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could not bring sufficient force to bear to root them out without orbital
strikes from their fleet, which, in piercing the spaceport's Field, would
doubtless destroy the facility as well as the Saurons, and maroon the Imperial
troops for weeks or even months.
So, far above the orange clouds of Tanith, the Imperial Fleet circled, and
waited, laying siege.
"First Rank, massive radiation readings at the Alderson Point;
Sauron-wavelength precedents."
"Enemy presence at Alderson Point?"
"INSS New Chicago, three squadrons Imperial Heavy Fighters."
"Current overwatch?"
"Two Chinthes, sir; twenty thousand kilometers positive. The Strela is
holding at fifteen thousand kilometers negative."
The Imperials were searching for them, but the asteroid field
blocked their view; Fomoria andCanadahad merely to extend passive sensors
out from behind their asteroid hiding place to know
when their "shadows" were getting too close.
"Five thousand kilometers negative, make for the Alderson Point at three
Gs.Canadato mirror our maneuver after three minute delay." The Imperial
light cruiser would have to choose whether to pursue from above or below the
belt. Whichever way she took, she was outgunned. "Weapons."
"Ready."
"You have discretion here and forCanada. If the Imperials pursue either ship,
concentrate fire and destroy them, priority to the Strela."
"Affirm."
Will Adderly stood on the bridge of the Strela, and cursed the luck that had
let him live.
The arrival of the Imperial convoy to pick up Tanith's troops had secured the
system from the Saurons and trapped their troops on the planet, but it
had also brought Admiral Sir Owen Kellogg, whose relationship with
Adderly quickly became as inimical as Diettinger's. The Admiral's reaction to
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the loss ofCanadawas cold fury. Within an hour of the task force's arrival,
Kellogg had summoned Adderly to his quarters aboard his flagship, the
Aleksandr Nevsky. After listening to Adderly's report, Kellogg had
dismissed his secretary and launched into a tirade.
Adderly's report of the EVA Marines substantiated several rumors that Imperial
Intelligence had of new Sauron naval tactics, but Kellogg dismissed their
importance. Instead, the Admiral raged that their effectiveness could only
have been the result of Adderly's incompetence ... or worse.
Kellogg brought up the matter of Adderly's capture and, incredibly, release,
compounded by his claim that the Sauron commander had asked about nothing more
than the borloi.
Adderly had exploded at the implication, and Kellogg's retorts had culminated
with the notification of a full board of inquiry as soon as Tanith system was
secured.
But the most the Admiral could do now was pull rank. He couldn't afford to
relieve Adderly, so he had deposited him and the other survivors of
theCanadadebacle aboard the Strela, leaving Adderly in command of the remnants
of the Tanith Patrol. These Kellogg dispatched to hunt for the Fomoria in the
asteroid field. They were forbidden to engage, only to shadow the Saurons and
their prize and alert the
Aleksandr Nevsky immediately upon sighting them.
Adderly scowled as he stared at the combat hologram. And here I can be the
first to see when my ship, which I lost makes a run for it. Good old
thoughtful Admiral Kellogg.
"Son of a bitch," he murmured.
Casardi looked over. He could feel Adderly's strain, the desire to conn the
Strela himself; but he knew he would never usurp Casardi's authority.
Knowing it, Casardi respected him all the more for it.
And as far as Casardi was concerned, Adderly would never have to usurp him.
If Adderly had told Casardi to fly them into Tanith's sun, he'd have done it
in an instant, knowing he had a reason, and that the reason would see them
through.
For Adderly was the man who had led Strela into combat, against a
Sauron heavy cruiser, and brought her out unscathed. The hoodoo was lifted,
and every man jack aboard knew it; an unofficial party had gone on for thirty
hours, until every shift had its chance to participate and toast the Old Man's
name. Secretly, of course. Neither Casardi nor his men would have
embarrassed Adderly by saying anything to his face. Adderly's former
bridge crew, however, was another story; they were nursing hangovers
that would be weeks in the forgetting.
The First Mate turned to them: "Captain, I have multiple nukes at the Alderson
Point; ships on station there report very high-yield precedents." He listened
for a moment, then continued: "NewChicagoreports heavy damage to her fighters,
recalling them now . . . Fields going to ... sir, Fields went straight into
the violet, one of the precedents was a direct hit on New Chi's field, at
least a hundred megs!"
Casardi met Adderly's eye.
"This is it," Casardi said.
Adderly nodded. "They'll move, now; signal the 'Nevsky. Tell them we're
preparing to shadow the
Sauron and - her prize." He just couldn't bring himself to say it.
The INSS New Chicago had backed off from the Alderson Point, her batteries out
of range, watching as the Sauron reinforcements emerged from Jump. Admiral
Kellogg had ordered New Chi's commander
to hold his position until relieved, so the carrier had recalled her surviving
fighters, refueled and rearmed them, and sent them out again.
"Fomoria still accelerating, Captain."
"Where's theCanada?" Casardi asked his own boards.
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"There, sir;Canadagoing five thousand klicks positive, matching speed and
maneuver on the Fomoria." [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] - zanotowane.pl
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