Star Crusades Nexus: Book 07 - Battle for Helios
Page 27
General Rivers looked taken aback, but it was Admiral Anderson who spoke exactly what he was thinking.
“Mr. President. I concur with General Rivers’ assessment of the information coming from Mars. We would be foolish if we chose to ignore the…”
The man lifted his hands in annoyance.
“That is enough, Gentlemen. I have seen the reports concerning this man, a man that has been missing and in Biomech custody for months. No, when he gets here, he will be kept somewhere safe and secure until such time as this crisis is over.”
“And the Biomech?” Admiral Anderson asked.
The President considered that for a moment.
“You lost one of theirs during the operation at Prometheus, did you not? It might be wise to keep this one for a rainy day. You never know when a bargaining chip might prove useful.”
He made to continue, but something caught his attention, and he looked away. It was only for a moment, but long enough for General Rivers and Admiral Anderson to share a look. Neither said a word, but both knew immediately what the other was thinking. The President finished talking to the unseen person and turned his attention back to those present.
“Right, where were we?”
Admiral Anderson spoke first.
“We were discussing how we are going to win this war.”
The President nodded.
“Ah, yes. So Helios and its planets are under siege, and the Black Rift will come under attack at any moment. A few more men or ships will make little difference. There will be no reinforcements traveling through the T’Karan-Helios Rift, not until we have sufficient numbers to tip the scales.”
The President scratched at his temple, an odd affectation, and one that hadn’t gone unmissed to the others present when he had something to say that seemed at odds with his body language. General Hammerstein rose to his feet, but the President waved him down.
“We cannot sit back and wait for the next engagement. We must be decisive, Gentlemen. The public is behind us for now, but we must act, and when we start, we must be successful. One major defeat in the field, and I will be forced to withdraw all that we have left to our own borders. Operation Citadel is, in my opinion, the way forward. That means a massive build-up on the border, and the creation of the greatest military expedition ever mounted by mankind. It is my opinion that...”
He continued speaking while Admiral Anderson gave the General a quick glance. General Rivers nodded ever so slightly at the look. Not even the other Joint Chiefs could make out the subtle movement of his head. Unlike them though, the two old senior officers had spent considerable time in the last war. There was a degree of respect and acknowledgement amongst them and people like Admiral Churchill that the others could never understand.
Yes, I know. If we want to win this war, we’ll need this Biomech, and there’s only one man that can make that happen. Spartan.