she added, and pointed a finger toward Alphons and Adrianna. Ellie sent quickly. Lydia sent. Ellie sent. Ellie sent. Ellie sent. Ellie continued. Ellie sent. Lydia inquired. Ellie replied. she explained. the sister replied, Miriamette said, when Lydia relayed the link. Lydia sent, while she contacted the Sisterhood. Moments later, she sent, Ellie sent, and she returned to watching the seventeen battleships converge into two wedges. She saw no excuse for the formations. It was evident that the Kirmler envoy’s intrigue was unfolding. Ellie sent, Ellie asked. She was concerned that the rings were well formed. Hector replied. Georgette replied. Taralum sent. She was attempting to use her implant at every opportunity. Georgette sent in reply. Taralum sent. Georgette sent. Ellie sent. Taralum replied. Ellie sent. Taralum sent. Ellie asked. Taralum sent. Taralum sent. The next thought wavered, and Ellie asked her to repeat. Taralum sent. <... expected to open ports.> Ellie sent. Taralum sent. Ellie sent, and closed the link. Taralum sent to Georgette. Georgette replied. Taralum sent. Georgette asked. Taralum replied. She realized that the images of several other individuals had crossed her mind. That’s what had confused the implant’s comm application. The app would have been unable to locate the Toralians who Taralum’s mind had seen. They were all dead. Ellie sent. Lydia sent. Ellie sent. Her image on a side monitor indicated what was displayed on the ships’ bridges. Hector prompted gently, hours later. Lydia sent, and Ellie accepted the link. She had a view of the bridge. A captain stood in its center. He seemed to be the calm in the eye of a storm, which was the envoy pacing, pumping fists in the air, and railing, probably at Sargut. Ellie instructed. She was about to enjoy a bite of hot food that a server had just delivered, when she heard the Kirmler say, “Direct the captains to open their missile ports. We’ll teach the Toralians that they must accept the ultimate responsibility for the damages Artifice caused.” Étienne replied. Ellie sent next. Alain replied.
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