Free Eagle (Jacob Hull) by Kindal Debenham Page A

Jacob continued. “My plan involves a strike at Kryshaen. Given where the dreadnaughts are positioned, Kryshaen most likely holds the supplies the League would use to send the dreadnaughts across the Frontier if they were going to hit Tiredel. Without the supplies at Kryshaen, they would need to choose another target—or even better, abandon their plans to attack completely.”
    “So it might delay them long enough that we could recover a portion of our own forces.” Smithson examined the map, studying Kryshaen. “Yet I believe the Odurans would guard this facility quite heavily, Admiral Hull. Such a concentration of war material would be too valuable a target otherwise to the insurgents within the League, if not us.”
    “True.” Jacob smiled. “The operation will also involve a couple of feints at the nearby systems where those dreadnaughts are being refitted. The diversions would take place a short time before the real strike occurred, prompting the Odurans to disperse their forces in the region.” He shrugged. “After all, which will President Sessors wish to save, her few remaining dreadnaughts or a batch of supplies?”
    Smithson returned his attention to Jacob, his expression serious. “This operation would involve considerable risk, Admiral. There is a reason High Admiral Nivrosky never considered such a move.”
    Jacob did not flinch away from the man's stare. “He never had an opportunity like this one, High Seat—and this time, all our other options are worse. The League isn’t going to go away, and it isn’t going to stop attacking us. Not unless we make them, and that will involve taking away their ability to conduct offensive operations in our territory.” He tapped a key, and the image vanished. “We need to do this, or we risk being annihilated. That is the choice we face.”
    Leon cleared his throat. “Sir, we have another problem.” Jacob looked at his chief of staff in surprise, and Leon sighed. “You remember our supply problems? I was able to dig into the problem a bit more on Celostia, and it turns out an awful lot of those munitions were being sold to one group in particular.”
    Something about the way Leon said the words set off alarm bells in Jacob’s head. “Should I be worried about which group it is?”
    “Definitely.” Smithson snorted. “Have you heard of Representative Wes Carmichael?”
    Jacob frowned. “He’s an Indie member of the House, right? I have heard he’s been stirring up and awful lot of trouble in the press.”
    “The press, and quite a bit more, I can assure you.” Smithson leaned forward. “You see, Carmichael is at the forefront of more than just a faction of the Independent party. He’s also managed to be right at the head of a kind of cultural movement. They’ve decided to settle San Marcos as a kind of sanctuary for those of similar beliefs.”
    Leon spoke up, his voice hard. “They’re already trying to define themselves as a new Seating that doesn’t have to answer to anyone else. I heard a lot of complaints about violated laws and trade agreements, but that isn’t the worst part.” He paused. “They’ve also been building their own fleet.”
    “What?” Jacob sat upright. He looked from Leon to Smithson and back. When he spoke, the words were nearly as cold as he felt inside. “Are we looking at another Telosian Sedition?”
    Smithson leaned back in his chair as he answered. “It is possible, Admiral. Carmichael has been an incredibly volatile influence on the rest of the House, but he’s had an even worse effect on the people already gathering at Ermine. They are talking about a greater amount of independence from the Union than many of the Federalists are comfortable with, and they have staged several violent protests on Celostia over the issue of the Union’s sovereignty over them.” A smile worked its way across Smithson’s features. “Of course, the irony of the situation is Carmichael has been using you to justify