Kruger told him of the bomb plot, the pardon, and the political confusion that still gripped the Confederation, along with the growing panic.
Jason took it all in, wishing more than ever he could be back under his old commander for the showdown.
'If Geoff stops the invasion, it'll be a miracle,' Kruger said.
'And if he doesn't, what about you then?'
Kruger smiled, the first time Jason had ever seen him do it.
'We'll survive. It's what we've been doing for thirty years, with precious little help from your Confederation, I might add.'
'It's official, gentlemen, a state of war now exists between the Kilrathi Empire and the Confederation. Four old style carriers crossed the frontier four hours ago, and the Senate passed the declaration.'
He looked around at his bridge crew on Concordia flagship of Third Fleet.
'All signal traffic from Station Hanover and the Hanovian System was lost forty-five minutes ago, the last report stating they were under heavy attack.'
'Good God, there's two million people on that world,' a staff ensign whispered.
'There were two million people there,' Geoff said.
Geoff saw a young communications technician lean over his desk, covering his face, and he inwardly cursed, realizing that Hanover was most likely the boys home. He wanted to say something, to apologize for his lack of tact, but knew he couldn't. The cold reality of what they were facing had to be driven home.
The bridge was silent, more than one turning to look at the boy as he muffled a sob and then sat back up, his features pale.
'We're going to lose a lot of worlds in the days to come,' Tolwyn said, 'a lot of worlds.'
'Communications, put laser locks on the other ships in the fleet, pass the information, and order all ships to continue silent running.'
He turned and retreated back to his wardroom. Sighing, he settled down into his chair and looked at the holo map. They were now positioned three jump points ahead of Sirius in towards the frontier. The Kilrathi had yet to show their main fleet. The carriers could be a diversion, or the vanguard of the main assault
Damn, to be able to use full size carriers as a vanguard, while he had to husband the five ships that would be under his command, that is if Saratoga and Leyte Gulf could get up in time to join his other two ships. He ran a quick question into his nav system and the answer coldly blinked back at him. If the Kilrathi came on at flank speed, they'd get to Sirius a day and a half before the other two carriers could join up.
He looked at the three dimensional map, pausing for a moment as a new signal burst in, updating the situation. Three more red blips appeared, the three tentatively identified as cruiser squadrons, crossing the frontier. Far off to one side, over by Landreich, a thin red line was already traced deep into Kruger's territory, two definite and one probable carrier moving fast towards the core worlds of Landreich.
Which was the main assault? The carriers at Hanover could be a feint to draw him in, the main fleet following behind one of the three cruiser squadrons. If he had the strength, that would be his approach, hoping to draw the enemy forward, then flanking by a side jump line, cutting him off from the rear.
He sat back, hands clasped, pondering, wishing he could somehow penetrate the fog of war. The Kilrathi had shut down nearly all military channels and kept silence ever since the burst signal from Tarawa got through, except for the nonstop bombardment of propaganda. The mere fact that signal traffic was nonexistent showed just how well planned the operation was. In the ordinary sphere of war, it was impossible to maintain operations for long without a steady flow of information.
Masterful.
I've got to buy a little time till they show their hand, but at the same time I need to wiggle a little bait, bringing the main assault on myself.
It was almost a foregone conclusion that Thrakhath was in charge of the main fleet. He was always bullheaded, and when he believed himself to have the upper edge, arrogant. Thrakhath never really gave a damn about taking territory; he wanted battle, to close with his enemy and destroy him.
He'll come straight in and dare me to stop him. He was behind the carriers.
I need to show confidence, aggression, he thought, not let them think we're already whipped.
Geoff punched in to his bridge officer.
'Pass the word to the fleet. We jump forward to the Warsaw system and will move at full speed to meet the carriers head on. Get Admirals Ching and Bjornsson on laser.'
He turned the channel off and within seconds felt the vibration run through the ship as the helm officer called for full engine thrust.
Ching's image materialized on a flat screen, the bridge of his carrier, Moskva, in the background, followed seconds later by Bjornsson, commander of Verdun.
'We're going up to bloody nose them a bit and get their attention,' Geoff said. 'It'll be three on four, and with luck we'll buy enough time for our other two ships to get into position.'
'Tough move, Geoff,' Ching said. 'They could be flanking in behind the cruisers.'
'They're diversions. Thrakhath will come straight on in, looking for a fight.'
'I hope you're right, Tolwyn. If not, they won't be too happy back on Earth if those super carriers get there and we're out chasing shadows.
Tolwyn laughed grimly.
'If they do, we won't hear the complaining for long.'
'It's a risky move, Geoff,' Bjornsson said, her features grim. 'If we lose a carrier that'll leave just four to face off against the big ones.'
'If we don't slow them, there'll only be four anyhow in front of Sirius when they arrive. It's a risk I'm willing to take though.
'Glad you're running this one, Geoff. This isn't just a battle, its the whole shooting match.'
'Yeah, thanks. If there's ever another time, remind me to retire first.'
The two admirals laughed softly and signed off.
Again the thought crept in. The old rhetoric of the battlefield, how the fate of civilization depended on what happened next. It had been used by his ancestors when they had stood at Agincourt, Waterloo, the Somme and against Hitler and Zhing. In most cases it was just rhetoric; this time it was for real. He realized that if he allowed himself to dwell on the outcomes it'd cripple him, and he pushed the fear aside. There would be time enough for that later.
Another update flashed on the holo, a blinking purple light, showing that action had started in the Landreich. It had taken hours for the signal to travel, even at burst speed. Three carriers of the Kilrathi fleet now confirmed against what a colonial militia could put up. Their chances were next to nothing, he thought, just about the same as ours.
'Ten seconds to jump and counting at nine, eight . . .'
Jason punched in to the deck flight officer.
'All fighters prepare for launch!'
'Two, one, jump initiated.'
The phase shift of the jump field kicked in, space in the forward and aft screens disappearing in a wavy haze. Jason swallowed hard, the momentary nausea of jump taking hold, as Tarawa and everything inside of it winked out of existence at jump point 324C and then rematerialized seconds later half a dozen light years away, back into position in the Hell Hole system.
The screen shifted, star fields returning to view.
'All ahead full, move it!' Jason shouted and Tarawa surged forward. Not five seconds later Gallipoli appeared behind him in nearly the exact same space he had just been occupying, followed seconds later by two more escort carriers.
The maneuver was insane. Standard fleet procedure was to have at least one minute intervals between jumps. The actual point of rematerialization was problematic, never occurring at precisely the same spot, and if a ship in transit should come out of jump in the same space occupied by another vessel no one in the two ships involved would ever even realize that their existence had suddenly winked out in a white hot explosion.
