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Behold, these are a s us; and we are a host on our guard

- Muslim Book of the Dead, Shiprecords

"WHAT YOU’RE talking about is war," Panille said, shaking his head He sat on the warle tree, moon-shadowed darkness all around

"War?" Thoround He did not like looking at Panillnaked Pan who see a tree here, the tentacle of a passing hylighter there Contact, physical contact: always touching "Shipenerations," Panille said "Clones and E-clones have no experience of it at all, not even stories or traditions I know it only from Ship’s holos"

With one ed horizon, Panille saw Thoht sky, a hazy outline amidst the stars A very disturbed man

"But we have to take over the Redoubt," Thomas said "It’s our only hope Shi Ship wil"

"How do you know this?"

"It’s why I was brought out of hyb"

"To teach us WorShip?"

"No! To acquaint you with the need to solve that problem! Ship insists w"

"There is no problem"

"What do you ed, "Ship wil"

"Look around you" Panille gestured at the s of the moist air in the leaves "If you care for your house, you are sheltered"

Thomas forced himself to take a deep breath, to assule - yes, there did not appear to be any dehters called it But this place was not enough! No place was safe fro Ship’s demand Panille had to be made to understand that

"Please believe me," Thoh No more humankind anywheredon’t want that to happen"

"Then why should we attack the Redoubt?"

"Because you say those are the last people groundside - Colony’s destroyed"

"That’s true, but ould you teach those people by attacking?" Panille’s tone waspace with the sounds of breeze-stirred leaves

Thomas tried tothe ’lectrokelp and the hylighters The native life is running out of time, too Don’t the ?"

"Avata understands what is happening here"

"They know they’re being wiped out?"

"Yes"

"Don’t they want to prevent that?"

"Yes"

"How do they expect to do that without controlling the Redoubt?"

"Avata will not attack the Redoubt"

"What will they do?"

"What Avata has always done: nurture Avata will continue to rescue people when possible Avata will carry us where we need to go"

"Didn’t the kelp kill Colonists? You heard what Waela said"

"Another of Lewis’ lies," Panille said, and Thoht

He stared off at the jungle beyond Panille Soe band of survivors, E-clones and normals, all scooped frohters planted the scavenged Earthside vegetation Thomas had not seen this collection of people, but Panille and the hylighters had described it The hylighters could do this thin butThomas shook his head in despair

"They have so much power!"

"Who?"

"The ’lectrokelp and the hylighters!"

"Avata, you mean" Panille’s voice remained patient

"Why won’t they use their power to defend themselves?"

"Avata is one creature who understands about power"

"What? What do yo ?"

"To have power is to use it That is theof possession To use it is to lose it"

Thomas closed his eyes, clenched his fists Panille refused to understand Refusing to understand, he doomed them all Such a loss! Not just humankin but this, this Avata

"They have so much," Thomas whispered

"Who?"

"The Avata!"

He thought about what the hylighters already had shown hihter, the one that brought me, do you knohat it showed me after ere fed?"

"Yes"

Tho it, I hallucinated the developical and botanical pheno that!"