Liriili gave her a sullen look and sniffed. “Whatever … but since everyone you’ve mentioned except the Khieevi -who made these trails are no doubt dead, perhaps -we could end this futile mission and return home?”
“I’m surprised you want to,” Neeva said. “In your place I would be considering a long mission that sent me to the farthest galaxy imaginable, preferably one where no one ever heard of me.”
“That is your nature,” Liriili said. “It is not mine. I am not a spacefarer.”
“You are now,” Melireenya said. “I can’t believe you can look at all of this without some feeling of compassion, some sadness perhaps, even remorse in the case of Maati and Thariinye.”
“If you think the arbitrary decision of a council influenced by an influx of my enemies is going to make me feel guilty, you are very much mistaken. I did what I thought best for the good of the planet. If harm befell anyone because of my decision, then it is the Khieevi who are at fault, not me.”
Khaari rummaged in the pod and pulled out the tiny capsule that kept a record of its flight.
In the ship’s shuttle, they did a low flyby circling the planet. Though they looked carefully, they never found another biped lifeform on the planet’s surface, dead or alive.
Back in space once more, they discussed what should next be done.
“We must -warn our allies of the impending Khieevi threat,” Neeva said.
“The same -way they warned us of the fake Federation troops?” Khaari asked -with a trace of bitterness lingering from that betrayal.
“Those enemies -were only human beings,” Neeva said. “Bad ones, admittedly, but still merely human. And they tricked our allies. It “wasn’t right, what happened to our people as a result, but letting the Khieevi overtake any civilization without -warning would not be right either.”
“I suppose not. Should I begin a broadcast?” “No!” Liriili said, “You will lead them straight to us, and from us to narhiiVhiliinyar.”
Neeva sighed. “I’m afraid I have to agree -with you, Liriili. No, silence is still necessary this close to recent Khieevi depredations. I’m afraid we must deliver at least the Erst of our warnings personally.”
They returned to their ship, docked the shuttle, and plotted a course that would take them toward the inhabited planets closest to their homeworld.
The ConDor transmitted broadcasts on all channels to all worlds and spacecraft within range about the Khieevi threat. The Linyaari response to their message proved to be typical-not a single reply came from any of the planets they’d targeted. But three days and a two wormholes away from the blue world, Acorna was startled and delighted to see Calum Baird’s face on the corn screen and to hear him say, “This is the Acadecki, Con