Read Online Rogue Powers by Roger MacBride Allen - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Roger MacBride Allen
Tags: Science-Fiction
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of Merit, the British Victoria Cross, the Britannica Order of Honor, The League High Cross, the Finnish Hero's Medal, the League of Planets Survey Service Stargrid, as well as the Republic of Kennedy's Purple Heart, Silver Star and Medal of Honor, as well as many other honors and citations?"
Mac shifted uncomfortably. "Yes, that is correct."
"Commander Larson, where is your wife? Have you seen her recently?"
"She was reassigned to the Navy Yards at Britannica. I haven't seen her in some months.'
"Was she not in fact transferred away from the Survey Service base shortly after you first spoke out against deploying the three carriers?'
"She was ordered back home within thirty-six hours after my first statement."
"Has it ever occurred to you that the two of you were separated as a punishment for your statement, punishment without benefit of trial or appeal? Was this not indeed persecution and harassment of a heroic man and woman because of your—"
"Objection!" the prosecutor shouted. "Counsel is clearly not questioning the witness, but making a speech. I request that this leading and biased so-called 'question' be stricken from the record."
"I withdraw my last question," Brown said smoothly. Getting the judges to hear it was enough, on the record or not. And it didn't hurt to tweak the opposition before turning Mac Larson over to him. "Your witness, Captain."
Captain Tsung was clearly rattled enough for Brown's purposes. He rose uncertainly and approached the defendant. "Ah, ah, Commander. I'm certain that no one in this court questions your courage, or your contribution to the
war effort ..." Tsung's voice trailed off for a moment. "But that is not what is on trial here, Commander Larson. You base your assumptions on the vulnerability of the three carriers on the fact that you were present when the Leviathan crashed."
"Yes, that is correct."
Pete bounced up. "I'd like to clarify the answer to that question. Commander Larson did in actual fact command the ship that wrecked Leviathan, and the larger ship was destroyed by his command and according to his plan. Excuse the interruption," he said brightly, and sat back down.
Captain Brown leaned over toward his assistant counsel. "That wasn't approved courtroom procedure," he whispered to Pete.
"No, but why let Tsung make Mac seem like he was standing around watching the world go by when a giant spaceship just happened to crash in front of him?" Pete replied. 'Mac came as close as anyone ever has to winning a war single-handed."
"Except the was isn't over yet. No one's found the Guardians' planet."
"Don't remind me."
Tsung seemed more and more unhappy about the job of prosecuting Mac. "Ah, Commander. Conceding mat you did indeed destroy Leviathan, how does that bear on the vulnerability of the League carrier ships? After all, Leviathan was destroyed in large part by fire, in an atmosphere, while flying as an aerodynamic vehicle, under circumstances wholly different from those the Eagle and the other carrier will experiences. Our ships are, after all, incapable of entering an atmosphere, and certainly do not carry large lift cells filled with hydrogen gas."
Mac smiled slightly. "Forgive me, Captain, but I don't think you've done your homework. I was debriefed very carefully after the missile "system was destroyed. In that statement, which I can see on the prosecutor's table, I reported that the Joslyn Marie at one point attacked the
Leviathan using space-to-space torpedoes." For the first time, Mac's voice and manner showed some emotion, some passion. Even talking about the carriers here, in court, got him visibly angry. "As I noted in the debriefing, the Joslyn Marie, although perhaps a thousandth the mass of the Leviathan, was able to make several direct hits on the big ship. As I have stated already, we could not risk the destruction of Leviathan, and so the torpedoes were armed with conventional explosives. The/.M.'s attack was a partially successful attempt to
Mac shifted uncomfortably. "Yes, that is correct."
"Commander Larson, where is your wife? Have you seen her recently?"
"She was reassigned to the Navy Yards at Britannica. I haven't seen her in some months.'
"Was she not in fact transferred away from the Survey Service base shortly after you first spoke out against deploying the three carriers?'
"She was ordered back home within thirty-six hours after my first statement."
"Has it ever occurred to you that the two of you were separated as a punishment for your statement, punishment without benefit of trial or appeal? Was this not indeed persecution and harassment of a heroic man and woman because of your—"
"Objection!" the prosecutor shouted. "Counsel is clearly not questioning the witness, but making a speech. I request that this leading and biased so-called 'question' be stricken from the record."
"I withdraw my last question," Brown said smoothly. Getting the judges to hear it was enough, on the record or not. And it didn't hurt to tweak the opposition before turning Mac Larson over to him. "Your witness, Captain."
Captain Tsung was clearly rattled enough for Brown's purposes. He rose uncertainly and approached the defendant. "Ah, ah, Commander. I'm certain that no one in this court questions your courage, or your contribution to the
war effort ..." Tsung's voice trailed off for a moment. "But that is not what is on trial here, Commander Larson. You base your assumptions on the vulnerability of the three carriers on the fact that you were present when the Leviathan crashed."
"Yes, that is correct."
Pete bounced up. "I'd like to clarify the answer to that question. Commander Larson did in actual fact command the ship that wrecked Leviathan, and the larger ship was destroyed by his command and according to his plan. Excuse the interruption," he said brightly, and sat back down.
Captain Brown leaned over toward his assistant counsel. "That wasn't approved courtroom procedure," he whispered to Pete.
"No, but why let Tsung make Mac seem like he was standing around watching the world go by when a giant spaceship just happened to crash in front of him?" Pete replied. 'Mac came as close as anyone ever has to winning a war single-handed."
"Except the was isn't over yet. No one's found the Guardians' planet."
"Don't remind me."
Tsung seemed more and more unhappy about the job of prosecuting Mac. "Ah, Commander. Conceding mat you did indeed destroy Leviathan, how does that bear on the vulnerability of the League carrier ships? After all, Leviathan was destroyed in large part by fire, in an atmosphere, while flying as an aerodynamic vehicle, under circumstances wholly different from those the Eagle and the other carrier will experiences. Our ships are, after all, incapable of entering an atmosphere, and certainly do not carry large lift cells filled with hydrogen gas."
Mac smiled slightly. "Forgive me, Captain, but I don't think you've done your homework. I was debriefed very carefully after the missile "system was destroyed. In that statement, which I can see on the prosecutor's table, I reported that the Joslyn Marie at one point attacked the
Leviathan using space-to-space torpedoes." For the first time, Mac's voice and manner showed some emotion, some passion. Even talking about the carriers here, in court, got him visibly angry. "As I noted in the debriefing, the Joslyn Marie, although perhaps a thousandth the mass of the Leviathan, was able to make several direct hits on the big ship. As I have stated already, we could not risk the destruction of Leviathan, and so the torpedoes were armed with conventional explosives. The/.M.'s attack was a partially successful attempt to
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