Eyes of Tomorrow (Duchy of Terra Book 9) Glynn Stewart (100 books to read .txt) 📖

Ab was the second-in-command of the Grand Fleet, one of the most senior non-A!Tol officers in the fleet and definitely the most senior Pibo officer in the A!Tol Imperial Navy.

“I guess I can arm-wrestle for it later,” she murmured, running her fingers over Rin’s face and turning him to kiss her.

“If you must,” he agreed when they came up for air a moment later. “It’s been a busy time.”

“And we will talk about all of that,” Morgan said. “Everything I’ve learned, everything you’ve learned, everything we both project and suspect and guess.

“But the First Fleet Lord has moved meetings and conferences to give us two hours together with no expectations, and I really think you should take my clothes off before we fall back into talking about work, okay?”

Chapter Twenty-Three

Morgan was feeling the most relaxed she had in weeks, at least, when she joined the senior officers’ briefing for the Grand Fleet. The briefing was large enough that she was completely uncertain where she was supposed to sit until an A!Tol caught her eye with a wave of a manipulator tentacle, gesturing her to a human-style seat next to them.

“Welcome to the staff, Staff Captain,” the A!Tol greeted Morgan as she took the seat. “And the deep end. I’m Division Lord I!Lorak, the Fleet Lord’s intelligence officer.

“From what I understand of your role, we’ll be working closely together,” he continued. “How clear are the waters of this meeting to you?”

Morgan looked around the big amphitheater and chuckled. There were at least eighty people present, physically or virtually, and most of them had the crossed-spears or crossed-swords insignia of Imperial “Lords”—flag-ranked officers.

“The Fleet Lord suggested other priorities for me than getting up to speed immediately,” she admitted, her cheeks warming in a way that she hoped I!Lorak didn’t recognize.

“I understand,” he told her—but from the whirls of red amusement in the blue understanding marked on his skin, he knew what Tan!Shallegh had set up for her.

“This is the first all-Lords briefing that Tan!Shallegh has held since returning from the peace conference,” I!Lorak told her. “You would do well to pay attention, as he is trying to clear the waters for many of our officers who have not kept up as they should.

“It is unlikely that you will be called upon to speak but not impossible,” he warned her. “You are the officer who has been present at everything so far.”

“And I am guessing you wrote the briefing?” Morgan suggested.

I!Lorak’s skin flashed red as he snapped his beak in a chuckle.

“You see clearly,” he confirmed. “I will need to weigh your waters heavily as the current advances, my friend. You know more about this enemy than anyone, I think, and that will all factor together.”

“If you’re the Fleet Lord’s intelligence officer, will I be reporting to you, then?” Morgan asked.

“No,” I!Lorak told her. “It is Tan!Shallegh’s privilege to tell you exactly his plans, but I believe the waters are intended to be much the same as your service to Tan!Stalla. You will lead a special team dedicated to the Infinite, while I focus on…everything else.”

A few tentacles waved in the air meaningfully—but then Tan!Shallegh moved into the center of the amphitheater, his torso dark green with determination as he rotated, surveying the entire crowd.

“Officers of the Grand Fleet, welcome,” he told his audience. “While I know we’ve been keeping up with broadcast information, I feel that it is time to see each other in the same waters and allow questions.

“You have all been briefed on the Infinite, the strange Precursor-era bioships we have encountered in the Astoroko Nebula. They are aggressive and they are terrifyingly powerful,” he said calmly.

“Our attempt to maintain containment by limiting their access to the resources necessary to produce hyper-portal emitters has been a complete failure,” Tan!Shallegh continued. “The Laians now have a small scout force of stealthed cruisers watching the Infinite’s movements around the Nebula, but we know there is at least one Infinite force in Laian space.

“We expect more forces to deploy from the nebula as they decide on their goals,” he concluded. “Thanks to the negotiations I have been involved with for these last cycles, we expect significant reinforcements before we move to intercept the Infinite’s next operation.

“We have several teams identifying potential targets, and we will be relocating closer to the nebula shortly. We are waiting on the arrival of our latest allies: three Battle Hives of the Wendira Grand Hive.”

That earned the Fleet Lord assorted sounds and gestures of surprise.

“They are due to arrive within the next four cycles,” he announced. “Once they and the next round of Laian reinforcements arrive, we will be relocating as a body to a not-yet-determined system near the Astoroko Nebula.

“With major Wendira, Laian and Imperial components to the allied fleet, we expect to be able to engage an Infinite force on roughly equal terms and be able to drive back or destroy their first expeditions,” he told them. “We do not expect to be able to restore anything resembling containment of the Infinite at this point.

“All evidence suggests that hyperspatial engagement is heavily weighted in their favor, given the preponderance of hyperfold cannons on the ships of all three powers we’re bringing to the fight. We will avoid any such engagement if at all possible.

“Our task is to intercept Infinite movement against inhabited systems in the region and defend them in normal space, where this fleet can make full use of our hyperspace missiles and all of us can use hyperfold cannons.

“This is not a war-winning strategy,” Tan!Shallegh warned. “This is a holding strategy while further reinforcements are gathered. We have confirmed, as of today, that the Ren, the Kazov, the Oot and the Forman have all agreed to activate security agreements with the Laians and the Wendira.

“That is four more Core Powers that have committed to reinforce us,” he told them. “I have also spoken with our Empress, and another ten squadrons of modern capital ships and their escorts are going to