`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.