Scattered Suns - Kevin J. Anderson [210]
Chapter 106—MAGE-IMPERATOR JORA’H
As the overwhelming force of Solar Navy battleships approached the lone warliner, Jora’h could not sense its crew anywhere in his thism. He feared the worst, and was prepared to do what he must. Regardless of the cost, the Mage-Imperator would stop them here.
For a full day, the cohort of warliners had lain in wait near Dobro. According to the ultimatum Udru’h had been given, the Mage-Imperator knew that the rebels would send their might against the colony, whether it was one warliner or the whole maniple. He had to be ready for anything.
In the meantime, he waited with the fastest courier ships on standby, both hoping and dreading that he would receive word from Osira’h that she had brought the hydrogues to Ildira. If that happened, he would have to race back, and leave the battle here despite the bloodshed, without his hoped-for resolution.
Too much all at once. But it couldn’t be helped.
How had the Dobro Designate answered Rusa’h’s demand, in the end? Jora’h wished he could be certain. In spite of Udru’h’s assurances, Jora’h did not trust him to operate out of anything but his own interests. It was even possible that the Dobro Designate would try to play both forces against each other. Would Rusa’h himself be among those who came to conquer the splinter colony? Would Thor’h?
He had hated to leave the Prism Palace, especially while Osira’h attempted to communicate with the hydrogues. So many other crises were causing turbulence in the Spiral Arm. But he had to end this sickening rebellion and restore control to his own Empire.
Finally, Tal O’nh, the commander of this cohort, had relayed a message from the fringe cutters on sentry duty. “One ship incoming, Liege. A single warliner.”
One warliner. Perhaps that would minimize the unnecessary casualties.
“Proceed,” Jora’h said. O’nh had his instructions, and the Mage-Imperator would not interfere with the commander. He knew it was possible that Udru’h had actually attempted to carry out his unlikely plan, but even if the Designate had been true to his word, Jora’h held out little hope that he had succeeded. In all likelihood, Jora’h would have no choice but to stop the rebel warliner and then go after Hyrillka itself.
Adar Zan’nh had somehow lost control of his maniple, and Rusa’h had used those warships to spread a bloody insurrection. But Jora’h was stronger than the Hyrillka Designate. Much stronger.
“All quls and septars acknowledge,” Tal O’nh said. “Ready weapons against that warliner.” The deadly offensive systems thrummed, ready to annihilate the rebel vessel. Jora’h braced himself. Although they were all disconnected from his own thism web, he feared he would still feel the pain of their deaths. It should never have come to this.
If the Mage-Imperator gave an order to massacre all those Ildirans—even though they were rebels—the race would no doubt be scarred forever. The records in the Saga would damn him. He hoped there was another way.
He sensed the emptiness in the thism from the warliner; it seemed like a ghost ship, but he knew it carried a full crew. Then he felt two others, like tiny candles in a vast darkness—the Dobro Designate and Adar Zan’nh remained on board! But had they succeeded?
The warliner’s comm system transmitted the words that Jora’h longed to hear. “Liege, this is Udru’h. The Adar and I have reasserted control of this vessel. The entire crew is currently under the influence of shiing. I believe they are ready for you.”
Smiling with relief, Jora’h acknowledged. “Thank you, Designate. I will lead them back.”
In the command nucleus of the cohort’s flagship, he stood rigid, his braided hair twitching and thrashing as he closed his eyes. As Mage-Imperator, he had control over all the soul-threads and the correct pathway to the Lightsource. Now he sent out his thoughts, grasping the skeins of thism, smoothing out the tangles and reconnecting every once-rebellious crewman aboard the stolen warliner.
With the sheer force of his will,