Enkov: What about the troop build-up in Indonesia?
Hawthorne: We’ll leave them there for the moment.
Enkov: A week ago, you said they were our best men.
Hawthorne: Second only to Field Marshal Kitamura’s soldiers.
Enkov: Report on that, Field Marshal.
Kitamura: Honored Director, Japan will never fall. Our soldiers have dedicated their lives to Social Unity and promise to hurl back these Supremacist invaders. Three assaults have struck the home islands, at Kobi, at Tokyo and at Sendai in the north. Battle rages hottest in Tokyo—
Enkov: I’ve received reports they dropped nuclear bombs.
Kitamura: Tactical nuclear explosions of one and two kilotons, yes, Honored One—Precision nuclear strikes that destroyed our “deep-space” laser batteries.
Hawthorne: Beam weapons, Director, capable of hitting spacecraft in near-Earth orbit.
Enkov: Yes, thank you so much, General. I had assumed that’s what the “deep space” appellation meant.
Kitamura: Honored One, although they destroyed the laser batteries, they failed to destroy our Merculite missile battery. Six orbital fighters have fallen to our launches.
Enkov: Why didn’t they strike that with nuclear fire?
Hawthorne: They did after we scored the kills. But because of our new clamshell shielding—four thousand tons of blast-concrete—the nuclear strikes were shrugged off. Incidentally, several cities have the new Merculite missile bases, Tokyo among them. They were installed six months before the civil war and are among the few innovations the Highborn lack.
Enkov: They’ve attacked with nuclear weapons. Now we must retaliate likewise.
Hawthorne: I’m not convinced—
Enkov: You’ve wavered from the first, General. But now I insist we launch nuclear strikes at their main concentrations.
Hawthorne: Dedicated orbital laser stations protect their main troop concentrations, at least if they’re true to form. Any missiles or cruise missiles fired at those formations will surely be intercepted. Besides, as long as we refrain from nuclear launches we maintain the moral high ground or at least we’ll keep the propaganda value in our court. Most Outer Planets governments have stressed their wish for each of us to refrain from nuclear strikes. If we wish to woo Outer Planets—
Enkov: Meaningless if we’re defeated before then. In any case, that’s a political decision and well beyond your scope, General.
Hawthorne: Understood, sir.
Enkov: Now a moment ago you said something very interesting, Admiral. You said that the fleets will not be in position for a week. Is that correct?
O’Connor: It could take longer than a week, Director.
Enkov: Then we must strike their convoys with nuclear missiles now. I don’t believe they have dedicated orbital stations protecting all four thousand kilometers.
Hawthorne: Perhaps to initiate Operation Togo a few selected targets might be—
Enkov: No, General Hawthorne, before Operation Togo. These nuclear strikes will be made before. I want their supplies and troops stopped now.
Hawthorne: What you suggest is risky, Director.
Enkov: How do you mean risky? They’ve already struck with nuclear weapons.
Hawthorne: I wish to point out with very limited nuclear strikes. With clean, as far as radiation is concerned, weapons. Large nuclear exchanges between us could easily lead to an irradiated planet.
Enkov: Better that than fall to the Supremacists.
Hawthorne: We are not yet defeated, Director. So I beg you to reconsider this most dangerous process.
Enkov: Field Marshal Kitamura, please continue your report.
Kitamura: Most Honored Director, if you would look at the map. The fiercest fighting takes place here, in Greater Tokyo. Samurai Divisions have hurled the enemy from the nearest underground entrances and advanced a thousand meters. Tokyo volunteers even now stream into battle as Kamikaze squads.
Enkov: Explain that.
Kitamura: Brave men and women and even children are strapped with high explosives. They crawl near or among the enemy and detonate.
Enkov: Incredible! Such dedication must be rewarded. I want lists of all volunteers. Mark them down as Heroes of Earth.
Kitamura: A wise decision, Director.
Enkov: Please, continue with the report, Field Marshal. This is fascinating.
Kitamura: Our casualties are heavy, but our blood flows to oil the path for the rest. Social harmony fills their hearts and others sup at their selfless dedication to the future. In the north, Sendai fell after an hour’s battle, but the lines have stiffened here and here. My commanders have assured me that the arrogant invaders will not get past our Fukushima strongholds without massive losses. In the south, Kobi residents have begged my commanders to arm them and let them enter battle. My air fleets have taken sixty-percent losses, but we have destroyed five troop carriers and ten V-Boats. Give me more fighters, Honored Director, and Japanese pilots will score even more victories. Our deaths do not matter, just that we may save our social unity.
Enkov: Splendid, yes, inspiring. Air Marshal, have you rated success by nationality?
Ulrich: We have, Director. Japanese pilots have scored twenty-eight percent of all known successes. Next are the Germans, at twenty-five percent. American and Israeli pilots each accounted for ten percent. A word of caution is in order, however. While the Field Marshal is correct at the heroics and ability of his former pilots, they were also his best rated. It would be a mistake to ship too many fighters into Japan until the beginning of Operation Togo.
Kitamura: I am sorry, but I cannot agree, Air Marshal.
Enkov: General Hawthorne, has a troop’s nationality shown any difference in terms of ground performance?
Hawthorne: Most definitely.
Enkov: Japanese troops do well?
Hawthorne: Very.
Enkov: Then perhaps the Highborn actions become clear.
Hawthorne: You detect a pattern, Director?
Enkov: The Highborn do not hew to your strategies, General, because they do not think like you. Land is not paramount. Men are. Consider. Why strike at Japan? Might it be because the Japanese make better soldiers than the neighboring peoples do?
Hawthorne: Perhaps. Yet a conquered Japan also aims a strategic arrow at Beijing. While I don’t see how invading Japan at this time fits into their overall strategy, it is by itself not an unbalanced move.
Enkov: I believe they’re more concerned with taking out our best recruiting grounds, then taking those captive peoples and retraining them as Highborn surrogates.
Kitamura: The Japanese will never serve the hated Highborn. We are dedicated Social Unitarians.
Enkov: So did the Australian generals assure the Directorate, as did those holding New Zealand, Tasmania and Antarctica before them. Yet now these nationalities flock to the Highborn standards. You’re so fond of history, General Hawthorne. Didn’t the Japanese lick the American’s boots easily enough after World War Two?
Hawthorne: As the Field Marshal indicated, Director, Social Unity cures many ills.
Enkov: How refreshingly bold of you, General. Are you actually assuring me the Japanese won’t join the Highborn?
Hawthorne: I don’t intend on letting Japan fall to find out.
Kitamura: We will never fall! On this, I stake my life and reputation.
Enkov: I accept your pledge, Field Marshal.
Kitamura: Thank you, Honored Director. You will see that Japan loves you and honors your socially approved leadership. Even now new armies of volunteers train in the cities’ depths. We will boil out and overwhelm them!
Enkov: That, gentlemen, is the kind of zeal we need. Now, General Hawthorne, how soon until this grand
