not agreeing to this partnership just to have our secrets picked apart. I repeat. Any who attempt to do so will be asked, and then made to leave us.”
Naero sighed. It looked like they wouldn’t be getting the tek secrets to the ion guns until she could teknomance again. So be it, for now.
“V ery well. I’ll make these issues very clear to all of the volunteers. Just remember that they’re going to be your crew, Alala. That makes them part of you. Your family.”
7
The Dark Star set out on its first patrol mission a day later.
With a volunteer crew of two hundred thrilled and eager young Spacers.
Newly promoted Captain Tyber led them.
It was primarily a tek mission after all.
Zhen smiled and looked genuinely proud. Despite the fact that they would be apart for months at a time.
Yet S pacer Intel went ballistic when Naero informed them.
At least b lustering General Tobias Ingersol did.
He yelled at her for twenty minutes straight, until Naero started shouting back. She instinctively did not like the guy.
“A lala is self-aware, general. She is a new sentient life, in the form of an advanced starship. We have to respect her as a sentient. We’re not the Corps! What was I supposed to do?”
“D o? I’ll tell you what you should do. Bend that damn Frankenstein that you created to our will. Gain her confidence and then cut her power access so that we can tow her in, take her part, and study her piece by piece.”
“I ’m sorry. I don’t betray others like that, general.”
“W e need that ion cannon, dammit!”
“ Not that way. I promise you; I’ll get the specs on that tek. But let me do it my way. As soon as I’m tested by the Mystics and I regain my teknomancy abilities, I’ll be able to read the ship and understand the Tek in heartbeat. Just give me a few months. That’s all I ask.”
Ingersol ’s eyes almost popped.
“A few months? Months? Look what just happened here. One rogue ship with rapid-fire ion guns took out an entire Intel fleet. Including our cloaked ships. In minutes. You can’t see the yawning disaster waiting before our feet like an open pit?”
“ Telling and embarrassing for you and your people, but I still don’t see what’s the rush? It’s not like we’re at war or anything right now.”
“W ho says we’re not? We’re always at war, you idiot. We’re surrounded by enemies. And they already have this super secret weapon. Even now they could be refitting their fleets with it as we speak, preparing to destroy us all.”
“W ow. You really need to calm down and take a vacation or something.”
“H ow do you know you can trust this entity? What if it kills your crew and goes on a rampage? Our two fleets barely stopped it.”
Her fleet actually.
“And only because it wanted to make contact with you. What if it decides it has outgrown you and starts to kill? What if it learns that it likes to destroy?”
Naero began to state that Alala would never do that. Alala was like her. Part of her.
Then Naero decided to keep her mouth shut.
“I did the best I could, General. I’ve kept my word. I made peace with the rogue ship and got some of my best people on board to work with and help guide her. I sent them out on patrol to assist people and get to know each other. We have to teach Alala how to work and co-exist with us. We can help each other. Betraying her or blasting her to bits wasn’t the best way to go about that. Not to my mind.”
Ingersol pointed a finger at her.
“M ark my words. If this goes bad, it’s going to be on your head, Maeris. You and your entire Clan…are always trouble in my book.”
“N oted. Nice working with you, sir. I’m on my way to link up with Admiral Klyne for my Mystic testing. Safe journey to you and your crews. Captain Maeris, out.”
Ingersol was s till red-faced and blustering when she signed off.
The current crisis dealt with, Naero gathered her strike fleet back together in a matter of
Naero sighed. It looked like they wouldn’t be getting the tek secrets to the ion guns until she could teknomance again. So be it, for now.
“V ery well. I’ll make these issues very clear to all of the volunteers. Just remember that they’re going to be your crew, Alala. That makes them part of you. Your family.”
7
The Dark Star set out on its first patrol mission a day later.
With a volunteer crew of two hundred thrilled and eager young Spacers.
Newly promoted Captain Tyber led them.
It was primarily a tek mission after all.
Zhen smiled and looked genuinely proud. Despite the fact that they would be apart for months at a time.
Yet S pacer Intel went ballistic when Naero informed them.
At least b lustering General Tobias Ingersol did.
He yelled at her for twenty minutes straight, until Naero started shouting back. She instinctively did not like the guy.
“A lala is self-aware, general. She is a new sentient life, in the form of an advanced starship. We have to respect her as a sentient. We’re not the Corps! What was I supposed to do?”
“D o? I’ll tell you what you should do. Bend that damn Frankenstein that you created to our will. Gain her confidence and then cut her power access so that we can tow her in, take her part, and study her piece by piece.”
“I ’m sorry. I don’t betray others like that, general.”
“W e need that ion cannon, dammit!”
“ Not that way. I promise you; I’ll get the specs on that tek. But let me do it my way. As soon as I’m tested by the Mystics and I regain my teknomancy abilities, I’ll be able to read the ship and understand the Tek in heartbeat. Just give me a few months. That’s all I ask.”
Ingersol ’s eyes almost popped.
“A few months? Months? Look what just happened here. One rogue ship with rapid-fire ion guns took out an entire Intel fleet. Including our cloaked ships. In minutes. You can’t see the yawning disaster waiting before our feet like an open pit?”
“ Telling and embarrassing for you and your people, but I still don’t see what’s the rush? It’s not like we’re at war or anything right now.”
“W ho says we’re not? We’re always at war, you idiot. We’re surrounded by enemies. And they already have this super secret weapon. Even now they could be refitting their fleets with it as we speak, preparing to destroy us all.”
“W ow. You really need to calm down and take a vacation or something.”
“H ow do you know you can trust this entity? What if it kills your crew and goes on a rampage? Our two fleets barely stopped it.”
Her fleet actually.
“And only because it wanted to make contact with you. What if it decides it has outgrown you and starts to kill? What if it learns that it likes to destroy?”
Naero began to state that Alala would never do that. Alala was like her. Part of her.
Then Naero decided to keep her mouth shut.
“I did the best I could, General. I’ve kept my word. I made peace with the rogue ship and got some of my best people on board to work with and help guide her. I sent them out on patrol to assist people and get to know each other. We have to teach Alala how to work and co-exist with us. We can help each other. Betraying her or blasting her to bits wasn’t the best way to go about that. Not to my mind.”
Ingersol pointed a finger at her.
“M ark my words. If this goes bad, it’s going to be on your head, Maeris. You and your entire Clan…are always trouble in my book.”
“N oted. Nice working with you, sir. I’m on my way to link up with Admiral Klyne for my Mystic testing. Safe journey to you and your crews. Captain Maeris, out.”
Ingersol was s till red-faced and blustering when she signed off.
The current crisis dealt with, Naero gathered her strike fleet back together in a matter of
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