Jaeger Sobek slumped in his chair, gazing with lingering fear at the gravitational ripples fading into the far reaches of space. He looked utterly drained, like a surviving herbivore that had spent hours hopping around until it had used up all its strength, only to finally outlast its natural predator.
"It's finally gone. Whew, I thought we were going to die!"
He knew all too well how powerful that Enlightener warship was. Never mind anything else—if that terrifying arc cannon had actually hit them, how long could his own Moon Rabbit have held out?
Yes, perhaps their fleet could have swarmed the Earthlings and overwhelmed them with sheer numbers, but how many people would have died? And who could guarantee that he wouldn't be among them?
This was good! Good that they were gone! They had only just joined forces to fight a common enemy and rid the universe of a great menace. Why make things so difficult? They were all doing their best to stay alive!
Miss Selou glanced at her superior and agreed. "Indeed. If the Earth fleet had attacked at this moment, it would have severely hampered our relief efforts, and it would have been difficult to control civilian casualties. The Earthlings chose the course most in keeping with the greater good. They deserve our admiration."
Sobek was momentarily speechless. He really was just relieved to have escaped with his life.
Captain Peggese looked at the viscountess in utter amazement. He'd never imagined she could find a way to spin things from that angle, but the more he thought about it, the more he realized there wasn't a flaw in her reasoning.
He reported, "The work ship Furnacewright Eight has reached Boulder City, which suffered the worst damage. They're working to repair the dome and main axis.