Ball of Silence

Ball of Silence - Epilogue

Epilogue

         Gorlis and Kinlan won the battle.

         Blan's allies, under the lead of battle cruiser Fing and its command swarm Galsh, are still alive. For the moment, they have retreated. Hriff tells me that the Fing is loyal to a parliament member named Hren, who hates humans and who is Kinlan's greatest opponent.

         The Fing and its allies, and Kinlan-loyal ships gathered around the orbital jump point where they expected the Iklaf to appear, throwing threats at each other until we arrived. The moment we did, the battle commenced. Blan and a squadron of Galsh's units boarded the Iklaf with a shuttle during the confusion and almost managed to complete their mission, if not for Sina and my crystal.

Priar soon regained consciousness and heals quickly. He is a bit annoyed that he missed the excitement.

         I don't know what the future will bring.

We are still orbiting the Heelith home world. It's been a week since the attack. Kinlan says he is preparing my visit to the planet.

I'm feeling less enthusiastic about this. If he needs so much time to ensure my safety, it means assassins could be hiding behind every corner, including flying ones.

         I have received another interesting proposal. I'm surprised that Kinlan allowed this proposal to find its way to me. Five swarms want to set out to find Neverworld. They have a ship. In fact, my arrival facilitated funding for that ship. The temptation to join them, and leave politics behind is huge. But Sina and Priar aren't thrilled by the thought of a hapless search for Neverworld, and want to go down to the Heelith home world.

         Things are undecided. The offer from the "Search for Neverworld" swarms stands. They'll wait for a while, but not forever.

         I am convinced now that the nightly journey with the crystal won't end at the Heelith home world. I have no idea whatsoever where the new destination will be or why I'm travelling to it. I have the feeling that once the crystal arrives, I'll want to go "there" and not to Neverworld anymore.

So, for now, I exercise patience and wait. But I can't put off the decision about my future forever. Neverworld? Heelith home world? Or the new "there"?

I'm amazingly calm and wait for the moment to make the decision. I have peace now—Blan is dead.

Priar sent a report on what happened to the human part of Conlam, warning them about the NLS and their association with anti-human Heelith forces. He only told me after he sent it. He expected me to be angry with him, but I'm not. Things are in motion, who am I to stop them?

In the wake of Priar's report, we got two messages from Conlam. One demands our immediate return to human space. The other begs us to stay and to do our best to mediate between humans and the Heelith. Both messages are from admirals in the human fleet. The latter message comes from Admiral Delaro herself, the former from her adversary, Admiral Cummings. I had to grin broadly when we got the messages, and told Hriff about them. Anti-Heelith and pro-Heelith forces in the human military and in human society—we are so alike, the Heelith and us. Hriff and I had a good laugh.

And so I wait and sometimes wonder whether I shall tell Hriff and Kinlan about Neverworld II. Most of the time I'm determined to keep it to myself, that I'm on the way again. I can't shake the feeling that Neverworld II will be something personal between the crystal and me.

Oh, and I've finally given my crystal a name: Flinx.

        

To be continued....