Page 42 of Desperate Measures

* * * *

Open Arms Orphanage

Piras switched off his com link after speaking for nearly an hour to Kila. The odds against keeping the orphanage safe until the ships capable of evacuating the children and staff had gone up astronomically following the spyship fending off the Galactic Council squad.

There has to be a way to keep the civilians safe. Somewhere to hide them, where the GC won’t think to look.

He commed Hope, Cheryl, and Besral to meet him in the head administrator’s office. They were soon assembled. The flush of triumph from defeating Ydru’s team, capturing the Darks, and the spyship’s victory had been replaced by concern. They knew they weren’t out of the woods yet.

We’re nowhere near clear. We’re stuck in the middle of the damned forest. Piras squared his shoulders and gave them the bad news.

“More enemy ships are coming in our direction. Twenty warships are speeding toward the remnants of the first squadron…and us.”

“How long until they reach us?” Cheryl asked.

“No more than two standard days. I strongly suspect they won’t be bothered to try to take prisoners this time.”

“All this for twelve senior citizen Nobeks.” Grim pride lit Besral’s craggy features.

“And the women and girls who can hear those overcome by the Darks,” Cheryl added.

“You were remarkable,” Piras praised her. “It’s no wonder the children’s welfare was entrusted to you. Now if we could just get you out of harm’s way.”

“The stelnium walls of the root cellar hid the bunker we dug. We can enlarge it,” Besral said.

“It’s a thought, but if they use scanners outside, where the stelnium doesn’t shield, they’ll find you.”

“What about the woods where I told Ydru our Kalquorians had gone?” Cheryl asked. “We have a couple of days to go deep in there and set up a camp.”

“Or the abandoned Bi’isil embassy on the opposite side of the moon,” Besral brightened as he remembered the sole other habitable area available.

“Also possibilities. The trouble is, if Kila’s ship can’t hold them off…and as good as his crew is, winning against the approaching force is damned near impossible…the GC will search as soon as they realize you’re no longer at the orphanage. They will find you.”

Piras paced. If only they had someplace safe to hide all the children. If only the marauders could reach them in time to evacuate. Neither option seemed to be plausible.

There must be a way.

* * * *

Kalquor

“I don’t know about you, but my examination was certainly thorough,” Betra groused as he left the medical station set up in the domestic shuttle port. “I almost yelled for Oses to protect my honor as a clanned man.”

Resan, who’d emerged from another testing and examination room, chuckled. “It did seem overkill given we have our tests from the ship in order and haven’t been on a planet or station suffering any outbreaks of the virus. I suppose they have to be careful, though.”

“The virus has claimed many lives.” Oses had finished his exam ahead of them and stood in the waiting area. “You can’t blame them for keeping a disease-free district untouched.”

“I’m relieved for your parent clan’s and grandmother’s sake.” Betra smiled at Resan.

“As am I.” Resan glanced at a closed door to an exam room as a child’s irate cry sounded. “Too bad the littles must suffer through the tests. I hope getting to run around free of restrictions for a few days will make up for it.”

They hadn’t seen Clan Seot again since arriving on Kalquor, but for the party Betra’s parent clan had thrown. Restrictions on the numbers of those allowed to gather in a single place had made the celebration more sedate than Matara Elwa’s past parties, but there’d been no opportunity for the Imdiko to be alone with Shalia. He admitted it was for the best. It had certainly kept Resan and Oses off his case since the kitchen episode.

Clan Seot began to emerge from the exam rooms. First came Nobek Larten, carrying a red-faced Ejia. It had been his room the angry squall had issued from. The scowling boy, apparently furious at his father for consenting for him to be harassed by medical personnel, held his arms to Clan Resan as a whole. He apparently didn’t care who would agree to take him so long as he could escape his parent.

Oses stepped forward, his chuckles joining Larten’s. “Allow me to give him time to learn to appreciate you again.”

“Not sick, Unca Oses!” the boy shouted as he was handed off. “No fair to go to doctor!”

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