Only queens control the ship. It’s a queen KimI wants to fight, not her workers.’ `I doubt we can supply KimI a queen,’ Vestapia said sourly, `but I sure wish we could and end that problem.
I didn’t realize – No matter,’ and she broke off what she’d started to say with a dismissive wave.
Rhodri `heard’ what she didn’t say because her mind had been vivid with it – `how bloodthirsty Mrdinis really are’. Quick contact with Flavia told him she’d caught that, too.
`KimI,’ Vestapia continued, `will get another first, the chance to invade a Hiver ship, and that ought to give its colour some sort of glory, shouldn’t it?’ `It’ll help,’ Rhodri agreed. He was seated on the edge of her desk, hoping to get this planning session over with so he could enjoy another sort of planning. He caught Flavia’s look at his informal position and decided discretion should reign. He took to a meditative pacing.
`Certainly,’ Flavia said, `we know the inside of the sphere well enough to know where to `port Captain KimI’s crew aboard to secure the ship. Kimi can do whatever it likes to what might be on board and that’d be another coup. Then we steal it. The Waterloo Hivers will be stuck on that planet and we can take care of them when when it’s been decided what’s to be done with Hiver colonies.’ Vestapia spent one more moment looking at Flavia 5
elegant features before she started to laugh.
`Think of the honour KimI’s colour would gain by bringing back a Hiver ship under its own power.
`Could they do that?’ `If there’s enough ftiel on board and with a little instruction on how to manipulate the instrument panel from us, yes,’ Rhodri said, beaming because he found Flavia’s idea as outrageous as the captain did. `Only we’d better have a chance to splash `Dini insignia all over the ship, if we don’t want it fired on during its way back. If you wish, ma’am, I’ll explain all this to Captain Hptm on the KMTM. It’s most anxious that the KVS does not go off half-cocked.
It’d have to rescue it if it could. And the captain’s mortally afraid of putting us, as well as its colour, in jeopardy over KimI’s dreams of bravura.
`So, we take a page out of the Genessee’s log?’ `It worked.’ The captain considered again. `Only this time, I think we permit the KVS to use its speed and skill and bombard the planet’s defences. That is, of course,’ and she held up her hand, `if we find they have the same capabilities discovered at Xh-33.’ `Why should the Hivers alter their time-soldered habits?’ Rhodri asked.
`This time,’ Flavia said, `we will clear our actions with Earth Prime.’ `Of course,1 Vestapia Soligen agreed suavely, her light eyes as green as Rhodri’d ever seen them.
`That’ll be great,’ he remarked later in their quarters, rubbing his hands together in anticipation.
`I’ll get Jeff Raven’s permission,’ Flavia said and left the two together. Which was exactly what both Rhodri and the captain wanted at that moment. Impending action had the fringe benefit of arousing other basic instincts as well.
* Flavia’s contact with Jeff received the necessary permission to duplicate – with the exercise of all due caution as far as the Talents were concerned – the successful tactics of the Genessee.
`That’s no flan,’ Zara complained. `We’ll be observers – as always.
`Yes, but I’ll beat cousin Clancy into action,’ Rhodri said, delighted with that fact.
`Action?’ `All right, close encounter because, brat, we’re much closer to our objective – `We’re weeks away,’ she corrected him.
`But mere weeks instead of more months like the main attack units.’ `We may have received permission,’ Flavia said, `but who knows if Kiml’ll buy the plan? It’s one frustrated Mrdini and all of us remember what happened to Rojer.
`That’s exactly why nothing remotely similar will be allowed to happen this time,’ said Zara in a hard, icy, vindictive tone that startled those who heard it.
Jes broke the silence with his question. `Is the main Fleet closing on the Hiver at all?’ `Earth Prime wouldn’t say, precisely,’ Flavia answered him, a slight frown creasing her usually smooth brow, `but I sensed something – – -, `Then Grandfather wanted you to,’ Zara said quickly.