Waymakers (Champions of the Crystal Book 9)

Chapter 11: Ideas

The group at the briefing was almost too large for even the biggest conference room in Praxatillus Control, but Baldaran had reserved seats beside him for his Heirs. As Sabrina sat down, she was surprised to feel a distinctive flutter. Hi, Rosie, she thought, smiling up at Ford as he took the seat beside her.

Ford rapidly consulted his encyclopedic memory. You must be at least four months along, or whatever the equivalent is for this ridiculously accelerated timeline.

She nodded. Almost halfway, then. Assuming she roughly follows human gestational milestones, like Lily.

"Good morning," Baldaran greeted them.

"Not so good," Sabrina sighed.

"No, indeed," he agreed. "I am afraid we are in for a long debate. Please don't hesitate to excuse yourself if you need to."

She looked around the room. In addition to the grim military contingent and several civil servants who looked as though they hadn't slept, the Tirqwins had clustered at the other end of the long table, looking uncharacteristically lost. Like Miah felt, she thought.

Not really. They aren't looking for a new home, Ford pointed out.

They may need one, though.

Mara was the last to arrive, Aurora and Seuréa in tow. Once they were seated, Baldaran said, "Welcome, everyone. You have all heard why we are here. Tirqwin Nllata, I believe you have been chosen to present the Wayfarer report?"

Nllata stood. "Thank you, Your Majesty." She touched a control on the table, and a hologram sprang into being above its surface. Sabrina frowned at it until labels began to appear and she recognized Homeworld's solar system. More than two dozen Kyan ships clustered around the two remaining inhabited planets, while the remnants of Marna'amat were spreading into what might someday become an asteroid field. "This was the solar system as we departed. As you can see, the Kyan brought overwhelming force to bear. Homeworld resorted to a radical solution as we approached our Way and detonated several hundred fission devices in their orbit, presumably disabling the Kyan ships in their orbit as well as much of the technology on the planet. It will now be a race to see who can repair more quickly, Homeworld or the Kyan."

Commander Rigeon said, "We have moved ships outside the system to observe and determine whether aid can be safely delivered, in conjunction with the Lthosyennes."

Nllata nodded. "We do not believe space near Homeworld will be navigable for some time. And Luxet is still besieged by an active Kyan force. We believe the most successful course of action would be to attempt to retake Wayshipyard Tietjen, here."

Ford frowned. "Its orbit will shortly take it within the debris field of Marna'amat, if it isn't already."

"Yes," Nllata said, "but we will be able to calculate trajectories for the debris for several minutes after this scan was taken. That should enable us to approach safely, while the Kyan will not be able to engage us."

The strategic use of time travel, Sabrina thought. Still, it was breathtakingly dangerous. "Are you enough? Or will you need to take some of our ships in tow back to this moment?"

Nllata said, "If each of the eight Wayships here can tow a battleship, we calculate that will be enough to retake the Wayshipyard."

"And then?" First Chair Aboulrawn asked. "Even if you can hold it, what is the next objective?"

Nllata nodded at Tirqwin, who said, "Then the Guardian will shift the Wayshipyard and all our ships out of phase so we can safely navigate to a new location. Wayshipyards are made to be moveable, though it has been many decades since it has been done."