“I know you can,” the young man said. “Command thought for a while that Ribelo had folded-space technology because their analysis had the same person thousands of astronomical units apart within a short period of time. Then they figured out that Ribelians used foreign DNA to create chimeras that would be harder to track.”
“Not foreign DNA,” Ama protested. “Mothers choose which DNA to introduce into their fetuses using prenatal genetic treatment equipment. We do not like to be tracked using our DNA.” If Command knew, then telling the truth cost nothing. Besides, as long as Ribelians had two or three different DNA sequences in them, it still made it impossible for Command to take individuals to court. “We would happily take in the children, and for the right trade, we would be willing to spend time tracking down potential relatives, but this is not a small favor you’re asking. This would take considerable time and effort.” And since they still did not have their ship in order, they had all the time in the world. This would give the crew an objective to focus on and might help unite them. It bothered Ama that the crew still tended to think of themselves as being either Command orDragoncrew, ignoring that they all now belonged onWolf.
“We can discuss trade,” the Grandmother said.
A Guilt of Orphans Part Six
Liam had never meta Ribelian before. He’d seen them through the scope of a weapon when he’d been shooting at them, and he’d seen public trials of those arrested for terrorism, but Ama was the first actual Ribelian he’d talked to. She wasn’t what he had expected. She had driven a hard bargain, accepting the mission to reunite as many children as possible with their families only after theCaltihad agreed to a number of supplies, including live algae for ship scrubbers, food stuff, garden supplies, cloth, and repairs for a number of ship systems.
By the end, even the eldest Grandmother had respected her.
“TheDesgais preparing the children for transport,” Liam told her. Ondry walked beside him, close enough that their shoulders brushed. No doubt he was curious about these humans who had been on the opposite side of the war.
“They should wait until we’re there,” Ama said. “A grandmotherly face can calm children, at least when the grandmother in question is human.”
“True.” Liam nodded. There was another issue to discuss, which is why he had volunteered to walk her back to her shuttle. However, he wasn’t sure how to open discussions without being rude. Well, a statement of fact was always safe. “You have taken control of a Cy ship.”
“Wolf.”
“Excuse me?”
Ama smiled. Her expression was filled with such sweet beneficence that it was difficult to remember this woman had shoved an unfavorable deal down the maw of a thousand-year-old Rownt Grandmother. “The ship has a name. She prefers to be calledWolf.”
Liam wondered if Ama was anthropomorphizing the ship the way Zach did with Duke or if the ship did have a preference. That was a discussion for another day.
“The Rownt had conflicts with the Cy.” Ondry growled. Liam knew exactly what he was thinking about.
“Yes.Wolfhas told stories of how Rownt ripped through ships in search of stolen children.”
“The ship tells those stories?” Liam hadn’t expected that.
Ama smiled at him. The expression had a touch of condescension in it, but Liam was used to arrogant old women. “To control a Cy ship requires someone in the crew to neurally connect with it.Wolfis connected to a member of our crew and often passes on stories.” Liam was stunned into silence, and after a few seconds, Ama chuckled. “I am guessing you have been sent to warn us to avoid emulating the Cy.”
Ondry touched the small of Liam’s back. Liam leaned back into that support before he asked, “Why would you say that?”
She stopped and faced Liam. “Because the Cy were monsters who experimented on and enslaved countless members of other species. They believed they had the right to, and those ships of theirs gave them the power to do that.”
