It was only a couple of weeks before they expected the ship full of Earthlings to land.  Everyone had been given their new living assignments, clothing, sim suits, armor, weapons, vehicles and food had been distributed according to some plan.  They had six bases of operation, almost all connected by tunnel.  It would be a month before the tunnel between Cydonia and Hellas was dug through  completely. 

      Athracht was placed in charge at Cydonia.  All of the bases needed to have some clear chain of command.  It wasn't enough to rely on Matriarchy when battle strategies came into play.  In any case Athracht had her mate Avitan in Cydonia with her.  Andronic was with them also, uncle to Athracht, Lade's son.  Maudlin, and her son Deric were also stationed in Cydonia.

      Easterwine, Kieran and their daughter Elise were stationed at Hempshire though Blath was now in command there.  She had taken with her Etan and Theodoric.

      Trepidation was again in charge of Sinai.  Rachael, his General, was with him.  Valor, Edil, Minerva and Aedan were back in D Den caring for the rainforest.  Sadian and Astoric were in their villa in C Den.  Maudlin's daughters Lae and Aphi were watching over B Den.  Lade, her two mates Adrian and Airy, Etan and his two mates Arthen and Ovenia were in A Den.

      Midway was under control of joint leadership by Ethe and Athene.  They had with them more of the younger ones, the twins Zetjan and Xmanda and the twins Caith and Eleria.  Dewin was with them also, Mara's youngest son.

      At Hellas Station Iolanthe was in command.  Her own parents were living there now, as well as her sister Begh and Irais, and their daughter Helen. 

      Eden Base was manned for the most part by the humans.  They did not want to hide away but it seemed to make sense for them to stay there, they could not know if this would play out to their advantage or not.  Kei was in command, being the only military officer.  Brittany and Mara were both there, Mara wearing Rachael's older suit without name tag and caring for Brittany who being human was only about four months along in a nine month term but already fairly uncomfortable.  Carlo and Martin were with them of course, making five humans.  Blaith was also with them. 

      Blaith had refused to travel to Cydonia and was now in Eden lurking in underground secret chambers beneath buildings of ancient appearance wearing obis over her clothing, even kimonos and doing everything she could to be more Japanese, so far as she understood Japanese culture from her limited resources.  It amused Kei. 

      Blaith was expected to descend into Madness within two months and then some weeks later give birth. 

      The five pregnancies were of some concern to all.  Caith was expected to deliver first, within ten weeks.  Blath and Athene were due around the time Blaith was, within a week or days of each other and all roughly a month behind Caith.  But Brittany had five to go.

      Everything depended on what means the Earthlings would use to rid them from the planet.  Claudia had run many simulations, but only so far as given variables would allow.  She could not predict the future.  They had prepared for many contingencies, assuming hopefully that nuclear nor biological weapons of mass destruction would be used as their effects could ruin areas for the future human inhabitants.

      From Rachael and Trip's experience with similar foes they expected weapons designed to kill Vampyres or half-Angels such as bladed weapons and incendiary devices.  They all had at least one sim suit in good condition, some had a spare, and there were a few of the fully pressurized suits scattered around as well.  Everyone also had their own personal helmet, though not everyone had a very original looking one. 

      Each base had many stockpiled air tanks and stores of oxygen.  There was as much water stored as could be gathered.  Grains of many kinds had been packed in airtight containers and stored in the various bases, each of which had at least one underground room that had hidden entrance.  Right now Alix was out on some secret mission of his own, but the others did know he was stopping at the location smack in the center of the triangle bordered by the six bases, which was also called Airy and the location of Mars' prime meridian, equivalent to Greenwich on Earth.  Here there were several large-scale vaporators, and oxygenators along with a buried store of food, suits, air, and water.  Here also they had introduced various algae and lichen to the surface in hopes they would take.  The immediate area was heated by the machinery and elements at ground level powered by windmills. 

      Alix was setting up a field of specially designed windmills.  These each consisted of a precisely weighted and edged rectangular panel of solid color suspended between two thin legs that were anchored into the ground.  As the wind caused these panels to spin the movement generated energy as received by mechanism in the legs.  At present this energy was being used to run the oxygenators or vaporators, some heating elements.  But what Alix was most proud of was the aerial view of the many colored panels when viewed as one. 

      So large would this field be and complete its image in two weeks that it could be picked up by Earth's space telescopes or by orbiting ship, probe or satellite. 

      Tathai, Rozz, Acyndia, and Kiara were still out as well.  Tathai and Rozz headed toward Hellas and Acyndia and Kiara toward Cydonia, all monitoring a force of digging machines that ran in shifts around the clock. 

                      ?                ?                ?

      A week before the anticipated arrival Hellas Station reported definite contact with the incoming ship on their scanners.  From Hempshire and Cydonia jointly a team was sent out, leaving Hempshire and traveling directly west in one of the new hydrogen filled zeppelins toward the location known as Volcano Twelve which was to be the landing sight according to the message they had intercepted.  Athracht, Avitan, Theodoric and Etan rode in the pressurized compartment heavily defended and armed.  Within the compartment they had the light framed truck and it's large wheels ready to assemble for their trip back. 

      Blath had gifted Etan with a new helmet made by Arthen which was made in the shape of Etan's own attractive features and had streamers of foil hanging from its top that simulated hair.  With Dori's Mayan god helmet, Athracht's Isis head with disc and horns, and Avitan's eagle head helmet they did look a bit frightening, and were all fully armored, having armor molded to fit their bodies covering their spine and chest, small armored skirts or aprons of individual plates attached to a waistband, much like the form of leather armor worn by ancient Romans.  Additionally they wore protective armor on outer arms, shins, forearms or thighs. 

      They passed over Chryse and then the followed the north side of the Valles Marineris into Candor and finally Tharsis.  They had been able to spot the glittering pyramids of Sinai, watched them fade as the shutters were raised.

      They passed over Pavonis Mons, central volcano of a line of three.  The tallest, Olympus, was some distance West.   They descended then toward the pair of small volcanoes.  The Zeppelin was deflated upon landing and the gondola anchored to the ground at Athracht's order. 

      "I would want to make my base on a side of the caldera," Avitan said via their comlink, "Inside the extinct caldera seems a good idea but if anyone was to attack we could be easy targets when inside."

      "The rim makes a good place to anchor weapons though.  This whole region is high ground, we'd always be coming uphill if we have to get here," Theodoric said.

      "First: we don't want to.  Elevation makes it unsuitable for settlement, colder, thinner air.  And just because they land here doesn't mean they set up base right away," Athracht said in usual direct manner.  "They might expect Xian to show up here."

      "Let's leave them a note," Theodoric suggested, "something horrible."

      "Good, write it, find a way to post it," Athracht said.  "I'm going to look for good places to set traps."

      Etan helped Theodoric to work on the note.  They decided on the cryptic LEMURIA and cut the word into a rock with small plasma torch.  Athracht had been scouting around and now was setting small video cameras throughout the area. 

      Avitan set up a small telescope and aimed it East.  He stood a moment looking through it.  "I can't see anything of our settlements," he said.

      "Good.  Let's get some photos of the area, set some ground sensors then move east," Athracht said.

      "Maybe we should plant a few to the North, what if our decoy plan works?" Etan asked.

      "Can you be back in a tock?"

      "About eighty minutes, sure, Dori can go with me."

      "Get the sensors from the boxes.  Be sure you're back, we have to make the rest of the trip by truck."

                      ?                ?                ?

      Trepidation and Rachael were both in Trip's computer lab, watching video of the ship's decent, the assumed landing sight and a radar image on various monitors.  Trip wore a headset to focus better on one channel of audio, was listening to radio from Athracht's team.  They were still out, nearly back to Hempshire. 

      "It's pretty clear today.  I can see something falling in the distance," Athracht said. 

      "Claudia, get me Alix."  There was a small moment of silence.  "Alix, can you see it?"

      "With my scope, I'm nearly to Eden Base, I can see the pyramids."

      "Claudia, estimate time of decent."

      "Fifteen minutes," Claudia's voice replied. 

      "Claudia, all channels outgoing," Trip said.  "We've got fifteen minutes.  Do your last checks, shutters up, retract radar dishes.  Eden Base, we'll be counting on you to relay."

      "With luck they'll show us what they have and we'll have a few days to breathe easy," Kei said.

      "With luck," Trip said to himself.  "Claudia, get me Tathai."  There was the drop into silence.  The on scene cameras were relaying to all the bases through Eden as the larger antennae would be too obvious.  "Tathai, how's it going?"

      "We're still digging.  Another week and we should be done.  The tunnel is complete from Cydonia to here, shored up pretty well.  I hear we've sighted the ship."

      "Yes, should be down in a little over ten minutes."

      "I'll go back to digging."

      Trip studied the monitors again.  Rachael  was silent.  "I feel like I'm about to have a complete breakdown.  I have no idea what their plan is."

      "Try to relax," Rachael whispered.  "If you recall once we landed our first priority was to get our own site secured, that's going to take them time.  They can't be prepared for immediate battle the moment they land, they won't even have their land legs." 

      Trip took the headset off and dropped it hard on the desk.  "Claudia where's the headcase?"

      The hologram appeared, seemed to wear somber gray dress and have hair swept up in loose ponytail.  "If you are forgetting where it is you don't need to find it."

      "Claudia, it's not THC residue in my brain, it's stress!  Where is it?"

      "I observed you placing it in the right pocket of your purple coat."

      Trip padded down all his pockets looking for anything to smoke.  "I don't feel like going upstairs."  He took a hand rolled cigarette from a breast pocket.  "I'll smoke a clove, OK?"

      "You did program me to care about your health.  Do as you will."

      Trip went to his cowhide chair and sat down, taking a long drag from his cigarette as he did.  He opened the door of the small refrigerator under the desk with his toes then quickly leaned forward to remove a glass bottle. 

      "I estimate their ship will touch down closer to Volcano Thirteen than Twelve in five minutes."

      "Thanks, Claudia," Trip said.  He pulled the seal from the bottle and took a gulp of blood from it.

      Rachael walked up behind Trip, placed a headset over his ears and massaged his shoulders.  "It's Mara."

      "Mara?"

      "How are you doing?" Mara asked. 

      "I just want to listen to your voice."

      "Trip, you have been fighting these people ever since I met you.  When you came into that cell they had me in, like Luke Skywalker, and took me out of there.  And that time in Jackson Square in New Orleans when you gave me to Thierry so that I could escape them while you ended up shot.  All the times we had to move around because they were after us, they set our house on fire.  They chased us down in Tanzania and you and Astoric lifted me out of Thierry's wrecked Land Rover.  We've gotten through all of it, Trip.  We'll get through this.  Maybe you don't share my faith, but you trust in my belief in it.  There are too many Angels and Saint's watching over us for us to loose our lives now."

      "I'm tired, Mara, so tired of it.  I told everyone we should kill these people, you know I'm not violent.  But they just don't respond to anything else."

      "Trip.  Listen to me.  You're OK.  If they so much as touch one of our children in remotely harmful way I would kill them without a second thought.  Killing other people is not a good thing, but there are times where it's that or give up and die.  And giving up and dying is not good.  Who would we be if we went into the next world a bunch of souls who had just given up to unjust people?"

      "Martyrs."

      "Darling, I know about Martyrs, I know about all the saints.  I can tell you right now if they captured me and it was betray you or die, I would die, and only then would I give in to that.  But not this way.  To not defend what we have justly earned: it's foolish."

      "Don't let them capture you," Trip whispered.

      "Don't worry.  I am one of the strongest witches my family ever had."

      Trip looked at the monitors and saw the ship was landing, chutes swirling to one side, large heavy metallic ship scraping the ground then coming to a halt. 

      "It's going to be a few minutes before they can exit the ship," Rachael said.

      "What if they do just bomb us all to Hell?"

      "Sssh," Mara said.  "we're all down in our underground chambers, they don't even know the locations of all the bases."

      "Unfortunately they know where four of them are," Trip said. 

                      ?                ?                ?

      Tathai and Rozz sped through the tunnel in hovercar, it made the tunnel trip in record time, but they were planning to stop at Midway anyway.  They had just spent over a week in Hellas Station, watching the daily feed of video.  Athracht had planted video cameras all over the place between the landing site and the Triangle's border.  They called it now that there were three tunnels: the Triangle.  The new arrivals had turned out to be a rotten bunch of crackers as expected.  Had set up a camp on the East slope of Pavonis Mons. 

      Both the landing site and their camp were still within range of ground cameras they had not yet destroyed and of the four satellites placed in orbit either by the team at Eden Base or the Shi Vampires.  It was clear they were prepared for battle.  They had one triangular stealth type aircraft that looked almost space worthy and a fleet of sophisticated hover vehicles Trip was calling scuds for the way they moved. 

      Their daily actions suggested preparedness for battle, some sort of alertness drills and many equipment tests.  But it was still the aircraft that had everyone scared.  They did have land to air missiles at their bases now, but they had not been tested very thoroughly.  One aircraft like that with smart bombs and missiles could wipe out all their work. 

      So far it had not flown toward the triangle.  The invaders seemed intent on building up their camp. 

      Now, Rozz and Tathai came to the tunnel section that was over Midway.  They landed the car on its underwheels and opened the outer hatch with their code sequence.  They spent a nervous minute in the airlock then stepped into the antechambers and found a sword pointed at Tathai's throat held by Zetjan. 

      Knowing who they were then Zetjan lowered his sword and Dewin appeared from hiding.  "How are things?" Tathai asked slowly as he removed his helmet. 

      "I don't know.  We don't watch the video or listen to the radio when we are on guard duty."

      "Guard duty?  None of the crackerjacks have left Tharsis."

      "They've been launching small rockets," Zetjan said.  "Ethe says whatever they launched have been seen reentering all over the planet, small hovering droids of somekind, if what we hear from Cydi is correct."

      "Ethe told us to guard," Dewin insisted, "Does it hurt to watch out?"  He took in a breath, "I don't want to be down there anyway, I'd be careful if you need to go down," Dewin warned.

      "Madness?" Rozz asked.

      "Caith's got it, but it's all the girls down there and Athene's just plain cranky now."

       "I'll go down," Tathai said. "Rozz and I have to be going shortly, we're going to Sinai for new assignments."

      "Well, you've had children before, so you can probably handle it," Zetjan said.  He went to the panel that hid the entrance to the main of Midway and opened it. 

      Tathai ducked into the passage and then climbed down the ladder there.  At the bottom there was another hatch, he thought this lead to a secondary airlock.  It did, but as the pressure was stabilized either side he only had to open the next hatch to be in the newer chambers. 

      He found himself in an indoor garden, slender trees transplanted from Sinai stood here now and many young plants.  Everything here was young.  Shortly Eleria and Xmanda came from behind irregular outcroppings of concrete, seemed relieved.  They were frightened, all of them. 

      "Tathai!" Xmanda said happily, "where have you come from?"

      "Rozz and I recently finished the tunnel and were resting up from our long outside assignment in Hellas.  It doesn't seem everyone is all right here."

      "It would really better if Etan was here," Eleria whispered, "Caith's Mad, keeps cursing Blath.  We have to restrain her sometimes.  She tries to call Hempshire, and she doesn't know the proper radio safety procedures.  They could hear us!  We can get Sinai and Hellas and Cydonia because they have the satellite relay and encryption and that stuff."

      Xmanda laughed, a little.  Eleria knew much more about plants than communications.  But communications with Hempshire were not entirely secure from Midway, it was a matter of Trip and Claudia doing some programming that had not been done yet.  In any case Tathai and the two girls knew with some certainty that those at Hempshire were involved in the risky business of surveillance and sabotage, out crawling around in Mars Red sim suits to plant more sensors and to spy Pavonis with ground based telescopes. 

      "Ethe and Athene?" Tathai asked.  Pregnant Athene was his niece, her father Aedan had not seen her in some time, would appreciate Tathai checking in on her. 

      "Athene is probably around here somewhere hunting small things or eating sugar.  Ethe is further below watching video," Xmanda said.

      The secured feed of video and additional text came from their satellites and required decoder to view.  This was a somewhat new arrangement, but seemed to work.  Ethe sat in dimly lit room in khaki clothing, dark hair in a braid, reading the text along the bottom of the screen before her.  "They're sending a group North!" she said as she sensed Tathai had come into the room.  Shortly Athene showed herself, large with child but still barely dressed, leaning on tall walking stick. 

      "The decoy plan worked?" Athene asked.  "Maybe that will please Caith."

      "I doubt it," Ethe grumbled.

      "Are they headed toward Lemuria?" Tathai asked.

      "Possibly," Ethe said, "Maybe they just want to get to the polar cap, it's grown larger now that the season is changing, and they will need water.  Either way it delays their progress here."

      "They could approach Cydonia from over the pole," Athene said.

      "But they could reach all of us eventually, we just have to be prepared," Ethe said. 

      "Can you spare just two air  tanks?  Rozz and I need to get to Sinai."

      "Sure, we've got all that stuff stored one level up, well, except for the emergency stores below.  Take some, we aren't using them much right now," Ethe said.

      "I can show you," Athene offered.

      "Can I pass along any messages for you?" Tathai asked.

      Ethe frowned, though she did not look at either of them.  "No.  Unless you want to worry them."

      "I understand," Tathai said.  "Maybe I could ask Sadian to come.  You do have two pregnant women here."

      "It would be helpful, seeing as how we're all too young to remember any of the births we witnessed," Ethe sighed.

                      ?                ?                ?

      "Mommy," she cried, the girl heavy with child and scraping at the walls. Caith would give birth any minute, definitely in the next tock.  She was cringing with the first pains of labor, sweating.  Sadian went to her quickly, put herself beneath Caith's right arm to support her. 

      "I'm here now, don't worry." Sadian gestured for Eleria and Athene to come forward.  "Let's get her into a cleaner room, make her comfortable if we can."  Eleria helped their mother to walk Caith down the two flights of stairs from habitat to living quarters.  Ethe was already busy laying out a birthing mat and clean linens. 

      "Why is he with Blath?  He should be with me.  I'm having his baby!"

      "Shush, Dear," Sadian said.  She held her hands over a small basin and waited for Ethe to pour hot water over them.  With a gesture Eleria gave nod and sprinkled careful measures of dried herbs into a clay cup.  Ethe poured water over these now. 

      "You watch, Athene, you will have to go through this soon."

      "I know," Athene said as she sank awkwardly into a nearby chair. 

      Sadian took the cup from Ethe.  "Set up the birthing frame," she asked and went to Caith.  "Drink this dear, it will help."

      Caith drank the infusion of herbs quickly though the liquid was very hot.  Ethe was setting up the frame Sadian had brought with her.  It telescoped, bent at joints and locked into place to resemble something to be used in a gymnasium.  "It hurts," Caith cried.

      "Of course Dear, you've got six months worth of menstrual pains to make up for," Sadian smiled.  "It will be easier if you use the frame.  Just hold the bar and stoop down over the mat, let me see if the height is OK for you."

      Caith moved forward slowly, gripped the bar before her then lowered herself.  "Just right," Sadian said.  "Ethe will take off your clothes for you and braid your hair away from your face while I check your baby's position...can you hear it?"

      "Of course I hear him, he's driving me insane!" Caith cried.

      "A son then," Sadian said as she bent to lay her hands on Caith's belly.  She gave away nothing in her expression but with gesture and silent voice told Ethe to bring her bag.  She took from this some of her instruments that were wrapped in cloth.  One of these she used to view the present size of the opening to Caith's womb.  "Caith."

      "What?" she asked through tears.

      "Concentrate, listen to my voice, your son is ready to be born, in correct position and you are ready right now to give birth.  Now you just close your eyes and talk to him.  Tell him what is happening, this is very important.  Speak to him with your mind, tell him he'll be OK, we're waiting for him.  And you help him get out to us, OK, Caith?  You push when you feel those pains, help your baby boy come out to see you."

      "I want Etan here."

      "No, don't think about that.  Remember the mental techniques I taught you, help your baby be born." 

      Eleria picked up Caith's hair, long and gold like her own and began to braid it.  "We're all here for you, Caith.  You do what you have to like Mother says, I'll help you take care of him when he's born.  Then when I have children you'll know just what to say to help me."

      Caith screamed.  Gasped for breath. 

      "Quick small breaths," Sadian said, "You're doing fine."

      Ethe brought a cloth to wipe sweat from Caith's face. 

      "Isn't he out yet?" Caith groaned.

      Sadian worried that Caith's disappointment in Etan was making it hard for her to concentrate on her bond with her child.  "Caith!  You listen to me now!  Your tiny son is frightened, he has known only a liquid world within you and that is gone.  Promise him you are waiting for him!  Promise him he will be happy and content and feed from your breast if he comes out to us and shares the world we live in."

      "I'm trying," Caith cried.  "I'm sorry, I do love you, come be with me, it's nice out here, so many things to see.  It's beautiful.  Etan loved me and you're going to be beautiful because of it, and I'm not going to let anyone hurt you."

      "I got him, just a bit more, Caith!  He's almost out!" Sadian cried happily. 

      In tears Caith bore down and her son was born from her into Sadian's hands.   Caith fell forward onto her hands.  Gently Eleria wrapped a sheet about her twin sister and helped her to lie on their bed. 

      When Sadian had examined the newborn and cleaned and wrapped him she brought him to his mother.   Caith smiled weakly.  She reached out for him and brought the baby to lie on her chest.  "You're so small, Lucifer," she said.

      "Lucifer?" Sadian asked.

      "If you had been in the orchard with us you would understand," Caith said, smiled. 

                      ?                ?                ?

      Blath and Easterwine sat within the Hempshire settlement in room furnished with communication and information systems.  They viewed on their largest monitor video surveillance footage taken of the invaders.  They had put up many buildings in short amount of time, this was it seemed because the buildings were prefabricated, possibly even meant to be temporary.  Now, with their own robotic construction machines the group of humans seemed to be cutting level terraces into the face of volcanoes 12 and 13.  "About half of their number went north," Easterwine said, "Has anything come in on them?"

      Blath shook her head but brought up the latest video, taken from one of their satellites.  The quality of the video from the great distance was impressive, one could make out individual figures, however it was nearly impossible to identify who each might be.  "They are still in the region of Scandia," Blath said. 

      "They would only have to travel a short distance east to reach Cydonia, come down at them from the North."

      "They've been warned of that.  But what interests me is this work on the land.  I thought at first it might be a landing strip, used for aircraft, but now I see they are cutting level strips all up and down the slopes and they are hauling the debris inside the calderas.  Their camo tarps are doing a decent job of keeping us from viewing the insides of the volcanoes."

      "I have not seen anything special about them that makes me doubt our advantage here except that damn flying machine.  Why haven't they used it yet?"

      "I don't think they can, or they are awaiting something.  Dori called in, sighted another of those droids they launched, probes of some kind, and they auto destruct upon attack so as to leave a mess of components and charred wiring to try to inspect for its function.  When my men check in I'll see how they feel about going after the jet" Blath promised.  She and Easterwine, her great granddaughter, both got up from their seats and left the small room.  They were in a long hall now which led to the individual living quarters and to the large rooms near the entrance, the closest to the hall being the room with mirrored walls, colored moving lights, and many draperies they called the Lounge. 

      Kieran was in this room, slowly dancing his daughter Elise to sleep to the sound of soft music.  "Anything new?" he asked in whisper.

      Easterwine went to him and took Elise, wanted time with her child. 

      "Not really.  I'm waiting for Etan and Dori to check in.  We need someone to try to take out that jet they have."

      "I thought you were going to tell them to come in, they've been out there over a week and you haven't told Etan about Lucifer yet."

      Blath shrugged, carrying a large weight in her womb.  She was certain there were twins within her, probably fraternal, a sister and brother.  "I have to think about it," Blath said.

      They had been crazy with anxiety and a little fear when the new ship landed, and now over two months had passed and all they seemed to do was mill about their camp.  Now half of them had headed north while the others built up their own defenses.  Rachael had said to each of the commanders she thought it should have been expected.  She would want time to become accustomed to the terrain and set up a base of operations to fall back upon if she were invading a planet. 

      Blath thought it made some sense. Invading an entire planet must take more time and more planning than invading a nation or country.  And Trip had reminded them that based on Xian's messages these people had considered a full-scale invasion something of a last resort, a plan B.  They had learned in transit of the numbers awaiting them. 

      It did not seem so strange then that two months could pass without more than a few skirmishes incited by small teams from Cydonia or Hempshire stealing into their camp to sabotage equipment.  It seemed fair to order these covert assaults.  The Earthlings had caps, that was they wore bands on their heads that disrupted telepathic communication.  Brittany knew of these, said that even on Earth they were controversial, said to cause tumors.  But the few scans of the minds in that camp they were able to make told them these people did mean them harm.

      An audio alarm went off, triggered whenever someone was in the tunnel without.  Kieran took the crossbow from his thigh and crept forward to the break in the curtains, looked into the small plain chamber beyond.

      "Let the droid handle them," Blath said as she tried to scan to see who was close.  "I think it's family anyway...I'm sure of it."

      In a moment the door opened.  "Tathai and Rozz," Kieran said, opened the curtain so they might enter the lounge. 

      "Trip sent us here to support your team, if it is all right with you?" Tathai asked and looked to Blath.

      "Of course.  With Dori and Etan out there's just the three of us and Elise here, barely enough just to get all our meals prepared."

      Tathai nodded.  "I was surprised to hear of your missions, with just five of you here to begin with.  And you must be about to give birth any day, Blath."

      She smiled.  "Yes, fortunately after my first child I only get the Madness for a day or so before...or I hope these are born as easily as Edil was."

      "Tathai, Rozz, how do you feel about going to the enemy camp and sabotaging their jet plane?"  Easterwine asked suddenly.

      "If you've got a plan—"

      "No, I give the orders, you don't want to give orders," Blath said.  "We'll wait until Dori and Etan are back."

      "They should be with you, another week out on assignment and they might miss the birth," Easterwine said.

      "I can't take advantage of my position!"

      "You are so far from taking advantage of your position you are giving the rest of us an unfair advantage," Easterwine said. 

      "I'll go," Tathai said, "I volunteer, I'm comfortable with being out in portable shelters and I'm sure I can get in there to their camp."

      "All right," Blath sighed, "I'll get you whatever surveillance we've got on their camp and gear for the trip.  Claudia can forward us info on aircraft like these."