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there an hour previously, Galway had thought he'd probably never before been
on that side of the Security prefect's desk. Now, after making a couple of
dozen phone calls and giving perhaps twice that many orders, he merely looked
tired.
"I know." Galway's guilt feelings weren't helped by the knowledge that being
in Jensen's interrogation room when the balloon went up had probably saved his
life; of those in the control area only Prefect Apostoleris had survived, and
he was holding on by a molecular filament back in a
Millaire hospital.
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Eakins snorted, but then shook his head. "Oh, forget it. If you hadn't said
anything they probably would've nailed the other three through association
with Valentine anyway. I just hope we can be ready before Lathe makes his next
move."
Galway gestured toward the phone with his good arm. "Do you really think
you've got enough men to blockade every spaceport on the planet?"
Eakins sighed. "I don't have any choice. Without any ears left in the Radix
council we aren't likely to get the Novas' coordinates in time for the Ryqril
to get there first."
"Why not just let them go and simply track them?" Galway suggested. "You can
make sure that any ship they can grab has long-range transponders aboard.
They'd reach the ships first, but once they're there it would only be a matter
of hours before the Ryqril could have a wing of Corsairs out to them."
"I thought of that." Eakins was studying the wood-grain pattern of
Apostoleris's desk top. "All our experts claim it's feasible, that it'd take
nearly two days for them to get the Novas up to fighting strength." He looked
up at Galway, his expression tight. "But there's a flaw somewhere we're not
seeing. It's too simple an idea for Lathe to have missed it, and yet his
operation's going ahead at full speed. Either we've miscalculated or Lathe
knows something I don't." He shook his head. "I can't afford to underestimate
them again."
The phone rang, and Eakins picked it up. "Security prefect's office; Eakins,"
he said. A second later his eyes widened. "Yes. Thank you," he said hastily
and dropped the handset into its cradle.
"What is it?" Galway asked tensely.
"Ryq on his way," Eakins hissed. The words were still echoing in Galway's ears
when the door
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The Blackcollar slammed open and one of the aliens strode in.
Galway had seen Ryqril close up perhaps a dozen times in his life, but there
was something about this one that made the experience seem excruciatingly
fresh. The Ryq was big;
his slightly hunched form barely cleared the doorway, and the thump of his
footsteps could be felt even through the thick carpet. But even that didn't
explain the sheer presence the alien radiated, a sense of power and authority
Galway had never encountered in a Ryq. Even as he and Eakins scrambled to
their feet his eyes flicked over the ornate belt-and-baldric supporting the
laser and short sword, searching for a rank or familial pattern he could
recognize. But none of the designs were like any he knew.
The Ryq reached the desk and stopped, his black eyes on Eakins. "'Re'ect
A'staeleris?" he said, his gravelly voice distorting the words and adding a
deep-pitched tonal fluttering.
Eakins swallowed visibly. "I am Colonel Eakins, Acting Prefect," he said,
enunciating carefully.
"Prefect Apostoleris has been severely injured."
The Ryq made a gesture with its arm, and Galway winced involuntarily before he
realized the alien wasn't going for his sword. Small as it was, his motion
drew the Ryq's eyes for a split second. "I an
Hrarkh rarriaer khassq,"
he ground out, his paw completing its gesture to touch a section of his
baldric.
Galway felt cold.
Khassq
-class warriors were the highest stratum of Ryqril society orders of magnitude
above the rear-echelon troops serving on Plinry. How high up this particular
Ryq was in the government of Argent or in the war machine arrayed against the
Chryselli Galway didn't know, but it didn't really matter. A
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khassq warrior's authority superseded any chain of command.
Obviously, Eakins knew all this even better than Galway did. "What are your
commands?" the colonel asked.
"Rithdraw Secaerity rarriaers arornd all landing 'ields," the alien said
promptly. "Eneny attack is allared to 'raceed."
Eakins blinked once. "Ah yes, of course. But are you aware the enemy has
eliminated our top spies?"
"Dae yae qrestion?" Hrarkh's voice had dropped an octave, and Galway felt his
mouth go dry. He'd heard that tone only once before from a Ryq; three men had
died immediately afterwards.
"I don't question either your order or your authority," Eakins replied
hastily. "I question only our
ability to protect Ryqril interests without information from our spies if we
withdraw our defenses."
Hrarkh seemed to relax, achieving the effect without moving any muscle that
Galway could detect, and his voice returned to its earlier pitch. "Yaer
'raetection is not needed. Ryqril ha'e contral o'
sitaetion."
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