By the time we left the Earth system and headed to the farther stars, we already had reports of aliens far too close. I didn't say it, but I wondered if they had tagged the Belgium lately and kept an eye on us. There had been few reports of Were this close to Earth, so I didn't think it a coincidence.
We had trouble with some of the ship's crew the first few days. They were rude and condescending, and it was only my good manners that kept me from pounding their heads into the wall.
It probably also helped that they ran every time Krisin showed up. Since some of the crew had tried to drop him out in a space lane, they thought he might want revenge.
I had come to realize that he enjoyed scaring them off more.
The fighter crews made jokes, though, and that helped. Even so, it felt odd on our first flight out after the visit to Earth.
As soon as the Were ships appeared, we dropped into our usual routine. We took out two of the craft and damaged another before it destroyed one of our fighters that had lost all power. I could see the crew inside working frantically, but they couldn't see that big damned hole in their engine.
"Can we get them into the bay?" Lisel asked.
"We can try. Where are the Were?"
The others are holding them off. We don't have far to go."
I looked up, saw the faint outline of the ship ahead, and swept around the fighter. I couldn't see which one it was and decided it didn't matter. The crew didn't have much time.
We came back around. The other craft was starting to drift sideways, and we nudged it back as we went past, swung around, and came up behind.
Fighters are relatively slow compared to the big ships. We still hit with a bone-jarring crunch, but both of us were now moving at a good click toward the Belgium. We eased back, nudged to the side, and shoved again when it started to turn. It might have just drifted into place now, but I didn't want to take the chance after all of this.
We all made it. And we had a grand celebration that night. It was good to be home.
Things went back to normal.
We hadn't been back to Dayer's Station since we had saved it from raiders ... some time back. Time runs together, one battle after another. All I really remembered of late was a short time on Earth and throwing myself down the side of snowy mountains.
Dayer looked good as we took the shuttle in, Lisel, Krisin, and me with Captain Dundas, Chief Guard Marka, and a few more of her people. The three of us had been here alone the last time, hoping to stop Raiders before they blew the hell out of the Station and everyone in it. We'd saved them.
I hadn't considered how they would react to having us back.
A great yell went up as we came out of the airlock. I thought we were under attack and reached for my laser pistol, only to have a huge man grab me up in a tight hug.
"Welcome back!"
"Brick?" I gasped. "Put me down!"
Brick sat me back on my feet and grinned with delight. I looked around with surprise at the laughing crowd of humans and Catchin. More Catchin than had been here the last time, I realized. I saw no hint of animosity, either. Human and Catchin children were playing tag with each other around the adults.
Raiders had almost destroyed this place -- worse, raiders working with Were. That thought still brought a surge of rage that I had a hard time fighting back down again. This was what we fought for, out here at the edge of humanity.
"A feast," Brick said. His daughters clustered around him, and the woman who must be his wife fussed and grinned. "We started it as soon as Admin saw that the Belgium was coming in. I wasn't sure you'd ever want to come back!"
"Everything is alright here?" I asked. Then his words caught up with me. "Feast?"
"Everything is great here. We're doing fine. Come on!" He caught me by the arm, and we were rushing away.
Then I heard something that sent a chill through me.
"Tana!" a voice screeched. It was the kind of voice you never forget.
I looked to my right to see Sally rushing my way.
"Oh no --"
I didn't have a chance to prepare. She caught me in a hug tighter than Brick's had been.
"I am so glad to see you!"
I squirmed out of her hold and stepped back in haste. "Sally? What are you doing here? On a colonist station." I had visions of Jakeville dropping her off and not coming back. And now we would --
No. I saw the Councilor and her son coming our way. Krisin went off to meet them.
Sally had gotten her breath back. "I didn't think I would ever get a chance to thank you," she said in such a rush of words that I almost didn't understand her. Then I didn't believe her. "I am so sorry I tried to blow all of you up. And I love it here! And I have ideas! I think we should start exporting all sorts of copies of historical items like paintings and statues and such to colonies and stations so they can remember their links back to Earth and not forget the past we all share and -- are you all right, Tana?"
I was starring at her in mute surprise. "You know, that's not a bad idea."
She grinned with delight. We even sat together at the feast.
But I wasn't sorry when we left again, and she didn't go with us.
So, maybe there was hope for Earthers after all.
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