Horizon Storms - Kevin J. Anderson [56]
Cesca continued, “Every one of our tests and analytical procedures has verified the unmistakable hand of the EDF. Jazers did this. The Big Goose has grown desperate enough to commit acts of outright murder and piracy against Roamers.”
Then she let the clan leaders think through the implications on their own.
“Arrogant bastards!” potbellied Roberto Clarin cried. He was the manager of Hurricane Depot, which had been Kamarov’s last destination.
“It could have just been one hothead,” Anna Pasternak suggested. “We don’t know if this is a new policy of the Big Goose.”
“Do you put it past them? We can’t ignore this!” Crim Tylar said.
“The Hansa is responsible for what their strong-arm military does.” Clarin’s plump face was practically purple. “Somebody knows what happened to Raven’s ship, and nobody’s bothered to confess to it.”
“Do you think they took Raven captive?” Alfred Hosaki said. “Do you think he’s a prisoner on one of their hellhole penal colonies?”
“Oh, why would they do that?” Fred Maylor asked, always cautious.
“So they could interrogate him, find out information about us. Damn, he was a friend of mine!”
“He’s dead!”
Cesca let them shout comments for a while without any rules of order, before she seized control of the meeting again by raising her voice. “It’s time to look to your Guiding Stars. The main question is, what are we going to do about it?”
“I say we stop selling them ekti, that’s for sure,” bellowed Clarin. “Nothing from my depot is ever going to fuel their pirate ships again. We’ve got little enough stardrive fuel for our own purposes. I say we quit doing business with thieves and murderers.”
The Roamers shouted and argued, most agreeing with the sentiment, but Cesca cautioned them. “Be careful here. The clans need trade with the Big Goose. We get half of our high-tech and industrial materials from them.”
“Not to mention the income. They’re our best customers for ekti,” Pasternak said. “They squawk about the high prices we charge, but they always pay.”
Fred Maylor calmly pointed out the obvious. “Except when they blow up our vessels and steal the ekti for themselves.”
Crim Tylar scowled. “About a dozen ships are unaccounted for since the hydrogue war started. Who believes that Raven’s was the first, or the only one, to be hit by the Eddies?”
Cesca maintained a brave face, all too aware that Jess Tamblyn’s ship had also disappeared without a trace. Could he too have fallen victim to an EDF attack?
“Personally, I don’t need trade with murderers!” Maylor said with a sniff. Several of the other clan leaders grumbled their agreement.
“Shizz, it’s not as if we have an actual surplus anyway.” Clarin crossed his arms over his ample belly, still simmering with anger. “We get our ekti through high risk and lost lives. My own brother died at Erphano, before we even knew what the hydrogues were up to. I say we dig in our heels until such time as the Big Goose changes its ways and grants us the respect we deserve.”
“How long can it be before they come crawling back to us?” Hosaki asked. “They don’t have any other source of fuel.”
“Sounds like a foregone conclusion to me,” Anna Pasternak said.
The discussion shot back and forth among the clan leaders as they worked themselves into a greater anger. Cesca tried to be calm and firm, attempting to steer them away from a regrettable course of action.
“We need to be cautious and consider the consequences. I’m concerned this will backfire. The Eddies have already proven their willingness to use extreme violence against us. What if this triggers further raids on defenseless clan ships or outposts? We all could suffer a great deal—”
“Speaker, we’ve got to show them they can’t push us around.” Maylor rarely got himself so worked up.
“Uh, but they can push us around, if they really want to,” Hosaki mumbled. “They have a huge military and a lot of ships. We wouldn’t be able to stand against the Eddies if push came to shove.”
“They can’t push us if they don’t know where to find us. Since when have Roamers ever been easy to locate?