One of the Solanae - Siffaith, I think - has opened a row of windows along one wall of the control room. They let in the thin, cold air from outside, and the never-changing sunlight. The fresh air, at least, is welcome, as we hunch over the consoles and work.
"They are definitely pulling back," says Siffaith. "I do not understand why. They were holding their own against the swarmers -"
"I think I know," I say. On the screen, we can see the dots marking the positions of Voth units. They are moving - little dots of light, flowing down corridors like blood cells in capillaries. And, when they get to some points on the map, they wink out in brief flares of energy. They are being transported out, from places where the Voth have set up pattern enhancers and can use transporters safely.
"They're returning to the ship," says Pearl.
"Yes." I straighten up, ease my aching back, then move to another console.
"But why?" asks Tyonovon. "Have we - have we won? Are they giving up?"
"I wish," I mutter. I touch the controls, watch images and data flash across the screen. It doesn't tell me anything I don't already know. "The battleship is powering up drives. It'll undock shortly. We've done them some damage, inflicted some casualties... enough that they have to pull some of their forces back, if they're going to man the ship effectively."
The Bulwark is on the move. And its target is obvious, too. The Tempest is practically down on the deck, after diving to retrieve T'Pia; she is climbing out of the denser atmosphere, but slowly, running on thrusters alone.
"If they can complete repairs to the impulse drive -" I begin.
"They can't use it from there," Pearl says. "Aerodynamic compensation is compromised. If they fire up the impulse engines, that low down, without it, it'll be like running the ship straight into a wall."
Operating the ships in the sphere's atmosphere has always been a problem. With her systems shot to pieces by the destruction of her bio-neural controls, Tempest has lost the second-by-second force-field adjustments that would let her use her impulse drive in atmosphere. She could, of course, just tune her main deflectors up to full, and rely on brute force to push air molecules around her - except that the damaged deflectors are not capable of that either.
Pearl leans forward, touches the display, marks out a circle with a single precise gesture. "If she can get past that line before the Gendratis gets under way," she says, "she might stand a chance of getting to thinner air, and being able to cut and run. Otherwise -"
It's a faint hope. The Voth ship is faster than a ship that size ought to be. At full strength, Tempest should be able to outrun it, even so - but Tempest is very far from full strength.
"Patch our tactical telemetry and map data through to Tempest," I tell Pearl. "She might be able to keep the spire, or some of the industrial towers, between her and the Voth...."
The android nods, and moves to another console. I reach for my combadge, to call T'Pia - then stop. She will already know everything I can tell her, and she doesn't need any distractions right now. I could call the Timor, send her out to support the Tempest - but she would take too long, traversing the exit tube, and she couldn't take on a Bulwark in any case. Instead, I turn to Siffaith. "What about us? Is there anything we can do? The spire has projectors for all sorts of energy fields, right?"
I still can't read any expression on the Solanae's insectile faces. Siffaith's huge eyes are turned towards mine. "We have projection systems, yes. The Voth themselves subverted them, to create their biolytic field. But - I do not know how to use them. Perhaps Dyegh -"
I swivel round, to look at where Dyegh sits, huddled in his robe, before a control panel. He raises his head and looks towards us at the mention of his name.
"Is there anything you can do?" I demand.
He seems to withdraw into his hooded robe. "I know the Home's systems," he says. "I understand what the Voth did, when they disrupted my work. Yes, I know. There was damage done, though - and my power reserves, they were depleted - I would have to think -"
I look away from him, back to the map on the screen, back to the point of light that represents the Tempest. It is a very long way from the circle Pearl has drawn.
"Data feed established," the android says. "Getting telemetry from Tempest in reply - we'll be able to see how they're doing, at least." She comes to stand beside me, looking at the map. "I don't know if they can -"
She stops. She raises her right hand, extends her forefinger, aims it at a point on the map. "That's it. Gendratis has undocked."
I swallow, hard. "And the Tempest -?"
"All her possible routes, now, will bring her within the Voth's engagement range. Maybe she can play hide and seek among the towers for a few minutes, but -"
The Bulwark is just a tiny, tiny dot, on the map. But in reality, it is a mile-long armoured bulk, armed with weapons that could blast a hole right through the sphere and out into space. The wounded Tempest stands no chance. "Is there anything we can do?"
"Dyegh," says Siffaith, "if you can help -"
"Of course I can help!" Dyegh's translated voice is high and shrill. "This is the Home! It was built by the Progenitors to wield power! And it will be powerful again, if I can complete my work! But I cannot do that if I have to squander my resources on every task you set me! This is what I said would happen, Siffaith! They will take my resources and use them for themselves, and I will never be able to do what I set out to!"
"Dyegh," says Siffaith, "it will be a delay, nothing more."
"They are aiding us against the Voth," Tyonovon puts in. "The Voth are our enemies, Dyegh, I know. I have seen them. The Voth will not let you complete your work."
"Neither will these!" Dyegh screeches.
"We have laws," I say. "Our non-interference directive - we can't interfere with your work. We can't make any demands of you. But we have to work together, Dyegh, we have to. Or neither of us can win, against the Voth."
"You say you have laws," says Dyegh. "But that machine of yours is there with a weapon ready to hand -"
I sigh. We've been through this. But - "Commander Pearl." The android stiffens. "Give Dyegh your weapon."
She complies at once, handing the Voth gun to the Solanae. Dyegh turns it over in his claws, staring at it.
"While we're at it," I say, "I still have a gun. We carry equipment, suspended in transit." I tap at my combadge, and the phaser rifle materializes in my hand. I offer it to Dyegh. "There. Now I'm disarmed as well. I never found a use for it anyway."
Dyegh takes the gun. He says nothing.
"We can't compel you. We can't give you orders, we can't make you do a damn thing," I say. "But Tyonovon's right, the Voth don't have our scruples. And besides, there are more than a thousand people on the Tempest, including my friend. And they'll die unless we think of something to stop the Voth. I can't compel you, Dyegh, but I can ask. If you can help - help us. Please."
Dyegh's hands shake. The guns clatter to the floor. Nobody moves to pick them up.
"You ask for my trust," he says. "I - I do not know. I - have never dealt with gods, before."
"We're not gods," I say, firmly.
"So you have said. So you have said...." Dyegh stands straighter. It seems he has come to a decision. He shuffles across the floor to another of the consoles.
"Dyegh," says Siffaith, "what are you going to do?"
"As I was asked," Dyegh snaps back. His claws rattle over the console interface. "I know what the Voth did, how they interfered with my systems, how they set up their attack. I know exactly what they did - Stand away from the force fields. There may be interruptions to their power supply."
I look down, at the rippling glassy surface beneath my feet, at the machinery-filled void under that. I move onto a piece of solid floor, quickly.
"The Voth used some of the Home's systems, but they did not know what they were doing. They were clumsy. Inept." Dyegh's claws are tapping in commands in a fast staccato sequence. "I can do everything they did, and more. They drained my power reserves, but that need not matter. I have an energy supply. I can do what they did, and I can do it properly."
A single, unfamiliar icon is glowing on the console screen. Dyegh's claw jabs it, decisively.
And the sun goes out.
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