Loyalty to the Cause (TCOTU, Book 4) (This Corner of the Universe) Read Online Free PDF Page A

turned out to be a pirate
freighter so it does bear out.”
    Vernay
pointed to a list of ship names off to the side of the computer screen.  “This
is the master list Captain Heskan worked out.  He thinks these ships are running
the contraband and that makes them open game for us.”  Vernay manipulated the
computer controls, eliminating two additional unsuitable freighter models from
the screen.  “Getting back to the chief’s point, the captain thought we could
use internal holds as makeshift barracks,” Vernay said.  “I don’t know how he
was planning on handling the logistics of food and such but it’s not like we’re
deploying for six months; we just have to get to the Commonwealth.”  She looked
at Brown.  “How long do you figure that will take?”
    “Depends
on the route,” Brown answered.  “Take the shortest route an’ we could be there
in a little more than a week but that means sailin’ straight through the front
lines.  There’s no way we’d make it past Second Fleet.  It’d be suicide tryin’
to run the freighter blockade in Sponde.”  Brown quickly input commands into
Vernay’s datapad and a map of the Brevic Republic appeared on the desktop.  The
Anthe star system glowed in the Republic’s upper left corner.
    “The
safest route would be east,” Selvaggio said.  “We could be out of the Republic by
our fourth dive.”  She pointed at the tunnels between Anthe, Titan and Tetium. 
“And these tunnels are Type B; we could be in Tetium in less than a day.”  Her
finger continued to trace the route farther east.  “Then, just a standard dive
to Despina and after that, we’re out of the Republic.”
    Brown
zoomed the galaxy map out to display not only the Republic but also the Solarian
Federation and Hollaran Commonwealth.  Selvaggio’s route ended in the
Federation, on the opposite side of the Republic from the Commonwealth.
    The raven-haired
navigator sighed.  “I know, Chief.  We’d have to spend months sailing to the
Commonwealth, skirting the Republic’s border.”  She looked away from the
desktop map and at the window-mode wall screen of Vernay’s cabin.  The Jewel was in tunnel space between Anthe and Tarvos but the starscape looked ordinary. 
“If we don’t take the direct route to the Commonwealth or the safest but longer
route through the Federation… then what?”
    Brown
considered the map for several moments.  “Well, we’re gonna have to sail
through Titan.  There’s no way around it.  An’ since east an’ west are out of
the question, that really just leaves Bree.”
    Truesworth
shuddered.  “Would we really risk sailing through the capital?  Isn’t that
where they’ll take us after we’re captured?  Why rush it?”
    Vernay
chuckled lightly.  “We have to stay ahead of the information wave, Jack.  When
we break out the Hollarans, we won’t just slip away like we did last night.  If
we don’t take the routes that keep us ahead of the alerts that they’ll send
from Anthe, the Republic will set up blockades that we won’t be able to avoid.”
    “But, Stacy,”
Selvaggio stated, “information travels at the speed of light.”  She pointed at
the freighter designs.  “These ships will be lucky to make point two-C.  We’re
dead meat.”
    *  *  *
    Heskan
entered Envoy-3’s lavishly furnished conference room behind Jennings. 
Brewer and Neal, already seated in plush leather chairs, waited until the pair
reached the table before Brewer brusquely stated, “I trust your investigation
moves forward.”
    Jennings
cast a sideways glance at Heskan before answering, “Yes, sir.  We have several
items to report.  Since the search of quarters on Kite yielded nothing, we have
allowed the destroyer to move to the Anthe construction yard.  Also, the
traitors did not remain on this orbital.  Our search was exhaustive.  This
leaves us with either the planet or the group took passage on a ship.  Thirty-nine
ships departed the