"I don't think you won't. I know it. Because to do that you'd have to brutally attack, and murder your own allies. And have to explain to the Coalition, the Japanese, and everybody else, how you had no choice but to desecrate our victory, and steal the home planets—-" Joyce tried to interrupt, but he would not let him. "And it's NOT going to happen." Again the other tried—- "You want me? Then come and TAKE me!"
"I'll give you thirty seconds." Joyce turned to his gunnery officer, who nodded his understanding. "Starting now."
Brunner waited till the count was down to six. His voice was the ice of Infinity.
"Get the fuck out of here."
"BRUNNER!" A single shot was fired, impacting upon, and with a round and outward glow lighting up the forward shields of the Icarus. In the ensuing concussion his wife was thrown down with a start, and small fires broke out on the bridge.
This was too much for Liebenstein. He started to send a signal to Joyce, but saw that the human miracle was taking place without him. Where before there had been ten destroyers in the breach, now there were fourteen, one so badly damaged that it could barely thread its way through the staggered ranks of the Soviets.
The renegade ships were German.
Then, without any order being given, first one Coalition vessel and then another began to break formation and move back to defend their comrades. Brunner had his answer, though he was too strangled by tears to take it in. Liebenstein's battleship at last joined the others, and turned to face the Enemy.
No more shots were fired. The Dutch returned to their homes.
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