"Except for transmitters," Ursis said. "Those have our greatest laboratories baffled."
"Not good," Brim observed.
"For time being, not that bad, either," Ursis said.
"I don't understand."
"Well," Ursis continued, "actually, for present, all we need do is receive those signals—which we can do thanks to crystals you brought home with you from Effer'wyck."
"Crystals?" Brim asked. "I only brought one back, didn't I?"
"None of you looked inside crates strapped to deck in passenger cabin, did you?" Ursis asked.
"No." Brim replied. "We didn't."
"Each crate contained ten of those crystals," Ursis explained, "Right now, we have three hundred twenty of them—and a workable breadboard of how to hook them up."
"Voot's beard," Brim exclaimed. "We did hit the jackpot, didn't we?" Then he frowned. "But what's this about needing only to receive the signals. Don't we have to destroy the transmitters as well?"
"Absolutely not," Ursis said with a great smile. "At least not for the present. We want to use the system exactly the way it is—to our advantage."
"I'd hoped you were going to say something along those lines," Brim said with a grin. "Now, how do you propose we do it?"
The Bear held up a long, tapered index finger. "Simply, of course," he said, "That is why I am confident it will work."
"I'm all ears," Brim said.
For the next twenty cycles, Brim sat quietly while Ursis explained the plan he had developed to counter the Leaguers' new technological accomplishment. And aside from a fundamental dependence on the Leaguers' own crystal receivers, the Sodeskayan's scheme depended on old-fashioned exploding mines and space anchors as its basic elements. The two had been combined to produce a sort of self-propelled hybrid with enough raw explosive power to rip the belly out of a battlecruiser. Nothing spectacular there; torpedoes had served the same function for more than a thousand years—and at HyperLight velocities. However, addition of a captured crystal and receiver logic provided the primitive-but-deadly hybrid package with ability to follow one of the Leaguers' narrow-focused BKAEW beams as well as accurately sense its intersection with the other two beams—where it would stop and wait for a collision with one of Admiral Hoth Orgoth's attackers. Cheaply manufactured and relatively easy to transport, "Loiterers," as the Sodeskayans had come to name the mines, could inflict terrific damage while assuming only a relatively easy passive role.
"That's wonderful," Brim exclaimed when Ursis finished his explanation, and the Bear agreed.
Eventually, the system would altogether deny the Leaguers of using their triangulation system—and utterly devastate their attack forces while they went through the process of discovering what was causing such heavy losses. It was the kind of solution Brim had come to admire—inflicting the maximum punishment on the enemy only when he attacked.
"One correction, Wilfooshka," the Bear said with a grimace. "Is almost wonderful."
"I don't understand," Brim said.
"Well," Ursis said, "we've certainly got plenty space mines and anchors. Everywhere."
"Then?"
"Crystals," Ursis said. "They require time to 'grow'." We won't have first shipment of completed 'Loiterers,' as we call them, for at least one week—and then only trickle at first before necessary thousands begin to fill supply pipeline."
"That week could spell real trouble," Brim said with a grimace. " I assume you're aware of yesterday's sixteen-metacycles-long raid as well as one going on down there even as we speak. In a week, there might be nothing to protect."
"I understand," Ursis replied thoughtfully. "I've been in touch—as have many Sodeskayans. In our way of looking at things, cities of Sodeskaya will be next to feel onslaught of Leaguers."
"Sorry, Nik," Brim said, putting a hand on the huge Bear's shoulder boards. "It's just that I was down there in the city for most of the night after we got shot up. We're going to be in deep trouble if we don't get something to counter that new accuracy of theirs."
"I did not mean to imply we have nothing," Ursis said. "Indeed, we have come up with effective way for you to fight this menace. Just not so effective as new Loiterers—but almost," "What's that?" Brim asked.
The Bear smiled. "Has to do with three hundred or so crystals you brought home from Effer'wyck, my furless friend. Is looking like you saved day in many ways."
"Huh?" Brim asked. ''Three hundred-odd cobbled-up space mines are going to be swamped in the kind of raids we're having now. How does that save the day?"
"How about if we mount them in certain Starfuries and Defiants—ones that will fly with Squadron Leaders and"—he added significantly—"Wing Commanders. Since your BKAEW satellites can predict with some accuracy when enemy raids are coming—and even general area of target—you ought to be able to do even more damage if you lead your squadrons to precisely where enemy ships will go to fire disrupters, I think you humans call it 'target practice,' don't you?"
Brim shook his head. "Of course!" he said. "Why didn't I think of that?"
"You have had your mind on other things lately," the Bear answered, "like trying to stave off invasion, save five occupied planets from destruction, and stay alive. Small things in themselves, but time-consuming nonetheless."
"Thanks, Nik," Brim said.
"Think nothing of it, friend Brim," Ursis said.
"Er, when do we get started with the installations?" Brim asked. "We'll need one for Toby Moulding and one for Aram, at least."
"And one for Wilf Brim," Ursis added.
"I hoped you'd say that," Brim sighed. "But when?"
"In starship docked outside is team of engineers who are ready to start installation whenever you give word."
"You mean they've been waiting while we talked?"
"Well, more or less, Wilf," Ursis said. "Is only mannerly thing to do. You are Base Commander, after all."
Brim shut his eyes. Sodeskayans! "Nik," he said softly as he could. "There's a Starfury I often use in the repair bay even as we speak. They can start on that one right now."
"Is good," Ursis said. "That must be one Chief Barbousse told us about when we arrived.
Engineering team has been working on that one since we arrived."
"I thought you said they were waiting."
"Oh, but they were," Ursis protested. "By now, ship will have been opened up. When you give word, Voof! Installation begins...!"
Meanwhile, the first wave of raids that day accomplished little disruption to the Imperial war machine, although Avalonian civilians did continue to suffer. And the second blow showed signs of poor preparation—some attack ships arrived without killer cruisers and vice versa, with deadly consequences for the attackers. The third—and main—blow was launched with some 150 attack ships and killer escorts heading for Avalon. They were hit twice by Starfuries and Defiants on the way but managed to keep going until, nearing their target, they ran into a small squadron led by Brim in the first crystal-equipped Starfuries. At point, the slaughter began. On the instant the Leaguers in Effer'wyck switched on their target beams, Brim picked one up and quickly followed it to its intersection. Then he drew off half a c'lenyt to simply orbit the point with all fourteen disrupters aimed and energized. Moments later, a big Kreissel 111-K came flashing by and before it could even open fire, it virtually disappeared in a full Imperial broadside whose every disruptor was precisely on target!
With wild cheers echoing on the voice circuits—which he couldn't bring himself to stifle—Brim followed a second beam to its intersection, then called in another Starfury to wait while he sought out a third beam. Working rapidly, he managed to place another two Starfuries at intersections and arrived at still another just in time to pick off a fifth Leaguer in a great puffball of radiation fire and spinning starship parts, at which time the panicked survivors fired at anything on the ground they could hit and ran for home, spreading damage over a wide area. For the first time since his arrival in Avalon, Brim returned to FleetPort 30 that evening with a smile on his face. The Imperials had a chance now. Tomorrow, at least fifteen more squadron leaders would begin to operate with crystal beam receivers.