15_death_dance-第20章

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e　possibility　of　our　being　able　to　regroup　and　restrengthen　ourselves　there；　even　if　we　will　have　to　suit　up　for　the　visit。　God　knows　Lisa　and　I　need　some　uninterrupted　time　together。　We　spoke　of　dreams　tonight；　and　made　love　like　we　haven't　in　far　too　long。　It　es　down　to　dreams　in　the　end…holding　fast　to　them　no　matter　what　else　is　thrown　in　your　path。　I　want　to　get　back　to　that　place　in　my　life；　and　Garuda　sounds　like　it　was　made　to　order。
From　the　collected　journals　of　Admiral　Rick　Hunter

Once　again　the　Expeditionary　Mission's　Plenipotentiary　Council　found　itself　in　extraordinary　session；　the　third　time　in　as　many　days。　Ex…colonel　Jonathan　Wolff　and　his　small　band　of　rebels　had　stolen　a　prototype　warship　and　folded　from　the　Valivarre　system；　after　assassinating　the　Invid　Regent。　The　ruler's　body　had　been　taken　back　to　the　fleet　flagship　by　his　retinue　of　scientists　and　soldiers；　who　were　promising　a　swift　and　violent　response　to　the　Humans'　treachery。　Ships　under　General　Edwards's　mand　had　chased　the　pirated　cruiser；　but　stopped　short　of　following　it　into　hyperspace。　It　was　believed；　although　hardly　certain　at　this　point；　that　Wolff　was　returning　to　Praxis；　but　the　Sentinels'　next　destination　was　anyone's　guess。　And　if　their　movements　were　open　to　question；　their　motives　were　positively　baffling。　Edwards　was　arguing　this　very　point　in　the　council　chambers　now；　moving　through　the　room　like　a　trial　lawyer；　his　speech　angry　and　impassioned；　his　reasoning　all　but　unassailable。

〃Furthermore；〃　he　said；　a　forefinger　raised；　〃it's　my　belief　that　Wolff's　story　was　a　ruse。　The　Sentinels　sent　Wolff　here　to　kill　the　Regent。　All　his　talk　about　the　destruction　of　the　Farrago　and　the　rescue　mission　to　Praxis　was　engineered　as　a　diversion。〃

〃That's　arrant　nonsense；〃　Lang　objected；　getting　to　his　feet　and　turning　to　face　the　rest　of　his　group。　〃It　was　the　Regent　who　first　informed　us　of　the　destruction　of　the　ship…〃

〃They　allowed　his　troops　to　destroy　the　ship；〃　Edwards　cut　in；　but　Thurgood　Stinson　quickly　waved　him　silent。

〃What's　more；〃　Lang　said　after　settling　his　gaze　on　Edwards；　〃the　Sentinels　had　no　way　of　knowing　the　Regent's　fleet　was　here。〃

Edwards　laughed。　〃Need　I　point　out　that　they　could　have　been　monitoring　our　transmissions；　even　while　remaining　inmunicado？〃

〃But　to　what　end；　General？〃　Lang　asked。　〃Why　would　they　knowingly　sabotage　the　negotiations？　Really；　this　makes　no　sense　whatsoever；　and　I　would　caution　the　council　to　understand　that　General　Edwards　is　offering　us　nothing　more　than　an　interpretation　of　the　facts。〃

〃The　facts；　Doctor；　are　that　the　Regent　is　dead　and　one　of　our　ships　has　been　stolen。　What　more　do　you　require？〃

Tight…lipped；　Lang　took　his　seat。　Senator　Longchamps　cleared　his　throat　meaningfully。　〃The　council　appreciates　Dr。　Lang's　reminder；　but　I　for　one　would　like　to　hear　the　general's　assessment　of　the　Sentinels'　motives。〃

Edwards　sat　in　silence　for　a　moment；　then　stood　up　and　said；　〃They've　bee　a　private　army。　They've　liberated　Karbarra…Praxis；　for　all　we　know…and　their　plan　is　to　continue　in　this　vein　until　the　entire　local　group　is　theirs　to　mand。　In　the　meantime；　our　efforts　here　will　have　been　neatly　undermined。　The　Invid　will　return　in　force　and　in　the　end　it　will　be　the　Sentinels　who　will　rescue　us。〃

〃This　is　too　much；〃　Justine　Huxley　interjected。　〃Admiral　Hunter　would　never　stoop　to　such　measures。〃

〃Then　why　did　he　resign　his　mand？〃　Edwards　threw　back　at　her。　〃And　why　is　it　that　the　whole　RDF　apparat　decided　to　follow　his　lead。〃　Edwards　enumerated　on　his　fingers：　〃The　Skull；　the　Wolff　Pack；　Vince　and　Jean　Grant；　even　the　Tiresian；　Cabell。　Hunter　didn't　like　the　idea　of　answering　to　the　council's　demands；　and　now　he's　out　for　himself。〃

Edwards　returned　to　his　chair；　leaving　the　council　members　to　argue　among　themselves。　In　the　seat　adjacent；　General　Reinhardt　wore　a　look　of　plete　disgust。

After　a　few　minutes　of　deliberation；　Longchamps　announced；　〃The　council　is　not　yet　fully　convinced　of　the　scenario　you　detail；　General　Edwards；　nor　of　your　interpretations　of　the　Sentinels'　'master　plan；'　if　you　will。〃

Edwards　scowled；　waiting　for　the　senator　to　continue。

〃However；　the　fact　remains　that　the　actions　of　ex…Colonel　Wolff；　whatever　their　motivation；　have　placed　us　in　a　serious　predicament。　The　council　wishes　to　know　if　the　Invid　manders　have　indicated　to　you　any　steps　that　can　be　taken　to　offset　this　injustice。〃

Edwards　stood　up；　suppressing　a　self…satisfied　grin。　〃Right　now　they　seem　willing　to　accept　the　facts　just　as　we've　presented　them：　Wolff　acted　on　his　own。　But　I　must　include　this　caveat：　these　are　relatively　low…echelon　personnel　we're　dealing　with；　and　I'm　certain　that　once　the　Regis　hears　of　this；　we'll　see　renewed　fighting…perhaps　on　a　scale　more　reminiscent　of　the　Robotech　War　than　anything　we've　experienced　here。〃

He　waited　for　this　to　sink　in　before　continuing。　〃As　for　what　we　can　do；　I　would　suggest　that　short　of　a　preemptive　strike　against　their　forces　right　now；　or　the　capture　of　the　Sentinels；　we　devote　all　our　efforts　to　the　construction　of　a　fleet　of　ships　to　rival　their　own。〃

Again；　there　were　arguments　and　objections　from　various　council　members；　but　Longchamps　silenced　these　with　his　gavel。　〃Would　you　be　willing　to　oversee　this　project；　General；　if　the　council　so　votes？〃

Edwards　inclined　his　head　slightly。　〃I　would　be　honored；　Senator。　Of　course；　I　would　require　the　full　cooperation　of　Dr。　Lang's　Robotech　teams　and　control　of　the　mining　operations　on　Fantoma。〃

〃Naturally；〃　Longchamps　said。　〃We　will　adjourn　to　consider　our　decision。〃

Edwards　grinned　in　spite　of　himself。　He　shifted　his　gaze　slightly　to　show　Lang　the　cold　hostility　in　his　eye。　Lang　tried　to　return　it；　but　could　not。

The　round　had　gone　to　Edwards。


In　his　hive　plex　on　Optera；　the　Invid　Regent　sat　alone　with　his　two　pet　Hellcats；　too　stunned　by　the　reports　of　his　simulagent's　murder　to　speak。　He　held　his　snaillike　head　in　his　hands；　sunk　deep　into　a　sense　of　despair　that　was　entirely　new　to　him。　Once　before　he　had　experienced　such　torment：　when　his　wife　had　confessed　to　him　her　love　for　Zor。　Betrayal；　he　thought；　in　the　soft　glow　of　the　room's　mo　sphere。

〃Your　Highness；　shall　I　give　the　order　to　attack？〃　a　lieutenant　repeated　cautiously。

The　Regent　regarded　the　soldier's　image　in　the　sphere　and　sighed　heavily。　〃No；〃　he　answered　quietly。　〃Return　the　fleet　to　Optera；　and　tell　no　one　that　I　live。　It　may　benefit　me　to　remain　hidden　for　a　while　longer。〃

〃But；　Your　Highness；　are　the　Humans　to　go　unpunished？　And　what　of　Tesla？〃

The　Regent　could　feel　the　lieutenant's　anger；　and　it　was　enough　to　refresh　him　momentarily。　He　had　not　been　pletely　abandoned；　then；　loyalty　still　lived。

〃For　the　moment　do　nothing　more　than　let　our　intentions　be　known。　Inform　the　Human　high　mand　that　we　hold　them　responsible　for　the。。。Regent's　death；　and　that　terms　for　a　cease…fire　will　not　be　discussed　until　the　Sentinels　have　been　brought　to　justice。〃

〃My　liege；〃　the　lieutenant　returned　with　a　note　of　reluctance。　He　offered　salute　and　shut　down　the　link。

The　Regent　placed　a　hand　on　the　homed　shoulder　of　one　of　the　Inorganics；　on　its　haunches　beside　his　chair。　〃My　pet；〃　he　said　aloud；　〃will　you；　too；　betray　me　someday？〃

Tesla　had　murdered。

He　found　it　almost　inconceivable。　Had　the　Sentinels　put　him　up　to　it　somehow；　or；　worse　still；　the　Regis？　They　were　known　to　have　seen　one　another　on　Praxis。。。Had　she　promised　him　something　then；　her　favorite　son？　Certainly　Tesla　had　undergone　some　sort　of　change；　if　he　was　to　believe　the　words　of　the　simulagent's　guards。　Perhaps　he　and　the　Regis　had　made　a　pact　to　rule　in　his　place；　and　as　a　sign　of　good　faith　she　had　evolved　him　some。　On　Praxis？　he　wondered。　Had　she　gone　there　to　carry　on　with　her　dangerous　Genesis　Pit　experiments？　He　would　know　soon　enough；　if　her　ships　suddenly　showed　up　in　Opteraspace。

But　in　the　meantime　the　Regent　thought　it　best　to　allow　the　Humans　to　go　on　thinking　that　one　of　their　own　had　assassinated　the　simulagent。　If；　as　they　maintained；　the　group　had　acted　alone；　it　showed　a　definite　carelessness　on　the　council's　part。　But　if　this　Edwards　had　permitted　it　to　happen…even　engineered　it；　as