Seemingly sitting across the veranda from the merchant was the tri-di image of Vorgens. The Star Watchman had been explaining, for the past half-hour, the Terran plan of action which Brigadier Aikens had drawn up.
“Let me see if I understand this correctly,” Clanthas said. “The Marines will set up small task units—based on your armored vehicles—in the villages, towns, and citiesThey will give arms to the people and teach them how to fight. They will patrol the farmlands until the people themselves are able to guard their own land. Then they will move on to another district and repeat the same procedure.”
Vorgens nodded. “That’s right. The ultimate goal is to have the entire planet covered by either Terran Marines r your own people. We want to deny the use of your land to the Komani—to fence them in, so to speak.”
“Suppose the Komani mass for a major attack?” Clanthas asked. “They still outnumber your Mobile Force by a great margin.”
“If they mass, we’ll have to face them. I hope that we’ll have enough time to train a good number of your people, and that they will be fighting alongside us, in the event of a major battle.”
Clanthas murmured agreement.
“What we’re trying to do,” Vorgens went on, “is to throttle down the Komani raids on your people. We’re trying to keep the skirmishes and fighting down as much as possible.”
“I understand. Still, it appears that there is no end to the fighting in sight.”
“True enough,” Vorgens admitted.
Clanthas suddenly shifted the subject. “Do you know why this rebellion began? I mean, the real reason?”