Forstchen, William R & Keith, Andrew - Wing Commander by Heart of the Tiger

Author:Heart of the Tiger [Tiger, Heart of the]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Published: 2011-03-09T09:50:27.143000+00:00

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

TCS Victory Ariel System

In due course, Victory entered the Ariel System, traveling by way of a jump point in the Delius Belt.

Deep in the heart of the Caliban Nebula, the system had only one planet of any notable size, though there were many other smaller worldlets, asteroids, and similar junk in the system as well. Ariel I was never Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html

judged worthwhile as a potential colony, but Confederation Intelligence sources had long identified it as a major headquarters for Kilrathi raiders. Previous Terran attempts to deal with the base met with little success, thanks to the strength of the ground-based defenses on the planet and the difficulties of mounting operations within the nebula. Long-range sensors were virtually useless, and even shortrange scans required more time, more power, and more computer interpolation than usual, which made for many extra problems.

But the conditions also helped hide Victory from detection, as Eisen had explained during the original briefing. The Kilrathi maintained a network of detection buoys around the planet and near most of the jump points, but away from those the Terran carrier was able to avoid contact from everything except an extremely close pass by enemy ships. It was almost as good, Eisen maintained, as mounting a cloaking device aboard the ship.

On the other hand, the sensor limitations cut both ways. Blair was forced to double patrols again just to sweep nearby space for Kilrathi shipping. It required some skillful flying to penetrate the web of detection buoys to put fighters close enough to Ariel I to conduct the surveys Headquarters needed. Over the course of nearly two weeks, the flight wing operated at peak capacity, almost without let-up, and the strain inevitably took its toll on people and equipment alike.

Blair could only hope that ship and crew were up to the job.

Flight Control, TCS Victory Ariel System

Blair came out of the elevator next to Flight Control and nearly ran into Rachel Coriolis. She was clutching a personal data pad in one hand and a half-disassembled control module in the other, walking briskly with an air of distracted urgency. As she caught sight of Blair she made a face.

“Can’t talk now, skipper,” she said, hardly slowing her pace at all. “All you fighter jocks were so damned eager to draw recon work. Well, now you got it, and that means us common techies have to bust our asses to keep you flying.”

“Okay, okay, Chief,” he said, holding up one hand. “On behalf of the entire wing, I apologize. Next time HQ gives us an assignment, I’ll tell Ñem to clear it with you first.”

She grinned as she dodged past him and into the lift. “Maybe if us techs had a say in things you hot-shots wouldn’t always be getting in so much trouble.”

The doors snapped shut, and Blair turned back to the entrance to Flight Control.

There were only routine patrols out now no survey missions, so the chamber was manned at minimal levels. The relative calm

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