The Lost Stars by Jack Campbell

formation to assault the slowerone.”
    â€œGive me an assessment,” Iceni said, knowing her voice sounded harsh this time. “I can read data as well as anyone else. Tell me what it means.”
    The supervisor swallowed nervously before speaking again. “Madam President, it argues that there is something in the new Alliance formation that the enigmas particularly want to destroy, and that something is in the center of their formation.”
    Drakon pointed. “Their support ships are around the center of their formation, and that huge thing they brought with them is right in the middle.”
    â€œThey want it,” Iceni said. “You’re right. That’s the target. Whatever it is, they want to destroy it so badly that they’ve abandoned other targets.”
    â€œThe enigma formation is also closing down, tightening,” Malin pointedout.
    â€œYes, sir,” the supervisor agreed. “They intend to smash right into the middle of the Alliance formation.”
    â€œThis is going to be ugly,” Drakon growled. “I hate head-on attacks.”
    In fact, as the two sides charged together, the main display lit with a kaleidoscope of flashes, alerts, and flares that would have looked pretty to someone who didn’t know those things represented massive destruction confined to a very small section of space. Silence fell in the command center as everyone watched the event.
    â€œNever charge battleships head-on,” Iceni finally said, as the command center systems sorted out what could be seen. “Not unless you have battleships of your own that you don’t mind losing.” The Alliance force had taken some damage, but the enigma armada had been gutted, the entire closely packed center annihilated.
    Drakon nodded heavily. “I’ll remember that.”
    â€œGeneral, if we get to the point where you’re commanding mobile forces, we’ll really be in trouble,” Iceni replied, feeling almost giddy with relief. Most of the enigma ships had been destroyed. Surely the others would—
    â€œThe enigma formation has broken into smaller pieces,” a watch specialist reported worriedly. “They are all coming around back toward . . . toward . ..”
    Iceni watched, feeling tension rise once more. One group of enigma ships looked very much like it would be heading for the hypernet gate, where CEO Boyens and the Syndicate flotilla still waited, having sat out the battle so far. She wasn’t worried about what happened to Boyens, but if the enigmas attacked the gate—
    â€œWe have intercept vectors identified for enigma ship groupings. One is aimed at the hypernet gate, one is aimed at the gas giant, and the last at . . . at . . . this planet,” the specialist finally managed tosay.
    Everyone looked at her. Iceni, not knowing what to say or do, simply tried not to look as worried as she was. Kommodor Marphissa and her flotilla might be able to do something to protect the mobile forces facility orbiting the gas giant. That and the battleship had to be the targets of the group of enigma ships headed for the gas giant. There wasn’t anything she could do about the group heading for the hypernet gate except hope that Boyens would display more skill as a mobile forces commander than he had shown before.
    But there wasn’t anything to stop the enigma ships coming toward this planet. Marphissa’s flotilla was too far out of position to manage an intercept. The Alliance warships, the battle cruisers and light cruisers and destroyers, had dissolved their formation and torn after the enigmas, but now were in a hopeless stern chase. If the enigmas came close enough to the planet, the surface defenses could engage them, but she felt a sick certainty that the aliens would not bother coming close to do what they wanted todo.
    A strident alarm flashed red on the display, overriding everything else.
    Drakon