The Ascendant Stars - Michael Cobley [22]
‘Mandator Reen for you, Admiral,’ said a silky, resonant voice.
‘Thank you, Ino. I’ll take it here.’
The holoplane scarcely flickered as the layers of data were replaced by the head-and-shoulders image of a Roug. In common with all members of his species, Mandator Reen had a spindly physique, a narrow neck widening to a slightly conical head, and garments resembling tightly wound strips of dark, coppery-brown material that left no area uncovered apart from bulbous meshes covering the eyes and mouth. All an illusion, Kao Chih knew, a form secretly adapted by the shapeshifting Roug for their long-term purposes.
‘Admiral Zhylinsky,’ the Roug said in a rough, papery voice. ‘Are all your intercept craft berthed and secure?’
‘We are awaiting confirmation of that from the Viteazul, Mandator,’ said Zhylinsky as he studied a dataframe on one of his other holoplanes. ‘In fact … yes, that is the last Marauder clamped and sealed.’
‘Good. The navigational subsystems we installed are harmonised and course information has been encoded. You may commence departure jump to Tier 1 when ready, Admiral.’
‘With pleasure, Mandator,’ said Zhylinsky. ‘Ino, execute.’
The Roug’s image vanished from the holoplane. Kao Chih scarcely felt the hyperdrive transition, and found himself recalling his part in the hyperspace pursuit of the Tygran flagship, Chaxothal, that vertiginous plummet through yawning gulfs of chaotic energy and tormented light. He shivered.
‘Tier 1 kinetic state achieved,’ said that pure, resonant voice which Kao Chih suddenly realised had to be the ship’s command AI.
Up on his dais, the admiral stared at the data on his holopanel and muttered something under his breath. Then Mandator Reen reappeared.
‘They have altered course,’ Zhylinsky said. ‘But there seems to be a discontinuity in the trace.’
‘The pursuers have shifted to Tier 2,’ the Roug said. ‘We must do the same or they will gain on us very quickly.’
‘Mandator, the Marzanna is not T2-capable,’ Zhylinsky said.
‘Your vessels’ hyperdrive fields have already been upgraded by the new navigator nodes. If you permit us to temporarily assume control of all your vessels’ helms, we will be able to direct a course in formation,’ the Roug said. ‘In this manner we will be able to evade pursuit more easily.’
The admiral frowned and glanced at Kao Chih. ‘Your thoughts, Envoy?’
‘I believe we should protect the colonists, sir,’ he said, masking his surprise at being included in such decisions. ‘Therefore, we must run, not fight.’
Admiral Zhylinsky nodded and looked back to the Roug. ‘Very well, Mandator. How do we proceed?’
‘Hyperdrive field shells are already running at optimum,’ the Roug said. ‘Admiral, if you instruct all helm operators to cease interactions, we can carry out the necessary functions.’
Zhylinsky quickly spoke with the captains of the three transports in open conference, gave them all confident assurance, and a minute or two later resumed his dialogue with Reen.
‘We are ready, Mandator.’
‘As are we, Admiral. Converging on tier transit – now.’
Kao Chih felt the jump this time, like a subtle alteration in the environment. For a moment immediately afterwards there was a tense, still silence, then the admiral muttered something in non-Anglic. It didn’t sound like a compliment.
‘They are still with us, Mandator, and they are closing!’
‘We have been closely monitoring them, Admiral … ’
Suddenly, a triangular frame appeared in the middle of the admiral’s holoplane and, Kao Chih noticed, every other screen on the bridge. In it was a tall slender humanoid garbed in a close-fitting black uniform adorned with fine, circuitry-like patterns, a silver tracery. The narrow, hairless head was pale and the eyes were violet.
‘I am the Clarified Ventran. You have violated a licensed territory of the Suneye Monoclan and illegally removed certain essential resources. Surrender our property or prepare to be—’
Abruptly the message cut out. The admiral had been demanding