Test of Mettle (A Captain's Crucible Book 2) by Isaac Hooke

Author:Isaac Hooke
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Mystery, Colonization, Space Opera, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Space Exploration, Thrillers & Suspense, Galactic Empire, Alien Invasion, Technothrillers, Thriller & Suspense, Science Fiction, Space Fleet, Exploration, Thrillers, Military, First Contact, Metaphysical & Visionary
Published: 2016-05-21T07:00:00+00:00

twenty-three

Jonathan stared at the tactical display. He had reduced the video feed from Commander Cray’s helmet to take up a quarter of the screen in the lower left, and instead watched the red dot representing the humanoid move toward the inner planets until the active sensors could no longer track it.

“We’ve lost it, sir,” Ensign McNamara, the second watch ops officer, said.

Jonathan nodded. They were lucky to track it as long as they had, given how difficult it was to follow something the size of their own spacesuits. It moved on a course that would give a wide berth to the new heat signatures that had been detected from the inner planets moments ago.

“Do we have a match on the six heat signatures, yet?” Jonathan asked.

“They’ve almost moved out of the influence of the gas giant.” McNamara paused. Then he looked up. “The signatures are consistent with five Raakarr dart ships, and one of their capital ships.”

Those ships had moved out from the cover of the third gas giant in the system. They had been waiting there all that time, obviously preparing for some sort of ambush. The dart ship on the other side of the current planet no doubt knew about their appearance, given that they were directly in the line of sight. Jonathan had attempted to contact the so-called allies via the telemetry probes he had in place above the poles, but so far he had received no answer.

Shortly before the appearance of the ships, gamma ray radiation had emanated from the Slipstream behind them, its frequency modulations consistent with Raakarr communications. Though the Callaway couldn’t detect any objects at its current distance from the wormhole, Ensign McNamara theorized that a Raakarr probe had traveled through the Slipstream and was issuing instructions to any allies waiting in the system.

The newcomers wouldn’t have picked up the signals yet, because the gamma rays were still an hour and a half away from reaching them. Their emergence from behind the gas giant at nearly the precise time had to be a coincidence. The Raakarr vessel on the other side of the current planet, however, would have definitely received the gamma rays, thanks to its own telemetry drones in place near the poles.

“The alien telemetry drones are withdrawing,” McNamara announced.

Jonathan rubbed his chin. “That can’t be good. Status on our so-called allies?”

“They’re still in orbit,” the ensign said. “And the alien fighters remain in escort positions.”

“Waiting for their children to come home...” Jonathan mused.

A moment later: “Our Dragonflies have docked,” McNamara said. “As has the Raptor.”

“Status on the captured Dragonfly?” Jonathan asked.

“According to our telemetry drones, it just reached the Raakarr ship.” McNamara paused. “Their vessel appears to be finally breaking orbit, along with the alien fighters.”

“Do we have a flight path?”

McNamara paused. “They’re setting a course sunward. Toward the new arrivals.”

“Try to raise them again,” Jonathan told the second watch comm officer.

“No response,” the officer said.

“Nav, can we intercept them?” Jonathan asked.

“No, Captain,” the second watch nav officer returned. “Not from the current position of the fleet.

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