"WARNING: UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT APPROACHING!" The alarm sounded throughput the Shenandoah, computer and human voices calling out in an uncanny duet. "Recommendation, Commander?" the human voice continued alone. "Battle Stations." The alarm gong echoed through the ACC. The main hatch slid shut. The armored hatch followed. All compartments were completely sealed by the time the all-hands signal blared. "All hands, all hands. Battle Alert! Battle Alert! All hands man your battle stations." And then came the words veterans and trainees alike dreaded to hear: "This is not a drill. Repeat, this is not a drill!" Q> SIGNET (0451) DISTANT REALMS ? THE COPPER CROWN: The First Novel of The Keltiad by Patricia Kennealy. When their powers of magic waned on ancient Earth, the Kelts and their allies fled the planet for the freedom of distant star realms. But the stars were home to two enemy star fleets mobilized for final, devastating war... "A gorgeous yarn!"?Anne McCaffrey. (143949?$3.50) ? THE THRONE OF SCONE: The Second Novel of The Keltiad by Patricia Kennealy. Aeron, Queen of the Kelts, has fled to the stars on a desperate mission to find the fabled Thirteen Treasures of King Arthur, hidden for hundreds of years. But while she pursues her destiny, all the forces of Keltia are mobilizing for war. "Brilliant!"?Anne McCaffrey. (148215?$3.50) ? BAD VOLTAGE by Jonathon Littell. For half-breed Lynx and his gang, the Livewires, existence on the streets of post-nuke Paris is the condition of the moment. But when the Oownsiders and Uptowners clash in cybernetic battle, Lynx struggles to free himself of the world that is slowly claiming his soul. (160142?$3.95) ? FANG, THE GNOME by Michael Greatrex Coney. Here is an enthralling excursion into an age when mythical creatures roamed the lands, men fought for ideals of chivalry, and the majestic dream of Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table first cast its spell on humans and gnomes. "Rich, striking and original!"?Kirkus Reviews. (158474?$3.95) ? NOT FOR GLORY by Joel Rosenberg. What begins as one final mission? not for glory but for the very life of the people of Metzada?is transformed into a series of campaigns that will take General Shimon Bar-El from world to world and into intrigue, danger, and treacherous diplomatic games that may save Metzada and its mercenaries?or be its ultimate ruin ... "A swift-paced, brutal, excellent, political novel about the soldier of the future."?David Drake, author of Hammer Stammers (158458?$3.95) Prices slightly higher in Canada Buy them at your local bookstore or use this convenient coupon tar ordering. NEW AMERICAN LIBRARY P.O. Box 999, Bergenfield, New Jersey 07621 Please send me the books I have checked above. I am enclosing $ (please add $1.00 to this order to cover postage and handling). Send check or money order?no cash or C.O.D.'s. Prices and numbers are subject to change without notice. Name Address City State Zip Code Allow 4-6 weeks for delivery. This offer, prices and numbers are subject to change without notice. STARCRUISER SHENANDOAH Squadron Alert by Roland J. Green A SIGNET BOOK IMBWAIVIgRICAIM UBWAWV A DIVISION OF PENGUIN BOOKS USA INC. To Eleanor Wood, who found a homeport for Shenandoah by having more faith in me than I had in myself And to John Silbersack, who provided that homeport HAL BOOKS ARE AVAILABLE AT QUANTITY DISCOUNTS WHEN USED TO PROMOTE PRODUCTS OR SERVICES FOR INFORMATION PLEASE WRITE TO PREMIUM MARKETING DIVISION. NEW AMERICAN LIBRARY. 1633 BROADWAY. NEW YORK. NEW YORK 10019. Copyright C 1989 by Roland J. Green All rights reserved Map illustration by Pat Tobin ? SIGNET TRADEMARK REG. U.S. PAT. OFF AND FOREIGN COUNTRIES REGISTERED TRADEMARK?MARCA REGISTRADA HECHO EN DRESDEN. TN SIGNET. SIGNET CLASSIC, MENTOR, ONYX. PLUME. MERIDIAN and NAL BOOKS are published by New American Library, a division of Penguin Books USA Inc.. 1633 Broadway. New York. New York 10019 First Printing, September, 1989 3 4 3 6 7 8 9 PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Principal Characters Commander Pavel BOGDANOV, U.F.N.: Executive officer, Shenandoah Colonel Indira CHATTERJE: Chief medical officer, Victoria Command First Lieutenant Lucco DiVRIES, U.F.N.: On leave from U.F.S. Valhalla Brigadier Dominic FEGELI: CO, Alliance forces on Victoria ("the Bonsai Force") Second Lieutenant Louis FERRARO, U.F.N.R.: Engineering officer and tender pilot, supply ship Leon Brautigan Commander Shintaro FUJITA: Chief engineer, Shenandoah Governor Martin HOLLINGS: Governor of the Freeworld States Alliance Territory of Seven Rivers, on Victoria Major General Mikhail KORNILOV: Commanding general, Victoria Command Rear Admiral Sho KUWAHARA: Commander, Victoria Squadron, and senior naval officer, Victoria Command Brigadier General Marcus LANGSTON: Commanding general, Victoria Brigade, Victoria Command Captain Paul LERAY, F.S.N.: CO., heavy cruiser Audacious, and senior naval officer of the "Bonsai Force" Captain Rose LIDDELL, U.F.N.: CO., battlecruiser Shenandoah Principal Characters Second Lieutenant Charles LONGMAN, U.F.N.: Launcher Division, Shenandoah Admiral Marya LOPATINA, F.S.N.: Commanding Alliance reinforcements to Victoria First Lieutenant Brian MAHONEY, U.F.N.: Training Department, Shenandoah Commander Joanna MARDER, F.S.N.: Executive officer, Audacious Master Chief Petty Officer Chelsea NETSCH, U.F.N.: Senior petty officer, Training Department, Shenandoah Major Liw N1EG: Intelligence, Victoria Command Colonel Sun Ji PAK: CO., 96th Independent Regiment, the principal Alliance ground unit on Victoria First Lieutenant Karl POCHER, U.F.N.R.: CO., Leon Brautigan First Lieutenant Mahmoud SA'ID, U.F.N.R.: Executive officer and navigator, Leon Brautigan Admiral John SCHATZ, U.F.N.: Commander, Eleventh Fleet, Federation Navy First Lieutenant (acting Captain) Candice SHORES: CO., Scout Company, Victoria Brigade Second Lieutenant Brigitte TACHIN, U.F.N.: Weapons Department, Shenandoah Commander Ahmed TOURKMANI, U.F.N.: Shenandoah project officer, Riftwell Dockyard Rear Admiral Mordecai UZEL, F.S.N.: Chief of staff to Admiral Lopatina First Lieutenant Elayne ZHENG, U.F.N.: Shenandoah, on detached duty with 879th Attacker Squadron AG: Attacker Group ETA: Estimated Time of Arrival EWO: Electronic Warfare Officer FADS: Future Admiral Delusion Syndrome F.S.N.: Freeworld States' Navy IFF: Identification, Friend or Foe kheblass: Merishi obscenity, literally meaning "too clumsy to climb" JOW: Junior Officer of the Watch kropis: The most important domestic animal of the Merishi; bulls in the mating season are a byword for bad temper LI: Light Infantry OTC: Officers' Training Course skeerish: Merishi bird, notorious for its piercing, raucous cry SOPS: Senior Officer Present in Space U.F.N.: United Federation Navy TO: Table of Organization TOAD: Temporary Out-of-Area Duty TOQ: Transient Officers' Quarters TUCE: Taken Up from Civilian Economy XO: Executive Officer Prologue Admiral John Schatz read his Command Secret order for the fifth time. It told him nothing he hadn't learned on the third reading. The Eleventh Military Zone of the United Federation of Starworlds was ordered to establish a permanent naval squadron in the Victoria planetary system, as well as an orbital base for the squadron and ground facilities for an expanded garrison. As commander of the Eleventh Fleet, Schatz was expected to provide the squadron. He dropped the order into his desk drawer and asked his computer to do three things: invite his opposite number, General Berkson, commander of the Eleventh Army, to dinner the next day; request the immediate presence of his chief of staff, Commodore Sho Kuwahara; and display a map of the planet Victoria. The map appeared in seconds. Schatz had just started picking out the cities from the gray-blue ocean and gray sandy continents when the immaculately uniformed commodore entered. By standing orders, he didn't knock. "What do you know about the planet Victoria?" Schatz said, without taking his eyes from the map. "Our share of the dual-sovereignty problem," Kuwahara replied. "The Federation settlement's a daughter colony of Southern Cross. Technically it's a dominion of the Britannic Union, but we've always conceded their dominions Federation status along with the parent worlds. Is this being changed?" The admiral shook his head. Kuwahara looked relieved. "Good. We need the Union navy." He looked at the ceiling and continued his recitation. "Seven River is a territory of the Freeworld States Alliance. If it's like most such, the Pentarchy pulls the strings fairly directly." "They do." "Total population of Victoria is about three million, in a sixty-forty ratio in favor of the Federation. The gravity is lower than Standard, the atmosphere thinner, the mean temperature lower, and the average humidity lower. The people are concentrated at lower altitudes, near water supplies, in the temperate zones or tropics. "The Alliance has an independent regiment and a heavy cruiser assigned to Seven Rivers. We have a nominal brigade, with one regular battalion, one reserve, and two territorials, which is what they call their militia. A transport division, with either two or three ships. Major General Kornilov's our CO. Not brilliant, but reliable for the long run." "Would you say that Victoria's a potential headache?" "Any dual-sovereignty planet's more trouble than one with a single government. Victoria, I would say, is mostly potential." "Ten minutes ago, I'd have agreed with you. Now we both have to change our minds." Schatz pulled out the order and passe...
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