But for Dali, she had to try. According to Mira’s latest message, there was talk of Iliana bringing in a larger Federation presence to quell the rise of crime.
She couldn’t let that happen.
Kalie pressed a button on the holoprojector in front of her, and a three-dimensional map of the Federation appeared where the images had been.
A hush fell across the conference.
She cleared her throat. “I only ask for a minute. One minute, and if you decide to leave after that, I won’t begrudge you.”
Dozens of faces watched her, waiting.
“Thank you for being here. I know as well as anyone the risks that come with opposing Carik. And I… I have failed you. Many of you.” Her eyes landed on Julian’s parents, and the empty spot between his mother and Haeden—the spot where Julian would’ve been, if he hadn’t ignored all her messages. Kalie took a deep breath. “As I was saying earlier, my father and I developed a plan, and I think it’ll answer all our wishes. In one strike, we’ll liberate Dali and attack the Federation.”
“Carik has the weight of over seven hundred planets standing behind him.” The Lykorian Senator, Poltrun, clasped his hands over his bulging belly. “If we divide our forces, no strike on Oeksa could possibly succeed?—”
“We won’t take the capital.” Even in a holo, Father cut an imposing figure. “We’ll never get close enough. Sector Three’s stance is unclear, and One and Two will stand with Carik. They can block the stargate routes, and it’s no use trying to get a fleet into One otherwise. One’s asteroid ring is a death trap.”
An unnerving hum buzzed through the room.
“No, we’ll strike the shipyards.” Father’s dark voice made Kalie shiver. “The fuel depots. The transmission relays. If you can’t win a war by cutting off the head, you can still win by cutting off the limbs.”
The Dalians looked murderous.
Kalie glanced at the chrono. Her minute was up, but no one had left. Yet.
“Carik has a shipyard on Dejur, four stargate jumps from Dali. If we want to stop the ships there from reinforcing Dali, we’ll have to contain it.” Startled exclamations rushed through the speakers, and Kalie held up a hand. “I know. It’s a high demand. And for the planto succeed, we’ll need other fleets to make an assault on a target in Sector Three.”
“A diversion,” Nadar said. “So you can strike Dali.”
Kalie nodded. “Dali has four fleets. Three, if one turns on Iliana.”
Biting her lip, she turned to the Count of Alexandria. She’d been counting on Julian to seize the Alexandrian fleet, but his silence didn’t bode well. Judging by the Count’s narrowed eyes and grim scowl, he wouldn’t support her either.
Fighting her rising disappointment, Kalie looked away.
“If you’re planning to attack Sector Three as a diversion, it won’t work.” President Arrosa fiddled with her floppy hat. “Carik won’t give up Dali for a target in Three. We need to push into One.”
“We could use the Krygeon Pass,” Nadar suggested. Kalie glanced at the stargate that led through a narrow gap in Sector One’s asteroid ring. “It’s heavily fortified, but attacking the Pass would be enough to raise alarm in One. If it’s breached…”
“It hasn’t been breached in five hundred cycles.”
“It doesn’t have to be.” Gar pressed a pale green hand to his chin. “Sector One is the symbol of the Federation’s power. If it’s attacked, that’s a threat the Senate can’t ignore. If Carik chooses to fight for Dali instead of crushing resistance at the Pass, he’ll lose support from One’s elites. He’ll have to commit troops there instead.”
“Attacking the Pass is a suicide mission,” said Arrosa.
“Perhaps.” General Akron glanced at Gar. “Dynar will lead the attack. Sector Eight’s forces will hold them at the Pass, or die trying.”
Kalie squeezed her eyes shut. All too easily, she could picture the battle that would unfold at the Pass. Tar-black destroyers would rain red blasts down on Gar’s ships, the way they’d destroyed her fleets, the way they’d killed Ariah.
“If Dynar leads an attack on the Pass,” Poltrun said, “ships from Vataskor IX will fight alongside them. Together, we’ll open the gates to end Carik’s tyranny for good.”
Her brows shot up. The Lykorian Senator was a corpulent, cowardly man, known for loving two things: alcohol and women. Never, in a million cycles, would she have expected him to commit to the most dangerous part of the attack.
Judging by the silence, everyone else was as stunned as her.
Then the room exploded. This time, the chaos was good.
Nadar pledged to send his forces to liberate Dali. At the urging of the Dalian nobles, Father agreed to send his fleets with Arrosa to contain Dejur, and Kalie breathed a sigh of relief when the Count of Alexandria offered Nadar the aid of his Skyforce fleet and his personal militia. Haeden’s mother pledged the support of her private militia, and the same pledge was repeated by Julian’s parents. There might’ve been others who offered, but the room was a chaotic jumble of voices.
