Irritated at the intrusion, Simut barely acknowledged the ongoing state of the battle. His enjoyment spoilt by the plasmancer’s attempts to usurp his control, he allowed the fleet to continue its attacks as protocol required, spending his time trying to come up with a way he could persuade his cousin to remove her from the fleet.

Periodically he received protocol-led requests for engagement permissions, which he responded to without unnecessary consideration. There was no need to personally intervene as far as he could tell. Several of his vessels had suffered damage but the enemy were retreating, leaving behind nearly half of their attack fleet. Pursuit declarations sung back and forth across the signal net and he allowed them all, sending the fastest ships to harry the defeated foe back to their bases.

The battle had taken a little longer than anticipated but at no point had Simut’s tomb ship been under threat, which was always his highest priority. Without him the fleet was worthless. He was about to order the summons for the resonator-ship to begin its approach when he remembered Ah-hotep’s attempts at communication. Now that he could spare a thought, there might be something of note in her theories that would warn against commitment just yet.

‘Phetos, have Ah-hotep convene with me at her earliest convenience,’ he said, returning to his throne. The displays fell black, their contents no longer of interest now that the peak of conflict had passed until the next fleet was encountered.

‘As you command, Lord of the Stars.’

The rendition plate buzzed into life almost immediately, revealing the plasmancer hovering like a wraith in the monochrome light.

‘Lord Simut,’ she began, inclining downwards in a sketch of a bow. ‘We must press onwards with all speed.’

‘You will recall that undue haste cost us in earlier meetings with the enemy,’ Simut replied. ‘We cannot have the enemy at our backs.’

‘Nor can we have them sending for aid. Our astromantic detectors sense a build-up around the target world. I believe that they are preparing to despatch interstellar craft to seek aid from neighbouring systems.’

‘Any enemy will arrive too late to help them,’ Simut replied. ‘The overnull will be in effect before these lumbering fools can return with reinforcements.’

‘The overnull effect is only spread by our proximity, my lord,’ interjected Phetos. ‘At present it does not encompass the target world. With each system we claim, the greater the risk of enemy arrival before we are finished with our task.’

‘I see.’ Simut leaned forward, instinctively stroking his chin in thought. ‘I see clearly that both of you lack the patience for true leadership. You would have us risk counter-attack from the foe at our step to allay distant phantoms conjured out of your fear.’

‘Total system domination is not the optimal goal in every system,’ said Ah-hotep. ‘If we can swiftly deploy the resonator, the overnull will thwart all resistance as well as guarding against arrival through the neversea.’