Milor! by Thomas DePrima

Author:Thomas DePrima
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Vinnia Publishing
Published: 2010-12-12T02:00:00+00:00

Jenetta spent the next morning in conference with Commander Barbara DeWitt, the senior officer of the Weapons Research section, and six members of her staff. The W.R.&D. people would naturally take an active role in arming the ships for the upcoming conflict. Every ship had phased array lasers and torpedo capability, but special purpose ordnance was available in the armory. The armaments supply section only placed it aboard ships granted special approval.

Working together to plan for every possible contingency, they created a list of requisite weapons. The ordnance would be prepared, checked, and loaded aboard the ships before the task force left for the Frontier border.

* * *

Christa arrived in time for dinner with Jenetta on the day the Chiron returned to the base.

"Congratulations, sis," Christa said as they hugged. "I expected you to make admiral some day, but I wasn't expecting it quite so soon."

"Neither was I, but as I told you in my message, it's only temporary. I'll be a captain again when my tour is up. And I was as much as promised a ship by Admiral Holt when they stuck me here for five years."

"What's the big emergency? Captain Powers remained pretty tight lipped about the reason for our return. Besides the Captain, I think that only our XO knew."

"I'll tell you but you'll have to keep it to yourself."

"Where's the fun in that? Everybody's expecting me to bring back the scuttlebutt tonight."

"Christa, I'm being serious. We don't want to risk creating a panic among the civilian population on the station."

"Panic? Now you really have my interest."

"A fleet of Milori warships might be headed this way."

"Might?"

"We're only sure of one ship, but feel confident that there might be as many as sixteen."

"Why? We haven't had any problems with the Milori. Their empire's outer border is at least five hundred light-years beyond our new outer border."

"Was more than five hundred light-years beyond ours. They've announced that they're laying claim to our Frontier Zone and everything between our territory and their old border. The Ottawa encountered sixteen warships in the Elurra System, and the Milori began pursuit after announcing the details of their claim to Captain Crosby. They've ordered all Space Command vessels out of their territory and back inside regulated GA space. They deny that our prior claim has any validity."

Christa made a whistling sound that dropped off quickly in pitch and volume. "That's an undeniable declaration of war."

"Exactly. Now you know why the Chiron abandoned its patrol and returned directly here. We're going to need every ship assigned to this base if the Milori intend to enforce their demand that we surrender our Frontier Zone."

"Yeah, and then some. We can't possibly defend the entire Frontier Zone against the Milori. We barely have enough ships for normal patrol duties inside the inner border."

"We'll do what we can with what we've got. We're not simply going to let an invading fleet take over. If we don't stand up now, they'll think they can take the rest of our territory whenever they feel like it.

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