"Steve Gordon - Ensectoid 01 - The Ensectoid Invasion" - читать интересную книгу автора (Gordon Steve)

"Transfer the survivors from these seven ships aboard
our battlecruiser group," commanded North. "The cruiser with
the damaged drive section, the Larata, how long before it can
be made spaceworthy?"
"Our techs think two hours," said Captain Dulin.
North calculated how long it would take them to get the
fighters back onboard. "We leave in one hour," said North.
"If they can make it spaceworthy by then, they can accompany
us; if not, they can play catchup."
"Where are we going in such a hurry, sir?" Dulin asked.
"June," said North. June was the Capital of the June
Directorate, the junior coalition partner in the Alliance
with the League. Now that the League fleet, except for
North's battlegroup, was largely destroyed, the Directorate's
fleet was the only other allied fleet left. It was smaller
than the League fleet, but their ships were technologically
advanced and their navy had a solid reputation as capable
fighters.
"Get me Admiral Zarat of the June Directorate fleet,"
North said.
There was a pause and the holographic display crackled
but remained otherwise silent. "We can't, sir, there's some
interference."
"Jamming," said North. "They could already be under
attack." He resisted the urge to order their immediate
departure. If they left now, they'd have to leave most of the
fighters behind.
The Glory was officially rated to carry six squadrons
of fighters but to help carry the additional fighters from
the Hunt battlestations would now be carrying eight. In
addition, each surviving ship would also be carrying a
handful of fighters in their hanger bays. All said and done
the fleet could now carry 200 fighters. The local Hunt
military authority wasn't thrilled to lose half of its
fighter support, but North pulled rank and gave them no
choice.
"Get those fighters aboard as quickly as possible,"
said North, looking at his chronometer and privately fuming.
Time was so precious!
Well, there was still one thing he could do. "Get me
Command General Tenor Markov, commander, ground forces on
August, Sarney Sarittenden Central Command HQ." A Command
General was a three star general, the highest practical rank
in the ground forces. Although there was theoretically one
higher rank, that of War General, that rank was generally
unfilled and reserved for great war heroes. Currently, only
the head of the joint chiefs held that rank, and that was
currently an Admiral, Ruber Peterson. Who was almost
certainly dead.
The comm officer opened a line to August.