ilure of
the Ordeal, is. And I certain am that you will not fail. You Ch'kara
have, whatever in this happens."

Tarlac felt his tension ease momentarily at that assurance, borrowing
comfort from Hovan's nearness. It wasn't fear for himself, as much as
fear for the Empire and Traiti alike, that held him. Only
stubbornnness kept him from succumbing to the awful vision of a dead
Homeworld, of Imperial genocide. It made him want to retreat to
childhood, to find solace in his sponsor's strength as he had once
found it in his father's.

He couldn't. He couldn't share what he knew, that if he died in
failure the Traiti race would not long survive him.

And he was certain, without reason, that he would die.

Chapter III

The Hermnaen was alone when it neared Homeworld's defense perimeter.
Arjen's fleet, under Acting Fleet-Captain Jannor, had returned to the
combat zone, and the extra ships had been ordered back to their regular
duties.

Tarlac and Hovan were seated at two of the control central supervisor
consoles, watching the repeater screen. The Ranger never grew tired of
watching planetary approaches, even on a screen instead of through a
lander's windows. There was something awe-inspiring about watching a
world grow from a featureless point to a globe boasting continents and
seas--though cloud cover obscured most details on Terra-type worlds.

The Hermnaen descended slowly, gently, on null-grav, and the globe grew
until it was beneath them, rather than ahead. Clouds like snow-softened
mountains showed rifts, then gave way to clear skies as the
flagship let down toward a city-sized spaceport. The guide beam
brought them to a precision landing near the central control building.

Leave for combat crews was automatic any time a warship made friendly
planetfall, and Homeworld was the only place where that meant everyone
could go to his own clanhome. That it was a branch home, in most
cases, didn't matter; being in-clan was what counted. Ship-Captain
Exvani, as anxious as anyone to rejoin his family, had called ahead so
that every clan with a member aboard the Hermnaen could send
transportation, and the ship emptied without delay.

Less than ten minutes after landing, Hovan and Tarlac and the other
three members of Ch'kara who'd been at the adoption were being greeted
by the driver of a large cream-and-green null-grav car. She was the
first Traiti female that Tarlac, and as far as he knew, any human,