"So it's not that much of a risk," Tarlac said. He raised his voice. "Very well, Fleet-Captain. I accept your invitation, and your Ordeal. When and how do you want me to transfer to your ship?"
"No reason for delay there is. Now come. A spacesuit use, your ship to leave. When you far enough from it are, you will onto this ship brought be. You need nothing extra bring; we will all your requirements supply."
"It'll take me about twenty minutes to get to an airlock and suit up."
"Understood, Ranger. I your arrival await."
With that, Arjen's image disappeared from the Lindner's viewscreen, replaced by a view of his fleet. Willis stared angrily at the englobing Traiti ships, running fingers through her short blonde hair in a gesture of frustration. "I still don't like this, Steve. I don't like it one little bit. Letting them get their hands on a Ranger…"
"I'm not too fond of it myself," Tarlac admitted, "but I can't see any way out. This was a beautiful trap. They've made sure the Empire loses a Ranger, one way or another, but if Arjen's being honest, at least it keeps a cruiser and crew. And you know as well as I do that if there's any chance of ending this slaughter, I have to take it." He grinned fleetingly. "I guess this is one way to find out what they're really like. While I'm suiting up, squirt-transmit a copy of the log to Terra, would you? The socio specs may be able to dig something useful out of what he said."
"Yes, sir." Willis stood, bleakly aware that the loss of an IBC would be minor next to the loss of a Ranger. If she could have saved him by sacrificing the Lindner, she wouldn't have hesitated. But, as usual, the Ranger was right; in combat there were bound to be heavy losses occasionally, and in such cases the best that could be done was to save what little was possible. "Ah … will you be going armed?"
Tarlac grinned, almost grimly. "It probably won't mean much, but yes. He called me a guest, and I'm going to act as if I believe him. That means full uniform, including gun." He took a last slow look around the bridge, then extended a hand to Willis. "Good luck, Jean. See you after the war."
"You too, Steve. It's been an honor captaining your ship." Willis' grip was tighter than usual, echoing the tension on the bridge, and it gave the Ranger the distinct impression she didn't expect to see him again. Honesty compelled him to admit to himself that he was less optimistic than he tried to appear.
"It won't be suicide, you know," he said, speaking now to the entire bridge crew. "As I said earlier, if they just wanted me dead, they'd have vaporized the Lindner as soon as we out-transitioned." He hesitated, remembering something. "Oh, yeah. Mister Olorun, how much did we miss their phony beacon by?"