Metal Swarm - Kevin J. Anderson [123]
She rolled her eyes. 'I don't think they're blind, and I don't think they're stupid. Let's try for a little restraint and subtlety, all right?'
Her dropship settled on a landing pad made from a flattened section of reef. Willis emerged, forcing a smile for Allahu and his handful of Rhejak representatives. She hoped she could negotiate a peaceful resolution. 'I don't suppose you'd like to shake hands and have a conversation over a drink? I'll even provide the booze if that's your preference.'
'It's not my preference,' Allahu said. Overhead, ship after ship streaked past with an ominous drone. 'No part of this is. We're a small colony. We don't have squadrons of bureaucrats and attorneys, but I do know that what you're doing is patently illegal.'
'Depends on which set of laws you're looking at, Mr Allahu, and I don't intend to debate the matter. It's out of my hands. Rhejak produces many vital exports, and the Hansa Chairman said that you followed improper procedures in declaring your independence. Now that the hydrogue war is over, we'll just have to coexist until the Hansa is back on its feet again.'
'You mean the Confederation, Admiral. The Hansa isn't much of anything anymore.'
'The Hansa issues my paychecks, and so I'm here.' Out in the water she saw giant shelled creatures, rafts anchored near broad seaweed beds, and industrial elemental-separation towers that gleaned metals out of the water. She was frankly amazed at how beautiful Rhejak was. Her standard briefing had talked only about the list of local assets the Hansa considered desirable. She would have to station her own people in the major facilities to ensure continued production. 'We'll stay out of your hair as much as possible, I promise you.'
Allahu put his hands on his hips, sceptical. 'And how do you propose to do that? Where will you put all these people?' He gestured toward the two dropships and the numerous vessels still circling in the air.
'I can see you don't have enough landmass for all of us, so we'll build our own pontoon rafts. With EDF ingenuity, we can figure out how to make barracks that float.'
Seventy-six
Davlin Lotze
Sheltered by sandstone overhangs, Davlin had made a comfortable, if austere, hiding place for fifty-three refugees who had slipped away from the Llaro settlement. Steinman's arrival made it fifty-four. '
All Davlin had wanted was to retire and live a normal life as a normal person, but conflicts in the Spiral Arm kept drawing him back in. Now he found himself stuck being a leader and rescuer again.
Davlin had selected the most defensible grotto in the bluffs, high above the deep wash. Ever resourceful, he had rigged a power source that provided light and heat. He and two Roamers had expanded a seep in the back sandstone wall, adding a hollow tube and a filter so that they had a thin stream of fresh water. It was barely enough to meet their needs, and wouldn't be sufficient as the group grew larger.
From grasses and lightweight wood scavenged out on the plains, the refugees had fashioned a few comforts - mats, cushions, pieces of crude furniture. Everyone worked to keep the group alive, though with few amenities. Sometimes Davlin felt as if they were castaways on a deserted island, but not merely isolated. They had to keep themselves hidden from the Klikiss.
Steinman was amazed. 'I built a place like this for myself on Corribus. Well, with the help of that girl, Orli Covitz.' He paced around, prodding the furniture, poking into the food stockpiles, taking a deep sniff of some dried pods and berries the refugees had gathered. 'Of course, this is a little nicer, more sheltered. And a lot more people.' He scratched his matted hair. Weeds and bits of grass were tangled in it, but Steinman didn't seem to mind.
'We didn't have a lot of choice.' Davlin looked at the families packing up their bedding for the day, the cooks trying to scrounge just one more meal from their meagre supplies. At least they were away from the Klikiss. 'If our one Remora had stardrive