had a glimpse of the darkness beyond the circle of light thrown by the shuttle, then T'Lan's voice spoke softly from behind. "Put it down, Harrison."
"Not following the antics on the bridge?"
Zahava looked up from her untouched food. A short, wiry-framed officer stood beside her table, wearing brown combat dress with unfamiliar insignia.
"Do I know you?" she said, pushing her tray away. With the ship on full alert, the officers' mess was deserted.
"Colonel R'Gal, Fleet Counterintelligence Command. May I?"
The Israeli shrugged.
R'Gal took a chair opposite her. "Sorry about Harrison."' She looked up, startled. "What do you mean? There's news?"
R'Gal shook his head. "No. I meant about his being . . . off-ship."
"He'll be back," she said quietly, lifting her fata cup. "Word is you're a S'Cotar hunter."
"One in need of some help," he said, smiling ruefully. The smile vanished. "You want to sit and wait, I'd understand."
"If you're looking for Guan-Sharick, we've seen him," she said, and told R'Gal of the meeting in the observation dome.
"Odd," said R'Gal, frowning as she finished. "That's the second time the bug's warned us. The first time was about the S'Cotar fallback point on Terra Two."
"I wasn't in on that," said Zahava. "How'd you know Guan-Sharick was on board?" she added.
The colonel made a V with each hand. "Two and two," he said, crossing the Vs. "According to ship's roster, a dead man came back from the Lake of Dreams battle—one Corporal S'Gat. He was killed in an assault and cremated with the rest of the dead, there on your moon. And yet"—he held up a finger—"this same corporal was later seen on Vigilant, disembarking with the rest of the commandos. Seen there, but never again.
"Then, during the Terra Two affair, Guan-Sharick was flitting about. Checking the times of his appearances against Implacable'& positions, we found that this ship"—-he waved a hand—"was always within easy transport range for a S 'Cotar transmute.''
"Circumstantial," she shrugged.
"He only showed up when her shield was down," said R'Gal, unruffled. "Over a ninety percent correlation."
"I see," said Zahava. "Kind of compelling."
"So we thought."
"Now what?" she asked, sipping her fata. "We find him."
"You're crazy, Colonel," she said pleasantly. "'Fifty miles of corridors, hundreds of compartments, passageways . . . Plus Guan-Sharick's got a device that fools your S'Cotar detectors."
"I'm a Watcher," said R'Gal.
"Oh?" she said warily. "And what do you watch?"
The K'Ronarin laughed. "It's a stupid title," he said. "Some of us have this gift." He tapped his head. "We can detect a transmute."
"Like that?" she said.
"Usually. That damned device Guan-Sharick's wearing though . . ." He shook his head. "I can tell where he's been, but not where he is. It's maddening."
"But it leaves a trail?"
R'Gal nodded. "Nothing consistent, though. However ..."
"Yes?"
"There're some very strong traces in the lifepod section. And I was thinking perhaps ..."
Zahava grinned. "You were thinking, Colonel, that with everyone at battle stations but us, now would be a fine time to check out the lifepods."
The K'Ronarin grinned back. "If you want to."
Zahava stood. "What are we looking for?"
R'Gal led the way past the food machines and into the corridor. "Anything that doesn't belong. It's the least visited part of the ship. If I had something to hide, I'd hide it there."
Waiting for the lift, he pointed to her holstered Mil A. "I hope you can use that."
The lift arrived with a loud ping.
"Let's hope I get a chance to show you," she said as they boarded.
The doors hissed shut on the empty gray corridor.
"You could be brainwiped for this, J'Quel!" L'Wrona's voice echoed down the passageway.
"I certainly will be if you keep announcing it, H'Nar," said D'Trelna mildly.
The two rounded the corner. In the distance, at the end of the corridor, a squad of black-uniformed commandos guarded a closed door.
"Sorry," said the captain as
"Not following the antics on the bridge?"
Zahava looked up from her untouched food. A short, wiry-framed officer stood beside her table, wearing brown combat dress with unfamiliar insignia.
"Do I know you?" she said, pushing her tray away. With the ship on full alert, the officers' mess was deserted.
"Colonel R'Gal, Fleet Counterintelligence Command. May I?"
The Israeli shrugged.
R'Gal took a chair opposite her. "Sorry about Harrison."' She looked up, startled. "What do you mean? There's news?"
R'Gal shook his head. "No. I meant about his being . . . off-ship."
"He'll be back," she said quietly, lifting her fata cup. "Word is you're a S'Cotar hunter."
"One in need of some help," he said, smiling ruefully. The smile vanished. "You want to sit and wait, I'd understand."
"If you're looking for Guan-Sharick, we've seen him," she said, and told R'Gal of the meeting in the observation dome.
"Odd," said R'Gal, frowning as she finished. "That's the second time the bug's warned us. The first time was about the S'Cotar fallback point on Terra Two."
"I wasn't in on that," said Zahava. "How'd you know Guan-Sharick was on board?" she added.
The colonel made a V with each hand. "Two and two," he said, crossing the Vs. "According to ship's roster, a dead man came back from the Lake of Dreams battle—one Corporal S'Gat. He was killed in an assault and cremated with the rest of the dead, there on your moon. And yet"—he held up a finger—"this same corporal was later seen on Vigilant, disembarking with the rest of the commandos. Seen there, but never again.
"Then, during the Terra Two affair, Guan-Sharick was flitting about. Checking the times of his appearances against Implacable'& positions, we found that this ship"—-he waved a hand—"was always within easy transport range for a S 'Cotar transmute.''
"Circumstantial," she shrugged.
"He only showed up when her shield was down," said R'Gal, unruffled. "Over a ninety percent correlation."
"I see," said Zahava. "Kind of compelling."
"So we thought."
"Now what?" she asked, sipping her fata. "We find him."
"You're crazy, Colonel," she said pleasantly. "'Fifty miles of corridors, hundreds of compartments, passageways . . . Plus Guan-Sharick's got a device that fools your S'Cotar detectors."
"I'm a Watcher," said R'Gal.
"Oh?" she said warily. "And what do you watch?"
The K'Ronarin laughed. "It's a stupid title," he said. "Some of us have this gift." He tapped his head. "We can detect a transmute."
"Like that?" she said.
"Usually. That damned device Guan-Sharick's wearing though . . ." He shook his head. "I can tell where he's been, but not where he is. It's maddening."
"But it leaves a trail?"
R'Gal nodded. "Nothing consistent, though. However ..."
"Yes?"
"There're some very strong traces in the lifepod section. And I was thinking perhaps ..."
Zahava grinned. "You were thinking, Colonel, that with everyone at battle stations but us, now would be a fine time to check out the lifepods."
The K'Ronarin grinned back. "If you want to."
Zahava stood. "What are we looking for?"
R'Gal led the way past the food machines and into the corridor. "Anything that doesn't belong. It's the least visited part of the ship. If I had something to hide, I'd hide it there."
Waiting for the lift, he pointed to her holstered Mil A. "I hope you can use that."
The lift arrived with a loud ping.
"Let's hope I get a chance to show you," she said as they boarded.
The doors hissed shut on the empty gray corridor.
"You could be brainwiped for this, J'Quel!" L'Wrona's voice echoed down the passageway.
"I certainly will be if you keep announcing it, H'Nar," said D'Trelna mildly.
The two rounded the corner. In the distance, at the end of the corridor, a squad of black-uniformed commandos guarded a closed door.
"Sorry," said the captain as
Similar Books
