Castenea wrote:Hope this is not too much of a spoiler (Duckk feel free to remove if so).
Prior to the attack on Mesa the combined fleet along with their fleet train assembled around a star six light years from Mesa (only known by a catalog number). I would expect this to be close to standard practice for most navies in the Honorverse, and the fleet train stays in the otherwise unoccupied system until summoned to the newly conquered system or the survivors of the attacking force return for patching up and help limping home.
We are also talking about the combined fleet of two of the most experienced navies around. The arrogance that either might have had has been beaten out of them after 20 years of hard fighting with both sides getting major victories and serious setbacks. At least initially the SLN was operating on the assumption that they were the big bad wolf and everyone else was a flea. They couldn't conceive of anyone fighting back when they were outnumbered so bad. As for Filareta if I am not mistaking he made quite a long journey, in one jump so I doubt he send his fleet train to a different system without scouting it in the first place.
If I were him I would either bring them with me and protect them as best I can, or I would move my entire fleet in an unoccupied system, secure that system and leave a picket strong enough to protect the fleet train. Then I would leave some destroyers or light cruisers out of the way to monitor the fighting and go back to recover the fleet train should I fail in the battle. The last think I would do is send my all too valuable fleet train into a system inside the territory of my enemy without securing it, or scouting it in the first place.