Angle of Truth

  Alfie barked and ran toward her from the cabins. Jelena wanted to take the time to hug and comfort the dog, but all she could do was send a brief mental greeting and tell her that their reunion would have to wait.

  She leaped through the hatchway into NavCom.

  Austin jumped out of the seat as if he’d been stung. “Shields are up, but he’s right on top of us. He—”

  The deck heaved as a blast slammed into the ship. The shields were up, but they were a sitting target. Jelena flung herself into the pilot’s seat, not bothering with the harness. The thrusters were still hot, and with a touch, she took them roaring into the air.

  “Hang on for a bumpy ride,” she yelled over her shoulder, not bothering to use the intercom.

  Something snapped deep within the bowels of the ship.

  “Go help your brother in engineering,” she ordered the terrified Austin. “Please. Thank you.”

  She wheeled and banked as soon as the Snapper was high enough off the ground to do so. For a second, the city gates came into sight on the view screen, and she spotted Hakim with a bunch of armed soldiers. They looked like they had been running out to retrieve their prisoners, but now, they were staring at the ships skirmishing in the air. Jelena thought she caught a betrayed expression on Hakim’s face as the Snapper spun away. She thought about making some telepathic contact, maybe apologizing and saying she would come back to help with the forcefield when she could, but another e-cannon blast slammed into the freighter, giving her other things to think about. The shield-integrity indicator flashed, and she groaned. They were already down to thirty percent.

  “I need someone in the turret,” she yelled, remembering to hit the comm button this time.

  On my way, Thor replied in her mind. Erick and Austin are in engineering. There’s smoke wafting out of there.

  I’ll keep our topside to him to give you plenty of opportunities to aim at him. Jelena maneuvered the ship, trying to do exactly that.

  Their enemy wasn’t going to make it easy; she could tell right away. He looped and twisted like a natural, and there was nothing predictable about his movements. Jelena gave up on trying to sweep in behind him—he was too fast and agile for her to get close—and did her best to keep him in sight of the star cannon in the turret. A thrum of satisfaction went through her when Thor fired and one of their own sizzling blasts tore through the air, catching the enemy ship’s wing. Unfortunately, his shields absorbed the blow easily. The gold ship was probably at ninety percent shield power to her thirty. No, twenty-five now. Damn it.

  “Let’s get some more power to the shields, engineering,” she said over the comm, struggling to maintain a calm tone even as she zigzagged to avoid more fire.

  Now that she was in the air, Jelena could do more to evade the enemy attacks, but the pilot anticipated her direction almost every time she banked or dove. It was uncanny how effectively he did that, and she started to wonder if he—or she, for all Jelena knew—was a Starseer. But if Jelena and Thor couldn’t sense their foe through the hull of that ship, how could their foe sense them?

  “Can’t get you much,” Erick said grimly. “The ship has taken some big hits already. Those are state-of-the-art weapons he’s got over there.”

  Thor fired from the turret, once again striking the enemy. Jelena was glad he was able to hit that ship. The pilot either couldn’t read him the way he seemed to read Jelena, or he was too busy trying to destroy the Snapper to worry about his own defenses. Maybe he figured he could get them down before he lost his own shields, so he didn’t need to worry. Unfortunately, he might be right.

  One of the enemy’s e-cannon blasts streaked past on the port side, glancing off the shields as Jelena threw them into a roll. The energy ricocheted into the water of the city’s harbor, sending up a huge spray of water. She straightened the Snapper and flew out over the ocean. The city had enough trouble without worrying about more damage from a dogfight over their heads.

  “We’re at twenty percent power,” she told Erick and Thor. “He’s barely hurt. We need some brilliance. We need—”

  A beep came from the sensors, alerting her to more ships coming into the area. No, not ships. Airplanes. The Opuntian bombers.

  “That is not what we need,” she groaned.

  Would they ignore the battle taking place in front of the city in favor of bombing their target? Or would they side with the gold ship? Was there any chance she could get them to align with her? As far as the Opuntians were aware, her team was working for them, right? And she did have their POWs on board.

  Jelena reached for the comm, even as she spun the Snapper away from their dogged foe, trying again to give Thor line of sight from the turret. Then her hand froze. Wait, why ask for help?

  Thor? Are those human pilots in those bombers?

  Yes. He answered so quickly that she was sure he’d already checked. Did he have the same thing in mind?

  Can you get them to join our side?

  Working on it.

  Thor loosed another star cannon blast. This time, the gold ship dove toward the water in time to avoid it. The enemy had figured out that the Snapper’s firepower was coming from the top half of the craft, and he was doing a good job of staying in its shadow.

  “Yeah, stay in the shadow of this, asshole.” Jelena leaned toward the co-pilot’s seat, flying one-handed while she hammered at the controls for the forward blazer banks.

  Even though she hadn’t used them yet, the gold ship almost got out of the way in time, as if the pilot somehow anticipated that attack, just as he was anticipating everything else she did. But the ocean got in the way of his dive, and he had to pull up to avoid hitting the water. Several of the blazer bolts slapped against his shields. She wished they’d take down his shields and that he would show her his bare, vulnerable belly.

  He’s too good to be human, Thor told her. Or at least to be only human.

  I thought he might be another Starseer.

  If so, I haven’t felt him using his power.

  Because we can’t feel him at all, right? Do we think the ship is shielding him from us somehow?

  I’m not aware of material that can do that, but it’s true that Starseer toolmakers can shield objects so that other Starseers can’t detect them. I’ve only heard of that being done with inanimate objects, though, and I—look out.

  Jelena had been flying parallel with the ocean, but she lifted the Snapper’s nose abruptly for a loop, aware of the enemy trying to come at her belly from underneath. He fired, but the e-cannon blasts skimmed past. Did Thor have some of the enemy’s uncanny knack for anticipation? Maybe Jelena just wasn’t as good at reading enemies as she should be. Mom, with all her combat flying experience, had the ability to pull through any battle.

  As the Snapper flowed out of the loop, the proximity alarm beeped. Jelena jerked the freighter to the side. She’d been paying attention to the gold ship, but had lost track of the bombers. They were heading straight toward her.

  No, they’re coming to help. Pull up again.

  She did so, and the bombers passed through the air she’d occupied, angling toward the gold ship. For once, the pilot there seemed surprised, and he didn’t react quickly enough. Four of the eight ships that had come to bomb the city opened up on him.

  Jelena almost groaned. They were using machine gun fire. She’d been hoping for blazers and e-cannons.

  On airplanes that look like they were imported from Old Earth? Thor asked dryly into her mind.

  They sure seemed dangerous when they were bombing the city over our heads.

  That’s primarily what they were designed to do, but look, they’re flustering our friend. Take advantage.

  I really don’t think it’s the job of the gunner to give the captain orders. Despite her comment, Jelena did exactly as he suggested.

  She banked hard, bringing the Snapper back around as the gold ship struggled to escape from the swarm of airplanes all around him. Bullets pinged off his shields. She hoped the
y were doing some damage.

  She lined up the Snapper and flew straight toward him. Finally, she had him directly in her sights. She leaned to the side and hammered at the blazer controls. The crimson beams streaked away at the same time as Thor fired the star cannon.

  The pilot of the enemy ship realized he was in trouble and pulled up, knocking one of the airplanes aside with his shields. But he wasn’t fast enough. The Snapper’s weapons tore into him. Thor fired again and again. Jelena glanced at the sensors, hoping they would show the enemy’s shields faltering.

  But the gold ship escaped the pack of bombers, and instead of fleeing out to sea or up into space, it turned toward the Snapper. Jelena dove to get out of the way while making sure the enemy would still be in Thor’s sights. The bombers wheeled and gave chase. Thor fired the star cannon, but the gold ship also fired. Jelena tried to dodge, but they were too close. There wasn’t enough time. The e-cannon blast slammed into the top shields.

  An alarm wailed in NavCom, and the Snapper shuddered. The controls responded slowly, jerkily, and Jelena feared they would plummet into the ocean.

  “Shields are down,” Erick’s voice came over the comm. As if she didn’t know.

  I got him, Thor announced calmly.

  The sensors showed the enemy’s shields down, and on one of the rear cameras, Jelena glimpsed smoke drifting behind the craft.

  She tried to bring the Snapper around to give chase. Whoever this enemy was, odds were he would repair his ship and come after Thor again—and again and again—if he was permitted to do so. She wanted to take him down while they could.

  But another shudder coursed through the Snapper. Jelena was able to get the nose up so they weren’t in danger of taking a swim, but as the gold ship flew inland, heading farther and farther away, she realized she wouldn’t be able to catch up.

  Feeling defeated, she headed for the spot north of Dry Wash where Austin had landed.

  We’ll have to deal with Hakim’s people if we plop down next to their city again, Thor told her.

  I’m aware of that. Jelena hit the ship-wide comm. “Ostberg, we’re setting down. How long will you need for repairs?” Silently, she added, Say at least twenty-four hours, Erick.

  Er? The steering stabilizer is loose, but that won’t take long to fix. Two hours, maybe three. We could probably fly across the ocean now if you didn’t want to do anything except go in a straight line.

  Say twenty-four. Out loud, please.

  “Twenty-four hours,” Erick replied over the comm.

  “Thank you, engineer. We’ll do our best to deal with the Chollans and keep our prisoners from being recaptured.”

  Jelena hadn’t taken the time to close the hatch to NavCom, so she heard the groans and irritated voices drifting forward from the cargo hold. It was to be expected. As long as they didn’t figure out she was intentionally keeping them here.

  Erick? Do you think Austin can handle the repairs?

  Probably. Why? You want to give me the night off so I can log into Striker Odyssey and let my crewmates know I haven’t died?

  As if you could actually get enough bandwidth here to do anything.

  I could at least tell them to put me on the list for the next big raid. They get concerned if you miss a week, you know.

  I’m afraid you’ll have to miss another day or two. I need you to fix an antiquated and damaged forcefield generator.

  This is the forcefield generator for which there are no spare parts?

  Correct. You’ll have to use your engineering ingenuity.

  More like knives and sticks—have you seen the resources these people have?

  Yes, and it’ll be all the more impressive when you fix their machinery in such primitive conditions. Maybe they’ll give you a medal.

  I doubt it. Look out a porthole. I believe that’s their war leader out there, glaring at us and having murderous thoughts.

  I’ll deal with her. Jelena reached out to find Thor—he’d come down from the turret and was heading her way. Thor? Are those bombers going to be a problem as soon as you’re not influencing them anymore?

  She checked the sensors, worried he’d already left the airplanes to their own devices.

  They will be, yes. I convinced them to head back to Opuntia, but it won’t take long for my influence to fade and for them to wonder what they were doing and why they’ve turned back. I’d guess we might have an hour.

  Jelena locked down the ship and jumped to her feet. That wasn’t long for Erick to fix something using sticks and knives. Especially since they would have to talk Hakim out of shooting them first.

  Chapter 15

  Hakim and her soldiers were still waiting at the gate. She was talking on a bulky handheld comm device, maybe getting updates on what those bombers were doing, but she lowered it to glare as Jelena, Thor, and Erick approached. They had left Masika in the ship to keep an eye on the prisoners and also the doctor. Jelena had expected Ogiwara to want to leave right away, but since many of the prisoners were injured, she’d said she would stay long enough to treat them. Austin was fixing the steering. Jelena hoped the Snapper didn’t need spare parts, because it was a foregone conclusion that they wouldn’t find them here. She also hoped the gold ship needed longer to do repairs than this little adventure would take.

  “I’ve brought my brilliant engineer who’s experienced with imperial technology,” Jelena said, walking up and spreading her arms in the friendliest gesture she could manage.

  Is that me? Erick asked.

  Before Jelena could respond, ten out of the eleven soldiers waiting with Hakim lifted their rifles and pointed them at her. The eleventh probably would have, too, but he’d lost his firearm. He rested a hand on a knife hilt instead.

  Thor flicked a finger, and the ten rifles lowered simultaneously, the muzzles pointing harmlessly at the ground. Some of the soldiers scowled, and others wore vacant expressions.

  Hakim hadn’t tried to raise a weapon at them, but she joined in with the scowling.

  Jelena met her eyes. “We could have left.”

  “Your ship is damaged.” Hakim’s aide flung a hand toward it.

  “Not that damaged.” Jelena kept her eyes on Hakim. She was the one person who’d asked her name and seemed to think she could be just as useful as Thor. “We want to help you get your forcefield up, and then I want to share an idea with you.”

  Hakim looked toward the ocean and then to Thor. “The bombers will be back, I assume?”

  “Soon, yes.”

  Hakim sighed, and for a second, her utter weariness was visible under the seasoned-soldier facade. “Come then. Let’s see if your engineer knows anything about old imperial technology.” She appeared more defeated than hopeful when she considered Erick, and Jelena sensed the war leader felt she had been duped. “I won’t point out that he looks like he was in diapers the last time the empire patrolled this part of the system.”

  “I was thirteen when the empire fell,” Erick blurted, as if that would impress her.

  “Which means he’d been out of diapers for almost three years,” Jelena said, deciding not to point out that she and Thor were younger than Erick.

  “Ha ha,” Erick said.

  I guess it’s a good thing I didn’t bring Austin, Jelena told him silently.

  Maybe I should grow a beard. Would that make me look older?

  It depends, Jelena replied as Hakim shook her head and led the way back into the city. Will you be wearing your spaceships and asteroids pajamas at the same time?

  They’re comfortable, unicorn-undies girl.

  I’m amazed you found pajamas like that in your size.

  My grandmother made them. She can make anything. She runs a tailoring and alterations shop back home.

  Maybe I can have her make me some suitably perky drapes for the porthole in my cabin.

  You better worry about the existing decor first. Austin asked me if you were going to be mad because his landing knocked most of the pony posters off your
walls.

  Jelena rubbed her eyes. She hadn’t had time to visit her cabin yet. Maybe that was a good thing.

  I told him that you’d be too busy wondering what he’d been doing looking in your cabin to be mad about poster dishevelment.

  Jelena lowered her hand. What was he doing in my cabin?

  Looking for ghosts, he assures me.

  She squinted at him.

  He may have decided he’s attracted to you.

  Thus creating the need to snoop in my cabin? Do I need to put a lock on my underwear drawer?

  I don’t know. If he sees the unicorns, he may decide you’re not mature enough for him and leave you alone.

  Lovely.

  There are a lot of soldiers patrolling the city, Thor told them, not commenting on underwear or maturity. Soldiers who seem to be looking for someone.

  Not us? Jelena asked, stifling a yawn. The suns had disappeared below the horizon, and twilight was descending on Dry Wash, but she felt it should be midnight by now. It seemed ages since she’d been startled awake in the submarine. Maybe Fourseas had particularly long days. She hadn’t thought to check when they’d been researching it.

  Presumably not, since we’ve been found.

  Up ahead, Hakim murmured something into her comm.

  Ah, Thor added. They haven’t yet found the team that originally brought down the forcefield generator.

  I’m sure we can handle them if we run into them. Jelena waved to include Erick and Thor, as well as Hakim and her ten soldiers. They passed even more soldiers, men and women using lanterns now to continue searching for injured people trapped in collapsed buildings.

  If we engage with that team, they may report back to the Opuntians that we’re working with the Chollans.

  Jelena shrugged, doubting that information would matter once she started her negotiations with the Alliance representatives. Whether she succeeded or failed with her plan, she doubted they would recommend to War Minister Sorel that she be paid.

  Hakim led them to a truck and waved toward the back. “Phillips will take us as close as we can get to the building.”