Spirit of Empire 4: Sky Knights by Lawrence White Read Free Book Online Page B

to get back to,” Galborae insisted.
    Stymes nodded his understanding. “I know, but we’re not ready. I won’t let my men go up against gleasons unprepared. I want at least a thousand shuttles, and I’ve only modified 21 so far. There’s some big operation in the works for the Queen, and they’re tying up all our resources. Ships especially are in short supply. I’m sorry, but we need patience until the Queen completes whatever it is she’s up to.”
    Galborae leaned forward, planting both fists on the general’s desk. “Don’t you get it? My people are dying. Let me go with what you have. Please. Any help is better than nothing.”
    Stymes glanced to the man beside him, then glared back at Galborae. “No. These are gleasons we’re talking about. I want to hit them all at once, everywhere on the planet. So far as I know they’re loners, but I’m not certain. I won’t give them any opportunities to organize against me.” He sighed, softening his glare. “Have patience, Galborae. If we do this right, more of your people will live in the long run. So will more of mine.”
    Galborae’s gaze darkened. “You’re wrong. You haven’t tested your modifications against a gleason, and you haven’t tested your tactics. What if they don’t work? It’s more lost time. Let me test them. Send me with what you have now, then send the rest when you can.”
    “A small strike force wouldn’t stand a chance. Don’t forget, gleasons communicate mind to mind.”
    “If your men are as good as you claim they are, it won’t matter. Every day we wait costs lives, lots of lives.” Galborae was rapidly running out of arguments. He straightened up and used his best weapon. “Your Knight made a promise to me. I’m told that a promise from her is a promise from the Queen.”
    The man beside Stymes spoke up before the general had a chance to launch a counterattack. “Sir, I haven’t been part of this project, but he has a point. We really don’t know how to fight gleasons. An advance force might learn enough to make a difference when the rest of us get there.”
    Stymes turned to the man. “Us? You’re including yourself?”
    “You know I’ve been looking for a change of venue.”
    “We’ve been all through that. The answer’s still no. I need you here. Besides, a small force would be overwhelmed.”
    The man shook his head. “Not necessarily. It would if we tried to cover the whole planet, but not if we concentrated on just one small area. We could experiment with tactics, fighting mainly from shuttles for safety. Rumor has it we have a sensor that sees gleasons.”
    “That’s what the modifications are all about.” Stymes shot a quick glance to Galborae, then said, “Actually, the modification is just software. It’s not the problem. The problem is transporters and shuttles. With the Queen tying up all our resources, we’re at least a year away from being ready, and it will probably be longer than that.”
    “Wouldn’t it be nice to have a plan when we get there rather than going in blind?” The man lowered his voice and added, “Sir, the Knight will be back. It’ll be you who has to explain why we’re still waiting.”
    Stymes stared at the man. He considered those words for a long time, then he motioned both of them toward the conference area. “Have you two met?” he asked Galborae.
    “No, sir,” Galborae answered gruffly, sensing a crack in Stymes determination.
    “Sir Galborae, meet Major Havlock. He’s in charge of security at our armories. He has not been part of our planning for Tranxte, but I value his creativity.”
    The wide-spaced, dark brown eyes of Galborae’s rounded face met the equally wide spaced, dark brown eyes of Havlock’s longer face and prominent chin. The two sized each other up as two hardened hands grasped each other in a formal greeting.
    “Sir?” Havlock asked, turning back to Stymes. “Everyone knows what’s coming, and I’ve been doing some research on