the communications watch reported. “That’s no ship. Not a crewed object, either. Assess the source of the signal to be an automated traffic management assistant.”
“Why didn’t we spot it before now?” Desjani demanded.
“It seems to have been out here a long time, ma’am. Very heavily pitted. Preliminary sweeps assessed it as most likely an ancient piece of debris drifting through the system.”
Geary, pondering how that description also matched the last century of his own existence, rubbed his chin as he studied the display. The closest ship to the object, the cruiser Ardent, was less than a light-minute away. That thing won’t be equipped with weaponry, but it might have stuff that’ll help the Syndic base track us, and it could have a self-destruct capability that could damage any ship that wanders too close. Better safe than sorry. “Ardent, this is Captain Geary on the Dauntless. Get rid of that thing.”
Then he had to wait almost two minutes for a response. “Ardent, aye. It’s gone.” Geary watched his display, knowing that it would be several minutes at best before he’d see the indications that Ardent had blown away the satellite.
“Should we answer the signal, Captain Desjani?” the communications watch persisted.
She looked to Geary again. “It must’ve sent a report to the base.”
“Yeah. That report will arrive a little after they get visuals on us, I guess.” Geary thought the problem through, aware that he was setting in motion events and decisions that would play out for the next several hours. He tried not to think about how many lives in Corvus System and the fleet rested on what he decided now.
“Captain Desjani,” Geary stated carefully, thinking again of the shocked defenders of Corvus System. “Please inform the Syndic authorities that we are here to accept their surrender. Broadcast that through the entire system.”
She gave him a puzzled and disappointed look. “So far, everything indicates there’s very little in the way of defenses here, and what they have is hopelessly outdated. Defeating them won’t be hard at all.”
“No. But we’ll get a lot more supplies and usable parts off of them if they surrender quietly than if we have to smash them into submission. We may even convince them to pony up more if they think it’ll keep us from wrecking everything in this system.”
“Isn’t it better to ensure that their capability to resist is eliminated?”
“No.” Geary shook his head firmly. “Losing the Syndic assets in this system would mean nothing to the Syndicate Worlds, but every ship damaged and weapon expended here means something to the Alliance. We’re better off winning without a fight. If we broadcast a surrender demand now, it’ll arrive everywhere in the system about a half hour after our presence has been detected. They’ll have had time to realize how much force we have relative to them, time to get really scared, and that’s when our demand will arrive.”
Desjani still looked disappointed but held back whatever else she’d intended arguing. A few minutes later, Dauntless broadcast the message as the Alliance fleet continued falling toward the inner system at a tenth of the speed of light.
Geary watched his display, willing time and distance to pass more quickly. The Syndic base should’ve spotted the Alliance fleet by now, but even if the nickel corvettes got moving immediately, the Dauntless wouldn’t see that movement for another ten minutes. He concentrated on his own ships, trying to sort out the tangle of movement vectors so he could figure out how well they were doing at getting into formation. Judging from how hard it was to read their movements, his ships weren’t doing all that well. Granted, the fleet’s speed made repositioning more difficult, but still the individual ships seemed to be doing a poor job of straightening themselves out.
“The Syndic commander has responded to our demand that they surrender,” Captain Desjani grumbled.
“Okay.” Geary checked the time, confirming that the response to his surrender demand must’ve been sent very quickly. He took a moment to pick the right control, then found himself gazing at the image of an elderly man in an obsessively neat but worn Syndic Executive Class Officer uniform.
The Syndic Executive visibly gulped, but he shook his head and tried to look resolute. “This is to acknowledge receipt of your transmission. Your request must be denied. I am not permitted to surrender any forces or installations within this system. Transmission end.”
Oh, for… Geary let out an exasperated breath. “Our request must be denied? Is he kidding? It sounds like he thinks we asked permission to hold a dance.”
“In a few more hours we’ll bring his headquarters down around his head,” Desjani replied cheerfully.
“Maybe. Until then, there’s no reason I can’t keep trying to get the idiot to see reason.” Geary almost smiled at Desjani’s expression. “Don’t worry. I won’t beg.”
“I didn’t-”
“Don’t worry about it. Let me send this transmission personally.” Geary paused to order his thoughts, then pressed the right command sequence. “This is the Alliance fleet, Captain John Geary commanding, entering Corvus System. We’re here to accept your surrender,” Geary announced, not missing the irony of his demand after the Syndic CEO had used pretty much the same words to him a few weeks ago. “As you can tell from our arrival vectors, we’ve come from the Syndicate Worlds home system. Our work there is done for now.” Geary tried to put the right amount of victorious arrogance into that misleading statement. If the Syndic commander thought it meant the Alliance had trashed the Syndic home system, it might help overawe him. “We expect all Syndicate Worlds military forces and any local forces to lay down their arms, deactivate defensive systems, and cease any form of resistance. It should be obvious to you that we have more than enough firepower to enforce our demand, and that any resistance on your part would be meaningless. Failure on your part to surrender quickly guarantees the futile deaths of your defenders and serious damage to installations within this system. I expect your next message to be an agreement to surrender.”
He leaned back, looked toward Desjani, and shrugged. “If that doesn’t get through to him…”
“A hell-lance will,” Desjani finished.
“Yeah. If it comes to that.” Geary frowned at the display. “Still no movement by the corvettes as of ten minutes ago. Interesting. They’re just maintaining the same positions in orbit relative to the Syndic base.”
“Perhaps they’re planning to use them as part of the perimeter defense of the base.”
“That’d be awfully dumb, tying down ships into static defensive positions, even if we didn’t outnumber them so hugely.” He studied the picture. “I think there’s another reason, but-”
“Syndic cruiser detected orbiting the fourth planet!” the recon watch announced.
“Just one?” Geary watched the report scroll in. He didn’t recognize the class of the light cruiser, but the system declared it to be an obsolete design. “Are these specs right?”
A dozen people on the bridge hurriedly checked. Desjani answered for them all. “Yes, sir.”
“Wow. Look at the propulsion system on that thing! Why’d they stick so much propulsion capability on a light cruiser?”
Desjani frowned, studying the data. “We don’t know. The design hasn’t been encountered and is known only through intelligence sources. Apparently, only a few of those were built, and if they saw battle, the records didn’t get back to us.”
Geary nodded absently, thinking that the only reason the records wouldn’t have gotten back was if the Alliance force involved had been cut to ribbons. The light cruiser wasn’t heavily armed, though. It just had that honking big propulsion system. Hopefully I won’t have to worry what the idea was behind that. If the Syndic commander surrenders, I can ask someone. Otherwise, that cruiser will be a lot of junk floating in close formation after we blow a million holes in it. “The cruiser and the corvettes are still hanging around the planet. That’s a hopeful sign.”
