Freedom’s Choice by Anne McCaffrey

shrugged. “Winter night crawlers are very hungry, very fast, and grab feet. Or we can be humane,” and he grinned as he saw the reaction to the word, “and kill before they know. We have fast and silent weapons. Lance, crossbow, slingshot.”
    â€œWon’t they leave a man on board?” asked Mitford.
    Zainal shrugged. “I am drugged. It will take two, three to carry me. If is one, once we open hatch, it is over for him.” He tapped the knife at his belt.
    Mitford made an approving sort of grimace. “All right…everything goes according to plan and you, with your crew, take off and do your disappearing act. One small detail. Kris might be useful to lure the pickup squad down, but if you are overcoming a crew, would you not kill off the female first, the one who drugged you?”
    Zainal slowly nodded his head, perceptive enough to know what Mitford did not spell out. “Leon speaks Catteni. I cannot talk because they have record of my voice. Leon can give final message.”
    â€œPoint,” and Mitford looked at Kris. “You understand, don’t you?”
    Kris did, and did not bother to hide the bitterness she felt for such a suggestion.
    â€œYou will go to space another time,” Zainal told her, looking from Mitford to her.
    â€œNow, wait a minute, Mitford,” Dane began in protest.
    â€œLeon will speak the necessary dying words,” Zainal said firmly, his eyes still holding Kris’. “It reassures.”
    â€œIt had better,” and Kris glared fiercely at Mitford. How dare he imply that she and Zainal would be so selfish as to take the ship for themselves if both were on board.
    â€œWhy do you need Bert and Raisha?” Worrell asked.
    â€œThey need to have a first lesson in flying a scout. More people who know is better.” Zainal put an odd smile on his face. “And soon.”
    â€œI’ll buy that,” Mitford said, shifting his eyes anywhere but in Kris’ direction. “Phase One is green for go…and definitely top-security. Use your team, Zainal, for the driving and…the executions. Slav and Fek see well in the dark. I’ll send Bert and Raisha to you as soon as they get here.” Then, in a complete change of voice and manner, “Did your patrol find anything interesting before you were recalled for this?”
    Astonished by that business-as-usual switch, even in Mitford, Kris glared at him.
    â€œA very interesting valley,” Zainal said, rising and popping the unit into his pocket before he picked up the sack of empty boots. Leon took charge of the medical items. “Let Joe and others debrief.” Then he held out his free hand to Kris. “Now, you must to learn to speak like Catteni female.”
    â€œAfter all you’ve done,” Leon Dane muttered, exiting behind them. “Surely he can’t doubt your integrity.”
    â€œNot to worry, Leon,” Zainal said.
    â€œI do all the worrying,” Worrell said, but his tone made it obvious that he felt Mitford’s precaution of keeping Kris out of space unnecessary.
    â€œDon’t worry about tonight,” Zainal said, sounding, to Kris’ ears, far too cheerful considering what he had just set into motion.
    Then Kris found her mind going back to the echo of his colorless voice saying, “Eosi use your body.” Smallwonder he wanted to avoid that duty. She knew without a doubt that he would have hated possession. And yet, his original comment on “that duty” had indicated that it was considered an honor for an Emassi, and one they undertook with some pride. Had Botany wrought a great change in him, or was it simply that he now had an escape from such a hideous future? Then she began to wonder how deeply the possession went: Was just the body used as a vehicle for these mysterious Eosi? Or did they subsume the entire personality, leaving nothing of the original man? Or…what?
    â€œDon’t