how living this kind of life could give me back what I had lost. So I stayed took my vows, and strove to become the best monk I could."
"Your exploits are legendary. I'd say you succeeded."
Teague's mouth quirked wryly. "Some might well say that."
"And you?" Rand persisted. "What do you say?"
"It's hard to judge until one's life is over and one can look back. I'm content, though. I've achieved some of my goals. Others"—he shrugged—"I've yet to achieve."
"Perhaps the mission to Incendra will provide you with yet another measure of success. I hope to—"
The entry proximity warning buzzer went off. "Approaching the planet Incendra," the flight computer droned. "Transmit new directives."
Teague swiftly programmed in the atmospheric deceleration commands, then depressed the intercom button to the sleeping chambers. "Femina?"
"What?" came a voice rusty with sleep.
"We're nearing Incendarian orbit. I need you in the cockpit immediately."
There was a rustle of bed clothes, the soft thud of feet hitting the floor, and then the sound of a huge yawn. "I'll be there in five minutes."
Teague released the intercom button and went back to delivering further instructions to the computer. Raina, true to her word stepped through the corridor hatchway exactly five minutes later. She hurriedly covered the short distance and swung down into her seat.
"What do you need help with?" she demanded tersely as she strapped herself into her safety harness.
"Keep a close eye on the hull temperatures and structural stability as we decelerate into the upper atmosphere," Teague said, without taking his eyes off the computer panel. "I'll have my hands full making certain the ship maintains the proper angle of descent. As good a heat and electromagnetic protective shielding as this craft has, nothing can withstand the friction of too steep an atmospheric reentry."
"I think I can manage that," the warrior woman muttered. "It's just these three lights, isn't it?" she asked, pointing to the upper right corner of the computer panel that stood before her. "I wouldn't want to bungle such a complex assignment, you know?"
"Entering Incendarian atmosphere in five seconds," the flight computer said.
Exasperated by her barely contained sarcasm, Teague shot Raina a piercing look, then turned back to the job at hand.
"Entering Incendarian atmosphere in three seconds, two seconds, one second . . ."
With a mighty jolt, the ship struck the planet's upper atmosphere. The layers of air shivered over the spacecraft in turbulent waves, bucking it to and fro. Raina held onto her safety harness with both hands, her gaze never leaving the three panel lights that were her charge. The lights held steady for a time, then one began to flicker erratically.
Quickly, she programmed in a diagnostic search for the source of the difficulty and found it in the rear starboard protective shield, which appeared not to be functioning adequately.
"I need to go aft and check out the rear starboard panel," Raina shouted over the deafening sound of the thrusters straining in reverse as they fired in an attempt to slow the craft's descent.
"What?" Teague roared back, jerking his head up to look at her.
"The rear starboard shields!" Raina screamed pointing to the flickering light on the computer panel. She unfastened her safety harness and, with great difficulty in the rocking ship, climbed to her feet.
Teague eyed her, then the panel, comprehension finally dawning. "Check it out as fast as you can, then get back here. This descent isn't going well."
Raina nodded and turned, making her way toward the hatch corridor by lurching forward bit by bit, grabbing whatever she could for support. The roar of the thrusters lessened somewhat once she worked her way down the corridor, only to be replaced by a new noise. Her heart sank. It sounded like . . . like a loose panel.
Slamming her fist down on the button of the wall intercom situated nearby, Raina yelled for Tremayne.
"What?"
"Your exploits are legendary. I'd say you succeeded."
Teague's mouth quirked wryly. "Some might well say that."
"And you?" Rand persisted. "What do you say?"
"It's hard to judge until one's life is over and one can look back. I'm content, though. I've achieved some of my goals. Others"—he shrugged—"I've yet to achieve."
"Perhaps the mission to Incendra will provide you with yet another measure of success. I hope to—"
The entry proximity warning buzzer went off. "Approaching the planet Incendra," the flight computer droned. "Transmit new directives."
Teague swiftly programmed in the atmospheric deceleration commands, then depressed the intercom button to the sleeping chambers. "Femina?"
"What?" came a voice rusty with sleep.
"We're nearing Incendarian orbit. I need you in the cockpit immediately."
There was a rustle of bed clothes, the soft thud of feet hitting the floor, and then the sound of a huge yawn. "I'll be there in five minutes."
Teague released the intercom button and went back to delivering further instructions to the computer. Raina, true to her word stepped through the corridor hatchway exactly five minutes later. She hurriedly covered the short distance and swung down into her seat.
"What do you need help with?" she demanded tersely as she strapped herself into her safety harness.
"Keep a close eye on the hull temperatures and structural stability as we decelerate into the upper atmosphere," Teague said, without taking his eyes off the computer panel. "I'll have my hands full making certain the ship maintains the proper angle of descent. As good a heat and electromagnetic protective shielding as this craft has, nothing can withstand the friction of too steep an atmospheric reentry."
"I think I can manage that," the warrior woman muttered. "It's just these three lights, isn't it?" she asked, pointing to the upper right corner of the computer panel that stood before her. "I wouldn't want to bungle such a complex assignment, you know?"
"Entering Incendarian atmosphere in five seconds," the flight computer said.
Exasperated by her barely contained sarcasm, Teague shot Raina a piercing look, then turned back to the job at hand.
"Entering Incendarian atmosphere in three seconds, two seconds, one second . . ."
With a mighty jolt, the ship struck the planet's upper atmosphere. The layers of air shivered over the spacecraft in turbulent waves, bucking it to and fro. Raina held onto her safety harness with both hands, her gaze never leaving the three panel lights that were her charge. The lights held steady for a time, then one began to flicker erratically.
Quickly, she programmed in a diagnostic search for the source of the difficulty and found it in the rear starboard protective shield, which appeared not to be functioning adequately.
"I need to go aft and check out the rear starboard panel," Raina shouted over the deafening sound of the thrusters straining in reverse as they fired in an attempt to slow the craft's descent.
"What?" Teague roared back, jerking his head up to look at her.
"The rear starboard shields!" Raina screamed pointing to the flickering light on the computer panel. She unfastened her safety harness and, with great difficulty in the rocking ship, climbed to her feet.
Teague eyed her, then the panel, comprehension finally dawning. "Check it out as fast as you can, then get back here. This descent isn't going well."
Raina nodded and turned, making her way toward the hatch corridor by lurching forward bit by bit, grabbing whatever she could for support. The roar of the thrusters lessened somewhat once she worked her way down the corridor, only to be replaced by a new noise. Her heart sank. It sounded like . . . like a loose panel.
Slamming her fist down on the button of the wall intercom situated nearby, Raina yelled for Tremayne.
"What?"
Similar Books
