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humorless Covenant Scots regiments chewed through their infantry, while
Friedland armor squadrons cut across the flank and far into the rear,
destroying their supply lines and capturing the headquarters. Washington's
army had not so much been defeated as dissolved, turned into isolated groups
of men whose enthusiasm was no match for the iron discipline of the
mercenaries. In three weeks they'd lost everything gained in two years of war.
But yet - the planet was still only thinly settled. The Franklin Confederacy
had few soldiers and couldn't afford to keep large groups of mercenaries on
occupation duty. Out in the mountains and across the plains the settlements
were seething, and ready to revolt again. It would only take a tiny spark to
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arouse them.
"We've a chance, Colonel. I wouldn't waste our money and risk my people's
lives if I didn't think so. Let me show you. I've a map in my gear."
"Show me on this one." Falkenberg opened a desk drawer to reveal a small input
panel. He touched keys and the translucent gray of his desk top dissolved into
colors. A polar projection of
Washington formed.
There was only one continent, an irregular mass squatting at the top of the
planet. From 25°
North to the South Pole there was nothing but water. The land above that was
cut by huge bays and nearly landlocked seas. Towns showed as a network of red
dots across a narrow band of land jutting down to the 30° to 50° level.
"You sure don't have much land to live on," Falkenberg observed. "A strip a
thousand kilometers wide by four thousand long - why Washington, anyway?"
"Original settlers had ancestors in Washington state. The climate's similar
too. Franklin's the companion planet. It's got more industry than we do, but
even less agricultural land. Settled mostly by Southern U.S. people - they
call themselves the Confederacy. Washington's a secondary colony from
Franklin."
Falkenberg chuckled. "Dissidents from a dissident colony. You must be damned
independent chaps."
"So independent that we're not going to let Franklin run our lives! They treat
us like a wholly owned subsidiary, and we are not going to take it!"
"You'll take it if you can't get somebody to fight for you," Falkenberg
reminded him brutally.
"Now, you are offering us transport out, a deposit against our return, minimum
troop pay, and land to settle on?"
"Yes, that's right. You can use the return deposit to transport your
noncombatants later. Or cash it in. But it's all the money we can offer,
Colonel." And be damned to you. You don't care at all, but I have to deal with
you. For now.
"Yeah." Falkenberg regarded the map sourly. "Are we facing nukes?"
"They've got some but so do we. We concealed ours in Franklin's capital to
make it a standoff."
"Uh-huh." Falkenberg nodded. The situation wasn't that unusual. The CD Fleet
still tried to enforce the ban for that matter. "Do they still have those
Covenant Highlanders that whipped you last time?"
Bannister winced at the reminder. "Goddamn it, good men were killed in that
fight, and you've got no right to - "
"Do they still have the Covenanters, Mr. Secretary?" Falkenberg repeated.
"Yes. Plus a brigade of Friedland armor and another ten thousand Earth
mercenaries on garrison duty."
Falkenberg snorted. No one thought much of Earth's cannon fodder. The best
Earth recruits joined the growing national armies. Bannister nodded agreement.
"Then there are about eight thousand Confederate troops, native Franklin
soldiers who'd be no match for our
Washingtonians."
"You hope. Don't play Franklin down. They're putting together the nucleus of a
damned good fighting force, Mr. Bannister - as you know. It is my
understanding that they have plans for further conquests once they've
consolidated their hold on New Washington. "
Bannister agreed carefully. "That's the main reason we're so desperate,
Colonel. We won't buy peace by giving in to the Confederacy because they're
set to defy the CoDominium when they can build a fleet. I don't understand why
the CD Navy hasn't put paid to Franklin's little scheme, but it's obvious
Earth isn't going to do anything. In a few years the Confederates will have
their fleet and be as strong as Xanadu or Danube, strong enough to give the CD
a real fight."
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"You're too damn isolated," Falkenberg replied. "The Grand Senate won't even
keep the Fleet up to enough strength to protect what the CD's already got -
let alone find the money to interfere in your sector. The shortsighted
bastards run around putting out fires, and the few Senators who look ten years
ahead don't have any influence." He shook his head suddenly. "But that's not
our problem. Okay, what about landing security? I don't have any assault
boats, and I doubt you've the money to hire those from Dayan."
"It's tough," Bannister admitted. "But blockade runners can get through. Tides
on New
Washington are enormous, but we know our coasts. The Dayan captain can put you
down at night here, or along there ..." The rebel war secretary indicated a
number of deep bays and fiords on the jagged coast, bright blue spatters on
the desk map. "You'll have about two hours of slack water.
That's all the time you'd have anyway before the Confederate spy satellites
detect the ship."
XV
ROGER HASTINGS DREW his pretty brunette wife close to him and leaned against
the barbecue pit. It made a nice pose and the photographers took several
shots. They begged for more, but Hastings shook his head. "Enough, boys,
enough! I've only been sworn in as mayor of
Allansport - you'd think I was Governor General of the whole planet!"
"But give us a statement," the reporters begged. "Will you support the
Confederacy's rearmament plans? I understand the smelter is tooling up to
produce naval armament alloys - "
"I said enough," Roger commanded. "Go have a drink." The reporters reluctantly
scattered.
"Eager chaps," Hastings told his wife. "Pity there's only the one little
paper."
Juanita laughed. "You'd make the capital city Times if there was a way to get
the pictures there. But it was a fair question, Roger. What are you going to
do about Franklin's war policies?
What will happen to Harley when they start expanding the Confederacy?" The
amusement died from her face as she thought of their son in the army.
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