Of Fire and Night - Kevin J. Anderson [171]
O'nh stepped up to his place at the command rail. In destroying the three watchdog warglobes, the faeros must have provoked the deep-core aliens. He stared at the tactical screen that showed incredible numbers of oncoming warglobes, far outnumbering the Ildiran ships.
"Prepare for our final battle."
Given luck and determination, his cohort might cause extraordinary damage to the enemy in a flurry of suicidal attacks. But even if every single warliner destroyed a hydrogue globe, they could never win. The enemy numbers were overwhelming.
He wished Rememberer Vao'sh and his human companion had come up here with him. This would certainly be something for them to observe, for the sake of history. However, they were not likely to survive long enough to record their experiences.
"Should we form a defensive line, Tal? Concentrate our forces above the central city?"
O'nh squinted to watch the blips of enemy ships. "Inform Designate Ridek'h that I will do my best. Have all crews ready to move on my command, but do not overreact. Warglobes have come before and did not attack."
The alien armada rocketed closer, never slowing. Then, in an endless storm, they streamed past Hyrillka and headed toward its blue-white primary sun.
The warliner's command crew cheered in disbelief, while O'nh watched with his brow furrowed. "They are not after us at all. Hyrillka does not matter to them. Even their bargain with the Mage-Imperator has lost its priority because of the faeros."
"That is good news indeed, Tal!"
Relief lasted only a few moments, and then his suspicions turned to dread, for he had seen a similar thing before. "Not necessarily. This could be even worse."
Like moths drawn to a flame, the warglobes swarmed around Hyrillka's main sun, swirled in the corona, and began to attack the star itself.
Flushed out by the sudden barrage, faeros ellipsoids erupted from the roiling plasma seas. Numerous flaming shapes slammed into the hydrogues in a blinding display. The battle was engaged.
With a sick heart, O'nh knew that the faeros were likely to lose. Hyrillka's primary would be extinguished, just like Durris-B. There was nothing Tal O'nh or his warliners or Designate Ridek'h or even the Mage-Imperator could do about it.
As he stared at the screen, O'nh made a mental tally of the population on Hyrillka, all who had survived the first hydrogue attack and then Rusa'h's rebellion. He considered the disposition of ships in the Solar Navy, closed his one eye, and visualized which grouping would be closest.
"Send an immediate message to Tal Ala'nh. Summon his cohort to Hyrillka as swiftly as possible. I do not know how much time we have before that sun dies." He opened his eye and looked again at the bright main sun, where flashes and sparks of the conflict churned through the solar layers. "We will need every one of his warliners and all of mine to effect a total evacuation of this planet. After all our work, Hyrillka cannot be saved."
101
CESCA PERONI
After Jess left for Theroc and the fourteen Plumas water tankers set off to primordial Charybdis, Cesca went to Yreka hoping to reestablish connections with the dispersed Roamer families. She still thought of herself as the Speaker, though after all the turmoil, she knew it might take some time for Roamers to reestablish their identity and determine their place in the changed Spiral Arm.
Since she flew only a small craft scrounged from Plumas, everyone assumed Cesca was just another clan trader coming to the bustling outpost. Her ship settled onto the crowded landing field, and she stepped out into the dusty air, feeling the energy tingle through her skin. The colors, the noise, the smells, the chatter of cordial conversation! She hadn't seen so many Roamers together since before the destruction of Rendezvous.
The place looked more like a crowded bazaar than a spaceport. Smiling clan members wore flashy clothes, embroidered jumpsuits, jackets with a multitude of pockets, clips, and zippers. The Yrekans' serviceable clothes and plain overalls