has died today, only the empty, burned out shell
it controlled that has finally left this realm of existence!"
21 "I understand, father," Bright Star assured. "I will join you in
mourning the man who once was."
22 Morn put his hand on his son's shoulder. Then the younger man left
to make necessary arrangements. Most all in The Republic wondered what
The Goddens would do next. Would The Empire sue for peace, or would the
new Lord God launch an even more vicious attack?
23 In the Military Headquarters North carefully studied the hyperwave
reports on the enemy's traffic. If they were moving ships around, they
were doing it very slowly. No evidence of any leaps or ships travelling
faster than freighters between systems; no sign that their warships
were massing anywhere.
24 "I don't like it at all! No traffic is just as bad as a lot of
traffic. They're up to something, and this time they're being so damned
quiet about it it's hard to figure what they're doing.
25 He picked up six message chips from his desk, and turned to Gray
Mountain. "Encode these," he ordered, "personally, in the private codes
of my Sector Commanders. Then, have them transmitted. No one but you is
to handle them, it's the plans for our next offensive! "
26 Gray Mountain obliged, but an hour later he returned to North.
"Sir," he inquired, "about these messages …..did you make s0me mistake?
Each of these set of orders is completely different. They say the
attack will go into a different area."
27 "The attack," answered North, "will not go into any system at all.
There will be a last minute
change of orders and all the vessels will raid into the enemy's
commercial lanes to capture or destroy freighters, but transmit the
other orders as they're written."
28 Gray Mountain looked bewildered, but complied.