Read Online Exodus: Empires at War: Book 7: Counter Strike by Doug Dandridge - Free Book Online
Authors: Doug Dandridge
Ads: Link
the Lt. General. “I
have looked over all of your contingency plans, and approved them.”
Baggett nodded again. He had tried to come up
with every response he could think of to every action the enemy might pursue.
That was staff work that he did not have a lot of experience with, being as he
had been a battalion commander a year before. It had been on the job training to
try and master the most basic of general staff training, and he was thankful
that the corps commander had looked over and approved his dispositions and
responses to enemy action.
“I will let you people get back to making your
last minute plans,” said Nowitski, looking out of the holo at each of the
division commanders. “It has been an honor serving with you. From this moment
on, we will go to landline and short range transmission only. So I will only
contact you if it is vital to the battle plan.”
The holo died after the CO said those words,
and Baggett made a mental note to make sure that his division was also on tight
com discipline, at least until the battle was joined and the jammers came
online. It wouldn’t do for the still distant enemy to get a fix on his
division’s transmissions, and hit them with kinetics as they were inserting
into orbit.
Chapter
Three
Thus it is that in war
the victorious strategist only seeks battle after the victory has been won,
whereas he who is destined to defeat first fights and afterwards looks for
victory.
Sun
Tzu
THE DONUT .
NOVEMBER 22 ND , 1001.
“So what in the hell do we do with this thing?”
asked Cornelius, looking at the large container that held an explosive device
of a magnitude he really couldn’t comprehend.
“We sure as hell can’t disarm it, can we?” said
Jimmy Chung, standing beside him.
There was the Naval Commando, Petty Officer
Satrusalya, standing with them, as well as another Secret Service Agent and a
civilian who had been dragooned for his expertise on this part of the station.
“If we had negative matter,” said Cornelius,
shaking his head.
“But we don’t,” yelled Satrusalya, glaring at
the bomb. “And it’s no use talking about what we don’t have.”
Chung’s eyes unfocused for a moment, the sign
of a link. “We can get some more negative matter here. But it will take a
while.”
“How long?” asked Cornelius, who had seemed to
have taken command of the group by dint of leading the assault that had gotten
them here.
“Fifteen minutes. A half an hour. Maybe more.”
“We aren’t going to have more than five
minutes, Government Man,” growled Satrusalya, glancing over at Chung.
Ten at the most , thought Cornelius.
We need to get this thing off the station,”
said the PO, pointing to a hatch in the floor. “Where does that lead to?”
“There’s a storage room underneath here,” said
the civilian, a Doctor Boudreaux. “It fronts the bottom part of the station.”
“Then that’s what we need to do,” said the
Naval Commando. “Drop this bitch into the bottomless pit, and let the hole
take care of it.”
“Sounds like a plan,” said Cornelius, looking
around. “Anyone got any idea of how to move this damned thing.”
“I think I can come up with something,” said
Boudreaux, moving to the hatch, which was more than large enough to accommodate
the bomb. He started working the controls to the hatch while looking up at the
other men. “I might need some cover, if the room under here has Cacas in it.”
Fortunately it didn’t, and the scientist moved
down the ladder that connected the edge of the hatch to the floor, a Ranger
leading the way, two Agents following. Cornelius stood by the bomb and waited,
afraid to leave it, lest something come along and take it from him. He tapped
into the com link and found that his fear was not unwarranted. There were
still Cacas in the area, though busy with the Imperial Marines they were trying
to contain. Which doesn’t mean some of
have looked over all of your contingency plans, and approved them.”
Baggett nodded again. He had tried to come up
with every response he could think of to every action the enemy might pursue.
That was staff work that he did not have a lot of experience with, being as he
had been a battalion commander a year before. It had been on the job training to
try and master the most basic of general staff training, and he was thankful
that the corps commander had looked over and approved his dispositions and
responses to enemy action.
“I will let you people get back to making your
last minute plans,” said Nowitski, looking out of the holo at each of the
division commanders. “It has been an honor serving with you. From this moment
on, we will go to landline and short range transmission only. So I will only
contact you if it is vital to the battle plan.”
The holo died after the CO said those words,
and Baggett made a mental note to make sure that his division was also on tight
com discipline, at least until the battle was joined and the jammers came
online. It wouldn’t do for the still distant enemy to get a fix on his
division’s transmissions, and hit them with kinetics as they were inserting
into orbit.
Chapter
Three
Thus it is that in war
the victorious strategist only seeks battle after the victory has been won,
whereas he who is destined to defeat first fights and afterwards looks for
victory.
Sun
Tzu
THE DONUT .
NOVEMBER 22 ND , 1001.
“So what in the hell do we do with this thing?”
asked Cornelius, looking at the large container that held an explosive device
of a magnitude he really couldn’t comprehend.
“We sure as hell can’t disarm it, can we?” said
Jimmy Chung, standing beside him.
There was the Naval Commando, Petty Officer
Satrusalya, standing with them, as well as another Secret Service Agent and a
civilian who had been dragooned for his expertise on this part of the station.
“If we had negative matter,” said Cornelius,
shaking his head.
“But we don’t,” yelled Satrusalya, glaring at
the bomb. “And it’s no use talking about what we don’t have.”
Chung’s eyes unfocused for a moment, the sign
of a link. “We can get some more negative matter here. But it will take a
while.”
“How long?” asked Cornelius, who had seemed to
have taken command of the group by dint of leading the assault that had gotten
them here.
“Fifteen minutes. A half an hour. Maybe more.”
“We aren’t going to have more than five
minutes, Government Man,” growled Satrusalya, glancing over at Chung.
Ten at the most , thought Cornelius.
We need to get this thing off the station,”
said the PO, pointing to a hatch in the floor. “Where does that lead to?”
“There’s a storage room underneath here,” said
the civilian, a Doctor Boudreaux. “It fronts the bottom part of the station.”
“Then that’s what we need to do,” said the
Naval Commando. “Drop this bitch into the bottomless pit, and let the hole
take care of it.”
“Sounds like a plan,” said Cornelius, looking
around. “Anyone got any idea of how to move this damned thing.”
“I think I can come up with something,” said
Boudreaux, moving to the hatch, which was more than large enough to accommodate
the bomb. He started working the controls to the hatch while looking up at the
other men. “I might need some cover, if the room under here has Cacas in it.”
Fortunately it didn’t, and the scientist moved
down the ladder that connected the edge of the hatch to the floor, a Ranger
leading the way, two Agents following. Cornelius stood by the bomb and waited,
afraid to leave it, lest something come along and take it from him. He tapped
into the com link and found that his fear was not unwarranted. There were
still Cacas in the area, though busy with the Imperial Marines they were trying
to contain. Which doesn’t mean some of
Similar Books
