Free Alarm of War by Kennedy Hudner Page B

the two bodies. She knew them both. They were two of the men who had teased her, offered her fruit they had taken from the mess hall, kept an eye on her on some of the brutally long marches. Nodded at her in approval when she did something well. Followed her orders.
    She placed a hand on each of the two dead men. “Thank you,” she murmured. “I’m so sorry.” The sun felt warm on her face. She closed her eyes and waited for word that Four Corners had been taken.

Chapter 11
P.D. 948
Emily’s Personal Journal
    I lost two men today.
    I think I will remember their faces for the rest of my life.

Chapter 12
P.D. 951
The Conspirators
On Darwin
    T he admirals from the Tilleke Empire, Dominion of Unified Citizenry and Cape Breton met in the same hotel in Darwin to plan the war. They all dressed in civilian clothes, but there was no mistaking what they were: men and women who had spent their lives in the military, accustomed to command. This was their third meeting, and it would be their last. After today there would be no more meetings, just a signal. A simple, coded signal to launch the greatest war in the history of the League of Human Worlds. They had given the operation a code name now, ‘Family Reunion.’
    As always, Michael Hudis chaired the meeting, but said as little as possible. He was not a military man and did not pretend to know the admirals’ task better than they did. The meeting was cluttered with the warp and the woof of the fabric of war: signal codes, routes, target designations, designation of attack forces, endless logistics, and chains of command. The task of coordinating three different forces that would be fighting in at least two separate sectors was a formidable task, but that did not make it any more interesting to the civilian observer.
    Finally there was a pause. “You still haven’t told us about your new weapon,” Hudis remarked to the Tilleke admiral.
    The Tilleke admiral was a tall, handsome man and a member of the royal family, Hudis couldn’t remember what – a count or a duke or something.
    “Nor will I now, Citizen Secretary,” the admiral replied. “It works, that is all you need know.”
    “You’ve tested it then?” Hudis pressed.
    The admiral nodded. “Oh, more than tested it, Citizen Secretary. We have actually
used
it. Just last month. The operation was quite successful. When the time comes the Vickies will be in for a nasty surprise.”
    Hudis filed this away, and made a mental note to review the news for reports of missing ships within the last sixty days. “Your Emperor realizes that during the next few months the public statements of the Dominion will be increasingly hostile and belligerent towards the Tilleke Empire?”
    “Yes, yes, we’ve been through this before,” the Tilleke admiral said impatiently. “We have no doubt the Vickies will believe every word of it. Arrogant fools.”
    “You should be thankful the Vickies are so arrogant,’ Hudis said. “That is how we are going to beat them.”
    The admiral leaned forward. “Emperor Chalabi remains concerned that other nations might intervene at an inopportune moment. Our intelligence operatives have not discovered anything, but we acknowledge that our spy network is not as extensive as the Dominion’s.”
    Hudis paused a moment while a servant entered the room to refresh their drinks. The man, goggle-eyed behind thick glasses, topped off water glasses and put out a fresh bottle of cold white wine. He fussed over the table until one of the admirals snapped at him: “That’s enough, man. Get out and don’t bother us again!” The servant bowed hastily and withdrew, apologizing as he went.
    There are only three other nations of note,” Hudis continued. “Sybil Head and the Sultenic Empire will sit on the sidelines as long as there are no attacks on their principal planets. There is even some chance the Sultenics could be persuaded to side with us if we are doing well, but if things go as planned they