Tears of Kerberos (28 page)

“The jamming has stopped, Admiral,” said the Communications Officer.

Captain Hardy approached the Admiral, standing in front and looking for a moment as though he was going to draw a weapon. Instead he pulled out a datapad, he pressed one button and handed it to her.

“While the feed was coming in we managed to decode some of the data coming from the Rim. It is Commander Anderson and he says he has information on the coup on Kerberos.”

Admiral Jarvis looked down at the datapad, checking the details for herself. When she finished reading she moved back to her strategic map and reached out, touching each of the seceding colonies and tapping them. The colours of the sites turned grey until little remained in the System that appeared loyal to the Confederacy.

“What are your orders, Admiral?”

Admiral Jarvis stood silent, looking at the map as if she expected some great solution to present itself. It wasn’t to be though. She turned to the Captain.

“We will stop this before it can spread,” she said firmly.

Moving across the CiC she reached the communication array.

“Record this message and send it out to every combat unit in the sector!”

The officer sitting at his desk looked quickly at Captain Hardy who immediately gave him the nod. He pressed a few buttons and then handed the microphone to the Admiral.

“This is Admiral Jarvis, Supreme Commander of all Confederation Units in Proxima. A military coup has been staged on Kerberos by terrorist forces. I am placing all Units on maximum alert! All personnel are to report to their stations. Any attempts to enter Confederation facilities will be responded to with lethal force.”

She paused, realising the decision she was making could have catastrophic consequences for the region.

“As the legal representative of the Confederacy, I declare any acts of secession to be illegal and against the articles of the Confederacy agreed to by every colony in this sector. Any attempts to break the articles will be met by the full force of the Confederate Military!” she said and then slammed down the intercom.

The entire room was silent, the officers either waiting to hear what she had to say next or just waiting for their orders. Admiral Jarvis turned back to examine the display and the ever shrinking influence of the Confederacy. As she looked at the screen she called over to the Communications Officer.

“Get me through to Commander Anderson, we need information!”

“Aye, Sir,” said the man as he proceeded to try and link directly to the Tamarisk.

“This is it then?” asked Captain Hardy, his face showing obvious horror at the situation.

“No, it isn’t. We are facing the greatest threat since the Great War,” she said sternly.

“War? We’re already fighting a war, Sir,” said the Captain.

Admiral Jarvis turned back to him, her eyes burning with anger at the situation.

“This war hasn’t even begun!”