Rumors of Honor (System States Rebellion Book 2) Read Online Free

Hadley, General?”
     
    “Another
three weeks, Sir. Taking it apart so that it can be re-assembled quickly on
Hadley has to be done carefully. We’ll be without any mega-computer capability
for almost four months by the time Oracle is back in operation in the Franklin
Tri-system.”
     
    “And
how long after that before Majestic is scheduled to be on line?” asked
Masterson.
     
    “Five
and a half months, General.”
     
    “I
don’t suppose it makes sense to leave Oracle here and intact, and build a
second Oracle device on Hadley?” asked Chenko.
     
    Trojan
shook his head. “No, Admiral. Oracle was a one-off system. If we wanted to
build another one, we’d have to retool the manufacturing facility all over
again, and by the time that’s done and a new Oracle is manufactured,
transported to Hadley and assembled, the operational date would be even later
than moving the one we already have.”
     
    “Okay.
I’m glad to see that you’ve already looked at that option. What else did Oracle
come up with?”
     
    Trojan
hesitated. He was about to throw a hot potato into their laps. “Oracle is
predicting that the Union will start deploying ships with neutron armor. That
will render our existing high explosive and kinetic energy warheads obsolete.
The recommendation is that we develop fission and eventually fusion warheads
for both anti-ship and potentially planetary bombardment missions.”
     
    “Oh
Christ! I can just see the Council’s reaction when we ask them for approval for
THAT!” exclaimed Masterson.
     
    Chenko
nodded his agreement.  “Yes, the use of nuclear weapons is specifically
prohibited by the FPS Constitution. It would take a majority of the Assembly to
change it. With over a hundred planets withdrawing from the Assembly already,
I’m not even sure if it’s still possible to get the absolute majority we’d
need.”
     
    “I
understand that, Admiral, but Oracle’s logic is unassailable. If they’re going
to build armored ships, we either build fission warheads or we lose the war.”
     
    Masterson
shook his head. “Using nukes against armored ships is one thing. The Assembly
might just go along with that. But fusion weapons used against planetary
targets? For God’s sakes, Jonn, we’re trying to bring the rebels back into the
fold, not exterminate them! Where’s the honor in wiping out whole populations?
I don’t see the Assembly authorizing that kind of escalation.”
     
    Chenko
nodded. “I’m in complete agreement with you, Frank. If we get clear evidence
that the Union is building armored ships, then I’ll support a request for
anti-ship nukes but not fusion weapons, and in any case, no planetary
bombardment by nukes. Hell, if we start lobbing nukes at their cities, what’s
to prevent them from bombing Geneva or London or Tokyo? We can’t defend every
city on every Federation planet? Is that clear, General?”
     
    “Yes,
Admiral, that’s crystal clear,” said Trojan.
     
    “Do
you have anything else to bring to our attention?” asked Masterson.
     
    “No,
Sir.”
     
    “Fine,
then you’re dismissed, General.”
     
    As
Trojan walked out of the room, he made a mental note to record in his personal
war diary that both Chiefs of Staff still hadn’t grasped the scope of where
this war was going. Oracle predicted that when the SSU started to lose, they’d
become desperate and the fighting would get very messy. If the politicians
insisted that the Army and Navy fight with one hand tied behind their backs,
then a lot of good men and women wearing the Federation uniform would die
unnecessarily. Trojan made up his mind that he was not going to let that
happen, and if that meant compromising his honor, then so be it.
     
     
    Chapter Three
     
    Day
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    Drake
stepped onto the ship’s boarding ramp just in time to see a navy groundcar
carry away Cate Foster and Bret Murphy. They were headed to a debriefing
session with someone high up in the hierarchy, probably Janicot