The Ascendant Stars - Michael Cobley [150]
‘Nothing to do with me,’ Robert said. ‘Our hosts have taken complete control.’
Much to Kao Chih’s surprise, four Humans wearing shoulder panniers walked up the ramp. They were dressed in Human Sept work suits, although their faces were not familiar. Three of them approached the Heracles’ survivors and began to distribute food and drink, while the fourth, a woman, approached Kao Chih and introduced herself as Mu Liang, explaining that they had been piloting gravity tugs when the attack took place.
‘We were only picked up an hour ago,’ she said in Mandarin. ‘Then we were told we would have to help some injured Humans with medication and food, never thinking that they would be from … Earth-Home!’ She paused to look at the crew. ‘Are there any serious wounds, Kao Chih?’
‘Only hunger and thirst,’ he said. ‘They were starved and several dosed with sedatives, so there is also dehydration.’
‘We shall start with small amounts and watch their progress.’ She turned and waved to someone outside. ‘There is a person here who wishes to speak with you, honourable pilot.’
Disconcertingly, she then gave him a bow before moving away to distribute her own store of water and food. When Kao Chih looked round at the ramp a familiar tall figure was climbing towards him. Once more in the burly Human appearance that he employed during his stay on Pyre, it was the Roug Qabakri.
‘Good to see you again, my friend,’ he said.
‘Likewise with you, pilot Kao Chih, although the circumstances of this encounter could not be more calamitous.’
‘Do you know why we are here?’ Kao Chih said.
‘I have heard the message that you transmitted,’ the Roug said. ‘Action has been taken. Ships have been dispatched to waylay the second asteroid and its attendant vessels.’
‘Second asteroid?’ Kao Chih said, shaking his head. ‘So the one we delayed … ’
‘Was only the latter of a pair,’ Qabakri said. ‘Perhaps our enemies decided to factor in redundancy in the event that either was intercepted, a successful tactic, but they do not realise what they have called down upon themselves. Very shortly, further actions will be taken. This vessel, the great warvaunt Vyrk-Zoshel, will fly to battle for the first time in millennia.’
‘Will you be tracking down the Shyntanil or the Suneye Monoclan?’
Qabakri surveyed the Heracles survivors for a moment.
‘In time, both,’ said the Roug. ‘You should understand the sequence of events. Several hours before the catastrophe the incursioner craft Syroga appeared in our system, accompanied by three Vox Humana transports bearing the colonists from Pyre … ’
Kao Chih was struck by an agonising realisation.
‘That is why! – that’s what this destruction is for … ’ He put a hand to his head. ‘If you had not become involved in our … ’
‘No blame is or could be laid upon the Humans,’ Qabakri said. ‘The remaining supernals of the High Index have already ruled on this. Now, I must continue with my account.
‘Some hours after the colonist flotilla arrived, our hyperspace sensors detected a very large object approaching, rising through the tiers on a course that appeared to intersect with our orbital city. As a precaution we started evacuating while using Agmedra’a’s engines to shift its orbit. To our consternation the approaching object altered its course and kept doing so to remain on target. We tried to evacuate as many as possible but there were not enough vessels.’
Qabakri’s calm exterior was belied by a dark glitter in the eyes.
‘When it arrived we saw that it was a piece of something larger, while still possessing a sub-planetoid mass. No weaponsfire could deflect it from its course. It impacted Agmedra’a and the results are plain to see.’ The Roug’s eyes seemed full of anger. ‘Two Suneye vessels then arrived, clearly intending to seize the Vox Humana transports – the commander of the Syroga acted promptly such that it and the