was running
that
was running a bluff, that he wouldn't really inflict the massive casualties an all-out attack on the Station would produce. Surely the thought of how galactic public opinion—and especially Solarian public opinion—would react to something like that in time of peace, without even a formal declaration of hostilities, should give the lunatic pause!
* * *
"All right!" Hegedusic smacked his palms together and grinned at Levakonic. "The odds seem to be shifting," he observed.
"At least in the direction of having a fighting chance," Levakonic agreed a bit more cautiously.
"But we could shift them even further if we could keep this Captain Terekhov coming in fat, dumb, and happy."
Hegedusic thought a moment longer, then turned back to the communications section.
"Send a message to the Manties. Tell them I've decided to evacuate the Station, but that it's going to take some time. Tell them I estimate a minimum of two and a half to three hours, even using every available vessel from the civilian platforms."
"Yes, Sir."
Hegedusic turned to another staffer.
"Get down to flight ops. Tell them I want a steady stream of lighters and shuttles moving between the Alpha platforms and the Beta platforms. I don't need anybody aboard them but the flight crews; I just need small craft in motion where the Manties can see it."
"Yes, Sir!"
* * *
"Well, thank God!" Bernardus Van Dort heaved a huge sigh of relief as the message came in. "Congratulations, Captain. It looks like you've managed it without killing anyone, after all."
"Maybe." Terekhov frowned at the master plot, then glanced at Abigail Hearns. "Any sign of confirming movement?"
"As a matter of fact, Sir, there may be," the Grayson lieutenant said after a moment. "I've got half a dozen—no, a total of nine—small craft impellers moving away from the military portions of the Station."
"You see?" Van Dort's grin grew even broader. "Hegedusic must've realized he didn't have a choice."
"I'd certainly like to think so," Terekhov agreed, his frown beginning to ease at last. "Amal, inform them that as long as they