Omega Force: Rebellion (OF11), стр. 17
"Most of our wargaming and preparations focused on the Saabror Protectorate on our other border. They have always been overly aggressive and antagonistic since they became strong enough to begin challenging the Imperial Fleet along the Concordian Cluster. It's been a cold war that was expected to go hot at any time, and the reason the Machine was able to secure victory so quickly. While the Empire was focused on the Protectorate, the ConFed hit them hard and fast from the other side."
"This is fascinating, but it doesn't tell me—"
"Qazvi Ba is the codename given to an operative in charge securing logistical support for Zeta Fleet units in the event primary supply chains are cut off or destroyed," Mok said. “So, your instincts of trying to run down off-book fuel and expendables was a good one but, as usual, you went about it in an amazingly clumsy way. I'd say it's even odds that your actions alerted the ConFed as to her location."
"She seemed to be well aware we were coming," Jason said, ignoring the barb. "Not many people get the jump on Kage like that."
"I think she was probably setting up to ambush the ConFed agents that were already on the planet when you landed and began making inquiries over the local Nexus," Mok said. "Imperial Intelligence has extensive files on your crew given the fact you've contracted for them and the Empire rebuilt your ship once. She'd have had access to those files still, although I will give her credit for being able to put it all together so quickly."
"Yeah," Jason said slowly. "Let's just say I'm still skeptical about that."
"Let's worry about that later. I'm taking her off your hands for now, anyway," Mok said. "What were you thinking taking out three capital ships like that? We're not ready for an open confrontation."
"And we never will be." Jason shrugged. "Let's be honest about all this…we'll always be a small insurrection, bordering on insignificant. The entire point of this is to get others to either join or even passively resist to the point that action is taken on the Pillar Worlds. We would never be able to amass the resources, hardware, or personnel to stand toe-to-toe with the ConFed fleet. They'd wipe us out in an hour."
"I'm well aware of how insurrections and asymmetrical warfare works, Captain, so please don't preach the basics at me. What I'm telling you is that we're not even ready for that. My operation is vast, but it's also not suited for this type of thing, at least not if you want me to stay alive to help sponsor your activities. If the Twelve Points even suspect I'm using the syndicate for anything other than profit-driven ventures, they'll make a move on me and, even if I escape alive, I'll no longer have the intel and resources you need." Mok seemed genuinely frustrated not only at Jason's rash action, but the fact that all his power and influence was useless in this case. It drove home just how precarious his position sat at the top of such a large criminal enterprise.
"We can't just sit and talk about this for years, Mok," Jason said, throwing his hands up. "Even just meeting and talking about it is a huge risk. We need to think of a way to move this into the operational phase and fast. So far, the Machine is calling the shots because nobody knows that the ConFed has effectively been taken over by a—"
"Now there's a thought." Mok held up his hand to stop Jason. "The Machine is powerful because people don't know what it is and the risk it poses. It's able to move the pieces anonymously and with impunity. What if it wasn't?"
"You mean try and run an underground information campaign to expose the truth?" Jason scoffed. "Good luck with that. The public broadcast system is too decentralized, and anything you put out would be too easily debunked as a conspiracy theory."
"Nothing so overt as that," Mok said, staring off thoughtfully. "Let me think about this for a bit and we'll talk more. In the meantime, could you please promise me you won't launch anymore attacks against the ConFed military until we come up with something solid?"
"Sure." Jason stood and stretched. "I've got a few days to hang around. I need to go check on Lucky anyway."
"How has he been?"
"Some days great, others…not so much. He'll go months without incident, and then it seems when we could use his help the most, he locks up again."
"That must be frustrating."
"For him," Jason said firmly. "If he could never go on another op again, that wouldn't change things. He's still family and has a place with us, but it's killing him inside not being able to help out."
"I've assembled the best pru engineers I could coax off the planet with methods just short of abduction," Mok said, also standing up. "They'll figure this out." Jason stopped by the door way and turned back to a person who normally he'd be sworn to try and thwart, but now looked at as a…friend? Maybe that wasn't right. Complicated ally would be more apt.
"I know I give you a ration of shit, Mok," he said, "but I owe you a debt for everything you've done to help Lucky."
"It was the least I could do," Mok said, seemingly taken aback by Jason's sudden earnestness. "We'll get him sorted out."
"Captain Burke!"
"Tauless," Jason nodded to the lanky pru. He'd been an adolescent when Omega Force had rescued him from an exile that he'd been forced into by his father, one of the architects of the battlesynth program. The planet Khepri had a complicated history with the sentient machines they had