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A video image of Colonel Vallenskiy's head and shoulders appeared on one of the Alpha heads…up display screens； strobing harsh light into the cockpit。 〃Nothing yet； Captain。 Bio…scanners are still showing hot signatures but no profiles。〃
〃Copy and confirm； mand；〃 Baker said。 〃Sorry to disappoint； Colonel； but our view doesn't seem to be any better than yours。〃
〃Roger that； Red leader。 TIC requests you maintain present position。 Let's see if they're willing to e into the playground。〃
Terrific； Jack thought。 Just hang us out here like fresh meat。 〃This is Baker；〃 he directed into the tactical net helmet pickup。 〃Maintain position。 Lights alive at two thousand meters； all points and closing。〃
He could see them overhead； given false color and solidity by the cockpit canopy's polarized tint。 Only now he saw that the bogies were not spherical at all but the rounded； light emitting tips of tendrillike forms。 He flashed on the Sentinels' encounter with Haydon IV's antibody defenses； thinking： But so。 。 。 No one at the briefing had been interested in hearing about that episode。
〃They're onto me；〃 one of Marie Crystal's wingmen blurted。 〃It's like I'm looking at tentacles。 B…but they're not attached to anything！〃
〃Hold your position； 〃 Jack heard Marie tell the pilot。 〃Christ； Captain； they're practically all over me！〃
〃Blue Six； you are not to engage unless provoked； 〃 Vallenskiy ordered over the net。 〃Maintain position。 〃 Jack felt something graze the Alpha's radome and cockpit and realized that the VT was being probed and explored。 Reflexively； he crouched down in his seat； suddenly feeling as though he were about to enter an old…fashioned car wash。 But what would have been brush tips were flickering lights。 Blue Six gave a panicked cry。 〃Holy shit； they passed right through me； Captain！ The things just shot right through me！〃 Jack shuddered； chilled to his center； as one of the light tips pierced the hull and thudded wormlike against his 〃thinking cap。〃 It was incredible： The tendrils were not puncturing the hull but simply penetrating it！ Some tore right through it； while others were whizzing lightning…quick recons around the cockpit。 A few seemed to enter his body and course up and down his arms and legs； one even took a fast tour of his mind； leaving him dizzy and momentarily nauseated。
The tac net was filled with the sound of gasps and near exultation as the lights penetrated one Veritech after another。 No one was capable of responding to mand's urgent requests for updates。
Jack braced himself for the lights' return the way one tightened up at the crest of a roller coaster drop。 But at the last instant the tendrils that were headed for the Alpha divided and joined separate groups closing on Jack's two wingmen。 This time； however； they did not pierce the VTs but danced around them； forming dazzling nimbi of light。 Then； almost simultaneously； the two fighters winked out of existence。
Jack could not get his voice to work。 When he did； he had difficulty reporting what he had just witnessed。 mand； however； had apparently seen the two Veritechs disappear from the threat board。
〃Red and Blue leaders； we show two； make that four； missing spacecraft；〃 Vallenskiy said。 〃Can you confirm？ Repeat； can you confirm？〃
〃They're gone！〃 Jack managed。 〃Atomized； dematerialized； disintegrated。 。 。 I don't know what。 The lights； surrounded them； then took them out。〃
〃That's affirmative； 〃 Marie said； answering for the Blue Team。
〃Did you engage？ Any of you？〃
〃Negative；〃 Jack said； counting follow…up denials on the net： Dante； Crystal； Penn； Phillips 。。。
〃Can you verify present UCT positions； Red leader？〃 Jack glanced at his displays and screens； tipping the Alpha starboard with a brief firing of the VT's attitude jets。 The lights had lost interest in the squadron。 Beneath him； the tendrils were like spears gone ballistic； the SDF…3 soon to be pincushioned or worse。
Jack said； 〃You're the center of attention； mand。〃
〃Then you are to engage； full teams；〃 Vallenskiy returned。 〃Stop those things from reaching the ship！〃
Rick stood on the TIC'S mand balcony； listening to Vallenskiy relay mands to the mecha recon teams。 Unless his eyes or the fortress's exterior cams were lying； he had just seen four VTs dematerialized by an enemy light。 And now he had ordered the squadron to counterattack。 With the hope of acplishing what？ he asked himself。 Punishing the light for its omnipotence？ According to the available data； it was not even light they were facing but some animated form of electrical energy。
Something like the synaptic firing of a neuron； Lang had explained。
〃Fortress defensive shields raised；〃 a tech announced from the mand console。 〃Red and Blue Teams falling in to engage； sir。〃
Rick swung around to the monitors in time to see the Blue Team pilots imaging their VTs over to Battloid mode。 Captains Baker and Penn and what remained of the Red Team were configured as Fighters or Guardians。
Rick briefly considered what he would do if he was out there。 He pictured himself strapped into the cockpit seat； one hand clasped on the Hotas； face bathed in display light； scalp tingling from contact with the helmet's neural sensors； the smell of fuel and heated circuitry。 No good to use heat seekers； he thought。 Go right to lasers。
〃Lasers fired； sir；〃 the same tech reported。 Rick squinted at the monitor screens。
And what he saw blinded him for the next ten seconds and left him with a dull ache in the back of his head he knew he would feel for a week。
His eyes opened to the sight of men and women throughout the TIC bent over their consoles in postures of anguish。 The lasers had only fed strength to the light。
Succeeded in angering it。
Sirens wailed： Brace for impact！
Kami deliberately placed himself in the path of the first light tendril to penetrate the hold。 It shook him with all the force of a baleful premonition； a minatory sending from the hin。
And how like the hin it seemed…the source of this light！ Garudan； Kami had an intimate knowledge of such non ordinary states of mind…that which Terrans considered non ordinary was the norm on Garuda。 Credit Haydon or blame him； but his tamperings had resulted in a planet that was hell for those offworlders who chanced to breathe its rarefied atmosphere； a heaven for those fortunate enough to have been born into it。 No； hell for the lupine Garudans was to be deprived of their homeworld's atmosphere。 And it was thanks only to treatments received on Haydon IV that Kami could function aboard the SDF…3 without the transpirator he had worn through the Sentinels' perilous campaign。
Credit Haydon again。 Or blame him。
Kami saw that Learna； his mate and partner those long years of war and tenuous peace； had discerned his intent and was also about to position herself under the full force of the teeming rain of crazed light。 Her sendings were strong as she ventured forth from useless cover； the hin both guide and umbrella。
From across the hold came shouts of concern from their Terran shipmates and Local Group brothers and sisters in arms。 Gnea said something in Praxian neither Kami nor Learns could prehend。 Baldan； Lron； Crysta；