[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
Behind the fearsome advance, only broken and dead ships drifted as far as the
eye could see. In front of the advancing battle groups the warships of each
fleet closed upon each other in unrelenting attacks.
War became everything, and it would never end.
The screams of Kraaqi and Hrono warriors pierced across every comm channel as
the battle intensified.
Page 166
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
I ve got awhole squadron of T kaan Hunters on me-one hundred and forty four
incoming! Rok shouted. He looked around at what was left of his original
fighters.
Only four other fighters remained now.
Rok! Rawlon shouted from the comm.
My First Captain, Rok returned.
I am sending you the Band of Thunder s fighters. They are yours. Ulfa s ship
was just destroyed. But he fought off the attackers at quadrant nine point
zero one before he died. You must hold those forward positions now- as well as
your assigned sector. The T kaan are regrouping at that quadrant as we speak,
so concentrate your ships on the ones attacking you. And then defend the other
position!
How many fighters? Rok asked as he looked at the oncoming T kaan fighters,
now joined by a formation of six T kaan frigates.
Sixty-two.
Rok cursed. The Band of Thunder had begun with over three hundred fighters.
Mother approachedthe crippled Kraaqi battleship to give it aid and fired a
spread of torpedoes at the three T kaan battleships attacking it.
The shields of the lead battleship buckled. Mother fired her main weapons at
it, creating huge holes in its armored hull where they struck. The T kaan ship
slowed, and its systems began to fail.
The other two battleships shuddered as their shields blossomed from the direct
hits of the torpedoes. But on they came.
Their guns suddenly erupted with massive broadsides.
The Kraaqi battleship exploded instantly with no shields to protect her.
Finally, the indicator lit for her Hybrid weapon .
Mother rammed her engines full and dove hard. She lined up the two T kaan
battleships, one before the other, in her targeting sites. They had drawn
close together in order to intensify their fire on the Kraaqi battleship.
Too close.
Mother s hybrid weapon erupted, cutting through the first ship s port side and
exploding out the other and on into the second battleship. The red beam did
not exit the second T kaan battlewagon.
Both battleships rocked and shuddered a few moments as the internal explosions
rippled down their lengths until suddenly both exploded into twin blossoms of
light.
Alarms screamed inside Mother as she banked hard again to avoid more Hunter
fighters. She redirected her energies once again, powering her Hybrid weapon
for another shot, even as she began new repairs to her damaged shields.
For the second time, her power grid went off-line and the backup took over.
She began repairs again, ordering the Fixers and Guardian to specific points
to assist. And then her shields glowed under direct hits-more damage.
Mother started to activate the circuits to reload her torpedoes- and stopped.
There were no more torpedoes left.
She would have to take on the three frigates attacking her with her main
batteries alone.
We ve lost Dragaz sentire battleship squadron, Kaldah shouted.
The Hrono Admiral studied the main viewscreen a moment, quickly he glanced
down to the electronic layout of the fleets on the personal display beside his
chair.
Dragaz s ships had already fired the fifth and final firing of their hybrid
weapon-they had done what they could. The Hrono battleships had been dueling
with twice their number of T kaan battleships these last few
minutes-exchanging horrendous broadsides from their main batteries between
firings of the hybrid weapon- and it was during those haunted minutes between
Page 167
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
firings when most of the Hrono ships fell before the T kaan fire.
The four remaining T kaan battleships were now coming for his ship, along with
several frigates and two waves of fighters in support.
Order the Scorpion, the Victorious, the Valiant and the Destroyer to close
and fire their hybrid weapons on my mark, Tarlog ordered. He took a deep
breath, and looked back at the electronic display, taking stock of what ships
he had left.
The smaller of the two Hrono battle phalanxes had been just been crushed. The
main formation, which he led, was now being pounded. The T kaan were attacking
it from three directions as the Hrono phalanx continued to press forward.
Worse, the T kaan were now gathering forces at his rear, organizing themselves
to attack from a fourth direction.
Tarlog glanced up. Fire!
On the viewscreen, the four T kaan battleships intersected with the thick red
bolts. They exploded, filling the viewscreen with a sudden, intense
brightness, like four small stars going nova.
We have twenty-seven total ships left with an operational hybrid weapon,
sir. Kaldah reported.
I know, Tarlog whispered. And they are almost down to their last firing.
Order the remainingbattleships to slow. Send all the battle cruisers forward
to lead us, Rawlon shouted. He stood and marched across the bridge to one of
the console stations, watching the officer as he worked its controls. All
other light cruisers and frigates are to hold their positions in phalanx.
Rawlon reached over to the console and tapped in a command. He waited.
The Kraaqi were down to twelve battleships, each with two firings of the
hybrid weapon. The battle cruisers had been hammered as well, protecting their
assigned quadrants of the mighty phalanx formation.
But there were twenty battle cruisers left.
There were seventy other cruisers remaining within the main phalanx after the
right one had fallen and its remaining ships had joined his formation.
But some of those ships were down to their last firing.
The Kraaqi left phalanx is falling, Curja said from his station. Several
seconds ticked by in morbid silence, and then he sighed. He looked up at
Rawlon. They are no more.
The last Kraaqi phalanx, along with the lone Hrono phalanx, continued their
bloody advance.
Rawlon walked back to his chair. But he remained standing, thinking deeply.
Order all capital ships of the Hrono and Kraaqi to use their normal weapons
array first. We must save the hybrid weapon, Rawlon said decisively.
Rawlon turned and sat in his chair, staring at the oncoming T kaan ships. I
hope I have a reason for saving them, he whispered to himself.
Got em! Jaricshouted to Kyle.
Kyle righted his ship, no longer pursued by the T kaan ship Jaric had just
destroyed. Thanks, bud.
That s the last of that wave. We need to find Rok and form up again with the
squadron, Kyle said.
Their two fighters drew closer together as they flew through the debris field
of fallen ships. As they looked around all they could see was nothing but
floating destruction, and off in the distance a firestorm of blaster fire in
every direction-as far as their eyes could see.
I hate to bring this up, but my weapons are getting pretty low, Kyle said.
Jaric glanced down to check his weapon s status but his eyes were drawn to his
sensor screen first and the all too familiar shapes. We ve got more company.
Six Hunter fighters incoming
Page 168
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
Let s get em, Kyle said with a business-like tone.
Hard over! Rawlon shouted.
The T kaan cruisers fired, and the Thunderer shuddered under multiple hits.
Load torpedoes! Rawlon shouted again. And get me reinforcements.
Curja raised himself from where he had fallen. Taking his hand, he wiped the [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl rafalstec.xlx.pl
Behind the fearsome advance, only broken and dead ships drifted as far as the
eye could see. In front of the advancing battle groups the warships of each
fleet closed upon each other in unrelenting attacks.
War became everything, and it would never end.
The screams of Kraaqi and Hrono warriors pierced across every comm channel as
the battle intensified.
Page 166
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
I ve got awhole squadron of T kaan Hunters on me-one hundred and forty four
incoming! Rok shouted. He looked around at what was left of his original
fighters.
Only four other fighters remained now.
Rok! Rawlon shouted from the comm.
My First Captain, Rok returned.
I am sending you the Band of Thunder s fighters. They are yours. Ulfa s ship
was just destroyed. But he fought off the attackers at quadrant nine point
zero one before he died. You must hold those forward positions now- as well as
your assigned sector. The T kaan are regrouping at that quadrant as we speak,
so concentrate your ships on the ones attacking you. And then defend the other
position!
How many fighters? Rok asked as he looked at the oncoming T kaan fighters,
now joined by a formation of six T kaan frigates.
Sixty-two.
Rok cursed. The Band of Thunder had begun with over three hundred fighters.
Mother approachedthe crippled Kraaqi battleship to give it aid and fired a
spread of torpedoes at the three T kaan battleships attacking it.
The shields of the lead battleship buckled. Mother fired her main weapons at
it, creating huge holes in its armored hull where they struck. The T kaan ship
slowed, and its systems began to fail.
The other two battleships shuddered as their shields blossomed from the direct
hits of the torpedoes. But on they came.
Their guns suddenly erupted with massive broadsides.
The Kraaqi battleship exploded instantly with no shields to protect her.
Finally, the indicator lit for her Hybrid weapon .
Mother rammed her engines full and dove hard. She lined up the two T kaan
battleships, one before the other, in her targeting sites. They had drawn
close together in order to intensify their fire on the Kraaqi battleship.
Too close.
Mother s hybrid weapon erupted, cutting through the first ship s port side and
exploding out the other and on into the second battleship. The red beam did
not exit the second T kaan battlewagon.
Both battleships rocked and shuddered a few moments as the internal explosions
rippled down their lengths until suddenly both exploded into twin blossoms of
light.
Alarms screamed inside Mother as she banked hard again to avoid more Hunter
fighters. She redirected her energies once again, powering her Hybrid weapon
for another shot, even as she began new repairs to her damaged shields.
For the second time, her power grid went off-line and the backup took over.
She began repairs again, ordering the Fixers and Guardian to specific points
to assist. And then her shields glowed under direct hits-more damage.
Mother started to activate the circuits to reload her torpedoes- and stopped.
There were no more torpedoes left.
She would have to take on the three frigates attacking her with her main
batteries alone.
We ve lost Dragaz sentire battleship squadron, Kaldah shouted.
The Hrono Admiral studied the main viewscreen a moment, quickly he glanced
down to the electronic layout of the fleets on the personal display beside his
chair.
Dragaz s ships had already fired the fifth and final firing of their hybrid
weapon-they had done what they could. The Hrono battleships had been dueling
with twice their number of T kaan battleships these last few
minutes-exchanging horrendous broadsides from their main batteries between
firings of the hybrid weapon- and it was during those haunted minutes between
Page 167
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
firings when most of the Hrono ships fell before the T kaan fire.
The four remaining T kaan battleships were now coming for his ship, along with
several frigates and two waves of fighters in support.
Order the Scorpion, the Victorious, the Valiant and the Destroyer to close
and fire their hybrid weapons on my mark, Tarlog ordered. He took a deep
breath, and looked back at the electronic display, taking stock of what ships
he had left.
The smaller of the two Hrono battle phalanxes had been just been crushed. The
main formation, which he led, was now being pounded. The T kaan were attacking
it from three directions as the Hrono phalanx continued to press forward.
Worse, the T kaan were now gathering forces at his rear, organizing themselves
to attack from a fourth direction.
Tarlog glanced up. Fire!
On the viewscreen, the four T kaan battleships intersected with the thick red
bolts. They exploded, filling the viewscreen with a sudden, intense
brightness, like four small stars going nova.
We have twenty-seven total ships left with an operational hybrid weapon,
sir. Kaldah reported.
I know, Tarlog whispered. And they are almost down to their last firing.
Order the remainingbattleships to slow. Send all the battle cruisers forward
to lead us, Rawlon shouted. He stood and marched across the bridge to one of
the console stations, watching the officer as he worked its controls. All
other light cruisers and frigates are to hold their positions in phalanx.
Rawlon reached over to the console and tapped in a command. He waited.
The Kraaqi were down to twelve battleships, each with two firings of the
hybrid weapon. The battle cruisers had been hammered as well, protecting their
assigned quadrants of the mighty phalanx formation.
But there were twenty battle cruisers left.
There were seventy other cruisers remaining within the main phalanx after the
right one had fallen and its remaining ships had joined his formation.
But some of those ships were down to their last firing.
The Kraaqi left phalanx is falling, Curja said from his station. Several
seconds ticked by in morbid silence, and then he sighed. He looked up at
Rawlon. They are no more.
The last Kraaqi phalanx, along with the lone Hrono phalanx, continued their
bloody advance.
Rawlon walked back to his chair. But he remained standing, thinking deeply.
Order all capital ships of the Hrono and Kraaqi to use their normal weapons
array first. We must save the hybrid weapon, Rawlon said decisively.
Rawlon turned and sat in his chair, staring at the oncoming T kaan ships. I
hope I have a reason for saving them, he whispered to himself.
Got em! Jaricshouted to Kyle.
Kyle righted his ship, no longer pursued by the T kaan ship Jaric had just
destroyed. Thanks, bud.
That s the last of that wave. We need to find Rok and form up again with the
squadron, Kyle said.
Their two fighters drew closer together as they flew through the debris field
of fallen ships. As they looked around all they could see was nothing but
floating destruction, and off in the distance a firestorm of blaster fire in
every direction-as far as their eyes could see.
I hate to bring this up, but my weapons are getting pretty low, Kyle said.
Jaric glanced down to check his weapon s status but his eyes were drawn to his
sensor screen first and the all too familiar shapes. We ve got more company.
Six Hunter fighters incoming
Page 168
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
Let s get em, Kyle said with a business-like tone.
Hard over! Rawlon shouted.
The T kaan cruisers fired, and the Thunderer shuddered under multiple hits.
Load torpedoes! Rawlon shouted again. And get me reinforcements.
Curja raised himself from where he had fallen. Taking his hand, he wiped the [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]