Legacy Fleet: Invincible by David Bruns

Author:David Bruns
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Science Fiction & Fantasy, Space Exploration, Galactic Empire, Alien Invasion, Colonization, Science Fiction, Space Fleet, Space Marine, Military, Exploration, First Contact
Publisher: Kindle Worlds
Published: 2016-09-12T07:00:00+00:00

Chapter 24

SS Renegade – Bridge

The Swarm ignored Lunar Base. Addison watched the four remaining Swarm vessels enter high orbit around Earth, escorted by Invincible. Captain Baltasar apparently found no need to disguise his alignment with the alien race any longer.

“How good is your cloak against the Swarm technology?” she asked. Her whole body ached from the extra g’s they’d pulled as they raced in from Lagrange.

Laz shrugged. “As far we can tell, as good as against UEF sensors. If you flood the area around us with background radiation, we look like a hole in space. As long as no one is shooting at us we should be fine, Commander.”

Addison grunted. Although he spoke her title without any trace of irony, it still made her uncomfortable. Maybe she’d been too harsh on him earlier. No time for that now, she thought.

“When am I going to hear about your super-secret comms channel?”

He shrugged again. “These things take time.”

Time. The one thing they didn’t have anymore.

With its blue oceans and swirling cloud patterns, she’d always enjoyed the view of Earth from space, but the line of Swarm ships marred the peacefulness of the scene. The fact that the alien column of ships was led by one of their own made the picture all the more jarring.

“Any sign of the Fleet?” she asked Laz.

He pointed to his screen. “Here comes the armada.”

Addison looked over his shoulder at the fleet of ships massing on the far side of the moon. Armada was the right word for it. “Are those Russian warships?” she asked.

Laz nodded. “We’re looking at a who’s who of the Jane’s Ships of the Fleet,” he said, referring to a common resource they’d both studied at the Academy. In addition to the Constitution, there was the Independence and the Victory, both carriers like the Constitution, as well as the Tighe, Flint, Pittsburgh, and a number of smaller ships. She scanned the Russian contingent: Vladivostok, Brezhnev, and Murmansk were all heavy cruisers with plenty of firepower.

“Looks like the Russians are joining forces with the UEF,” she said with a hollow laugh. “Now we know this is serious.”

“No Chinese,” Laz observed.

Addison studied the lineup. “We know it takes a ton of firepower to knock out one of those Swarm ships. Our lasers are pretty much ineffective unless you can punch through their hull with the rail guns first. Nukes work, but you need to be right on top of them . . . as far as fighters go, if the other four alien ships carry the same fighter contingent as the lead ship, we’re in trouble. They’ll eat our smaller ships alive. And I’m sure Baltasar will tell them everything there is to know about UEF defenses—”

“What is going on down there?” Laz was pointing out the windows toward the orbiting alien battle group.

The Swarm vessels were forming an arrowhead configuration again with Invincible in the lead position. She watched them disappear over the horizon as they made another orbit of Earth.

A few minutes later, they came into view again, passing over the Atlantic Ocean.

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