“I see,” Li said. “And what do you propose we do?”
“We repair our ships, then prepare to meet them at Nova Athena,” General Wilson said. “We would probably be better off declining to defend Athena itself. There are too many rebels on the ground.”
“Then see to it,” Li said, after canvassing opinions. “But what if we can’t defend the world anyway?”
“We fall back,” General Wilson said. “Right now, Councilor, ships are more important than planets.”
Li nodded. “And that leads us to another problem,” she said. “Should we attempt to offer peace terms to the Federation – again?”
“The Federation didn’t accept peace terms when we were riding high,” Councilor Hammock sneered. “Why should they accept them when they think they’re winning?”
“Because it might prevent mass slaughter if they have to batter through our worlds, one by one,” Li suggested. “We don’t know what terms they would offer us.”
Councilor Hammock rose to his feet. “It seems to me, Chang, that you have good reason to worry about your homeworld,” he said. “That fear is driving you to consider surrendering to the federal bastards. Have you forgotten, so quickly, that we cannot trust anything they might say? They might demand we surrendered our ships one day, then move in and take over completely the next, once we rendered ourselves defenseless. We cannot trust a word they say!”
Li’s face burned with embarrassment – and rage.
“I understand you’ve had a shock,” Hammock said. “We’ve all had a shock. We didn’t expect a major defeat, while our early victories only made the defeat seem worse by comparison. But we have not yet been beaten. There will be time to strip naked, bend over and spread for them once we’ve been hammered into the ground. Until then, I intend to continue to fight.”
“I wish I was surprised at your attitude,” Li said, when she had managed to calm herself enough to speak. “But we do have to consider the worst. A single peace envoy...”
“...Would be seen as a sign of weakness,” Hammock said. “They would think they had us on the run, that we would surrender completely if pressed harder. Let us win another battle, let us give them a bloody nose...and then we can try and talk peace. We might win better terms.”
“There would be no better terms,” High Lord Slant said. “The Federation will not allow us to exist.”
Of course not, Li thought. Aliens with guns – and grudges. The Federation’s nightmare, all the worse for the knowledge that humans had provided those guns, as well as training and starships. You’ll be lucky if you just get forced back to your homeworld and blockaded.
“Then we fight,” Hammock said. “This is no time to lose our nerve.”
* * *
They’d given Charlie a small compartment – marginally bigger than a prison cell – and a gun with a single bullet in the chamber. He’d found himself playing with it, wondering just who had bothered to show such contempt – or a backwards gesture of mercy. The Marsha, perhaps; they might have supported his attack on Boston, but they also thought highly of ritual suicide. They might have given him the gun as a sign of respect, not contempt.
He pushed the thought aside as the hatch opened, revealing Chang Li.
“Councilor,” he said. He rose to his feet, then gave her a tired smile. “What can I do for you?”
“I wanted you to live,” she said, eying the gun in his hand. “Who gave you a weapon?”
“I don’t know,” Charlie said. He still had nightmares over just how many people had died under his command. Hell, the entire Outsider cause might have died under his command. “I don’t know if I should thank you or hate you.”
“Stick with thanking me,” Chang Li said, bluntly. “Your successor believes that Nova Athena might come under heavy attack.”
“There aren’t many other targets that would absorb more than a destroyer squadron or two,” Charlie muttered. “You and yours did a good job at turning Nova Athena into an economic powerhouse.”
Chang Li nodded. Nova Athena’s population had been lucky. Their founders had managed to avoid most of the debts and obligations that would have bound them to the Grand Senate. It hadn’t allowed them to escape entirely, but it had given them a chunk of independence they’d used ruthlessly. And yet, they’d come to hate the Federation as much as anyone else along the Rim.
And why would they not? Charlie asked himself. They were as oppressed as anyone else when push came to shove.
“I want you to take command of the defenses and build them up into something impregnable,” Chang Li said. “The Federation cannot be allowed another victory.”
“And I won’t be allowed command of the defense fleet,” Charlie pointed out. “It would destroy your career if you tried to give me command.”
“You’ll have command of the orbital fortresses,” Chang Li countered. “And that will give you influence, I suspect. Use it ruthlessly.”
“Of course,” Charlie said. He sat down on the bunk, then placed the gun on the table. “What happened to my crew?”
“Most of them have been dispersed through the fleet,” Chang Li said. “You accepted the blame, so they were released without charge. I thought you knew that, Charlie.”
“I haven’t had much time to ask questions,” Charlie said. He shook his head, ruefully. “If we win this war, councilor, we must come up with a formalized method of handling these cases.”
“There wasn’t time to come up with any formalities,” Chang Li said. “You were lucky not to be put in front of a wall and shot out of hand.”
“I know,” Charlie said.
Chang Li looked at him, her dark eyes wistful. “General,” she said slowly, “do we have a hope of actually winning?”
“I don’t know,” Charlie admitted. “There are just too many variables. Can the Federation sustain a war economy long enough to break us? Can we sustain the war economy long enough to break them? Can we come up with a silver bullet that will instantly render the Federation Navy obsolete – or will they come up with something new themselves? We can’t dismiss it entirely, councilor.”
He shrugged, expressively. “I think we’d be lucky if we managed to hold Nova Athena, or any other world the Federation knows how to find,” he added. “We might be better off trying to withdraw behind the Rim entirely, then working hastily to build up a new fleet.”
“I don’t think we have that option this time,” Chang Li said. “The Federation let us go years ago, after the Inheritance Wars. They won’t make the same mistake twice.”
“Probably not,” Charlie said. “Do you have any other thoughts?”
“Just this,” Chang Li said. “Make damn sure you give them a bloody nose if – when – they attack Nova Athena. Another defeat will ruin us.”
* * *
“They didn’t have to send us here,” Roebuck muttered.
Uzi nodded in agreement. He shared his CO’s feelings, although for different reasons. Nova Athena was an interesting world, one of the logistic hubs for the Outsider Navy, but it was also a long way from the war front. There was no way he could get a message back to Earth from Nova Athena, not without risking his cover. And to think sending them to Nova Athena was a gesture of kindness!
“We could have gone to one of the threatened worlds,” Roebuck continued. “Or even been assigned to the fortresses covering the Asimov Points, or...”
“It’s a chance to relax,” Uzi said, despite his own irritation. “Soldiers need regular downtime or they start making mistakes.”
And Nova Athena would have been ideal, if he’d been a loyal Outsider. There was no security threat on a world that had tried to maintain a distance from the Federation ever since it had been founded, no risk from Federation loyalists or terrorists trying to pay off old grudges. Hell, there were beaches, pretty women, cold drinks...everything a soldier could want to forget the war existed. He’d lost track of half of his men the day after their arrival, something that didn’t bother him as mu
ch as it should. The peace and quiet of Nova Athena was seeping into his soul.
“I know that,” Roebuck said. “But what about downtime somewhere closer to the front?”
Uzi smiled. He’d reviewed the data and he was fairly sure Nova Athena would be on the front lines very soon. There weren’t that many worlds the Federation could hit, after all, unless they’d managed to get lucky and found a planet hidden beyond the Rim. His fingers touched the medal he’d been given, after boarding the fortress and taking the crew prisoner. The Federation would want revenge for that stunt soon enough.
“I think we will be back at the front soon enough,” he said, standing up. “And I think you need to get laid.”
Roebuck gaped. “I...I beg your pardon?”
“There is a club down there crammed with nubile young women, all of whom want to spend time with a hero from the fleet,” Uzi said, as he pulled Roebuck to his feet. “I think a few hours in their company would help you to relax.”
And it would, he knew, as he nudged Roebuck down to the club. There were women down there and they were easy. But it would also distract Roebuck from his duties, allowing Uzi a chance to plot himself. And who knew what would happen when – if – the Federation Navy arrived?
We need a way to get to the fortresses, he thought. But how are we going to get that before it’s too late?
Chapter Thirty-Five
However, one victory is meaningless unless it leads to further victories – and eventual total victory.
-The Federation Navy in Retrospect, 4199
Boston, 4101
“And thank God that’s over,” Emperor Marius said, once they were in Roman’s stateroom and the hatch was securely locked. “I’m sure I said something about not being given the proper respect.”
“The crew wanted to see you, sir,” Roman said. “And besides, regulations are regulations.”
He studied the emperor as covertly as possible while he poured them both tea. It had been two years since he’d laid eyes on his mentor and the change shocked him more than he wanted to admit. Marius Drake had always struck him as being a little vain; now, his grey hair was shading to white and there were dark rings under his eyes. His body was thinner than Roman recalled, while Emperor Marius’s hands twitched nervously as he reached for the cup. Roman couldn’t help wondering just what had happened on Earth while he’d been commanding the desperate defense of the Rim.
“Regulations,” Emperor Marius snorted. “You should know better than to follow them all.”
Roman smiled. There were no regulations for greeting the emperor, if only because the Federation hadn’t had an emperor until the Grand Senate had been overthrown. He’d passed the question over to his protocol officer, who’d modified the standard greeting party for a Grand Senator and added a rendition of the Federation’s anthem. There was no way he wanted to omit the proper respect for his mentor – and besides, the crew wanted to see their emperor. But if he’d known just how exhausted Emperor Marius clearly was, he would have thought better of the formal greeting.
“I’m sorry,” Roman said, sincerely.
“Don’t worry about it,” Emperor Marius reassured him. He sipped his tea, then settled back in his chair. “You have no idea how good it feels to be back at the front.”
Roman lifted an eyebrow. “There’s no real danger of death right now,” he pointed out. “The enemy has barely shown itself, apart from laying mines on the far side of the Asimov Points. They certainly haven’t attempted to attack the system again.”
“Good to hear it,” Emperor Marius grunted. He waved a hand to indicate the superdreadnaught. “Here, everyone knows their place; everyone knows their job. On Earth, there are so many competing factions that keeping them all going in the right direction is a major headache. And there are days when I wished that treacherous bastard had put a bullet through my head.”
Roman honestly didn’t know what to say. He’d known Blake Raistlin; hell, he’d trained alongside him at the Academy. Raistlin had never struck him as a bad person, even though his family connections would probably ensure he gained his first captaincy by the time he turned thirty. It had seemed odd that he’d been assigned to Admiral Drake’s staff, but Roman hadn’t really thought anything of it. The war had screwed up all their careful plans for advancement. And then Blake Raistlin had tried to kill the admiral.
“He’s dead, now,” Emperor Marius said. “To hell with the trial, I decided. I had him shot.”
“I see,” Roman said. “Good.”
He honestly wasn’t sure what to feel about that either. Raistlin had been...if not a friend, then at least an acquaintance. Their backgrounds had been too different for true friendship, but Roman had always thought he could rely on Raistlin. And yet...in the end, Raistlin had betrayed the bonds of trust that kept the Navy together. He had to be punished – and to be seen to be punished – for his crime.
But Roman couldn’t help feeling a flicker of regret.
“Never mind that,” Emperor Marius said. “Are you and your girlfriend still together?”
“Yes,” Roman said, puzzling over the abrupt change in subject. “We’ve stayed together, even during the worst of the fighting.”
“Good, good,” Emperor Marius said. “It’s always good to have someone to lean on when the shit hits the fan. On Earth, the shit hits the fan every day.”
He looked down at his shaking hands. “I don’t know how long I can hold everything together, Roman,” he admitted. “The Federation was coming apart at the seams even before the Outsiders launched their invasion. Now...we may win the war, but lose everything.”
Roman frowned. “We could consider offering them terms,” he suggested. “Maybe grant them automatic stage-three or stage-four status, as Federation member worlds...”
“That would be taken as a sign of weakness,” Emperor Marius said. His hands shook so badly he had to put the cup down before he spilled it. “We cannot afford anything other than a complete victory, Roman. The Federation would shatter otherwise.”
“The Federation might shatter anyway,” Roman pointed out.
“Damned if we do, damned if we don’t,” Emperor Marius said. “I fought hard to keep Admiral Justinian from taking power or tearing the Federation in half. Now, I’m damned if I will let the Outsiders do the same.”
The emperor paused. “What’s the current status of Fifth Fleet?”
Roman hesitated, gathering his thoughts. “I have six battle squadrons in reasonable fighting trim,” he said, recalling the days they’d struggled to repair and rearm the ships. He’d had nightmares about the Outsiders launching a second attack before he was ready to meet them. “I’ve also got three hundred smaller ships; the only real weakness, sir, is in starfighters. We took heavy losses during the later stages of the battle.”
“They always take the brunt of it,” Emperor Marius grunted. “But then, I suppose you learned that on Enterprise.”
Roman nodded. Technically, Enterprise had been his first command, after everyone above him in the chain of command had been killed. He was certainly entitled to wear a star representing Enterprise on his collar, as an independent command. But the fleet carrier’s design had been more than a little impractical and she’d been retired from service shortly after the coup. Part of Roman still regretted losing the chance to return to her command chair.
“They do,” he said. Starfighter pilots were often jerks, but their odds of survival were quite poor. It was hard to blame them when a single mistake might lead to their instant death. “I was planning to draw fighters from the fortresses, if necessary.”
“Probably a good idea,” Marius said. He reached into his pocket and produced a secure chip, which he plugged into the desktop terminal. “I have been working on operational plans.”
He smiled, humorlessly, as a starchart appeared in front of them. “We still don’t know the location of any major worlds or bases beyond the Rim,” he said. “Their alien allies, if the autopsies are to be bel
ieved, come from a world not too different from Earth. We’ll find it eventually, I believe. Until then, there is only one world deserving of our attention. Nova Athena.”
Roman wasn’t surprised. Most of the Outsider-occupied worlds were unlikely to be able to stand off a single destroyer, let alone Fifth Fleet. They could be left to wither on the vine, at least until the major worlds had been occupied and the enemy fleet destroyed. But there were a handful of worlds that helped provide war materials for the enemy forces. Nova Athena was top of the list.
“One of their leaders comes from there,” Emperor Marius added. “How long was she sitting in the Senate on Earth, absorbing information and planning her moves against us?”
He went on before Roman could say a word. “Going after Nova Athena helps solve several problems at once,” he said. “It forces the enemy back on the defensive, it cripples some of their industry, it may provide clues we can follow to locate their other bases...and it proves their leadership cannot defend their homeworld. If they stand and fight, Roman, we will crush them. But if they run, they look like cowards.”
Roman nodded. Boston had received envoys from a dozen worlds in the sector, worlds that had been occupied by the Outsiders. The planetary governments were looking to find a way to switch sides that didn’t result in them being butchered by one side or the other. He had been quite happy to listen to them, knowing that local support might make the reconquest easy. And if Nova Athena were to be taken, the trickle of surrenders might become a flood.
“It would work,” Roman said. “Unless they have more ships on the defensive than we believe.”
“They would have sent them to Boston, if they had them,” Emperor Marius said, flatly. He leaned forward, jabbing a finger at one of the stars. “They knew they needed the biggest hammer they could muster to take you on.”
“We should still be careful,” Roman said.
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