32 Morn beamed over to his own vessel. There was
something in those words that North didn't like, but he couldn't put
his finger on it. He barely got to his Command deck before they were
leaping out. Thanks to the ground they had taken in previous battles
they now had only two easy leaps to Haven.
33 The moment they appeared in the first system The Goddens must've
realized their intent. There were only four hundred ships there, but
they tried desperately to break through to the main body.
Reinforcements quickly arrived, but the holding forces commanded by
Gray Mountain kept them at bay until the main body leaped out into the
Haven system, itself.
34 The Goddens had had time to rally. Seven hundred ships were waiting
and more were appearing in the system every minute. but Morn had timed
everything perfectly. The attack force cut through the defenders and
none of them ever reached the landing parties.
35 The days it took to get in system were agonizing for North. He
didn't like holding back while the other ships attacked the defenders,
but their time came soon enough. In desperation, The Goddens began to
throw everything they had at them, even small private transports loaded
with negative fuel began to try to break through the defense screen,
and meet the landing force. They took two near misses but none got
through.
36 North received a message from Morn. "Our Agents report the enemy is
massing troops in the Capitol faster than we expected. We will need
more ground troops. I am ordering the third line of all support
vessels."
37 Leaving the ships short-handed under such battle conditions was
risky business, but Morn was in command, and North issued the orders.
"I would prefer," he announced, "that most of those going be
Havens.
They will stand a better chance in ground combat, no offense to our
Hashon and Peepian crewmen. Switch whatever po-