(I get the feeling she prefers it that way,) Khaari said. (I think you are being too hard on her.)
(Not intentionally,) Neeva said. (But Liriili is a very complex person, I fear all of her thoughts and motivations are not known even to herself-possibly that is -what makes her such a good administrator. She would convince herself that whatever she was doing or not doing was for Khornya’s good or the good of the planet.)
(If you mean sending us to Nirii, at least we’ve learned we have lots of company. Other ships were dispatched not long after we left,) Melireenya put in.
(I wonder that they didn’t leave more of the fleet on narhiiVhiliinyar,) Neeva said. (What if the Khieevi should attack while we’re gone?)
They all shuddered and tried to suppress images of all the people planetside biting down on suicide capsules.
(That’s not going to happen,) Neeva said firmly. (The Khieevi got a taste of their own medicine at Rushima and will not think -we’re such easy targets again.)
(At least not any time soon,) Melireenya said. (But after this current crisis is dealt with, our government needs to put a bit more thought into defensive strategies and weapons again.)
(And we must find another world to evacuate to. It’s not enough to keep ships and personnel on hand at all times should evacuation be necessary. We need a place to go,) Khaari said.
(No,) Neeva countered. (Wishful thinking is no substitute for the kind of defense -we saw at Rushima. We simply cannot just keep running from world to world and letting the Khieevi destroy everything we leave behind. When we return home, I believe we should approach the Council about getting our trade allies to join something like the Federation Khornya’s people belong to. I believe the time has come to take a stand.)
As they approached Nirii, it was decided among them that Neeva, as the ambassador, would take the shuttle to the surface, landing in the Linyaari-occupied district of Nirii’s principal continent’s principal city. The rest of the crew would remain aboard the Balakiire in orbit around Nirii.
Because the crew of the Balakiire did not know what to expect, the ship had not made her usual contact with the corn base in this sector of the planet. When someone of Neeva’s stature paid a visit, it was customary to do so. But under these circumstances, the notice was waived as an unnecessary risk. Neeva stepped out of the shuttle and onto the empty docking bay. Normally between five and ten shuttles stood here at any given time. As she gazed around the cavernous space, Neeva knew that something very wrong had occurred here.
She had made her landing cloaked and under cover of darkness, a moonless night with a light snow falling from a dark pewter sky emptied of light. The rest of the city was full of lights, all white, all small, and seemingly strung along orderly grids. This time of night the streets and skies were empty. Though there was no curfew and little superstition on Nirii, the people were nonetheless extremely conservative and self-contained. They conducted their business during the day and their home life at night, period. Like the Linyaari, they were inclined to use thought-talk, but they did so only privately, among friends and family, after heavy mental shielding was released. There had been no crime here for a number of years, nor had there been any war, making the people of this planet ideal trading partners for the Linyaari, particularly since they were a highly scientific and technologically inclined people.
The Linyaari district was not required to follow Niriian customs but usually did, in Neeva’s experience. But she saw no signs of life, no footprints of people or animals or any other species as she walked down the street between two of the four large dwellings that faced each other across a square. Centering the square was a park where athletic events, lectures, entertainments, and meetings were held. The building appeared, at least from the outside, to be totally deserted. She entered the door to the building on her left. It was unlocked, and irised open at her touch. This wasn’t too surprising. The residents of Nirii did not lock their doors as a rule.