“That is certainly your choice, Ms. Barber,” Acorna said sweetly. “But I’d like to remind you that the AcaSecki has disappeared while attempting to do that very thing-return to Federation space, that is.”
The bony blonde gave Acorna a supercilious look and said, “That was one small ship, Ms. Harakamian-Li. We control a fleet. I hardly think these cockroaches would consider us as easy a target.”
“It’s entirely up to your client, Ms. Barber,” Acorna said.
At that moment Aari and Mac broke into the meeting. “Excuse us, Khornya. But Mac has just intercepted a transmission we thought would have bearing on this meeting.”
“Yes?” Holland Barber, who had yet to sit down, acted as if she were in control of the meeting.
Mac earnestly repeated all of the klackings and klickings he had heard and Aari translated.
“The Khieevi are massing an attack on narhiiVhiliinyar,” Aari said.
“And that is?” Holland Barber asked.
“The Linyaari homeworld,” Aari said. “Our homeworld.”
“I can’t see that your homeworld, however dear it may be to you, has anything to do with my client,” the lawyer said.
“It doesn’t actually,” Acoma said. “Except that narhuVhiliinyar was the primary planet Uncle Hafiz hoped to entice as a trading partner when he established MOO.”
“In short, Holland,” said Michaela Glen of Hudson Interplanetary Realty, Inc. “Customers. If you want to sit around quibbling about a few modifications House Harakamian has agreed to pay for in order to save your client’s penurious corporate butt while these cockroaches eat some of the most potentially profitable trade partners in the history of the Federation, feel free. But Hudson is willing to follow in the footsteps of our glorious voyageur founders and not only modify our ships to fight, but fight to protect our trade.”
The rest of the merchants in the room applauded.
Becker and Nadhari were having a difficult time following the ion trail when they received a hail and Acorna’s face appeared on the screen. “Captain, Mac has picked up a signal from the Khieevi fleet. They’ve located narhiiVhiliinyar.”
“On our way, Princess,” Becker said. “Your uncles getting those sap torpedoes filled?”
“Yes, Captain. All available personnel have been collecting and diluting the sap and Gill says the engineers have made some very business-like torpedoes and are fitting the ships with them now. The Condor is ready to go. Have you found any trace of the Acadeckil”
Becker looked at Nadhari. He didn’t want to break the news to Acorna.
“We haven’t found a trail, Acorna,” Nadhari said crisply, “But there are other trails that correspond with those of Khieevi ships. We were about to follow, but it seems we now have a good idea -where to find the Khieevi.”
“Yes,” Acorna said. “Though it’s odd that you’re finding traces there when the coordinates are so far from those of narhiiVhiliinyar.” ,
“Those bugs get around,” Becker said.
The spaceport on narhiiVhiliinyar took the first hit from the Khieevi missile attack. The third wave took out most of the technoartisan’s compound, including the huge evacuation ships the Linyaari had used to escape their former homeworld.
Due to the Linyaari ability to heal infirmities as well as injuries and disease, even the old were not feeble and the staggered lines of refugees heading for the caves in the hills -where the Ancestors lived moved along smartly.
The comshed officer of the day barely escaped with her life and the portable remote link as her duty station exploded behind her.
Trees were few on narhiiVhiliinyar but the grasses beyond the primary grazing areas -were taller than the heads of the people, and provided visual cover. Council members directed people to the proper path and shepherded them through. The attendants of the Ancestors met the refugees at predesignated places to guide them to the caves.
At first, once the cities and chief settlements were behind them, the refugees faced little danger from the bombardment,
They made their way quietly toward the caves. Only the occasional whimpering of a child or the cough of an elder interrupted the muffled pounding of hard feet and the shush of the grasses as bodies wound quickly through them. The thought that guided everyone was, “Calm. Peace. Go swiftly but silently. Help your neighbors if they fall.” The voice in -which everyone heard these thoughts was that of the one they loved best and trusted most. The best loved and most trusted heard the thought in the voice of Grandam Naadiina.