Page 38 (1/2)

“We’ve received a response with his coordinates He’s invited Mierna to visit tomorrow With her pet”

“No” Erick spoke before any other being had a chance to voice an opinion

She slapped her hand down on Rok’s desk “You don’t get to say no before you’ve even heard aze

A muscle in his jaw jumped “Fine Tells us your plan”

“Mierna brings e where we can hide weapons The rest of you colanced at Cauards A backup team will hide in our ship and sneak out to search the prealactacarriers are located, the pilots take charge of them, and we all fly away”

It sounded much crazier now that she said it aloud It could only be their reverence for her father that kept the

“And if the galactacarriers aren’t on premises?” Rok demanded

“They are” Mierna used her cryptic sage voice

Rok rolled his eyes, which made Mina like him He was no-nonsense He lacked the formality and pomp of the rest of their species In fact, she liked his whole teaed more with them than with the Zandians Perhaps because they each were oddities in their oay

“So tell us, oh wise one, does this operation have a chance in hell of succeeding?” Sarcasm dripped in Rok’s voice

Mierna ignored it and tilted her head to the side, losing focus in her eyes “A good chance, yes”

“What does a good chance“I can’t believe we’re relying on a Venusian’s predictions to make a decision”

“Eighty percent success Maybe better”

Erick slammed his fist down on the arm of his chair “So what’s a partial success mean? We lose part of the tea—in as live bait That’s insanity”

Mina’s face flushed She expected every ree, but a silence followed Erick’s outburst “I aiven the coordinates to his ship He wantsI’ more than a rare object to hi else” She lifted her chin in challenge directly at Erick