“I hope you’ll pardon me for siding with the commendation idea?” he asked, surprisingly mildly.

That tone caused her to do a slight double take and laugh quietly. “I don’t think I’ll blame you for that, Admiral.” Gracen sighed deeply. “We need more intelligence on these people, these Imperials.”

“On that we agree wholeheartedly,” he said.

Ahead of them, the three Heroics were on station as repair ships from Por-Que and Ranquil swarmed around them. She could see that they were still running flight operations amid all the work and assumed that it was probably for research and recovery of alien tech. The squadron should have found all the survivors by now and any of the bodies they were going to find.

The lost crew would likely reach into the thousands once the Priminae deaths from the Heral’c were added in, though most of those who reached lifeboats had been rescued. The losses in battle had been high, but could have been far worse.

“I’ve seen the report you gave to Weston,” she said, “about the old legends. He seems to think that they’re involved, but I need to know your thoughts.”

Tanner looked troubled—not that she blamed him—as he considered her words.

“I will be honest, Admiral. I do not know. Legends are . . . legends,” he said. “They are not supposed to show up one day and announce themselves with lasers and monsters.”

“No argument there.”

“However, whether these be legends or not, they have announced themselves with lasers and monsters, and my people are at a loss for how to handle that,” he admitted. “We have been at peace for . . . ever.”

“Not forever, Admiral,” she said. “No one designs the ships you had in your archives without having an enemy to goad them on. You may not remember it, but you were fighters once. All survivors are.”

“Perhaps, but are we that now? Can we be so again?” Tanner asked helplessly. “I do not know.”

“Imitate the action of the tiger, Admiral,” she told him. “Summon up the blood. It will remember.”

►►►

AEV Odysseus

► Eric watched as the alien lander barreled into the flight deck faster than he would have preferred, but he knew that the Priminae trusted automated systems more than he did. The craft slowed to a halt just meters away from him. He stiffened to attention as the Marines behind him followed suit.

The short and slim Rael Tanner stepped off first, followed by Amanda Gracen, both in their respective uniforms.

“Admirals on deck!”

Eric and the row of Marines all saluted in unison as the admirals surveyed them.

“As you were.” Gracen spoke softly but with enough volume to carry as she walked toward Eric.

“Commodore,” she continued as he relaxed marginally, “you can’t seem to help but step in it, can you?”

“In my defense, Admiral, I believe that my mission brief this time actually specified that I should ‘step in it,’” he said.