Horizon Storms - Kevin J. Anderson [172]
Eventually, frustrated and disappointed with each other, Eldon and Roberto had parted company. Roberto had taken Hurricane Depot to great success, and Eldon had designed new ekti-processing reactors for Berndt Okiah’s skymine. And there, the hydrogues had killed him…
Today, according to the projected schedule, Nikko Chan Tylar was due to arrive, but the young man was usually late because he got easily distracted along the way. Roberto kept a landing bay open for Tylar’s ship, but he didn’t count on using it anytime soon.
The next group of ships that arrived, however, was not at all what Roberto expected. As soon as he saw the full-scale EDF battle fleet, his astounded reaction was similar to what his brother must have felt when the hydrogues rose up to destroy the Erphano skymine.
The large Juggernauts kept themselves safely outside the orbiting rocks, but scout ships, minesweepers, and Thunderhead weapons platforms blundered into the danger zone, using their weapons to blast away debris and clear a wider channel so that the Mantas could descend to the central depot.
Knowing what the Eddies had already done to Raven Kamarov’s ship, Roberto instantly realized they were after more of the Roamers’ hard-won ekti stockpiles. Damned pirates! “I guess picking on single ships is no longer good enough for you. Whetted your appetite for more, did it?”
He triggered evacuation alarms throughout the main station and sent warnings to any incoming Roamer craft. Cargo ship captains raced to their vessels. Within minutes, three spacecraft had already launched, dispersing quickly. Roberto was grateful to see them get away.
General Lanyan, the head of the Eddies, sent a smug transmission. “This facility is currently under Hansa interdiction, by order of Chairman Wenceslas. All matériel, resources, and privately owned vessels are hereby confiscated in the name of King Peter for use by the Earth Defense Forces.”
Opening the communications channel himself, Roberto stood from his seat, suddenly self-conscious that he wore sloppy, casual clothes, and that his belly made him appear less than imposing compared with the EDF commander. “General, it doesn’t matter whose name you invoke—your King and your Chairman have neither jurisdiction nor authority here. The Roamer clans never signed the Hansa Charter. This depot is a privately owned facility, and you have no right to lay siege to it or confiscate our possessions.”
Despite his bluster, Roberto knew that with all those battleships, the General could simply swarm in and take whatever he wanted. Roamer security depended on camouflage and secrecy, but they had no real defenses. Now that the EDF had discovered Hurricane Depot, the Roamers were all just cornered rabbits.
The General scolded him. “Our war against the hydrogues gives us the justification to take vital war supplies. According to some broader definitions, you scum are part of the human race, too. You should be ashamed of yourselves for not doing your duty.”
“Because you provide such shining examples of Hansa decency? You’re nothing more than thieves.”
On the image screen, Lanyan gave him a cold smile. “Thieves are motivated primarily by greed. We, however, have a legitimate claim on these resources, and the law is on our side.”
“The law? Whose law?”
“The treaties your ancestors signed when they departed on the Kanaka.” Lanyan cited chapter and verse, explaining the terms accepted by the forefathers of the Roamer clans. “You are still bound by those agreements. Therefore, we are impounding your stored stardrive fuel and taking your cargo escorts and other spacefaring vessels that we can turn to military use.”
Manta cruisers pulled up against the large station. Lanyan continued: “I advise you to allow us access to the docking ports. If we don’t receive your cooperation, we’ll use our jazers to open this place like an aluminum can, and then we’ll take whatever floats