'Try and beat them at their own game. Turn round, stop running, face them down, and use the power you've acquired to bring about your own tenets.
'What are they?
Laril laughed quietly. 'When you work that out you'll make the second choice automatically. Then: universe watch out.
Araminta slumped in the chair, and gave his image a dirty look. 'Oh why did I call you?
'Practicality. Listen. You'll either get there or they'll catch you first, so don't worry about it. In the meantime, I'll give you my advice, which you can ignore as always; but at least my conscience will be clean knowing I did my very best to help you.
She pouted. 'I didn't always ignore what you said.
'Excuse me, I must have missed the one time you said yes.
'Go on then. I called you after all, so let's hear it.
'Just let me take a moment. The galaxy's future poised on what I have to say, this is a real moment to savour.
'Get on with it.
His expression turned serious. 'Are you supplying Justine's dream?
'Justine is dreaming?
'Okay, well that answers that. Yes, she is, but she's gone into suspension, so that removes her from the outcome for a while. Which brings us back to you and your proven influence on the Skylord. If that is to mean anything you have to use it. Talk to the Skylord again.
'I can't. They have some way of tracking me through the gaiafield. I only just got out of my apartment the last time, and that was mostly luck.
'Ozzie! All right, you have to try and find a way, you need to talk to it.
'What do I say?
'Try to explain how many people want to come to the Void, try to make it understand how catastrophic that would be for the rest of the galaxy. If you don't want to be taken over by
Living Dream or a Faction as their unwitting figurehead, then you have to bring this to an end.
'Yeah, she said, exhaling heavily. 'I suppose I see that. I'll try using the gaiafield again, try and see if I can find a way round them finding me.
'That's a good start. It sounds like you have a different ability to everyone else, so there's a chance it'll work in your favour. Here's an idea, if you can use the gaiafield without them realizing, you might want to check out Inigo's dreams. At least you'll have a better understanding what you're up against. Failing that, you're supposed to be able to commune with the Silfen Motherholm. Who knows what they'll say?
'Thank you. That's actually—
'Useful?
'Very.
'All right then. Now what about you? Where are you staying?
'I haven't got anywhere.
'You're in the Spanish Crepes office, right?
'Yes.
'Bottom drawer of my desk you'll find a bunch of old manuals. Underneath them are some cash coins. Untraceable.
She held them up, trying not to smirk.
'Ozzie, he muttered. 'I never did fool you, did I?
'Not much.
'All right, there's a couple of thousand Viotia pounds loaded in. That'll help. Do you know about Wurung Transport?
'No.
'Okay, I'm not totally useless then. It's another company I ran. A garage unit in the building two down from where you are now. There's a fully licensed cab inside, just one, that's all the company owns. I can load the activation code in from here, so it'll be ready when you get to it. Now listen, there's some interesting software in its management system which allows you to avoid being tracked by the City control network.
'Why? she asked.
He gave an embarrassed shrug. 'It might be useful if there were things you wanted to move round town without drawing too much attention to yourself.
'Oh, Laril! There was concern as well as exasperation in her tone.
'Those days are over, he said. 'It also has a Unisphere node. I'll remote switch it to stand-by, you can use it any time to call me. No one else will be able to access it.
'Thank you.
'Araminta.
'Yes?
'I'm glad it was me you called. I'm glad I can help.
She stared at his image for a long moment. 'Why did you pick me? she asked quietly.
'Oldest reason for a man to have: you're gorgeous.
Ridiculously, she knew she was almost blushing. 'Don't change too much to become Higher.
'You know me. Good luck. Call me when you need to.
'Bye, Laril. She switched off the management array and the cybersphere node, then went out to check on Wurung Transport.
The Purus and the Congo slid unnoticed among the awesome Ocisen Empire fleet as it raced towards the Commonwealth at four and a half lightyears per hour. A detailed scan revealed no craft other than the Starslayers plunging onward through their wormholes, whoever the Ocisen Empire's allies were they had a drive technology at least equal to the Commonwealth Navy ships. They took up position a kilometre behind the new command vessel, and began to interfere with its continuous wormhole. After a sharp tussle of exotic energy the big Starslayer vessel was torn back into normal spacetime, its reaction control rockets firing continually to kill the errant rotation it picked up during the abrupt transition. Random flares of light slithered over its dark ovoid hull as the force field generators tried to regain equilibrium while the ftl drive's death throes spun out residual energy fluctuations. Both the Purus and the Congo dropped out of hyperdrive.
A featureless spherical starship appeared beside the wrecked Starslayer.
The Huron, the Nyasa, and the Baykal shed their stealth effect. The three Capital-class starships were almost as large as the Starslayer, and infinitely more potent. A second spherical starship materialized five kilometres from the first. The Onega and the Torrens revealed themselves.
For three seconds nothing happened. The humans held their breath.
Both the alien vessels opened fire.
It was ninety seconds before the ultra secure TD link to Pentagon II was re-established. The energy storm unleashed by the hellish firefight had strained the local structure of spacetime to a degree which even affected the underlying quantum fields, severing the link. Admiral Kazimir reviewed the updated situation fast. Both of the unknown ships had been destroyed, as had the Congo, while the Torrens had suffered so much damage it was unable to fight, though the crew survived. Most of the Starslayer's hull had evaporated from the titanic energy bursts, even though no one had aimed at it. What was left of the outer structure was glowing cherry-red, and bubbling furiously around the edges.
'Not completely invincible, then, Ilanthe said in a relieved tone.
'So it would appear, the Admiral agreed. They were all waiting to see if any more of the allies accompanying the fleet would turn back to assist their colleagues. The Capital-class ships had managed to detect fifty stealthed hyperdrives secreted amid the Starslayers. A truly formidable force.
'Maybe not invincible, but just about unstoppable, Crispin said. 'Do we have an equal number of Capital-class warships, Admiral?
'We have thirty-nine within deployment range, Kazimir told the depleted ExoProtectorate Council. He was dismayed that it was his own family that was missing. Whoever it was who had released his mother's dream into the gaiafield wasn't coming forward. Not that knowing their identity would be of any use — she would remain in suspension for some time. But it irked him to know that someone could reach her.
Even more dismaying was Gore's non-appearance. When Kazimir convened the ExoProtectorate Council, Gore's u-shadow reported him as unavailable. Kazimir couldn't imagine what would keep his grandfather from attending, especially as his absence would allow Ilanthe to dominate the Council. Not, he admitted to himself, that the outcome was going to be anything other than the one he really didn't want.