Acorna 05 - Acorna's Search by Anne Mccaffrey; Elizabeth Ann Scarborough

Author:Anne Mccaffrey; Elizabeth Ann Scarborough [Anne Mccaffrey; Elizabeth Ann Scarborough]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Published: 2011-06-01T20:46:41+00:00

Aye, sir:

"You will proceed to these coordinates. If Lady Liriili wishes to leave the planet's surface, she may accompany you. If not, leave her there and a later shuttle may find time to transport her when the crisis is over."

Aye, sir.

"You are not leaving me behind?" Liriili cried, aghast. "Not if you cease and desist all verbal communication and load yourself aboard immediately, Madame. Otherwise, leaving you behind is exactly what we will do," the captain said with satisfaction so profound that it was no doubt uncharitable and unbecoming in an officer of the Linyaari space fleet.

Liriili opened her mouth but Vilii Hazaar Miirl, who had initially entertained kind feelings for the castaway, as well as compassion for her plight, started to shut the shuttle door in her face. Miirl was actually hoping Liriili would utter just one more word, but the former viizaar pulled herself together, haughtily opened the door, boarded, and dumped herself into one of the seats, her mouth clamped into a hard thin line. She didn't bother to shield her thoughts at all, but with a nod from Miirl, the crew chief shoved a horn helmet over Liriili's horn, muffling her outraged ruminations. "For your safety, lady," the chief said with deliberately officious crispness.

While it did not take the shuttle nearly as long to reach the coordinates Yaniriin dictated as it would have taken a flitter, a great deal happened while they were en route.

Yaniriin kept Miirl and her crew apprised of what the ship's sophisticated long-range visual scanners were showing.

"The beasts are shaggy, covered with what appears to be coarse fur or hair. Their movements indicated bewilderment initially, but that has turned to aggression. One attempted to board the flitter, but when it was unable to do so, it attacked the craft with a weapon of some sort.

"Oh! Wait! Here comes the second creature, joining the first one. They appear to be allies, and do not attack each other, which is perhaps unfortunate for us. The second one is also attempting to board the flitter. No. Perhaps it was sniffing the craft, for now it is less tall, as if it has hunched over. Now it is slowly proceeding along the route taken by Khornya and her team to the place where they dug the tunnel leading to the the cave."

Silence interrupted these reports, while Yaniriin communicaited with Khornya, Thariinye, and their android and pahaantiyir associates.

Suddenly Yaniriin said, "Oh, no. The team has emerged from the tunnel. Now it appears that the monsters have seen them, and they are attacking! Have you a sturdy net aboard your craft, Vilii Hazaar Miirl?"

"Aye, sir," she answered. "And there's a very strong tractor beam on this craft, too it is one of House Harakamian's, used for construction, and capable of moving heavy ground equipment, I understand."

"Excellent. Khornya and her friends will have need of that. If you can increase your speed at all, please do so."

"Unfortunately, this sort of craft isn't actually built for speed, sir, but we will do the best we can," Miirl promised.

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