Horizon Storms - Kevin J. Anderson [100]
“No chance, General. If memory serves, that young man was the grandson of Maureen Fitzpatrick, one of my predecessors as Hansa Chairman—and also among our toughest leaders. She’s still alive and still wields a great deal of power. I wouldn’t want to cross her by using her grandson as a scapegoat.”
“Then have the King do it,” Lanyan said. “He knows nothing of what we just discussed. He has plausible deniability.”
“Deniability maybe…but not believability. Much to my annoyance, King Peter is intelligent, and he’d see through my plans in a minute. In any case, the moment the people or Speaker Peroni suspect he’s lying, our credibility crumbles. But that’s beside the point, General. No matter what really happened, we cannot admit culpability. It would be political suicide in this time of war.
“You’re seeking to find a solution by appeasing the clans, and I’ll have none of it. I want to make it clear that the Roamers are the villains here. Though I don’t personally condone your act of piracy, they were the ones who made such desperate acts necessary, by starving us for fuel.”
The General agreed. “The clans have always caused us problems, Mr. Chairman. Did the Hansa ever officially grant them independence?”
“Not as such. They simply declared themselves free and have acted that way for centuries. Now, however, this unreasonable embargo of theirs could be the fulcrum for resolving the matter of the clans once and for all.”
Soldier compies continued to file along the corridor, waiting for dispersal to EDF battleships. Sixty Manta rammers were currently being built out in the asteroid belt shipyards, and many of these compies would be placed aboard them. Plans against the hydrogues were proceeding as well as could be expected, but setbacks with the Roamers had caused an entirely new set of difficulties. As Hansa Chairman, he couldn’t allow that.
“In a war that has been filled with embarrassments and tragedies, we should choose a second campaign that we can easily win. Create an enemy that we can defeat, then defeat them utterly. The people will see it as progress, as victory—even though it isn’t a key issue at all.”
“But the hydrogues—”
“The hydrogues have been hammered by three more Klikiss Torches. And now, if we conquer the shifty Roamers, it will be a bright new day for the Hansa, don’t you think, General?”
Lanyan did not seem entirely convinced. “I…suppose so, sir. This is a significant shift in policy. You have not advocated such outright aggression before.”
“Always before, General, the machinery of the Spiral Arm functioned well enough that we could choose to be subtle. Now, however, the major components are no longer fitting together like clockwork, and we require the force of a crowbar to clear the jam.” He gave the EDF commander a thin smile. “I just want everyone to fall into line so that we can march smoothly to the future.”
“Yes, Mr. Chairman.”
Basil folded his hands together. “We will step up our campaign to demonize the Roamers, pointing out how they’ve let the human race down again and again. Their recent embargo is only the most egregious example. Never forget that we have the moral high ground, and any means we use to bring the clans into the greater family of the human race again will be justified. Be creative. Feel free to be ruthless, but come up with a plan.”
As soon as Lanyan nodded, Basil waved him away. “You are dismissed, General. I’ll just stay here and look at the compies for a while.”
Chapter 51—PATRICK FITZPATRICK III
With the rings of Osquivel arching overhead, Fitzpatrick bent over and looked skeptically into the Roamer grappler pod. Zhett Kellum slid into the pilot’s chair, buckling her safety restraints in a smooth motion. Her fingertips ran across the controls, activating the warm-up systems. She glanced impatiently over her shoulder. “Well, are you going to get in, Fitzie? Or didn’t the EDF teach you boys how to