said excitedly. He walked over and kissed Janad on the top of her head. "The Argy ship. It had that horrible weapon we used on the GSHs. Who knows what else it might have?"
"And we've got the few skiffs and small ships we brought from the station, and some hand-held laser rifles and blasters as well," Stratton said.
"But no power packs," Bradley reminded them. "The only ships we have that are large enough to do the flight between here and Earth had to land on the surface, and there isn't enough fuel if we used all the fuel cells from all the ships for even one to lift off this planet. These ships were all forced into battle, and firing the guns uses up the fuel cells fast. Hell, all but one of them wouldn't be flight worthy without major repairs."
"But they could send supplies to us through the jumpgate. Meet us on one of our moons. We have plenty of power to run the skiffs," Stratton said excitedly.
"We were using our ships, remember, and they're all here stranded here with us. They'd have to steal a ship first, and it sounds like they have their own problems," Bradley reminded.
"Still, if we close the jumpgate we shut down any hope of aid from that sector," Stratton said. "If the Reliance is hell-bent on using it to bring ships here to attack us, blowing the gate will only slow them down. You know as well as I do that they could construct a new and better fortified gate in two weeks—tops."
Bradley nodded in silent agreement.
"You and your maintenance crew can build anything. Isn't that what you're always bragging about?" David said. "We have geothermal power running out our asses."
"And don't think that doesn't smart," Janad said.
David ignored her. "We could fix up that old Argy ship. All you have to do is find a way to convert geothermal power into something we can use to power the ships and the weapons."
"All right. Not that it's going to be as easy as you're making it sound, but let's say it's possible and we can do that. I still don't understand what you expect me to do with some old ship, maybe not in much better shape than this one. One that's grown into the side of a mountain no less," Bradley said.
"This one fired its gun when we most needed it to," Taleed reminded.
"That's right," David said. "Let's say we could take some of the stuff you brought with you . . ."
"'Stuff' being a technical term," Bradley said with a smile, though it was obvious that he was starting to get as excited about the possibilities as David.
David mostly ignored the ribbing and went on. "The ship is already up a mountain. Let's say we could turn it into an early warning station of sorts. I'm sure it's got equipment that could be made to tell us when and if ships are coming in. It could be made to sound some sort of an alarm to warn us. Why couldn't we take what it's got, add some other stuff and maybe make a powerful laser cannon? One that could knock an invasion fleet from the sky."
Bradley laughed, "And while we're at it, why not just put a giant force field over the entire planet?"
"You know what I mean, Bradley, do the best with what we have," David said.
"That is what we in maintenance are best at, but you have to realize that such a project could take months, maybe even years," Bradley said.
"Then we tackle the simple stuff first," David said. "Shifting the power units to the least damaged ships. We dig barracks and build fortifications . . ."
"And we will train all our people, even as our people have always been trained for war." Taleed stood up from his throne. "We will train our bodies and hope they will not be forced to do battle. We will dig barracks and make fortifications and hope we don't have to dwell in them. We will build weapons and hope we don't have to use them. We will prepare in every way that we can prepare, and we will wait and hope."
David stood by the open window soaking in the cool night breeze and
"And we've got the few skiffs and small ships we brought from the station, and some hand-held laser rifles and blasters as well," Stratton said.
"But no power packs," Bradley reminded them. "The only ships we have that are large enough to do the flight between here and Earth had to land on the surface, and there isn't enough fuel if we used all the fuel cells from all the ships for even one to lift off this planet. These ships were all forced into battle, and firing the guns uses up the fuel cells fast. Hell, all but one of them wouldn't be flight worthy without major repairs."
"But they could send supplies to us through the jumpgate. Meet us on one of our moons. We have plenty of power to run the skiffs," Stratton said excitedly.
"We were using our ships, remember, and they're all here stranded here with us. They'd have to steal a ship first, and it sounds like they have their own problems," Bradley reminded.
"Still, if we close the jumpgate we shut down any hope of aid from that sector," Stratton said. "If the Reliance is hell-bent on using it to bring ships here to attack us, blowing the gate will only slow them down. You know as well as I do that they could construct a new and better fortified gate in two weeks—tops."
Bradley nodded in silent agreement.
"You and your maintenance crew can build anything. Isn't that what you're always bragging about?" David said. "We have geothermal power running out our asses."
"And don't think that doesn't smart," Janad said.
David ignored her. "We could fix up that old Argy ship. All you have to do is find a way to convert geothermal power into something we can use to power the ships and the weapons."
"All right. Not that it's going to be as easy as you're making it sound, but let's say it's possible and we can do that. I still don't understand what you expect me to do with some old ship, maybe not in much better shape than this one. One that's grown into the side of a mountain no less," Bradley said.
"This one fired its gun when we most needed it to," Taleed reminded.
"That's right," David said. "Let's say we could take some of the stuff you brought with you . . ."
"'Stuff' being a technical term," Bradley said with a smile, though it was obvious that he was starting to get as excited about the possibilities as David.
David mostly ignored the ribbing and went on. "The ship is already up a mountain. Let's say we could turn it into an early warning station of sorts. I'm sure it's got equipment that could be made to tell us when and if ships are coming in. It could be made to sound some sort of an alarm to warn us. Why couldn't we take what it's got, add some other stuff and maybe make a powerful laser cannon? One that could knock an invasion fleet from the sky."
Bradley laughed, "And while we're at it, why not just put a giant force field over the entire planet?"
"You know what I mean, Bradley, do the best with what we have," David said.
"That is what we in maintenance are best at, but you have to realize that such a project could take months, maybe even years," Bradley said.
"Then we tackle the simple stuff first," David said. "Shifting the power units to the least damaged ships. We dig barracks and build fortifications . . ."
"And we will train all our people, even as our people have always been trained for war." Taleed stood up from his throne. "We will train our bodies and hope they will not be forced to do battle. We will dig barracks and make fortifications and hope we don't have to dwell in them. We will build weapons and hope we don't have to use them. We will prepare in every way that we can prepare, and we will wait and hope."
David stood by the open window soaking in the cool night breeze and
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