No End In Sight: Jack Foster Space Opera Book 6 (Jack Foster Space Opera Series) by John Hindmarsh & Craig Martelle

Author:John Hindmarsh & Craig Martelle [Hindmarsh, John & Martelle, Craig]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi, azw3
Published: 2023-05-28T16:00:00+00:00

——oOo——

Chapter 16

Projecting had an area effect that swept up everyone in its path.

Jack Senior activated the ship’s intercom. “All hands. Fear not! We are sending negative thought waves into the enemy ships to make them afraid. You are feeling some of that. Your fear is unfounded. Be proud and be strong. We are about to win a great victory without having to fire a shot.” Jack closed the channel.

“Sorry about that,” Red apologized. “We’ve lessened the intensity.”

Deluge maneuvered close to the Flare and linked airlocks by means of an extending tunnel.

“The captain has vowed to remain on board with a small team of his most experienced hands. They said they will destroy the ship as their last act.”

“That simply won’t do,” Jack Senior said. “We need them incapacitated. I think it’s time we offered our assistance.”

“Do you wish us to uncloak? We would have a hard time surviving an attack by a single heavy cruiser. That’s a nice way of saying we’d be killed.”

Jack Senior smiled. “I have a plan.”

“You don’t,” Orchid retorted. “You’re just like your grandson, making it up as you go.”

“No higher compliment could be paid, Orchid. Thank you! Uncloak the ship and launch all the SAC scouts and Eagles.”

Bulwark materialized within knife-fighting distance of the GalFed heavy cruisers.

“This is Jack Foster Senior, captain of the Bulwark, current flagship of Foster’s Flotilla, the official fleet of Jack’s Planet. We will render assistance.”

“We do not require your assistance,” a voice replied. “If you leave your system, you will be fired upon.”

“As you wish,” Jack Senior added. “We stand by to assist a ship in distress because that’s just the kind of people we are.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised if you caused this.”

“That’s slander. You watch your smart mouth. Good luck with your kissing ships exercise. May you find peace and tranquility somewhere in your dark soul.”

Jack Senior drew his finger across his throat, and Orchid closed the channel.

“Cloak the ship and move us ninety degrees to the orbital plane, five thousand kilometers.”

The ship accelerated away from its previous location. Any prior targeting data was useless ten seconds after the conversation ended.

“Arm weapons,” Jack Senior ordered.

Bulwark wasn’t a normal combat vessel. The ship’s strength came from its ability to carry a large number of SAC scouts and Eagles, which included the capability of producing them. It did have defensive weapons systems, a close-in weapon for filling space with a cloud of projectiles to intercept inbound missiles, a rudimentary missile launch system with cutting-edge ship-to-ship missiles, and a single energy beam that fired along the ship’s longitudinal access and out through a focused emitter in the bow.

Orchid aligned the ship to bring the energy weapon to bear. Missiles were in position to launch. The scouts and Eagles had already flushed from all cargo spaces. They stood as a barrier between Bulwark and Solar Deluge.

“Orchid, what’s the status of Solar Flare? Is the crew evacuating?”

“They are. The radiation leak has gotten worse, according to Flirty.”

“Of course it has.” Jack Senior laughed. “Sometimes

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