Metal Swarm - Kevin J. Anderson [210]
Jora'h stared at the Earth military ships blocking his way. 'Yes.
If they will not move, we have no choice but to strike at them. Prepare to fire--'
The EDF Juggernaut took the decision out of his hands. The big battleship shot without warning, dealing the warliner's engines a crippling blow.
'In the command nucleus, Solar Navy officers backed away from their sparking panels. The warliner lurched as more impacts resounded through the hull. Nira clutched her potted treeling to keep it from shattering on the deck. Jora'h stumbled into the command rail as the deck tilted beneath his feet. 'Why are they firing on us?' Feeling the faeros fire through the , he could barely think straight. Ildira itself was in terrible trouble. 'Get us out of here!'
'Our engines don't respond, Liege.'
'Open fire! Target their Juggernaut. Do whatever it takes to break us free.' His mind continued to spin. On this mission of peace and contrition to Theroc, he had not imagined he might find himself engaged in a war.
'Our engineer kithmen are already on the main decks, Liege. They do not know if they can effect repairs in time.'
Despite the thrumming heat and pain coming from her treeling after the faeros had struck Kolker, Nira needed to dispatch a report of what was occurring here. The Mage-Imperator was being attacked. Perhaps King Peter or some of the Roamer ships, even a verdani battleship, could rush from Theroc and offer assistance.
The image of an EDF admiral appeared on their screen. 'I'm Admiral Esteban Diente, and I extend an invitation to the Mage-Imperator. We'd like to have him join us.'
An invitation? You have fired upon my flagship. That is an act of war against the Ildiran Empire.'
Diente's face was stony. 'Chairman Wenceslas wishes to discuss matters of mutual interest with you, sir. I have instructions to escort you with all due honours to Earth.'
'I refuse! I have just learned of a crisis on Ildira. I must return to the Prism Palace without delay.'
'That is not an option, sir. Since your engines are damaged, we will tow your vessel.' Heavy-duty tractor beams had already attached themselves to the warliner's hull. Jora'h felt a jolt as the EDF ships tightened their grip.
'We're being kidnapped,' Nira said.
'And Mijistra is in flames!' Jora'h turned to face Diente on the screen. 'My need is urgent. You must let me return to Ildira. Now!'
Diente sounded so reasonable, he must have rehearsed his words many times. 'You have already spoken with the leader of an outlaw government. The Chairman, Earth's authorized representative, simply wishes equal time to confer with you.' Without letting the Mage-Imperator respond, Diente closed the channel and refused further requests for communication.
Jora'h was trapped, and his warliner could go nowhere. His beloved Palace was becoming an inferno of Rusa'h's revenge!
With a lurch, the warliner began moving. The Hansa battle group dragged them off toward Earth, and Jora'h could do nothing about it.
One hundred and twenty-nine
Margaret Colicos
Amidst the clash of the subhives on Llaro, the escaping humans were noticed no more than dust motes in a whirlwind. Insect warriors ripped apart their rivals, and the Llaro Klikiss pitted their strange weapons against equally odd destructive devices created by the invading subhive.
The escapees followed corridors, trying to circle around the loud and violent fighting zones. When they dodged two colliding Klikiss warriors, one of the spines nearly skewered Robb. Tasia managed to yank him away before the spine could do more than gash his back.
'Some would find the thought of humans being squashed by insects ironic,'DD observed.
'Not now, DD,' Margaret said.
More spiny attackers from the rival hive poured in, taking advantage of the new transportal frame, while smaller groups marched through the old trapezoidal wall in the ancient Klikiss city. Margaret noted a definite difference in the two opposing groups. The invaders had an older body design with blue and red blazes across their carapaces. The fighters in the Llaro subhive