Hidden Stars by Edward McKeown

Author:Edward McKeown [McKeown, Edward]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Ad Astra
Published: 2014-09-11T06:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fifteen

Shasti and D’abo returned to the legation, landing the aircar on the roof. D’abo disappeared to brief Kadesh on the trouble in town. Shasti did the same for Mandela, returning to their private quarters on the third floor of the Nekoan building. The Confed chief watched her with pursed lips, clearly aware he was getting an edited version of their mishap in town.

“It might be as well,” he said, leaning back in the comfortable leather chair he’d had brought from Sidhe, “for us to return to the ships for now. The legation seems quite safe, but a native uprising is hardly the thing to test that supposition with. In addition these tensions between the Ribisi and the Nekoans call for more consideration. Our Nekoan hosts have been very friendly, almost desperately so. Charge’ D’abo seems intent on seducing you.”

Shasti waved his suggestion away. “I don’t believe she has a sexual interest in me.”

“Who said that she did?” Mandela returned. “There are many types of seduction. D’abo is alarmingly clever and has a flexible mind. You two seem to have a natural bond. Just be sure she doesn’t control it to your detriment.”

Shasti nodded reluctantly.

“Are you planning to make direct contact with the Ribisans?” Shasti said. “You think you will do better with them?”

“No,” Mandela said. “We would find them no better allies than the Nekoans do. Their interests and biology are too dissimilar to our own for that to be feasible. I like the Nekoans. I like our prospects with them. But it doesn’t do to let one’s feelings overwhelm one’s common sense. We’ll proceed as before, just a bit more cautiously. For now though it is back to the ships, until these tensions with the desert nomads can be managed.”

Shasti stood and looked out the window at the Mt. Sorokol. Its white-capped height dominated the eastern horizon and drew the eye. “Somehow, I feel that caution is not going to work here.”

“Captain Rainhell, emergency call. Captain Rainhell, emergency…”

Shasti slipped out of her cabin bed, passing from deep sleep to instant wakefulness in a flash. Risky hopped off the bed, alarmed by the sudden movement. Shasti strode over to the panel, wiping sleep from her eyes, and punched up the audio. At the last instant she remembered she was naked and cut the visual. “Rainhell.”

“Captain, I have an emergency call from Charge’ D’abo.”

“Put her through.”

“Captain Rainhell,” came D’abo’s voice. “Is there something wrong with your visual? I cannot see you.”

“One minute,” Shasti said. She spotted her robe on a chair and threw it on. “What’s wrong?” she demanded, snapping on the screen.

D’abo’s catlike face filled the screen. Her violet eyes glittered and her mouth was taut. “Shasti, one of our freighters has discovered an Evolver in our system.”

“Interesting,” Shasti said. “Perhaps we will now see the fabled weaponry of Kandalor in action.”

“Would it were so, but the machine is not heading toward Kandalor. Our best guess is that it has entered this system from an unknown warp point but it is headed for the warp point to Selena, a recently established colony.

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