"You're wrong, Miss Trevanon, but I can certainly understand your reasons for thinking that way. After all, would an inhabitant of medieval Europe have seen the nation-states of later centuries as a desirable thing? I doubt it. The fact remains that the human race has always been the best off when it was the most united. It is a shame the sun had to flare and short circuit the whole unification process. By now we would all have been one big happy family instead of ten thousand warring fiefdoms."

"You want to see the human race united, but only with yourself on the top of the heap," Kimber muttered.

"Someone has to be on top," Dalishaar replied reasonably. "Why not us? However, I digress. Let me explain why I came here. To do that, I will have to tell you something of Alliance politics.

"All of us are agreed on the desirability of unifying Saturn. What we do not agree on is the method. There are as many factions in the council as there are councilors, but mostly, we gravitate toward two major contending points of view. My faction believes unification is best sought through slow, careful persuasion."

"Through subversion, you mean!"

Dalishaar held up his palms to the sky. "Isn't that a form of persuasion? We work with groups in other cities who believe as we do. We assist them in achieving power over more reactionary elements, and then accept them lovingly into our association.

"Our model for unification is the way in which the solar system originally formed. That is, we believe in a slow accretion of the primordial gas and dust of humanity into a united, stellar whole! That is why we call ourselves 'Accretionists.'

"There is another group in the ruling council that disagrees with us. They are impatient with the rate of progress and wish to speed things up. These are the Militarists. As the name implies, they are very strong in the Navy. They see overt conquest as the best way to a single, unified Saturn. It was the Militarists, for instance, Miss Trevanon, who engineered the forceful incorporation of New Philadelphia into the Alliance. You were present during that battle, I believe."

Kimber noticed the sudden reddening of Halley's features and quickly asked, "What has all of this to do with us?"

"Quite a lot. You see, it was also a Militarist scheme to raid Cloudcroft. Not only did it cast my administration into a very bad light, it set up the conquest of the Glasgow Cluster. Both have served to strengthen the Militarists. Then, of course, there was the result of the raid entirely unforeseen by anyone."

"What was that?""The Militarists' possession of the energy screen data. I fear that if nothing is done, they will sweep me from power as soon as they have disposed of the fleet your father is gathering."

"Where do we fit in all of this?"

"I want you to help me stop this insane war!"

There was a long silence in the apartment. Dalishaar gazed at each woman in turn, regarding them as he would two opponents on the council. Their hostility was something to be channeled, turned, and eventually used for his own purposes. It galled him to have to deal with the people who had so thoroughly ruined his plans. Still, politics did indeed make strange bedfellows.

"Are you so sure the Alliance will lose the coming battle?" Kimber asked.

"Not at all. I think the Navy has an excellent opportunity for victory."

"Then why stop the war?"

"Because, Miss Crawford,they will win it; notI . If they overcome this threat to us, there will be no stopping them. Besides, there are no certainties in war. How many ships and lives will be lost even if we are successful?"

"Are you suggesting that you will surrender to my father?"

Dalishaar smiled. "Hardly. I am suggesting that the Militarists are the common enemy here. If I can break them in council, there will be no need to fight. Everything will return to normal. We of the Alliance will continue proselytizing, Titan can return to its commerce, the other cities of the NTB can go about their business. No one need die and no cities or ships need be destroyed."

"What about us?"

"You will be set free with my personal guarantee that you will not be bothered again."

"And you will go on gobbling up cities," Halley concluded.

Dalishaar shrugged. "We cannot change our nature. We believe in our principles as much as you do, Miss Trevanon. However, with the energy screen in general use, it will no longer be possible to take a city by storm. Gentler methods will be required."

"And you want us to help you?"

Dalishaar nodded.

"What about Dane?"

"Who?" the first councilor asked, genuinely puzzled for the first time.

"Halley's fiance," Kimber said. "He was killed in the Battle of New Philadelphia." She went on to explain the circumstances.

"I am truly sorry, Miss Trevanon. However, it was not I who killed him. It was the Militarists. I am giving you an opportunity to take revenge against them.""What does helping you entail?" Kimber asked.

"Miss Trevanon must testify to what she knows of the raid. She will have to do so under truth serum and before the full council. It would also help if she can obtain Captain Sands's testimony in the same manner."

Halley bit her lip and looked stubborn. Kimber was pensive. "You implied that you will make the energy screen data available to all."

"I will," Dalishaar responded. "That is, if we can get the secret away from the Navy. Otherwise, no one will have it."

Kimber looked at Halley. "What do you think?"

"I think we would be fools to trust him."

"It could stop the war."

"Is that a good thing? Better to destroy them now and get it over with. Later they will be too powerful."

"You saw some of the parks we passed through on our way here. There were children playing in them.

Do they deserve to die just because their elders don't have the sense to keep their hands off other people's property?"

Halley hesitated. Shehad seen the children. There had been other people, too. Lovers strolling beneath trees anchored in planters and through flower choked paths. Old people who had sat on benches and admired the way The Arch glowed overhead.

The fight going on inside Halley was evident on her face. Kimber had never seen such a tortured look before. After long seconds that seemed an eternity, Halley's features softened and the furrows between her eyebrows smoothed out. "Right. It is worth a try. What do you want from me?"

"I want you to tell me everything you know about the raid. We will do it under truth drugs later. I mostly want to know what it is I have to work with now."

Halley began speaking. She told Dalishaar how Mikal Blount had approached Lars in a bar aboard Port Gregson. She then told of what she knew of the two men's meeting, and how they had left Port Gregson to rendezvous with the airships near the Dardenelles Cyclone. She discussed the preparations they had made before hiding the ship in the cloud wall, and how they had launched themselves into the dark toward a distant Cloudcroft. She ended with a detailed account of the raid.

"Thank you, Miss Trevanon. That will help immensely. The Militarists overstepped the bounds considerably with this matter. With your testimony, I should be able to have several of them dropped over the side. I must now see about getting in touch with your father to arrange a truce..."

Dalishaar's features went suddenly blank. He cocked his head as though listening to something that neither Kimber nor Halley could hear. It was obvious that he had an implanted comm unit, one that had just activated. He sat immobile for perhaps ten seconds before visibly shaking himself. His features had gone suddenly white.

"What is it?"

"The Navy reports that your father's fleet is on the move. The airships have left the gathering point and are entering the flyway.""If you will give me a communications line, perhaps I can talk to my father."

"Yes, that might work! We need to turn back that fleet while I call a session of the ruling council."

"Call your session first!"

A whine crept into Dalishaar's voice. "Don't you see that is impossible? Too many council members serve with the fleet or are otherwise involved in the defense. They will never leave their posts while danger impends. Unless we can stop those ships, there will be no one to hear my charges against the Militarists!"

Chapter 33: Infiltration Team.

Grand Admiral Jerzy Samorset scowled at the hapless Marine major who stood before him. It was a look to wilt even the most hardened combat veteran. The officer in question had not yet reached the knee shaking stage, but was beginning to perspire as he stood at attention.

"All right, Major. Tell me again how it happened."

"Sir! A squad of civil security police arrived at 18:00 last evening and presented the Officer of the Watch with a writ ordering the transfer of prisoners 1795 and 1796 to the civil authorities. The O.W.

immediately called me in the duty office to apprise me of the situation. I then attempted to raise either you or Admiral Blount on the command circuit. Unable to do so, I proceeded to the prison level. By the time I arrived, the civil police had removed the prisoners from their cells and had shackled them for transport.

I challenged the officer in charge, who showed me his writ. It was in order and was signed by the first councilor himself. Since the paperwork was correct, and since I was unable to contact higher command, I had no choice but to yield the prisoners, sir."

"You could have refused the order, Major."

"But, sir,it was signed by the first councilor ! Surely you aren't suggesting that I refuse a direct order from lawful authority."

"You could have found a reason to avoid complying. They had just come from Earth and were in the prison hospital, for God's sake! You could have told the civils they were in quarantine or something."

"I ... I guess I didn't think of that, Admiral."

"You should have. Those were very valuable prisoners, Major. They had information vital to the prosecution of the coming battle. Their loss to the civil authorities might well hamper our efforts to repulse this damned coalition of gnats arrayed against us. Lucky for you that I need every able bodied man on the line or else I would transfer you to the city reactor guard force. You are dismissed, Major."

"Yes, sir!" The major saluted and then quick marched out of Samorset's office.

The admiral watched him go. A moment later, a second door opened and Mikal Blount strode in. His expression matched that of Samorset. Blount had been with his squadron on perimeter patrol when Samorset's summons had reached him. The news that Kimber Crawford and Halley Trevanon were now in Kelt Dalishaar's hands had not set well with him.

"The man's a fool," Blount said as he dropped into the guest chair in front of the grand admiral's desk."He was doing his duty," Samorset replied, "damn him for it! What do you suppose Dalishaar is up to?"

"You know as well as I why he wants those prisoners. He's going to use them to bring charges against us."

"Are you certain of that, Blount?"

"Care to take the chance?"

Samorset leaned back in his chair and rubbed the bridge of his nose with a finger. He had broken it years earlier while serving as a midshipman aboard the oldCloud Chaser and had never had it fixed. Finally, he said, "No, we can't afford the risk. Things have moved too far to be caught now. You'll have to eliminate those two witnesses."

"Yes, sir. I had already reached that conclusion."

"Too bad you didn't reach it while still on Earth. It would have saved us considerable trouble."

"Yes, sir. I made a mistake bringing them back with me. All I can say is that it seemed a good idea at the time. Remember, Larson Sands is still the greatest threat to us by far."

"We can always the hope he will be killed in the coming battle."

"Or else captured," Blount replied. "I'd better arrange to see that he is dealt with quickly and quietly if he shows up among the prisoners."

"You do that," Samorset responded absentmindedly. "What news of the enemy fleet? I haven't had an update in over an hour."

"No change, Admiral. They have entered the flyway and are proceeding west in battle order. Numerous smaller ships have disappeared into the cloud walls, undoubtedly to set up an ambush at the place and time of their choosing. We are working on counter strategies."

"And those Titanian freighters?"

"No change. They are still orbiting peacefully."

"All right," Samorset said. "Things are stable for the moment. That won't last long. We need to clear up this problem of the witnesses before the battle starts. How will you go about it?"

Blount told him. The admiral listened quietly. When Blount finished, Samorset said, "A good plan, but it might be embellished a little."

"How so, sir?"

"We've been intercepting infiltrators for weeks now -- a total of seven at the last count. How many more got through?"

"No way to know," Blount replied. "We'll learn the worth of our security when the enemy fleet draws to within attack range."

Samorset nodded. The enemy infiltrators' purpose would have been clear even if they had not captured and interrogated several. Their job was to disrupt the Alliance defense at the last minute. Samorset and Blount's job was to see that any disruption was minimized."What if these enemy agents were to attempt to rescue the prisoners? If something went wrong, the two women could well be killed in the attempt."

Blount smiled. "I understand, sir."

"I don't believe you do, Admiral." Samorset explained what else he had in mind. Blount's smile got larger with each word.

Larson Sands sat on a bench in the park that fronted Government Tower. He gazed up at the building that had been his target so many months previous. At the summit, invisible in the night sky, was the habitat barrier onto which his people had parachuted the night of the raid. Funny, but Government Tower looked taller from below than from above. It must be an optical illusion, he decided.

There were lights on all over the building. The Alliance government was working late tonight, as they had every night recently. Rather than hinder the rescue mission, the presence of so many government functionaries would actually help them. With normal schedules fractured, people would be used to seeing unfamiliar faces. To further aid in the confusion, they would strike at the beginning of the evening meal break; a time when a steady stream of people would be leaving the building for the dozens of small restaurants that surrounded Government Tower.

"Are you ready, Sands?" a voice asked from behind him. He turned to see Rugillio Caen striding up a flower bordered walkway. Like Sands, the infiltration team leader was dressed as a maintenance man.

He carried an oversize toolbox on a shoulder strap.

"Ready," Lars replied. He stood up, gathered his own tools, and joined Caen as the other walked past the bench without breaking stride. Caen was displaying an identity badge that proclaimed him a computer maintenance man. Sands reached into his own breast pocket and extracted a similar badge. "What about the others?"

"They will be coming in from the sublevels. We'll meet on second level near the computer center."

"Right."

They walked openly up the long stairs that were part of Government Tower's deck level facade. They entered the main lobby of the building and walked directly to the security checkpoint.

"Computer repair," Caen said as he handed the guard his identity badge and work order. The boredom in his tone matched his bored look. Sands did his best to emulate him.