The Lost Stars: Shattered Spear by Jack Campbell Read Free Book Online Page A

you should assume it might be your brigade.”
    “All of the brigades have been pushed hard over the last year,” Kai said.
    “It hasn’t been as bad as some of the ops when we were under Syndicate control,” Safir pointed out.
    “That’s not saying much.”
    “No, it isn’t,” Safir conceded. Syndicate CEOs had never shown any worries about casualties, but then neither had Alliance generals as the apparently endless war had ground on. With vast populations to draw on, high-ranking leaders on both sides had developed a tendency to throw endless bodies into any fight in the hopes that enough deaths would choke the enemy killing machines.
    Black Jack had been different, rumor said. But then, he was Black Jack.
    And Drakon had been different as well, which was why these soldiers had followed him when he and Iceni rebelled against the Syndicate.
    “We’ll get this done if it needs doing,” Drakon said. “We’ll do it smart, and we’ll do it right.”
    The colonels could tell when Drakon had ended a discussion and issued an order. They all saluted in the Syndicate fashion, bringing their right fists across to rap their left breasts.
    As Safir and Kai left, Rogero lingered. “General, I’m going to be escorting Captain Bradamont to the landing field. She’s taking a shuttle up to the light cruiser
Osprey
, which will take her to
Midway
.”
    “Good.” Drakon gave Rogero a sympathetic smile. “I’m sorry you two keep getting separated.”
    “It’s not nearly as bad as it was during the war,” Rogero pointed out.
    “Why isn’t she going to
Pele
? Bradamont was a battle cruiser commander for the Alliance. I remember hearing that battle cruiser types in the Alliance looked down on battleships.”
    “They do,” Rogero said. “Swift and agile versus slow and clumsy, attack versus defense, is how Honore explained it to me. But her assignment is to command the entire force, if necessary.
Pele
might have to make some risky attacks.”
    “So she has to stay on the battleship, so she can survive and continue to command the fight.” Drakon nodded in understanding. “We know how that goes. The hardest thing can be standing back and keeping an eye on the big picture when you want to throw yourself into the fight. She’s a good officer, isn’t she?”
    “The Syndicate never could beat them.”
    “No.” Drakon snorted, gazing at one wall, not really focusing on anything as he remembered too many battles in too many places. “They couldn’t beat us, either. What do you suppose would have happened if Black Jack hadn’t shown up?”
    “Both sides would have kept fighting until everyone like you, me, and Honore Bradamont was dead, and then everything would have fallen apart,” Rogero said.
    “Yeah.” Drakon looked at Rogero. “Tell Captain Bradamont good luck from me, and that I expect her to kick the butts of any enigmas or Syndicate warships that show up here.”
    Rogero grinned and saluted again. “Yes, sir.”
    But the smile faded before he reached the door and Rogero turned his head to look at Drakon again. “Sir? What do you think they’ll find at Iwa?”
    “I think,” Drakon said, “that you and I are very lucky we aren’t at Iwa. The enigmas have never left any survivors.”
    “Taroa is rebuilding from the damage suffered during its rebellion and civil war, but with Ulindi leaderless it won’t be able to contribute any help to us anytime soon.”
    “President Iceni and I have a plan for Ulindi,” Drakon said. “I’m going over to her offices now to see if we can make it happen.”
    *   *   *
    TWO comfortable chairs faced a blank wall. Iceni took one, Drakon the other. “Are you sure about this?” he asked.
    “No.” She gave him a look. “You have the right to veto it.”
    “I know.” Drakon sat back, trying to relax himself, and trying to decide if he really wanted to exercise that veto. “I saw what things are like on Ulindi. The snakes did their best to gut that star