"William H. Keith Jr. - Warstrider 03 - Jackers" - читать интересную книгу автора (Keith jr William H)

document downloading into his cephlink RAM. This, he
realized, must include fleet orders, complete with
individual ship deployments and logistical directives. As he
decoded the document's first level and scanned its
preamble, he knew his guess was correct. Ohka Squadron
was being sent to war.
"How accurate is this information?" Kawashima asked,
his eyes closed as he read the words hanging before his
inner eye.
"Completely," the Fleet Admiral replied. "We have long
known of the rebel activities on New America and have
agents in place there, monitoring the political situation."
Filing the document, Kawashima opened his eyes. "This
is most unexpected, Munimorisama. I was expecting
orders for Chi Draconis."
Chi Draconis V - Eridu - had recently joined the growing
list of Frontier worlds attempting to cut free from the
Terran Hegemony.
Munimori was frowning. "The situation at Eridu is stable
for the moment. The planet's surface and orbital facilities
are still in the hands of rebels, but an Imperial squadron
from Hariti has arrived and taken up orbit. A truce is in
effect, at least for the moment.
"If we content ourselves with simply reacting to rebel
provocations, however," Munimori went on, "then we place
ourselves in a box. It has become clear that 26 Draconis is
the political heart of the rebellion. Take that system, take
New America, and the rebel resistance will crumble."
"Just how substantive is this rebel government we've
been hearing about, my lord? The, um, official line is that
the rebels possess little in the way of internal
organization."
"Though we dislike conferring any hint of legitimacy on
the rebels by calling them a 'government,' " Munimori said
slowly, "we must be honest with ourselves and accept that
a government is precisely what they hope to form. A
number of representatives from various disaffected colony
worlds of the Shichiju have been gathering on New
America for months now, meeting openly in the planet's
capital."
"Meeting, my lord? For what purpose?"
Munimori gave a humorless smile. "Our intelligence
suggests that they themselves are not clear on that point.
Some of the representatives evidently hope to refashion
the Hegemony, possibly remove it from Imperial control, if
such a thing is even conceivable. Others wish a complete
separation, to create this Confederation of theirs as a
separate state." He shook his head. "Obviously, both
factions will be in for a shock."
"Yes, Gensuisama. "