When Jora’h summoned him into the Skysphere audience chamber, the attenders, court functionaries, and noble kithmen were dismissed; the Mage-Imperator even sent away Nira and Prime Designate Daro’h. He wanted to see Tal Gale’nh—and no one else. Gale’nh felt intimidated, but when he saw the expression on Jora’h’s face, the naked need behind his eyes, he stepped up to the chrysalis chair. “I am here to do my duty, Liege.” When Adar Zan’nh gathered his Solar Navy warliners to join General Keah at the Fireheart nebula, Tal Gale’nh desperately wanted to go along, to prove himself. He had hoped to command a warliner of his own, perhaps even an entire septa in the remarkable last-chance battle. He had proved himself in space combat, and he wanted to reclaim his rank and his respect. If this was indeed their final stand against the shadows, then he needed to be there. But the Mage-Imperator had asked Gale’nh to stay behind as the Adar sailed off with a maniple of the Solar Navy’s greatest ships, 343 warliners ready for battle.
