Sword of Axia (The Arcadian Jihad) Read Online Free PDF Page B

reach Isolde.”
    “Of course, Captain,” Tell replied. “It’s quite simple, as you have noted, Planet Isolde is the main naval construction shipyard for the whole of the Nine Systems. We have infiltrated certain parts of the planetary security apparatus already, enabling us to land as a regular supply cruiser. We have our temporary headquarters already established in a secret location, we’ll take you there and collect the reinforcements and weapons we have stored ready. Then we begin to strike out to take the planet and with it, almost the entire Axian ship manufacturing and maintenance capability.”
    It was a vast scheme, Blas noted, if it worked it would strike a huge blow against the Axians. But it wasn’t without flaws.
    “There are two other shipyard planets that can turn out ships almost as fast as Isolde,” he pointed out.
    Tell shook his head. “They shut them down, both of them as well as several of the ancillary facilities. The Axians were so terrified of a counter-rebellion that they centralized everything into the one facility on Isolde that they could monitor closely. We performed a full strategic analysis of their strengths and weaknesses and concluded that it was their biggest mistake, a huge tactical and strategic error.”
    Blas smiled. History was packed with accounts of ill-fated wars of conquest launched with boundless optimism and limited logistical support. They had one thing in common. Ultimately they all failed. It was incredible, the Axians had as good as won complete control of the Nine Systems and then made their source of weapons vulnerable to attack. In effect they’d created their own Achilles heel.
    “So the damn fools have shot themselves in the foot, they’ve disposed of half of their armory,” he noted with satisfaction.
    “That is our calculation, yes,” Tell replied. “After we take Isolde we will have our own fleet, first we take over the existing vessels that are part completed, within three months we’ll have more than four hundred ships of the line operational.”
    “The big problem then will be finding crews.” Admiral Rusal had been listening intently to the conversation. “We can scrape around the outlying Systems to find some of the men who managed to avoid the Axian arrest squads, but it won’t be enough.”
    “We know it will be a serious problem, Admiral,” Guide Tell replied. “As we don’t have military experience, we were hoping that you would be able to solve it for us.”
    “It’s going to be tough. You can’t just bring untrained men in and expect them to crew a Battlecruiser, Guide Tell, let alone a light cruiser like this one. Yes, we can land on a planet and find volunteers willing to serve on our ships, but it won’t be enough. We must have trained men. Ideally what we need is a planet full of experienced crewmen and I’m afraid that such a planet doesn’t exist.”
    Tell looked grim. “Are you saying that our counter-revolution is impossible, that we can’t find enough resources to fight back? Have we rescued you from prison for nothing?”
    “Excuse me, but you’re wrong,” Blas interrupted. They stared at him.
    “Wrong?” he said. “Perhaps you’d better explain yourself, Captain Blas.”
    He nodded. “There’s a planet full of trained men and every single one of them would be more than eager to serve in the new fleet.”
    Rusal shook his head. “That’s nonsense, Blas, all of the crews were taken by the Axians and imprisoned on...” He paused for a moment as realization dawned on him. “Of course, on Nabucco I. We’ll break them out, every man-jack of them.”
    “Can you do it, is it possible?” Tell looked slightly skeptical. “The planets are massively defended, no one can get in or out without proper authorization, that’s why we arranged for the trial on Axis Nova, it was the only way of getting to you. We have no assets on Nabucco I to help us.”
    They all looked at Blas. He smiled. “Yes, we can do