The air force general shook his head. “May not come to that.”

Something in his tone brought Eric up short, and he looked over sharply. “What do you mean, sir?”

“We’ve been authorized to break out strategic weapons, Captain. How much do you think that will change the board?”

Eric winced, considering the question.

Strategic weapons were mostly used as simple bluff tactics rather than actually deployed in battle. Like old-fashioned nuclear weapons, strategic weapons of all kinds were best used as deterrents rather than for live combat, simply because the blasted things were incredibly destructive.

“That’s hard to say, sir. To use them properly, we’ll need to bring the enemy to a common point, and I’m not sure how we can do that,” Eric admitted.

“The President was clear, and it seems that the Block leadership is doing the same,” the general told him. “We’re to hammer every living soulless one of them, even if we have to nuke the last square inch of this planet to do it.”

PLANET RANQUIL

DENIED.

The word gnawed at Tanner as he walked, though he supposed that it shouldn’t have surprised him as much as it did. His request had been far outside the scope normally afforded his command, and certainly presented a degree of risk that could be seen as excessive.

It’s still the right thing to do, however, the seething admiral told himself.

“Rael?”

Nero was waiting for him as he approached, the big man almost literally dwarfing him in every aspect, but Tanner wasn’t a self-conscious sort. He supposed that was a good thing, since most people made him feel physically small.

“I take it from your expression that your request was denied,” Nero said, his tone deceptively light and dry.

Admiral Tanner snorted. “You can safely take it that way, yes. Central flatly refused consideration of the plan.”

Nero shook his head. “Then it ends. The council will not consider going against Central in a matter as critical as this.”

Tanner growled, his emotions welling up and getting the best of him despite his normally rock-solid control.

“The critical nature of the situation is precisely why they must do just that,” the admiral ground out through tightly clenched teeth. “Forget what we owe the Terrans, forget all they’ve done for us . . . Every system that falls to the Drasin is hundreds, thousands, more!”

He clenched his fist, falling silent for a moment as he tightened his control and calmed slightly.

“Every system that they consume is that many more of the Drasin we’ll have to face eventually,” he said, taking a deep breath. “To gain so many more enemies while losing our only allies in this war? That’s not only unthinkable, my friend, it’s deplorable and utterly insane.”

“What will we do?”

Tanner sighed. “I go before the council and tell them either we do this . . . or they may begin looking for another Commander of the Fleet.”