Though PD, QT, and a few of the original robots remained at their weapons consoles, the Klikiss continued to blast the robot vessels. They did not cease firing until nothing remained but shrapnel and stardust.
148
Robb Brindle
Frozen in place over Earth, nothing moved not the EDF vessels, not the Confederation ships, not the nine remaining Klikiss swarmships. The other two swarmships had hunted down the escaping black robot fleet, and flashes of distant weapons discharges indicated an intense space battle occurring somewhere far above the ecliptic.
Though announcements about Peter reclaiming the Whisper Palace had been widely broadcast, no one had heard a word from Chairman Wenceslas inside the main swarmship; no one could guess what the breedex had done to him. In addition, Robbs father, in command of the EDF ships, had refused to acknowledge the Kings return to power.
Right now, even though they all faced the swarmships, theGoliath and more than a hundred EDF military vessels could just as easily point their weapons toward the Confederation fleet. Robb couldnt be sure his father wouldnt do that if the Chairman gave him a direct order. But the Chairman was no longer around.
Rising from the Palace District, Admiral Williss warliner raced up toward the human ships that hovered in two distinct defensive lines against the Klikiss. Her weapons were ready to fire, pointed at the swarmships charging in like the cavalry.
One of the EDF ships suddenly exploded. The eruption took everyone by surprise. Flames and shrapnel hurtled outward in an expanding, roiling ball where the Manta had been.
Robb yelped. Who opened fire?
Like a chain reaction, a second Manta erupted in flames, its fuel tanks bursting. A Thunderhead went next, then one of the two newly repaired Juggernauts, the pride of the reconstituted fleet.
Taking his own initiative, theJupiters weapons officer shouted, Targeting main swarmship! Theyre firing on us
Dont shoot! Robb hadnt seen the Klikiss clusters initiate any action at all.
We have to help them! Estarra cried.
Sarein looked dismayed. But I dont see any weapons fire.
Another Manta exploded. The comm channels were filled with frantic, angry chatter. In a tumultuous reaction, the EDF battle group scrambled, powering their engines up, pulling their vessels into a defensive formation, ready to open fire.
Robb jumped to his feet, letting the command chair spin behind him. Sound General Quarters all alarms! Everybody prepare for attack fromany direction. Dammit, whats causing those explosions?
Another Manta cruiser broke apart in a gush of flames. The succession of explosions continued all along the EDF line. Admiral Willis veered her own ship away from the debris.
General Conrad Brindles face appeared on the communication screen, yelling at Robb. What thehell have you done?
Robb frantically searched for the comm button on theJupiter s command chair. Even before he opened a response channel, he was already yelling, Its not us! We didnt do it!
You have attacked the Earth Defense Forces. With our backs turned! We trusted you, but Chairman Wenceslas warned me
He cut his father off. I never gave the order. Check your readouts werenot firing.
Admiral Willis bellowed from the bridge of her Manta. Mr. Brindle, youd better have a damned good explanation for this. Robb couldnt tell if she was referring to him, or to his father.
Two disabled EDF battleships careened into each other. Explosions burst the hulls and spewed atmosphere. Flames spat through the breaches and ignited fuel vapor in empty space. Four more EDF ships mysteriously exploded. The rest of the ships had no place to run.
After a few seconds he realized that only EDF ships were suffering, not a single Confederation vessel.
It didnt make any sense. Robb shouted, I need confirmation! Make absolutely sure none of our ships have opened fire. Were any Confederation jazers or projectiles launched? He was positive none of his ships would have initiated a strike on the EDF vessels especially with the Klikiss looming over Earth.
Everyone on theJupiter s bridge ran from station to station, calling up data, yelling at one another. Estarra was staring in disbelief at the burning wrecks that drifted away from the defensive line.
The EDF was in ruins. Ships continued to spontaneously explode. Twenty of them, then thirty, then more.
Every single target was an EDF ship, the weapons officer said. Fifty-three destroyed so far.
Sarein cocked her head to the side. Could this be sabotage? Could someone have planted explosives aboard?
Confirmed, said the tactical specialist. The detonations are not the result of weapons fire.
More ships exploded in a chain reaction. Seventy ships. Eighty-seven. Ninety-two. Escape pods shot like dust motes out into space, but very few soldiers had managed to escape.
All those people, Estarra said. How can we stop it?
Though theGoliath was unharmed, it could still explode at any moment. The EDF Juggernaut spun and charged toward theJupiter, its jazer banks powering up.
TheGoliath is coming for us! the navigator warned.
Get me a communication link back to my father. I need to talk with him now!
Estarra took a place at his side in a show of strength. I can speak on behalf of the Confederation.
Ifhell listen! The Hansas been telling him to distrust us for months, and now he must think all that paranoia was warranted.
Channel confirmed, sir.
Dad, those detonations wereinternal to your ships! Your fleet must have been rigged. When no more explosions occurred for several minutes, Robb watched the remaining EDF ships warily. They all seemed to be ticking time bombs.
Finally, from a corner of the main screen, Conrad Brindle glowered at him. Rigged, how? Almost a hundred ships, Robb two-thirds of my fleet with full crew complements! This is exactly the sort of thing the Chairman told us to watch out for. The older mans face conveyed the extent of the disaster more clearly than any sensor readout could. Distracted, he shouted into a different speaker, All intact ships, prepare to retrieve escape pods.
Admiral Willis flew her Manta in beside the Juggernaut, jumping into the conversation. Check your records, General. Ill bet my last paycheck that every one of those ships was repaired by the black robots.