Arven suddenly looked like a five-year-old with playground gossip.
Geri said, “You can go.Make it quick.We will be at Sanctuary Base in ninety minutes.”
Arven nodded and walked out of the gym, but they heard his footfalls speeding up the minute he was out of the room.
Margo sighed.“They are all tattlers.”
Chloe said, “Men speak in bursts and women communicate constantly, but the reason is the same: information transfer.”
Skylor smiled.“My spies say that Aken-Var is very highly spoken of.His people love and respect him.”
“By spies, you mean Delia has been peeping.”Margo smiled.
“She’s very good at hiding in walls.”
Chloe laughed, and they made plans.
The others all agreed that showers were necessary for those who had worked out, and then everyone would settle in the rec room while Margo brought them to the orbital station that had just been revived.From there, they would take the original small shuttle and drop to the base.
* * * *
It was time for Coriand Isolde to be with their sister, and Chloe and Skylar were going to plan with the new colonists.Geri and Margo would have time to relax, or Margo would return to the orbital vessel, or Geri would pilot the small shuttle down, and Margo would stay at the new station.It was empty, but it was open space.She loved open space.
They would figure it out at the station.
Margo stayed on the station, and the others headed down to the planet.They had things to plan that she had no part in.
Soven said, “You don’t need to go to protect them?”
“There is one base, and a weather-controlling Hmrain.Birun will protect them.”
She picked up a tablet and brought up a book.
“Soven, run the maintenance logs, and do any pre-maintenance possible without disabling the ship.If you don’t know what it is, ask.”
He nodded and left the command deck.
“Arven, take inventory on all manufacturing units; the ladies and I were using them a lot.”
He nodded and took off.
Baket waited.
“Baket, keep an eye on the raider ship that is skulking at the far edge of sensor range.”
He went to the sensor station and said, “How did you know?”
“They have been around this station for weeks, since Trin arrived.”
“You won’t miss meeting one of your own kind?There are not that many of you.”
She grinned.“I have been in communication with her now and then.She and I do not have much in common.I am two to three decades older than the ladies down below.If our world hadn’t ended, I might be a grandmother by now.That is not in the same life point that the ladies are at.”
He frowned.
“My daughter was their age.”
Understanding snapped into his gaze.“So, your species is really short-lived.”
