Under the command of Yoab, the recovered Gadeu vessel departed on its long way homeward. With its staff of mechanicals once more fully under Gadeu control a large human crew was not required either to manage the ship or keep watch over the thoroughly disgruntled A'jeii, Olone, and Kaijank detainees on board. Confined to quarters, the eclectic multispecies collection of thieves was left to dwell in their own melancholy, resigned to an unhappy fate once they reached the Gad homeworld.

Standing on the bridge marveling at the spectacular view of Earth, Dev spared a thought for their former captors. “What is going to happen to Syrenii and her crew? They did not mean to abduct us. They were just trying to flee pursuit. To get away from you.”

With Nehorai busy ensuring that the Gadeu craft entered a harmless terrestrial orbit it was left to the towering Maacah to reply.

“They will be set before a Sanhedrin, which will determine their fate.”

Dev made a face. “What is a Sanhedrin?”

“Justice machine. We turned all of our jurisprudence and legal matters over to them more than a thousand years ago.” He turned thoughtful. “The original Sanhedrins were composed of anywhere from twenty-three to seventy-one rabbis who sat and decided legal matters. Once away from Earth and the shackles of tradition, our ancestors quickly determined that getting twenty-three to seventy-one rabbis to agree promptly on anything, much less complex legal matters, constituted more of a barrier to swift justice than the arguments themselves. So the law was downloaded into intelligent machines not unlike those you encountered on our recovered ship. These devices are periodically updated and streamlined in accordance with the latest thinking on legal matters. Regarding their future and disposition, the A'jeii and their associates will receive a fair and speedy determination. One devoid of human frailties and foibles.”

“They did not hurt us. In fact, they made us as comfortable as they could, given the circumstances.”

Maacah looked down at him. “I am surprised to hear you defend them. You were taken away from your homeworld against your will. Had we not located the ship you were on, you would likely have spent the rest of your lives dependent on their supposed benevolence, which could have changed at any time.”

Dev did not explain that while his companions would have had difficulty dealing with such a fate, he would not have minded it in the least. “I cannot help it. Now that we have been rescued and are about to be returned to our world, I cannot help but feel a bit sorry for Syrenii and Tilenyii and even Vantolos. As for the Kaijank and their motivations, they always struck me as existing in a state of perpetual bewilderment.”