With two of their squadrons annihilated, here and at Hone-bar, maybe the Naxids would start to suspect that the loyalists had developed a new superweapon that could stamp out large forces at a single go. Martinez tried to console himself with the grim hope that the Naxids would spend a lot of time and money trying to figure out just what the weapon was.
Alikhan arrived, full of praise for the behavior and skill ofIllustrious’ s petty officers and weaponers, then he helped Martinez change into full dress for the captain’s supper. At Fletcher’s table Martinez was placed between Michi and Chandra Prasad. Relief and victory made the talk loud and joyous, a joy fueled by wine and toasts offered by the officers. When it came time for Martinez to raise his glass, he offered briefly, “To our comrades on theBeacon, ” and for a moment the cheer at the captain’s table ebbed.
For the rest of the supper he remained silent unless spoken to, and without difficulty ignored the press of Chandra’s leg against his own.
After the meal, Martinez returned to his room and tossed each item of clothing to Alikhan as he removed it. “The ship’s doctor brought something for you, my lord,” Alikhan said, and indicated a packet on the tabletop.
Martinez opened the packet and rolled a thick capsule into his hand, a sleepsniff. “Why did the doctor bring this?” he asked. “I didn’t tell him to—”
“He brought it on the squadcom’s orders, my lord,” Alikhan said. “She wants you to get a good night’s sleep. She told me I’m not to disturb you in the morning until you call for me.”
Martinez looked at the object in his hand.
“You and Lady Michi, I think you’re a good team,” Alikhan said.
Without words, Martinez raised the sleepsniff in his two hands and broke the capsule under his nose. The bitter taste of the drug coated the back of his throat as he inhaled.
“You’ve been very busy these last days, my lord,” Alikhan said as he collected the broken capsule and dropped it in the cabin’s waste slot. “I’ll bet you haven’t even taken a look at the Maw.”
“The Maw?” Martinez repeated dumbly. He could already feel the drug stealing over his mind.
“I’ve always found it an impressive sight,” Alikhan said. “I’m sure you remember from whenCorona was in the system.” He turned on the video over Martinez’s bed and switched the overhead tactical display to the feed from the cruiser’s outside cameras. “There we are, my lord. Sleep well.”
“Thank you,” Martinez said. He slid into his bed and Alikhan turned off the room lights as he made his way out.
Martinez stared up at the Maw, the ruddy luminous circle of supernova ejecta that dominated Protipanu’s sky. The picture feed was fantastically detailed, and he could make out details of the Maw’s architecture, luminescent swirls, mysterious dark clouds, smoky pillars.
He closed his eyes, and saw the faint glow of the red ring on the insides of his eyelids.
Much better, he thought, than seeingBeacon die all night, over and over.
It was his last thought for many hours.
With the red light of the Maw leaking through the view port, Lieutenant Shushanik Severin sat in the hushed silence of the control room and watched the Naxid squadron destroyed in ripples of distant fire. Knowing approximately when the battle was about to take place, he had brought his crew and his lifeboat back to the Protipanu system, drifting through the wormhole with engines dead and every passive sensor combing the darkness for the signs of combat.
When he’d left Protipanu three days earlier he’d steered straight for the Seizho wormhole station. The station had been abandoned, but it was still full of supplies, and for two days his crew had luxuriated in warm beds, unlimited hot showers, shaved chins, and giant meals.
His superiors on Seizho, Severin suspected, didn’t quite know what to do with him. He had disobeyed orders when he moved the wormhole, and so they would be justified in instituting disciplinary action; but on the other hand his action had prevented the system from being attacked by a Naxid squadron, and he had returned to Seizho with a load of intelligence and a field promotion from no less than Squadron Commander Chen. They decided, apparently, to follow Lady Michi’s lead, and sent congratulations and a series of commendations. Severin was to be awarded the Explorer’s Medal, and his crew the Award of Righteous Conduct.
Other news was less encouraging. The Naxids had taken Zanshaa.
His crew was surprised that, with the fall of the capital, the war would actually continue, but as soon as Severin heard the news he realized at once what Chenforce was hoping to accomplish: a massive raid into the enemy heartland while the Naxids were pinned down defending the capital. Severin approved. The plan had a devious flair that he found very much to his taste.
Returning to Protipanu had been his own idea. He hadn’t asked permission, merely informed Seizho that he was going. He would be on the other side of the wormhole before any objections reached him.
Now, as the sensors showed him ten enemy ships vaporized and seven loyalist survivors burning for Wormhole 3, Severin was pleased that he’d made the decision. He could inform the empire of another loyalist victory, ten enemy ships destroyed at the cost of a single warship. It might not reverse the blow that was suffered by the loss of Zanshaa, but it might help to boost the morale of the population and give any defectors second thoughts.
And Chenforce had used some interesting tactics to accomplish its victory. Severin was going to have to think about those.
Severin made certain that the lifeboat’s computers had successfully saved and duplicated the recordings of the battle, and then ordered the maneuvering jets to turn the lifeboat’s bow toward the wormhole, then the engine startup countdown resumed.
While he waited for the engine to fire he sent a message to the loyalist squadron. Knowing there were no longer any Naxids in the system to overhear, he used radio and sent his message in the clear.
“This is Lieutenant Severin to Squadron Commander Chen,” he said into the camera, and allowed a grin to break out on his face. “Congratulations on your sensational victory!” he said. “I’m in the system temporarily as an observer, and as soon as I return to Seizho, I’ll transmit a full record to the authorities.” He paused, his grin fading, and then added, “I hope you’ll forgive my presumption in mentioning this, my lady, but I suggest that you double check the location of Wormhole Three as you approach. The Naxids may have moved it, the same way I moved Wormhole One.
“I’ll have left the system by the time this message reaches you. My best wishes for the success of your mission go with you. Message ends.”
The message was sent flying into the darkness just as the engine fired, and Severin instinctively raised a hand to keep his face from being splashed by a rain of cold water. There was no splash of water: the condensation had evaporated days ago.
Severin laughed. Life wasn’t simply good, it was interesting. Andinteresting was the best thing of all.
SIXTEEN
Ten days after the fall of the ring, the first message came to Zanshaa from the Naxids. Sula stepped over the empty iarogut bottles in the hall and entered the backup apartment at Riverside to find Spence and Macnamara watching the wall video.
“It’s been going on for most of the last hour,” Macnamara said. “The Naxids are changing the administration of Zanshaa.”
The video showed a Daimong announcer, who was reading the same announcement over and over. The choice of a Daimong was a good one, Sula thought—that fixed face couldn’t show emotion, and if there were emotion in the voice, only other Daimong would detect it.
“Lady Kushdai, Governor of Zanshaa under the Committee to Save the Praxis, has given the following orders,” the Daimong said. “A series of appointments are now commanded. Lord Akthan is appointed vice-governor, and will proceed at once to take possession of the Lord Senior’s quarters, and to form a government for Zanshaa until Lady Kushdai can take up her post in person. Lord Akthan will have full powers to appoint and dismiss officials. Lady Ix Jagirin is appointed to command the Interior Ministry. Lord Ummir is appointed Minister of Police. Lady Kulukraf is appointed head of the Ministry of Right and Dominion, with power to command all Fleet resources in the Zanshaa system…”
“Now we know the conspirators on the planet,” Macnamara said grimly. His hands flexed as if it were closing
