Shelby Logan 10 Occupation Snippet 1

 So, I hope everyone had a good holiday season. Mine was mixed.

Anyway, I am between books still and working on a bunch of print projects with my new Elegoo Centauri Carbon at the moment. But I sent Shelby 10 off to Rea and Goodlifeguide so, here is the first snippet!

           Chapter 1

New Tau Metropolis

 

Vice Admiral Shelby Logan stared at the bulkhead. Things were coming together but not how she had hoped.

"Ma'am?" Boni asked carefully.

"Yes?"

"We recieved confirmation that General Sedu went to ground with the hostages. He's taken a chunk of the reservation aliens too, apparently to work as a slave workforce. He has dug into the Eastern Reserve Mountain Range. Apparently the area is riddled with caves and mines."

Shelby scowled and looked down and then to the window. "Damn it."

"This was not anticipated."

"No, it was," Shelby said with a shake of her head. "The grunts and jarheads knew that he might pull this shit—at least find a way to fight and possibly go down fighting. Taking the hostages was not something that was considered but should have been."

"Yes, ma’am," the AI stated, grateful that her principle was beginning to think properly again.

"Let the colonels know and give them whatever support that they need. We need to end this. Preferably without a bloodbath."

"Yes, ma’am."

Shelby inhaled and then exhaled slowly. After a moment, she shook herself. "The good news is that the grunts were in preparation of this contingency." There were hundreds of troops en route to T-15. But they were scattered in various ships in transit from various locations, some as far away as Agnosta in Rho Sector.

"Yes, ma’am. Pity about the timing, most of the line troops are in Sigma."

"Don't I know it," Shelby stated in disgust. "And it doesn't help that we've got penny packets of army reservists all over the sector with expensive bases and equipment but not the right sort of troops. All weekend warriors and engineers."

"Reservists can fight, ma'am. They have the basic training."

"I don't know; I never looked too deep into the grounder's training methods. Aren't most of them support personnel?"

"Yes, ma’am. Army Corps of Engineers, some SAR, MASH, logistics, training, recruiters … a few infantry units but none larger than a company. They are scattered as you mentioned."

Shelby shook her head. That was all thanks to the partisans in congress who had spread the love with the army at the expense of the navy when they had been blocking Admiral Irons’ rebuilding efforts after Horath blew up in everyone's faces. "My point stands."

She scowled. "Alert all commands to support any movements. If the Marines or army need transport, I want them moved within twenty-four hours if possible. Less is better."

"Aye aye, ma’am."

<<(O)>>

Lebynthos

 

As soon as the details began to come in, the 2 Colonels had their schedules changed so that they could sit down with each other and discuss it.

“Good news, Lobo is out of it and the navy has control of the star system.”

“With the exception of the ground,” Colonel Letterman said as he continued to study the report. His jaw flexed when he got to news about the hostages.

“So, worst case confirmed, you were right. He went to ground and took the hostages with him. Now we have to dig him out without rock bombing his ass into oblivion.”

“Exactly,” the army colonel said with a resigned shake of his head.

Brown eyes surveyed the army colonel. “You don’t look happy at being right,” the Neochimp said.

“That’s because I’m not,” Colonel Letterman sighed.  “This is going to be a bitch.”

“I know. Good news, Taurens do not like enclosed spaces.”

“True. But there is a ticking clock.”

Randy blinked. “Oh? Why the sense of urgency? The hostages are still in their pods right?”

“Exactly.”

The Neochimp Marine’s eyes narrowed in confusion. “Exactly?”

“The pods. They have a limited battery life. Unless they are hooked to an external power source.”

“Um… shouldn’t they last for like, centuries? Like Admiral Irons did?”

“Admiral Irons was in a life pod. These stasis pods are for long term movement of people. The batteries are purely there as a backup and for when they are moved around. Remember what they said about the death of the Pele refugees?”

The Neochimp blinked and then his eyes flared wide in surprise and consternation. “Shit!”

“Right. The Pele refugees died because some idiot shut the power off and the batteries shut off after a few months.”

“Oh frack…”

“We don’t have years to starve him out. Months at best.”

“Damn it…”

“Right.”

“Do the powers that be know this?”

Colonel Letterman looked up to the ceiling. “You know, that is a damn good question.”

<<(O)>>