Wing Commander #07 False Color by William Forstchen (best books to read in life .txt) 📕

now, trying to exploit the advantage from that last hit. But this beam caught one of the other Strakhas in the squadron. It shimmered into visibility as it came apart.

Bondarevsky gritted his teeth and pushed his throttle forward.

The Paktahn bombers were releasing their loads in one massive, rippling salvo, trying to overload the cruiser's point defenses. Racing past them, Bondarevsky decloaked his Strakha as the point defense lasers opened up against the inrushing torpedoes. The rest of the surviving Strakhas appeared almost as one alongside, and opened fire at close range with their meson guns.

The computer controlled point defense was already committed to dealing with the threat posed by the torpedoes, and couldn't reassess targeting priorities in time to stop the devastating attack. Concentrated energy poured down on the cruiser's raised superstructure. Suddenly, incredibly, the shields went down, and the meson beams broke through armor to penetrate the hull in five places.

Aengus Harper bellowed the chorus to "Rising of the Moon" as he launched all his remaining missiles at the battered cruiser. Then the Strakhas were past her. As they turned, the cruiser's superstructure exploded, and the ship seemed to stagger in space from the fury of the blast.

"Disengage!" Bondarevsky shouted. "Disengage!"

Combat Information Center, FRLS Mjollnir Deep Space, Baka Kar System 1351 hours (CST)

A cheer went around CIC as the Flight Wing's attack struck home and the power readings from the last pursuing cruiser dropped to near zero in a matter of seconds. Tolwyn felt like joining in. Mjollnir would still have to run the gauntlet to reach the jump point, but none of the other Cat ships was placed to give them the same amount of trouble as that cruiser.

A smile was just beginning to form on his lips as he started to phrase a congratulatory message for Bondarevsky, but it was cut short by a cry from the sensor technician.

"Disturbance in the jump point. Multiple targets coming through . . ."

Kittani leaned over the technician's chair to read the incoming data. "Multiple readings. I count four escort carriers . . . ten cruisers . . . twenty-six destroyers . . . configuration is Kilrathi. IFF beacons are Kilrathi . . . It's Ragark's fleet." He paused. "I guess Allah wasn't listening to prayers, today."

Bridge, FRLS Xenophon Jump Point Three, Baka Kar System 1404 hours (CST)

"Multiple contacts! They're coming out all around us!"

Admiral Vance Richards gripped the arms of the seat he had appropriated from a junior communications officer and leaned forward to squint at the tactical monitor over the shoulder of Captain Forbes. Xenophon had never been intended as a flagship, and lacked a flag bridge where he and his staff could have monitored bridge operations and directed the battle group at the same time.

But even at his awkward angle he could read the displays well enough to recognize those newcomers as Kilrathi.

The three Landreich ships had evaded their pursuers for perhaps the hundredth time since the start of their strange engagement, half battle, half dance. Only Bikina's Durendal had come close enough to take hits, and the wily little mercenary had shrugged off the pounding she'd taken as "a little dent in the finish." They had offered to join Tolwyn and Mjollnir, but the carrier captain had decided that would only draw more unwanted attention his way. So they'd formed up near the jump point, ready to start their whole evasive maneuvering all over again if the Cats made another try at them in the hours left before Mjollnir joined them and they could by to duck out through the hyperrealm.

But instead, in an instant, everything had gone wrong.

"Carriers are launching fighters," someone reported. "They must have been prepped and ready to fly the instant they got over their jumpshock."

Forbes looked at the Admiral. "There's not too damn much we can do, sir," he said, sounding apologetic.

Richards nodded. Caught at very nearly a dead stop, with Kilrathi ships all around them, they'd never win free. Durendal was a goner, too, no doubt about that. Her damage had included a couple of hits to her maneuver drive, and she would be hard-pressed to make good an escape. Collins in Caliburn might have a chance. She was the furthest out from the jump point, and if she acted fast she might be able to accelerate quickly enough to get clear while the enemy was concentrating on Xenophon. But of course the Cats could bottle the Landreichers up in the system as long as they maintained their position. Neither Mjollnir nor Caliburn was likely to escape in the end. There weren't even many jump points leading out for them to choose from. This one led to Vordran. The other two led deep into the Hralgkrak province, behind enemy lines.

"Give them the best show you can, Captain," he said at length. "I want Ragark to pay for his entertainment."

Flag Bridge, KIS Dubav Jump Point Three, Baka Kar System 1407 hours (CST)

"Concentrate on the cruiser," Ukar dai Ragark ordered. "The destroyer isn't important."

"Yes, Lord Admiral," the leader of the assault flight responded. The comm channel went dark.

"General Order to the Task Force," Ragark went on. "All ships to remain immobile around the jump point until further orders are received."

"Yes, Lord Admiral."

It was usually poor tactics to let an opponent get an advantage in velocity, but in this case keeping the fleet in position was the best possible option. The apes would have to slow down as they approached the jump point, and when they did they would be sailing right into the guns of his task force. In the time it took them to get past, the human ships would be pounded into space dust.

The humans would pay for raiding Ukar dai Ragark's world this day.

Combat Information Center, FRLS Mjollnir Deep Space, Baka Kar System 1412 hours (CST)

There was dead silence in GIG as they watched Xenophon's last fight, helpless to intervene, helpless to do anything