A Forest of Stars - Kevin J. Anderson [160]
Now everyone understood that the rules had changed.
83
ROSSIA
When the intimidating EDF assault force arrived above the rings of Osquivel, all scanners were dispatched, probes and scout ships released to study the system and plan the operation. They already knew the hydrogues lurked down there, somewhere beneath the clouds. Now the EDF just had to flush them out.
Aboard the huge flagship Goliath, General Lanyan announced, “This is not a test. We’re on a dangerous mission. I hope you’re all prepared for it.” His chin was square, his knuckles white, his eyes like fire.
To the green priest Rossia, the dangers had always seemed real. Once he’d learned of the long-standing antagonism between the hydrogues and the worldforest, the threat had become much more tangible. And now they were going directly into a nest of the destructive creatures. The ancient enemies.
The trees had nearly been obliterated long ago by the hydrogues, and the worldforest had no desire to fight again. Reluctantly, it seemed, the trees were willing to participate in this action, hoping to communicate with the enemy. But Rossia felt little hope.
Isolated on Theroc, the worldforest had been passive, fearing to reignite the conflict…but now, the hydrogues were obviously looking for them, destroying any forested world in their search. Rossia could sense uneasiness throughout the worldforest. The last surviving worldtrees had hidden from the hydrogues for ten thousand years. More recently, the trees had begun to flourish and spread to other planets.
Perhaps Wing Commander Brindle could achieve what he hoped. But Rossia doubted it.
Fidgeting, the green priest sat in a cold polymer chair surrounded by hard metal controls. He kept his beloved treeling at his station. Though the potted plant seemed a strange anachronism against the backdrop of the EDF’s computerized technology, ironically Rossia’s telink connection was more efficient than any other system aboard the Goliath.
On the Juggernaut’s bridge, Lanyan made every effort to present a brave and confident front. “We will make a final diplomatic attempt. If that fails, we’ll test our new Soldier compies and show the drogues that we mean business.”
Lanyan looked at Rossia. “Also, our instant real-time contact with Chairman Wenceslas and our strategists back on Mars will give us the edge. We are on the way to our biggest victory in this war.”
“And what if the mission doesn’t work?” Rossia asked.
“If it doesn’t work, then none of us will be in a position to care.”
Watching the military preparations and reading the mood of the troops, Rossia got a clear sense that, though their intent was ostensibly to parley, they were expecting a fight. Expecting it. His heart fluttered at the thought.
The pale yellow clouds of Osquivel looked like a pool of spilled buttermilk, unlike anything Rossia had ever seen on Theroc. Down there, lurking in the ringed giant’s soup of gases, were predators far more deadly than any wyvern.
Rossia stroked the scaled trunk of his treeling. Through telink, he connected into the trees, found his counterparts aboard other EDF battleships dispersed across the ten Grids, the other priests at home on Theroc, and Yarrod, monitoring all the activity on the Mars base. He sent his thoughts, and received an acknowledgment.
“General, Yarrod says that everyone is ready on Mars. Chairman Wenceslas has arrived and is waiting to hear from us.”
Lanyan nodded, glad for the proof of a direct response. “Keep them up to date on what we’re doing.”
With quick, vivid words, Rossia described everything he saw, painting a portrait of the unusual planet with its startlingly beautiful rings. The mind of the worldforest absorbed everything, disseminating the knowledge to its far-flung trees, wherever they had spread.
Rossia rubbed the tiny goose bumps on his arms. Traditionally, priests wore little clothing