Metal Swarm - Kevin J. Anderson [116]
It was as if light poured down through the lines of telink, mingled with new soul-threads that blazed with an afterglow of the Ildiran Lightsource. Even from across the parsecs, Kolker could hear Yarrod's gasp, could imagine his face shining with wonder. 'This is… unprecedented. It is unbelievable!'
'Believe it. Share it. All green priests can be part of this. All humans can experience it.'
Kolker could almost feel his friend's pulse quickening, his breaths deepening. 'I will share it. I'll tell the other green priests. Thank you, Kolker. Thank you!'
Seventy
General Kurt Lanyan
The Jupiter returned to Earth, but not to a victory parade. Chairman Wenceslas was not going to be pleased. Not at all.
General Lanyan had never been afraid of a good stand-up fight. He had faced impossible odds against hydrogues, Soldier compies, and black Klikiss robots. But this was different. Instead of securing a few small colonies for the Hansa, he'd blundered into a new war against a race he had never seen before. If the bugs swarmed to Hansa worlds, then the EDF had to be prepared.
Carrying its battered crew of soldiers and rescued colonists, the Juggernaut stopped off at the Mars EDF base for processing and debriefing, while he commandeered a fast in-system Remora to race back to Hansa HQ. It bought him some time. Lanyan knew there was no way he could keep the debacle under wraps. With the numerous witnesses, not to mention the casualties, people would find out sooner or later.
He used his command overrides to get through the layers of security and landed his ship directly in front of the Hansa pyramid. He bulldozed his way through the halls, pushing aside moat dragons, protocol attendants, and calendar specialists who frantically sent messages up the line. Once he reached the higher levels, Deputy Cain took one look at him, decided to run interference, and scheduled an immediate meeting with Chairman Wenceslas.
The Chairman came out into the hall to meet them before they could reach his office. 'I do not like to have my carefully ordered day interrupted, General.' Basil stood straight-backed in the middle of the grey-carpeted corridor. The General felt a thick knot of fear in his stomach - a different kind of fear than he experienced in battle.
Many of the office doors were open, and Hansa administrators, ambassadors, and upper-echelon staff peered out at the commotion. Basil glared at them. 'A little privacy please.' Up and down the hall, the workers ducked back into their offices and the doors shut in a staccato succession.
'Since you've returned well ahead of schedule and are in a great rush to give your report, I can only assume I'm not going to like what you have to say.' He crossed his arms. 'Or maybe you'll surprise me. I'd like that for a change. Do you have good news? Did you complete your mission?'
'No, Mr Chairman.' Lanyan cleared his throat to begin his grim summary, but Basil lifted a hand.
'I thought not. So tell me, exactly how many of our colony worlds did you consolidate before you decided to return? Ten? Fifteen?'
'None. We went only to Pym, where we encountered--'
'None'? Of nearly two dozen worlds on your list, you went only to Pym? Did you at least manage to leave a force on Rheindic Co, which was already ours to begin with?'
'No, sir. We destroyed the base and the transportal on
Rheindic Co. It was necessary to keep everyone safe.'
'You destroyed our main hub to all the transportal worlds?' Basil rubbed his temples, he seemed to be wilfully missing Lanyan's point. 'So another failure, just like Admiral Willis. I give my EDF simple missions and sufficient manpower and weaponry. Why must I--'
The General raised his voice. 'Mr Chairman! We have a