Flight of the Armada Book XV A Voice From The Stars

The Flight of the Armada

Book XV A Voice from the Stars

By

Jay Michael Jones

Smashwords edition

Copyright 2019 by Jay Michael Jones

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Other Books in the series:

0 Fields of Fire

1 The Flight of the Armada

2 Noble Hour

3 A Crack in the Facade

4 Alien Life Form

5 Fury in the Dark of Space

6 Adrift on an Outpost

7 To Live Again

8 The Reprobate

9 Trouble in the Dark

10 Angst of the Silent Man

11 Heart's Pain

12 Song of the Tarinade

13 Prisoner of Love

14 A Whole Culture Awaits

15 A Voice From the Stars

16 Cathedral

17 The Eternal Scream

18 The Price of Defiance

19 The Hardest Won Respect

20 Battle Hymn

21 Heir Apparent

22 Those Who Dare

23 Specter

24 Into the Deep

25 Sentient Beings

Table of Contents

Chapter 160 The Word No

Chapter 161 A Good Man to Have Around

Chapter 162 The Return of Festival

Chapter 163 A Voice from the Stars

Chapter 164 The Second Verse

Chapter 165 Braids

Chapter 166 Magician

Chapter 167 Trouble Afoot

Chapter 168 The Tale of the Steag Hallid

Excerpt from Book Sixteen

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Chapter 160: The Word No

The small Thuringi fighter ship Good Lad came through the mist of the island of New Thuringa’s transportal circle and skidded to a halt in the safety netting on the other side of the cavern. Opening the cavern to the outside prevented incoming ships from crashing into a wall but the netting slowed the ships enough to prevent rushing into unsuspecting patrol ships in the open air beyond.

A tall muscular figure emerged from the hatch, adorned in the regal white and yellow raiment worn by centuries of Thuringi kings. He stumbled into his brother’s outstretched arms. Darien, Darien, Darien! Stuart Phillipi roared. Have I news for you!

What? Darien laughed as he helped Stuart stay on his feet. The usually poised and calm Stuart reeled around as unruly as an untamed gakki stack, completely opposite of his standard regal bearing, typical of travelers using transportal circles when one portal was stationary and the other was on a ship in flight. This behavior reminded Darien of their carefree youths and he enjoyed this wild version of Stuart for the brief time it lasted.

I’m going to hold a Royal Court in the Throne Room and tell you just that, if you are good! Of course, when has that ever truly been fact? – but say! Where’s Mother and Carrol and Erich, and all of those good people? Get them up there, I have nibby things to say, Stuart said gleefully before his temporary silliness from the transportal dissipated.

It was the first such official call on New Thuringa, which had always been considered just a scout location on Earth for the peripatetic people of Thuringa. Now that they had the substantial, easily protected island as base for the scouts, it was time to move ahead with standard practices of their society.

Queen Mother Oriel Phillipi de Saulin directed where family should stand during the court proceedings, her elegant gestures as sure and graceful as a symphony conductor’s. To Stuart’s right stood his children Erich, Ladd, Grace, and Orion; to his left stood his brother Darien and sister Carrol. They all wore the white breeches, tall black boots and black tunics of the Royal Thuringi Armed Command, expected of every member of the Royal Family.

Stuart asked Oriel to sit in a chair by his but she declined. That is a queen’s place, not a dowager queen. I shall sit here on the side, next to Darien. That is more fitting, and perhaps I can keep a better eye on my troublesome son.

Stuart will probably behave this time, Darien told her earnestly. He could not hold his innocent expression, and they laughed together.

As many current island residents as could fit into the Throne Room on top of the mountain came to Royal Court; just short of one hundred. It was not the grand court of Old Thuringa with its thousand-light ceiling under a grand glass dome, but over the years the room at the top of the tallest island mountain had been carved into an impressive structure.

Stuart got right to the point after the assembled quieted.

Our kingdom is physically divided but not the will and heart of its people. Therefore, We shall hold court in regular sessions both here on New Thuringa and on the Armada, serving Our time between both groups until we are all united here in the future, Stuart explained. "Thus, the burden of Royal Court on the Armada will no longer be left to Our sons. Prince Yjarnnah will be freer to help guide the Armada and see to the needs of the Freen with the Armada. Prince Erich will be able to take charge of his new duties which will be the overseeing of new construction here on New Thuringa, including both the planned city for the island, and shipbuilding and improvements for the final journey to Farcourt. Queen Oriel will be asked to serve as hostess to visiting dignitaries here as well as upcoming activities on the Armada. Princess Carrol will continue her work in the medical area, and will be able to develop new prosthetics for Our injured parties."

Erich was relieved his duties did not sound as if to include fighting or scouting, only an administrative capacity. He knew he could do that sort of thing well. He looked forward to building New Arne, and in shipbuilding he could also admire the talents of his uncle Gareth Duncan firsthand. Any man who could single-handedly design and build a spaceworthy transport ship and a physical transportal, would no doubt have fascinating and exciting ship plans in store!

Oriel thought her expected duties sounded pleasant indeed, things she in her limited physical capacity could do that would be useful as well as good for the morale of the fleet. Carrol was ecstatic about continuing her rehabilitation work, something dear to her heart but had been put aside for most of the Thuringi journey.

In addition Prince Merlin, the Duke of Caves, will be asked to complete the Open Cathedral as well as continue his work in other engineering endeavors. Merlin hopped slightly on the balls of his feet and nudged his father with his elbow. Gareth grinned.

Our Warrior Prince Darien will be commissioned to take on a new assignment. As Hartin Medina has been named permanent Warrior General, Prince Darien will serve as representative of the Crown of New Thuringa at the United Nations. He will protect the interests of our people, promote our goodwill and mission to the countries of our host world, serve as official liaison and spokesman, and advise the Crown in matters of Earthian circumstances.

Darien nodded slowly as a smile grew on his face. Father would have never dared place him in such a position thirty years ago but in those thirty years Darien changed through hard lessons enough for Stuart to dare. Stuart continued, Accompanying him will be Prince Ladd Phillipi de Nolan, the Duke of Eidendon, to assist him in matters of diplomacy. Naradi Echo Garin de Neo will be assigned to them for defense. Darien gave Stuart a sidelong glance, and saw his brother was totally serious. The Warrior Prince managed a casual glance at Echo and saw her struggle to maintain a straight face despite a persistent impulse to smile. Our Earthian friend Michael Sheldon has agreed to help interpret for our diplomats.

Stuart called for grievances to come forward but no one felt the need to do so. State of the Island and State of the Ship reports were given by Erich and Brent, which were relatively brief and positive. Searl Ardenne whispered to his wife Ellis that it was so reminiscent of the court back on Old Thuringa, he might close his eyes and take a memory trip. Finally, Stuart raised his hand.

This is Saturday evening and I invite all to rest and enjoy our weekly Sundays-Off tomorrow. This Royal Court session of the Twenty-Sixth Rule is at an end.

The assembled went to their apartments cheerfully, and the royal family approached Stuart. Before you all start in on questions, just let me say that I decided it was time for me to rule Thuringa more firmly and give Darien a chance to utilize his developed skills as a barterer to strike worthwhile deals favorable to Thuringa with our Earthian neighbors. The United Nations will require a tough negotiator, and that is Darien.

And me, Father? I may go with Uncle Darien? Ladd asked.

Of course you may. Darien has skills to barter, but he may yet need a more civil tongue nearby to temper his language. With you on one side and Echo on the other, perhaps between the two Darien will hear something to keep him in the right. Martu has graciously offered us a flat he owns in Manhattan, and it is spacious enough for all four of you, and Friend Michael told me he has his own accommodations.

Four of us? Without Michael, who –

Young Celik is his father’s responsibility and I doubt Darien will allow anyone else as primary caregiver for his own child. Ladd smiled and nodded.

Celik scrambled up Darien’s frame to his favorite spot to sit, on Darien’s broad shoulders. He beamed a bright smile at his Uncle Stuart.

What will I do once the construction is done? Erich asked.

There will always be new construction of something, Erich. We will have more than only three years to build new ships as we did on Old Thuringa, and once the Armada arrives you will need to oversee their refitting. And, there is Farcourt in the future.

Farcourt, sir?

Why yes, Erich! Farcourt will be your first true scouting mission as a prince of the rule. It’s a little late in coming but it will be worth the wait, I am sure.

Erich did not like this idea at all but did not say so aloud. He simply nodded. That is what these damn warriors are for!

Ladd turned to look out the window, disturbed that his unique telepathy picked up such a strong thought without even trying. Up until that moment, he admired his eldest half-brother. Now he was uncertain what to think.

On the mist-cloaked world of Chassiren, Athena Garin slowly settled into life among her mother’s people. She did not mind showing the interested male Chassiren how to hold a sword and even gave them a few lessons on how to wield Pleonian steel weaponry in the privacy of her apartment, known as her dome. She liked their willingness to learn. The females shied away from the notion, although they admired her grace and skills. They were used to seeing the weapons of visitors from other worlds, but saw no need to actually handle a weapon themselves.

Athena did not enjoy the Chassiren leisure activities nearly as much as she hoped. While she liked painting and music and working in little gardens and other pleasant pastimes, Athena continued to have a nagging feeling that it was wasted time that could be better utilized perfecting necessary skills.

There were certain other skills she had to learn, as well. Arcann came to her door one day and politely inquired about her enlightenment. Why, she asked shyly. Just as we need to learn self-defense, you need to learn variances, he explained. He demonstrated, and Athena discovered just how under-educated she was. Chassiren plays host to many worlds, and they each have their own mode of ‘expression’. Several consider us to be mere playthings; physical toys for their pleasure, and we will not abuse their erroneous assumption. I do not know if you were aware but most worlds believe there are only women on Chassiren, thus you must bear the brunt of hospitality.

And just how do they think Chassiren are born? Through osmosis?

That is giving the average visitor more credit than he is worth, Arcann replied dryly. I have heard everything from, our women spring from inside budding flowers to emerging whole from the forehead of the Ledess. Such imagination, and yet for all their sexual interest in us few consider conception, gestation and birth are our means of procreation, just like theirs.

She also learned there were many personal preferences and little dramas among her Chassiren kindred. As in any society, some Chassiren simply did not get along with certain persons; others were jealous of the friendship of a given male and female. The trick lay in no angry words or tearful confessions or fingers pointed accusingly. A few sharp words or abrupt departures were considered major upheavals in their gentle way of life.

You are the masters of passive aggression to an astonishing degree, Athena mused one day to Arcann in her dome.

Arcann laughed and explained some of the idiosyncrasies of their people. Mara’s been irritated by Lassoun for years, ever since a visit from a favorite group of Thelans. Why no longer matters; it was only the seed from which their vines of dislike grew. Canna does not find charm in Sercio and Faye’s…er…attachment to each other, although it is not unusual for pairings to occur. I wouldn’t be surprised if she did not like our situation, either. Of course she can say nothing for the now, since you need education.

He plucked at the bedsheets idly. They were beyond instruction and now enjoyed and looked forward to their time together. He was concerned about Athena’s inability to retain her reflection of others for long, and she had to concentrate to keep it. Chassiren had the ability to assume the likeness of whoever was in the heart of the visitor at hand; however the more she concentrated, the less graceful or effective Athena’s technique was. It was not a circumstance that other Chassiren had and Arcann did not know if she could correct it, or to what degree it could be corrected.

They heard an unfamiliar tone from the hallway, startlingly abrasive for their quiet, placid society, so they quickly dressed and went to investigate. The Ledess usually just communicates with us through her mind to summon us, Arcann told Athena. This is not normal.

Chassiren milled anxiously in the wide main corridor, murmuring reassurances to each other. Every old slight was put aside in this uncertain time. The lovely people of the Blue Trace, who seldom had a care, were on edge.

Finally the Ledess of Chassiren, Queen Agonaday Phia, entered through the doorway at the top of the hallway. Struggling to remain calm against stress, her tone was even but her words were abrupt and frightening: People, prepare for flight into the old wood. Shargassi are landing.

A universal gasp sounded through the hall, and a sudden mad scramble ensued. Shargassi! The Scourge of the Traces were following through with a fearful threat. The Chassiren lost people to the Shargassi before on other worlds, but now they were attacking Chassiren itself!

Athena grabbed Arcann’s hand and pulled him into her room. Take this sword, she said, and shed her Chassiren togs and swiftly put on the ancient Thuringi Naradi uniform once worn by her paternal grandmother. She strapped on her pistol and another sword and went back out into the hall. The Ledess stood near the passage door, maintaining her cool for the sake of her charges.

The front entry doors are locked, Agonaday said. The mist is blocking all other entrances from their sight.

They will try to blast their way in through the front, then. If they are bold enough to be here at all, they will be bold enough to enter. Which world is out there on guard? Athena asked, meaning the grand entrance lobby.

The Senga, Agonaday sighed. Senga was a world known for their technological marvels as well as their mediocre if well-intentioned ability to battle.

Please, open the door and let me out there, Athena requested. I’m not going to give my people up without a fight. What do you have to lose?

Agonaday looked at her from head to toe hesitantly, and finally nodded. A door appeared before Athena, and together she and the Ledess walked down the visitor’s hallway to the front entrance. Arcann took advantage of the distraction to trot alongside his queen with his sword firmly in hand. They heard a terrific banging on the entry door as the Sengan troops staunchly denied entry.

Ledess, we will need backup. Would you send Arcann through the portal to get their majesties, the Phillipis? Athena asked.

I’m afraid they won’t come, Agonaday said regretfully.

You have the vow of the king. Of course he’ll come.

Ledess turned to Arcann. Go quickly. Tell them I will offer whatever they wish as compensation for my earlier ugly words and deeds, but ask them. Hurry. Remember to put on a flight suit.

Arcann did not need a repeated request. He sprinted to her chambers where he tugged on a flight suit from the closet. A small personal transportal had been hidden there years ago by Darien Phillipi himself, and Arcann had always been curious about what lay beyond it. He stepped through the portal with his sword, uncertain where he was going or what he would find. It was the greatest adventure Arcann had in all his sheltered five hundred eighty years, and he shook with the thrill of active participation.

Athena and the Ledess approached the front entry, where Sengan troops nervously stood on guard. The normally blue-swirled hue on the walls of the massive room was nearly white and the Sengans were unnerved by this never-seen-before aspect. The Chassiren queen made a sign with her hand. The heavy double doorway vanished and in its place was a solid wall, a wall that sheltered not only the room but rapidly formed a dome over the vast living spaces of the Chassiren, leaving only a small opening in the far back of the structure for her people to flee through. The Sengan troops turned and eyed her with wide-eyed wonder, having never witnessed the true power of the Chassiren queen before. Athena drew her sword and waited.

A deafening boom sounded, and the very ground shook with the impact. The booming continued and the shimmering walls shuddered. Agonaday gave a grunt of distress. The Sengans who fell scrambled to their feet and resumed their positions. Again and again the explosions came, and slowly the walls cracked.

Agonaday’s knees finally buckled but Athena helped her stay on her feet. They are blasting it from the outside, Agonaday gasped. I don’t know how long I can hold it. Oh Goddess; this has never happened in all our years. Two Chassiren men with Athena’s extra weapons were at the queen’s side, relieving Athena of the duty. As Athena strode forward she flourished her sword to loosen her arm muscles and checked her pistol.

Damn Shargassi, she declared. We won’t let them take us, will we, boys? she challenged the Sengans. They stared at her armor, looked at each other, and even Agonaday saw the hope return to their eyes.

Arcann stumbled as he entered the hanger cavern, and he went to the stairway leading up. Athena once described what home looked like and he recalled she said it was up some stairs. Several people met him on the stairway. He recognized them as Thuringi warriors by their classic black tunics and white breeches, so he removed his flight helmet. I am an emissary from Her Majesty, the Queen of Chassiren— he managed to say before they snatched him up by the arms and took him to the Great Room. Stuart was in the midst of preparations to return to the Armada. He, Darien, Erich and Oriel stared mystified at Arcann, recognizing the faultless beauty of the Chassiren man but at a loss to understand why he was there.

Your Majesty, the Shargassi are at our entrance. The Ledess offers any compensation and begs your forgiveness, if only you will carry through the promise you made to her. Athena and a small group of Sengans are all that stand between the Shargassi and my gentle people.

Oriel snatched up a nearby sword. We must help them! Little Athena—!

Erich went to the com and called for more warriors to assemble in the transportal cavern, and then he called Martu Sheridan in Texas.

Stay here, Mother, Stuart commanded as he and Darien grabbed their weaponry. They and the six guards on hanger watch duty ran without hesitation to the cavern and scrambled into flight suits. They were joined by a dozen other Thuringi warriors from the island. Arcann donned his helmet again and led the group through the portal. Once through, he brought them out of her chambers and to the entrance. Sounds of violence could already be heard.

The Shargassi blasted the outer wall at multiple points over and over again, until Agonaday could no longer hold it. She collapsed to the floor. Triumphant Shargassi gave a cheer outside as the wall became the ornate entrance doors again. They battered the doors with a metal ram until they were forced open. There are soft women to ravage! the Shargassi shouted as they advanced.

They expected to see a nervous troop of Sengans in the entryway but they did not expect an armored warrior in the middle of the Grand Entry. She held a challenging sword in one hand and a pistol in the other, and laughed in anticipation. She picked off the first Shargassi through the doorway with her pistol.

The Sengans were not as weak as they appeared. What they lacked in fighting skills they made up for in tactical armor and weaponry. They fought fiercely against the invaders, holding the Shargassi back to just inside the broken doorway. The little warrior darted forward and took on the lead Shargassi with the skill of an ancient.

The damned Thuringi Naradi! one Shargassi swore, recognizing the vintage uniform. They do not stay dead, but spring up from stone!

Agonaday braced herself with her arms from where she sat on the floor, watching as fear and hope churned within her. The doorway appeared narrower than the Shargassi first thought, but that was all Agonaday could manage. The little Thuringi-trained warrior Chassiren, who broke all the rules and wore battle gear never allowed on one of her kind before, fought bravely and well against the encroaching Shargassi. Blood was spilled in the Grand Entry that day and Agonaday reflected with the detachment of the stunned, that the halls might be drenched with Chassiren blood soon. She wept.

What do you mean, you cannot come? Why not! Erich shouted into the com. O great mighty Wonder of Kasah Galp, where is your much-vaunted heroism now when you are needed in battle and not simply in sulking about, hey?

I cannot leave my wife, Marty repeated grimly.

You arrogant fraud! Erich screamed.

Marty, go. I’ll be all right, he heard Stella say in the background.

There, you have permission from your pants! Erich snapped. Communication with Marty abruptly ended.

Erich, have you gone mad? Oriel asked in horror behind him.

When his king needs him most, his wife doesn’t want him to go! Erich snapped, and then softened his voice for her. Stand back, Grandmother. If the Shargassi break through Father and Darien they will eventually find the portal, and we must have troops in place to stop them as they come through. He sent another set of warriors down to the transportal.

But Erich, Oriel said to herself, Stuart isn’t Martu’s king; he is only Maranta’s.

A mighty shout sounded behind Agonaday Phia, and she turned to see the Phillipi twins and a compliment of warriors race toward the fight. With them ran Arcann reflecting the yellow eyes and hair of Thuringa, and Urgyl Fresh, whose blood-curdling D’tai yell echoed in the Grand Entry. They swept past her and her two Chassiren guards. The guards leaped forward after them, eager to defend their homeland. Agonaday sat and watched the drama unfold, unable to do anything more than act as witness.

Oriel heard a ship fly into the open area of the cave as she made her way down to the hanger. Marty Sheridan emerged from the Dauntless with a grim set to his jaw. He smiled at Oriel, but the smile did not reach his eyes. He pulled a pair of hand cannons from a weapons cabinet, hoisted them onto his shoulders and carried them through the portal. Oriel slipped into a flight suit, picked up her sword, and followed him.

Minutes later, Erich and a third squadron came down the steps. Half the squadron went through the portal, the other half lined up on either side of the transporter. Erich sent a disc through to the Armada, requesting no ships be sent to Earth until further notice under any circumstances. A disc returned, acknowledging and complying with the order.

The clang of steel blades rang harshly in the Ledess’s ears but the sounds no longer echoed in the hall. The invaders were pushed back to the outside but were pursued no farther. The Shargassi ship was still outside on the airpark, swiveling its guns toward the doorway to shoot at their hated Thuringi enemy. Urgyl’s blaster damaged one of its ground supports, making it balance precariously on the remaining supports. The guns could not quite reach its targets this way and prompted the pilot to start the engines so hovering would do what the supports could not. They had not counted on so much defense at hand. In their minds, only a handful of pitiful Sengans and a bevy of lovely defenseless women should have been there. Battle should not have played a role.

Another pair of figures walked up from behind Agonaday Phia. One continued to march toward the entry, his pace firm and relentless. The other stepped in front of the Ledess to lean on the sword she carried for support. She glanced down at the Chassiren queen, and Agonaday stared in surprise at Oriel Phillipi de Saulin. The Thuringi monarch breathed heavily with the effort of carrying, and then dragging, a Pleonian sword all the way to the front entry. Oriel drew in gasps of air and told the Chassiren flatly, Now I will show you how a royal fights for freedom. She turned and dragged the heavy sword toward the door.

When Marty reached the entryway, he stepped around to the side of the main melee and put one hand cannon on the ground. Swiftly he dropped to one knee, aimed the launcher and fired at the open hatch of the Shargassi ship, left open to accommodate anticipated Chassiren captives. The rocket plunged inside and blasted a wider hole in the side of the ship. The Shargassi on the ground shouted in alarm. The ship jerked unsteadily as a few more Shargassi scrambled out of it. Marty picked up the other launcher, hoisted it onto his shoulder, and fired it also. This rocket pierced the weapons cache within the ship, which shuddered and exploded with a mighty roar. The blast knocked everyone standing off his feet. Marty got up, dusted himself off, and took his sword into the battle.

The third team of Thuringi joined the defenders. Among that wave was Argo Garin, who swiftly took Oriel back to Agonaday. He shook his head. My fair, brave queen: it is for such courage that we honor our women, he told her. Stay with the Chassiren Queen and allow me to fight in your stead. He strode into the fray and did his part.

At last the queens heard a victory cry. There is no more battle! We beat the bastards! an injured Sengan yelped, and embraced Darien Phillipi.

The Shargassi may swarm when they learn of this, Stuart told the Sengan. Let’s not get too confident just yet. He saluted Marty. In the nick of time, our Outlander friend rides to the rescue! That is a wise choice of weapons, Martu. Thank you for bringing them.

Marty did not reply except with a shrug. He looked over one of the fallen Shargassi dead curiously. They really do look like owls, he commented to no one in particular.

Ha! yelped a female Thuringi as she hugged Athena tightly. That’s taking them on, hey?

What are you doing here? Stuart demanded. Grace removed her helmet and regarded her father respectfully.

Every mission needs a medical, she reminded him as she took out her medical pouch and set about caring for the wounded. I hardly saw any battle at all.

Stuart promptly directed her to the Sengans who were wounded. Three lay dead. Four Thuringi from the first wave were injured and Arcann suffered a knot on his head. Urgyl had a split lip but that was due to someone’s elbow and not by intentional assault. Darien helped Grace tend to the wounded. There were no Shargassi survivors.

Why didn’t they simply blast their way in or use pulse weaponry in the first place? That would have easily bested us, one of the Sengans wondered.

Perhaps their intention was to seize Chassiren and they didn’t want to risk damaging their intended captives with errant fire, Urgyl replied. If there is a next time, they might not take such care.

Stuart approached Agonaday who was still seated in the floor. Beside her sat Oriel, looking quite worn out but she still clutched the sword. Stuart put his fists on his hips as he regarded her.

Mother, you are the most stubborn woman I know. He smiled at her warmly. You recalcitrant adult.

Oriel smiled and nodded. I imagine you might let Darien get a chance to use that phrase, too. He has probably waited years for it.

What did you hope to accomplish, my queen? Argo asked as he knelt beside her.

Victory or death, was Oriel’s shocking reply. Either doesn’t matter.

No, Agonaday said at last as she turned to the Thuringi queen mother. I was wrong to be cruel to you without just cause. You came here to fight for my people despite my dreadful actions, and I will be eternally grateful.

Do you know what happened to my husband? Oriel asked. Is he alive or dead?

I do not know either for certain, Agonaday admitted. I certainly did not know your Naradi’s wife passed.

You did not ask, Argo muttered under his breath. Oriel glanced at him and a small smile twitched at the edge of her lips at his umbrage.

The entry suddenly filled with relieved Chassiren, some of whom bundled the injured off to rooms for treatment and recovery. Some set to scrubbing the blood from the floor of the Grand Entry, and others greeted the victors with enthusiasm.

Urgyl threw his arm around Marty’s shoulders, and noted the lack of response from his usually cheerful friend. They went into the Grand Entry to join the others.

We are gathering the fallen Sengans to respectfully return to their homeworld, but what shall we do with the fallen Shargassi, Your Majesty? Denton Garin of the Second Wave asked. Three monarchs started to answer at the same time. Awk, Denton declared as he took a step back. My word! Such a collection of crowned heads!

It struck Oriel as funny, and she laughed. Stuart smiled at his warrior, and turned to Agonaday. What would you have us do with them, Ledess?

I do not know, Agonaday sighed. I am uncertain as to what to do with the wreckage of the ship out there. Is there any way to take it all away? I am reluctant to tarnish our grounds with graves.

"We can load the Shargassi bodies – pardon me, your majesties – load their fallen in what is left of the Shargassi ship, and our own ships can tow it away to an asteroid, a Sengan lieutenant suggested. If they