Dragon and Liberator

"Go to the nearest weapons blister and get under the control board," Jack said. "Right up against the inside wall there should be one or more blue-striped tubes labeled coolant."

"Understood," Draycos said. Turning, he headed aft.

"And hold your nose," Jack's voice wafted down the corridor after him. "I wasn't kidding about the smell."

Five minutes later, with the stench of calozyne curling his nostrils, Jack brought the patrol ship to a smooth docking alongside the Gatekeeper.

Draycos was waiting for him at the hatch. "You were right about the smell," the K'da said as he laid his paw on Jack's hand and slithered up onto his skin. What's our plan?

We stay with the Chiggers story as long as possible, Jack told him. He started to take a deep breath, instantly changed his mind. He straightened the collar of his flight suit, checked that his tangler was riding loose in Chiggers's holster, and touched the hatch release.

The hatch slid open. Beyond the docking collar was a medium-sized bay with the same light tan walls and deck Jack had seen in the wreckage of the Havenseeker, back on that fateful day when he and Draycos had first met. Squaring his shoulders, trying to act as if he owned the place, he stepped through the hatchway into enemy territory.

But for the moment, anyway, the enemy seemed to be unaware they'd been invaded. The only other occupants of the bay were a pair of Brummgas working at an open access panel, and their only reaction was a curling of their own nostrils against the smell leaking out into their world.

Like I own the place, Jack reminded himself. "Hey—you," he called toward them. "Get me a sealant tube, will you?"

One of the Brummgas half-turned, his cheeks wrinkling in disgust. "Get it yourself," he said, pointing a thick finger at a tool chest along the wall. Turning his back on the insolent human, he returned to his work.

Smiling to himself, Jack headed for the toolbox. Do we need to take the time to fix the leak? Draycos asked.

Unfortunately, yes, Jack said. The idea is that Chiggers came aboard, did his repairs, and then made himself scarce before anyone could find him and give him some other job to do. Vanishing without fixing the leak would look suspicious.

Understood, Draycos replied. The K'da's tongue flicked briefly through the air beneath Jack's chin. But be careful. I can taste a hint of human scent beneath the smell of the Brummgas.

Plus a few Valahgua?

He sensed a darkening of Draycos's mood. Yes.

No problem, Jack said, trying to hide his sudden twinge of fear. A people who had defeated K'da warriors weren't a group he really wanted to run into. Even if their Death weapon was sort of cheating. We'll just have to be a little extra careful, that's all.

The toolbox contained two different tubes of sealant. Jack wasn't sure which would work better for a calozyne pipe, but for the length of time the repair needed to hold it probably didn't matter. Selecting the more expensive-looking tube, he headed back to the patrol ship.

The hole Draycos had sliced in the pipe was small and easy to get to. Jack squeezed a generous portion of sealant across it and watched a minute to make sure it was solidifying properly. Then, capping the tube, he went back into the docking bay and returned it to the toolbox. Which way? he asked Draycos as he straightened up again.

Take the door to your left, Draycos told him. The Death weapons will most likely be mounted in the bow. Probably in the weapons bays, where they'll have an ample source of power.

Sounds reasonable. Just point the way.

He was halfway across the bay when a figure stepped through the door ahead of him. It was a human figure, dressed in a Malison Ring uniform, peering down at a notepad in his hand.

Only it wasn't just one of Frost's men, a man who would know Chiggers at a glance. It was far worse . . . and it was the last person Jack had expected to see here.

It was StarForce Wing Sergeant Jonathan Langston. The man who'd helped him escape from Semaline.

A man Jack had thought was dead.

CHAPTER 11