To The Stars

“Details. My intelligence sources reveal that a large force of ships is on the way toward Earth. This has been hastily assembled and is made up of every deep space ship in serviceable condition. The planets are gambling their future, their very existence on this single try. Of course they have no other choice. Earth policy has always been to keep the manufacturing of all industrial and space drive components safely here on Earth. As key control equipment breaks down it will not be replaced. The same applied to the fuel and basic circuitry for the Foscolo space drive. Now that all of the Earth forces have withdrawn, the only thing the rebel forces can do is attack. It must be done sooner or later — and soonest is best before the attrition of time begins to take its toll of the machinery. I do not know the details of the rebels’ plans, but I do know that there is one thing that they must do if they hope to win. They must attack and capture the Mojave base of Spaceconcent. Any other course would be suicidal. All supplies essential for the existence of the space forces go through here. If it is captured or destroyed that is the end of the defensive forces.

“This will be accomplished in the following manner. Firstly attacks must be made in space to divide the strength of the defending fleet. Then the Mojave complex must be captured. This will have to be done from the ground since the missile defenses are too strong to penetrate from space. After capture the victory will be secured by the landing of the attackers. Surrender and final victory will follow.

“Now for details. Jan, I will arrange for you to contact the rebel fleet in order to coordinate the operation. When this is done the Israeli forces will attack and capture Spaceconcent, and will hold it until relieved. Before they make a decision on whether to take part, I wish to remind them of the raid on Entebbe and the rising in the Warsaw ghetto. It is time to leave the ghetto again…”

Jan stopped the replay and turned to Ben-Haim. “I think the man’s mad. What were those last things he was talking about?”

“Not mad — but criminally sane. He tempts us with salvation knowing that it could mean destruction. And in order to help us decide, he quotes from our own history. His thinking is as convoluted as that of a Talmudic scholar.”

“The Warsaw rising was during the Second World War,” Dvora said. “Jews were being slaughtered there by the Nazis, were dying of starvation and disease as well. They rose up and fought their attackers, bare hands against guns, until they were all killed. They knew they would die — but they would not submit.”

“And equally important,” Ben-Haim added. “They fought to break out of the ghetto. And still, today, the Jews are forced to live in a ghetto. It may be an entire country but comfortable as it is — it is still a ghetto. Thurgood-Smythe knows that we want to leave.”

“And Entebbe,” Jan asked. “What was that?”

“A commando raid half way around the world that should not have stood a chance of succeeding. But it did. Thurgood-Smythe puts Satan to shame with his temptations!”

“I don’t quite understand these temptations,” Jan said. “You’re not threatened or at war with anyone. You can just sit this one out and see what happens.”

“Basically, this is quite true. But in a very real sense our freedom is but an illusion of freedom. We are free to stay in our nationwide jail. There is also an ironical sense of justice and injustice that appeals to us. We in our little free prison are surrounded by a world of economically and physically enslaved men. Shouldn’t we help them? We who were in bondage for millennia know well what it is. Should we not aid others to achieve what we always prayed for for ourselves? I said, this is a riddle for Talmudic scholars. I’m old so perhaps I doubt too much. I like my security. But hear the voice of young Israel. Dvora — what do you think?”

“I don’t think — I know!” she said fiercely. “Fight! There is no other course possible.”

“My response is equally simple,” Jan said. “If there is any chance at all of this thing succeeding I must go along with it. Thurgood-Smythe says that he will put me in contact with the attacking fleet. Very good, for not only will I tell them about his plan, but I can tell them also about our reservations and what kind of twister Thurgood-Smythe really is. Then the responsibility for a final decision will not rest with me. So my response is clear-cut. I do what he says.”

“Yes, in your position I would do the same,” Ben­Haim said. “You have nothing to lose — but the world to gain. Yet it all sounds too good. I have the feeling that the man must be playing a devious game.”

“That doesn’t matter,” Dvora said. “His personal fate should not concern us. If this is all a trap then the attackers must be warned and turn the knowledge to their advantage. If it is not a trap Israel must fight in this final battle, this war to end all wars.”