Sojourn

by S. H. Jucha

  Cordelia connected to Julien, who raced through the city-ship’s maze of corridors and lifts toward the bay decks. Cordelia sent,

  Julien teased.

  Cordelia sent and closed the comm.

  Alex placed a finger to his lips, signaling Sargut that he was about to resume the call with Sunnamis.

  “Governor Sunnamis, this is Alex Racine. Julien is launching a traveler to rendezvous with your ship. Continue on course for Toral. When Julien boards your ship, he’ll direct you to where the confrontation will take place.”

  When Cordelia finished translating for Alex, Sunnamis asked, “It will be a while before we receive the system’s data, Alex. Did all four governors return to Talus with fleets?”

  “There is much to relay, Governor,” Alex replied. “Please wait until Julien reaches you. He’ll be there in less than a quarter cycle.”

  “A quarter cycle?” Sunnamis repeated in awe. “And to think the other governors would throw away the opportunity for our race to share in this technology for the sake of their personal ambitions.”

  “Take good care of my friend,” Alex said. He meant to sound pleasant, but he failed. It came out more like a warning.

  “I understand Julien’s importance to the Omnians and to you, Alex. He’ll receive my dedicated attention,” Sunnamis replied.

  * * *

  Julien exited a lift and received a comm ping. It was followed by a bay location. He’d expected details from Cordelia. Instead, Chandra was the source of the communication. He sprinted down a corridor, cycled through the airlock, ran across the deck, and jumped through the hatch opening.

  Once inside the traveler, the hatch closed. Julien surveyed those he’d detected. Z, Miranda, and Chandra’s friend, Miriamtess, gazed back at him.

  “It’s good to have company,” Julien said, sending the same message to Chandra in the pilot’s cabin, who was busy launching their ship.

  “This arrangement is courtesy of your friends, dear Julien,” Miranda replied.

  “Our instructions are to deposit Miranda and you aboard the governor’s colony ship,” Z explained. “After Sunnamis has cleared it with the heavy’s captain, Miriamtess and I will take up residence there.”

  “Good plan, especially since Sunnamis is missing a fleet commander,” Julien replied.

  “Cordelia has tasked an Omnian Trident to rendezvous with Sunnamis’s fleet,” Miriamtess said. “We will relay our traveler’s signals to the Trident and coordinate with others. The Trident will also dispatch a second traveler for Z and me.”

  Julien suddenly had a unique insight into his circumstances. By virtue of continually being present in Alex’s company, he’d always been connected, always at the center of information. Now, he realized that like so many in the fleet, he was dependent on others. He’d become a small part of Alex’s machinations. It occurred to him that most of the fleet operated in this manner every day. They were dependent on their commanders, the senior staff, the fleet, and, most of all, Alex.

  Julien tucked those thoughts away for later consideration, and he connected to the traveler’s controller to review its trajectory.

  Chandra was hurtling toward Toral. She intended to draw gravitational energy and velocity from the planet before striking out for the governor’s fleet. He compared his computations to that of Miranda and Z. The three of them realized that the numbers didn’t work for a standard flight. More than likely, Chandra would need to decelerate to conserve power and wait for the fleet to approach them.

  Chandra sent, when she noticed the SADE was connected to her controller.

  Julien received the humor that bubbled through Chandra’s thoughts. The young woman had wanted a more adventurous life, and she was up to her neck in it. She couldn’t have been happier.

  * * *

  “Governor Sunnamis, the craft is approaching at a fantastic velocity,” the captain, Dortagut, said. “Navigation calculates that it will overshoot the fleet. Perhaps we should reverse course and cut down the time for the craft to return to us.”

  “Communicate to the fleet, Captain. Maximum deceleration, but hold course,” Sunnamis ordered.

  Sunnamis would have preferred to appoint her captain, Dortagut, as fleet commander, but the purge had been contentious. The captains and crews’ loyalty had won the day for her and saw the arrest of the fleet commander and his senior staff. She intended to find out later why she didn’t hold the commander’s loyalty. She suspected it was either because of Durgat or Tortred’s bribery.

  “By the way, Captain, the Omnians refer to this craft as a traveler, and you’ve not sat in a more exquisite ship,” Sunnamis said.

  Dortagut stared at Sunnamis. He hadn’t been able to sit in any ship, much less an alien one. By the expressions of the bridge crew, they were also startled by the governor’s remark.

  “Yes, I said sat,” Sunnamis said. “The seats mold to you. You can feel them shifting under you, and they cradle your wings.” She uttered a soft whistle, expressing her fondness for the memory.

  Sunnamis could see the thoughts behind the crews’ dark eyes. It was the promise of gaining Omnian technology that had stiffened their resolve to back her.

  “We can’t usurp this technology,” Sunnamis had said to her fleet’s captains on a secret conference call. The subject had been the governors’ intentions, regarding Talus and Sargut, and it was prompted by her discovery of a fleet commander who intended to comply with those governors’ wishes over hers. “It’s too advanced,” she’d continued. “It must be taught to us. Basic machinery must be built to manufacture new things that will make more advanced things. This will require President Sargut and the Sisterhood’s cooperation.”

  “I hope you’re correct about Omnian technology, Governor. The traveler is headed at our bow. Request permission to deviate from our course,” Dortagut asked, the slightest of whistles escaping from his teeth.

  “Negative, Captain. Hold your course,” Sunnamis replied sharply.

  Z sent. He’d also noticed their course, velocity, and dwindling power reserves.

  Chandra replied.

  Z shared his concern with the other SADEs. It was Julien who requested they trust their pilot.

  The fleet was in the characteristic wedge formation. The traveler’s energy crystals were nearly drained, and Chandra hurriedly programmed the controller. When the traveler reached the governor’s ship, it twisted around the behemoth in a spiral, hugging its hull, before passing it by. In that brief moment, the shell captured a small amount of energy.

  The traveler consumed the additional energy to decelerate further before it spun around the next battleship, picking up more energy and expending it to slow its velocity. And so it went, as the traveler wound its way around hulls along a single leg of the fleet’s wedge.

  Sufficient energy had been absorbed to allow Chandra to come to a halt, reverse course, and catch the governor’s ship.

  Z applauded. When he didn’t receive a response, he sent,

  Chandra replied.

  Julien commented.

  Z riposted.

  Chandra had a rebuttal, but it seemed best to remain quiet. She was proud of the maneuver. Then again, Z was right.

  Chandra sailed the traveler alongside the colony battleship. Bay doors opened, outlined in lights.
She eased the ship through the open doors and sat the traveler on the deck. Unlike prior first landings on Toralian ships, this bay was crowded with equipment, crates, and two shuttles.

  Julien sent. He smiled as Chandra bolted from the pilot’s cabin.

  “You don’t have to ask me twice,” Chandra quipped.

  Miranda dropped the hatch and gestured for Julien to go first. “You’re the Omnian liaison,” she pointed out.

  The SADEs and Chandra disembarked and were waiting for the Toralians when they came through the airlock.

  “I’m pleased to see you,” Sunnamis greeted her visitors. She introduced Dortagut, her captain, and Julien reciprocated for the others.

  Dortagut did his best not to stare, but the governor’s warning was insufficient to prepare him for reality.

  “Governor, time is of the essence,” Julien warned. “We must get to your bridge.”

  “Yes,” Sunnamis replied and led the way.

  On the bridge, Miranda connected to the ship’s systems via the comm controls. She populated the navigation console with the final coordinates.

  “That is your destination,” Miranda said to the navigation officer. When lines appeared on his console, she added, “And that’s the optimal route to ensure we reach there soonest.”

  When Sunnamis saw hesitation on the faces of Dortagut and the bridge crew, she said loudly. “You will listen and learn. Then you will obey the Omnians. They’re our allies. More important, they haven’t time to demonstrate and explain their superior capabilities.”

  Sunnamis ended her announcement by fixing her dark eyes on Dortagut. The merest hint of red orange tinged her ridges.

  “You heard the governor,” Dortagut said sternly. “Navigation, set the course. Transmit it to all ships. First Officer, communicate to the fleet that we’re preparing to transit.”

  “Governor,” Julien said, “Miranda and I are remaining on your ship. Z and Miriamtess will be stationed aboard your ex-fleet commander’s ship.”

  “There isn’t time to launch a shuttle and reach that ship,” Dortagut objected. “Should we delay the transit, Governor?”

  Z received Miranda’s calculations of the fleet’s maneuver. There was enough time to reach the heavy.

  Z sent and pounded off the bridge, carrying Chandra. Miriamtess sprinted after Z, and the bridge audience could hear Chandra’s laughter.

  “That one is so big and yet so fast,” a bridge officer marveled.

  “No need to delay your transit, Governor,” Julien said.

  “Captain, communicate the arrival of Z, Miriamtess, and Chandra. Have a bay readied for them, and tell the captain or an officer to meet them,” Sunnamis ordered.

  Dortagut communicated to the receiving captain the impending arrival of the Omnian ship. He did his best to explain the odd circumstances. To ease the shock of the crews’ first sight of the aliens, he sent images captured by the bridge surveillance system. What he did make clear was the governor stressing that these were allies, and they were to be treated courteously. Furthermore, their orders were to be obeyed without question.

  “Julien, now would be a good time to explain the strategy,” Sunnamis requested.

  Julien strapped his portable holo-vid on his arm and activated it.

  “Commander Taralum’s fleet is headed here,” Julien said, marking the display.

  Simultaneously, Miranda mirrored the position on the navigation console. The officer glanced from his console to Miranda to the holo-vid and back.

  “This will be your position after your final transit,” Julien continued.

  “Why are we dropping so far below the ecliptic?” Dortagut asked.

  “It was at Governor Durgat’s request,” Julien replied. “The governors wish a meeting with President Sargut. They presume he’s aboard Commander Taralum’s ship.”

  “He isn’t?” Sunnamis queried.

  “No,” Julien replied. He thought it better not to share more on the subject.

  Sunnamis could appreciate Julien’s hesitation. Their alliance couldn’t even be measured in a single cycle. The Omnians had no idea of the effort it took for her to bring her fleet to Sargut’s aid.

  “The fleets of the four governors are expected to exit the dark here,” Julien said, adding a third marker. “Our fleets will transit in behind them.”

  “When did you acquire a second fleet?” Dortagut asked Julien, but he’d turned to regard Sunnamis.

  “One was all we saw,” Sunnamis replied.

  “One was all we chose to show,” Julien said.

  Miranda took note of the exchange. She could hear Alex’s voice in Julien’s words. That’s the manner in which a leader communicates and negotiates with new allies, she thought appreciatively.

  Dortagut studied the holo-vid display. It was a device that he’d immediately coveted. “Then we’ll be four fleets surrounding four fleets,” he declared.

  Sunnamis heard the lift in the captain’s voice and saw hope dawn in the crew’s faces.

  “I’ve a question,” Julien said. “Who is the colony governor from which the president’s fleet originates?”

  “None of those present, Julien,” Sunnamis replied. “Two governors chose not to participate in this expedition.”

  “Why not?” Julien asked.

  “They cited the dangers of races that had vowed retribution against them,” Sunnamis replied.

  “Can this information be communicated to the fleet?” Dortagut asked, pointing to the holo-vid.

  When Julien nodded, Sunnamis said, “You have the privilege, Captain.”

  Dortagut straightened and his wings fluttered. The comms officer signaled his readiness. At the same time, the navigation officer shared the data with the fleet’s consoles.

  Soon after the captain’s message was transmitted, the fleet, which had reversed course to travel deeper into the dark, transited.

  The navigation officer issued a subtle whistle for Miranda’s attention. He pointed to his console, and asked, “Could you tell me how you did this?” He’d turned in his padded seat, with its slender post that fit between his wings, to stare up at Miranda. The view of the SADE was intimidating, although the female had done nothing to warrant his fear.

  “Julien sent them to me,” Miranda replied, tapping her temple, and I sent them to your system via my connection to your comm system. She could see that the officer was confused by her explanation. He wasn’t meant to understand, which is what Miranda wanted. She was following Julien’s example. Until these new allies proved themselves, they should be kept at arm’s length, or better said, outside the fleet’s engagement envelope.

  “Julien, might we speak privately?” Sunnamis asked.

  “Certainly, Governor,” Julien replied.

  “Captain, join us,” Sunnamis requested, as she turned and exited the bridge.

  Julien handed the holo-vid to Miranda. The bridge crew was enthralled with the device, and it would give her an opportunity to make friends.

  The governor’s quarters were sumptuous by Toralian standards, although Julien much preferred the comfortable warmth of Alex and Renée’s salon.

  “There is something I do not understand,” Sunnamis said. “What do the governors hope to accomplish by meeting face-to-face with President Sargut?”

  “Alex and his senior staff, including me, believe the governors are trying to locate and meet with the president in hopes of kidnapping him. If they can’t do that, they might resort to killing him,” Julien replied.

  Dortagut whistled in alarm.

  “I thought as much,” Sunnamis said, shaking her head in disgust.

  “Can we get a message to Alex at this time?” Sunnamis asked.

  “Can you broadcast while in transit?” Julien riposted.

  “Of course not. That’s impossible —” Dortagut started to say. When he saw Julien’s expression, he was startled and asked, “You can?”

  “And many
other things, which we’re pleased to share with peaceful races,” Julien replied.

  Sunnamis couldn’t have heard a better remark from Julien than that. It wasn’t only for herself. She was convinced of the path that she’d chosen to take. It was the captain’s delight that she wanted to see. He’d share it with the other captains, and she desperately needed that.

  -16-

  Revolt

  Durgat’s fleet made its final transit. He’d created scheme after scheme to entice Sargut to meet with him, discarding them all. He’d yet to devise one that he felt would succeed.

  The best scenarios involved getting Sargut to board his ship for the meeting. That would give him greater control. The problem with that concept was that his officers and crew would observe Sargut. They would see the effect of the Change on him, his dominance. Once that happened, Durgat wasn’t sure he could control the crews’ tendency to spread the word about what they’d seen.

  “Governor, we’re facing two fleets,” Durgat’s captain announced, with concern.

  “The Omnian warships are fast,” Durgat acknowledged.

  “Your pardon, Governor. There are two Toralian fleets in front of us,” the captain said.

  Durgat thought for a moment and then whistled shrilly and derisively. “Sunnamis,” he said with disgust.

  “Connect me to the governors,” Durgat ordered, as he stalked off the bridge and headed for his quarters. Closing the door to his outer chamber, he tapped his ear comm to join the conference.

  “It’s Sunnamis, isn’t it?” Tortred demanded angrily.

  “That’s the only possibility,” Somgut interjected.

  “We still possess the superior force,” Durgat said. “The plan is still the same. We neutralize Sargut, and Talus is ours.”

  “How will we do this?” Tratget asked.

  “I’m working on that,” Durgat replied. He hated admitting his lack of a final solution, but he hoped the others might have an idea.

  Somgut had the rearmost fleet from Taralum and Sunnamis’s positions. It was her fleet commander, Sotagar, who relayed the bad news to her. She halted her conference call to answer his urgent signal.