. She has no drive technician, no laser cannoneer. So she can neither maneuver nor fire—not while she's operating the communications net. Any ship could come up and blast her out of space. So it's merely a nice ploy, and she has a lot of nerve."
"You still like her, don't you," Yael observed.
"The Andromedans are entities like us. They do have their redeeming qualities. Llume may be my enemy, but she is still a lot like me."
"You never betrayed your friends!"
"I fear I have betrayed my entire galaxy by misjudging Llume," Melody replied sadly. "The hints were there, so obvious in retrospect, but I refused to pay attention because I liked her too much. I did not take proper steps to nullify her. And this is the result."
Yael was silent.
Llume rolled away from the console and came to the captives. "I will turn the pain to zero intensity," she said, "if the two of you will give me your pledges as Solarians to cooperate with me. The boxes will remain set to your frequencies but will not affect you unless you attempt to renege."
She oriented first on Skot, placing her tail before him on the table. "You will operate the laser cannon controls, firing only on my order."
Skot stared at her with obvious hostility. "No."
Llume's ball moved to Melody. "You will handle maneuvers, moving the ship on my order or in emergency defense of this vessel. It is more complex than you can readily handle, Yael of Dragon, but I will give you specific directions."
Melody watched the Polarian ball. If it came much closer, Llume would pick up the strength of her aura and realize that Melody was back. As long as she thought Melody was somewhere else in the fleet, Llume would be uncertain. So the secret had to be protected; small as it was, it was all Galaxy Milky Way had.
"Yes," Melody said.
Skot jerked up—then froze as the pain caught him. He couldn't even call her traitor, but he didn't need to.
The ball traveled back to Skot. "Yael has agreed. She is not as strong-willed as you, and she doesn't like pain —but her direction is sensible. Will you now join her? I will not require you to do anything actually harmful to your allied ships; it will be a matter of firing warning shots."
Skot's only answer was to stiffen in agony.
"Then I set your box on two, while you consider," Llume said.
Meanwhile, Melody's pain had ceased. The boxes stimulated the pain nerves of the body, doing no actual physical harm. They were superlative control devices. "Please," Melody said. "Set his level down again."
Llume paused. "Since you cooperate, I honor your request. I return his setting to one." And Skot relaxed somewhat.
Llume led the way to the maneuvers console, and gave Melody a quick general rundown. Melody paid close attention, while standing as far from Llume as she could without arousing suspicion, so that no chance contact could give away her aura. If she ever got free of the box, she wanted to know how to operate this ship.
A warner sounded at the communications console. Llume returned to it. "A capsule is approaching," she observed. "It could be Captain Llono of Spica, in which case I would welcome him though I should have to confine him. I have a certain fondness for Spica; my host there was very nice. She was voluntary, having no knowledge of my true mission; the same is true of my Polarian host. I do not believe in damaging hosts, despite Andromedan policy."
"Perhaps you should join the Society of Hosts," Melody remarked.
"You have picked up certain mannerisms of your prior transferee," Llume said. "That remark is typical of her."
Melody had forgotten that Llume was a specialist in alien cultures. She had nearly given herself away! "I liked her," Melody said.
"So did I. She was a resourceful, intelligent entity with a fine lovely aura," Llume said. "It is with extreme regret I find myself opposing her. If she survives this war, I hope to be her friend again." She studied the viewglobe. "I wish this host had better vision; I cannot be sure of the precise origin of that approaching shuttle. But in any event, I cannot take the chance that it is innocent. It could contain a radiation bomb." She rolled over to the short-range radio. "Identify yourself, shuttle. Andromedan or Milky Way?" There was no response.
"Identify yourself," Llume repeated. "Otherwise I must destroy you."
Captain Llono must have been en route in the shuttle when the "Six of Scepters" announcement was broadcast, so didn't know of the change in situation. This challenge from Llume probably confused him; it was on the wrong beam. So he was bluffing it out in silence while he tried to contact Skot on the other beam. Only Skot was no longer on duty in that capacity. Possibly Llono had caught on from these hints that something was wrong. Melody didn't know whether to say something, and decided with regret to stay out of it lest she give herself away. She could not be certain that Llume's conjecture about the radiation bomb was not correct.
Llume rolled over to the laser control console, oriented one cannon to verbal directive, focused on the shuttle, and fired.
Oh, Llono! Melody cried internally. Why hadn't she spoken? Better that he be captured than wiped out! A mote flicked out in the viewglobe. "No explosion," Llume observed. "Then it was not a bomb. Perhaps merely debris from the sundered Polarian craft." But she did not sound convinced.
The irony was, Llume had acted entirely reasonably, by the standards of war. She had challenged the approaching craft, informed it of the consequence of unrecognized approach, and only then destroyed it. Had she not done so, all the fleet would have known she was bluffing. How could Melody blame her for that?
She glanced across at Skot. He was writhing in agony. Obviously he had tried to do something!
There was a period of silence, as if in mourning for the lost craft that might have been a bomb, and the inadequacies of those who might have allowed a brave entity to die needlessly. Melody rehearsed script after script in her mind that might have saved her friend, knowing it was pointless. She was guilty of the slaughter of a sapient entity, not in self-defense but in stupidity.
The fleet net came alive abruptly. "I am Mnuhl of Segment Knyfh," a voice announced. It was a human voice, an automatic translation from the magnetic charges that were Knyfh communication. The net was geared to handle the full range of languages and modes of the fleet components. All messages were transmitted in common code, to be translated upon reception to whatever mode was applicable. "In the seeming absence of leadership in Segment Etamin, in the interest of Galaxy Milky Way, I am assuming temporary command of the loyalist forces of this fleet. I base this assumption on information obtained from Melody of Etamin, a special segment agent who helped me free my vessel of hostages. Loyalist ships will close in on my ship, the Ace of Atoms, after identifying themselves to me. It will be necessary for each vessel to acquiesce to search by my personnel to verify absence of hostages."
Llume glowed. "This is Llume of Andromeda," she said into the net. "The loss of your vessel is a blow to the cause of Andromeda, but I deal with you as pro tern Admiral of Segment Forces. Will you permit hostage ships to clear your vicinity without harassment, in return for a similar truce on our part?"
Melody could not help being fascinated by the military niceties. To indulge in a random melee would be wasteful and pointless, with ships firing on their own allies from confusion and ignorance. Therefore the two commanders negotiated politely to defer hostilities. Could she have saved Captain Llono the same way?
"Mnuhl here," the Knyfh Captain responded. "I compliment you on your offer, and acquiesce."
"Truce established," Llume said. "One private question: Does Melody remain with you?"
"I do not feel free to divulge that information."
"Was she aboard the shuttle that just approached my ship?"
"I must decline to answer."
Melody nodded to herself. Captain Mnuhl was giving away nothing; he knew the importance of keeping the
hostages in doubt about Melody's location. Every hostage captain would be afraid that a high-Kirlian counterhostage was aboard his ship. That fear would multiply her effectiveness many times. Too bad she wasn't able to make that threat genuine!
"Thank you, Captain." Llume terminated the private exchange and returned to general information: "This is Hostage Command: do not fire on loyalist ships as they maneuver. Truce is in force. Andromedans will orient on the Ace of Swords; loyalists on the Ace of Atoms."
Llume shut off the net. Then she sank into a glowing heap. It was, Melody realized, the Polarian way of expressing complete grief.
Skot looked up. "Andromedan, are you ill?" he inquired. His tone was not friendly, but the query was relevant. If Llume became incapacitated, Skot and Melody would be left under the control of the discipline-boxes, unable to free themselves—with the Andromedan fleet closing about them. If Llume did not maintain communications, the hostages would become suspicious and blast the Ace of Swords out of space.
Llume drew herself more or less erect. "It is an illness of the soul," she said. "I fear I have slain my sister."
"What is she talking about?" Yael asked. "She didn't kill—"
"Let's wait and see," Melody said to her. "If what I suspect is true...."
"You are killing our galaxy," Skot said coldly. "Why should one Spican matter to you?"
"Captain Llono!" Yael exclaimed, just catching on. "In the shuttle! Poor Spican Undulant!"
"I thought it was a trap, a bomb," Llume said. "That is what an Andromedan would have done, testing the defenses. But it didn't detonate under the laser. The Knyfh tried to conceal it, but I could tell Melody had left his ship."
"She thinks you were in that shuttle!" Yael cried. Skot, torn by mixed reactions, did not speak.
"She was more like me than any I have known," Llume continued, slumping again. "Such an aura! The Dash Command of Andromeda put out a directive to save that aura at any price short of capitulation, but I had even more reason to preserve her from harm. Instead, in an inexcusable lapse of logic, I betrayed the affinity of aura."
"But she didn't kill you!" Yael said to Melody.
"Wait," Melody told her. "This just may be—"
Llume righted herself and returned to the communications console. "This is Llume of slash," she said into the net. "I hereby resign my commission and become captive to the ranking remaining loyalist officer of this ship, Skot of Etamin. Please allow the Ace of Swords to join the loyalist cluster."
Then she rolled across to Skot and turned off his discipline-box. "You are now in command. Orient the box on me."
Skot, amazed, took the box. "You are betraying your kind?"
"No. I announced my captivity. The next in command will now assume coordination."
Sure enough, the net was already active. "I am Hammer of Quadpoint, Andromeda. I assume command. Gather around my ship, the Ten of Disks. Truce holds."
Skot deactivated Melody's box. "Shall I tell her?"
"Let me." Melody crossed to Llume and put her hand against the Polarian hide, letting her aura manifest. "Thank you for showing me your heart, sister," she said.
"I have been in transfer too long. I have become a true Spican Undulant." Then Llume glowed with realization. "Melody! I brought you back! I chose you over my galaxy—and now I have you back!"
"Yes," Melody agreed, remembering the sacrifice of poor Captain Llono. Then she put her human arms about Llume, and cried human tears.
15
Sword of Sol
*report: complications manifest*
/as dash thought! specifics?/
*strong resistance in segments freng, qaval, knyfh, etamin, weew progress in lodo, bhyo, fa¿, novagleam, thousandstar*
/so it is by no means a clean beam! it may be a difficult war dash was right to be cautious we lack the reserves for extended campaign we were not sufficiently prepared action hour was premature/
*do you wish to turn over leadership to quadpoint?*
/yes, that seems best now only that force of approach can bring this to a proper conclusion now that we are inextricably committed we must prevail or suffer extinction ourselves, for the enemy will soon achieve parity of technology as it did before/
Melody had to experiment for a while with the Communications console before she got the hang of it. Skot assumed the navigation and gunnery duties. They needed more officers, but Melody didn't want to force Llume to assume any of these tasks, though it was possible the discipline-box could make her perform. Could the magnets be made to understand any of the necessary chores of spaceship operation? She would have to explore that possibility when she had a chance. But first she had to establish private communications with Captain Mnuhl of Knyfh. The fleet net would not do for battle strategy!
The net was a diffuse magnetic field that encompassed the entire fleet. No ship-to-ship privacy had been necessary before the hostage intrusion, so little provision for it had been made. The only alternate mode of communication available was laser radio, used at short range to contact the shuttles. But that had to be aligned in laser style, which meant any ship contacted was simultaneously vulnerable to an attack-beam, and the other ships would hardly sit still for that right now! What else was there?
The transfer unit! Now she could try her notion. "Skot, we need some low-Kirlian hosts. I want to use paired transfer units to handle conversations with Captain Mnuhl, so no enemy can intercept them."
"We have several former hostages in the hold," Skot said dubiously. "Those entities you and Llono brought back."
"Ideal! If we can get word to Mnuhl privately, so he can set up similarly without the Andromedans knowing...."
"I can try to transfer to his ship," Skot said dubiously. A Polarian rolled into the room. Melody and Skot looked up, amazed. It was not Llume.
"You will remain absolutely still," the Polarian said against the wall. "I possess magnetic weaponry. Identify yourselves."
Had another hostage developed? Melody saw no weapon, but didn't want to risk it. She could put her hand on one of the discipline-boxes in a moment. "I am Melody of Mintaka."
"Skot of Kade."
"Llume of Slash, Andromeda."
Suddenly Slammer launched himself at the Polarian. "No!" Melody cried, too late.
But as the magnet came near the intruder, he lost power, and dropped helplessly to the floor. "I am Mnuhl of Knyfh," the Polarian said.
Melody's relief was so great and sudden she found herself laughing weakly. Of course! Mnuhl had thought of the same thing she had, and had already acted on it, taking over the available Polarian host. Had Llume not given herself up, Mnuhl would have contrived to overcome her. "Come, feel my aura," Melody said. "I may look strange in my human host, but I am she whom you met aboard the Ace of Atoms."
He did not approach. "In what guise?"
Melody realized that Mnuhl, too, had thought she was dead. He had come over to verify the situation personally. "In the guise of Gnejh, the mad one."
Now he approached. "Then you are not chained!" he said as their auras confirmed each other. "I was concerned."
"How did you stop the magnet?"
"We have long experience with lesser creatures of our type," Mnuhl said. "It is not damaged; I merely depleted its power temporarily."
Indeed, Slammer was now recovering.
"We are very short of officers," Melody said. "Our crew-Solarians won't do for command posts as they are untrained. So am I. Will you be able to help us?"
"We are drawing replacements for our own losses from Segment Knyfh via transfer," Mnuhl replied. "But we are very short of hosts. Will some of your Solarians serve?"
Melody hadn't thought of that. "Knyfh officers in Solarian hosts! I will verify in a moment." She activated the crew-circuit. Her experience aboard Mnuhl's ship had facilitated her competence here. "Require six volunteers for alien host duty," she said. "Security of ship depends on it. Volunteers, not assignments."
"Sergeant Jones of Personnel here, sir,"
a male Solarian voice replied. That "sir" startled her, as it always did. She was also surprised by the immediate and routine answer, and had to remind herself that as far as the crew was concerned, nothing unusual had happened. They didn't know about the savage battle in the officer's section, or the loss of all but one of their regular officers— or even about the Andromedan threat. In a way, she envied them! "Will there be a performance bonus?"
Melody looked at Skot for advice. She was not familiar with this sort of thing. Skot nodded affirmatively. "Any reasonable requirement will be met," Melody said crisply. "Use your discretion, Sergeant."
"Six volunteers on the way," Jones said.
Just like that! Melody hardly trusted the "volunteer" status, suspecting coercive assignment, but she would make sure before she used them. "We expect to have six suitable hosts," she told Captain Mnuhl. "Does it matter which sex they are?"
"Immaterial. We are sexless in your sense, and can utilize whatever is offered."
That had to be true, for the Polarian host he was now using was female.
"Then we shall be ready shortly," she said.
"Excellent. Bring your ship into proximity so that we can use laser radio in case of emergency. Inform us when you're ready." He rolled away, going back to the transfer unit. Skot followed.
Melody decided to take a chance. "Llume, I propose to use you as you used my host. I shall set the discipline-box on you and ask you to guide this ship toward the Ace of Atoms. Do you object?"
"No," Llume said. She went to the propulsion console while Melody tuned the box. The ship began to move. Melody watched the viewglobe. Already the fleet was fissioning into two clusters. About twice as many were moving toward the Andromedan nucleus as toward the Milky Way nucleus. How were they going to overcome a fleet that was twice their number? Her efforts had only been token; perhaps half a dozen additional ships salvaged.
The truce held. But the time the Ace of Swords joined the loyalist nucleus, Melody had six human volunteers, and had verified that they were indeed voluntary. The promise of bonus and special privileges had made them eager, and they were quite curious about the ship's maneuvering and what was going on in officer country. They were also motivated by a genuine patriotism for their sphere, segment, and galaxy, once they understood the nature of the threat. They were, in short, good men.