Rings of Bright Water

Rings of Bright Water

Plot summary[]

TheplanetShaymore has been occupied byImperial forces intent on extracting the world'shydrocarbons. The nativeSessehshellah approach theAlliance for aid in the form of weapons and support to fight their invaders. Despite being technological unsophisticated, the Alliance recognizes that the Sessehshellah will fight the Imperials with or without their help, so commission an Alliance team to deliverlaser weapons andadvisors to train them in resistance tactics.

The team, using theDorion Discus to deliver the supplies, meets with the Sessehshellah. At first, there is a culture clash as the Sessehshellah see the Alliance's caution and practical thinking as antithetical to their way of doing things, mistaking it for a lack of courage and daring. The Sessehshellah recklessly attack an Imperial patrol, which results in a punitive raid that destroys aSesseh' village. After that incident, the Sessehshellah begin to take more heed of the Alliance's calls to indirect and subtle means of combat. The Alliance team also learns to respect the native's knowledge of their planet and their special talents.

The Alliance and Sessehshellahsabotage anImperial power station, stealing acomm unit scrambler in the process and learning that the Imperial's hydrocarbon operation is vulnerable. Production needs to be increased ten-fold in ayear, or the operation will have to be abandoned. Reserves are also dwindling, and the hydrocarbons stored in theImperial hydrocarbon refinery on the planet represent a significant amount of the Empire's reserves.

Coming up with a suitable plan, the Alliance and Sessehshellahsabotage the Imperial hydrocarbon refinery. The destruction of the facility causes the operation to be shut down, and the Imperialcommander to be recalled in disgrace.

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