"I am going to take Keth aside as soon as I can," Mayelna continued as they turned to join the others. "Do not say it! I do not want to hear what you consider your duty. I am one of Keth's contemporaries, nearly his own age. Meran, this means putting an end to a career that has spanned three centuries. He will not want to hear it from a twenty-five-year-old kid who has his whole career yet ahead of him. It would be too easy for him to think that you could have no understanding or sympathy for him, an old wolf being chased out of the pack by the cubs."
"I can see that, contrived analogies notwithstanding," Velmeran agreed reluctantly. "You do it."
"Besides, I have come up with an alternative," Mayelna added. "Do you think that Keth suffers from any failings that would make him an untrustworthy teacher?"
"No, Keth's problem is in his bones, not in his head," Velmeran replied thoughtfully. "In fact, that conceit of his always made the students think that he is better than he ever was. That could be important, if a retired pilot is to maintain the respect of his students."
As they passed in front of the transport, they found Dveyella standing a few paces from the nose of her fighter, wearing a thoughtful expression as she stared at the little ship. The cause of her concern was obvious; the fighter, once matte black, was now a dusty black-gray. It was badly scorched from the explosion it had passed through, and such damage was enough to retire this ship. Too much of its machinery, particularly wiring and hoses near the surface, would have been damaged by the heat. The quartz glass in the windows and focusing lenses would have been weakened, as well as the seals around the canopy and panels.
Valthyrra hovered nearby, the snakelike neck of her probe stretched to its limit as she inspected the damage. "How long have you had this ship?"
"Three years now," Dveyella replied. "Our ships have a rather limited life expectancy."
"So it would seem," Valthyrra agreed. "I can refit this one as a trainer. But you will need a new one, for your line of work."
"And a very dangerous line of work it would seem," Mayelna added as she walked up behind them. "It cost you a ship and Velmeran a suit of armor."
"Ah, but this was an easy one!" Dveyella insisted. "We did what we intended and returned safe. A good run indeed."
"Good?" Mayelna asked in disbelief.
"A bad one is when they shoot the fins off your ship, so that you bounce through space like a ball," she said quietly, indicating Baress. "Velmeran surprised me, if I may say so without embarrassing him greatly. He thinks quicker than I do, and he will be better than I am in a very short time. With a couple of years experience behind him, he will lead this pack. To be frank, I want him."
Valthyrra's neck snapped around so fast that the hinges popped. "You want him? Are you asking that I transfer him to you? Right now?"
"Not right now," Dveyella said, hiding a smile with effort. "I have only just indicated that I would take him, and I would allow him time to decide."
"It is his decision," Mayelna agreed.
"He is also my best pilot," Valthyrra said, glancing at the Commander in a manner that indicated a fierce glare. "I have plans for him, and I would not willingly part with him. I have no replacement for him."
"It is, of course, his decision," Mayelna said again.
Velmeran, who had remained silent so far, watched in fascination and amusement. Valthyrra Methryn was so agitated that he almost expected to see smoke escaping from the cowling around her retractable neck.
"Yes, and he does not have to decide soon," Dveyella added. "Several weeks may pass before we are requested somewhere else, and it is customary that we remain where we are until then."
"That is true," Valthyrra agreed quickly, her camera pod lifting hopefully. She turned to look at the larger group standing to one side of the scorched fighter. Dyenlerra had moved in on Keth, and had already attached a portable diagnostic unit to the leads inside the control panel of his suit. "I want to thank you for returning our merchandise safely. Now let us see if it has suffered from its rough handling."
The entire pack was gathered close, silent as they awaited the medic's judgment. Keth himself bore a pained expression of barely restrained impatience, obviously of a mind that all this was unnecessary. Dyenlerra appeared equally exasperated with her patient's unwillingness to cooperate.
"Good enough," she decided as she jerked out the leads. "At least until I can get you out of that armor and properly checked."
"I am all right?" Keth asked with both impatience and concern.
"You are not ill," Dyenlerra said as she bent over the device and pointed toward the lift, indicating for it to put itself away. It turned and rolled off at a quick pace. "Like so many of us, you are getting old."
Keth's reply was a moment of thoughtful silence. Obviously the matter of his age did bother him, whether he chose to believe it or not.
"They did not mistreat you?" Mayelna asked.
"No, certainly not," Keth answered quickly. "They were scared to death of me, although I did nearly starve on their rations. They eat like birds."
"We eat like wolves," Dyenlerra corrected him. "At least they did keep him cool."
"They let you keep your suit?" Velmeran asked.
"Not at first, but I convinced them that I had to have it," Keth replied, obviously pleased with his ingenuity. "I thought that I would need it, since I knew that someone would be coming after me. Actually, it was quite comfortable in those caves."
"We will need a complete report later," Mayelna said. "For now, you report to sick bay for a complete checkup. I want to see you in my office as soon as you are finished."
"Immediately, Commander," Keth agreed with only minor reluctance, well aware that he had been given an order. He departed alone. Some of the others watched him leave but no one was inclined to go with him, no doubt to his annoyance. They were waiting for their pack leader.
"Dyenlerra," Mayelna said softly. "Just what is his condition?"
"About the same as when he left, less about two kilos from light rations," the medic replied. "As I said, he is getting old — fast."
"Would you be willing to declare him unfit to fly with the packs?" she asked suddenly.
"I might have to." Dyenlerra did not seem surprised by that question.
"Valthyrra and I already have, although I would like to have your support on that. Is he capable of being an instructor?"
Dyenlerra nodded. "Yes, he should be up to that for another twenty years, certainly ten."
"Then so it shall be," Mayelna said, and glanced over her shoulder at the younger pilots waiting silently as a group. "I trust that the lot of you can be counted upon to be more discreet than your superior officers. Let this business serve as a lesson to you on the virtues of honest introspection, but do not make the mistake of thinking that foolishness will always be forgiven. I have a present need for an instructor, and as such Keth will be useful to this ship. He might be foolish enough to refuse. Now, forget what you have heard."
No one answered, but there was no question that they took the point to heart. They had matured enough in recent days to recognize a threat when they heard one, although most of them still did not realize that they had been meant to overhear what had been said.
"Then I must leave you," the Commander continued. "There is a war and, unlike Valthyrra, I can only be in one place at a time. Just now I am needed on the bridge."
"I am calling the packs in," Valthyrra said. "We will be under way as soon as they are secure."
"Make it quick, then," Mayelna said as she left with Dyenlerra.
"Well, children, the last order of business is port leave," Valthyrra continued. "There are two packs and several other members of this crew, not to mention our hardworking visitors, who are to be rewarded with leave. There are also eight packs and a large portion of this ship's crew whose tardiness and lack of devotion will be punished by being denied leave. What will be your choice?"