Metal Swarm - Kevin J. Anderson [170]
With brisk steps, nearly tripping over the scurrying servant kithmen, the Mage-Imperator descended the path from the Prism Palace and waited in the plaza for Zan'nh's ornate battleship to land. Bureaucrats, courtesans, rememberers, and lens kithmen all marched in a procession after him to welcome the Solar Navy home.
Aboard the orbiting assembly platforms, Tabitha Huck and her crews celebrated the occasion by launching nine new warliners, which accompanied the descending flagship. Swift streamers circled the warliners, performing intricate manoeuvres in the sky. The joyful lldiran people needed to know no more than that the Adar had been successful in his mission.
The flagship settled onto the mosaic pavement, its solar sails extended along with rippling metal pennants. Jora'h drew strength from Nira close beside him. Osira'h held Prime Designate Daro'h‘s hand as if she had remembered how to be a little girl again. Nira's children, with their strange eyes and unexpected fascinations, had been occupying themselves with Kolker's new 'revelations‘. They had offered to show her, and the other green priest had eagerly encouraged it, but Nira remained too focused on reconnecting with Jora'h and guiding him.
Debarkation ramps extended, and after an anticipatory silence, Adar Zan'nh stepped out, leading a group of sub-commanders, followed by uniformed Solar Navy soldiers, and finally a group of human evacuees from Cjeldre. Only about a hundred of them. Nira waited for more, caught her breath, and said, ‘That's… all of them?'
Zan'nh pressed his fist to the centre of his chest. ‘We went to several other known colonies, Liege. Some were uninhabited, others devastated. On Cjeldre, though, we found these humans still alive.'
‘Did you encounter the Klikiss? How many of them?' Jora'h asked.
‘They have indeed returned, in full force. On Cjeldre, these humans had already been taken prisoner. If we had not arrived when we did, they would have been killed.' He sounded shaken.
‘He saved us!' cried one of the humans from behind.
Zan'nh glanced back at the haggard refugees, then at his father again. ‘Yes, Liege, we saved them.' He seemed awkwardly pleased with himself. ‘It was not… honourable, what the Klikiss did on planet after planet.'
Nira opened her arms wide to the refugees. ‘We're glad you're alive. We're glad you came here.'
People staggered down the debarkation ramp, reeling with gratitude. Jora'h spoke to the servant kithmen, who seemed ecstatic to have something to do, orders to follow. ‘See that these humans are given comfortable quarters, fresh garments, medical attention, and any food they desire.‘
The Cjeldre colonists let out a chorus of thanks. Some of them were close to collapse, others wanted to rush forward and embrace the Mage-Imperator, but Yazra'h stood guard, and no one could get past her.
The Adar watched the amazed and relieved expressions on their faces. He said quietly, ‘You were right to send me on this mission, Liege. Had J gone sooner, I might have saved even more people.'
Zan'nh had not meant to criticize, but Jora'h felt guilt nonetheless. He had hesitated when Nira made her plea for the Solar Navy's help. He had not wanted to waste time or resources looking into a problem that he felt was of the humans' own making. He should have listened to Nira immediately. She asked him for so little, and Jora'h felt he owed her so much. After what the Ildirans did to the human test subjects on Dobro, the crimes and secrets over the generations - now all exposed, much to his shame! - he should never have hesitated. The Mage-Imperator owed them a debt that he could never repay.
He spoke quietly to Nira. ‘Tell me how best I can help them now. Should they stay on Ildira? Should I send them back to Earth? You know I will do anything you ask of me.'
Nira's face hardened.