Hawthorne: Yes, Lord Director, I stand corrected.
Shelclass="underline" The Highborn deploy superior electronic countermeasure and detection equipment, Lord Director. But in their wisdom, Space Command long ago placed emergency pods in Earth orbit for just this situation. These pods have been carefully maneuvered into position and are timed to detonate at the commencement of Operation Togo.
Enkov: Which stations in particular have you targeted?
Shelclass="underline" Two of the three dedicated Highborn orbital fighter platforms and this laser platform.
Enkov: What about the others?
Shelclass="underline" I have saved the best for last, Lord Director. Breakthrough beam technology and ‘total’ construction efforts have given us proton beam stations in seven cities. The proton beams are an order of magnitude greater in power and destructiveness, Lord Director. I assure you, the Highborn have never faced anything like these.
Enkov: Our previous beam sites drained the power grid. If these are more powerful, how have you solved the problem?
Shelclass="underline" The proton beam is charged directly from a deep-core mine, Lord Director. All other city functions are taken offline or run with emergency systems. The proton beams have full and complete use of the deep mine. Therefore, lack of power is no longer a problem. These beams, they will be a terrible surprise for the Highborn. For the coming operation, these East Asian stations will target the remaining orbital platforms and—
Enkov: You’re ready?
Shelclass="underline" Yes, Lord Director, but I would like to point out that—
Enkov: Thank you, Commander. Orbital Space Command has done their duty. Air Marshal Ulrich, please make your report.
Ulrich: Lord Director, in the Northern Chinese airfields we have reached seventy-nine percent of the projected strength levels. As mandated, the majority of these combat units are medium and long-range bomber formations. Korea holds the bulk of Fighter Command and is at sixty-three percent of projected strength levels. Long range Trotsky Bombers wait in the Siberian airfields at ninety-one percent operational strength. In another week, we could raise all those percentages near maximum.
Enkov: Four weeks was my original timeframe for the counterattack, Air Marshal. In two days, Operation Togo will commence with the units you already have in place.
Ulrich: Understood, Lord Director. But—
Enkov: Thank you, Air Marshal. Field Marshal Kitamura, please make your report.
Kitamura: The love of the Japanese people for their Director spurs them to deeds of unparalleled heroism, Lord Director. Tokyo holds. Kobi fell only yesterday, but after bitter fighting. Unfortunately, in the north the battle-lines have neared the beleaguered capital. Yet we have found the key to victory, Lord Director. While our army units, guard divisions, in particular, hold the gates, the people train underground in the cities. Thus, we launch endless assaults with the Kamikaze squads, maintaining our trained troops for—
Enkov: The Samurai Divisions?
Kitamura: Yes, Lord Director. They are the guard divisions, the heart of Japanese defense. They have been carefully maintained and they will go over onto the assault for Operation Togo.
Enkov: Tokyo has also held because the enemy’s supply lines have been relentlessly disrupted.
Kitamura: The people of Japan agree with you, Lord Director. Your precision nuclear strikes have defeated the mongrel forces of darkness.
Enkov: No, no, not defeated, Field Marshal. We must never overstate. But the nuclear strikes have given us the time to marshal our forces for the supreme blow. It seems, General Hawthorne, that you were wrong concerning Highborn reaction to our nuclear retaliation.
Hawthorne: Frankly, Director—excuse me, Lord Director—I’m amazed at the Highborn’s restraint.
Enkov: Not restraint, General. Fear. They evidence the fear of those who have overstepped themselves and now see their dilemma.
Hawthorne: But that’s just it, Lord Director. If they were afraid, wouldn’t they resort to nuclear retaliation on a massive scale?
Enkov: It always amazes me when my generals don’t understand the politics of nuclear weapons. The Highborn didn’t first use nuclear weapons in Tokyo because they feared, General Hawthorne, but out of arrogance, which is a form of confidence. Misplaced as that confidence has proved to be. Then they were shocked to discover that Social Unity has not lost its confidence—at no thanks to my generals and their timidity. Yet I don’t hold that against you, gentleman. As I said, nuclear weapons are political tools, needing political courage to use. Our nuclear strikes against their sea lines have had a devastating effect. Tokyo holds, where every other city has fallen after less than a three-day assault. For over four weeks, Field Marshal Kitamura has held the Highborn at bay, often taking back lost parts of the city, although now they retreat again. Kobi only fell after a prolonged siege and gave the Highborn savage losses. True, in the north their panzer divisions have wreaked havoc. But that’s why Operation Togo will begin in two days. Colonel-General Green, is the Replacement Army ready?
Green: The Siberian, Korean and Northern Chinese ports brim with transports and troops, Lord Director. The numbers are eighty percent of anticipated levels, but only fifty-nine percent of hoped for transports.
O’Connor: We’ve scraped together everything we could, sir.
Green: No disrepute was meant upon the Navy, Admiral. Those damnable orbital laser stations of theirs keep knocking out the transports.
Enkov: Only fifty-nine percent?
O’Connor: River and canal coasters have been reassigned, Lord Director. In another nine days—
Enkov: No, no, two days. Two days!
O’Connor: In two days perhaps seventy percent could be cobbled together to—
Enkov: I’m disappointed to hear you speak like this, Admiral.
O’Connor: The Highborn strike hard from sea and space, Lord Director. I’m not certain—
Enkov: Admiral O’Connor, defeatist talk is not what I anticipated at this conference, not before the beginning of Operation Togo and the start of the end for the Highborn.
O’Connor: I will do my best, Lord Director.
Enkov: Who said anything about best? You will comply with Social Unity’s requirements or I will find someone who can. You must employ ‘total’ effort.
O’Connor: The Navy stands ready to do its duty, Lord Director.
Enkov: Very good, Admiral. See to it that these are simply not false words given under duress.
Hawthorne: Lord Director, I hold to your principles concerning—
Enkov: The principles of Social Unity, you mean.
Hawthorne: Yes, Lord Director. Your serenity during these terrible days has given us strength and vision. But may I be permitted a possible conjecture concerning the Highborn?
Enkov: I called the conference for the interplay of ideas, General. Please, speak freely.
Hawthorne: My reports indicate that very few Highborn have landed in Japan.
Enkov: Three hundred thousand is a few?
Hawthorne: Their ability to raise Earth units and train them to fighting competency is astounding, Lord Director. The bulk of their invasion army is composed of former Social Unity personnel. Surprising, as it is to report, Lord Director, there are only a few Highborn units on Japan.
Enkov: Your report must be mistaken.
Hawthorne: Body counts of enemy dead indicate—
Enkov: Naturally, when Highborn die in battle their High Command has taken every effort to snatch those fallen bodies and hide the fact of their losses from us. The rebel Earth units—nobody loves traitors, not even those who employ them. So of course, the arrogant Highborn does not attempt to save the corpses of those they refer to as premen, not even their own premen. Field Marshal, don’t your men make every effort to drag their dead comrades off the battlefield?
Kitamura: Those in the Samurai Divisions especially do so, Lord Director, in order to cremate them and give the ashes of these heroes to their wives and children.