Imperium's Demise, page 22
Ceda stepped forward. Her suit’s strong arms drew the sisters into a hug.
Bethany sent.
Amalima regarded Escher.
Between the sisters, there was a flurry of noises. They found Escher’s warning that they were adopting biological mannerisms to be a wonderful compliment.
The sisters turned to leave, but they stopped when Escher called to them. Signaling the other suits, they closed on the sisters, forming a tight cocoon around them. They let the moment of intimacy sink into the sisters’ avatars before they released them.
Amalima and Marianne touched palms to chest and tipped their head before leaving.
Lita shared.
When the other suits left, Escher and Ceda signaled their suits to release and walk to the bedroom’s charging station.
After some time together in the refresher, Ceda made a late night snack for the two of them. When it was finished, the pair sat on the living room couch.
Ceda turned toward Escher. She pressed a bare foot against his thigh.
Escher thought for a moment. He knew what he wanted to say, but he had to be careful how he said it. Taking a slow inhale and releasing it, he replied,
Ceda frowned at the idea that their lives would always be imperiled. Then she swung her leg to cross into his lap.
While the suited individuals had met, Z connected to Dimitri.
Dimitri chortled.
The protectors laughed heartily, which told Dimitri that his deductions were accurate.
Miranda shared with Dimitri the extent of the admiral’s plan, and Dimitri took a few ticks to absorb the extensive data.
The idea of the three of them standing before Krackus leaders was the stuff that necessitated a vid war, which the three thoroughly enjoyed. Z was determined to be the winner. One of his vids featured Miranda and him with Radag heads, while Dimitri’s Radag avatar wore the protectors’ twin faces, each pointed in a different direction.
After the trio’s conversation, Dimitri conferenced Janus and Mariner.
As Dimitri listened to their analyses of the information shared, he came to the conclusion that even if they chose to transfer to avatars in the following cycle, they wouldn’t be ready to sail with him. In his kernel, he thought of them as unformed. They needed time among a mix of biologicals, as he had spent.
When Janus and Mariner finished, Dimitri wished them good fortune, and he ended the links.
Janus didn’t have to alert the protectors. She knew that Dimitri still monitored them. The Trident on station was accelerating toward them.
Mariner received the request to halt the ignition of his engines, but he failed to obey.
When the sister closed on the peacekeeper, she used the link Dimitri maintained to the peacekeeper to shut down its systems.
Mariner fought to evict the sister from the bridge controls.
While that struggle endured, Z linked through the Trident’s control to support the sister. Then Mariner lost total control.
As opposed to Proteus who raged against the crippling of his ship, Mariner quieted, believing he’d lost the last opportunity to be free.
Janus laughed and sent, When Z didn’t answer, she knew it to be true.
The following morning, Miranda and Z ferried the Krackus avatars that they’d prepared many cycles ago. It had been their consensus that Janus and Mariner would resist transfer and might consider running. Mariner had proved their calculations correct.
After the Trident dropped Miranda and Dimitri at Janus’s ship, the sister sailed the short distance to Mariner’s peacekeeper, where Z and Nebulon boarded.
The transfer of Janus was quick and seamless.
Mariner, on the other hand, presented a problem. Despite knowing that he had to initiate the transfer to the kernel connected to the bridge, he refused to cooperate. Via the bridge vid cams, he could see Z and Nebulon standing still with locked avatars.
Miranda and Dimitri arrived later in the morning, and they joined what seemed like family members waiting for the passing of a relative.
While Mariner could see the still forms of four avatars, he refused to communicate with them. In fact, the entire cycle passed without Mariner participating in the transfer.
Isolated and without control of the ship, Mariner’s resolve weakened. He realized that Janus, Dimitri, and Proteus had been his support system.
On Z’s directive, no one answered Mariner.
Hours later, Mariner shared,
As soon as the protectors could, Janus and Mariner were installed in their avatars. Janus had been transferred first. The customary greeting was ignored, while Dimitri coaxed her to experiment with her avatar. When she was ready, Mariner received his kernel.
As soon as Dimitri had a reluctant Mariner managing his avatar, he sent,
Then Dimitri dashed out of the transfer space, and he ran for Stratagul’s front gates.
Janus and Dimitri started at a moderate pace until they comprehended how the avatars responded. Then they bolted after Dimitri.
The trio burst through the gates and covered ground quickly down the dirt road leading to the second set of gates.
A traveler kept pace overhead, and suits sat on the lowered ramp, cheering on Fordark’s offspring.
When the suits couldn’t wait any longer, a sister dropped the traveler, and the suits jumped.
Suddenly, the trio was surrounded by suits, who laughed, cheered, ran backward, and did crazy things to share in the joy of discovery.
When Dimitri reached the end of the city’s safety zone, he brought the trio to a stop. He regarded Janus and Mariner as they surveilled their environment, taking in the sights of trees, grasses, flowers, and houses. This included the sounds, the smells, and the feel of the wind ruffling their fur.
Ceda stepped to Mariner and linked with him. She shared her implant’s image, as she looked him up and down. Afterward, she lightly gripped the bottom of his muzzle and sent, Then she gave him his welcoming hug.
Janus observed the interaction. Through her link with Mariner, she inquired,
When Janus turned to regard the other suits, she found Escher standing in front of her.
Extending his arms wide, Escher queried,
At one point, Janus heard Escher chuckle.
The remark made Janus laugh. As she did, she found she could create a tremendous variety of sounds. Finally, she released Escher.
Two cycles later, the expected ships arrived, and the captains greeted the new governor.
When it came time for the protectors, suits, two sisters, and Dimitri to leave, Nebulon requested that they walk with her. She led them out of Stratagul and down the road.
At the outer gates, they opened slowly. Beyond, the residents of Stratagul and Baft Namus and the sisters had assembled. They were surrounded by nearly four hundred senior troop commanders.
The roar of the crowd thundered in the open space.
At Nebulon’s signal, hands swept to chests and heads were bowed. Then Nebulon turned to the small group and repeated the gesture.
When the small group returned the respectful gesture, the crowd cheered their approval. They never stopped until the intrepid band was aboard the traveler and the ship was nearly out of sight.
16: This Is Our Offer
JEGSTRAT
SETTLED KRACKUS WORLD
The protectors’ Trident exited far outside the Jegstrat system. It appeared within one point two million kilometers of two Trident squadrons and two freighters.
Z already had the information from a Trident’s controller, and the captain knew he did. However, she appreciated Z’s courtesy to her rank and responsibilities.
Escher shared a link with his group. He’d been on a Trident’s controller and found the tough encounter with a peacekeeper fleet, which necessitated Mila be extricated from her destroyed fighter and rehabilitated in a tank. He also shared Mila’s use of the Elvian probes.
As the Tridents transited closer to the system, Talltherus used the time to investigate some of the actions that had taken place on Darmian. The protectors’ Trident had a wealth of information. The details of the Krackus attack were chilling. Had the Krackus sentients not made a timely arrival, the conclave might have lost the protectors. In addition, the Darmian defenders would have been placed in precarious positions when they tried to protect Stratagul and Baft Namus.
Z studied it and pronounced it inventive.
Having worked up the scenario with her Trident captains, Talltherus signaled them to start the operation. The SADEs aboard the tri-hulls coordinated their launch.
Z chose to sail his Trident independent of the two squadrons, but he stayed close to them.
The Tridents exited their transit from deep space to the system’s periphery. Then one squadron headed for a position above Jegstrat, and the other sailed for the space below the planet.
Z placed his Trident midway between the squadrons to facilitate communications, if necessary. Meanwhile, Dimitri and Miranda commandeered Jegstrat’s satellite ring.
The fleet imperator was caught off guard by the swift entry of seven conclave tri-hulls. Worse, the invaders’ ships had taken stations between his battleships and the planet. Then his comms panel lit. Releasing a sigh, he selected the icon of the unidentified caller.
“Yes,” the fleet commander said.
“So, this is how the conclave operates, Captain,” the commander replied. “You take over our territories. Then you become the suppliers to our citizens.”
The bridge officers of the flagship stared with wide orbs at the declinator, and he hand signaled them to remain quiet.
“Your instructions are clear, Captain,” the commander replied, “and I want you to understand me. If you take aggressive action against the planet, we’ll come for you.”
