Perilous choices, p.12
Perilous Choices, page 12
part #11 of Gate Ghosts Series
There was a lengthy discussion about the conditions that might be discovered on a local race’s home world or within its system.
Cordelia tried to educate them about possible conditions and what might be their options. She finished the exchanges with,
When the questions ended, a commodore inquired,
The other commodore sent,
Cordelia was silent while she waited for the senior commanders and SADEs to commune and provide an answer.
Closing the discussion, Cordelia gave the fleet another three days to study the methods by which races of Grageth’s territory had been rescued. Then she took a traveler to the planet. She headed for the cliffs, which fell a hundred meters to the sea.
As Cordelia neared her destination, she slowed the ship’s descent. A strong wind off the sea was creating perfect conditions for the young Gorders to practice launching and soaring. She paused to watch their wings catch the wind and lift them upward.
A roar from Kelter brought the young returning to the clifftop.
With the youths safely out of the way, Cordelia landed. She was quickly joined by Kelter and his consort, Iskhart.
“Is it that time, Admiral?” Kelter asked.
“Yes,” Cordelia replied. “I’ve sufficient forces to send a second fleet to take over another territory.”
The Jumanus dragons roared their enjoyment that another executor would lose his income, and many more races would enjoy what had been given the Gorders.
“Must we wait for your return to continue the work here?” Iskhart asked.
“No,” Cordelia quickly replied. “The engineers and the SADEs will continue to work with the Jumans. They’ll have access to a Trident and its travelers.”
“Have there been any attacks on other home worlds in Grageth’s territory?” Kelter inquired.
“There were two attempts by a small number of peacekeepers, but they were rebuffed,” Cordelia replied.
“A small number?” Kelter repeated. “That doesn’t sound like the Krackus.”
“Some clever Krackus installed AIs in the peacekeepers,” Cordelia explained, hissing her humor like the Gorders.
“Apparently, not a successful experiment,” Iskhart surmised.
“Some AIs were destroyed. Interestingly, others evolved,” Cordelia said.
“Evolved?” Kelter inquired. Then he understood and roared with pleasure. “Like Kreus, yes?”
“Yes, just like Kreus,” Cordelia replied.
“Are they dangerous?” Iskhart asked.
“They could be, but they want the conclave’s help. They want avatars,” Cordelia responded.
“Are they speaking to conclave members?” Iskhart asked.
“The protectors,” Cordelia replied, knowing it would please the Gorders to hear that.
“I miss Kreus and Z,” Kelter hissed. “However, all things considered, I’d rather be here.”
Iskhart’s head gently butted Kelter’s long neck.
“It’s good to be with your partner,” Cordelia said wistfully.
Iskhart bent her long neck until her large eyes were even with Cordelia’s. “Your sacrifice is greatly appreciated,” she said.
It was a comment that Cordelia saved, along with the sensation of hot breath rushing over her avatar.
After the exchange, Cordelia flew to the planet’s admin building constructed by the Krackus. On entering the building’s foyer, she discovered it was completely managed by a group of Jumans.
The shy and secretive Jumans had long occupied caves to hide from the Krackus and the Radags. They’d not lost a single member of their tribes in all the time the invaders had been on the planet.
On spotting Cordelia, the diminutive Jumans stopped what they were doing and hurried to her side.
“What does the admiral need?” a Juman asked.
“I must speak to the elders,” Cordelia replied.
The little Jumans took Cordelia’s hands to lead her to the elders, as if she required help. This was the courteous way that Jumans treated every conclave member.
It was ironic that the Jumans had been coaxed out of hiding by the largest conclave individuals, Miranda and Z.
When Cordelia was delivered to an office where the elders worked, she smiled at the furniture arrangement. Unlike any other race she knew, the elders had moved their desks until they formed a tight hexagon. It allowed them to exchange ideas rapidly.
Cordelia repeated much of her conversation that she’d had with the Gorders. While she spoke, she watched the elders carefully. They were being trained by the Krackus with the aid of conclave engineers and SADEs. She was concerned that they might emotionally retreat when the fleet left.
As Cordelia was speaking, a Krackus manager appeared in the doorway and halted when he saw her.
A Jumanus elder imperially waved a hand at the manager. “Wait in the hallway until the admiral is finished,” he said.
Cordelia kept a neutral expression on her face. Internally, she was greatly relieved that, as a race, the Jumans were assuming responsibility for their world.
When Cordelia completed her update, the Jumans rose, and the lead elder intoned gravely, “As your kind is heard to say, Admiral, may the stars protect you.”
Cordelia thanked the Jumans for their courtesy and left. Behind her, she heard an elder call to the manager with a single word. He’d said, “Come.” That did make her smile.
∞
When Cordelia’s newly reformed fleet sailed for the new Krackus territory, she informed Nira vocally that their destination was Darmian. It was for the benefit of Grageth and Tarbar who stood next to Cordelia.
While Grageth didn’t understand most of what the admiral had said, he recognized the word Darmian, and he gurgled happily.
Cordelia laughed gently, sharing a moment from Renée de Guirnon.
Fordark interjected.
There was a brief pause. Fordark sent.
Fordark replied.
Cordelia laughed.
Fordark replied.
Fordark shared.
This time, Cordelia delivered a mix of laughter from many races.
Fordark sent.
Fordark sent.
Cordelia promised to make it happen. Then she ended the link.
Cordelia requested.
Nira often had these types of conversations with Julien and Cordelia. In the beginning, they bothered her. She had wondered if the SADEs believed that, as a distant offspring of Alex and Renée, she might be capable of special insight into the minds of biologicals. Then she came to understand that they simply valued her judgment and were asking her opinion.
As Cordelia mused about her conversations, Nira returned to her duties.
A few cycles later, the Nyslara exited the dark above Darmian.
When the Nyslara approached the system, its course would take it past a class one freighter, and the protectors linked through the freighter’s controller to the admiral’s ship.
Cordelia replied, and closed the connection.
When the Nyslara neared Darmian, Cordelia and Nira dropped planetside.
Having been forewarned, Z and Miranda quit their work at Baft Namus. Then they signaled a traveler, jumped aboard the ramp when the ship was within five meters of the ground, and rode it to Stratagul. They were in time to greet Cordelia and Nira when they landed.
Nira gave hugs, which the protectors enjoyed, and Cordelia touched foreheads for SADE-to-SADE exchanges.
Nira returned.
For the next two hours, the foursome toured Stratagul.
At one point, they ran into Gurderg and her friends, Isghert and Pratherg.
It was Gurderg who stopped in her tracks and stared at the uniformed individuals with the protectors. Connecting to the new conclave guests, she realized whom she was about to meet. Sharing that information with her friends, she approached Admiral Cordelia. Tipping her head with fist to chest, she sent,
Despite Pratherg’s tone, Cordelia and Nira noted the matriarch had slipped a hand around Z’s forearm, and the protector was grinning.
The matriarchs chortled.
Isghert replied.
With a tip of their heads, the matriarchs were on their way.
