Han would see.
Radko calibrated the diffuser until the beam was only atoms thick. She didn’t test it. A deep gouge in one of the rocks would betray their location as fast as Han’s comms had.
If they were lucky, the aircars would bypass them altogether. But they weren’t going to be lucky. Redmond would have the technology to pick out individual heat signals. They’d find them. It was just a matter of how long.
Han and Chaudry returned from their circuit. “Not much to hide behind,” Han reported. “A few overhangs, but more for one person than all of us. If they use lasers to cut into whichever rock each of us is sheltering under, we’ll be crushed.”
It would be safer if they moved away from the aircar. “Show me, Han. Chaudry, keep watch here with van Heel. Van Heel, can you slave the aircar screens to our comms?”
“These comms? These screens? You’d better all start thinking positive thoughts.”
Chaudry looked as if he was doing exactly that. If he’d been on a ship, it might have worked. He was, after all, a linesman.
They set off together, Radko keeping an ear open for the sounds of aircraft and a careful note of the quickest, safest way back to the aircar. The ground was covered in loose rocks. It would be hard to run without turning your ankle.
The first part of their walk was silent. Radko nodded approvingly at one outcrop that might shelter them from the first pass of a strafing aircar.
“My father’s going to the fleet?” Han asked eventually. “How bad is that for us?”
“It depends who he goes to. You know him better than I do. Whom would he approach?”
Han wrinkled his brow. “I can’t imagine. Papa didn’t have much to do with the fleet. I think he was scared of them. Especially Commodore Bach. He was always nervous around him.”
Maybe Renaud had been worried Bach would find out he had changed Han’s DNA, for the more Radko thought about it, the more convinced she was that it had been done with Renaud’s knowledge.
“Back when I first joined the fleet, I was sure Bach was blackmailing him. I went to my father and asked.”
“And was he?”
“He was… shocked, I think. Said of course not. That Bach would only do what was best for Lancia.” Han shaded his eyes and squinted against the harsh sunlight, looking into the air for military craft. Radko could believe he’d welcome them, rather than this uncomfortable conversation.
Yet Han must have had a reason to suspect Bach. “So who was blackmailing him?”
“He never said. He changed the subject.”
So Renaud was being blackmailed. Given it was around the time he’d “adopted” his new son, it was likely someone had found out about it. And was using it to what?
Blackmail didn’t stop, not unless you stopped the blackmailer. Was that why Renaud tracked his son so carefully? Why he assumed that Han’s going to Redmond meant a ransom payment first, or at best a trap, when others would assume a job for a soldier?
Her comms sounded. Van Heel.
“Two aircraft coming.”
Two. Surely they could have come one at a time. Radko left Han behind in her run back to the aircar.
“Tell me where. Tell me when,” she ordered van Heel.
Han arrived behind, breathing fast. “I never thought of myself as a slow runner before.”
“Han, Chaudry. Weapons ready. Head for the cover you found earlier. Be prepared to avoid falling debris, and shoot everyone who exits.” If anyone survived the crash, they would come out shooting. “Van Heel. Did you manage to slave the comms?”
“Yes.”
“Good. As soon as I say, go with Han and Chaudry. If this thing comes down, it will come down hard.
Abram Galenos had always liked Pandora field diffusers. “They might not be enough to destroy a ship,” he’d said, “but energy dispersed in a fine beam will still damage a ship enough to give you an advantage.” They were old technology, replaced on many ships by stronger, newer field diffusers that you couldn’t tighten the beam on.
Jiang Vega liked them, too, but that was because she considered them antiques, and she collected antique weapons.
Everyone on the Lancastrian Princess knew how to use them. And their strengths and weaknesses. It was also a test of skill, for matching a narrow beam to a high, fast-moving aircraft was well-nigh impossible. “Give me the coordinates of the first aircar, van Heel. Keep reading them out. One every two seconds.”
Van Heel started to count off figures.
Radko counted with her, calibrating the diffuser as she went.
“Sixty eight five. Sixty eight four. Sixty eight three.”
It was coming in a fast, straight line. “Go now. Quick.”
She continued the countdown as van Heel ran. “Sixty seven nine. Sixty seven eight.”
She pressed the button.
She couldn’t see the beam, which was like a microns-thick, hot, molten wire. Didn’t know she’d intersected the aircar until Han’s, “Holy Jackson and Philtre.”
“Take cover.” And she raced for the nearest rocky overhang.
Pieces of aircar fell around her. One spinning propeller bounced and missed her by centimeters.
“Watch for survivors.”
There were none.
The other aircar came down fast. Four soldiers exited.
“Stay under cover as much as you can,” Radko said. “I’ll take whoever is on the right. Han, take the left. Chaudry, center left. Van Heel, center right. Don’t fire until we have to, for they’ll know our range then.” The Redmond soldiers would have longer-range weapons and could pick them off individually.
She moved fast around the rocks, rolling on one and sliding down. She waited, hardly daring to breathe, until she was sure the enemy hadn’t heard her.
It gave her an idea. She reached down and picked up one of the rocks. She hefted it in her hand, guessing the weight and balance.
She threw it as far as she could, off to the right of their attackers. Two soldiers headed that way.
Chaudry gave a small huff of understanding. Next moment another stone whizzed past. A good strong throw, it landed way past hers.
Radko waved her team on and out.
Then it was blaster to blaster. Hiding behind what little cover the rocks afforded. Firing when she could. She lost part of her sleeve taking the first soldier down.
Han fired past her, blaster melting the stone on the ground in front of them.
Radko ran forward. Again, and again.
A bitten-off scream behind her. Van Heel.
Radko took aim and fired.
A rain of stones from Chaudry, behind her, kept the Redmond soldiers occupied trying to defend their heads. She and Han picked the last two soldiers off.
Van Heel was down. They’d deal with her when the site was secure.
“Han, Chaudry, with me.”
She entered the cabin of the Redmond aircar, fast, weapon ready to fire.
It was empty.
“Good. We’ll take this aircar.” It would be faster than their own, and right now, speed was the most important consideration. “Cover us,” Radko told Han. “Chaudry, come back with me to collect van Heel. Then get back in here before any more aircars arrive.”
Chaudry proved as strong as he looked. He picked van Heel up and ran.
“She’s alive?” Han asked. He had the engines idling.
“I’m still conscious, idiot,” van Heel said.
The weapon had caught her across her chest, burning part of one breast and the skin and flesh off the top of her arm.
“Let me see,” Chaudry said.
“Take it up.” Radko looked at van Heel. “Is there any chance that you know how to disable the tracking on a military vehicle?”