sk?"

Narval locked eyes with Drummer.

"Tell Brad to prepare plans and evaluate our
military capabilities to penetrate the protective
shield around the Logistics Depot, to capture it
and use it as hostage."

"Good God! Take the depot as hostage? For what
purpose?"

"The reason you will give Brad is that INOR will
hold it hostage for a greater share in decisions on
the disposition of Slingshot-generated assets."

"That isn't the real reason, is it?"

"No. The objective is diversionary."

"And the real objective?"

"You will be told when it is time."

Chapter TWENTY-THREE

The Sentinels slouched in chairs, or sat on
the floor, backs against the walls of the small
workroom. Their faces reflected fatigue.

"About fleet capabilities for sustained combat,"
Brad said. "I need a 'how goes it' on the status of
your evaluations. Give me a quick rundown and a
documented report by the end of the day. Myra,
you first."

Myra spoke from where she sat on a chair tilted
against the wall.

"I had training facilities and systems, emergency
medical support, and general administrative backup.
What I saw was guys and gals floundering around,
leaning on each other, and making excuses. The
training programs are antiquated; many aren't even
remotely tied in with the equipment installed on
ships of the line. Equipment operators are learning
by hit-or-miss, and they miss much too often.
Can't blame them for low effectiveness because
the procedures are hazardous to their health. If
we don't improve the situation fast, the crews will
deteriorate to where they won't be worth a damn
when the going gets even a mite rough."

Myra paused, tipped her chair forward, crossed
her arms, and gave Brad a hard look.

"I mean it, Brad. What's more, the medical backup
for combat support is atrocious. If we incur
casualties, the injured won't have much to
depend on, and if the troops have no faith in their
medics, their morale will drop, and I mean fast.
There goes your combat capability. For example,
medical supplies haven't been checked and updated
for years, if they were ever checked at all. They
don't know what they've got or where.

"The system needs a complete overhaul. I
spot-checked the software and links on training,
medical, and administrative systems, and found them
to be full of gaps and obsolete links and citations.
My report, Brad, is that these areas need one hell
of a lot of work to get them up to even