Free Freedom's Challenge by Anne McCaffrey Page B

we’ll get out from under ’em. Militarily, a combined assault has many advantages.”
    That speech set the cat among the pigeons, Kristhought, struggling to keep from cheering. Or maybe the night crawlers after live meat.
    Ray Scott, with help from Peter Easley and Judge Bempechat, finally restored enough order to continue the meeting. Easley had been discreetly seated to one side where Kris had not noticed him. Not too far, as it turned out, from Ainger. Not far either from Beggs, whom she saw sitting by the British ex-naval officer. Had Pete sat there to keep an eye on those dissidents? Quite likely, she thought.
    â€œYou gave me the impression, sergeant, that you had no wish to leave Botany now.” Ainger could put a wealth of venom in a seemingly casual comment.
    â€œI don’t, but I’ll do a great deal to preserve what we all have made here. So I can enjoy what I’ve—we’ve—worked so hard to achieve.” Satisfied with the applause to his answer, Chuck sat down again.
    â€œThere are risks,” Ray said, once more taking charge of the proceedings. “Most of you can figure them out without much help but, if our people on Earth knew that there was an organized
space
resistance to the Cat—I mean, the Eosian overlords—it would give them heart and purpose against the tremendous odds they’ve had to deal with. Especially if we can also prove that we’ve rescued the ones the Eosi were brain-wiping.”
    â€œSpeaking of tremendous odds, admiral—” And Ainger was again on his feet. “Just how large a fleet exists? That’s pertinent even if getting the entire naval arm of the Catteni here would take time.” He looked directly at Zainal for the answer.
    â€œSome of the oldest ships in service are slow and their equipment obsolete,” Zainal replied. “There are only four of heavy—new in service dreadnoughts, did you call them, Ray—” And when Scott nodded, he went on, “that much information Admiral Scott and I learned on Barevi.Until just recently spaceship builders have been concentrating on producing ships like the KDL and KDM, to replace those no longer space-worthy, like the first ship we attacked.”
    â€œSo what sort of ships and weaponry do they have to bombard those of us left behind on Botany?” Ainger asked.
    Boy
, thought Kris,
that Ainger has a bad negative attitude.
    â€œOnly the four of the dreadnoughts but there are…ships of the line…which are able to destroy satellites, small moons, and large asteroids. To my knowledge, which is now not up to date, there are thirty of them. They are assault vessels, which supported the kind of large transport that landed on your planet. They are larger than the two K-class we have here.”
    Ray Scott leaned over the table toward Ainger. “Zainal has given us a list of the types of spacecraft used by the…um…navy. We’ve also been able to get a fair translation of the data from the scout ship, so we have useful details about range, crew complement, firepower, and maneuverability of all types, except the dreadnoughts, which are so new. You are certainly welcome to peruse the data at your leisure.”
    Ainger waved away that offer with a flick of his fingers. “Those of us remaining on Botany are going to be vulnerable…”
    â€œOnly if the Bubble fails,” Ray Scott said in a testy tone, “which seems unlikely, given the advanced technology of the Farmers which is so upsetting the Eosi.” Then he deliberately looked away from Ainger. “So we have three expeditions to mount: first, a reconnaissance at the Bubble edge; second, sending off both the scout and one transport to Earth to see what—” he grinned “—trouble we can cause there and how we can help the resistance movements; and third, an information-gathering jaunt toCatten. I think that has to be under your command,