“What is going on?” No one answered Dante.
After another click, Vk's voice returned. “There are many stranded fighters between our ship and Regi, and rescuers are charged with retrieving the first pilot they encounter in order to maximize the number of runs they can make before refuelingand the number of lives they can save,” she explained. An uncharitable part of Dante wanted to yell that she needed to convince them to change their damn plans, even though the Kowri were taking a logical stance. He couldn’t let Regi die—he couldn’t. Logic be damned, he only knew what his heart felt.
“Ter, navigate me to the nearest ship capable of rescue maneuvers,” Dante said. So many Kowri were working on internal repairs that he was sure there were ships going unused.
“You have no experience with Kowri technology or flight training. If you attempt to rescue him, you shall both die in the silence of space,” Ter snapped. He must have been upset because he didn't even come up with one insult despite the stupid plan.
“The gods will have to help out once I'm in the ship,” Dante said.
“I order you to abandon this idiotic plan,” Regi said. “If the Lord of Retribution has chosen to involve himself, that means that this situation will have his full attention until he achieves revenge, and he does not care who or what must burn in his quest to achieve it.”
“I'm pretty sure you described Divashi,” Dante pointed out, “so I'm not sure the situation has changed.” Dante gave a two-fingered salute to the air. “Lord Retav, it's nice to meet you. I have no trouble helping you find a little retribution if it's the pirates you want to burn. Heck, I’ll bring the match and the marshmallows, but if you do not help me get Regi back, I'll set fire to the whole world, including you.”
Vk asked in a tiny voice, “Regi, have you and Dante bonded when I was distracted by other matters?”
“Not that I'm aware of,” Regi said, “but I am suspicious of certain reactions.”
“Well fuck,” Ter said.
Dante ignored them. When he reached the first junction with a major corridor, he caught the arm of a passing Kowri “Where do the rescue ships launch from?”
“The launching bays,” the Kowri said before jerking his arm free and hurrying away as fast as he could thunk in the gravity boots.
A Kowri that had been behind him stopped. “Caliginous deck. We are going there now. Follow us.” Before Dante could answer, the Kowri hurried past. Dante followed.
Unlike most parts of the Kowri ship, the launching bays and the deck the bays were in lacked any decoration. The plain gray walls appeared more human-built than Kowri, and if it weren’t for corridors large enough that a fighter jet would fit down them, Dante wouldn’t have guessed he was on a Kowri ship at all. The Kowri he was following entered a huge door with a frame lit with the same glow as the force field generator he’d used during the rescue. The Kowri inside all had their helmets off... unless they were settling into the cockpit of squat ships with wings that looked too stubby to fly. It was as if the Kowri had modeled them after beetles.
Dante unfastened his helmet and said, “I need a ship or I need someone to retrieve Regi a’Divashi.”
Everyone stared at him for a moment before most returned to their tasks. No one even asked for Regi’s current location.
“Damn it, someone needs to get Regi. Your big old Retav ship is here, so I know there are plenty of pilots. I need one person to prioritize Regi a’Divashi!” A few more Kowri glanced his way, but none seemed inclined to help.
Dante looked toward the ceiling. “Retav, the fact you’re here probably has something to do with those no-account pirates who’d steal flowers off their mommas’ graves, and that means you’re on the same side as Divashi, and that means you need to get Regi back here because he’s been putting his life on theline for you gods!” He shook a finger in the air, and around him Kowri grew fluffy and gasped and made it clear they did not approve.
But one older male with gray streaks in his stripes stood up. He’d been in a fighter with the canopy open and he said, “My ship has refused to engage until this moment. I will seek this exalted in need. Where is he?”
“I have no idea but I do know who is tracking his trajectory.” Dante touched his earpiece. “Ter, do you have the data?”
“Do you have so little faith in my competency that you believe I would lose one of the few officers capable of any logic?” he snapped, his voice shrill even through the radio.
“Just get this new guy the data so we can go after Regi.”
“I would be the new individual of which he speaks,” the gray-streaked Kowri said after tapping his own radio. He asked Dante, “Are you the one called Dante a’Texas?”
“Dante a’Texas or Dante a’Divashi, it's still a little bit of a debate. But feel free to call me Dante.”
The Kowri’s eyes grew large. “Being claimed by more than one god is a promise of far too much of the gods’ first blessing and a difficult position.”
“And if we ever find my home planet, my position will be difficult because the whole Texas part means that my people are not going to appreciate me putting Divashi at the same level as their god, but maybe we can worry about that later.” This didn’t seem the right time for a philosophical debate on the first commandment.
The gray-streaked Kowri spoke. “I am Cidbe a’Gavd,” he introduced himself. “I've established a radio connection. There is room for an observer if you wish to fly with me.”
“Hell, yes,” Dante said. He rushed past the staring Kowri. He had made a scene, not that he much cared. If Regi came back safe, Dante could worry about ruffled feathers later.
“I am ashamed to say that too many of our fighters were unprepared for the engagement. We have not seen combat in many generations,” Cidbe said. “Can I assume that this battle means we're likely to see more engagements?” he asked.
“I have no idea,” Dante said. “The pirates have been stealing dops, and Divashi is more than a little angry.”
