Elder came, they would show the Raakarr mercy.”
Jonathan felt a sinking feeling deep inside of him. He muted his microphone.
“We took the anomalies we found down on that planet,” the captain said quietly to Miko. “And recovered the bodies of those who were probably their guards. So even though the Raakarr lost three of their own down there, we played right into their little game. When the Elder find out we’ve taken their offspring, I doubt they’ll be very pleased.”
Miko frowned. “Probably not.”
“I must add,” Barrick said, oblivious to the exchange that had taken place between Jonathan and his tactical officer. “Valor claims the Zarafe faction had no involvement in any of that plotting. None whatsoever. He lays it squarely at the feet of the Elk faction.”
Jonathan unmuted his side of the connection. “He would do that, wouldn’t he? But why didn’t Valor try to stop them?”
“There was nothing he could do at the time,” Barrick responded. “Valor had to bide his time, waiting for his chance to strike, and when the opportunity arose he took it.”
Choosing a time that was convenient to him, of course, but not to us.
“Ask Valor about the humanoids who attacked us down there,” Jonathan said. “I want to know how they’re connected to the Elder.”
Barrick’s reply didn’t come immediately. Then: “Valor says he has answered enough of your questions for the moment. I’m sorry, Captain. I have to go.”
“Wait, will our weapons harm them? Our lasers? Our particle beams?”
“Valor says he doesn’t know.” The connection terminated.
Jonathan sat back and sighed. “I can’t believe how badly the Raakarr set us up.”
“Maybe we can return the eggs to the greenhouse planet?” Miko suggested.
“It’s looking like we’re going to have to,” Jonathan said. “I wanted to avoid moving toward the other side of the system while the six Raakarr were out there, but I don’t think we have a choice now.”
“The question is, do we stop by the nearest gas giant to refuel first, as we originally intended?” Miko asked. “Or head directly to the greenhouse planet?”
“I’m thinking we can’t forgo a refueling,” Jonathan said. “We have to be ready when this situation turns sour.”
The fleet had nearly exhausted all of their propellant in the last battle, and much geronium, which was the fuel that powered starship reactors. The fleet-wide inventories of offensive mortars and point defense slugs were similarly depleted, so while the Harvester vessel Grimm collected fuel, the rest of the task group would have to mine ammunition from the gas giant’s ring system.
“Once we’re done restocking,” Jonathan continued. “We can use the gravity well of the gas giant to slingshot us toward the greenhouse planet.”
“And if the six Raakarr decide to intercept us before we get there?” Miko asked.
“Then we blow them out of the stars,” Jonathan said simply. “Nav, bring us back on course toward the nearest gas giant. Give the newcomer a four million kilometer berth, at minimum. Prepare to engage at half speed: let’s not show them how fast we can travel. Miko, transmit the order to the fleet.”
“Course set,” the nav specialist responded.
“Helm, engage,” Jonathan said. “Half speed.”
“Engaging at half speed,” the helmsman echoed.
Jonathan waited a few moments. “Ops, is the Möbius strip making any attempt to follow?”
“Negative, sir,” the ops specialist said. “She’s just sitting there.”
“Notify me if that changes.” Not that they would be able to do very much if the newcomer did actually pursue, thanks to their low propellant levels.
He tapped in Lieutenant Connie Myers, the chief scientist.
Her hologram appeared in the center of the Round Table. Her long dark hair fell in disheveled locks around her face. Like Jonathan, she wore the spectacles version of the aReal.
She reached underneath her aReal with one hand and rubbed
Jonathan felt a sinking feeling deep inside of him. He muted his microphone.
“We took the anomalies we found down on that planet,” the captain said quietly to Miko. “And recovered the bodies of those who were probably their guards. So even though the Raakarr lost three of their own down there, we played right into their little game. When the Elder find out we’ve taken their offspring, I doubt they’ll be very pleased.”
Miko frowned. “Probably not.”
“I must add,” Barrick said, oblivious to the exchange that had taken place between Jonathan and his tactical officer. “Valor claims the Zarafe faction had no involvement in any of that plotting. None whatsoever. He lays it squarely at the feet of the Elk faction.”
Jonathan unmuted his side of the connection. “He would do that, wouldn’t he? But why didn’t Valor try to stop them?”
“There was nothing he could do at the time,” Barrick responded. “Valor had to bide his time, waiting for his chance to strike, and when the opportunity arose he took it.”
Choosing a time that was convenient to him, of course, but not to us.
“Ask Valor about the humanoids who attacked us down there,” Jonathan said. “I want to know how they’re connected to the Elder.”
Barrick’s reply didn’t come immediately. Then: “Valor says he has answered enough of your questions for the moment. I’m sorry, Captain. I have to go.”
“Wait, will our weapons harm them? Our lasers? Our particle beams?”
“Valor says he doesn’t know.” The connection terminated.
Jonathan sat back and sighed. “I can’t believe how badly the Raakarr set us up.”
“Maybe we can return the eggs to the greenhouse planet?” Miko suggested.
“It’s looking like we’re going to have to,” Jonathan said. “I wanted to avoid moving toward the other side of the system while the six Raakarr were out there, but I don’t think we have a choice now.”
“The question is, do we stop by the nearest gas giant to refuel first, as we originally intended?” Miko asked. “Or head directly to the greenhouse planet?”
“I’m thinking we can’t forgo a refueling,” Jonathan said. “We have to be ready when this situation turns sour.”
The fleet had nearly exhausted all of their propellant in the last battle, and much geronium, which was the fuel that powered starship reactors. The fleet-wide inventories of offensive mortars and point defense slugs were similarly depleted, so while the Harvester vessel Grimm collected fuel, the rest of the task group would have to mine ammunition from the gas giant’s ring system.
“Once we’re done restocking,” Jonathan continued. “We can use the gravity well of the gas giant to slingshot us toward the greenhouse planet.”
“And if the six Raakarr decide to intercept us before we get there?” Miko asked.
“Then we blow them out of the stars,” Jonathan said simply. “Nav, bring us back on course toward the nearest gas giant. Give the newcomer a four million kilometer berth, at minimum. Prepare to engage at half speed: let’s not show them how fast we can travel. Miko, transmit the order to the fleet.”
“Course set,” the nav specialist responded.
“Helm, engage,” Jonathan said. “Half speed.”
“Engaging at half speed,” the helmsman echoed.
Jonathan waited a few moments. “Ops, is the Möbius strip making any attempt to follow?”
“Negative, sir,” the ops specialist said. “She’s just sitting there.”
“Notify me if that changes.” Not that they would be able to do very much if the newcomer did actually pursue, thanks to their low propellant levels.
He tapped in Lieutenant Connie Myers, the chief scientist.
Her hologram appeared in the center of the Round Table. Her long dark hair fell in disheveled locks around her face. Like Jonathan, she wore the spectacles version of the aReal.
She reached underneath her aReal with one hand and rubbed
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