Federations

“You must look more closely at Ravel.”

“Don’t tell me you’ve trained the predators to defend you?”

“No, the planet itself will.”

“Well, if your defense is classified, I assure you I won’t disclose your methods but the Kolnari are the most effective and ruthless fighting force of all humanoids. They . . . ”

“Against other humans, quite likely . . . ”

“They have weaponry”—and Helva was getting a bit tired of this woman’s self-confident denial of any threat —“that could turn this settlement into a cinder . . . ”

“From the air?” And there was just a touch of fear in this Helvana’s voice.

“You’re lucky,” Helva said dryly, “the Kolnari strategy is based more on overwhelming their target with ground forces. Of course, your satellite warning system’ll be blasted out of space as soon as they spot it, but the bunch that’s headed here don’t have any assault ships, unless they’ve modified some of the bigger yachts. And all of them seem so full of bodies that I doubt they are armed with space-to-surface missiles, too. Though,” Helva added thoughtfully, “they could be. However, they think they have total surprise as an advantage to a quick rout.”

The Helvana crossed her arms and said, not quite smugly, “Then we shall not be harmed.”

“Look, their ships are crammed with bodies, bodies which intend to take over this planet for their purposes which, I assure you, you won’t like. You have no armament . . . ”

“We need none . . . ”

“So you say, but you’ve never seen the Kolnari take over a planet. Let me just show you how they conquered . . . ”

Helvana held up her hand. “God forfend.”

“He’s not in a position to forfend anything. Look, you’ve got to take precautions.”

“They are already in place.”

“What?”

“The planet itself.”

“And round and round we go,” Helva said, irked. “This is Chloe all over again with a slightly different scenario,” she said, allowing her irritation to show in her voice. “You won’t be fried by the sun this time but by . . . ”

“No.” And Helvana held up a hand with such authority that Helva broke off. “You will have noticed that our settlements, large and small, are walled . . . ”

“Not much good against Kolnari battle-armored troops . . . ”

“Who will not get close enough to our walls . . . Nor do we go beyond them very often, for it is the vegetation of Ravel that is dangerous to all. Even the predators venture out only on cold nights when the planet sleeps.”

“Come again?”

Helvana’s smile just missed being a smirk and she cocked her head slightly at Helva. “How much would these Kolnari know about our planet?”

“Only what is in the Galactic Atlas.”

“May I see that entry?”

Helva brought it up on the main-lounge screen and the Helvana read it swiftly, smiling her smile as she finished.

“There have been no additions. As promised.”

“I do wish I could be as confident as you are,” Helva said.

The Helvana rose. “The last time it was the primary which would destroy us. This time the planet will work for us. One question: since the entry indicates a spaceport, will the Kolnari land there first? To organize their invasion?”

Helva thought of that battered collection of ships. “They use whatever’s available. They’ve enough ships to use all the space the landing field offers. Though, in my judgment,” she added grimly, “some of them may not make a controlled landing.” She paused, wondering if in those dilapidated buildings there were any emergency vehicles or equipment. Then she ruthlessly decided that a few Kolnari would not be missed. “Some are barely spaceworthy, and one was leaking oxygen. You must realize that this is the Kolnari’s last-gasp attempt to resettle. They’ll fight whatever you have in mind to put against them. They must know this planet is a walkover.”

“Not . . . ” Helvana paused with an inscrutable twist to her lips. “ . . .  an easy walkover. Not by any means.”

“They do have arsenals of some pretty sophisticated weapons,” Helva reminded her guest. “Don’t discount the possibility of an air-to-surface barrage to soften you up.”

Helvana actually chuckled. “What? Bomb our fields and settlements? If their object is to settle here, they wouldn’t destroy available housing or crops.”

“You don’t know the Kolnari as I do, Helvana. Don’t treat this lightly.”

“I assure you I do not,” the woman said, and her face assumed a concerned and serious expression. “Our fields, our homes would be targeted?”

“Very likely, although it is equally likely that, fearing no resistance, they may just land and march . . . ”

“Oh, I do hope so,” said the Helvana, one moment her face brightening with something akin to triumph, instantly fading to self-recrimination. “We do not take pleasure in destruction of any kind on Ravel.”

“Even to save your lives?”

“Your presence, and your warning, is sufficient.” The Helvana rose.

“I have no weapons, no way to defend you,” Helva said, unable to keep the frustration and anger out of her voice.

The woman turned, inclining her head. “That is known, so you must seek safety yourself. I know little of what transpires in other sections of the Universe, and your pictures showed us it is not a safe place in which to reside, so you are at risk. You have warned us. We are advised. We shall be safe. Go you to be safe, too, Ship Who Sings.”

“I can’t just leave you!” Helva’s voice rose and she could hear it resounding outside, causing some of the women still gathered in groups in the plaza to turn around.

“As you cannot defend yourself,” Helvana said in a tone that implied Helva was indeed more at risk than her adherents were, “you must depart. I have much to organize.”

“Well, I’m glad to hear that,” Helva said in a caustic tone.

The woman turned at the airlock, made a deep and respectful obeisance, and strode down the ramp. Immediately she began issuing commands that had all the onlookers scurrying to obey. In moments the plaza was empty and the Helvana had reentered the church or administration building or whatever it was.

“Well, well.” And Niall peered around the edge of the corridor that led to his quarters. “That one has style!”

“She’s no smarter than that rabid, ranting ascetic on Chloe!” Helva’s voice crackled with anger. “As if I’m the one who’s vulnerable.”

“What was that about the vegetation?” Niall asked. “And close the hatch, love. I don’t want someone peering in and catching sight of a maaaale . . . ” He jiggled his hands in clownish antic and dragged out the last word.

“What about the vegetation?” Helva demanded irritably as she retracted the ramp and shut off access.

“I’d say it’s dangerous and the power to the walls is to keep it at bay. Remember the roads here? All with neat margins …and haven’t been used . . .  and they employ birds to carry messages? Doesn’t that suggest to you they don’t wander much from the walls of their cloisters?”

Helva thought about that possibility. “As a weapon against the Kolnari?” she demanded with trenchant incredulity.

“We can cloak and watch,” Niall said, cocking his head slightly at something he had perceived that eluded her. “That lady seemed far too certain of their . . .  indigenous . . .  protections. And we haven’t seen everything on this world yet, now have we?”

Helva had been scanning with her exterior sensors, and except for birds coming in to land on what she had initially thought to be multiple chimneys but were rooftop aviaries, she reconsidered the situation.

“I’m going to try another of their settlements,” she said, and, making sure there were no bodies anywhere near