Alien Intrigue by S. H. Jucha

Author:S. H. Jucha [Jucha, S. H.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Hannon Books, Inc.
Published: 2022-10-03T16:00:00+00:00

18: Guerilla Tactics

Above Vokslem, the peacekeeper’s imperator was informed of the alien shuttle’s destruction. That was his signal to ignite the ship’s engines. Powerful multiple ion thrusts sent the battleship surging forward.

The peacekeeper’s pilot set a course to orbit the planet. The ship was headed for the alien freighter. The imperator hoped to catch the defenseless ship before it could escape the system.

Aboard the freighter, Captain Juneski stared at her telemetry officer in disbelief.

“Due to the atmospheric disturbance, their signal was always weak,” the officer explained. “Suddenly, there was this extraneous static and then nothing.”

“Could Gaylene have made for the other side of the planet?” the captain asked.

“Negative, Captain,” the officer replied confidently. “The storm is local. If the traveler had broken into the open, I’d have picked her up loud and clear.”

“Keep on it,” Juneski directed. She returned to her command chair and reviewed her orders from Commander Tocknicka. She was told that if anything untoward befell the landing crew she was to make for Jumanus, which was closer to Vokslem than Helgart. Besides, there was little that the outpost could do to help the stranded party, if they were still alive.

Juneski hated the idea of leaving the landing party, but she believed in following orders. Furthermore, she had to admit that Tocknicka’s tactics made good sense.

The telemetry officer searched for any signal from the traveler, and the pilot scanned the storm’s edges for sight of the craft.

Suddenly, the pilot detected peripheral movement. Three seconds later, the young officer shouted, “Danger, Captain. The peacekeeper is rounding the planet’s horizon. Its engines appear at full thrust, and the ship has substantial velocity.”

“Pilot, execute escape plan,” Juneski ordered briskly.

The peacekeeper imperator had been informed of the freighter’s exact position by the transport imperators, which is why he made the approach he did. The freighter was bow on to his ship.

Firing the engines and using the attitude jets, the young pilot sought to make for the nearest system exit. That would be above the ecliptic. With trepidation, he watched the distance close.

“Permission to push the engines,” the pilot requested urgently.

“Push them till they blow,” Juneski shot back. “I don’t think that imperator intends to take this ship captive.”

The pilot furiously tapped his panel, while his implant authorized the safety releases. Engine output went from ninety percent to one-hundred-five.

Aboard the peacekeeper, the pilot adjusted course to intercept the accelerating quarry.

“Will our missiles catch them?” the imperator demanded of his armament officer.

“They’ll need a passive interlude, but we should be successful,” the armament officer declared.

“Ready barrage,” the imperator ordered. When he received the response that the ports were open and the gunnery sections were prepped, he added “Fire!”

“Missiles away,” the armament officer announced enthusiastically. It was his first time targeting an enemy ship. The fact that the adversary was a freighter didn’t matter.

“Incoming,” the freighter’s telemetry officer called out.

Juneski waited impatiently for the telemetry to calculate the closing rate.

“Captain, we won’t make it,” the telemetry officer reported despondently.

“Focus on the job,” Juneski ordered calmly. “I need details.

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