Changed Circle
by Warringer
Chapter Seven
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It was silent in the Eudo system. Some small time traffic went from the planet to the Jump Gate, while Sharlins and Tinashis patrolled the system or at least the interesting parts of the system. The only down part of the traffic was the fact that it only involved Minbari vessels crewed by Minbari, since common Minbari politics thought that the old 'friends' couldn't been bothered with space travel and should live like an under age in the Terran Union with not much right and having to do what the 'parents' said.
But this silence was broken as ten squadrons of heavy bombers dropped from their String Drive runs just short of the atmosphere and the two moons of the planet. Two Squadrons dove into the atmosphere, homing in onto the Minbari garrison, while the bombers prepared to take out the military installations of the two moons and the stations orbiting the planet.
Bombs were dropped and the heavy conventional explosives destroyed a good portion of the fixed defenses of the system. Before the crews of the Minbari ships could react the heavy bombers had already disappeared back in to String Drive, speeding back to Norfolk.
The chaos lasted ten minutes, Minbari Aylts trying to find out just what had happened, as a large Terran fleet, consisting of mostly old vessels of the Dilgar War and only a few modern units, dropped back to sublight speeds.
The numbers of Minbari vessels in the system was low and the Terran fleet destroyed about thirty Minbari war ships within twenty minutes and only a few losses, twenty frigates and tour cruisers. Only two Sharlins were allowed to leave the system damaged to tell their superiors.
The same happened in three other Minbari controlled systems.
The first mission of 'Operation Midway' was a success.
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"They did what?"
Londo Molari, Centauri ambassador to the Terran Union, stared at his aide, a goblet filled with fine French wine slipped from his hand and fell to the ground.
The aide didn't say anything and just turned to a screen hidden between some Terran artwork. The screen came to live and started to show CNN.
"... success of the first attacks of Union forces against the Minbari," the woman on the screen said," Battle Fleet Command informed us that four massive fleets were moved into Minbari controlled space and secured the systems of Eudo, Norsa, Moga and Tychola. These systems belong to an entity calloed Minbari Protectorate, three old races that are only second class citizens to the Minbari Federation."
Molari stared at the screen and stumbled back, falling heavily into a couch.
"Battle Fleet Command declared that there were no casualties in the civil populations of the four systems as the attacks were only directed against military installations on planets, moon and in orbit around the colonized planets. These declarations started several protests in front of the Pentagon, demanding the bombardment of civil installations as revenge of the destruction of five Union colonies."
The news anchor continued to read the news and the reactions of these first attacks against Minbari controlled space and Molari continued to stare at the screen.
"These humans are insane," he muttered.
The Centauri themselves where the second most powerful race in Known Space and not even they dared to openly attack the Minbari, fearing their reactions. But the humans didn't only attack the Minbari, they also won the engagements.
"In other news, the CIA again opened several tragic files about the Dilgar War thirty years ago. Following the decryption of several salvaged Minbari computer cores, leading to several pointers that Warmaster Jha'dur of the former Dilgar Empire has been protected by the Minbari for the last thirty years following the defeat of the Dilgar."
Molari continued to stare at the screen, while his aide choked.
"During the Dilgar war trials, Warmaster Jha'dur had been sentenced to death in absence, due to serve crimes against sentient rights and genocide using banned biological weapons."
"Oh gods," Molari muttered and went white as a sheet.
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"Do you really think that is was a good move to let the public know about Warleader Jha'dur?"
The man in question just leaned back in his chair, smirking a little.
"Yes, it is," he said and looked at his companion," It will help us form the public opinion to this war. There are many people who want to end this war, the news concerning the worst warcriminal in history since Dr. Mengele will get a good portion of the public pro-war. And it will mark the Minbari as more dangerous if the public thinks that they are in league with her, thinking that she is developing biologic weapons against us."
"But she isn't. She is some sort of prisoner of the Minbari."
"The public doesn't know. And we won't tell them."
There was a silence between the two men.
"And if we are lucky, the League and the Narn will enter the war based on the same thoughts."
The other man swallowed as the Director of the CIA suddenly started to laugh.
"All will come together quite nicely and my associates will be pleased."
For a moment the other man thought that he saw a few shadows appearing out o nowhere.