Warrior Chronicles 4: Warrior's Wrath Read Free Page A

class of ships because its production facility is lost.”
    “We don’t even have an enemy right now, General,” Rand said.
    “Yes, we do Rand. We just haven’t discovered them yet.” Looking at JJ’s image again, Cort said, “I’m not saying you have to print every ship at every base. I just want the ability to. So keep your people trained.”
    “Yes, sir,” JJ replied.
    No one offered anything else, so Dar moved on. “Queen Heroc, what do you have to report about the H’uuman migration?”
    As part of the peace treaty between the H’uuman Empire and the Ares Federation, the insectoids were allowed to remain on planets that they were on at the time of surrender, with the caveat that once the population of any occupied planet fell below a certain threshold, they would migrate to another H’uuman world. The ultimate goal was that their entire population would end up on the single planet ceded to them by Cort. With all the species’ queens quarantined to that planet, the process was certain to be completed within twelve Earth years, as that was the maximum H’uuman lifespan.
    “Thank you, Dar,” Heroc clicked. “The Ares fleet has completed the evacuation of thirteen of our planets to the homeworld. There is a small contingent of our people on each colony acting as caretakers until your Marines have established a presence on the abandoned planets.”
    “JJ?” Cort asked.
    “Yes, sir. We will have forward battalions at every planet within two months. In the meantime, the satellite defense nets are still active and being operated remotely.”
    “Okay, get a company of Marines to each planet sooner if possible. And make sure they don’t have an ax to grind with the H’uumans. We are allies now, and they will be treated respectfully.”
    “Yes, sir. I should be able to have a few ships outward bound within a week.”
    “Good. And make sure each company has a full wolfpack.”
    “Yes, sir.” JJ looked at the corner of her screen to see a message from Wynn Black, back on Earth. “I have some bad news. Admiral Book passed away a few minutes ago.”
    “Gods rest his soul,” Dar Sike said.
    “That is bad news, JJ. He will be missed,” Cort said. “Schedule the memorial for as soon as his family can be gathered.”
    After a few minutes of trading tales of their fallen friend, the meeting got back on track with Cort saying, “We already had a few high level openings, and now we have another. I want to start filling them. Doctor Tsao has made some recommendations for the Head of Sciences. One of them is Lee Pan. It’s my understanding that he was the Director of Sciences for the last Atlantica administration. Apparently he resigned from Beards’ administration prior to open hostilities between us and was granted a professorship at some university in Asia.”
    “The Mars colony was his project,” Dar said. “He has a good grasp of the challenges we face in space. I would support him.” Dar remembered the look on Pan’s face years before when he delivered a message from Cort stating the Ares Federation was cancelling existing contracts for the delivery of atmosphere generators to Mars. “I think he will rather enjoy being on our good side, for once. I will contact him today if no one has any objections.”
    “What about giving the job to Tsao?” Rand asked.
    “He won’t take it, Rand. Since I brought him here for the archaeological find, he has been nearly obsessed with it, and beyond his wife and a few of his assistants, Kim is about the only person he can tolerate.”
    “Wynn Black then?” Rand asked.
    JJ smiled and spoke almost before Rand finished the question. “No. He would not accept the job. I cannot seem to shake the little man.” Not that it bothers me much anymore. Hell, if I am honest about it, I kind of like the little, bent bastard.
    Cort needled her a little, saying, “JJ, after all my time with wolves, I’ve found that a puppy typically won’t follow someone who doesn’t