"What were you thinking?"
"I thought," Parr said. "... I thought I might hold the attack off ... for as much as a couple of hours."
"That wouldn't help."
Parr swallowed and cleared his throat nervously. "I don't know. Maybe it would give the Oholos more time to prepare. It might help a little."
"How?"
"I'm going to try that. I've got to do something, Lauri."
He flipped open the comset and started to speak, but the channel was already busy. It was filled with crackling explosive Knoug language.
Parr began to listen intently.
It was a conversation between the Flagship and one of the other ships of the Fleet. "... Parr's right," the other ship said. "So they're down there. They say they've fought Oholos, and he's probably right...."
"How many are there?" the Flagship demanded.