“Yes, I suppose we will,” said Botchup glumly.
“Yes, sir,” said Armstrong. “Omega Company is lucky to have a commander who’s willing to take these risks for his people.”
“Not as if I have much choice,” said Botchup. “The only way I have to get off-world is the landing shuttle. That’d get me up to orbit with some power to spare, but there’s no way to get me to an inhabited world. I’d starve waiting for another ship to come.”
“Oh, it is not so difficult as that,” said Qual. “You may not be aware-in this same system your Alliance has a large space station, easily reached in one of your landers. Lorelei, I believe your name is for it. But of course that does not signify, since you intend to stay and fight the Hidden Ones.”
Botchup raised his brows. “Lorelei? The resort station? You mean Zenobia is in the same system as Lorelei?”
“Yes, we were very surprised to learn that,” said Phule. “Of course, nobody had any notion this world was inhabited. It’s not one we’d have settled for ourselves. It wasn’t until after the Alliance signed a treaty with the Zenobians that we found out where their home world was located.”
“A sensible precaution, with the other party’s intentions unknown to us,” said Qual. “Of course, now we are allies together, and we trust you to know these things.”
“Lorelei,” mused Botchup. “You know, poor Snipe might need to be evacuated-“
“That’s a very humanitarian thought,” said Armstrong. “Of course, he couldn’t pilot the lander himself. Somebody would have to go with him. I’d be glad to-“