Tulan flushed. "No," he admitted.
* * * * *
Teyr and her moon Luhin, both in quarter-phase from here, moved steadily
apart in the viewers.
Group One's screen of light craft probed ahead, jamming enemy radar, and
discovering occasional roboscouts which were promptly vaporized. Far
behind, Group Two showed as a small luminescence. It would never be
visible to Luhin as anything else, and then only when Tulan was ready.
They reversed drives, matched speeds neatly, and went into forced orbit
around Luhin. On the flagship's first pass over the beleaguered oval of
ground held by Sennech's forces--unsupported and unreinforced since the
home planet's defection--Tulan sent a message squirting down. "Tulan
commanding. Is Admiral Galu commanding there? Report situation."
The next time around a long reply came up to them. "This is Captain Rhu
commanding. Galu killed. Twenty percent personnel losses. Six Lights
destroyed; moderate damage to several Mediums and one Heavy. Ground
lines under heavy pressure. Ships' crews involved in fighting at
perimeter. Food critical, other supplies low. Several thousand wounded.
Combat data follows." There was a good assessment of the struggle, with
some enemy positions that were known.
The Fleet Force that had escorted nearly one hundred thousand ground
troops included five Heavies and other craft in proportion, besides the
transports and supply ships. Alone, they'd been pinned down by superior
enemy ground forces and by a sizable fleet holed up all around the
satellite. With Tulan's support they could be taken off.
Tulan composed orders. "Withdraw ships' crews from lines and prepare to
lift. Get wounded aboard transports and prepare to evacuate troops. Set
up fire control network to direct our ground support."
The tedious job of shrinking the perimeter, a short stretch at a time,
began, harassed by the quickly adapting enemy.
During the first twenty hours the hostile fire was all from ground
projectors, the enemy ships not risking detection by joining in. By that
time one section of the front had pulled back to where several ships,
sheltered in a crater, would have to lift.
Lines of men and equipment converged on the ships and jammed aboard. The
actual lift was preceded by a diversion a few miles away, which
succeeded in pulling considerable enemy fire. The ships got off in
unison, slanting back across friendly territory and drawing only light
missiles which the defenses handled easily.
* * * * *
Then, suddenly, a salvo of heavy stuff came crashing in, too unexpected
and too well planned to stop. One of the lifting ships, a transport,
vanished in a great flash.