TBC23

==Chapter 23 - The Broken Commonwealth==
Skye Star System 
Wolf Empire
October, 3146
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"They are going to get hammered.  How fresh is this intelligence?" Khan Alaric Ward was a hard man to shake.  Not a lot gets through his shell, and after his argument with Trillian, he'd been even less interested in happenings in that portion of the Commonwealth that wasn't (yet) part of the Wolf Empire.
Thus, the intelligence report on Jade Falcon activity had been neglected for days before he got around to looking at what the Watch thought Malvina might be aiming for.
The Jade Falcons were no longer chasing commerce raiders in their back field.  They were massing their fleet to go after the Lyran Commonwealth's largest, and until recently, its last major shipyard facility at Gibbs.
The numbers can't be argued.
"These can not be denied or argued.  Even with the unfortunate choice to deploy nuclear ordnance by the Lyran CNO, they are going to get slaughtered!"  he clenched his fist.
"Well...is not that a good thing?" Anastasia Kerensky asked in a slightly mocking tone.
"No. It is NOT." he said.  He could feel it-an aspect of one of his gene-parents, maybe Victor?  "Neg...not good at all.  It will take the Jade Falcons another month to have this force assembled and ready to attack. If these estimates are correct, how fast can a fleet be assembled to reinforce Gibbs?"
"Fifteen...twenty days?" answered Anastasia
"Time enough." Alaric responded
"WHY?" Anastasia asked.
Alaric grimaced, "Because Trillian challenged me. I reminded her of my claim to the throne and she mockingly challenged me! 'If you want to be the Archon, act like it'.  The offensive into the Republic can wait, stone is going nowhere, and I fully intend to have the entire of the Lyran Commonwealth bow to me-it's time I acted like my birthright is more than a suggestion on a piece of paper." 
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