He scratched his head. You did ask me to think of ways to use the wentals. What if we had them form a misty shield, like a cocoon, around the hulls of our ships?
Both the shield and the frozen projectiles would require a lot more wental water than we have available here, Cesca said.
Tasia was optimistic about Kottos suggestion. It was a step in the right direction. Then lets get that wental waterbefore charging off to Ildira. If you want to defeat the faeros, well have to put up our best fight.
We can get all the wental water we need. Jess nodded to his sister. Tasia, you can lead the Roamer charge into battle. And, Kotto
The engineer surprised them by shaking his head. Im not going along. I already demonstrated that my weapons work, and thats good enough for me. Mission accomplished. Now I have another project to finish something just as important, and one that weve all been ignoring. You think weve got only one enemy at a time?
Cesca stiffened. But we have to defeat the faeros.
True, but you dont need me with you to do that. My Klikiss Siren has been ready to test for days, but there were so many distractions. If the Siren turns out to be effective, we could get rid of thewhole Klikiss threat.
That was all Tasia had to hear. In that case, you need my help, Kotto. Ive got more than my share of experience with those damned bugs, and a score to settle with them for killing the colonists on Llaro! If youve got a weapon, Ill find you some Klikiss to try it out on.
Cesca and Jess looked at her with real consternation, but Tasia faced them. Ishould be going with you to fight the faeros. Shizz, maybe I should even be back with Robb and Admiral Willis helping to round up lunar fragments. But my Guiding Star tells me this is what Ineed to do. Trust me, Jess.
He regarded his sister and let out a long sigh. Youve always made up your own mind, Tasia. You ran off to join the Eddies without asking any of us. I cant stop you now.
125
Celli
With great joy Celli looked up between the parted branches of the worldtrees to watch the water bearers return. Their reservoirs were full of restored wental seedpools they had retrieved in their widespread searches, and all of the watery entities had been infused with the anger and fighting spirit promulgated by Jess Tamblyn and Cesca Peroni.
She and Solimar touched the same tree, listening to the verdani sing out their welcome. The canopy rustled as fronds moved aside, granting the Roamer ships room to approach.
Bursting with energy and anxious to be freed, the wentals convinced the newly arrived pilots to open their cargo bay doors while they were still in the sky, letting the energized water spill out. As streams of silvery liquid poured into the open air, the suspended water gathered itself into reflective globules like engorged raindrops that drifted among the towering trees.
Previously, Celli had seen the wentals fuse with damaged worldtrees, a symbiosis that converted them into enormous verdani battleships. But what the wentals were doing now was new to her. Since the gigantic thorny treeships had proved too vulnerable to the faeros, this time, the wentals and verdani would try a different tactic, a way to engulf and contain the fiery elementals, and then trap them back inside their suns.
Celli and Solimar joined other green priests, all of them intuitively understanding what they were supposed to do. Climbing the towering trees, they harvested small treelings that grew in crevices in the gold-scaled bark. They detached the shoots and carried them gently down.
In normal times, emissary priests had planted new groves on distant planets, spreading the sentient trees across the Spiral Arm. These treelings, though, had a far different purpose.
Through telink, the green priests also knew the news from Nira about the recent faeros battle at Golgen. Jess and Cesca, Adar Zannh, the wentals, and the Roamers were all preparing to take the fight to Ildira. And the worldforest would join them. All of the allies had to act now, before the faeros began their vengeful destruction.
With her gaze turned to the sky again, Celli watched the numerous wental spheres drift down like a rainstorm of huge drops. She and Solimar stepped forward, carrying their newly harvested treelings. Because the verdani were interconnected, each delicate plant was as significant a part of the worldforest as any larger tree. All of them were one.
A wental sphere as broad as her outstretched arms hovered in front of Celli. When she pressed one of her spindly treelings against the curved soap-bubble edge, the water folded itself inward. She positioned the treeling at the center of the globe of water, where it floated free. An aurora of light shimmered from the core, and the water rippled with liquid power, as the verdani tree and the wental combined into a stronger force. An invincible force, Celli hoped.
Completed, the water sphere lifted into the air to hover above the treetops. Solimar also inserted a treeling into a waiting wental ball, and the second englobed tree rose to join the first. More green priests came forward to do the same, each one creating a new combined elemental weapon.
After dumping his liquid cargo in the air, Nikko Chan Tylar landed hisAquarius alongside the ships of ten other water bearers. He emerged, followed by his father, Crim, and another old man, whom some of the clan representatives recognized. Caleb Tamblyn!
Yes, Im joining this damned fight after what those fiery monsters did to me, and they murdered Denn.
Mother Alexa and Father Idriss came out to meet them, carrying baby Reynald, whom they were tending while Peter and Estarra were at Earth. We can always use more fighters.
Then Im ready to join the fight. Caleb crossed his bony arms over his chest. Ill make a difference, just you wait and see.
Cellis father reached out to shake Calebs hand. Happy to have you with us. And what is it you can do, exactly?
The old man looked flustered.
The green priests continued to create weapons with treelings and water spheres. Fronds floated inside their wental bubbles, both drawing and providing energy. Many silvery balls lifted above the canopy, reflecting the sunlight like a cluster of polished pearls. Nikko stared upward, his almond eyes sparkling. Thats really beautiful.
Lets hope the faeros dont think theyre so pretty, his father growled.
When they were ready, the wental-verdani spheres shot off toward Ildira.
Is that all there is to it? Caleb Tamblyn asked, looking around uncertainly. I expected something tohappen.
Oh, theres more to come, Celli said.
Much more, Solimar added. But its going to take place at Ildira.
Caleb clapped Crim on the shoulder. Then what are we waiting for?