VI
Barth Nevesh was nearly seven feet tall, and his cat-shaped ears stuckup another four inches above his head. Even among the people of Kel hewas a big man, but to the representatives of the other humanoid worldsof the Federation, he seemed a giant. The thick furs he wore againstthe heavy chill of the room added to his apparent size, and the hornsgrowing from his shoulders lifted his robes until he seemed to have noneck.
Now he stood up, driving his heavy fist down against the big woodentable. "The question is, do we have the answer or not?" he roared. "Yousay we do. Logic says we do. Then let's act on it!"
The elfin figure of Lemillulot straightened up at the other end of thetable. "Not so fast, commander. Nobody questions the power of yourfleet. Nobody doubts that we have the only possible answer to thealiens that Earth is helping to take over our universe--strengththrough unity. But is it as good as it can be?"
"How better?" Barth roared again. "Every world in this alien pocket hasbeen building its strength since the Earthmen's ships first reachedhere and showed us space travel was possible. We've seen the stinkingaliens get the same ships. But now we've got something they can'tresist--a Federation, in spite of all Earth could do to stop us. If allour fleets strike at once, no alien world can resist--and we can stopmerely holding them back. Wipe them out, one by one, I say! The onlygood alien is a dead alien!"
There was a lot of talk--more than Barth usually heard or contributedin a month. Lemillulot was the focus of most of it. The little manwould never be satisfied. He wanted all the humanoid worlds organized,and by now it was plain that Earth's influence would be too strongoutside of their own section.
Their accomplishments were already enough. United as they were, theFederation was clearly invincible. Their fleets were at full size andthe crews were thoroughly trained. No other time would be better.
There had already been a stir of ship-building on the alien worlds,since the first word of the Federation had somehow leaked out. TheFederation position was as good as it would ever be--and with elevenfleets working together, nothing better was needed.
"Knock them down with the long shells, haze them to base withinterceptors, and then rip their worlds with planet bombs," Barthrepeated his plans. "We can do it in six hours for a planet--we canstart at the strongest, Neflis, and work down through the weakest, tomake up for our losses. And if the Earth forces start moving in torebuild them--well, I've been thinking the Federation could use alittle more wealth and power!"
"Humanoids don't attack humanoids," Lemillulot protested.
The snarling, dog face of Sra from Chumkt opened in a grin, and his slyvoice held a hint of a chuckle. "Or so Earth keeps preaching. ButEarthmen aren't humanoids. They're humans!"
He laughed softly at his own wit. There were rumbles of uncertainty,but Barth saw that the seed had taken root. If they kept workingtogether, he and Sra could force it to ripen soon enough.
"That can wait," Barth decided. "The question is, do we attack Neflis,and when? I say now!"
* * * * *
It took an hour more for the decision. But there would be only oneanswer, and the final vote was unanimous. The fleets would take offfrom their home worlds and rendezvous near the barren sun; from there,they would proceed in a group, under the control of Barth, toward thealien world of Neflis.
The commander checked his chronometer as the delegates went to sendtheir coded reports to their home worlds. He had the longest distanceto lead his fleet, and there was no time for delay.
Outside, the harsh snow crackled under his feet, and a layer of stormclouds cut off the wan heat of Kel's sun. He drew in a deep breath,watching the swirl of white as he exhaled. It was a good world--a worldto build men. It was the world from which a leader should come.
The fleet would be all his within a day. And for a time, it would bebusy at the work of wiping out the nearby aliens. After that--well,there were other aliens further out toward the last frontiers ofexploration. With care, the fleet could be kept busy for years.
Barth was remembering his histories, and the armies that had been swepttogether. In a few years, fighting men began to think of themselves asa people apart, and loyalty to their birthplace gave way to loyalty totheir leader. Five years should be enough. Then there could be morethan a Federation; there could be the empire among the worlds that hadbeen his lifelong dream.
But first, there was Earth. He snorted to himself as he reached theships of his fleet. Missionaries! Spreading their soft fear through theuniverse. In five years, his fleet should be ready for ten times thepower of any single planet--including Earth.
Sra would be the only problem in his way. But that could be met later.For the moment, the man from Chumkt was useful.
Barth strode up the ramp of his flagship, shouting out to his men as hewent. There was no need of signals. They had been primed and waitingfor days, ready to follow him up.
He dropped to the control seat, staring at the little lights that wouldtell him of their progress. "Up ship!" he shouted, and from the metalhalls and caverns of the ship other voices echoed his cry.
The _Wind Dragon_ leaped upwards sharply. Behind, as the red lightsshowed, four hundred others charged into the sky and the open spacebeyond. Barth sat at the great screen, watching as they drew onsteadily toward the rendezvous, mulling over his plans.
They were three hours out from Kel when he turned the control over tohis lieutenant and went below, where his table was laden with thesmoking cheer of good green meat and ale. With a sigh of contentment,he threw back his outer robe and prepared to forget everything until hehad dined.
He was humming hoarsely to himself as he cut a piece of the meat andstuck it on his left shoulder horn, within reach of his teeth. Maybe alittle of the baked fish would blend well--
The emergency drum blasted through the ship as he lifted the knife.Swearing and tearing at the flesh near his mouth, he leaped up andforward toward the control room. He heard voices shouting, somethingabout a fleet. Then he was at the screens where he could see forhimself.
Five million miles ahead, another fleet was assembled, where noneshould be from any of the Federation worlds! His eyes swept sidewaysacross the screen, estimating the number. It was impossible. Thereweren't a quarter of that number in the fleet of any world, humanoid oralien!
Barth flipped on the microresolver, twisting the wheel that sent itracing across the path of the fleet ahead. His eyes confirmed what hismind had already recognized.
The aliens had their own federation. There were ships of every typethere, grouped in units. Thirteen alien worlds were combined againstthe Outer Federation.
For a breath he hesitated, ready to turn back and defend Kel whilethere was time. But it would never work. One fleet would never beenough to defend the planet against the combined aliens.
"Cluster!" he barked into the communicator. "Out rams and up speed.Prepare for breakthrough!"
If they could hit the aliens at full drive and cut through the weakercenter, they could still rendezvous with the other fleets. The combinedstrength might be enough. And the gods help Kel if the aliens refusedto follow him!
Earth, he thought; Earth again, coddling and protecting aliens, formingthem into a conspiracy against the humanoid worlds. If Kel or any partof the Federation survived, that debt would be paid!
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