Sheldon’s voice changed to one I’d never heard before. “Attention all Covenant member species. This is Commander Nond of the Covenant Emergency Enforcement Fleet. This star system is subject to special investigation effective immediately by Covenant Executive Authority. All foreign ships and extraterrestrial visitors will identify themselves without delay. Any vessels failing to comply will be contravening statutes covering High Piracy and are subject to sanctions up to and including destruction without warning. Individuals failing to comply are subject to penalties under the same statutes, up to and potentially including mind-wipe.”

Sheldon continued in his own voice, “There’s much more, mostly quoting various statutes and the penalties for noncompliance that would make a lawyer fall over unconscious. Even I’m bored by them.”

Patrick looked less relaxed and more befuddled. “What happened, Sheldon? You expected another couple of days, minimum.”

“I have no immediate explanation, Patrick. I can only conjecture that they were already assembling a task force, or possibly even had one on the way. This seems impossible from a standing start. However, they may have been forced to move sooner than planned.”

“Why do you say that?”

“The ships continue to warp in. I am reading multiple ongoing wormhole flashes at random intervals. They are not coordinated. Quite sloppy, actually. I imagine Commander Nond is having fits.”

“Which means?”

“I would guess that the fleet was still assembling in preparation for a coordinated departure when they received news of the explosions, forcing their hand.”

Nat looked around the table. “So should we identify ourselves?”

Sheldon replied before anyone else could. “How shall I phrase it? ‘Hi, this is the stolen ship that now has a functioning conscious A.I. We’ve broken every law in the book, but hey, here we are.’”

“We’re still in control, right?” I said. “Blame anything and everything on us. Don’t comply with any orders unless you check with us. We’ll take the heat.”

“Thank you, Jack. I will proceed.”

“What can they do if the Loranna don’t comply? They could just stay invisible,” Patrick said.

“The Covenant fleet will release tens of thousands of auto-drones that are little more than a drive system and a cloaking detector. They have one imperative—to find cloaked ships. Any detected targets will attract a swarm of drones, which will latch on like angry bees and broadcast an alarm signal. Escape is unlikely.”

“Why didn’t the Loranna do that with us?” I asked.

“They might not have had a few thousand auto-drones lying around. I don’t imagine those are available on Amazon.”

Patrick laughed. “No kidding.”

“The task force commander has ordered me to go into orbit, decloak, and prepare for boarding. Response?”

We all replied at the same time.

“No.”

“Oh hell no.”

“Fuck no.”

“Which of those responses should I transmit?” Sheldon said.