Acorna's People by Anne McCaffrey & Elizabeth A. Scarborough

Author:Anne McCaffrey & Elizabeth A. Scarborough [McCaffrey, Anne & Scarborough, Elizabeth A.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 0061050946
Publisher: HarperPrism
Published: 1999-06-03T00:00:00+00:00

While heading toward Nirii, the crew of the Balakiire distracted themselves from worrying about what might await them by imagining the parties they were missing.

(I just hope we’ll make it back in time for Acorna’s bonding ceremony,) Khaari joked.

(I think you’re being a little premature,) Neeva responded. (I’m afraid if the new viizaar has her way, my niece will be put to work picking seeds from the grass and replanting them by hand or some such chore. Liriili is unbonded herself.)

(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 narhii-Vhiliinyar,) Neeva said. (What if the Khleevi 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 Khleevi 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 Khleevi 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 come 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.

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