SECTION 14
Ulnar issues his new orders, marshaling the ships of the Ninth Defense Squadron for a shift to the star system he believes will next come under Ka’slaq domination. Glad to be doing something—anything—after the long wait at St. Germaine, the men of the Legion set out in high spirits to foil the alien attack.
By leaving St. Germaine, the squadron puts itself out of direct communication with the other worlds of the sector. Ultrawave messages to and from fast-moving ships are difficult to send over interstellar distances, where an error of a fraction of a degree can hurl the signal trillions of miles off course away from the intended recipient. As a result, the admiral receives little in the way of new information about events at Endymion during his voyage. One brief message from the base at St. Germaine makes it clear, though, that the Endymion colony has been lost. Full reports will await the admiral when he reaches his destination.
Consult the Travel Time Chart. Cross-index Ulnar’s point of origin (St. Germaine) with his intended destination; the number given on the chart is the number of days it will take his squadron to reach that world. Add this number to the time spent waiting at St. Germaine before the Endymion report came in.
If the total time spent is thirty-five days or less, go to section 22.
If the total time amounts to thirty-six days or more, go to section 27.