The Lost Fleet: Fearless Bk. 2 (Lost Fleet 2) by Jack Campbell

Author:Jack Campbell
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Science Fiction
ISBN: 9780857681317
Publisher: Titan Books Ltd
Published: 2007-01-30T05:00:00+00:00

SEVEN

GEARY stared at his display, watching the tethers blossom and shatter under the blows of the Syndic weapons. “How much damage can the gate take before it starts collapsing?”

“Uncertain, sir. We’ll be able to tell when failure begins, but we won’t know we’re there until it starts happening.”

Geary barely managed to keep from yelling at everyone on the bridge. Next time you want to build something this dangerous, take some time to try to understand it first! But he knew that wasn’t fair. Under the pressure of the war, with the enemy also in possession of the hypernet technology, both sides had lacked the luxury of time to figure out the theory behind the technology.

He couldn’t believe how quickly tethers were being destroyed. The Syndic ships were ignoring Tulev’s oncoming attack, probably still fully under the control of their automated programs, fixed on trying to destroy the gate no matter the cost.

The cost came first for the last crippled battle cruiser in the center as a weak forward shield collapsed, leaving the hull open to bombardment by the hell lances on the four heavy cruisers. The battle cruiser shuddered under the barrage, falling off and down, all systems apparently dead.

Minutes later Tulev’s battle cruisers climbed past the two Syndic battleships, making a dangerously close pass. The first battleship took the full brunt of a volley of specters that even its shields couldn’t withstand, then fell apart as grapeshot tore through it. The second battleship managed to hold up briefly under the concentrated fire of the hell lances of four Alliance battle cruisers, then blew up as its shields collapsed and the lances ripped it open.

Tulev’s ships were curving up and over, away from the hypernet gate again, as Geary led Formation Delta up at the last two Syndic ships.

Terrible and Victorious reached their slightly closer target first. The light cruisers and destroyers with them, knowing the Syndic weapons were focused entirely on destroying the gate tethers, slashed past the Syndic battle cruiser at insanely close distances, unleashing weapons as they went. A battle cruiser’s shields weren’t the equal of a battleship’s, and at extremely close range even the light Alliance warships pounded the shields dangerously low.

Behind the light units came Terrible and Victorious. Volleys of grapeshot from both ships finally crashed the Syndic battle cruiser’s shields, then the hell lances did their deadly work, leaving a broken wreck in their wake.

Geary’s eyes kept switching from the status of the gate to the shape of the Syndic battleship ahead. “Gate status. Give me a guess.”

The watch hesitated just a moment. “I think it’s going, sir,” he reported in a voice higher-pitched by stress. “I think we’re too late.”

Geary’s hand triggered the communications switch. “All units in the Alliance fleet with the exception of Dauntless, Daring, and Cruiser Division Four, this is Captain Geary. You are to accelerate away from the hypernet gate at best possible speed. Reinforce shields facing the gate. We estimate the gate is collapsing and may produce a very powerful burst of energy.

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