They're... Ajax and Sendal, sir!" Thank God! They had a chance, but their losses were still going to be awful. She turned to Howard.
"Captain Howard, tune in your datalink. If those bastards don't say something soon, Operation Borodino is about to begin." "Aye, aye, sir!" The hours of waiting were suddenly minutes, flitting past like raindrops. Magda watched her plot, almost praying for a surrender demand. But there was nothing, and the range continued to drop.
"Enemy force launching missiles," her fire control officer said suddenly. So there it was. They didn't even want to negotiate.
"Stand by point defense," Magda said coolly.
"I'argets?" "Tracks look like Skywatch, sir." "Very well. Laeaity, our own missiles on Invincible." "Aye, aye, sir.
"Open fire!" ('intsu quivered as her external ordnance let fly, and Magda's plot was suddenly speckled with flecks of light as Atlanta nd Skywatch flushed their external racks at the oncoming cruiser, as well. She felt her lips thin over her teeth. Even command point defense was going to have trouble with that lot, and she wondered if the loyalist commander knew Skywatch had taken delivery of antimatter warheads just before the mutinies? If he didn't, he'd be finding out shortly.
But incoming missiles were sleeting in at Skywatch, and there were a lot of them. Point defense crews aboard the cruisers and fortress tracked the incoming fire while battle comp sorted out the clean misses from the salvo, but there weren't many; orbital forts weren't very elusive targets.
Then the small laser clusters trained onto the probable hits. Counter missiles zipped out, and for seconds space was wracked with brilliant flares of detonating warheads.
"Hits on Invincible!" Gunnery screamed.
"One... three @u.. firstye of them, sir!
She's streaming air!" But Skywatch's blip was pulsing, too, as missiles slipped through to impact on the big fort's powerful shields. Magda gripped her lower lip between her teeth, waiting as the brilliant dot flickered and flashed. Then the report came in. con'Efght hits on Skywatch, sir--all standard nukes. Took out most of her shields, but she's still in business!" "Good!" Magda ignored the informality of the elated report. "Captain Howard, Jintsu and Atlanta will engage Invincible at close range.
Captain Malenkov will come with us. The remainder will engage targets of opportunity among the enemy formation." "Aye, aye, sir!" The rebels lurched into motion. Only Malenkov's three big freighters could even 'hope to stay with a warship... the others were much too slow, and Magda had no choice but to turn the engagement into one huge melee and hope.
The two forces closed to energy weapon range, and the TFN loyalists were taken aback by the rebels" reckless courage. Those lumbering freighters were sitting ducks @u. dis"b they were so goddamn big! They soaked p force beams and betweenlasers as thev bumbled into range for their own light armaments, and" what they lacked in datalink they made up in determination and sheer volume of fire.
Commodore Hunter realized Admiral Waldeck had made a serious error in assuming they would face only local yokels@u There had to be Fleet regulars or reservists over there!
Well, the hell with standing orders] His own orders went out: break through and get free, then stand off with missiles where his datalink would do him the most good.
But as his ship merged with the milling freighters, Magda's careful briefings took effect. No one tried to destroy his vessels; instead they concentrated on battering down shields and armor just far enough to get at the datalink. As soon as a ship fell out of the link, fire shifted to someone else.
Commodore Hunter cursed as the first ship dropped out of his net. They were stripping away his coordination, and ff his outnumbered units had to fight as individuals among that many enemies, they wouldn't stand a chance! But be didn't have much choice, because two light cruisers were lunging straight for him.
He watched in something very like awe as the rebel ships soaked up the fire from his own lights, homing on his wounded flagship. He saw hits going home all over them
@u.. both of them were streaming atmosphere.., and still they came on. One suddenly staggered and yawed aside as she took a direct hit on a drive pod, but she hauled back on course and kept coming.
He barked an order, and Invincible tried to turn away, but her crippled drive faltered. He looked back into his plot and swallowed as Sendai blew in half and the rebel cruisers closed to half a light-second, energy weapons aflame.
"Abandon ship!" he screamed--comb he was too late. ('intsu's hetlasers zeroed in on his command deck with uncanny accuracy, and a burst of finely-focused X rays tore him and his staff apart.
The battle collapsed into a mad, whirling ball of snap- g
ing ships. Atlanta exploded in a massive fireball, followed y Ajax. The surviving loyalists began a limping withdrawal, and a dozen gutted freighters drifted helplessly in their wake, glowing from the hits they'd taken... but there was a dead destroyer to keep them company.
Skywateh streamed air through a dozen huge rents, but her energy weapons were still in action--comsome of them--- and her mis-sties pursued the two retreating destroyers.
"Break off the engagement, Gaptain Howard," Magda Petrovna said wearily. He looked at her in surprise. Jirtsu was hard hit, but half her weapons were still-in action. "If we chase them and we're dead unlucky, we might catch them, Gaptain. Just us. We're the only ship that could." Howard's face ('x with understanding. "Yes, sir," he said.
"And send a message down to the planet," Magda said, looking at her battle plot.
Better than half her "fleet" had been destroyed in the short, savage action, and all the rest were damaged. "Fell them we won--I think." "And you mean to tell me," Admiral Waldeek said icily, "that a handful of armed freighters shot an entire light battlegroup to hell?" The white-heed lieutenant commander across his desk stared straight ahead. Spots of color burned on his cheeks, but his voice was controlled.
"Not precisely, sir. There were also two Fleet cruisers and a class three fort, ff you'll remember. With antimatter warheads." Waldeck flushed with furv. His lips worked, and the commander thought he'd gggne too far. But the admiral gradually regained control.
"All right, Commander, the point is well taken," he said coldly. "But the fact remains that in the first engagement against rebel forces, we lost virtually an entire flotilla. Your ship will be out of action for months, and I doubt Cougar will ever fight again." "Yes, sir." "We were supposed to teach them a lesson!" "Yes, sir." "Well, by God, we will teach them one!" Waldeck punched up a eom link to his flag captain. "Captain M'tana, the task force will move out in one hour. We're going to Novaya Rodina!" "Yes, sir." l?And you, Commander," Waldeek returned his attention to the unfortunate in front of his desk, "are going to come along and see what three battle-cruisers do to your precious rebels!" His "Well, Pieter Petrovieh, that's that." Magda raised her glass of vodka in a tired toast. "After all the repairs we can make out of local resources, the "Novava Rodina Fleet" consists of one crippled light cruiser, on crippled OWP, and four crippled freighters.
We might be able to hold this system against a troop of Young Pioneers." "I see." Tsuchevskv's face was lined and tired. He was appalled by their Ioses; only Magda and Semvon had really had any concept of what a fleet action as like. "What do you think the chances are that the Kontravians will get he'e first?" "Poor," Magda said grimly, refilling her empty, glass carefully. "The Rump was surprised by the mutinies, but it still has an intact command structure and better communications. What do we rebels have? A handful of planets that are partially organized and tied together only by courier drones; it'll be a while vet before we can get beyond that point and start throwihg task forces around." "So all those people died for nothing," Pieter said sadly.
"Maybe, mavbe not. You can't run your life on Russian melancholy and the second sight, Pietr Petrovich, and we know what would have happened if we hadn't fought.
Still, I'I1 be surprised if we have time to do much of anything else before the next TFN force arrives, and this time it'll be
a battlegroup worth the name." She shrugged, but her voice was softer when she went on. "We did our best, my Pieter. Maybe we should have surrendered ff they'd given us a chance, but they just opened fire." "I know." He swiveled his chair to look out the window at the bright spring morning. "Well," he said heavily, "ff they come back in force, we have no option but to surrender. Agreed?" "Agreed," she sighed. "Those are good people up there, Pieter. I don't want to see them die uselessly." "All right. Will you see to the communication arrangements, Magda?" "I already did," she said with a tired smile.
"After all, that's why I'm commodore of our magnificent fleet, isn't it?" "Hush, Magda." Pieter grinned slowly.
"Now you're being maudlin! Drink your vodka and cheer up. Things could be worse." "What do you mean, going to Novaya Petrograd? Natasha Kazina put her hands on her hips and glared at hey husband. "Who do you think you are? Vladimir Lenin? You're maybe going to bore from within like a mole and topple the government?" "Fasha, you know why I'm going--me and Vlad Kosy-gin and Georgiwe need to be sure those people understand what they're doing to us." "ReallyThat" Her voice dripped sarcasm.
"And you think they don't already? Idiots! Firing on a Terran Fleet! Next thing you know, there'll be missiles on the cities, and there you'll be, playing Menshevik in the middle of it!" "Hush, *Fasha! You know I agree with you--but maybe they aren't all idiots, no? There are good people mixed up in this, our people. Let me go see them.
Let me try to convince them they're wrong." "Argue with the rain! It pays more attention!" "Natasha, I'm going, and that's an end to it.
Sure the Federation has problems, but this isn't the right answer! If INSVRR-RCO 137 I don't try'to tell the Kadets that, I won't be able to sleep nights." "Ahhh[ Men--comvou're aHave idiots!" Natasha exclaimed, throw- lng up her hand in disgust. "But go! Go! Leave me and the boys to see to the planting! Just don't come crying to me when they don't listen]" His "Thank You, I'asha," Fedor murmured, kissing her cheek gently. "I knew you'd understand." "Get out of my sight]" she told him, but her eves twinkled as he backed off the porch. "And don't forgestffbring home some new dress material!" she admonished in a parting shot as he climbed into Kosygin's chopper and it ehirruped aloft.
Alarms whooped as the ships emerged from warp, and Magda watched her display in silence. At least thev'd been able to rrlpunt proper instrumentation out there: ho helpless miners to be vaporized this time] But the story her scanners told was heartbreaking.
Ship after ship slid but of the Redwing warp point; three battle-cruisers, two heavv cruisers, five light cruisers, and.fifteen destrovers. God, it was an armada, she thought wearily, and tuned' her commu. nicator to Tsuchevskv's priority channel.
"Yes, Magda??Hiseveswerepuffv.
She'dwakedhim up, she thought. Waked him from a sund sleep to face a nightmare.
"They're coming, Pieter," she said sadly.
"How bad is it?" "If I order a shot fired, it will be as good as executing everv man and woman in mv fleet." "11 right, Magda," he said softly. "I understand. Patch me through to their commander, if you can.
I'll handle it from here." "I'm sorrv, Pieter Petrovich," she said very quietlv "You did our best, Magda. Time was agst'us, that's all.
"I know[" she said heavily, and turned to her eom otcer.
Pieter Tsuchevskv stared into the screen at Admiral Jason WaIdeck, TF. The admiral's cheek muscles were bunched, and Pieter shivered as he realized the man had wanted a ght.
"Admiral, I am Pieter Petrovich Tsuchevsky of the Provisional Gov--was "You, sir," Waldeck cut in coldly, "are a traitor, and that is all you are!" Pieter fell silent, staring at him, and the admiral went on implacably. "I understand the purpose of this communication is to arrange your surrender. Very well.
Ali ships in space will land immediately at Novaya Petrograd Spaceport. Any armed vessel incapable of atmospheric flight will lower its shields and await boarding by one of my prize crews. The same applies to what's to eft of Skywatch. Is that clear?" "Yes." It took all of Pieter's strength to get out the strangled word, and Waldeck made no effort to hide his own savage satisfaction.
"As for your so-called 'Provisional Government,"" he sneered, "you will surrender yourvs to me as soon as my ships planet. There will be no exceptions. Anyone who resists will be shot. Is that clear?" "Yes," Pieter managed once more.
"It had better be. I will see you aboard my flagship in three hours." Waldeck cut communications curtly, and Pieter stared at the blank screen for long seconds as he tasted the ashes of defeat.
"Look at thaff' Fedor Kazin gasped as this; chopper swooped past the spaceport after a ten-hour flight. The others turned and looked--and looked again. Novaya Petrograd Spaceport had never seen such a concentration of shipping. Fedor's index finger moved slowly from ship to ,eaship as he counted.
@u.. twenty-three.., twenty-four.., twenty-five... Twenty-five! And those big ones -comare they battle-crnisers, Georgi?" "Yes." Georgi Zelinsky grunted. "My God, it's all over! There wouldn't be any grounded battle-crnisers ff it weren't. They're about the biggest warship that can enter atmosphere at all, and they have to take it mighty easy when they do. No commander lands them any place he might have to get out of in a hurry." "Look!" Fodor said excitedly. "All the hatches are open--see? And over there! Look at all the pear' "Yeah," Vlad said, squinting into his teleview. "All in uniform, "too. Looks like they mst've stripped the crews off the ships." 'hey wouldn't do that," Georgi disagreed. "Not all of them. There has to be a'power room watch on board." "Yeah? Well look at 'em! They didn't leave many on board. His "You're right there." Georgi tapped his teeth, his mind going back over the decades to his own five-year hitch in the Navy. "Looks like they've mustered all hands for some reason. And over there-- what's hat?" "That" was a long snake of civilians winding its way out from the city. Vlad swooped Iow over their heads. There were thousands of them.
"What do you think is going on?" he asked.
"Damned ff I know," Fedor said slowly, "bu: I think better we should land and find out, no?" "I thnk yes," Vlad agreed.
The helicopter landed quieHy, and as the three farmers hurried over to the edge of the crowd something nibbled at Fedor's awareness. They were already merging into the front ranks of the long snake when he realized what it was. "Look--noto guns!" he whispered.
"Of course not," Georgi said after a minute.
"Fhey mst've declared martial to aw while we were in the air. Martial law means no civilian guns." "Well what about us?" Vffad whispered, tapping the heavy magnum automatic at his hip. It was a clumsy weapon, btt Vlad was old-fashioned; he preferred a big noisy gun that relied on mass and relatively Iow velocities.
"I recommend," Georgi said, unbuttoning his coat and shoving his laser pistol inside, "that we get them out of sight--fast!" Fedor tucked his own pistol (a three-millimeter Ruger needler with a ninety-round magazine) under his coat, then turned to the nearest townsman.
"What's happening, tovarich?" he asked softly.
"You don't know?" the townie looked at him with shock-hazed eyes.
"I just landed, tovarich. Came all the way from Novaya Siberia to talk to this Provisional Government." "Shhhhh! Want to get yourseff arrested, you fool?i"
"Arrested? For talking to someone?" Fedor blinked in astonishment.
"The whole bunch of 'em are under arrest," the city man said heavily. "We're occupied." "Well, what're you all doing out here, then?" "Orders," the townie shrugged. "I don't know.
They landed two hours ago and went on the city data channels. Somebody named Waldeck--he says he's the new military governor. He ordered the head of every household in the city to be out here by seventeen hundred... he didn't say why." "Every head of household?" Fedor blinked again at the thought.
"Right. So here we are." Fedor looked up as the long column shuffled to a halt and began to spread. Anxious-faced Marines in undress uniform, armed with autorifies and laser carbines, dressed the crowd, but something was wrong here.
Those men looked worried, almost frig
htened--but they'd won!
"Hsst! Look at those shoulder flashes!" It was Georgi, whispering right in his ear. "Not a Fringer among 'emi" There was a great sigh from the crowd, almost a groan, and he looked to one side. More Marines were herding a group of fifty or sixty men and women into an. open space between two of the battle-cruisers. The newcomers were manacled, and when he looked more closely he recognized Magda Petrovna and Semyon Jakov among them.
"The Provisional Government!" someone whispered.
"All of them--and the defense force officers?
Fedor shook his head, trying to understand, and wiggled his way into the very front rank, staring over at the prisoners. He knew Magda well--he'd danced at her parents" wedding, too many years ago -comand it angered him to see her chained like an animal.
All right, so she'd broken the law! But she'd been provoked. It might have been wrong of her, but she'd only been doing what she believed she must!