Supernova Blitz

Chapter 21: The Cave Queen Part 2

The spatial forensics team carefully pores over every speck of space around where the derelict shuttle was found. Sometimes, ions with opposing spins can be detected, which is one clue as to the rough direction of the jump. While one group searches for that, another group carefully analyzes radio spectrometry of the stars around them. The energy burst forth by a jump is long gone seconds after, but it ripples out in a wave with a distorted shape, elongated to a point in the direction of travel due to the motion of the jump bubble. By diligently analyzing the faint distortions of the signals coming from the stars around them, and the refraction shape formed by the wave, the forensics team can piece together the full wave shape and find both the epicenter and the fairly close direction of the jump. From the epicenter, the team then looks for the exact direction by 'tunnelling' the point; lining up the distortions so that the undistorted path of jump is visible, 'cleared' of distortion by the jump bubble.

If those two methods turn up nothing, then the final method is to use a different kind of pulse that detects the landing bubble's dispersion energy. But, because the humans have been able to detect the gravionic pulse so reliably, this method is much less preferable.

But, if the second method can find the tunnel, then a shuttle can be sent on the same path, and the forensics team can determine the human fleet's landing distance based on the shuttle passing the 'end' of the tunnel into distortion. This has an accuracy of [~1 AU] and a success rate of about 20%. Factors that jeapordize this method include time since the jump, any intense spatial phenomena, such as a solar collision, nebula storms, and a black hole crossing the path.

So far, the forensics team is making headway on method two, so Baskylla Jardzen Khla doesn't pry. Worst case, they can always pulse the humans again and try forensic analysis from the new point.

Khla sits in his chair, fidgeting with Neezha's egg tooth. What could he do better? Could he try to get a message to the humans? How would they react if he told them of the pregnant human female he has onboard? Would they attack? Would they negotiate? If the human plan succeeds, Laurel becomes obsolete. If something happens to Laurel, he has nothing.

He almost snapped and killed the other one. She snuck out of Khla's quarters in an attempt to meet up with someone. However, on her way, she tripped and fell, and her body miscarried the next day. Khla has not had her questioned yet. She will reveal who she was meeting, and that individual will pay. One life for another.

Khla knew there were risks if breeding humans was successful. Many Grodrrns lost out on the chance to have hatchlings of their own. Now, being Chulm'chn to a Saurmynnyka is in reach. Khla also knew Grodrrns would kill for such a once-in-an-eternity chance, but he had no idea so many self-serving traitors were on his ship. He's still formulating how to lure them all out. Even since the Nordzen's discovered betrayal, two more ranking Grodrrn officers have been caught. And, in only a few days. One was caught sneaking into Khla's room, which is a punishable offense on its own, and his excuse was that he only wished to gaze on the hope for Grodurra. Khla, of course, replied that a good place to start was asking permission before he executed him.

The second traitor since Solly was a more junior officer, and tricked an orderly into opening Mrff's quarters in an attempt to take Laurel. What he didn't know is that, in spite of his more typical bias towards the humans, Mrff has been escorting Laurel on walks through the ship, especially to the observation and recreation decks. The orderly, more loyal to Mrff and Khla than most probably are, locked the traitor in Mrff's room when she realized he was looking for Laurel, and she called the bridge after.

But now, the other female, whose name Khla no longer cares about, has jeapordized Laurel's safety. The Baskylla Jardzen knows he won't be able to simply lure out all traitors on his ship, but he also knows he MUST take extra care to protect Laurel, which will only serve to make it more obvious what's special about her. It's quite the conundrum.