Page 79 of Enthraller

“I’d like to see the VSC try to deal with Fjern,” Linao said, scorn dripping from every word. “I was a prisoner on that planet for a week, and had to work at a mine site there for months before that.” She shuddered. “They’re welcome to it.”

“It can’t be that bad?” It sounded as if the second man pushed away from the wall.

“The monsters are massive and voracious, and the people who live there have to stay in walled cities just to be safe. It’s more backward than Kalastoni was when the rest of the VSC found it, mainly because they have to fight to survive being eaten every day. They have some interesting vehicles and hovers, though.” Linao’s voice changed pitch, sounding thoughtful. “We tried to steal one, which was our undoing. It was dropped onto the nose of the Razor and caught on fire.”

“Pontia told Salisas that there are warriors there that change shape to fight the monsters?” The first man sounded hesitant, as if he couldn’t quite believe the rumor.

“They call it the gyra,” Linao said. “Some kind of tech from the Ancestors. That’s the myth, anyway. Given how otherwise backward the tech is there, I’m inclined to believe it. No way they came up with something so sophisticated themselves. Thestory goes they were given it because they were headed to more dangerous reaches of space, not the mild and verdant planets of the String. It was supposed to be something to protect them. My guess is nanotech of some kind. But it’s nothing like we’ve got now.”

“What does it look like?” The man close to the door asked.

“Don’t know. The warriors who are chosen go through a ceremony to receive whatever it is, and then go through training. And somehow, these gyra help make them a larger, more ferocious version of themselves to fight the monsters.”

“Sounds . . . almost unbelievable.”

Linao laughed. “I barely believe it, and it was my life for months.” She paused. “Get ready, we’re far enough out now to speed up.”

“The military might be watching Ytla,” the first man said. “Captain Hyt definitely passed on suspicions about what’s happening there up the chain.”

“To Velda Shanïha? Because she’s most likely dead.” Linao sounded absolutely calm.

“Maybe to Velda Shanïha, but also to the generals. This isn’t contained.” The second man sounded sure about that.

Wren felt a lift of hope.

“Well, our orders are to take Wren Thorakis to Ytla, and as you’ve already pointed out, I’m skating close to the line as it is, so I’m going to be a good little soldier and obey orders this time.” Evette Linao’s voice was amused. “Hang on, now.”

Wren felt the sudden clutch of nerves, and then the weird pulling sensation as the freighter went into high speed.

She had hoped to never see Ytla again. Looked like that was a wish that wasn’t coming true.

31

Evette Linao was an excellent pilot.

Wren had to give it to her.

They had made excellent time to their destination, and when they were close, they’d latched on to the back of a supply freighter headed for the battleship which sat between Ytla and RTS004, the gas giant Ytla orbited, keeping the tiny ship within the freighter’s signature.

As soon as the supply freighter had crossed the meteor field that lay between Ytla and RTS004, they slid away and followed a cluster of falling rocks that flared as they crashed through the atmosphere of the tiny, habitable moon.

With a quick burst of power, the freighter followed the meteor shower in, keeping so close to the rocks that Wren adjusted her estimation of Linao’s piloting abilities up another notch.

She was only able to see the pilot’s brilliance because she and Ed had been dragged onto the bridge, the better for Navar and Fenton to watch them, and from her position on the floor, she had a view through the large front viewport.

Navar looked familiar to her, but Wren couldn’t remember where from. She had to assume she had met him in passing or simply noticed him while she was in SF headquarters. She had never seen Fenton before.

The freighter shuddered, and Wren slid along the floor as the whole ship tilted. As the angle changed, she caught sight, at the top of the bridge viewport, of the gas giant that Ytla orbited, a swirl of cream, brown and gray.

“That was easier than I thought,” Navar said as Linao switched on the engines completely and began to fly downward toward Ytla’s surface.

Wren saw Linao’s lips twist up in contempt, and couldn’t say she blamed the woman. That had been many things, easy wasn’t one of them.

“How did you know about that supply freighter, and why didn’t the navigator tell anyone we were riding their tail?” Fenton asked.

“Do you think I was in that warehouse patrolling the aisles?” Linao asked. “I was sitting in the office researching everyone involved in supply and support entities to the military. There are enough people with secrets to hide to suit our purposes. I know the exact position of all the battleships in Aponi’s territory, and I knew when that supply freighter was leaving. I got confirmation about it this afternoon.”

“How did you get all that? And the names of the people you researched?” Navar asked, and for the first time, Wren heard a little fear in his voice.

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