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“It’s an Earther sensitivity then. I wonder if just human females pick it up.”
“First things first.” Tranis signaled Nath to turn the vid off. When she did so, he said, “We need the interdimensional containment.”
Nath and Lokmi exchanged a glance. The engineer said, “We have a prototype we think will work…but we’ll can’t be sure until we use it on the Dark riding Hobato.” He shuddered and glanced at where the holo screen had shown the rear admiral.
“We’ve tested it as best we can using the nanos,” Nath added. “It seems to work, but since the devices are of our dimension and not the Darks’…” she shrugged helplessly.
“If we try to trap it and the containment fails, the mother ship-organism creature might be aware of it. It’ll be alerted we’re on to its offshoots infiltrating the empire,” the unnamed admiral said. He ground his teeth.
“We’re running out of time. Hobato’s trying to move fleet assignments around. My analysis is he’s weakening our defenses. We’ve been intercepting his coms and giving him false answers, but we won’t be able to block him from uncovering the operation much longer,” Tranis argued.
Degorsk signaled for his attention. “Admiral, if Dramok Ilid has done all you wish?”
“Yes, of course, my apologies.” Tranis moved to stand close to Ilid and his parent clan. The admiral’s bow was deep. “Thank you, Dramok, for perhaps saving us again.”
“Can you stop them? Is there any chance?” Ilid was certain he already knew the answer. The Darks had arrived. He’d witnessed for himself containments couldn’t hold them at bay.
“We’ll do everything in our power. I promise you.” Tranis gripped his shoulder and squeezed. “If there’s anything I can do for you, don’t hesitate to ask. I mean it, Ilid.”
Ilid had one request. “Get them off our planet, Admiral. For my parents’ sake, don’t let them do to us what they did to Bi’is.”
* * * *
The day had waned to late afternoon. Lokmi stood in the spacious reception area of Hobato’s office suite. Piras, Kila, Tranis, Lidon, and Degorsk accompanied him. He tried to appear confident before the group. He felt anything but.
The vid footage of the Dark on Hobato had horrified him. Appearing as a malignant growth, it had clutched the rear admiral in an obscene embrace. Lokmi found it difficult to put his revulsion into words. The best he could come up with was he’d beenoffended.
The metal tube in his hand had turned slick from sweat. He’d have one chance at capturing the obscenity holding Hobato hostage. It felt like a damned slim chance. If he shot the containment beam at the Dark and it failed to hold the thing, there’d be trouble. Either it would have them arrested and imprisoned under the guise of the rear admiral, or it would run free to grab someone else. They might never find it again if it did so, at least not until it was too late.
The closed door to Hobato’s inner office opened, and an admiral Lokmi didn’t recognize stepped out. The door closed behind him once more. The man nodded to Hobato’s aide, and Lokmi cut his focus to the side to check if a Dark was attached to him. He shook his head at the questioning glances of his companions. “He’s clean.”
Neither the departing admiral nor the aide reacted to them. Lokmi’s group was phased.
Hope’s voice spoke in the earpiece he wore. “Hobato’s alone, sitting at his desk. His eyes are closed. He looks as if he’s meditating.”
“Or communing with fellow Darks,” Kila muttered. “I doubt we’ll have a better opportunity to catch him by surprise.”
“I agree,” Lidon said. His attention went to Lokmi. “Chief Engineer?”
Lokmi swallowed. Since he was to operate the containment beam, it was up to him to take point. No one could be between him and Hobato when he made the attempt. “I’m ready.”
“Quietly, Chief,” Kila whispered as Lokmi took position between the two Nobeks. “Be as silent as you possibly can.”
“Too late for me to attend Nobek training camp and learn to ambush enemies like you guys.” Lokmi managed a tight smile.
“We’ll follow if we hear anything that signals trouble, Then Degorsk, once it’s safe for him to do so.” Tranis said. He and Piras stood back, aware they weren’t trained to move silently either.
Piras held Lokmi’s gaze for a second. “Be careful.”
Lokmi nodded and faced the door again. He told the Nobeks, “On three. One…two…three.”
They walked forward, Lokmi stepping as gingerly as he could. He passed through the door, feeling the minute drag of it on his phased body as he moved.
It was as Hope had reported via the nanospy: Hobato sat at his desk, his eyes closed in seeming contemplation. Lokmi slid his focus to just over the rear admiral’s shoulder and saw the Dark.
Something was off.
He held up the hand not holding the containment rod. Kila and Lidon paused, glances sliding back and forth between him and Hobato. Lidon was frowning. Lokmi wondered what his limited ability to see Darks displayed.
