Blockade Snippet 3

Here we go:

Chapter 3

Protodon

 

Brigadier General Valenko Kodiak received his movement orders to go to Dead Drop in the next convoy when his new command ship arrived. He was to be joined by an Army division as well as supporting forces. The other divisions would be invading Dead Drop. His was designated for Garth, though General Pendeckle's Second Division might join him if Dead Drop turned into a dud. "About time." He waved to his staff. "Come come! We have some planning to do."

There was a good natured groan from some of his staff.

"You have a better idea?" he rumbled. A few heads shook. "Ah good then. I need the latest intelligence extracts on Dead Drop. Set up a system to draw on them right up until we get underway. I believe there is an ansible in B-95a3 but not another until Dead Drop itself since the navy took the one down in Dd001ns."

"We're going to Dead Drop not SNHH?"

"Aye. SNHH can be bypassed, it seems the powers that be agreed with me finally on that. Dead Drop will be tricky. Garth I hear is a mess. Make sure you draw briefs on both. We may find ourselves moving on to Garth as well."

"Understood sir."

"Then let's get moving."

He frowned though. He'd gotten his command ship but the Cadre were delayed. Pity about that. He might see them catch up and pass his unit in transit or they might follow him in. Hopefully he'd get to see his old friends soon.

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Dead Drop

 

Engineering Commodore I'r'll turned all four of her eye stalks on the planet Dead Drop below. The Horathians hadn't left her much to work with. She'd done what she could in Second Fleet's absence though. A modest orbital industry had replaced what had been scuttled. Three stations were in orbit of the planet. Satellites covered the planet and star system. Her people had just put the finishing touches on a basic repair slip. Their supply of fuel was assured by a trio of gas giant refinery platforms and a fuel depot in orbit of the gas giant. A second was currently being built in orbit of Dead Drop itself.

When the Veraxin finished processing her files she read the report on the battle once more. Garth's infrastructure had been shredded but there was still a lot left including lunar colonies. A lot of what the Horathians had rebuilt had been taken intact. There were also ships there to rebuild. She decided a move to Garth made sense, it made a better location for a naval base since it was on the front-line. There was nothing much for her to work with in Dead Drop. She got clearance from the Admiralty to change her station and put a call in to the courier that they would have a few extra passengers for their return journey.

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First Lieutenant Salim Red read the change of station orders and then sat back heavily. So, that was it. Commodore I'r'll was abandoning Dead Drop to go to Garth and better pickings there. In a way he wished her the best of luck. Unfortunately, it left him and his command rather high and dry.

Oh, they'd still get support, and, according to a recent copy of the shipping schedule General Pendeckle and Colonels Bear and Aberdy were en route with their divisions to relieve him. The Army's Sixth and Seventh Divisions were en route as well. General Kodiak and Fourth Division were en route but they would most likely pass through Dead Drop on their way to Garth. That was good. But it meant he was all alone until the calvary turned up.

The good news was that the intel from the Neos and the Rainbow resistence cell had allowed his small scratch force of Marines to take out a lot of the organized Horathian resistance. They had some issues in the cities and towns but there were no signs of organized resistance in the hinterlands.

Of course, that was usually when all things went to hell. And, when word of the navy's pulling out got to the natives, they'd certainly have an excuse to get restless. The locals who had been won over to their side would get justifiably nervous. The supporters of the Horathians might get embolden to try something frisky.

He wrote a note to his people warning them of that. Not that they wouldn't figure it out on their own.

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