"Together?" Leonov echoed.
"Right. We take over the space stations at the same time we declare Selene independent. If we can grab the command and control centers for the satellites, we can stop the war before it starts. And enforce our own independence."
"But they'll send troops."
Kinsman could feel the sweat trickling down his ribs. "They can try. But they'll have to send them in shuttle rockets. If the satellites can shoot down ballistic missiles they can shoot down troop-carriers, as well."
"You . . . could do that?"
'T'd warn them first. But they probably wouldn't listen."
"Your people would shoot down Americans?"
"We'd have to. Wouldn't want your people to do that; it might cause bad feelings among us."
Leonov seemed to sag against the window.
"It's the only way," Kinsman urged. "Neither side can stop a war, not the way they've been going. One of them would have to back down and neither of them is going to do that. Only an outside force can stop them. We've got to be that outside force."
"A handful of people . . . How many are we? A thou- sand?"
"But we're in a special position. We can pull their fangs. We can stop them from fighting."
"They'll call us traitors. They will kill us."
Kinsman nodded. "They'll try. Your government will probably take your kids."
"Yes."
"We could hold some of the officers from your space stations as counter-hostages."
"That might work." Leonov seemed dazed; his face was blank, his voice distant and toneless.
"Would they . . . kill the children?"
With a slow shake of his head, Leonov replied, "No. I doubt it. What good would that do them?"
"They'd be dead anyway, if the war . . ."
