Crimson Worlds Collection II by Jay Allan

Author:Jay Allan [Allan, Jay]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Sci-Fi, Military
Barnesnoble:
Goodreads: 22879458
Publisher: Smashwords Edition
Published: 2014-11-29T00:00:00+00:00

“I don’t think they scanned us, captain.” Mink’s voice was soft, her speech slow and tentative. Everyone on Hornet had been sitting on a knife’s edge, waiting to see if they’d gotten far enough to avoid detection. The enemy fleet had already passed by the closest point, and they were on their way to the warp gate. They were still in potential detection range, but the fact that they were on their original course was a good sign.

“They have no reason to deploy active scanners, lieutenant.” Jacobs spoke loudly, trying to shake the crew from the pointless whispering. He understood the impulse, but it got annoying after a while. It wasn’t like the enemy could hear even the loudest scream across 2,000,000 kilometers of vacuum that did not transmit sound waves. “We’re not supposed to be here.”

Jacobs had been on edge himself. He’d thought he and his crew were on a streak of good luck. They’d been low on supplies and reaction mass, but they found both on the first planet they explored. He’d been cautious when they discovered the native foodstuffs, and his tiny science team repeatedly tested the fruits and vegetables they harvested there. They found nothing harmful and, in the month since, none of the crew had shown any ill-effects. That didn’t mean there were none, but Jacobs figured so far, so good. If some miracle ever brought Hornet back home, he figured they’d all be quarantined for a long time…and poked and prodded by half the Alliance’s medical personnel. But that was tomorrow’s problem. Today’s was staying alive in the middle of what appeared to be a massive enemy base.

The military significance of this discovery was enormous. So far, the First Imperium had been some mysterious enemy, appearing from the unexplored depths of space. Now Jacobs and his people knew where the enemy forces were coming from, or at least where some of them were. He had to get this information back to HQ. But how?

“Ensign Carp, I want you to collect every scrap of data you can without violating silent running protocols.” That restricted the young officer to passive scans only, and it forbade him from launching Hornet’s two remaining probes. It was like working with one hand tied behind his back, and Jacobs knew it. But anything else risked detection…and that would mean death for all of them.

“Yes, sir.” He turned and started to scan the incoming readings. “It looks like at least 120 ships in the system, sir. I have identified what appear to be nine large battleships, much larger than any vessels we have yet encountered.” The Leviathans were new to Hornet’s crew…these were the first ones they’d seen. He projected a mockup of the larger ship on the main display.

Every eye on the bridge focused on the massive vessel on the screen. “That must be twice the size of a Yorktown class battleship.” It was Mink who spoke, but everyone was thinking it.

“Actually, it is just over 2.5 times the tonnage of a Yorktown.

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