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Chapter 63[]
Can you tell me where can we start over?[]
JFS Emerald Eagle, Nightlord-Class Battleship
In Kowloon planetary orbit
Kowloon, Lyran Alliance
March, 3066
[...6 hours after meeting with Elizabeth Ngo]
"...she always keeps a reserve." Henry announced.
"What?"
"Elizabeth always keeps a reserve. She used to beat both Patrick and I at this simulation game called Empires Aflame. It is a fantasy thing, drawn up by scholars speculating on what might have happened if Aleksandr Kerensky remained in the Terran Hegemony instead of leading the Exodus, but the First Succession War happened anyway." He sat down in the officer's mess, which was at 1/4 Gee thanks to spin gravity systems. "When she played, she always picked the weakest side, and most of the time by the time the game was over, she had the strongest faction, but one of her pet concepts is an old one...'if you can not afford to lose it, you can not afford to use it'. Lizzie always plays the same way-build up resources, and meter out forces for achievable objectives, but never over-extend."
"Sound strategy." Nathan commented
"She was an attrition player, Nathan." he explained, "For most of the session, she would attack just enough to keep the other players from gaining too many advantages, while she built up her forces-she used cheap units to achieve a stalemate, and then used that to bleed her opponents...while keeping a strong reserve."
"Nothing of a surprise there." Nathan mused.
"She just told me she sent the 171st to invade Inarcs." Henry told them. "The whole brigade, plus her designated heir. Lizzy doesn't gamble-except when she does. we are sitting in Kowloon orbit while she is executing an endgame move...that she knew we would be here, while she did." He rubbed his eyes, "We are a diversion. She knows Nondi will not attack a Clan force, Nondi Steiner can not afford to lose the forces!"