Chapter 9: Absent Friends

After a strained encounter with Bassander Lin, Hadrian Marlowe relocates from the Pharaoh to the Balmung, intending to remain there until the ships jump and orders arrive. The task force holds position while superluminal communications trickle, stretching days of waiting.

At a small dinner aboard the Balmung with Jinan, Valka, Switch, Pallino, and Elara, conversation turns to Lin’s leadership and the decision to hold or return. Jinan defends Lin as exhausted but dutiful; Valka and Marlowe criticize his caution. The tension between duty and prudence lingers unresolved.

Marlowe then proposes a toast to Ghen, acknowledging the empty chair at their table. He praises Ghen’s courage while inwardly wrestling with guilt and the concealed truth of Ghen’s killing by the Painted Man. The group affirms Ghen’s memory, each offering anecdotes that transform grief into laughter and solidarity.

In reflection, Marlowe recognizes his choice to elevate a comforting fable over clinical fact, arguing that stories can sustain people and shape events. The gathering closes with the crew emotionally steadied, their bond reinforced as they continue to wait for the fleet’s reply.