The Ascendant Stars - Michael Cobley [81]
Theo was stunned. Gideon frowned and leaned back in his chair, arms crossed. Ian Cameron picked up his beaker of water and drank it off in a single swallow. Solvjeg seemed the only one unsurprised, her face still serious, her eyes more intense.
‘So, to summarise,’ Gideon said, ‘the Hegemony and/or the Brolturans are due to arrive here soon in the shape of an undoubtedly substantial battle fleet with the intention of pacifying the colony while deterring any moves from the likes of the Imisil. At the same time, a portal into hyperspace will shortly – maybe today, maybe in four days’ time – disgorge an alien fleet of unknown size, unknown combat abilities and unknown intent.’
The Uvovo looked sombre. ‘Captain, you should expect them to number in the many thousands and for them to fight any who oppose them with a relentless fury.’
‘Well, now,’ Theo said to Gideon. ‘Always handy to know these things, eh?’
Then Solvjeg leaned forward. ‘Then we should mount a joint attack on Giant’s Shoulder, your people, ours and the Spiral renegades … ’
‘As I’ve already explained,’ Gideon said, ‘without the Brolturan flyers we would have no airborne force and without that … ’
‘Except that we have aircraft,’ Solvjeg said. ‘When we liberated Hammergard, we also liberated North-East Fields.’
‘Ah, zeplins,’ Theo said. ‘How many, sister?’
‘Seven, perhaps eight – our engineers were hard at work on another when we left.’
The Tygran captain’s brow was furrowed with thought.
‘What kind of passenger capacities do they have?’
‘Average is a dozen each,’ said Ian Cameron.
‘It would be a high-risk operation,’ Gideon said. ‘Casualties would very likely exceed fifty per cent, but a slim chance exists. If my heavy-weapons team can take control of that defence battery, that would swing the odds in our favour. However, that doesn’t address the problem of how to close the warpwell and stop this Legion from escaping … could we demolish it with explosives, Listener?’
‘It was constructed by the great Ancients, Captain Gideon,’ the Uvovo said. ‘I doubt that it would be so easily … ’
He broke off at the sound of a commotion outside. Then the door swung open and a young, red-furred Uvovo stumbled in, half-restrained by a Human sentry.
‘Listener, Listener! – you must come to the Hall of Discourse!’
Theo gestured at the guard, who released the animated Uvovo.
‘Why are you interrupting us, Ajinos?’ Weynl said. ‘What is this about?’
‘The Seer,’ the young Uvovo said. ‘He is in the Hall … and he speaks with Segrana!’
‘Chel?’ Theo said as he stood. ‘Chel’s here?’
‘We must go,’ said Listener Weynl, slipping down and hurrying to the door. ‘Immediately.’
Minutes later they entered the Hall of Discourse. Normally half-lit by the multicoloured glassy panels dotted across the tall, curved walls, now a column of shining white radiance rose from the Forerunner platform, sending light into every corner. A figure knelt at the centre of it, one small hand held out, palm upwards. As he approached Theo could see that Chel’s lips were moving, and closer still he could make out the Uvovo’s voice, quietly muttering responses as part of a conversation with another voice, deep and muted. At that point, Chel got to his feet and faced his audience.
‘Captain Gideon,’ he said. ‘My apologies for disappearing in the middle of the attack, but neither I nor my companion were entirely in our right minds. I had to get us both to the nearby daughter-forest or risk losing our selves completely.’
‘So, you and Rory,’ Theo said, ‘you were both enslaved by that creature, this Knight … are you okay now? Are you free of its control? – is Rory?’
Chel took off the thin shift he wore, revealing shaven patches in his body fur, on arms, chest and neck. The bare skin showed healing wounds like regularly spaced holes and incisions.
‘Rory was semi-conscious when we reached the forest,’ Chel said. ‘He had to be helped into a vudron for the healing sleep, which has to run its course without interruption. It worked well for me – my body was able to reject