20 "Do you want to drop pods," asked The Voice,
"and take them on?"
21 "Only if necessary," answered North, "we have plenty of time to
reach our leap coordinates. We can get into the next
system and leap from there before they can track us, or we can do a
half leap, and leap into another system to lose them. I'm not in the
mood to kill today, even Godden slime."
22 "Follow your best judgment," announced The Voice.
23 "We'll go for the full leap," North ordered Navigation, "then, do a
half leap out of that system, and wait to see if they follow us. If
they leap in behind us, we'll drop pods and come back on them, while
they're sitting in-system, trying to figure out where we went."
2 4 "Yes, sir!" the navigator answered. "Fifty-six minutes to leap."
25 "Aleart all ships," North ordered. "We leap in standard formation."
26 "Sir," snapped Communications, "I am receiving a tight beam from the
Godden ships. It's a truce signal, sir! They want to talk!"
27 "A TRUCE SIGNAL?" cried North. "The Goddens have not transmitted a
truce signal in over four-thousand years, or, answered one of ours.
Ignore it!"
28 The Voice put his hand on North's shoulder. Without speaking a word
he told North to at least acknowledge the call. The telepathic
connection between the two of them was so strong, that it sometimes
unnerved their crew, who were used to it. They often acted as a single
entity other than individuals, which led many people to believe they
were the reincarnations of their Ancestors, the original Northern Star
and Morning Star.
29 "Cancel that order," snapped North, "acknowledge their transmission.
Put it on speakers so we all can hear it."
30 A few moments later a voice came over the speakers. "This is The
Lord God Of Haven," it said, "in