Allied Enemies (S. H. Jucha) » p.28 » Global Archive Voiced Books Online Free

Escher promised.

The sisters in the pilot’s cabin turned toward each other and grinned.

Aboard the Freedom, teams rushed the Naiads to the medical suite. SADEs picked up the damaged avatars of the sisters and made the trip to engineering.

In medical, Tammy, Red, and Stacey signaled their suits off. The suits needed assistance from techs, as various parts of them were missing.

Then medical staff helped the trio out of their unitards, applied inducers to their temples, and slipped them into Jatouche tanks.

the medical director sent to Julien.

Julien responded.

the director surmised.

Julien replied.

the director inquired.

Julien replied. He connected with the original suited Naiads and asked the same question.

Bethany replied swiftly.

Julien sent.

Johann sent.

Julien replied. Then he told the director to apply a full repair.

Bethany grumped to the other three suits.

The suits chuckled, while the traveler made its way to the enclave.

The families had already been returned, and Temstag’s patriarch and matriarch waited anxiously with Miranda and Z on the enclave’s roof.

When Temstag stepped from the traveler’s rear, he didn’t rush to greet his family. Instead, he extended his hand to Imphastid to draw her from the ship. Pregfert and the matriarch followed closely behind them.

Sharp intakes of breath from Temstag’s patriarch and matriarch punctuated their reception.

Temstag introduced his lover and her family. Whatever response he’d hoped they would receive didn’t resemble the utter stillness of his patriarch and matriarch.

A group of matriarchs, who wished to speak to the protectors, waited near the roof’s parapet. They saw that the arriving matriarch was heavily scarred about the muzzle and her bare arms. When she cowered from the poor reception, they hurried to her rescue.

“We welcome you,” the matriarch with the ruined muzzle urged the newcomer. “We see that you’ve suffered like many of us.”

Two matriarchs took the newcomer’s arms and guided her off the roof.

Temstag glared at his patriarch and matriarch. Then he swept arms around Imphastid and Pregfert to follow the group of matriarchs.

Miranda gazed at the stunned adults, who’d watched their only youngling refuse to embrace them. Then she said, “You’ve much to learn about acceptance, especially after your kind has been so heavily ostracized by the warrior clans.”

Miranda and Z joined the enclave’s adults who had assembled in the courtyard.

The protectors waited for someone to speak.

Fygthurn cleared his throat. “Today was frightening on many levels,” he said. “We can’t continue to live this way.”

“What’s your suggestion?” Z inquired.

“How far is the conclave willing to go to help us?” Ogdurg asked.

“It’s easier if you tell us what you wish,” Miranda replied. “Don’t hold back. Speak up.”

Fygthurn and Ogdurg turned to regard the crowd behind them. Many adults vigorously nodded and gestured to the planet’s negotiators to proceed.

“Would the conclave be amenable to creating a new enclave, a larger one, away from the cities?” Fygthurn asked.

“That’s impractical,” Z replied.

“Not necessarily,” a small voice said.

“Step forward, young one,” Miranda requested.

Pregfert shook off Temstag’s arm and worked her way through the throng. When she stood in front of Miranda, she craned her neck to look into the protectors’ face.

“Would you care to sit?” Z offered, bending and offering a crooked arm.

“Yes,” Pregfert piped up. When Z stood with her resting on his forearm, she gazed excitedly across the assembled adults.

“You were saying,” Miranda coaxed.

“By itself, it makes no sense for an enclave to be built away from the services of a city,” Pregfert explained. “But that doesn’t have to be the case. My matriarch has told many times about those who wish for safer lives, lives without fear.”

“Would Pregfert’s matriarch please come forward?” Miranda requested.

The matriarch left the safety of those who had welcomed her. Despite her youngling resting on the giant’s arm, she crowded close to her.

“This is Gurderg,” Pregfert announced proudly.

The protectors and many adults in the front rows could see the abuse had taken its toll on the female. Her eyes were downcast, and her head was lowered for fear of giving affront to anyone.

“Gurderg, you’re safe here,” Miranda said gently. “No one will harm you, and you won’t be returned to your mate unless you wish it.”

Gurderg raised her head to look into Miranda’s eyes. “You promise?” she whispered.

“You have my bond,” Miranda replied softly.

“Tell them of the other matriarchs,” Pregfert encouraged.

“It’s true,” Gurderg replied. She hadn’t said but a sentence, when she heard the crowd asking for her to speak up.

Miranda leaned close to Gurderg. “You talk, and I’ll repeat it for the assembly.”

Gurderg started again. At the end of her first sentence, Miranda opened her mouth and blasted the crowd with the matriarch’s words.

Miranda innocently regarded the adults, who were covering their ears. “Too much?” she asked. She winked at Gurderg, who hid her open and scarred muzzle behind her hand.

Pregfert thought Miranda’s actions were hilarious, and she applauded in approval.

“Perhaps something in between,” Miranda offered the adults, who gratefully nodded at the idea.

Although, Gurderg had started haltingly, she began to earnestly explain an idea that had been discussed for decades with other matriarchs. There wouldn’t be a new enclave, as much as there would be a new city. Crops would be grown close to the city, and markets would serve the residents.

The warrior clans wouldn’t be admitted to the new city. Only matriarchs and their younglings could join the enclave families.

“What if a youth, reaching adulthood, felt the urge to join the warriors?” a patriarch asked.

“It would be his right to leave the city and join a clan,” Gurderg replied.

“Could he ever return?” the patriarch continued.

“I don’t have the answer to that difficult question,” Gurderg responded. “Those wiser than me would decide that.”

“How many matriarchs would join us?” another patriarch asked.

“My community of friends is small, fewer than two hundred,” Gurderg replied.

The number stunned the enclave adults.

“The conclave could always ask the citizens who of them would like to join,” Pregfert called out from her perch.

“The idea has merit, young one,” Z said. “However, we must be subtle about the invitation.”

“Too many would come?” Pregfert inquired.

“Perhaps, the wrong ones,” Z replied, and Pregfert nodded thoughtfully.

Ogdurg interrupted the conversations. “Z, Miranda, is this sort of thing feasible from the conclave’s point of view?”

“Feasible? Yes,” Miranda replied. “We’d need resources, and our leader, Julien, would have to approve those resources.”

“Will you ask him?” Fygthurn queried.

“I already have, and Julien likes the idea,” Miranda responded. “He hopes that it will limit future conflicts, and he suggests that we plan for a city that can grow.”

The audience cheered, and several matriarchs rushed forward to touch and hug Gurderg.

From Pregfert’s seat on Z’s arm, she gazed admiringly at her matriarch.

Aboard the Freedom, the three sisters were able to be retrieved from their severely damaged avatars.

Mystic, the sister who had defended Red, was one of the recovered sisters. When she awoke in her new avatar, she linked to the Freedom’s controller and was disappointed not to be able to connect to the ex-mickie. Then she sought his personnel records and discovered he was in medical.

Entering the medical suite, Mystic inquired of the staff about Red’s condition.

a med tech explained.

Mystic inquired.

the tech replied. As Mystic turned to leave, the tech added,

When Mystic frowned at the tech, he explained,

Mystic sent. As she left the medical suite to join her sisters downside, she searched the Freedom’s controller for the uploaded vids. The best examples came from Lita, another ex-mickie. She heard Red repeatedly send to Lita, With a single arm, he was determined to drag her ruined avatar to the safety of a waiting traveler.

Mystic checked the records for any other sisters who had been recovered. Finding two, she searched for vids of their endings and any subsequent actions. In each case, she found a Naiad dragging an avatar out of the line of fire. One individual did it while hopping on a single leg.

Connecting to the other two recovered sisters, Mystic sent, She added links to her message.

As acceptance of the idea of building a new city comprising negotiator families grew, Julien composed a lengthy message for Tocknicka. His request for supplies included Elvian power plants, structural girders, cabling, facility services, and et cetera.

Until the freighters arrived, the protectors, sisters, and suits returned to defending the enclave, escorting the families for shopping, and scouting for a future site.

One thing was clear to the defenders. The warriors’ animosity, which was evident before, had exploded to an entirely new level.

23: Alexander’s Visit

KARCATON, HAAGDEN SYSTEM

KRACKUS RESEARCH PLANET

Before the Alexander left the Paltur system, Cremsylon shared the most critical data that Kreus had copied from the Imperium governor. He told Cordelia and Julien that his ships would visit the Karcaton planet, adding, Also, he requested a Trident squadron sail to Karcaton to relieve his ships.

In the company of the Trident escort, the Alexander exited the Paltur system, entered the dark, and made for the coordinates that Kreus had supplied.

Samuel inquired. Kreus, Lisa, Gat’r, Shoya, and he were meeting with Cremsylon in his suite.

Cremsylon replied.

Kreus sent.

Shoya asked.

Kreus imitated embarrassment.

Shoya patted Kreus’s arm and sent,

Kreus replied, appearing crushed by Shoya’s comments.

Immediately, Shoya hugged Kreus to mollify her tease.

Lisa sent.

Shoya regarded Lisa. she sent.

Lisa grinned and sent,

Samuel began,

Kreus sent.

Samuel interjected.

Kreus explained.

Cremsylon sent.

Kreus replied.

Lisa inquired.

Cremsylon replied.

Gat’r offered, revealing his extensive time on Quadrant controllers.

Cremsylon sent, smiling.

Lisa pressed.

Cremsylon replied.

Cremsylon’s audience chuckled at the idea that the assembly would restrain their collective hands because of a threat that didn’t exist.

Everyone sensed the exit from the dark, and they examined the early telemetry. There was a great deal of excitement about visiting Karcaton.

Shoya remarked, expressing disappointment.

A second transit placed the Alexander and the Tridents above Karcaton, and the small fleet closed on the planet.

On Karcaton, the tech on telemetry duty grabbed his device and selected Kahtar’s name. “Director, those ships we were warned about have arrived.”

“Give me details,” Kahtar replied, while adding the other two directors into an emergency conference.

“A large one,” the tech replied, “which we’ve been told often carries a conclave leader and two warships, the tri-hulls.”

“Cycles until their arrival?” Ferteret, the theoretical sciences director, inquired.

The tech’s anxious gulp was easily heard by the directors. “Um ... about half a cycle,” he nervously replied.

“Thank you,” Kahtar said and dropped the tech from the conference.

“Actually, this could be exciting,” Gestasish, the engineering director, remarked.

“Exciting?” Kahtar queried.

“Think about it,” Gestasish prompted. “The conclave technology is far superior to ours. Just being exposed to their ships will be tremendous.”

“We don’t have to cooperate with their landing,” Kahtar pointed out.

“You should have read the bulletins from Imperium fleet headquarters more thoroughly, Kahtar,” Ferteret said, gurgling. “The conclave shuttles are things of wonder. It’s supposed that they harness gravitational forces.”

“Nonsense,” Kahtar replied. “G-forces are too weak to be captured in any meaningful way.”

“And yet that’s what allows the conclave shuttles to fly without visible propulsion engines,” Gestasish added.

“We’ll see soon enough,” Kahtar said, unconvinced of his colleagues’ statements.

When the Alexander and the Tridents arrived above the planet, a peacekeeper rounded the horizon.

Immediately, the peacekeeper swiveled outward and went to full power.

Gat’r remarked.

Kreus used his skills and Imperium apps to easily infiltrate the planet’s comm towers. He accessed the personnel records and pulled up the files of Kahtar, Gestasish, and Ferteret.

Kreus sent.

Cremsylon sent.

The directors were in the telemetry hub. They’d watched the peacekeeper abandon its post without launching a single missile.

“Apparently, the conclave’s prowess precedes it,” Gestasish had remarked drily.

Kahtar’s device lit, and he quickly canceled the connection.

Cremsylon sent.

Kahtar eyed the tech, who pointed upward.

“And who is this?” Kahtar asked

“As director of these operations, I’m authorized to refuse you access to our campuses,” Kahtar said pointedly.

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Allied Enemies, page 28

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