"Tenners." Snow Leopard was pale and tense. He rose as Lowdrop left the room. Then he slowly resumed his seat.
Silence settled over the capmod.
"That was fun," Dragon declared.
"The dox is not bad," Psycho observed with a wry smile. The others were silent.
"Well, let's hear it, Snow Leopard," Dragon said calmly. "Don't keep us in suspense."
"We're not going to like this, are we, One?" Merlin had probably already figured it out.
"Make them understand…" Warhound repeated. "I liked that part. He was talking about us, wasn't he?"
"If it involves killing O's, you won't get any problems from Gamma," Boudicca observed quietly. "So let's hear it, Beta."
"Right, listen up." Snow Leopard let his gaze wander over us all. "You're right, Merlin. Nobody's going to like it. But that doesn't matter. This mission is of critical importance to the entire war. This is the most important mission that has ever been entrusted to us. And we are going to accomplish it or die—it's that simple. We're not going back without killing an O. You can all just make up your minds about that—there's only one way back. And I don't want any bitching and whining along the way. We're not going to argue with any aspect of the ops plan—even if it upsets us a great deal. We're just going to keep our mouths shut, and follow orders, and do our best to survive, and accomplish the mission." One was really working himself up. His hot pink eyes were almost spitting sparks, and his pale face was starting to glow red.
"You understand that, Gamma?" Snow Leopard glared at Boudicca.
"I speak Inter!" Boudicca snapped back, the color rushing to her face.
"Good—because these orders are in Inter, and they are perfectly clear."
"You don't have any right to question Gamma's loyalty!" Boudicca objected. The Legion cross on her forehead was throbbing.
"I just want to make it clear—to everyone in this room—that we are going to follow our orders, to the letter. These orders are NOT open to debate. With that clearly understood, I will now inform you of a few details which Two Four One did not mention."
I could hardly wait. Snow Leopard had our respect and he knew it. He was not in the habit of lecturing us on the necessity of following orders. Whatever he had to tell us had to be very shaky.
Snow Leopard slowly took a sip of dox. He carefully put his cup down, and spoke. "We're going in on a Systie-registered private freighter. It will have a crew of Systie civs, but they'll be under Legion control. There'll be a Legion half-squad on the ship for security—they'll be topside when we drop. The ship will have port clearance—it's a profiteer, dropping in to make a fast fortune evacing refugees. We'll drop in a Systie aircar. Some of you are familiar with the aircar. It's the same girl who took us off Andrion 3. Redhawk assures me it's now a very hot ship."
"That's a big ten, sir." Redhawk lit up like a lamp. "She's panting on the sheets."
It didn't sound so bad to me. A Systie ship, but under Legion control. We could do that.
"Who's the half-squad?" Boudicca asked.
"Two-Three Delta. They're a good bunch. They were on the Andrion 3 drop with us."
"And the Systie crew—they're with us?" Coolhand wanted to know.
"That's a ten. They're under Legion control."
"What does that mean?" Boudicca interrupted.
"It means they'll be there when we ask for extract," Snow Leopard replied. "That's what it means."
"We can do it, One," Dragon concluded. "It's a bit unorthodox, but we can handle it. What's the problem?"
"The problem," Snow Leopard said, "is the VIPs who will be accompanying us, and who will be teaching us about the O's, prior to our arrival. The people we are going to be keeping alive. They're Systies, too."
"What?" Boudicca looked as if she was about to explode.
"You heard me."
"Systies?" Boudicca snarled, "Systies! Systies are going to be telling us what to do? Systies are going to accompany us on the drop?"
"That's a ten—three of them. They are official reps of the United System Alliance, and they are just as interested in the success of this mission as we are."
"Deto!" Boudicca exploded. "Who cares what the System wants? They caused this mess! Official reps? Are you crazy? Is the Legion crazy? We're going to teach the System how to kill O's? Who's the lunatic who thought that one up?"
"The Systies know all about the O's, trooper! Or at least they know a lot more than we do. They are going to share this knowledge with us—knowledge that could keep us alive! And we, in return, are going to share with them what we learn about killing O's. That's the deal! The orders are coming at you from the highest levels, but they're coming through me. You have a problem with your orders, you see me, trooper—but I wouldn't advise it!"
Laughter. Evil, guttural laughter, from Sassin the Assassin, Gamma Seven. His sharpened white teeth flashed as he spoke. "Dead meat. They're dead meat." Valkyrie raised a fist in agreement.
"Let's understand one thing," Snow Leopard said quietly. "I will personally execute—on the spot—anyone who harms these Systies. Badboy is charged with their safety. I've given my personal word to the Second that these three Systies will accompany our survivors back to report on our mission. I have never before had to threaten my men, and it upsets me that it appears to be necessary this time, but that's the sit. You got that, Seven?"
"Yes sir." Sassin was suddenly quite subdued.
"Gamma Two, you get that message?"
"Yes sir." Valkyrie was cold and distant.
"I am completely serious," Snow Leopard continued. "You have no idea how important this is. A successful mission could forge an alliance with the Systies against the O—and it could also lead to the collapse of the System itself—since their policy of appeasement directly led to the Omni invasion. Failures on that scale have consequences. Important consequences."
"Snow Leopard—I don't quite understand one thing." Merlin said.
"Yes, Four."
"If the System is with us on this, then why the elaborate cover story, the civilian freighter—why are we worried about port clearance, if the System is with us?"
"Four, this mission is top secret, both here and on the Systies' side. Nobody on Mongera will know what we're up to. The System has always been more afraid of its own people than of anyone else. If it got out that the System was cooperating with the Legion to solve a problem it had created in the first place, it could lead to political problems of the highest order."
"But if we're successful, won't it get out?"
"I'd say—offhand—that the Legion will publicize it heavily. No matter what we promise the Systies."
"The Systies must know that."
"I think they do. But I believe they have reached the point where they feel they have no choice. And if the mission fails, they've lost nothing. We're dealing with the highest levels of the Systie regime. They apparently believe the potential benefits of this mission outweigh the possible political backlash. I think they're wrong—but what I think doesn't matter."
"May I say something?" Boudicca was trying to control her temper.
"Go right ahead, Gamma." Snow Leopard was tense and touchy. They might have been lovers, in bed, but there was no love showing in the capmod that day, between those two.
"Just for the record, I want you to know what I think. I think this stinks. I think this is a rotten setup. I think if this works, and we get the O, those three Systies are the only ones who will return to the ship, and the Legion is never going to get the word. I don't like Systies. I don't trust Systies. And they feel the same about us. I'll make a prediction. If our O goes down, the Systies turn their guns on us. Immediately. And if that happens, Gamma is shooting back. Do you have any problems with that?"