Free Escape to Earth-The Legacy of a Conqueror by Saxon Andrew Page B

strikes from your pods to accomplish what you want. The Battleships have sixty major disruptors and their beams are a thousand times wider than the pod’s beams. It will take entirely too long to do it with pods.”
    Chris stared at the Royal, “What do you think about my intentions?”
    “I’m Welken. What do you think I think about it? We can’t shy away from doing what needs to be done.”
    “How many ships can you spare and still defend your planets.”
    “I’ll send you a number equal to the number of Pods you’re taking.”
    “A MILLION!?”
    “I can spare more but that would mean having ships without pods to defend them. I suppose you’re planning to send a hundred pods to each of their planets?”
    “That’s the idea.”
    “Send ten battleships with them and you’ll finish your mission in one third of the time.”
    “Thank you, Great One. Please send them to Earth for departure. How long will it take to provision them and get them here?”
    “When do you plan to leave?”
    “Tomorrow.”
    “They’ll be there tomorrow.”
    The display went dark and Chris lifted his communicator. The organization for the fleets was going to have to be changed. Admiral Simmons appeared on his wrist unit and he said, “Change of plans.”
    “Oh?”
    “The Allies are sending a million battleships to join our efforts. Work on getting the formations changed to use them in the initial attack and the following cleanup.”
    “Yes Sir!” The display went dark and he wondered if Allison ever smiled. She was the consummate commander and her demeanor told anyone around her that she would not tolerate incompetence or stupidity. She was twenty-three but an old twenty-three. He shook his head. There were none better than her at planning and implementing attack plans. He needed her in the coming fight.
    • • •
    “Barbie, are you ready to go?”
    “Are we taking anyone else with us?”
    “No, we’re going alone this time.”
    “I’m so sorry, Chris.”
    “Thanks. Take us out to the fleet and let’s get this over with.” The small pod lifted and accelerated out of Earth’s atmosphere. Chris didn’t need the scanner to see the gathering fleets. The one hundred fleets of pods had a thirty-mile separation between their tight formations. The battleships started arriving three hours earlier and they were flying in at high speed and forming up behind the long line of Pods. Chris pressed his communicator, “How long before we’re ready to go?”
    He saw Allison’s face appear on his display, “The Pods are ready now. I’ve received confirmation that the last battleships will arrive in thirty minutes.”
    “I didn’t expect them to get here that fast. Have you decided what formation we’re going to use when we arrive?”
    “I have, Sir. I completed it last night and sent the coordinates for each fleet. I sent the battleship’s coordinates to them this morning.”
    “How do you manage to do it so quickly?”
    Barbie mumbled, “She has two computers on her Pod.”
    Chris’s head went back and he said, “Do you have two computers?”
    “I do, Sir. During battle, one handles flying and evading the enemy while the other operates the weapons. I discovered early on that it’s impossible to keep track of what the big picture is if I have to fly or fight my pod. Having two computers on board also allows me to use them to develop formations and get the information out in a timely fashion. I don’t have a bodyguard like you do, Sir. I had to find a way to do my job without one.’
    “As soon as this mission is completed, you will select four ships to defend your pod while you’re directing our fleets.”
    “Sir, I can handle it.”
    “I’m not suggesting you can’t. But four of our pilots can learn a lot from watching you. We’ll select those that are fast tracked for promotion.”
    Allison was silent for a moment and said, “You’re right. I learned so much from those years I worked with you and the other