The Namura Stone (The Ammonite Galaxy, book 6)

Chapter 11

UP IN ORBIT around the Dessite moon, the two trimorphs were struggling to keep the mental wall of the Dessites at bay. Even with the help of the canths, it was a battle they were losing. The canths were tired from the continual effort of helping what was left of Arcan on Valhai to avoid being pulled over to Dessia; they could no longer give their full strength to the trimorphs.

So it was far too big a job for the twins. They were huddled close together, flattened to the metallic floor of the bridge, clinging on to the mental threads of their friends, trying to create a bubble of protection around them, using far more energy than they really had available.

So far, it was working; but all that was about to change. There were three small ships approaching the New Independence, and their intentions were anything but friendly.

The twins probably wouldn't even have known what was about to happen if Ledin hadn't left the early warning network set up and running. Three separate warnings began to sound at once. All said exactly the same thing, and the vocal warning echoed itself three times.

"Proximity alert. Proximity alert. Class 'A' Dessite traveler ship approaching." It gave the co-ordinates. "This object appears to be on a collision course with this vessel. Take immediate evasive action. Repeat. Take immediate evasive action."

The twins managed a slow spin and telegraphed their situation to the canths. The canths, who were in direct contact with the part of Arcan still on Valhai, came back directly.

"Stay as long as you can, then transport back to Pictoria."

"Pictoria? We will be of no help there."

"No. But you will be no help anywhere until you have rested. You are both almost extenuated from your efforts. You can do no more for the time being. The orthogel entity here says that the best thing is for you both to go back to Pictoria and recover."

"That means leaving them all down there."

"You cannot help them any longer. If you stay in the system now that they have found the ship, you will be destroyed, too. You have not enough strength left to be of any help to anyone. Even though you have been able to throw up interference and are partially immune to the Dessite mind wall, you will not survive a concerted attack against you. No; Arcan says that you must leave the Dessite system. Your work is done. Your job is to survive, to regenerate on Pictoria. He thanks you for all you have done."

"Very well." The twins exchanged a determined glance. "But we will stay for as long as we possibly can."

"Don't leave it too late. Remember that there are three ships on an interception vector, and that the travelers will have orders to immolate themselves against the hull of the New Independence. You must be away by then."

"We know." The twins gave a small shiver. "But we will continue to protect our friends for every second that we can. Who knows? It may be the difference between life and death."

"Let us hope so." The canths left them alone to deal with the situation, but the two twins still had the lingering impression that the canths thought their mission to be impossible.

"Collision estimated in one minute," said the tinny metallic voice. Then it repeated the same message twice more. The trimorphs lost all colour. That didn't give anybody long to find a solution. They held their places loyally, determined to give their friends one last chance at survival.

DOWN ON THE planet, deep inside the floating Island of the Forthgoing, the situation was not improving.