Scattered Suns - Kevin J. Anderson [263]
Overhead, hundreds—thousands—of huge ships approached from the fringes of space. Each one was shaped like a fantastic tree the size of a small asteroid and powered by a force that made the sentient worldforest on Theroc seem little more than a spark. The treeships had flown in from the beyond, en route ever since the hydrogues had obliterated the first worldtree grove on Corvus Landing. They had crossed incredible distances to where their assistance was desperately needed, back to the heart of the worldforest.
The unbelievably immense structures were grown from a central core of wood, whose branches stretched out and tangled themselves into a structure like a breathtaking thistle, a gigantic organic vessel composed of stems, arcs, and huge unnatural thorns. The burgeoning seeds had extended fronds and thorns, armored with impenetrable wooden coverings and sealed by a protective force that kept them alive in a journey across immeasurable space.
Celli stared, her mouth open. The green priests and Therons shouted and pointed with amazement.
“Now we have sufficient strength to defeat the hydrogues forever. We can prepare for the final war.” Beneto looked up at the mammoth organic vessels, and his face held a blissful expression of renewed confidence. “At last, the verdani battleships have arrived.”
Glossary of Characters and Terminology
Abel-Wexler—one of the eleven generation ships from Earth, tenth to depart.
Adar—highest military rank in Ildiran Solar Navy.
Aguerra, Raymond—streetwise young man from Earth, former identity of King Peter.
Aguerra, Rita—Raymond’s mother.
Alexa, Mother—ruler of Theroc, wife of Father Idriss.
Andez, Shelia—EDF soldier, held captive by Roamers at Osquivel shipyards.
Antero, Haki—Grid 8 admiral.
Aquarius—wental-distribution ship flown by Nikko Chan Tylar.
Archfather—symbolic head of Unison religion on Earth.
attenders—diminutive personal assistants to the Mage-Imperator.
Avi’h—Maratha Designate, youngest son of Mage-Imperator Cyroc’h.
Battleaxe—nickname for former Hansa Chairman Maureen Fitzpatrick.
BeBob—Rlinda Kett’s pet name for Branson Roberts.
bekh!—Ildiran curse, “damn!”
Beneto—green priest, second son of Father Idriss and Mother Alexa, killed by hydrogues on Corvus Landing.
Bhali’v—bureaucrat kithman, assistant to Maratha Designate Avi’h.
Big Goose—derogatory Roamer term for Terran Hanseatic League.
blazer—Ildiran illumination source.
Blind Faith—Branson Roberts’s ship.
Blue Sky Mine—skymine facility at Golgen, operated by Ross Tamblyn.
Boone’s Crossing—Hansa colony world.
Braddox—Roamer outpost.
Brindle, Conrad—Robb Brindle’s father, former military officer.
Brindle, Natalie—Robb Brindle’s mother, former military officer.
Brindle, Robb—young EDF recruit, comrade of Tasia Tamblyn, captured by hydrogues on Osquivel.
Burton—lost generation ship from Earth, whose descendants are subjects of breeding experiments.
Cain, Eldred—deputy and heir apparent of Basil Wenceslas, pale-skinned and hairless, an art collector.
carbon slammer—new-design EDF weapon, effective at breaking carbon-carbon bonds.
cargo escort—Roamer vessel used to deliver ekti shipments from skymines.
Celli—youngest daughter of Father Idriss and Mother Alexa.
Regan Chalmers—former chairman of the Terran Hanseatic League.
Chan—Roamer clan.
Chan, Marla—Roamer greenhouse expert, mother of Nikko Chan Tylar.
ch’kanh—armored anemone plants that live in the shadowed canyons of Maratha.
Christensen, Tom—“dunsel” commander of EDF rammer ships.
chrysalis chair—reclining throne of the Mage-Imperator.
citysphere—enormous hydrogue habitation complex.
Clarin, Eldon—Roamer inventor, brother of Roberto, killed when hydrogues destroyed Berndt Okiah’s new skymine at Erphano.
Clarin, Roberto—administrator of Hurricane Depot, brother of Eldon.
cloud harvester—ekti-gathering facility designed by Hansa; also called a cloud mine.
cohort—battle group of Ildiran Solar Navy consisting of seven maniples, or 343 ships.
Colicos, Anton—son of Margaret and Louis Colicos, translator and student