United States or Russia ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
When they arrived at the exercise hall, half a tenth-day almost to the second after they'd left the bridge, the hall was crowded with open-shirted officers and men from the entire combined Fleet, waiting silent and expectant. Tarlac was aware of what this ceremony meant, and was determined to carry out the role Hovan had explained to him in a way that would do credit to his new family.
She was still lingering there when the Green Imp, carrying no open-shirted mechanic, but a properly clothed professional gentleman and a severely dressed professional lady, whirled away down the drive. "He really was going somewhere in a hurry, then," admitted the guest. "In which case I can't be quite so offended.
The courtiers, nobles and their guests those who had managed to make it to the Palace on such short notice all had a chance to study the open-shirted, scarred Ranger and the massive gray-skinned beings with him. They knew Traiti from pictures, but none of these had seen them in the flesh. And more than their presence here drew comment. Two of the aliens were armed, in the Imperial Presence!
One of the deck officers noticed them as they entered, and called Arjen's and Exvani's attention to the human and the open-shirted Traiti. Both Captains stood, bowing. Tarlac was astonished at the sudden apparent reversal of rank.
The first one Hovan introduced was Sandre, mother of the twins and the only open-shirted female Tarlac had seen. She had Honor scars identical to Hovan's, which surprised Tarlac for a moment since he knew she couldn't have taken the Ordeal. He decided and later learned he was correct that they must be because she'd borne the twins.
His new power made it simple for him to use his ID code alone to access the Imperial priority band, something he'd done before only with highly sophisticated equipment, and project an image of himself in open-shirted uniform to the Palace, to the Emperor's private comset.
So did the eleven Traiti now in the grove with him, three females and seven n'Cor'naya, all of whom shared the luminance of the grove. He knew without looking that he did too, and that he was dressed as his original body was, in open-shirted uniform. He also knew by now who these people were; their images stood on the upper tier of every Traiti altar.
Word Of The Day