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  It would be many months before delivery, but it would be quicker for Sol to construct the ships rather than any alliance world.

  15: Reunions

  With the infusion of the two thousand plus shadows, the Pims’ hunts dramatically improved.

  As the successes mounted, the Pims, Sylians, veterans, and shadows searched the various terrains without locating a single adult. Juveniles, both small and large, were still abundant.

  As the days passed, hope bloomed in the defenders’ hearts. It was likely that the Colony had failed to conquer Pimbor. It was only a matter of time before the fight to defeat the insectoids reached a successful conclusion.

  The larger juveniles had taken to hunting at night. It was surmised that they were achieving sentience and taking precautions. The smaller young were still opportunists. They foraged for food at all times of the cycle.

  Jess worked with Juliette to design a new program for the shadow army, which the Rêveur had transported from Sol.

  While the defenders rested after dark, the shadows were dispersed to hunt throughout the night. Their programs required them to return to the safety of an encampment if their power crystals dropped to twenty-five percent.

  The data summaries of the shadows were relayed to the SADEs, and the accumulated information gave an indication of the extent of the remaining infestation.

  Each day, the defenders resumed the hunt, covering more and more territory. At night, the shadows continued their efforts to retake Pimbor.

  During this time, the Rêveur, with Alex, Renée, Tatia, and Julien, returned to Pimbor from Hyronzy Station.

  Mickey was especially happy to see Julien. Cube messages arrived daily, requesting pricing on the accepted designs of the robotic devices that the Pimbor teams had delivered to the races.

  Julien stationed a SADE in the Pim dome. A relay was set up at the base of the ramp from the dome’s upper deck and another before the airlock preceding a shuttle tube blast door.

  Miriam and Luther provided the data on the cost of materials, manufacture, and assembly of each design. They focused on the methods by which Julien priced each model and built in the expected profits for a single unit or for multiple units.

  After Julien analyzed and priced several requests, Miriam and Luther took over the process. The bids were communicated to the SADE on duty in the dome. That individual generated cube messages and sent the pricing schedules to the originators.

  Every message generated a return, and every one of the originators attempted to negotiate a better price.

  Julien had anticipated that response, and the dome’s SADE dutifully replied to the originator. Julien’s polite message said, “We acknowledge your concern that the price might not be what you’d like to spend at this time. When our facilities have grown in scope and production costs have dropped, we will communicate more advantageous pricing. We anticipate reaching this greater rate of production within three to four annuals.”

  In every case, the originators accepted the present price. The race was on to be one of the first worlds to acquire Omnian technology.

  At the end of a long day of hunting, Jess was famished and ate a meal so quickly he couldn’t tell what was on the plate. He could hear the scrape-scrape of Aputi’s utensil as the Pyrean demolished three plates nearly as fast as Jess had finished one.

  Every day, the defenders were forced to cover more terrain to score contacts. The Sylians, with their greater stamina, often outpaced the veterans who were training them and had to be reined back. The Sylian troops, who were on their own, covered nearly twice the area of the other veterans.

  “I don’t think I’ve ever been this fit,” Aputi remarked, as he set down his final plate and released a tremendous belch.

  “I’ve never run this much,” Tacnock complained. “What’s worse is watching the Sylians lope beside me. My tongue is hanging out, and I’m panting, but the pace is effortless for them.”

  “Good thing everyone has implants, or I’d be hoarse from yelling at them to slow up,” Jess added. “When we descend on a new planet, we’re going to have to reset expectations.”

  “Yes,” Tacnock agreed. “Adults again.”

  “With slug throwers or other weapons,” Aputi noted, after delivering another belch. He received narrowed eyes from his companions and quickly apologized.

  “I think we’re done here,” Jess offered, and Tacnock and Aputi readily agreed. “Excuse me. I’ve got to talk to the Omnians in charge.”

  Jess linked through his traveler’s controller to the Rêveur with a request for Alex.

  Alex replied.

  Jess sent. Immediately, the link was joined by Renée and Julien.

  Alex inquired.

  Jess asked.

  Julien replied.

  Jess sent.

  Renée asked.

  Jess offered.

  Alex sent.

  Momentarily, Jess felt energy sweep through his mind. The effect was unsettling, and it reminded him of his sister’s sendings when she was upset.

  Renée cautioned privately.

  Jess replied, when he recovered.

  Alex replied.

  Jess sent and closed the link.

  In the morning, Jess sought Oforum and Phette before the hunt began. It surprised Jess that Oforum still ventured into the field with the responsibilities she carried as the newly elected president. One thing mollified his concern. Oforum and Phette continued to ride their grav cycles, which usually kept them above the fray. In addition, the reds had long ago run out of slugs. The Pims wouldn’t be brought down by fire from below.

  To Jess’s often-voiced concern, she repeatedly said, “I’m setting an example, as you do.” It was a statement that Jess foundered to argue against.

  When Jess arrived at the Pim house, the couple was finishing their morning meal. Oforum made Jess thé, while he laid out his plans for Pimbor and Quall.

  “Sensible,” Oforum replied, as Jess concluded. “With the shadows we possess from Mickey, the Pims can complete the Colony’s extermination. Your work is done here, Captain. We too must finish soon. We’ve more important work than killing insectoids.”

  “The robotic contracts,” Jess ventured.

  “Yes,” Oforum declared, as she handed Jess a mug of thé and climbed into her tall chair at the oversized table. “We must secure those contracts with the help of Mickey’s teams, the Crocians, and Julien.”

  “Our efforts on the contracts will drag the rest of the Pims out of their tunnels,” Phette added.

  Jess could tell that Phette wasn’t happy that his mate persevered in the hunt. His whiskers were partially flattened against the dark fur of his cheeks. Phette thought Oforum’s life and the Pims’ future were at risk.

  “Do you sail to Quall?” Oforum asked.

  “For a short time,” Jess replied. “After the troops and shadows are planetside and operating on Quall, I’ll take a small team to investigate the fifth lost dome,” Jess replied.

  “A
ll depends on the Omnians and the Freedom, without which none of this would have changed for any of us. We must make the most of this good fortune,” Oforum opined.

  “Couldn’t agree more,” Jess replied. However, his thoughts were focused on one Omnian in particular.

  * * * * *

  Juliette linked to the traveler in overwatch above Jess, his shadows, and some of the final Sylian trainees. She observed him for a while, monitoring his implant communications. He was a strict taskmaster but a fair one. His recent record was spotless. He’d never lost a Sylian trainee, which she thought had to have partially salved his pained conscience for the early losses.

  Lane sent, when she saw the SADE linked to her controller.

  Juliette replied.

  Lane sent.

  Juliette warned.

  Lane replied.

  Juliette sent and closed the link.

  Juliette’s emotional algorithms rose within her kernel’s hierarchy. Admiral Bellardo’s command had arrived in system a few hours ahead of Admiral Shimada’s. The SADEs anticipated some ecstatic reunions for the humans.

  Despite the great news for Jess, Juliette had no intention of notifying the captain of the admiral’s arrival, while he was in the field. The work was dangerous enough without distractions.

  As Pimbor’s star neared the horizon, Jess called a halt to the day. The hunt had seen limited success. Only nine juveniles had been dispatched, and every one of them had been eliminated by a shadow.

  The one significant benefit to the day’s work was that the Sylians were quickly learning the intricacies of their implants.

  Lane dropped the traveler to load the shadows, the Sylian troops, and Jess.

  Lane sent, as she lifted.

  Jess queried.

  Juliette replied.

  Juliette could hear Jess’s laughter. There was pleasure and relief in his voice. Jess sent.

  Juliette sent, before she ended the comm.

  In the evening, Jess gathered Salsinona and the Sylian commanders to discuss the plan to move to Quall. He was surprised that the commanders were anxious for the challenge.

  A commander regarded Jess’s face, and he growled good-naturedly.

  “We seek an opportunity to test our new assets, Captain, with our implants and ten shadows apiece,” the commander said, tapping his temple. “What better challenge could we have than Quall, which is crawling with adult and juvenile insectoids?”

  The other commanders growled and flashed their impressive canines in anticipation.

  “Just remember that you aren’t invincible,” Jess warned. “One mistake and you’ll become a pretty white pelt to keep a red or gray warm.”

  The Sylians growled and yowled at the image Jess described. They thought it was hilarious.

  Jess shook his head at their antics, but he was grinning. Then he rose, said good night, and sought a meal before bed.

  Usually, Jess quickly fell asleep after his head hit the pillow, but this evening, sleep wouldn’t come. He watched his implant’s chronometer record the passage of time. It was as if it moved in slow motion.

  At one in the morning, Jess couldn’t take it anymore. he sent, unhappy to wake his pilot.

  Lane replied sleepily.

  Jess sent. He hurriedly dressed and dashed for the traveler.

  Less than two hours later, Orbit checked on Lucia’s bio data before he bothered her. When he was satisfied, he sent,

  Lucia asked sardonically. Like Jess, sleep had evaded her. She’d tried innumerable tricks, and they’d all failed.

  Orbit sent.

  Lucia inquired, suddenly awake and hopeful.

  Orbit replied.

  Lucia warned.

  Orbit replied. He could barely contain the urge to emit the boom and sizzle of a lightning strike, which was his laughter signature.

  Lucia asked hurriedly. She easily forgave Orbit for his tease. The news was too good.

  Orbit sent. Then the SADE ended the link.

  Lucia threw off the bedclothes and ran for the refresher.

  Jess eyed the traveler’s telltale near the ramp. He willed the bay to pressurize faster. When it signaled green, Lane and he simultaneously signaled the ramp to drop.

  The Trident bay crew grinned, as the captain burst forth from the traveler’s aft end, raced across the deck, and shot through the airlock, which they’d opened for him.

  Implants warned third watch of incoming, and crew stepped against the bulkheads to allow the captain to sprint past.

  Jess hoped his access to Lucia’s quarters was still active. He shifted to the correct app, saw her door panel in green, and signaled it aside.

  Lucia stepped from the refresher just as Jess appeared in the sleeping quarter’s doorway. She dropped her towel, and they flew into each other’s arms.

  Lucia sent, as her mouth covered his.

  Inadvertently, Jess had copied Franz. The rear admiral had launched his traveler hours earlier. He’d headed to the location where the SADEs informed him Reiko’s command would appear after the short transit to reach Pimbor.

  There was a definitive reason for the SADEs’ anticipation of the joyful reunions the four individuals would experience, and Julien was that reason.

  The SADE leader kept his promise not to divulge the specifics of what he’d learned from House Brixton about the creation of SADEs. But he had no intention of waiting most of a century to prepare his kind.

  Soon after Julien returned to Omnia from Méridien, he sent a single question to every SADE. It was marked as private for the SADE community. He asked them, “What biologicals do you value above all others?”

  The timing of Julien’s question, having recently visited House Brixton, and the open question gave the SADEs a great deal to ponder. Opinions were shared until consensus was reached. Julien hadn’t shared any specifics, but the SADEs understood what was to be a critical focus for their future.

  A master list was formed with Julien and Cordelia, which wouldn’t reside on any controller data bank, where it could be inadvertently accessed by humans. Cordelia kept her copy without knowing the reason or the value of the list, although she had joined in forming the original consensus.

  The data was meant to live. At any time, a SADE could change the order of his or her choices and delete or add names.

  The SADEs had noted another critical aspect of Julien’s question. He had said biologicals not humans. Therefore, as the choices accumulated, Crocians, Jatouche, Sylians, Pims, Talusians, and Chistorlans mixed with humans.

  However, the names of many humans topped the lists. Not surprising, Alex and Renée led the others.

  * * * * *

  When the Judgment settled into orbit over Pimb
or, Jess rejoined the hunt, which had never ceased.

  The recently arrived admirals and Earther crews enjoyed a break from their ships by visiting the planet. However, like any nonveterans, they were always in the company of some combination of Sylians, Pim riders, and shadows.

  Many intrepid officers and crews chose to accompany the hunts. They were emboldened by the fact that only small juveniles were being found.

  That casual attitude cost an Earther crew member his life. He’d wandered from his protection to examine a flower, and a half-meter insectoid struck him. Within minutes, he died in excruciating pain.

  After that terrible mistake, the opportunity to accompany the hunts ended by order of Alex. The decision was much appreciated by the veterans, who weren’t in favor of the idea in the first place.

  A few days later, the Freedom arrived in system.

  Cordelia sent to Alex, Renée, and Julien.

  Alex sent.

  After the city-ship made Pimbor’s orbit, passenger travelers began loading the troops aboard, and cargo shuttles ferried the shadows.

  Meanwhile, Alex held a conference with his principals.

  “Captain, your analysis, please, of the stars marked in orange on the alliance map,” Alex requested. “What size of force will be necessary?”

  Jess studied the number of Colony transports reported by the commands that had created Julien’s summary. These were non-alliance worlds, and he had no idea what resistance the insectoids had encountered on the worlds when they landed. For the sake of estimation, he presumed they’d met no resistance from the local sentients or fauna.