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"Yeah. I'm sure that ships like the Delos will be a surprise for the Minbari," said Stiles, grinning mischievously.

Jefferies seemed surprised. "Didn't you know? The Delos and the first few ships of her class won't be used against the Minbari or the Romulans."

"What?" Archer was now confused. The war needed everything they had to throw against both enemies. Why were they holding the new ships back?

"You're both right," Jefferies said, referring to the earlier conversation between Archer and Stiles. "The Delos is a rush job. Later, we'll refine the class. Umm. I think these senators will explain it better." Jefferies waved over two Earth Alliance senators and introduced them to the Enterprise's captain and engineer. "Carlos Amador, the Alliance Senator for Argentina, and Pepin DeBussy, the Alliance Senator for France. Senators, they'd like to know about the Ark Project."

The Argentine senator spoke first. "As you know, the war isn't going too well for all of us."

Archer nodded grimly. He remembered Signet Run. Both the Alliance and the Coalition were still recovering from that.

"The Senate and people of Earth are anxious about the survival of la humanité," put in Pepin.

"Thanks to the Vulcans," continued Amador, "we now know all about the Alpha System. Even though it's four light-years from Earth and only 13,000 AU from Proxima 3, the star system has been inaccessible to us in hyperspace. Over the 300 years of our space travel, we've sent only probes and sleeper ships in normal space." He shook his head with wonder. "Mierda. It takes our fastest ship 3 years to go from Proxima to Alpha. With the new Olympus, the travel time is down to 40 hours."

The French senator made an expression of slight distaste. "We had to ask les Vulcaines for help in this matter. Five civilian Asimov-class liners will be towed from Proxima 3 to the Alpha System where Ark colonies will be founded on Alpha 3 and 4, and the fourth planet of the Alpha B System. Transports have been hired."

Captain Jefferies put in, "And President Thorpe has agreed to donate three Conestoga-class colony ships to the project."

"Oui. The Ark Project will put about 100,000 people in the Alpha System."

"Sounds like a big project," commented Archer, impressed. Desperation often pushed humans to great heights. "Makes sense. The Minbari can't touch you at Alpha Centauri. But why take the new Olympus ships?"

"In the first few years, the colonies will be vulnerable. We'll need patrols and quick transport of personnel and material between the colonies. No jumpgate permitted. Not even a jump beacon. As more people go to Proxima for the project, the new ships will carry them on to Alpha. That's why it's important that we hold the Proxima System as long as we can." Amador's eyes blazed with pride. "If Earth falls, we'll remain close to the motherworld. And one day, we'll be able to strike back from Alpha and liberate it."

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2280501/19/