Free Retribution: The Augmented Human Rebellion - Book 2 by Terry Lefler Page A

telling her not to return to Darinx space, until all tasks
are accomplished.  She includes the video of the trap at the re-supply
coordinates.  This time she doesn’t address it to Fleet Admiral Duncons .  It’s time
for some other Darinx Admirals to get involved in this process.
    Then she orders the remainder of the Sweetwater Fleet
back into FTL space, toward some safe deep space territory.  There the
Fleet sits to ponder their circumstances and to consider their options.
    ***
    Deep Space
    Admiral Meyers addresses all fleet crewmembers, after giving them
copies of the orders from Fleet Admiral Duncons ,
which required them to stay in the field, until they have destroyed the Verm
Emperor’s Palace.
    And they have seen the trap set for them, at the re-supply point. 
Either the Verm Navy is able to intercept Darinx Navy communications, or the
Sweetwater Fleet was ‘set up’ for killing, by someone in the Darinx Navy.
    Admiral Meyers gives permission for individuals or groups, to leave the
Sweetwater Fleet, and to make their way back to Darinx space.  If there
are a lot of people leaving, they will be provided with a warship.  If
only a small number wish to leave, they will be dropped off at a safe neutral
planet, with money for the trip home.
    She goes on to tell them that they are running short of munitions for
the Darinx Fleet, and unless that supply situation changes those ships will be
defenseless.  Her proposed remedy for the munitions problem is to capture
Verm warships.  Sweetwater Fleet has plenty of munitions for Verm
warships.  And they know where to find more.
    ***
    Over 2,000 sailors do choose to leave - that is about 10 percent. 
They are given a Darinx warship and each crewmember receives a ‘letter of recommendation’,
from Admiral Meyers – as if that will do them any good.  She also gives
them an honorable discharge from the Darinx Navy, so that they can’t be charged
as deserters.  The AI aboard the returning ship decides to stay with the
Sweetwater Fleet.  That Leaves the Sweetwater Fleet with 20 Darinx
warships, 1 Verm warship, and a bunch of fully loaded Verm transport
ships.  They also have 5 spare AIs .
    Admiral Meyers quickly goes about the task of relocating all of their
resources, just in case the returning sailors, or the warship, have a record of
those coordinates.
    Now it is time to capture some warships.
    *** 

Chapter
9  
    Near a Shipbuilding Facility
    A shipbuilding facility is an obvious place to look for warships.  The
Verm Navy has probably tightened up on security at all shipbuilding facilities,
since the Sweetwater Fleet destroyed the one in the Queson system, but it’s worth checking. 
Where else can you get a brand new warship for free?
    Scouts have been sent close to the system in order to check for deep
space warning networks.  Some motion sensor type devices have been located
and mapped.  Then the scouts move in closer, to search the system for
defensive networks.
    There are more warships patrolling this system.  The scout ship’s AI
counts 35.  And there is an array of sensors - probably to detect probes.
    Since probes are not an option for recording destination coordinates,
Admiral Meyers directs her team to tag supply ships, as they wait at the edge
of the system for clearance to enter.  That worked for them in the attack
on the Queson system
Shipbuilding Facility.
    Sensing modules are scattered around the emergence area, used by
transports.  After that it is a matter of waiting, until one of those
transport ships emerges close enough to a sensing module so that the module can
attach to the ship.  The cargo transport vessel then gives the sensing
module a free ride to the Shipbuilding Facility.  ……………..   …………
And that method works again – after a few tries.
    The sensing module reports that the next 3 FTL test flights are each to
different coordinates – and the scout ship reports that each test vehicle is
accompanied by 2