heading toward the world in this system that might one day support our caste’s next hatchery, First Myrmidon.”
Though he hadn’t been addressed, the helmsman growled affirmatively. “They are on precisely that heading.”
“Toward our world,” Zegrroz’rh said, prompting the scales on Gog’resssh’s broad neck and shoulders to rise defensively. Obviously, he perceived Zegrroz’rh’s words and body language as a challenge to his authority.
As she always did during such tense moments, Z’shezhira spared a moment to wish that the two senior war-casters would resolve their differences through combat—preferably the mutually lethal kind. Instead, her innate builder/nurturer’s instinct intervened, moving her to try to keep Gog’resssh calm, despite the possibility that doing so might further prolong her current unacceptable circumstances.
Z’shezhira moved from her station to take up a position directly between the two warriors. “Before we take any rash action, should we not try to determine whether or not we have just witnessed the approach of another Gorn vessel? Perhaps it is another recon ship, part of the convoy that we saw coming through here as we prepared to survey this system.”
It took a moment for her suggestion to penetrate, but that proved to be enough to break the tension. “See to it, Zegrroz’rh,” Gog’resssh said. “But do nothing for now to compromise our concealment.”
The second myrmidon backed away muttering and growling, then approached a nearby data console and began tapping into the long-range scan functions.
Moments later a grainy yet intelligible image of the other ship became visible on the command deck’s central viewer. The resolution was poor—no doubt an artifact of the passive scanning techniques Zegrroz’rh had been obliged to use in order to avoid giving away the S’alath’s location—but the vessel was unquestionably not of Gorn origin.
“Disc-shaped forward section,” Zegrroz’rh grunted, with no small amount of enthusiasm. “Two aft engine nacelles.”
“Federrazsh’n,” Gog’resssh said, displaying wicked ranks of serrated teeth. Z’shezhira shuddered, not in response to the warrior’s impressive dentition, but rather at the thought of the freakishly soft, hairy, mammalian life that doubtless infested the other ship.
“Which ship is it?” Gog’resssh asked.
Zegrroz’rh sniffed loudly. “I recognize the configuration. Luna-class.”
“But which ship?”
Realizing that her ability to read the Federrazsh’n’s standard written tongue was probably unique on the command deck, at least at the moment, Z’shezhira focused on the alien characters she saw emblazoned upon the Sst’rfleet vessel’s egg-white hull.
“U.S.S. Titan,” she said. “Registry number eight-zero-one-zero-two.” She wondered if that last detail—the high registry number—would push Gog’resssh toward exhibiting caution when it came to an adversary possessed of such prolific shipbuilding capabilities. Or would it provoke him instead into testing his mettle in yet another unnecessary combat situation?
“We cannot allow the Federrazsh’n to annex any worlds in Gorn Hegemony space,” Zegrroz’rh snarled.
Once again, Z’shezhira found that she was speaking almost without consciously willing it. “Officially, this system lies far outside Gorn space, First Myrmidon.”
Gog’resssh released a small roar, which made Z’shezhira flinch. “No system is outside Gorn space, officially or otherwise, until I make that determination.”
He really wants to fight them, Z’shezhira thought, astonished at the workings of the mind of a war-caster, albeit a damaged one. Even though these Federrazsh’n mammals never seem to attack unless attacked first—even though they’ve forged mutually beneficial alliances with us in times past—he’s going to let Zegrroz’rh goad him into doing this.
Though she was tempted by the possibility that such a tack might finally put them all out of their misery once and for all, Z’shezhira decided to cast her lot with staying alive—at least for now.
But would Gog’resssh allow her to calm him down this time?
“First Myrmidon,” she began, “need I remind you that these creatures come from the very same Federrazsh’n that somehow managed to end the threat of the galaxy’s entire population of machine-mammals?” Or that this very vessel, she thought, was one of the ships intimately involved in obtaining that victory?
“Watch them, but continue to keep us out of their sight,” Gog’resssh said at length, much to Zegrroz’rh’s evident disappointment. “For now, we will follow where they go, like a shadow.”
GORN HEGEMONY RECONNAISSANCE VESSEL SSEVARRH
S’syrixx knew he was concealing his impatience as the engineering team ran the final tests on the consoles that Captain Krassrr had set up along the perimeter of the observation deck. The panoramic crysmetal window revealed the ancient alien artifact, framing the flat, meteoroid-pitted platform that formed its base as well as the tall, needle-like structure that towered over it like the trunk of some colossal and impossibly straight tree. The platform was oriented to be parallel with