Read Legion Of The Damned - 06 - For Those Who Fell for Free Online Page A

implications. Because of the unique nature of their situation, the bugs are focused on moving billions of eggs from Hive to their colony planets. Not only that, but they will have to move billions of tons’ worth of supplies in orderto support not only the nymphs but the adults charged with raising them.
    â€œSo, if you want to hit them where it hurts, use commerce raiders to go after their supply lines. Force the bastards to put more and more armed escorts on each convoy, drain assets away from their battle fleets, then attack head-on.”
    A long moment of silence followed Chien-Chu’s remarks, and to his credit, Yato spoke first. “I don’t know what the rest of you think, but for an individual who refers to himself as a businessman, I’d say Sergi is a pretty good admiral.”
    There was laughter, followed by a flurry of positive comments, and Booly knew that the first part of the puzzle had fallen into place. Though relatively easy to describe, the strategy would be damned hard to execute, and an incredible amount of work lay ahead.
    It was time for lunch, and Nankool was about to announce a break, when Xanith rushed into the theater, ran up the stairs, and bent to whisper in his ear. The president listened, said something in return, and raised a hand. “I know we’re overdue for lunch and that General Booly’s cooks are the finest on Algeron, but Margaret would like a few moments of your time first. Margaret?”
    Xanith took a moment to establish a link between her comp and the holo tank, accepted a laser pointer from one of her staff, and tapped a hand mike to make sure that it was on. Those who knew Xanith well, and that included most of the people on the stage, recognized the quick, almost birdlike movements as being typical of the intelligence chief when she was excited about something. Xanith had a head of carefully styled salt-and-pepper hair, a curiously unlined face, and a look of almost perpetual disapproval. She tapped some keys, and a star map blossomed within the holo tank. Allof them knew it by heart and had no difficulty understanding what was going on when Xanith zoomed in on a remote area that lay right at the point where the human and Ramanthianempires touched each other. “This,” the intelligence chief said, “is the planet Savas.”
    The symbol for Savas expanded into an actual shot of the planet taken from space, which dissolved into a montage of desolate plains, searing desert, and thick jungle. “Savas is a Class III planet,” Xanith continued, “although I’m sorry to say that the restrictions normally imposed on such worlds have been largely ignored.
    â€œIt’s an Earth-like, Hive-like planet, which is why both races would like to settle it. When the war started Savas was classified as a joint protectorate under the control of both humans and Ramanthians. Those of you who want more detail regarding this world will find that a background document has been downloaded to your comps. The focus of my report is the Ramanthian fortress called Hagala Nor, which as you can see on this map is located toward the northern part of the planet’s single world-spanning continent. It is, or was, a volcano, which the bugs converted into a military base.
    â€œNow, as we look at an aerial reconnaissance vid shot sixty-two standard days ago, please take note of the equipment located along the rim of the crater.”
    The audience followed the red dot as it touched some blocky structures and a rectangular piece of metal mesh. “This is an antenna,” Xanith said, “and not just any antenna, but a brand-new configuration our experts have never seen before.
    â€œThe purpose of this antenna is to pick up electronic messages sent from distant star systems and to send messages in return. The Ramanthians refer to the prototype as a ‘hypercom,’ and the truly amazing thing is that it actually works!”
    There was a