Justin stiffened as he heard the fury in the Chancellor's voice. "What is it, Excellency?"
Liao waited for the chamber door to slide down into place before growling a reply. "That idiot! He issued me an ultimatum. Do this or else! How dare he?"
Shang fed the holodisc into the wartable's port, then moved back as the political map dissolved into the head and shoulders of Colonel Pavel Ridzik. The room's hidden speakers flooded the room with the gentle yet firm tones of Ridzik's voice. Justin nodded. This man has the voice and manner appropriate to a leader of men.
"Chancellor Liao, I beseech you to listen to my plea. Tikonov has fallen, and with it go the hopes of the Tikonov Commonality. My people have not yet lost heart, and they believe in the ultimate victory of the Capellan Confederation. Now and forever, they wish to remain in union with Sian."
Ridzik's head came up and his eyes flashed with fire. He stroked his red beard, then narrowed his eyes. "The majority of this message is data outlining a campaign I ask permission to undertake. My sources point to a weakness in the Davion defenses of Tikonov, Menkar, and Jonathan. Davion forces have not solidified their hold on those worlds, but already these troops are treating their conquests as docile members of the Federated Suns."
Ridzik bowed his head almost deeply enough to be respectful. "I require that my own unit, Stapleton's Iron Hand—all three battalions—be transported up within striking range of Tikonov. I have included a list of stars that will take advantage of the Jump-Ships allocated to the Chancellor's command circuit for access to Terra. In addition, I will require the units that retreated to our worlds of Hamal, Woodstock, and Bharat. With these forces, I will retake Tikonov and begin the counteroffensive we so desperately need."
Ridzik's image smiled. "I know this plan will succeed. I urge you to accept it and order it. If you do not, I cannot say how long I can maintain my hold on Tikonov. As always, Chancellor, I am at your service."
His head exploded into a stream of alpha numeric data that the computer immediately translated into a new political map with symbols for military units moving about. Shang and Justin both studied it intently, the latter drifting in closer like a sailor entranced by a siren's song.
Justin nodded slowly as the plan unfolded before his eyes. It could work. It's daring enough, but it strips troops from the rest of the Tikonov Commonality. A dangerous gamble, but as they say in chess, it takes strong moves to counter a strong player.
Maximilian Liao stared at the plan, then spat in disgust. "His plan ... it is flawed, isn't it?"
Justin shot a quick glance at Shang, then nodded. "It works, but it's based on some suppositions we have no way to evaluate."
Liao raised his head. "For example?"
Shang smiled. "The Colonel cites his own intelligence sources as telling him the Eighth Crucis Lancers RCT is the only force garrisoning Tikonov." Shang pointed at a bound transcript of Michael Hasek-Davion's latest troop information. "Duke Michael's information differs with that. It is true that the Eighth Crucis Lancers RCT is the only complete force on the planet, but Duke Michael points out that the other seven Lancer RCTs left considerable amounts of infantry, armor, and aerofighters behind to help hold the world."
Justin nodded, then pointed his metal hand at the world of Teng. The planet glowed a haunting green down in the St. Ives Commonality peninsula. "The Colonel wants his own personal command transferred up to help take Tikonov. Aside from that being a logistical nightmare, under the best of circumstances, it is impossible right now. Virtually all the JumpShips have been stripped from the St. Ives Commonality to facilitate troop movements elsewhere. In fact, most of the remaining ships are set up in the command circuit you established for Duke Michael to visit Sian."
Maximilian Liao slowly folded his arms across his chest. "I sense Ridzik's personal thirst for power as a driving force behind this plan of his," he said, his expression darkening as he stared at the map.
Shang glanced over at Justin and the former Federated Suns MechWarrior nodded. Shang cleared his voice. "Celestial Wisdom, analysis of Duke Michael's data has pointed out a weakness in the Davion assaults that we might be able to exploit."
Liao did not move, and barely breathed for a moment, then looked at Shang with hungry tiger eyes. "What? What did you say?"
Shang punched two buttons on the wartable. Ridzik's map vanished, to be replaced by an almost identical one. "Duke Michael's troop strength and location report reveals the central weakness in the Davion plan."
Liao raised an eyebrow. "Yes, Citizen Shang?"
Shang smiled weakly. "We know the purpose of modern warfare is to destroy the enemy's capability to wage war. This can be done in two ways. The first is to destroy the enemy troops."
The Chancellor frowned. "This I know only too well, Shang. The Fox has aptly pointed this out to me."
"Forgive me, sire. I meant no disrespect." Shang hit a stud on the wartable's edge. Six worlds in the Federated Suns burned with a golden light. "Davion's supplies all run through these six worlds. We know, because of the schedule of advances and by what we know his forces captured, that the Davion war machine is not living off the land. His conquests have not won him the supplies he needs to continue his war."
Justin saw frustration and anger ripple through the Chancellor's slender frame. Justin lifted his metal hand to forestall an outburst. "Highness, Citizen Shang has hit upon a way to hurt Davion's advance and resupply our forces with the 'Mechs and parts they need to finally throw the invaders back out of the Confederation."
Shang nodded his thanks to Justin, then continued his explanation. "Kawich, Nopah, Basal, New Aragon, Algot, and Halloran V are Davion's storehouses. Using the troops we've evacuated from the worlds Davion has taken, we can hit his supply depots. We'll deprive his troops of the supplies they so sorely need and we'll replenish our own dwindling cache of weapons and 'Mechs."
As Shang began to describe the operation world by world, Justin picked up his notebook from the wartable's edge and began to copy down, in detail, the proposed series of strikes. The Chancellor glanced at him, then nodded. Shang watched Justin to make sure he got each point before continuing.
Shang smiled carefully. "Because we know, Celestial Paragon, that Davion's forces are solidifying their grasp on the worlds they have just hit, we know that no new wave will come until February. Davion has taken many worlds, but he's had to garrison each one. For this reason, supplies have to be stretched to their practical limits."
Shang pointed to the planet Halloran V. "This is the attack that will have the fewest forces. We can only send the one surviving company of Freemont's Cuirassiers, but the Duke's information indicates that the world lacks anything in the way of a garrison. Kawich gets the equivalent of four battalions, New Aragon gets a reinforced regiment built from what's left of the Chesterton Voltigeurs, and Nopah will be hit with two full regiments, including your own Second Capellan Hussars Regiment." As he spoke, the computer focused on each world, then unfolded a small chart listing all the forces assigned to the assault.
The Chancellor nodded slowly. "An interesting plan, Citizen Shang." A smile had crept onto Liao's face. "Do you concur, Citizen Xiang?"
Justin looked up from his notes, then turned to a new blank page. "I believe the whole campaign has been meticulously planned. I am in favor of it. . ." Justin's voice trailed off, drawing the Chancellor's attention to him.