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Neuron　probes；　meanwhile；　were　nipping　at　the　perimeter　of　the　envelope　in　which…he　had　secreted　himself。　There　was　no　time　left　to　search　out　the　space　drive　production　mands；　Dana　would　have　to　see　to　it　on　her　own。

〃Toggle　out！〃　Louie　ordered　as　the　first　of　the　probes　penetrated　his　defense　net。　〃Toggle　out！〃


Scott　Bernard　maneuvered　the　Alpha　through　a　storm　of　annihilation　discs　launched　from　Haydon　IV's　in…close　plasma　arrays。　The　planetoid's　big　guns　were　still　trained　on　the　few　ships　that　remained　of　the　Karbarran　battle　group。　The　ursinoids'　fighter　squadrons　had　been　literally　blown　to　pieces　during　counteroffensive　impact　runs　by　cloud　after　cloud　of　labor　drones。　Stray　bits　of　those　fighters　drifted　around　the　Alpha；　touched　by　explosive　glints；　cyan　and　crimson。

But　Haydon　IV　had　been　taking　a　pounding　as　well。　It　was　a　twin…eyed　monstrosity　below　him　now；　hemispheric　surfaces　scorched　and　molten；　factory　tubes　holed　and　venting　gouts　of　alloy　debris。

In　the　midground　of　the　Alpha's　curved　canopy　view　floated　a　hundred　or　more　of　Haydon's　sphere　ships；　temporarily　abandoned　in　varying　stages　of　readiness。

Scott　had　not　flown　a　space　bat　op　in　well　over　a　year　and　felt　rusty。　As　rusty　as　the　first　day　he　had　piloted　a　Veritech　through　Earth's　atmosphere；　a　green　VT　Lunk　had　stashed　away　in　an　old　barn。　But　no　matter。　The　searing　discs；　the　blue…green　bolts；　those　swaths　of　agitated　light　were　mild　pared　to　his　inner　torment。

Marlene　was　dying。　Again！

And　this　time　he　had　killed　her。

〃Able　leader；〃　announced　a　female　voice　over　the　mand　net。　〃Target　ship's　shields　down　and　deactivated。　You　are　go　for　boarding。　You　can　take　your　team　in；　Colonel。〃

Scott　acknowledged　Ark　Angel　mand　and　went　on　the　tac　net　to　municate　with　his　wingmen。　The　squadron　had　lost　only　one　mecha；　a　red　Beta　piloted　by　a　Mars　Base　lieutenant　Scott　had　known　since　childhood；　who　had　gotten　himself　caught　between　Haydon　IV's　main　guns　and　the　Karbarrans'　recently　crippled　flagship。

Atomized；　Scott　thought。　Released。

〃Colonel；〃　the　mand　net　voice　squawked；　〃why　are　you　delaying？　Target's　shields　are　down；　repeat；　down。〃　Scott　shook　his　head　clear　of　thought　and　addressed　himself　to　the　Alpha；　thinking　the　mecha　through　to　Battloid　mode。

So　reconfigured；　the　squadron　began　to　follow　him　in。

The　sphere　ship　enlarged　before　him　until　it　obscured　all　else。　The　surface　was　ball…bearing　smooth　save　for　the　faint　outline　of　a　hexagonal　hatch　low　down　on　the　curve　of　its　starboard　side。

There　were　no　viewports；　no　visible　weapons　or　scanner　arrays。　No　way　to　see　where　they　would　be　going　and　no　way　tp　protect　themselves　once　they　got　there。　But　God　willing；　the　hapless　crew　of　the　SDF…3　would　be　waiting　for　them。　And　with　them　the　Invid　Queen…Mother。　Scott's　hope　and　salvation。


〃Just　stay　put；〃　Vince　Grant　advised　after　he　had　expressed　how　good　it　was　to　hear　Max's　voice。　〃We'll　get　sense　Alphas　down　there　to　pick　you　up　as　soon　as　we　can。〃

〃I　don't　see　that　we　have　much　choice；　Vince；〃　Sterling　said　to　him。

Outside　the　bridge　viewports　Haydon　IV's　primary　batteries　were　inactive；　they　of　course　had　been　silent　throughout　the　duration　of　the　Karbarran　attack；　but　now　they　were　shut　down　as　well。　Early　on　the　assumption　was　that　the　Awareness　had　quieted　the　planetoid's　fire　once　the　Karbarran　flotilla　had　no　longer　been　deemed　a　threat。　But　then　Exedore　had　gotten　word　through　to　the　Ark　Angel　that　the　entire　superintelligence　was　temporarily　shut　down；　probably　as　a　response　to　the　virus　programs　Nichols　had　infiltrated　during　the　raid　that　had　claimed　the　life　of　one　of　his　team　members。

The　Ark　Angel　was　closing　on　the　battered　planetoid　after　a　brief　reflex　burn；　most　of　its　mecha　squadrons　deployed　on　search　and　rescue　operations　among　the　remnants　of　the　Karbarran　battle　group。　The　pirated　sphere　ship…under　remote　control　by　the　Angel's　AI…would　be　meeting　them　halfway　with　Scott　Bernard's　team　safely　inside。

〃What　are　your　survivor　estimates；　Max？〃　Vince　asked。

〃Probably　two　hundred　or　so　Karbarrans；　〃　Max　responded　after　a　moment。　〃A　lot　of　them　in　bad　shape。　About　two　dozen　Praxians　and　three　or　four　Spherisians。　Then　there's　the　seven　of　us。〃

〃Seven？〃　Vince　said。

〃Veidt　and　Vowad；　〃　Max　explained。　〃They　helped　us　take　out　the　production　center；　Vince。　I've　got　no　qualms　about　taking　them　along。

Vince　mulled　it　over。　〃Guess　they　don't　want　to　be　around　when　Haydon　wakes　up；　huh？〃

〃Neither　do　I；　〃　Max　affirmed。　〃Honeymoon's　over　on　this　place。〃

A　smile　tugged　the　corners　of　Vince's　wide　mouth。　〃See　you　soon；　mander；〃　he　signed　off。


In　newspace；　fifteen　Zentraedi　Battlepods　launched　from　the　SDF…3's　forward　mecha　bay　formed　up　on　Kazianna's　Officer's　Pod　and　fell　toward　the　vernal　surface　of　an　unknown　world。

An　unseen；　unforeseen　something　had　been　detected　there　and　had　since　disappeared　with　two　members　of　Hunter's　scouting　party。　The　admiral…perhaps　still　unconvinced　that　the　fortress　had　been　flung　far　from　familiar　shores…had　requested　reinforcement　from　two　XT　teams；　probably　in　the　hope　that　someone…Karbarran；　Garudan；　or　what　have　you　would　be　able　to　municate　with　the　unseen　thing。

This　unforeseen　thing。

Kazianna　found　herself　thinking　of　Drannin　and　the　sphere　the　children　had　assembled　and　destroyed。　Were　they　really　chanting　Aurora？　she　wondered。　Sending　a　telepathic　call　to　the　youngest　Sterling　the　way　she　had　once　sent　one　to　her　older　sister　across　a　sea　of　stars？

An　SOS；　Lisa　had　called　it。

And　what　of　this　strange　planet　that　had　brought　the　fortress　here？　For　that　was　how　she　considered　it；　despite　what　Lang　and　the　others　were　saying　about　intergalactic　voids　and　patterning。

No；　this　was　more　than　a　world；　she　was　certain　of　that　much。　It　was　perhaps　even　an　intelligence　unto　itself；　with　something　to　teach　them　all。


The　control　consoles　and　acceleration　couches；　the　general　interior　makeup　of　the　sphere　ship；　had　not　been　designed　for　human　hands　or　eyes　or　posteriors；　Scott　had　decided。　Not；　for　that　matter；　with　crystalline　fingers；　paw…mitts；　or　outsize　limbs　in　mind。

The　ship　was　merely　a　spherical　chamber　of　light…emitting　metal　divided　into　several　levels　by　featureless　decking；　unconnected　by　ladders；　stairways；　or　lift　tubes。　On　what　had　to　be　the　mand　level　was　a　continuous　circumferential　bench　four　feet　from　the　floor　without　so　much　as　a　screen　or　a　function　key　to　mar　its　smooth　surface。

It　was　only　through　Louie　Nichols's　remote　manipulation　of　the　external　hatch　that　Scott's　team　had　been　permitted　access　to　the　ship　at　all；　and　only　because　of　his　deactivation　the　ship's　artificial　gravity　that　they　had　been　able　to　explore。

Then；　just　when　Scott　was　thinking　that　no　one　outside…of　Haydon　himself　was　ever　going　to　be　able　to　make　use　of　the　ship；　the　bench　console　came　suddenly　to　life；　banded　in　color　like　the　planetary　rings　of　some　gaseous　giant；　and　a　huge　projecbeam　display　of　the　Ark　Angel's　bridge　took　shape　in　the　center　of　the　sphere。

〃Doctor　Nichols　assures　me　that　you　can　see　me；　Colonel；〃　Vince　Grant　said；　as　though　he　were　in　the　same　ship。　Is　that　true？〃

Wondering　for　a　moment　where　to　direct　his　words；　Scott　shrugged　and　said　to　the　projecbeam　image；　〃Not　just　you；　General；　but　the　entire　Angel　bridge。　Doctor　Nichols；　Mrs。　Grant；　Doctor　Penn；　Cabell；　Exedore；　the　Sterlings；　all　of　you；　sir。〃　He　thought　about　asking　what　the　hell　Veidt　and　Vowad　were　doing　there　but　decided　against　it。

Louie　Nichols　nodded　in　the　background。　〃We're　going　to　begin　ferrying　some　things　over　to　you；　Colonel；〃　he　began　as　uncharacteristically　subdued　manner。　〃ponents　of　the　Angel's　onboard　AI；　which　will　ultimately　bee　our　interface　hardware　with　that　ship's　power　plant。〃

〃Then　we　can　make　use　of　it？〃　Scott　asked。　〃You　can　get　us　through　the　breach？〃

Louie's　face　collapsed　somewhat；　and　Scott　recalled　hearing　about　the　teammate　Nichols　had　lost。

〃I'm　certain　we　can　do　that　much；　Colonel。　I'm　just　not　as　certain　about　getting　us　back　out　again。〃

No　one　spoke　to　it。

Vince　cleared　his　throat。　〃We'll　mence　transporting　life　support　essentials；　mecha；　and　personnel　as　soon　as　Doctor　Nichols　has　his　team　in　place。〃

〃Well；　there's　not　much　in　the　way　of　a　wele　we　can　arrange；〃　Scott　told　him。　〃We　haven't　found　the　liquor　cabinet　yet。〃

Polite　laughter　greeted　the　remark；　principally　from　Scott's　own　team　members。

Vince　gestured　behind　him。　〃Cabell　and　Exedore　won't　be　joining　us；　Colonel。　The　Ark　Angel　will　make　for　Tirol　after　disembarking　her　Karbarran　passengers。　And　hopefully　act　as　our　beacon　in　this　realm　once　we've；　well；　crossed　over。〃

Scott　gulped；　thinking　of　Ranaath's　Star。　〃Who'll　be　crewing　this　ship；　then；　sir？〃

〃I've　put　it　on　a　voluntary　basis；　Scott。　Jean　and　I　and　Doctor　Penn　are　ing　over。　And　so　far　we've　got　three　squadrons　of　mecha　pilots　and　a　sufficient　number　of　technical　assist　crews。〃

〃I　hope　you've　already　counted　me　in；　mander；〃　Scott　said；　sensing　that　Vince　had　left　something　dangling　in　the　air。

Vince　nodded。　〃I　have。〃

Scott　folded　his　arms　and　stared　at　the　floor。　〃There's　just　one　more　thing；　sir　。　。　。　The；　ah；　Invid　simulagent。　I　was；　you　know；　thinking　it　would　help　having　her　along。〃

〃Marlene　will　acpany　us；　Scott。〃　Vince　traded　brief　looks　with　Louie。　〃There　doesn't　seem　to　be　anything　left　for　her　in　this　realm。〃

Or　much　left　of　her；　Scott　kept　to　himself。


The　transfer　of　supplies　and　personnel　took　less　than　twelve　hours；　during　which　time　Haydon　IV　did　not　so；　much　as　stir。　But　finally　the　moment　arrived　for　the　Ark　Angel　and　the　pirated　ship　to　part　pany。

Louie　canceled　the　override　and　punched　up　the　original　mands　the　Awareness　had　programmed　into　the　sphere's　drives；　and　the　ship's　systems　instantly　came　on…line。

While　Cabell　and　the　rest　watched　from　the　Ark　Angel　bridge；　the　sphere's　massive　drives　flared　once　and　hurled　the　ship　toward　the　dark　eye　of　Ranaath's　Star。　The　sphere　seemed　so　hang　suspended　at　the　edge　of　the　whirlpool　for　the　briefest　of　moments　before　it　vanished　from　space　and　time。


Thousands　of　miles　distant；　the　fey；　aged　crew　of　a　second　ship　monitored　the　sphere　ship's　protracted　plunge　i