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"Green one, Green one, am under attack, where the hell are you?"
Jason closed his eyes and tried to focus his thoughts, while Paladin's
insistent call for help echoed across the deck.
"Green one, Green one, this is Green two over."
Paladin, exasperated and filled with a frustrated rage, punched the channel
off and slammed his fist down on the console.
To have come so far back and now to be cut off. The next jump point out of
this system was blocked, and already half a dozen ships which had been
pursuing him for days were coming through behind, a fact made worse by the
more than fifty patrol craft and three cruisers currently in the sector. The
heavy cruiser was already launching its squadron of fighters which would close
with him within the hour.
The game was up and
Bannockburn was about to get fried. As soon as he had jumped, the pickets
waiting on the far side plastered him with high energy radar bursts and then
threw on laser locks he simply couldn't shake.
Just before they hit him he'd try one more burst signal, feeding every erg of
power he had into it, but the chance of it reaching Confed space at this range
was remote and made even more implausible by the fact that it was dicey at
best if someone had a listening array focused on this region.
If only he knew where
Tarawa was he could transfer the info off and they'd have the power to punch a
signal through, plus they would also know where to aim it for an intercept.
"Damn it all to hell, if I get out of this I quit," Paladin snarled. I'm
heading back to Scotland and I'll be damned if I ever let my two feet get off
the ground again.
"Ian, you'd better launch now. I'm glad that the Admiral managed to get a jump
capable Ferret tucked into this ship's cargo bay. I thought he was a wee bit
crazy trying that out. I'm ordering you to break off and try and make it
through the jump point. I'm loading the information into your fighter's
computers now. You've got to get that information back to
Confed territory.
Tarawa's either gone or bought it."
Ian looked over at Paladin. He knew Paladin was right. The swarm of enemy
fighters was closing.
He wanted to say something but couldn't find the words.
Paladin looked up and forced a smile.
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"lift one for me at the Vacuum Breathers Club, laddie. Now get the hell out of
here."
Ian turned and headed for the door.
"Good luck, Paladin."
Paladin shook his head and laughed.
Ambassador Vak'ga paused for a moment and looked back at the holo image on his
desk. Again he felt the tug of pain and silently cursed himself for still
feeling it. After all, the mourning should have ended on the first
Sivar after the death of his sons. That was, after all, six years back. But
no, the pain had never stopped. His seed was gone and when he died, his hrai
would die with him.
He thought yet again of the agreement he had made with Prince
Thrakhath on the eve before leaving for Earth. When Thrakhath had first
suggested it to him his blood had burned with the thought of at last gaining
vengeance. But now, it was so cold, there was no rage, no pain, just a
detachment, a coldness, as if the goddess had already reached into his heart
to still its beating.
The coded message to commit the act had arrived this morning, and soon the
pain would stop. At least I will see my sons again, my sons taken from me by
the humans. At least we will again embrace and go forth on the hunt with our
ancestors.
He thought of the detonator and antimatter explosive buried in his chest
cavity. Strange, there will be nothing more of me, nothing to be found to be
buried. Fitting perhaps, since there will be no one to mourn me.
The Ambassador walked out of his office, not even bothering to close the door.
* * *
"How are you doing, Geoff? It's damn good to see you again."
Admiral Banbridge came around from behind his desk, hand extended.
Former Rear Admiral Geoffrey Tolwyn grasped it, and to his surprise
Banbridge grabbed hold of him in a friendly bear hug. Turning he looked at
Kevin, who stood at attention, and smiled.
"I heard you're one of the fleet's best," Banbridge said approvingly.
Geoff smiled broadly at the compliment to his nephew. The long transit back to
Landreich, and from there hidden aboard a high speed smuggler craft to Earth,
had given him the opportunity, for the first time, to really find out just who
his nephew truly was. In the back of his mind, in spite of
Kevin's actions aboard
Tarawa
, he still perceived him as a child. That was now dispensed with, their
relationship changing to the close bond that can form between an uncle or
father, and his son who is now a man.
"Kevin, I hate to ask this, but would you mind waiting for us? My steward will
show you a damn nice shower and cook up some food for you."
Kevin saluted and followed the steward into the rear of the small apartment
Banbridge had down in the basement of Fleet headquarters.
"He reminds me of you at that age, Geoff," Banbridge said with a smile, as he
led his old student into his office and closed the door.
"Glad you're back safe. Have a seat and fill me in."
Geoff settled down into the proffered chair, his old boss sitting down across
from him.
"First of all, what the hell was this signal you had me send?"
As Geoff explained Banbridge's features lit up.
"Same trick we Americans once used against the Japanese at Midway with the [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]