"We'll keep pushing ahead now. By the time we arrive, the other fleets will be at their primary targets."
"Other fleets?!" Olana's laughter died instantly, replaced by a look of sheer bewilderment. "What fleets are you talking about? We already accounted for the twenty scattered detachments and the five armadas currently in transit."
"Fleets exactly like the ones that were just surrounding us," Hye said. He blinked twice, a slow realisation dawning on him. "You never even guessed it, did you? If someone as sharp as you didn't see it coming, then I can rest easy knowing that no one else in this sector has a clue either."
"I haven't seen a single unidentified hull signature on long-range scanners, and none of my intelligence channels have reported unknown movements," Olana countered, her professional pride clearly wounded.
