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.He approached the emperor, had eyes for him alone."We've been holding a defensive position." Sweat slicked back his sandy hair.Pain faded the blue of his eyes."We can't hold it any longer, and I'll tell you, sir, that none of us wants to stage a full-scale war against what we're facing out there.And there's a Thrakian mother ship overhead, threatening to come in as well.They won't think twice about fighting."Pepys wet his lips."Vandover," he croaked, then took a sip of water from a glass Amber held for him."Where is Vandover?""Monitoring Ash-Farel activity.Something is happening out there.I've got to get to Colin.We can't wait any longer."Pepys licked his lips again."Speaker," he got out."Hook me up to a speaker."Jack watched the curtain of night.Flames of light spouted upward, orange-red against the blackness, then sputtered out.He could hear the percussion of explosions and the high-pitched singing of laser fire.His helmet bumped the hip of the suit.Against the relative silence of muted battle came the weakened voice of the emperor."This is Emperor Pepys.People of the Triad Throne, you work to your own undoing.Lay down your arms.Give our mission safe passage to search for St.Colin.I call on you to come to the bargaining table, not the battlefield."The message repeated endlessly for nearly half an hour.Jack replaced his helmet and focused his cameras and sensors, searching for a response to the message being broadcast.None came.He had not expected any.He opened his com line."K'rok.They're calling our bluff.Give the signal.Rawlins, prepare to move out.Lassaday—watch your nuts." He fell back, anticipating renewed attack.Inside the suit, sweat dripped off his brow.He felt suffocated.His thoughts and memories tangled again.Where was he? When was he? He was a Knight, for god's sake, fighting the "Pure" war.He held onto that tenet as if it were a lifeline and strode into the night.K'rok swelled out of his suit neckline as he removed his helmet."I am being sorry, Minister," he said to Vandover."We have done all we could, without a massacre."Vandover paced the length of Pepys' care unit, his long black robes alive with the movement like a pair of immense wings at his back.He gave the Milot an ugly stare."You don't win battles by retreating.""No, sir." The Milot met his look, baring yellow-ivory canines of immense length."But there will be another fight.""Where's Jack?" Amber asked quietly in the tense silence that followed K'rok's statement."He be coming in last.There was a suit down, and the Dead Man circuit was triggered.The armor is lost, but our man might be injured.Jack be looking for our lost man.""What about the Thrakian contingent of the guard?"K'rok gave an eloquent shrug which the Flexalinks copied, a wave of movement down the length of the battle armor.Whatever he might have said was lost in the commotion at the corridor's end as the doors were opened up to the outside and Jack came in, bearing an injured man in his arms."Let's get this man in a crèche."Fire and smoke framed him in the doorway.There was a moment of hesitation, then Rawlins leapt to his aid, his own suit gored and charred.Jack himself turned to secure the doors he'd come through.As they clanged shut, he removed his helmet and took deep gulps of air.Lassaday handed him a cold glass of beer.Jack took it and then grinned."Short rations, eh?"The sergeant gave a bellowing laugh in response before trailing his men to the care unit where they swiftly installed the wounded Knight.Jack watched them go before sucking down a deep draught.Vandover met him in the corridor outside Pepys' room."What now?""We don't shield, at least, not yet.Can't afford the power drain.This building can take an assault or two without damage." Jack paused for another drink.He rested the cooling glass against his forehead."We need time." He saluted K'rok with his drink."Commander.""Commander," returned the Milot.He shouldered past Jack and for a moment the corridor was filled floor to ceiling with battle armor.The Milot growled, "I could use one of those."Jack let him by.He smiled at Amber and Pepys and said, "It's going to be a long night."Vandover scowled heavily."What do you think you're doing?""Well, Baadluster, we're fighting the battle and right now, we're taking a break while the other side regroups and does some thinking.You see, up until now, we've only been deflecting them.We've done some heavy damage without being on the offensive [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]