'Clear!'
The rest of the team poured out of the elevator.
'This way,' Dee said, pointing the railpistol down the hallway.
Elle Ahmi stood on the QMT facility control bridge looking out the zoom-window at the Jovian's rings and at her beautiful planet Ares below. She took a deep breath and sighed, because she knew things weren't as peaceful as they looked. Only moments before, she had been warned that the U.S. had sent a fleet of ships to Ross 128, and so she sent hers there to stop them. Following that, what must be the remainder of the U.S. fleet, seven supercarriers, had QMTed into existence just above New Tharsis there in the Tau Ceti system. That goddamned Alexander Moore had balls. The only way those fleet ships could return to the Sol System would be to take over her QMT facility. And Elle Ahmi was not going to let that shit happen without a big fucking fight. She zoomed in on the planet to get a better look at the ships. They were already dispersing formation and firing on key targets around the capital city of the Separatists.
'Ma'am?' a tech called for her attention.
'Yes?'
'We have the QMT long range up and have Admiral Maximillian on the line,' the tech said.
'Great. Put him through here on this screen.' She nodded to the man. He turned and punched in some commands on a console across the room, and her screen faded out to solid blue briefly. She could see the reflection of the red, white, and blue ski mask in the screen. Then it blinked on, and there was Max.
'Admiral Maximillian.' She smiled at her commanding general, or admiral in this case. 'How is the battle going there?'
'Not as good as we hoped, ma'am. There were four U.S. supercarriers originally, and we were winning. We actually totally destroyed one of them. Seconds ago, four more U.S. ships QMTed into the system and have reinvigorated the U.S. fighting spirit.' The admiral looked a bit haggard. Elle didn't like the sound of his voice, either. He sounded nervous.
'And the ground forces? How is the governor holding out?'
'They are holding their own for now, but the tide seems to be turning. The numbers are almost even here, ma'am. It could go either way,' Admiral Maximillian replied.
'Not good, Max.' Elle thought to her AIC for moment and discussed through her mindvoice some alternatives until she settled on a course of action. 'Max. Tell the governor he'll just have to make do on his own. Ares is under attack. From the numbers you are telling me, we have split the U.S. fleet. The other half of it is here in the Tau Ceti system now. There are seven supercarriers here. I need you here. Now!'
'Understood, ma'am. We'll jaunt to the QMT gate and jump immediately.'
'Great. Hurry, Max. Hurry,' Elle said and motioned to the tech to cut the transmission. 'Get me Captain Tangiers, now!'
'Yes, ma'am.'
A second or two later, Elise Tangiers appeared on the screen. Elise had helped Elle fund the Separatist movement for decades. Her family had owned one of the largest shipping companies in the Sol System, and they had used those ships—the so-called Seppy haulers—for more than just cargo on a number of ocassions.
'Elise, Ares is under attack! I need you to scramble whatever ships you can muster to hold them off until our fleet returns from Ross 128,' Elle ordered her.
'I seem to recall telling you that I didn't think we were ready to spread ourselves so thin just yet. We can't protect ourselves and the Ross 128 system,' Tangiers said smugly.
'Stow it, Elise. Now is not the time. We couldn't have expected the U.S. to actually mount an offensive only minutes after the Arcadians joined us.' Elle gritted her teeth. Saying I told you so never helped anybody and wasted time. She slammed her black leather–gloved fist into her hand and shouted back into the screen. 'Elise! Get your troops moving! I want some ships in the air now! I don't care if they only have three people flying them, I want them in the air!'
'Yes, Elle. We're scrambling now.'
'Good.' She cut the transmission. Then she turned to the tech. 'Put me on a systemwide broadcast channel. Make it fast!'
'Yes, ma'am. Ten seconds . . .' The tech fiddled at his console and then waved a hand at her. 'You're on, ma'am.'
'People of the United Separatist Republic, the Americans are attacking the Tau Ceti system as I speak. They presently have seven U.S. supercarriers over New Tharsis. We must fight them! We haven't had to fight like this in over a decade, and never here on our own
