, as promised, the Supreme and First Speaker met Tarlac
and Hovan at the Hermnaen's loading ramp. Fleet-Captain Arjen, in
uniform again and obviously proud of this honor, was waiting to greet
them. He bowed respectfully to the human in Ranger green. "Lord
Esteban."

Tarlac touched his shoulder, to emphasize the fact that he was still
using a physical body. "Not necessary for now, Fleet-Captain. Let's
keep things looking as normal as possible."

Arjen straightened. "Yes, Lord."

Tarlac turned to the two rulers. "During the night I contacted the
Emperor and asked him to order a cease-fire; it should be taking effect
by now. Would you give the same order?"

"Of course, Lord," the Supreme replied. "But how can it reach all our
ships in time?"

"The same way I contacted them yesterday," Tarlac told him. "Just talk
at me as if you were giving the order over a transmitter."

Taking him at his word, the two rulers gave the orders and Tarlac
relayed their images and words to the Traiti ships' communications
equipment, as he had activated the Palace's comm channels the night
before. There were no objections from the Fleet, though
acknowledgments ranged from almost enthusiastic to openly skeptical.
Tarlac passed them all along, thinking that it didn't matter. With
racial survival at stake, the Lords would be monitoring both the human
and the Traiti ships. There would be no accidental--or
intentional--infractions of the cease-fire.

Once they boarded the Hermnaen, Tarlac accompanied Arjen to the control
central and took a place standing behind Arjen and Ship-Captain Exvani.
Liftoff was routine until the ship reached the safe transition distance
of ten diameters out. Then Tarlac spoke up. "Master Pilot?"

"Yes, Lord?"

"Program out-transition for Terra's position exactly one day from now,
please."

The Master Pilot, unlike the Emperor, showed no surprise at the speed
that order implied, and moments later there was the twisting sensation
of hyperspace entry. The sensation continued for almost a minute
rather than brief seconds, however, and the viewscreens, when they
cleared, showed swirls of shifting color instead of the featureless
gray of hyperspace.

There were exclamations of surprise and awe. Nobody asked questions,
but Tarlac could feel their intense curiosity, and decided it would do
no harm to satisfy it. "This dimension is to hyperspace as that is to
normspace; it allows speeds roughly two h