Read Online Sword of Axia (The Arcadian Jihad) by Eric Schneider - Free Book Online
Authors: Eric Schneider
Tags: Science-Fiction
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wrong, it would be a truly brave man who didn’t listen. If Serena said it was true, so be it. Rafe backed down. “If you say so, we’ll do it in three trips. The first group of three hundred and fifty can start operations while they’re waiting for the rest of the force to land.”
“It’s not so simple, Rafe,” Blas added. “Once the first group starts the attack you’ll need half of them to defend the landing site, otherwise the following groups will run straight into enemy fire, once the Axians know you’re attacking they’ll secure the landing site.”
The room went silent. The mathematics were difficult to refute, Rafe Glen looked angry as he searched for a way around the problem.
“Admiral Rusal, do you have any suggestions?” Tell asked, trying to soothe the savage emotions that swirled around the room.
Quentin Rusal looked thoughtful. “It may be possible, yes, but we’ll need to widen the scope of the operation. I would suggest an assault from two sides, Rafe’s men will go in on the surface and we’ll send in a small fleet to attack and divert their outer defenses and break through from there. If the attacking ships can keep the defenders busy enough, the ground troops will have a better chance to get through. I think it’s the only chance, Sir, I’d like to lead them those ships in.”
“I can’t spare you to lead the naval attack, Admiral, it’s risky enough as it is.”
“I’ll do it.”
They looked at Blas.
“I thought you were opposed to the mission,” Guide Tell said.
“I am, Sir. But if it’s going to have even the slightest chance of success it will need an experienced captain to lead it. I’ll break through their defenses for you.”
“Thank you, Captain. Very well, we’ll schedule the operation for five days time, can we have the ships and ground troops ready by then?”
One of the men spoke up, he was the control room technician for Isolde’s main space dock.
“We have a delivery of twenty new warships, light cruisers, going out in two days, they will be fully operational. We’ll make sure that some of our own people are part of the crew and seize them, they’ll be completely operational. The people on the ground here would have no idea that we’ve taken them and it’ll be a few days before anyone realizes they’ve failed to arrive at their destination.
Tell nodded. “It seems that we have a chance of success, then. Men, if you would make your plans accordingly we leave for Dafne in five days. When the operation to take their munitions planet is successfully achieved we will have the means to finish off what we have started here on Isolde. That will give us their shipyards and their munitions.”
He put up his hand to quiet the cheering men. “Once we have control of the shipyards here on Isolde and their armaments factories on Dafne, we’ll take their food supplies. We’ll send everything we have to Corazon, the hydroponics planet that supplies the whole of the Nine Systems. Then, my friends, when we have Corazon, we’ll be ready for the final killing blow. We begin the assault on Axis Nova.
System Standard 2728.1257 Above Planet Dafne
They emerged from hyperspace less than five thousand miles from the outer defensive ring of the Planet Dafne. Blas was at his normal station on the bridge of his new command ship, the Hunter Class Light Cruiser Capella. Unusually, Sister Serena had insisted on coming with them.
“Or do you think the bridge of a warship is no place for a woman, Captain?”
“It’s not that, no, but in battle we don’t need any distractions.”
“Really, is that so?” she breathed. “You see women as mere distractions?” Her voice was low and husky. In another, less exalted woman he would have described it as sexy. Her perfume certainly was, he could feel it inflaming his senses. She was only three years older than he was, he reminded himself. At that moment he wanted her, more than anything else in the universe. He
“It’s not so simple, Rafe,” Blas added. “Once the first group starts the attack you’ll need half of them to defend the landing site, otherwise the following groups will run straight into enemy fire, once the Axians know you’re attacking they’ll secure the landing site.”
The room went silent. The mathematics were difficult to refute, Rafe Glen looked angry as he searched for a way around the problem.
“Admiral Rusal, do you have any suggestions?” Tell asked, trying to soothe the savage emotions that swirled around the room.
Quentin Rusal looked thoughtful. “It may be possible, yes, but we’ll need to widen the scope of the operation. I would suggest an assault from two sides, Rafe’s men will go in on the surface and we’ll send in a small fleet to attack and divert their outer defenses and break through from there. If the attacking ships can keep the defenders busy enough, the ground troops will have a better chance to get through. I think it’s the only chance, Sir, I’d like to lead them those ships in.”
“I can’t spare you to lead the naval attack, Admiral, it’s risky enough as it is.”
“I’ll do it.”
They looked at Blas.
“I thought you were opposed to the mission,” Guide Tell said.
“I am, Sir. But if it’s going to have even the slightest chance of success it will need an experienced captain to lead it. I’ll break through their defenses for you.”
“Thank you, Captain. Very well, we’ll schedule the operation for five days time, can we have the ships and ground troops ready by then?”
One of the men spoke up, he was the control room technician for Isolde’s main space dock.
“We have a delivery of twenty new warships, light cruisers, going out in two days, they will be fully operational. We’ll make sure that some of our own people are part of the crew and seize them, they’ll be completely operational. The people on the ground here would have no idea that we’ve taken them and it’ll be a few days before anyone realizes they’ve failed to arrive at their destination.
Tell nodded. “It seems that we have a chance of success, then. Men, if you would make your plans accordingly we leave for Dafne in five days. When the operation to take their munitions planet is successfully achieved we will have the means to finish off what we have started here on Isolde. That will give us their shipyards and their munitions.”
He put up his hand to quiet the cheering men. “Once we have control of the shipyards here on Isolde and their armaments factories on Dafne, we’ll take their food supplies. We’ll send everything we have to Corazon, the hydroponics planet that supplies the whole of the Nine Systems. Then, my friends, when we have Corazon, we’ll be ready for the final killing blow. We begin the assault on Axis Nova.
System Standard 2728.1257 Above Planet Dafne
They emerged from hyperspace less than five thousand miles from the outer defensive ring of the Planet Dafne. Blas was at his normal station on the bridge of his new command ship, the Hunter Class Light Cruiser Capella. Unusually, Sister Serena had insisted on coming with them.
“Or do you think the bridge of a warship is no place for a woman, Captain?”
“It’s not that, no, but in battle we don’t need any distractions.”
“Really, is that so?” she breathed. “You see women as mere distractions?” Her voice was low and husky. In another, less exalted woman he would have described it as sexy. Her perfume certainly was, he could feel it inflaming his senses. She was only three years older than he was, he reminded himself. At that moment he wanted her, more than anything else in the universe. He
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