Metal Swarm - Kevin J. Anderson [61]
'I'm not interested in public relations or how kindly the soldiers are viewed. They've got a job to do, and we've got our own rations.'
Ruvi shrugged. 'Whatever you say. You're the boss.'
'Show me your list of colony worlds. Do you keep dossiers on the people who went to each planet?'
'General, we processed thousands every day. Once they come here, they've already signed up for the Initiative and been cleared by the Hansa. We just ship them out. Were you looking for someone in particular?'
'No, just choosing the first target.'
'Target? What are you planning?' The man's smooth brow wrinkled like a leathery accordion.
'We are simply going to each planet to assist the colonists in remaining loyal to the Hansa.'
The control room in the cliff city held the large flat stone wall framed by tiles marked with strange symbols. Lanyan skimmed the portable datascreens, calling up image after image of the planets that were deemed acceptable for human settlement. He studied how many people were sent to each world, reading the projected outlook for every settlement.
Since he was the EDF's General, Lanyan would lead one of the first expeditions and take along an overwhelming force for that all-important initial impression. Leaving only a handful of men behind at the colony, he would bring the rest back to Rheindic Co, from which he would mount another expedition, and another.
He began to take notes, jotting down estimates for the peacekeeping forces that would be required in each place. A bucolic planet called Happiness had been settled by a few neo-Amish colonists and would likely pose no trouble at all. Passively independent, yes, but only because they paid no attention to Spiral Arm politics. The larger, more established settlements might have delusions of blatantly declaring their independence from the Hansa.
A planet that seemed most in need of watching was Llaro, which had first served as a resettlement station for the evacuees from Crenna and later added a whole population of Roamer detainees. He could bring a few hundred troops there with impressive armaments and uniforms, give a good show of force, have a military parade. Noting that a detachment of EDF troops was already stationed there, he decided that they should be capable of keeping a few colonists in line, even if the settlers proved to be unruly.
Searching for a better alternative, he smudged the screen with his finger. This one. Pym. It's a good place to start.'
Pym had easily accessible metals and a wealth of minerals. Its salt flats and crystalline deposits could come in useful in the Hansa's rebuilding efforts. The EDF had to squeeze supplies and building materials from anywhere they could find them.
Once Lanyan locked down Rheindic Co, then Pym, and then dozens of others, the Hansa could begin full-fledged industrial operations, shipping materials, or possibly even completed vehicles or engine components, through transportals to where the EDF most needed them. This could really turn things around.
Thirty-five
Adar Zan'nh
As the Solar Navy bombarded the black robots on Maratha, Adar Zan'nh took care to protect the structural remnants of Secda, hoping that someday Ildirans would rebuild their resort world. He did not hesitate, however, to annihilate every one of the hive tunnels, half-made battleships, and alien constructions the robot invaders had assembled.
The black Klikiss machines had been planning a massive offensive. Against humans? Against Ildirans? Zan'nh didn't particularly care. Through painful experience, the Adar knew he could not trust the murderous robots. The Mage-Imperator had instructed him to recapture Maratha as part of repairing the lldiran Empire, and he would not depart until he had achieved that goal.
The first two passes of his warliners vapourized the embedded plasma cannons. Smoking craters and collapsed frameworks marked where the partially assembled spaceships had been. Curved alloy girders drooped