The Rossem Project is close to success, and will allow a hand picked expedition to explore other worlds, searching for the threat that faces the planet Tharia, but as they begin their mission they discover that there are many other threats out there...
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"Congratulations!" cried Tassley happily, throwing her arms around Thomas's neck and hugging him tight. "I just heard! Completely exonerated of all wrongdoing, plus a commendation for stopping the blight! You must be delighted!"
"Relieved," agreed Thomas, "but I'm not looking forward to seeing Saturn again. You should have seen the look he gave me when they gave their verdict."
"He'll get over it." She stepped back a pace to examine Thomas's face. "Did he really say you should have left me to bleed? I can half imagine him saying something like that, something so cold blooded..."
"It was in the heat of the moment," said Thomas. "I know the high regard he holds you in. He probably regretted it the moment the words were out of his mouth."
"I'm not so sure," said Tassley, though. "He can be unbelievably callous sometimes..." She stepped back into his arms and rested her head on his chest. "Thank you for saving my life. Prup told me the state you were in, looking for Tim. You really care for me, don't you?"
"In a sisterly sort of way," agreed Thomas carefully.
"Then I suppose I'll have to make do with that." She kissed him, and for the first and only time in his life Thomas let her, knowing she was only thanking him in the only way she knew how. He let it go on for three or four seconds, then gently pushed her away again. Lenny would understand, he knew. The next time she read his mind she'd see why he'd let her do it and how little it meant, for him at least.
"You're welcome," he said, smiling. "How's the head, by the way?"
She touched the spot where the scalp had been gashed open, the skin now smooth and flawless again. "Fine," she said. "Tim healed me the morning after, as soon as he was recovered enough." Then her face fell. "We lost four moon trogs, you know. They didn't stand a chance. There's another enquiry going on to figure out whether there's anything that could have been done. If the ship could have been designed differently or something."
"I don't think it would have made any difference how the ship was designed," said Thomas. "They're just so frail and weak... The only way would have been to prevent whatever it was from hitting us. What was it, by the way?"
"Some kind of weapon. It exploded with the force of a dozen fireball spells. If it hadn't been for the Globe of Invulnerability... Saturn's got a commendation as well, by the way, for his quick thinking in making the ship ethereal. It hasn't improved his temper, though."
"I can't imagine anything in the universe that would. So, how are the repairs to the ship going? They've kept me pretty much under wraps while the enquiry was going on. I haven't heard a thing!"
"It's almost finished. The damage was pretty superficial, you know. Just a few walls and bulkheads eaten through. The moon trogs had them patched up in just a couple of hours. The main problem was the outer hull. It's the source of most of the ship's structural strength, as you know, and they had to be very careful with the welds to get them just right. One weak spot and the ship might tear itself apart in mid flight."
