The Lost Stars

The Lost Stars by Jack Campbell Read Free Book Online Page B

Book: The Lost Stars by Jack Campbell Read Free Book Online
Authors: Jack Campbell
the heavy cruisers. “Why don’t the enigmas have battleships?” Drakon continued. “Their largest ships aren’t much bigger than our heavy cruisers.”
    â€œTheir ships are more maneuverable than ours,” Iceni replied. “And our least maneuverable ships are the battleships because of all the armor, shield generators, and weapons they carry. They’re slow to accelerate and slow to brake and take a very wide radius to change vectors. That sort of sluggish ship may be incompatible with how the enigmas fight.”
    â€œBut what about battle cruisers?” Drakon asked. “Aren’t those pretty maneuverable?”
    â€œYes. Very swift because they have the propulsion of a battleship but not nearly as much armor and significantly less weaponry and shield strength.” Iceni shook her head, looking at the enigma ships. “I don’t know why the enigmas don’t have anything as large as one of our battle cruisers. Maybe Black Jack found out the answer to that.”
    Drakon’s expression hardened. “While he was getting his fleet blown away and stirring up the enigmas to attack us again, you mean?”
    She found herself defending the Alliance admiral despite how absurd the idea would have been less than a year ago. “We don’t know if the enigmas would have come back anyway. And we don’t know that Black Jack’s fleet was destroyed.”
    Malin frowned as he received a report over his link, then faced Drakon. “General, one of our satellites brushed against the edge of a tight-beam communication from this planet aimed toward the Syndicate flotilla.”
    She should pretend to be focusing her suspicions elsewhere, but Iceni couldn’t help herself. Her eyes went to Drakon, and found him looking at her.
Did you send that transmission?
their eyes challenged each other.
    Drakon shook his head in answer to the unspoken question. “The snakes must still have agents active on this planet,” he said.
    â€œYes,” Iceni agreed. “The transmission did not originate from any source known to me. Did we get the origin of the beam localized?”
    â€œNo, Madam President,” Malin replied. “The contact was too fleeting, then the beam cut off. It was a burst transmission, so whoever it was could have sent an encyclopedia of information in the brief time it was active.”
    â€œWe should still be able to get some indication of where it came from,” Morgan insisted.
    Malin gave her a bland look. “Initial analysis narrowed it down to this half of this hemisphere of this planet.”
    â€œAnd I suppose you’re happy with that level of incompetence?” Morgan said, her tone growing fiercer.
    â€œI’m willing to accept real-world limitations but have no intention of being satisfied with this level of analysis,” Malin replied, maintaining that indifferent expression, doubtless knowing it would further provoke Morgan.
    Drakon made a small gesture, and both colonels fell silent even though Morgan had clearly been ready to fire another verbal volley. “I want you two to check the data the satellite picked up. Do it independently and see if either of you can get a better idea of the signal’s location of origin.”
    Both officers saluted, Malin returning to a nearby terminal and Morgan walking quickly out of the command center.
    â€œWhat?” Drakon asked, having noticed how Iceni was regardinghim.
    â€œI watched how you handled that,” Iceni said. “I admit I wonder why you keep those two as assistants despite their unquestioned individual skills. But then I saw how you can use their rivalry. If anyone can narrow down the place where that signal originated, it will be one of those two because they’re very good at what they do, and neither one wants the other to succeed where they have failed.”
    â€œThat’s pretty much the idea,” Drakon agreed. “They also

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