Chapter 34The Saturnine invasion fleet, runningslowly, silently and blind, had traveled past Fort MacDonald. Thedecision had been made to ignore the fort because an attack wouldalert the Federation forces. The alien officials hoped to springtheir surprise attack well inside Federation borders, then attackagain while the defenders were unorganized and confused. They hadalso decided to ignore the first solar system in their path. TheRemadi system would be given a pass, a temporary one. The convoywould rendezvous at Vega, then attack the Jaraold system. Theattackwould leave the inhabitable planets in flames and put the invasionfleet well within Federation boundaries. The Remadi system, likeFortMacDonald, would be cut off and could be destroyed at anytime.
The reasons for the invasion, at lea
