Chapter 34 - The Absolute Zero[]
Joint Base
New Dallas Star System
March 30, 3159
Emily Falcone had rejected Lizzie Mac's proposed 'incident' but, forwarded the raw info from Task Force Tatyana and Task Force Hermann.
Which landed it on Sharon Ngo's desk. "We've got a leak...no, wait. We don't have a leak, we've got a a finagling flood."
Admiral Sato from the Draconis Combine Admiralty looked at the data, and nodded confirmation. "We have seen none of these vessels in the fighting."
"Strategically, this deployment makes no sense, unless..." Commodore Willis Sharad from the FWL Fleet mused, "...their priority is the interests of the Republic of the Sphere, and not the Rasalhague Dominion."
"I can not believe warriors of the Ghost Bears would prioritize defending the Republic against an attack that has not yet occurred over supporting a war they have already declared." Star Admiral Connors from the Wolf Empire observed, "This does not fit their traditions."
"It does not fit with good national strategy either." Khan Ward spoke from the doorway.
"Unless they think their strategic position is necessary for national survival." Sharon mused.
"What?"
"Right now, the Ghost Bears are Stone's only standing ally." Sharon said, "The Feds are out of the war. Whatever their strategic objectives were beyond supporting their ally, went to hell when the suns walked. So why aren't they fortifying their longest border?"
"How would that factor into this 'national survival' question?"
"The hulls reaching the Sea Fox yards are stripped hulls. They're coming out with updated armaments schemes and new engines." Sharon said, "Has anyone spoken with the Snow Raven Khans?" she could feel it, the solution to the equation was just out of reach. "They're showing off a weakness as an invitation, they've got a hole card. One they think is worth bunking the war on the Combine. That's not a defensive position, They're staging for offense, and they're confident they have an ally to cover their back field...and they're waiting for our side to make the first move...or they're waiting for a moment of weakness."
"Waiting?"
Sharon tapped a few times to bring up an academy textbook. "The Ghost Bear is an ambush predator." She said, "It's as much as described in the text. This is ambush predator behavior-they either want us to wander into the trap, or to be weakened before they go on the offense." she paused, "Unless..."
"Unless?"
"Unless somehow, Stone's planners are making the decisions for Clan Ghost Bear and for the Rasalhagians. In which case it's a whole different set of problems."