Exodus: Empires at War: Book 8: Soldiers (Exodus: Empires at War.) Read Online Free Page B

a billion, can there?  Out of, what, fifty billion citizens
of the kingdom?
    “This is really,
unbelievable, your Majesty,” rumbled Lord T’lisha.
    “What’s so
unbelievable about it,” said Lenkowski, turning a baleful eye on the
civilian.  “We know the bastards are the next best thing to obligate
carnivores.  Why would they waste the protein.”
    “We have a
tremendous problem, ladies and gentlemen,” said Sean, looking again from face
to face.  “We have about a billion humans at serious risk of death, and we
need to save them.”
    “I really don’t
see how, your Majesty,” said Grand High Admiral McCullom.  “If we try to
take the planet, the Cacas are just going to kill them all.”
    “We might be
able to get strike teams in to take out the Caca guard force,” said Grand
Marshal Yamakuri in disagreement, shaking his head.
    “And how do you
think we’re going to sneak a fleet in to take out their ships, so we can get
your grunts onto the surface.”
    “That’s the
Fleet’s problem,” said the Grand Marshal.  “Just get us there, and we’ll
do it.”
    “I don’t...”
    “I don’t want to
hear how we can’t do it, Sondra,” said Sean, staring down the commander of his
Navy.  “What I want to hear is how we are going to do this.”
    “They aren’t
even our people,” said Senior Marshal Saginawa.
    “They’re human,
Goddammit,” yelled Mgonda, slamming a hand on the table.
    “We let enough
of our own people die for tactical considerations,” shot back Saginawa, who was
a native of Cimmeria.  “What’s less New Muscovites than lived on my
homeworld, more or less?”  As she said this last she aimed a short glare
at the Emperor.
    Sean felt a
combination anger and guilt flow through him.  Yes, Cimmeria, and her sister
world, Aquilonia, had been sacrificed, along with the over seven billion people
who had lived there, because it would have been disastrous to have made a stand
at that time.  The Cacas would have wiped out any force he could have
deployed there, and that would have weakened the Fleet to the point where the
later victories would not have been possible.
    “I am sorry
about your homeworld, Beatrice,” he said in a calm voice, forcing down the
rage, and the thoughts of sacking the Army Group commander.  She was good
at her job, and had every right to be angry at the man who had made the
decision to let her world die.  He truly didn’t believe she would give
less than her all to any operation, despite her feelings, and that was all he
could ask.  “The strategic situation at the time demanded that
action.”  Or inaction.  “That is not true at this time. 
In fact,” he said, looking around the table.  “The situation at this time
calls for the exact opposite.  The enemy is weak, at this time and
place.  And the time is ripe to wipe out another of their fleets.”
    “That’s not the
problem, your Majesty,” said Lenkowski, looking over at his fellow
admirals.  “We’ll go in and kick the Caca’s asses.  I don’t doubt
that.  The problem will be getting in, clearing the orbitals, and landing
enough of a force to take their camps, before they kill all of the civilians.”
    “I think we can
handle that part,” said Preacher, a smile on his face.  “After all,
I have twenty thousand of the toughest troops this side of hell under me.”
    “And how do you
plan on getting them onto the planet?” asked Yamakuri, doubt written on his
face.  “Not that I doubt the quality of your people, General.”  He
looked over at Parker and McCollum.  “Even the Fleet and Marine pukes.”
    There was some
muted laughter at the table over the good natured ribbing of the other
services.
    “Remember the
advantage we have, your Majesty,” said Preacher.   “In a word,
wormholes.”
    *    
*     *
     
    PLANET NEW MOSCOW.
     
    “I want all of
the humans processed before the spring comes to this hemisphere,” ordered Great
Admiral H’rastarawaa,