Exodus: Empires at War: Book 7: Counter Strike by Doug Dandridge Page A

the procedure as it headed off on the tail of the last vessel.  The
third battleship in that squadron came through soon after, then the first unit
of the next group.
    A couple of minutes later the first of the
ships that Len had been waiting for with anticipation.  A twelve million ton
hyper VII fleet carrier that was not intended to engage other ships in close
combat.  No, each carried over a hundred inertialess fighters, just like the
ones that had caused so much damage to the Cacas at the Battle of Congreeve. 
None of these ships had been blooded in that battle, but they were four more
ships and attack wings that would gain their experience against the Fenri,
before being later unleashed against the Cacas.
    Two hours into the transfer the scout force
started off, over a hundred battle cruisers, two hundred light cruisers and
four hundred destroyers, the eyes of the fleet.  They would sweep space in four
task groups, each with one wormhole equipped flagship, giving Len near real
time intelligence.  Hopefully they would be able to blast through anything the
Fenri tried to put in front of them.  If not, they would at least fix the enemy
forces so the main fleet could come up and destroy them in detail.
    After four hours all of the warships that were
going to come through had exited the hole, one every ten seconds on average, with
a few longer breaks as new units maneuvered into place.  Over fourteen hundred
ships, predominantly heavier units.  And Len looked over his new order of
battle, over four thousand ships, besides the scout force.  He figured the
Fenri would still outnumber him in total units, but not in tonnage and
firepower.  And even if they did outnumber the humans in the last two
categories, Len was still sure the New Terran Empire’s tradition and tactical
flexibility would carry the day.
    The next half an hour was spent with the Fleet
train coming through.  Freighters, superfreighters, antimatter tankers, missile
colliers.  And ten assault ships, carrying three more heavy divisions, the
relief force for the troops still trapped in the Fenri Empire.  More ships
would come later, troop transports, more freighters, and the ships that would
escort them from here to Len’s battle force.
    “Fleet reports ready,” said the Fleet Com
Officer, looking back at Lenkowski.
    “Is my staff aboard?” asked the Grand Fleet
Admiral.
    “Their shuttle is on final approach,” said the
officer.  “They should be docking in three minutes.”
    “Order the first task groups to jump to hyper,
then,” said Lenkowski.  “Let’s go ahead and raise the curtain on this thing.”
    Moments after the order was transmitted the
first task forces jumped to hyper.  Minutes later the next TFs jumped, and
after them others.
    “Jumping now,” came the voice of the ship’s
Captain over the com, moments after Len had been informed that his staff was on
board.  The hole in space opened up in front of King Edward II , and the
twenty million ton ship left normal space, heading into harm’s way.

Chapter
Five
     
    I am extraordinarily
patient, provided I get my own way in the end.
    Margaret Thatcher
     
    CAPITULUM, JEWEL. 
NOVEMBER 25 TH , 1001.
     
    Samantha Ogden Lee sat at her desk and shook
her head.  What next? , she thought.  Isn’t it enough to have to fight
a war with the Lords, as well as with several enemies from without the Empire. 
Now they want me to put together an Imperial wedding.  Just the security on
that thing will be a nightmare.
    The wedding of an Emperor, or, in a few cases
in the past, Empress, was just about the biggest deal there was in Imperial
Society.  The only thing that was bigger was a coronation, and they had just
gone through one of those.  Not only would Sean be legally bonding himself with
Jennifer, making her the vessel of any heirs he would be bringing into the
Galaxy, but she would be considered the Empress.  Of course, if Sean died, she
would not assume the throne.  She would