Deathstalker 08 - Deathstalker Coda

them out of this. Make them see how wrong they are. But we’re forbidden to make contact.” She could feel her hands clenching into impotent fists, and made herself relax. A captain couldn’t afford to appear unsettled or uncertain before her crew. Especially just before a major engagement with the enemy.
    “Any point in talking to the admiral again?” said Fortuna.
    “No,” Vardalos said reluctantly. “Admiral Shapiro is old school, strictly by the book. He’d shoot his own family if the Emperor ordered it. He wouldn’t even question an order, never mind consider bending one.”
    “The rebel fleet would appear to be a lot bigger than we were led to believe,” Fortuna observed. “Though far be it for me to suggest that our intelligence is anything less than perfect.”
    “Oh, heaven forfend,” said Vardalos. “And just look at all those craft from Virimonde and Mistworld. I don’t even recognize half of them. God alone knows what they’ll be capable of in a fight. Or what nasty surprises they might have in store for us. Let us all pray very fervently that our stealth fields continue to hide us until the very last second before we attack. Because we’re going to need every advantage we can get. “
    “We have to stop the rebel fleet, Captain,” said Fortuna. “And as quickly as possible. The Empire can’t afford to be distracted, with the Terror still on its way.”
    “I know that! Why don’t they know that? A civil war is madness, under current conditions!”
    “Under any conditions,” murmured Fortuna, with a significant look.
    “Of course,” said Vardalos. You never knew who might be listening, these days. And making notes.
    “Almost makes you wish Owen was back, so he could deal with the Terror,” said Fortuna.
    “Don’t even go there,” said Vardalos. “Matters are complicated enough as they are.”
    “But what if . . . what if this battle wipes out both fleets, Captain?” Fortuna said suddenly. “What if there is no winner? Who then will protect homeworld? From aliens, and rebels, and the coming of the Terror?”
    “That’s why we have to win,” said Vardalos. “Damn those rebel bastards, for putting us in this position! The rebellion must be put down. For the sake of all Humanity.”

    Admiral Silence knew the Imperial fleet was on its way. Their stealth fields couldn’t hide them from his Maze-enhanced mind. Dead reckoning and a certain amount of creative thinking gave him a pretty good idea of where the other fleet was, and its composition. He’d shared this knowledge with the rest of his fleet, and was a little dismayed at how quickly they all accepted his word. This legend of his was definitely getting out of control. He had his comm officer send out messages of friendship and offers for truce on all channels, but no one answered. Not even when Silence spoke to them personally, trying to trade on the power of his legend.
    “They must be listening,” he said finally, giving up. “Why don’t they believe me?”
    “It is rather a lot to ask of them, Admiral,” said Captain Price, who had somehow found a reason to return to the bridge. “Couldn’t you . . . show them that it’s really you? Perform some wonder to prove you really are who you say you are?”
    “I don’t do wonders,” said Silence. “What do you want me to do? Stroll across the open space between us and hammer on their door, demanding to be let in? Actually, Carrion probably could have done that. And Owen . . . but I’m just me, and I’ve been a man too long to give up its comforts. Still, the Imperial ships are definitely out there. I can feel them . . . some of my old abilities are beginning to surface again. I just know I could stop all this insanity, if I could only talk to them! We’re all navy men. We understand about the madness of politicians. But it seems . . . there’s no way out. Good men and women are going to die today, on both sides. God damn you to Hell, Finn Durandal.”
    Price cleared his throat uncertainly. “If you can feel the presence of the Imperial fleet, Admiral, perhaps you could work with the ship’s AI to plot out best guess estimates for enemy ship positions and capabilities?”
    “Not a bad idea, Captain. Ozymandias! Talk to me.” They waited, but there was no response. Silence called again, but the usually chatty AI was silent. With growing alarm, Silence discovered that the ship’s AI wouldn’t respond to any form of communication, on any level. Basic