All Enemies Foreign and Domestic (Kelly Blake series) by Rodney Smith Page A

were able to land up to five divisions, plus the headquarters and support units of the 5th Mobile Corps, anywhere in GR space in less than three weeks.   The ships were taken out of storage above Gagarin and the capability tested every five years.   With minor exceptions due to odd dimensions on some new equipment, they were able to meet the standard every time.
          Captain Gibbons patted a bulkhead and said, “Don’t give up, girl, you still got it in you and you’ll be needed some day.   Mark my words.”
          He strolled down the dimly lit corridor, testing valves and looking into an empty compartment or two, before reaching a ladder and moving below.
     
    * * * * *
     
          Alistair called Kelly into his secure office and handed him a mid-sized data pad. Kelly took a few moments to read the several pages of intercepts in chronological order, then asked Alistair, “So what?”
          Alistair always had a “so what.”   He always knew more than he would let on.
          “So what?   Ever since the top message in the queue came in, the K’Rang have been hopping like crazy.   The comms channels have been lit up like a mid-winter fest bonfire.   They have already formed a task force to go somewhere towards the galactic core and are already preparing a treaty notification message on its movement.   I expect you will be getting a visitor today late or tomorrow morning to brief you on the details.   Right now it appears to be a internal K’Rang matter, but we need to watch it just the same.”
          Kelly looked at the data pad and asked, “What is a T’Kab mentioned in the first message and do you know the consist of the task force?”
          Alistair shuffled the papers that always covered his desk and pulled up another data pad.   He referred to the data pad and in his rich baritone voice said, “Our linguists say T’Kab is a K’Rang word meaning more than two legs.   They don’t know the significance of it and think it might be a code word.   Oh, and two battlecruisers, two destroyers and two frigates make up the task force.   The battlecruisers are an old Shadow Force model and an old Regular fleet model.   Both are fairly old and were not part of the Grand Armada.   The destroyers and frigates are all new build and were in the Battle of G’Durin.”
          “Any idea why they are going that far in towards the galactic core?   That’s over 100 light years from their nearest world.   And why such a large force?”
          “Not a clue, Kelly, that’s what I’m hoping you’ll tell me after you meet with their Fleet representative who will come and brief you on this ship movement.   Get the real story out of him, not the diplomatic smoke they’re going to try and blow up your butt.
          “I understand you moved this confidence and stability building measure into the mandatory articles of the treaty, instead of the voluntary articles.   That was good work.”
          “Yes, as advisor to Jotil Lenkva, the Angaerry representative to the treaty talks, I was able to insert all sort of little hooks to snag the K’Rang if they tried to go back to their old ways.   Hey, wouldn’t it be a good idea to send some eyes along with the K’Rang?   I can probably get a scout ship or the Orion to tag along out of sight.”
          “Good idea.   You should ask, but I already requested the Orion to trail them.   It met some Fleet resistance, but Rear Admiral Hasselrode was all for it.   Maybe hearing from one of their own will tip the balance.”
          Kelly looked unhappy.   “Alistair, you’re supposed to ask me before you do things like that.   After all, I am the Defense Attaché.   We should at least pretend we have separate duties and responsibilities.”
          Alistair broke out laughing.   “Kelly, you know I want what I want when I want it.   You were busy on Antares putting it to the