With such vastly different species and for such a common purpose, unambiguous communications had to be established. This was being done through the young of both life forms who paired early in order to instil mutual respect and form a basis for the mutual understanding required for the undertaking.
While this programme was maturing, the military arms of each species were searching space in a joint operation. Though dissimilar in style and operation, the means to trace the Hive ships’ ion trails back to their point of origin had been available to both navies, and had finally been productive.
FT&T Primes had forwarded a squadron to a rendezvous with the Mrdini ships which had intercepted the Hive vessels’ trails. Each of the `Dini ships had several strong dreamers who could communicate on a basic level with Talents on board the human ships. While hoping that following the ion trails back the way they had come might result in discovering the location of the Hive homeworld, the more pessimistic of both species recognized that the trails might dwindle to nothing considering the period of time involved – and the effort would be wasted. But others argued, and won, that this was the best opportunity to at least try.
They’d be no worse off, and at least would have identified where the Hive were not.
A second contingent, six fast ships from each fleet, had set out in pursuit of the marauding Hivers. It was as critical to know their destinations as to discover their origins. And possibly come to the assistance of whatever planet was the target of Hive attentions.
No-one yet, of either species, had suggested the Way to destroy the Hive culture. Or, at least, contain it. Another ethical point on which Mrdini and human were agreed: neither found it morally acceptable to undertake the total annihilation of another sentient species, even one as inimical to both their life forms as the Hivers.
`That’s because they haven’t been physically threatened,’ Jeff Raven had said grimly in the privacy of his mother’s home on Deneb.
`One can indulge in such moral stands at several removes.
`There must be some humane way to remove the threat of Hive invasions,’ his oldest son, Jeran, had replied.
`We’re working on it, though I’ll argue the point that “humane” applies to the Hivers. Seemingly they have only one method of colonizing and that 5
fatal to any other life form inhabiting the planet they choose.’ `It’d be very difficult to change the goals of a species you can’t even talk to,’ Isthia said.
`I don’t even want to talk to them,’ the Rowan had said, giving a shudder as she vividly remembered the moment she, as focus of the merged female Talents, had briefly touched the Many Mind of the Hive queens. `There was nothing there to talk to!’ she added, after a moment’s thought.
`We could just pick off each ship that’s found using the same methods, couldn’t we?’ Cera RavenHilk asked.
`We could,’ Jeff replied. `But that would be a life’s work in itself `Besides tying up Primes and whole bunches of Talent, quite likely at the most inconvenient times,’ the Rowan added, with a little sniff. `I certainly wouldn’t like to have to keep doing it, time after time. The `Dinis’ estimate of how many Hive ships there could be is unnerving.’ `How many is that?’ Jeran asked diffidently.
Classified, said both parents at once.
Oh, well, you can’t blame me for trying, Jeran said.
`At least we do now have a great many more Talents to call on than we did when you had to execute the first one,’ Cera said, placidly.
Her parents gave her such a long look that she blinked, wondering why she had incurred their disapproval. `The Two-Level mass mind-merges didn’t take very long, after all.’ `It took more than you think,’ the Rowan said, remembering that Cera had been affected in utero during that brief, but exceedingly intense, assault.
Maybe that was why she came out with such peculiar sentiments.
The human ships following the ion trail were now far beyond any friendly system. The traces remained strong, indicating excesses of speed which made the ion trail so easy to follow. The human flagship, the Va dim, and her consorts, the Solidarity, the Reliant and the Beijing were experiencing supply shortages which must be remedied if they were expected to continue. Captain Ashiant of the Vadim made it very plain that he and the other human captains insisted on continuing towards the Hive homeworld no matter how long it took. To transport such long distances, the Towers involved – Deneb and Callisto – were also going to need reinforcements. There was even the hint that a Prime Talent would be required on the pursuit flagship, to facilitate future transportations and communications over the immense distances now involved.