LWDD-17

==Chapter 17 Lest we drown in the darkness...==
by Cannonshop
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Late 2769 - Command & Control Room DropShip, KMS Maria
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"Can we do it?"  Tranh Truk Ngo was out of the hospital, and floating in the CIC.
"Pretty sure we can." Anh said, "I'm a little bit concerned with some of the requirements.  We're going to be establishing supply lines more than half-way across the Inner Sphere, and you want us to also start commerce raiding."
"I don't WANT it, but if the data packet from the SLDF command lines out the way it looks, we're going to NEED it." Ngo sipped a coffee bulb, "Most of the SLDF's fleet is direct support for ground forces, but interstellar war is like an island hopping campaign. If the enemy can reinforce, resupply, or maneuver, it ends up chewing up massive numbers to no solid gains."
"I'm sure General Kerensky's considered that, Colonel." she said.
"I'd agree, but look at the ******  in the Taurian Concordat these last twenty years.  If Amaris is free to use similar tactics...well, he's not outright stupid."
"I agree.  How do you want to play it though?"  she asked.
"Your connections have enough ships and crew to keep us supplied?" He asked.
"More than enough." she asserted.
"Then we play it straight. Keep my supply lines open, and if the opportunity arises, hits to the enemy's transport network and economy. We can't afford to over commit to a campaign we can't win, and the Terries didn't ask you to add that."
"Fair enough." she nodded.
"In the meantime, keep working up the charts and plans for alternative methods. We broke the Rimjobs in part by breaking their fortresses on Kowloon.  I'd like to have that as a fallback option." he told her
"Keep it in the quiver?" she asked
''
"For now." Ngo nodded.  "I don't think our present allies would appreciate planting volcanoes or cracking crusts as the price of victory. I'm not sure I could live with the results of going gloves-off and the civilian deaths that would inevitably result from escalating THAT way."
"Understood.  What's our next target?" Anh asked him
"DeChevalier hasn't said yet, which gives us time to integrate the replacements and set up future production to support them."
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