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."I almost believe ye, Shellie.""I do believe him." Caitrin materialized out of the cavern's dimness, and Lantu looked up at her, wondering if he should feel gratitude."It's the truth.' His eyes hardened as horror banished apathy."Tell me exactly what he said he'd do."Angus sat silently, letting Caitrin describe their conversation with Admiral Antonov while he watched Lantu.For the first time since his capture (if that was the word) the Shellhead seemed alive, his questions sharp and incisive, and Angus realized he was finally seeing the admiral who'd almost broken the Resistance."Huark's a fool," Lantu said at last, folding his arms behind him and pacing agitatedly."The sort of blind, bigoted fanatic who'd actually do it."`Sae I ken.But what's tae be done? They've started killin' in the camps again, and he's no likely tae stop if the Corps doesn't land.""They ve resumed camp executions?" Lantu's spray of facial scales stood out darkly as he stared at Angus."Aye.They started the day after ye.disappeared.Tis that makes me think ye re tellin' the truth, Shel - Admiral."Under other circumstances, Angus's sudden change in address might have amused Lantu.Now he scarcely noticed."I think you'll have to invade anyway, Sergeant MacRory.""And nave him nuke the planet? Are ye daft?!""No, and you and Corporal MacDougall should understand if anyone can.You escaped from the Inquisition." Lantu didn't even flinch as Angus's eyes narrowed dangerously."I know what you must have endured, but it means you've heard first-hand what the Church teaches.""Aye," Angus said shortly."It's a lie.Lantu's voice was flat."I know that now, but Huark and Shamar don't, and you can't leave defeated people who believe in the jihad in control of this planet! They've killed almost a million people when they thought they were winning - do you think they're going to stop now?""Sae it's die slow or die fast, is it?" Angus asked wearily."No! It can't end that way! Not after - " Lantu shook his head."I won't let them do that," he grated."And how d'ye mean tae stop "em?""I may know a way - if you trust me enough."Antonov cut the connection, blanking out the images of MacRory, MacDougall, and.the other.He swung about and faced the officers seated at the table.They an looked as nonplused as he felt.They'd all hoped for, and expected, a resistance movement to welcome them when they arrived as liberators - but a Theban defector hadn't been part of the picture.Especially not the Theban who commanded their fleet until Redwing, he thought grimly.The Theban who directed the massacre of the "Peace Fleet." He'd been certain the Thebans had gotten a new commander after Redwing; the old commander was the last individual he'd ever expected to meet, much less to find himself allied with."Well, ladies and gentlemen," he growled, "we've heard the guerrillas' - or, rather, Admiral Lantu's - plan.Comments?""I don't like it, sir," Aram Shahinian said with the bluntness that was, as far as anyone knew, the only way the Marine general knew how to communicate."We're being asked to send down a force of my Raiders, lightly equipped to minimize the risk of detection, and put them in this Shellhead's" - the New Hebridan term had caught on quickly - "hands." He almost visibly dug in his heels, and a hundred generations of stubborn Armenian mountaineers looked out through his dark-brown eyes."I don't like it," he repeated."And I," Kthaara put in, through his translator for the benefit of those not conversant with the Tongue of Tongues, "most emphatically do not like being asked to trust a Theban.""But what's the alternative?" Tsuchevsky asked."The guerrillas know Huark better than we do.They seem convinced he'll carry out his threat if we invade, and if we bombard, we'll merely be slaughtering the planet's population ourselves.We may as well let Huark do it for us! This plan involves risks - but does anyone have another idea that offers a chance of retaking the planet without civilian megadeaths?"Winnifred Trevayne looked anguished."We've already neutralized their space capability," she began with uncharacteristic hesitancy."So Huark could pose no threat to our rear.We could simply proceed on to Alfredn ow."No." Antonov cut her off with a chopping motion."I will not leave the problem for someone else to have to deal with later.And I will not leave this planet in the hands of a nihilist like Huark, to continue his butchery until someone with balls finally makes the decision I should have made!" He looked around the table, and at Kthaara in particular."I don't trust this Lantu either - but Sergeant MacRory and Corporal MacDougall do seem to.And that they trust any Theban, after what they and their people have been through, must mean something!"General Shahinian," he continued after a moment's pause, "your objections are noted.But we will proceed along the lines proposed by the New Hebridan Resistance.This decision is my responsibility alone.You will hold your full landing force in readiness to seize all cities and re-education camps' as soon as the raiding party reports success - or to do what seems indicated if it does not.""Aye, aye, sir." Shahinian knew Antonov well enough to know the discussion was closed."I have an officer in mind to command the landing party- - a very good man.""Yes," Antonov nodded, ` I think I know who you mean.See to it, General.And," he added with a slight smile, "we're going to have to do something about Sergeant MacRory, so have your personnel office prepare the paperwork.It won't do to nave a sergeant in command of the liberation of an entire planet!" He looked around."Does anyone have anything further?""Yes, Admiral." Kthaara spoke very formally, looking Antonov in the eye.The translator continued to translate, but this was between the two of them."I request to be assigned to the landing party." He raised a clawed, forestalling hand."No fighter operations will be involved, so I will be superfluous in my staff position.And since, as General Shaahniaaaan has pointed out, powered combat armor is contraindicated for this mission, my" - (deadpan) - "physical peculiarities will present no problem."Antonov returned his vilkshatha brother's level stare.He knew Kthaara would never trust any of Khardanish'zarthan's killers, none of whom he'd yet had the opportunity to avenge himself upon in the traditional way of whetted steel.And, Antonov knew, any act of betrayal by Lantu would be the Theban's last act."Request granted, Commander," he said quietly.Angus stood in the windy dark, praying the Raiders had plotted their jump properly, for LZ markers were out of the question.Their window would be brief, and if any surviving scan sat detected anything.Streaks of light blazed suddenly high above.The big assault shuttles burned down on a steep approach, charging into the narrow drop window with dangerous speed, and he held his breath.The plunging streaks leveled out, dimmed, and swept overhead, then charged upwards once more and vanished.He waited, alone with the wind, then stiffened as a star was blotted briefly away.Then another and another.Patches of night fell silently, then thudded down with muffled grunts and curses, and he grinned, recalling night drops from his own time in the Corps, as he switched on his light wand.It glowed like a dim beacon, and a bulky shape padded noiselessly up to him."Sergeant MacRory?" a crisp Old Terran voice demanded, and he nodded."Major M'boto, Twelfth Raider Battalion
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