Hellhole Inferno by Kevin J. Anderson & Brian Herbert

Author:Kevin J. Anderson & Brian Herbert [Anderson, Kevin J. & Herbert, Brian]
Language: eng
Format: E, P, U, B, ,, , O, R, I, G, I, N, A, L, _, E, P, U, B
ISBN: 9781429948227
Publisher: Tom Doherty Associates
Published: 2014-08-12T00:00:00+00:00

40

General Adolphus put the Hellhole stringline hub on high alert as he prepared to launch his preemptive strike against the Constellation fleet. Commodore Hallholme could be on his way already, depending on how extensive the sabotage had been at the Tehila terminus ring.

Adolphus summoned the DZDF ships that patrolled Hellhole orbit and launched many other combat-ready battleships from the Ankor spaceport. By now, he had consolidated the Constellation vessels he had captured from Redcom Hallholme’s retaliatory fleet. Many of those warships had been damaged in battle, as well as by the destructive computer virus Major Crais had installed in their command systems, but most had been salvaged and repaired, then placed back into service.

Whenever the commandeered warships had come back online, Adolphus had dispersed them as peacekeeping ships throughout the vulnerable Deep Zone worlds. He didn’t have time to recall them from all the other frontier planets, so he would have to make do with what he had here … even if it meant leaving Hellhole less defended than he would like. It was a gamble. He had to move against the Commodore as soon as possible, and George Komun had promised to bring additional ships from Umber.

Fortunately, Captain Naridar had not yet departed on patrol with his fifteen ships from Hossetea, and so those ships, along with the thirty-five that Adolphus normally kept in place around Hellhole, would comprise a decent surprise attack force against the Commodore’s beachhead on Tehila. The combined force would not be quite equivalent to what his old nemesis had gathered, but Adolphus would have the element of surprise, as well as his own sheer boldness.

He’d said his good-byes to Sophie before she took the two political prisoners off to the Slickwater Springs compound, and now he could focus entirely on the military operational plan.

Before launch, Tanja Hu and Ian Walfor joined him aboard the shuttle that was heading for Adolphus’s flagship, the Jacob, which waited at the stringline hub. “We’re going with you to Tehila,” Walfor said.

Tanja tossed her long dark hair over one shoulder. “If you’re taking that planet back, we want to be there.”

“But you just escaped from it.”

Tanja’s expression hardened. “Many Candela refugees are still on Tehila. Being a refugee is bad enough, but being a prisoner is far worse. My people understand how you tried to save as many people as possible before the asteroids struck Candela—even while your own planet was under attack. I can rally them to our cause. While you worry about the military engagement in orbit, I might be able to assist in fomenting an uprising on the ground.”

They sat back as the shuttle accelerated, leaping toward orbit. Over the rumble of the engines, Adolphus said, “That would be fine with me. But what’s your role in this, Mr. Walfor?”

The former Buktu governor shrugged. “Military adviser. Consultant. Whatever vague term you prefer. Personally, I’d like to stay with Tanja, unless you have other pressing needs for me.”

Adolphus had no objection to that. The two worked well as a team.

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