"William Forstchen - Wing Commander 3 - Fleet Action" - читать интересную книгу автора (Forstchen William R)

to ship combat, but rather to shatter our ships in their construction bays
before they are completed and launched. What is even worse is their use of
these strike forces to hit our transports and supply ships. Our losses there
have been disastrous."

"At least they have paid in turn," Thrakhath replied sharply.

"That is true, my lord, but let us look at those figures. In the last
standard year we can be certain that we have destroyed seven of their
escort carriers, two fleet carriers and seven eights of other ships. In turn
they have smashed eight carriers under construction, destroyed valuable
equipment and inflicted thousands of casualties on trained personnel. And
perhaps most seriously of all, just under seven eight-of-eights of transport
and supply vessels."
 He paused and looked around the room and could see the frustration of
the clan leaders as they looked to Thrakhath, who was forced to show
agreement with Jukaga.

"What sort of animals are these humans?" Bugtag'ka asked rhetorically.
"What honor, what glory is there to be possibly gained by smashing a
carrier when it cannot even fly? Their gods must vomit in disgust at such
craven cowardice."

"I don't think their god sees it quite the same way ours do," Jukaga said
dryly, realizing the irony of what he was saying was completely lost on
those present.

That was the weak point. In his studies of humans he at least had
gained some small understanding of just how alien was their logic, their
beliefs, and their concept of the nature of war. To try to translate that
understanding to those gathered around him, no matter how intelligent
they were, was nearly impossible; the gap was simply too broad to leap.

It was, as well, the weak link in their military. All their previous
enemies had been totally destroyed in wars that lasted, at the longest, a
little more than four years, and that was simply due to the sheer size of the
Hari empire which had to be occupied and destroyed. In such a case,
where victory was usually assured from within hours of the first assaults,
the need to truly understand one's enemy was moot. The human war was
now four eights of years old and still most of those who led the Empire
into battle did not truly understand the thinking of their foes.

"With honor, or without, a carrier destroyed is still dead," Jukaga said
quietly, "a fact which can not be debated."

He looked over at Thrakhath, and to his surprise actually saw a nod of
agreement.

"The real crisis, however, is in our logistical support, our transport
ships supplying the fleet."