The answer seemed to surprise Bishop, as he allowed his monocle to drop out of his eye. The earl neatly caught the eyepiece, though. He glanced at the monocle before polishing it on his sleeve again.

As the earl replaced the eyepiece, he said, “That is an excellent decision, Admiral. I wish—”

“Just a moment,” Fletcher said, interrupting the earl. He leaned near, putting a hand on the man’s right arm the way a superior would toward an inferior. “I’ll agree to the dispersion if we operate it on my schedule.”

“Eh?” Bishop asked, staring at the offensive hand.

Fletcher removed it by reaching into a pocket, pulling up a memory stick. He slid the stick into a computer slot. He’d dreaded this moment for some time but had expected it nonetheless. The trick today was to keep the Grand Fleet operative as a unit, not letting it fall apart into its component pieces. That would be a disaster in the making. Nor could he let command pass to the cunning third admiral.

“I like your idea of courier vessels,” Fletcher said. “We will divide the fleet to move but be ready to unite in a day or so to meet the New Men with our combined forces.”

The earl studied Fletcher. At last, he smiled. “You anticipated me, I see. That is a good thing, is it not?” he asked the sub-commander?

“I suppose,” Ko growled.

“It is indeed,” Bishop said, “for it implies a strategic mind of some scope. Please, show us our new marching orders, Admiral.”

Fletcher picked up a clicker, switching on a holomap of “C” Quadrant. It would appear he still had nominal command of the Grand Fleet. One step back to take two forward, as the old saying went. The trick would be to prove to the others that he was right about remaining united without losing too many vessels in the coming object lesson. It was a mistake of the first order to split the Grand Fleet against the New Men. Fletcher knew that all too well. The New Men were going to make them pay for doing it. It was simply a matter of where and how.

Fletcher pushed the thought aside. He would give the riskiest assignments to the most troublesome commander. That was Third Admiral Bishop, of course. Sub-commander Ko merely followed the earl’s lead. As he told them their new travel routes, Fletcher recalled the monitors he’d lost in the Battle of Caria 323. The Windsor League hammerships were critical to the Grand Fleet. Vessel for vessel, they were the toughest ships they had. He couldn’t afford to lose too many of them.

How many star cruisers do the New Men have left? What is their plan?