Contents
Twenty-One
Overview
Jessyn, Garral, Omco, and the black soldier Corvall reach a downed ship where Corvall provides a nanoswarm disabler and a pistol. Jessyn hides the device near her orchard, then deliberately wounds herself to sell a cover story. Nearly dying, she is rescued and interrogated by a Sinen, claiming a black attacker killed Garral. Corvall prepares to draw pursuit away from the children.
Summary
Corvall leads Jessyn, Garral, and Omco off the evacuation line toward a crashed enemy platform. Along the way, Jessyn and Garral align their cover story to explain their absence and the cave’s human traces, while Jessyn reflects uneasily on how killing has become easier for her.
At the wreck, Corvall retrieves items from intact pods, mourning a fallen comrade, then hands Jessyn a heavy cylinder. Through Omco’s and Garral’s translations, Jessyn learns it contains a preprogrammed nanoswarm to disable Carryx ships and weapons when released close to the targets. Corvall advises hiding it before her return, since initial suspicion is likely.
Despite Garral’s fear that the plan has no tolerance for failure, Corvall also gives Jessyn a small pistol. Jessyn and Garral share an impulsive, tender kiss before parting. Corvall intends to wait until sundown and then lead any pursuers away from the children, Omco, and Manta.
As a storm breaks, Jessyn navigates back to the pear orchard, caches the nanoswarm in a burned-tree hollow, and debates credibility. She decides to sell her story by appearing wounded and uses the pistol to shoot through her left side. The injury is worse than expected, and she collapses, crawling and fading in and out of consciousness.
A True Person of Hannic encounters her, and she is moved indoors and stabilized. Awakening under a blanket with a heat-making bandage, Jessyn faces a goat-eyed Sinen demanding a report. Clinging to her cover, she whispers that a black monster killed Garral, setting her return narrative while Corvall prepares to sacrifice himself as a decoy.
Who Appears
- Jessyn KaulReceives nanoswarm and pistol, hides the device, self-inflicts a gunshot to sell her cover, and reports to a Sinen.
- Garral PärTranslates between Corvall and Jessyn, worries about the plan, shares a kiss, later reported dead in Jessyn’s cover story.
- CorvallBlack soldier at the crash; mourns a comrade, gives Jessyn the disabler and pistol, plans to lure pursuers away.
- OmcoTeacher who helps translate and coordinate at the crash; remains behind to protect the children.
- True Person of HannicFinds Jessyn in the storm and helps get her stabilized after the self-inflicted wound.
- Holom CoombsGeologist seen during Jessyn’s disoriented recovery, noting she woke after treatment.
- Goat-eyed Sinen overseerInterrogates Jessyn on waking, demanding a report; hears her claim a black attacker killed Garral.