Part 25 (1/2)
S'Gan had come aboard, a.s.sumed command and taken everything in stride-the R'Actolian's proposal, the presence of the two S'Cotar and R'Gal. By watchend, all were seated with both s.h.i.+ps' senior officers, in the deck four conference room-a small gray cave deep within the s.h.i.+p.
The admiral turned to Guan-Sharick, who was seated opposite her at the end of the table. ”What's your role in this, S'Cotar?”
”Our mission is to stop the AIs,” said the trans.m.u.te. ”That has been our mission since humanity revolted and escaped the AI universe. Our bodies are cloned, our memories and special abilities transferred.”
”Ridiculous,” said the admiral. ”You can't be endlessly cloned-each succeeding generation would have more defects than the previous. That's a basic tenet of information theory.”
”We're cloned from original cells,” said Lan-Asal.
”But . . .”
”I can vouch for them,” said R'Gal. ”They're two of the five lieutenants of He who led the Revolt, the one you call the Nameless Emperor.”
”You're . . . human?” said John disbelievingly, looking at the S'Cotar.
”More than human, Harrison,” said Guan-Sharick with an ironic smile.
”I don't believe it,” said the Terran. He turned to D'Trelna. ”Do you?”
The commodore looked at the two white-uniformed figures. ”We'll find out, I think, someday. For now, I'm more concerned with their intentions than their true appearance. And R'Gal”-his eyes s.h.i.+fted to the AI-”the same goes for you.”
”D'Trelna's right, R'Gal,” said S'Gan. ”It's fine that you vouch for them, but who'll vouch for you?”
”We're going to have to trust each other, Admiral,” said R'Gal. ”All of us. Disaster is certain, otherwise.”
”Perhaps,” said S'Gan. She looked at Guan-Sharick. ”Tell me about this device the Combine developed.”
Before the S'Cotar could speak, the admiral's commlink chirped. She listened, spoke and disconnected, then sat silently for a moment, looking down at her folded hands. ”R'Gal,” she said finally, looking up, ”I owe you an apology. Fleet did not acknowledge my last report.” Her eyes went from face to face. ”Rather, they've just listed me as killed in action, along with all my s.h.i.+ps and crews. As for you, D'Trelna,” she smiled humorlessly at the commodore, ”you and Implacable Implacable have been declared corsair-shoot on sight. Combine T'Lan works quickly,” she added. have been declared corsair-shoot on sight. Combine T'Lan works quickly,” she added.
There was a long silence in the room, broken at last by Deliverance's Deliverance's Captain Y'Kor. ”Why can't we just go back to Prime Base and. expose the plot?'' Captain Y'Kor. ”Why can't we just go back to Prime Base and. expose the plot?''
”That's what they expect you to do, Y'Kor,” said L'Wrona. ”There are probably s.h.i.+ps sitting off home jump point right now, gunnery programming tied into your s.h.i.+p ID. You wouldn't live long enough to see your own sun.”
There was a sudden babble as everyone tried to speak.
S'Gan restored order, rapping her hand on the table. A worn Academy ring rang on the table as S'Gan rapped her hand on the traq wood. ”I'll listen to suggestions, not incipient hysteria,” she said. ”Anyone?”
G.o.ds! she looks tired, thought D'Trelna. And why not? Lost all but one s.h.i.+p, dropped like a plague by a corrupt FleetOps, the AIs coming and no one to believe her. Now is the time.
”If we're to be corsairs, Admiral,” said the commodore, ”let's act like corsairs.”
”Explain, D'Trelna.”
”Raid Combine T'Lan's research and headquarters facility.”
”Why?” she asked.
”Tell the admiral what you told us,” D'Trelna said to the S'Cotar.
”Thirty centuries ago, Admiral,” said the S'Cotar, ”I was an Imperial Survey officer-a cover for searching out the Trel Cache. I found it. I spoke with its guardian. The guardian a.s.sured me we could have the weapon the Trel had used against the Fleet of the One, but that only a united and militant humanity could defeat the AIs, weapon or not.
”We laid our plans well, and with the help of R'Gal and others, created Pocsym, who created the biofabs, which, you will agree, have produced a united, militant humanity.”
”You killed a lot of people to do that,” said S'Gan coldly, gray eyes on the blonde.
Guan-Sharick shrugged and continued. ”As you know, we're now told that the weapon no longer exists, but that, ironically, Combine T'Lan has unknowingly produced a device that, with modifications, can recall the Twelfth Fleet of the House of S'Yal.
”Admiral, we need that device.”
”The fleet that never returned,” said the admiral, half to herself. She looked back at the S'Cotar. ”Do you know what kind of s.h.i.+ps the Twelfth had?”
”Mindslavers,” said Guan-Sharick.
”Like Commodore D'Trelna, you're willing to employ mindslavers against the AIs?”
”I'd use anything against them, Admiral,” said Guan-Sharick.
Something in Guan-Sharick's voice startled John, something he'd never heard there before-hatred.
”You have this device's location and a description?” asked S'Gan. Guan-Sharick nodded.
S'Gan turned to D'Trelna. ”You haven't, by any chance, drafted a plan of attack on this facility, D'Trelna?”
”As a matter of fact,” said the commodore, reaching for the complink, ”I have.”
18.
S'Hlu was a soft, green world, tucked away in Red Seven, a quadrant adjoining Red One and the K'Ronarin home systems. Only fifty light-years from K'Ronar, it was visited frequently by Fleet units patrolling against corsairs and escaped S'Cotar.
Thus, the Combine T'Lan port officer gave almost automatic clearance to the three Fleet craft descending from the L'Aal-cla.s.s cruiser that had just slipped into orbit.
Almost.
As they came in he ran a standard ID check-confirming that the Forward Seven Forward Seven was actually a.s.signed Red Seven- then ran it again when the complink flashed was actually a.s.signed Red Seven- then ran it again when the complink flashed DESTROYED-SECOND BATTLE OF H'SAK. DESTROYED-SECOND BATTLE OF H'SAK.
The port officer leaned forward as fresh data trailed onto the screen, then cursed softly as he read: INCOMING CRAFT IDENTIFIED AS ONE ARMED SHUTTLE AND TWO COMMANDO a.s.sAULT CRAFT. WANT SPECS??? INCOMING CRAFT IDENTIFIED AS ONE ARMED SHUTTLE AND TWO COMMANDO a.s.sAULT CRAFT. WANT SPECS???
Ignoring the query, the port officer slapped the general alarm call.
The klaxons had just started wailing as the control tower, ripped by fusion fire, exploded.
Sweeping out of the setting sun, the silver s.h.i.+ps came in low over the ruined control tower, Mark 44's strafing the complex. The scattering of return fire was quickly suppressed by the shuttle, which continued circling and strafing as the a.s.sault boats settled onto the roof of a squat, black building.
The sides of the a.s.sault boats dropped away with a faint pneumatic hiss.