Star Force: Evacuation (SF50) by Aer-ki Jyr Page B

any world you give us.”
    “We’re not giving you a world, we’re offering to share one.”
    “I misspoke. I apologize. I only mean to say that we
will not be a burden in the long term. What aid you give us now we will repay
down the road once we are free to build and grow.”
    “By that do you mean other worlds?”
    “Possibly, but I meant being free to build without
having an enemy sharing the same worlds. The Nestafar have restricted our
growth, though they also helped to hide our existence. We do not wish to make a
visible impact on galactic events, for it could draw our pursuers to us, but at
the moment we face a more imminent concern. We must step into the light whether
we wish to do so or not. I must ask, for Ariel mentioned it, that you too are
hunted by the V’kit’no’sat?”
    “They do not know we exist, but if they did they would hunt us to extinction. Of that I have no doubts.”
    “Yet you operate freely and obviously. Is that not
welcoming your enemy to you?”
    “I hope not,” Paul said honestly. “But if we’re going
to have any chance of standing up to them in the long run we have to build and
grow now. It’s a bad situation all the way around, but if we’re going to die
we’d rather die trying than waiting and hiding.”
    “Waiting and hiding have served the Elarioni well. We
are uncomfortable with what we must do, but we have no choice. I would ask that
our contributions to the Alliance be allowed to occur in less obvious
pursuits.”
    “So long as that doesn’t mean you’ll shy away from a
fight, I think something can be worked out. In fact, I already have something
in mind.”
    “And that is?”
    Paul smiled beneath his breath mask, but the Elarioni
couldn’t see the gesture. “What is most obvious to outsiders is your
technology. They recognize ship hulls first off, so the answer is simple…don’t
use your own. Use ours instead.”
    “Yours are inferior.”
    Paul raised an eyebrow. “I’m not so sure about that.
But even if I grant you your point, keep your current technology for defense of
your new home, but use ours when battling elsewhere in and around the ADZ.”
    “I hardly think you have ships to give away so
freely…or do you mean to teach us how to make yours?”
    “Actually, I was thinking of a third option…some of
your people joining Star Force.”

 
 
    6

 
 
    May 27, 2537
    Solar System
    Inner Zone
(Warship Adamant)

 
    Paul threw a handful of tiny thuds at Riona,
telekinetically guiding them into hovering orbits around her in an erratic
pattern before launching one in at her leg. It hit just above her skin and
bounced off, with him catching it and returning it to the halo. He repeated the
process with one coming down at her head from above, but the Archon blocked it
high with a projected shield rather than a ‘skin’ one. Next came a simultaneous pair, one coming at her gut and the other at her back with her
deflecting the one in front but missing the other and getting a little tap on
her spine.
    Paul shook his head. “Pay attention
to your surroundings, youngling.”
    Riona rolled her eyes. “I suppose I deserve that,” she
said, resetting her mental composure.
    “Yes you do, “ Paul said,
sending in another towards her face that she reached up and swatted out of the
way with a shield-covered palm.
    “Better…” he added, sending in two again, this time
from left and right.
    Riona closed her eyes as she manifested dual shields
both a few inches away from her body and only a hand’s length wide. Both
circular barriers went up in time to block the hits, but the left one was
weaker than it should have been and crumpled on contact, letting the thud drop
motionless to the floor while the other bounced off as it should have.
    “Tolerable,” Paul noted. “You need to think of both
shields as two parts of the same projection. You’re favoring one over the other
and that’s a bad habit to get into.”
    “I know. Hit me again.”
    Paul