The planet isn’t as developed as some other lizard
worlds that have been around longer, but it’s going to be the strongest one
we’ve hit to date and will open up a huge chunk of territory around it once the
supply lines go down. For that reason alone, we’re expecting multiple
reinforcement fleets to arrive while we’re hammering on them. With their new
phaser-type weaponry it’s going to be one hell of a naval battle before any of
you set boots to ground.”
“You said Morgan was leading the invasion?” Travis
asked.
“There are going to be at least 5 trailblazers
involved, so it’s more accurate to state that they’re leading the invasion.”
“Why’d you say Morgan then?”
“She’s Morgan,” Kara said with a ‘duh’ look on her
face.
“Are the Calavari going to be part of this invasion? I
assume they would be,” Karen added.
“Just about everyone is invited to this party,” Kara
pointed out, “but we’re keeping it to a Star Force only affair. The H’kar will
stick to other engagement sites. This one is personal.”
“Hycre?”
“They’ve got plenty on their hands reclaiming their
own conquered worlds, and the Voku are busy causing trouble elsewhere. This is
going to be in-house.”
“Assuming we can take it, are the Calavari relocating
there or just adding it to their collection?”
Kara smiled. “Oh, we’ve got big plans for that.”
“Care to share?” Travis asked.
“Why do we only produce Sentinels in Sol or Epsilon
Eridani?”
“Biggest industrial systems we’ve got,” Karen
answered.
“Pagaliss is slated to start producing them too.”
“Damn,” Travis whispered, realizing that without a
lick of infrastructure there now it was going to take some massive construction
efforts to get them to the point where they could build Sentinels with any regularity. Sol was chucking them off a virtual assembly line like
they were lego bricks, but they’d had 700 years to
build up that industrial capacity, while Pagaliss was starting from scratch.
“They’re ambitious bastards, I’ll give them that.”
“We, youngling. We.”
“We doesn’t usually include us,” Karen pointed out.
“It is this time. And for crying out loud, you’re just
strikers. Don’t expect to be running things. Even without my armor I could snap
you two like twigs…simultaneously,” Kara said, exaggerating a bit.
“We’re catching up,” Travis said defiantly.
“Just quit assuming that the trailblazers should treat
you as equals. They’ve been doing a whole lot of stuff way over your heads, and
was doing it before you were even born.”
“Why do you treat us differently then?” Karen asked a
lingering question that had never come up before.
“I happen to like you two arrogant pricks…”
“Why do people always call us arrogant?”
“Because you are. There’s a line between confidence
and arrogance, and you live on the far side of it. You literally ooze it, which
was one reason I insisted that you shower before we left.”
“We do have the best battlemeld skills, trailblazers
included,” Karen pointed out, “and we’re the reason the trailblazers even have
them.”
“But they can still kick your ass. Until you can hold
your own you shouldn’t be talking like you can.”
“We did break their record.”
Kara smiled. “That alone is reason enough for Paul and
Jason to stick it to you every time they can. You should take that as a
compliment, by the way, not an insult.”
“And how should we take getting passed up for all the
important missions?”
“Ah, hate to break it to you there, but we recruit the
best available and our favorites for the missions we’re in charge of.”
“What’s your point? We are the best,” Karen said as if
that should have been common knowledge. “Within our area,” she added belatedly.
“If you’re local they’ll use you. They won’t waste
your skills. But if you’re out of system they won’t call for you unless they
have
worlds that have been around longer, but it’s going to be the strongest one
we’ve hit to date and will open up a huge chunk of territory around it once the
supply lines go down. For that reason alone, we’re expecting multiple
reinforcement fleets to arrive while we’re hammering on them. With their new
phaser-type weaponry it’s going to be one hell of a naval battle before any of
you set boots to ground.”
“You said Morgan was leading the invasion?” Travis
asked.
“There are going to be at least 5 trailblazers
involved, so it’s more accurate to state that they’re leading the invasion.”
“Why’d you say Morgan then?”
“She’s Morgan,” Kara said with a ‘duh’ look on her
face.
“Are the Calavari going to be part of this invasion? I
assume they would be,” Karen added.
“Just about everyone is invited to this party,” Kara
pointed out, “but we’re keeping it to a Star Force only affair. The H’kar will
stick to other engagement sites. This one is personal.”
“Hycre?”
“They’ve got plenty on their hands reclaiming their
own conquered worlds, and the Voku are busy causing trouble elsewhere. This is
going to be in-house.”
“Assuming we can take it, are the Calavari relocating
there or just adding it to their collection?”
Kara smiled. “Oh, we’ve got big plans for that.”
“Care to share?” Travis asked.
“Why do we only produce Sentinels in Sol or Epsilon
Eridani?”
“Biggest industrial systems we’ve got,” Karen
answered.
“Pagaliss is slated to start producing them too.”
“Damn,” Travis whispered, realizing that without a
lick of infrastructure there now it was going to take some massive construction
efforts to get them to the point where they could build Sentinels with any regularity. Sol was chucking them off a virtual assembly line like
they were lego bricks, but they’d had 700 years to
build up that industrial capacity, while Pagaliss was starting from scratch.
“They’re ambitious bastards, I’ll give them that.”
“We, youngling. We.”
“We doesn’t usually include us,” Karen pointed out.
“It is this time. And for crying out loud, you’re just
strikers. Don’t expect to be running things. Even without my armor I could snap
you two like twigs…simultaneously,” Kara said, exaggerating a bit.
“We’re catching up,” Travis said defiantly.
“Just quit assuming that the trailblazers should treat
you as equals. They’ve been doing a whole lot of stuff way over your heads, and
was doing it before you were even born.”
“Why do you treat us differently then?” Karen asked a
lingering question that had never come up before.
“I happen to like you two arrogant pricks…”
“Why do people always call us arrogant?”
“Because you are. There’s a line between confidence
and arrogance, and you live on the far side of it. You literally ooze it, which
was one reason I insisted that you shower before we left.”
“We do have the best battlemeld skills, trailblazers
included,” Karen pointed out, “and we’re the reason the trailblazers even have
them.”
“But they can still kick your ass. Until you can hold
your own you shouldn’t be talking like you can.”
“We did break their record.”
Kara smiled. “That alone is reason enough for Paul and
Jason to stick it to you every time they can. You should take that as a
compliment, by the way, not an insult.”
“And how should we take getting passed up for all the
important missions?”
“Ah, hate to break it to you there, but we recruit the
best available and our favorites for the missions we’re in charge of.”
“What’s your point? We are the best,” Karen said as if
that should have been common knowledge. “Within our area,” she added belatedly.
“If you’re local they’ll use you. They won’t waste
your skills. But if you’re out of system they won’t call for you unless they
have
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