Senior Specialist Eannwen entered Lord Yan’wal’s chambers and took a seat before the Overlord’s desk. He held a datapad and a file chip, which he passed across the desk to his superior.
Yan’wal slipped the chip into a reader, and the monitor to his right lit up.
“We have gone back over the past several months and correlated transmission traffic throughout the Sector,” Eannwen began without preamble. The graphic on the screen showed an almost red screen around the planet Dimloe. “There has been a marked increase in transmissions to and from Dimloe, beginning right around nine standard months ago. According to the inhabitants of the Sector, this planet is one of the least desirable of the habitable worlds, so any such increase is definitely out of the ordinary.” He stopped, waiting for a reaction from the Overlord.
After regarding the screen for a few moments, Yan’wal turned to the comm-unit on his desk. “Provide a link with Fleet Commander Siegor,” he commanded into the device. He then turned his attention back to his subordinate. “So Dimloe is a viable candidate for the destination of the Klin ship? Are these transmissions concentrated in any particular region of the planet?”
“There is increased activity across most of the surface, but there appear to be two primary sources. They are widely separated.”
Yan’wal nodded, just as Commander Siegor appeared on the large monitor. “Yes, my Lord?”
“We have confirmation of increased wave transmission activity from Dimloe, which appears to be concentrated in two distinct areas. You are directed to launch an assault on the planet, taking care not to allow any surviving targets to escape the area.” Yan’wal’s speech was even and passionless.
Without hesitation, Siegor stated, “I will employ an enveloping strategy and set pickets beyond our line to catch any targets which manage to slip through.”
“Approved,” said Yan’wal. Then continuing: “Commander, the Klin may employ weapons and tactics not encountered to date. Be mindful. And prisoners would be beneficial.”
“Understood, My Lord. We can launch in approximately seven hours.”