Recruit: Book One of the Universal Conflict ( Under Constant Editing)

Chapter 44

  "We're vulnerable to detection for a minute while the cloak powers up." Cory pointed out.

  "And that close to their home, we'll be detected as soon as we exit warp." Hawk finished Corys sentence.

  "Precisely," Cory stated "and it's suicide."

  "Any other ideas?" T'ilvesh asked "I'm open for business."

  "I might have one." A voice responded from the neighboring table.

  The group all turned at the sound of the voice. Sitting at the table was Slei, smiling as he entered the conversation. The Commanders mouth was agape as his old friend joined the group around the table. Cory got a cup of coffee for Slei as the admiral sat across from T'ilvesh, whose mouth was still open in disbelief.

  "It's a good thing we're not on Earth." Cory said smiling.

  "Why is that?" Slei inquired.

  "Because he probably would have let in several flies by now." Cory insisted, indicating T'ilveshs still open mouth.

  The rest of the squad laughed at Corys description, having been to Earth and seeing swarms of flies crawling over animal waste, imagining some of the insects buzzing into T'ilveshs gaping mouth.

  "What are you doing here?" T'ilvesh queried "You should be galaxies away."

  "I'd have been here sooner if you'd set a straight course." Slei retorted "I've been chasing you around for weeks."

  "Well, I retook Chaikar," Slei announced, referring to their homeworld "after which I came up with a plan I think will work but I need your approval. So I came here to present it to you."

  "Okay, let's hear it." T'ilvesh said.

  Slei started by pulling up a chart of the space from their current position to the Ruchkitay home galaxy.

   "As you know, our numbers have almost tripled in fighting capabilities." Slei began "We have ships, we have the personnel to man them and the weapons to arm them."

  "I'm aware of that." T'ilvesh said.

  "Right. What I want to do is split the fleets in half again, then we play alternates." Slei stated.

  "This is not a childs game, Slei," the Commander said, frowning.

  "What's alternates?" Cory asked Krystal.

  "A game where a child squats down and the children following jump over, squat ..." Krystal replied.

  "Oh, leapfrog." Cory interjected "I get it." Turning to T'ilvesh he said "That would work. We'd move twice as fast since one area is being swept clean, we advance to the next in line. As we attack, the other half advances in front of us."

  T'ilvesh nodded as he got the idea being proposed. He was slightly embarrased he hadn't caught on sooner.

  "We'll try that first." T'ilvesh agreed "I still want to scout their home galaxy as soon as I can."

   "Even using a small cruiser it would be suicide for them." Hawk pointed out "The warp signature is the same for one ship or the fleet. It would be detected when the warp opens."

  "Give the problem of the cloak to our scientists," Surni advised "maybe they can come up with an answer."

  "Do it!" T'ilvesh agreed "The sooner the better."

   At that the group broke up with T'ilvesh and Krystal accompanied Slei to the bridge where the Commander issued orders for all fleet ships to rendezvous with the Revenge at their current coordinates. It was at this point T'ilvesh had Cory report to the bridge. Five minutes later a sweating Cory ran onto the bridge, panting to catch his breath.

  "Reporting as ordered." Cory stated, saluting.

  "I need you to go back to Earth," T'ilvesh said "We need more help from Earth. People who have been trained in the use of your weapons and are willing to help us. Can you find people like that?"

  "I can try." Cory said  "You know that our leaders will try to slip spies aboard."

  "Yes, I expect they'll try." T'ilvesh responded "I'm sending you off on the cruiser Vengeance, your squad will accompany you. I want you to leave in two hours."

  "Yes, Sir!" Cory affirmed "Who is on the bridge crew?"

  "Krystal is the Captain," the Commander replied "She's picking out her crew now."

  "Then I'm off." Cory said turning to leave.

  "Before you go, you'll be receiving cruisers as they are refitted." T'ilvesh told him "I hope you can fill a couple."

  "I'll try my best." Cory assured the Commander.

  Within the two hours the cruiser was manned and departing the fleet. As they moved off the cruiser opened a warp to the Milky Way and moved through. Earth was a week away. Cory hoped he would succeed with his mission.