Wing Commander #07 False Color William Forstchen (top 10 books to read .txt) 📖

evidence of what's going on to stop them, but they've covered their tracks awfully well. I know a lot of what they're trying to do, but I can't prove very much of it." He paused. "As far as I can tell, their plan is to stir up trouble out here on the frontier. They're doing everything in their power to embroil Kruger in a fight with Ragark, knowing full well that Kruger doesn't have a snowball's chance in Hell of stopping a full-scale invasion. But at the same time they're not letting the truth get out back home. When the Landreich falls, it will be another 'sneak attack' by the Kilrathi. Ten major colonies and all the people on them will be martyrs to the cause of resisting the Kilrathi hordes once again. They know that a show of support early on will probably make Ragark back off. He's no fool. So there is a concerted effort to keep Kruger and his people from getting so much as a hearing back home . . . and at the same time, they're already setting things up so that the blame for the Landreich's fall will be laid at the government's doorstep. Who disarmed the fleet? Who failed to respond to Kruger's warnings? So they'll have another war, and it will look as if the inept civil government is to blame. The perfect conditions to carry off the coup."

"It sounds plausible, I suppose," Bondarevsky said, dubious. "But you're ascribing an awful lot of power to these people. What do they need a coup for, if they've already got such a long reach?"

"They're powerful, but so far they have to operate very carefully, and from the shadows. And they didn't keep all of their original membership when they started this new phase. I'm convinced Dave Whittaker died because he couldn't go along with this new plan." Tolwyn slumped back in the chair again. "At least I hope that's why. I'd like to think that, in the end, he really was the same man I remembered."

"But they still want to use you?"

"I think so. I'm pretty sure they see me as a figurehead to give their regime an air of respectability. And look how they've set me up for it! They can blame the court-martial and my subsequent disgrace on the short-sighted civilian government. When they sweep into power I'll be the military man who was the victim of the civilian leader's meddling, rescued and reinstated by the saviors of the Confederation."

"MacArthur," Bondarevsky said. "A lot of people would have supported him after he clashed with Truman in the Korean War."

"Exactly," Tolwyn said. "I suspect I'd only last long enough to give them time to get a grip on things. Then some 'enemy of the people' would assassinate me, paving the way for tighter control and more repression."

"They're still playing a dangerous game. You don't have much left to lose by airing what you know,"

"Ah, but right now I'm so thoroughly discredited that nobody would believe me without some damned convincing proof. And these people play dirty, Jason. Why do you think I sent Kevin out here ahead of me? I figured he'd be the first one they'd target if they thought I was getting dangerous to them. Out here they can't touch him. I think."

"Okay, I see all of what you're saying. But I'm still not sure where Karga fits in to all this, or why we should risk our people in what looks like a lost cause."

"Come on, man, think." Tolwyn sounded exasperated. 'Terra's one hope is if the situation here in the Landreich doesn't develop the way the conspirators have planned it. If we can just hold Ragark back, stop his invasion scheme, we not only save the Landreich, we also buy time to fight the conspiracy. They can't mobilize without Ragark's fleet orbiting Landreich after a bloody campaign that violates the Treaty in a big way. And that supercarrier is our last chance to hold the Cats back. Without it, Kruger doesn't stand a chance. We have to get her back in service, Jason. Without her, we're not just looking at the end of the Landreich. We're looking at the fall of the Confederation to a pack of tyrants a hell of a lot worse than Thrakhath ever would have been. He would have exterminated the human race . . . but this lot will do worse. They'll extinguish everything we believe in, turn the Confederation into a tyranny, maybe ignite a civil war. Better to die fighting the Cats than to live to see a military junta deciding the fate of mankind."

Bondarevsky didn't respond right away. His eyes were on Tolwyn's shadowy figure, but he was focused on something infinitely farther away . . . Terra.

All the arguments against proceeding with Goliath were still there. It would be dangerous even to complete the survey, much less to attempt to disarm the self-destruct system so they could start repairs on the Karga. And the job was going to be even bigger than they had supposed, given what they had seen so far. Just understanding enough of the Kilrathi design philosophy to know how to attempt those repairs was going to be murder . . .

An idea stirred.

"Maybe there's a way we can balance out the odds against us," he said slowly. "Maybe . . ."

"What do you have in mind?" Tolwyn asked, his interest clearly piqued.

"I just realized, sir, that we have access to a collection of genuine experts on Kilrathi ship design. They might be able to help us disarm that destruct system . . . and they could certainly help us with the repair job."

"The Kilrathi you picked up from the planet? Why should they work for our side?"

He thought back to his conversation with Graham and Murragh, and smiled. "Maybe this time, Admiral, it's us who'll be joining their side for a change."

"Go to it, then," Tolwyn said with a smile.

Saluting, Jason withdrew and Geoff turned his