[The Frontiers Saga 06] - Head of the Dragon (2013) by Ryk Brown

Author:Ryk Brown [Brown, Ryk]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Ryk Brown
Published: 2014-06-13T06:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eight

Jump complete,” Mister Riley reported from the navigation station on the Aurora’s bridge. “We are in position at the staging point, two light days outside the Takaran system.”

“Mister Navashee,” Nathan called to the new sensor operator that was replacing Ensign Yosef, “Any contacts?”

“Sensors are clear, sir.”

“Helm, reduce speed to flight ops normal and maintain course,” Nathan ordered. “Trim the ship to Takara’s ecliptic and lock the reference.”

“Reducing speed to flight ops normal and maintaining course,” the helmsman, Mister Chiles, reported. “Trimming the ship to match the Takaran system ecliptic plane and saving reference.”

“Comms, inform flight ops they have a green deck.”

“Yes, sir,” Naralena answered.

“Tactical, give me a two window overlay, aft flight apron camera and full tactical map.”

“Yes, sir,” Mister Randeen answered.

A moment later, Nathan could see the tactical map of the area as well as the view from the aft facing camera located just above the number two transfer airlock. The camera gave him a clear view of the entire flight apron as well as the aft topside section of the Aurora. There were four heavy cargo shuttles parked so closely together that a good quarter of their aft ends protruded beyond the aft edge of the flight apron. Even then, the four massive shuttles, each of which were too large to fit into the Aurora’s largest transfer airlock, filled the entire apron. “I guess the extra emitters did the trick, Doc,” Nathan said to Abby, who was again sitting at her console at the aft station on the starboard side of the bridge. “Looks like all the shuttles are in one piece.”

“Jump mass and geometry are unchanged,” Abby reported, “although we did use a bit more power for the jump than expected.”

“How much more?”

“Point zero four two percent.”

“That much, huh?”

“It may not seem significant, Captain, and in our current application it may not be, but if we were attempting the same technique in order to tandem jump a significantly larger additional mass, it would need to be considered.”

“I’ll try to remember that, Doctor. Good work.”

“Thank you, Captain. Engineering reports all reactors at one hundred percent,” Abby reported. “All available power is being diverted to recharge the jump drive’s energy banks.”

“Very good,” Nathan answered as he watched the camera window on the forward wrap-around view screen. The first of the massive cargo shuttles, the one furthest to port, began to slowly lift off the flight deck. She rose more slowly than one would imagine as she began to slide sideways to port at the same time to avoid drifting to starboard and contacting the shuttle parked so closely beside her. The maneuver was performed perfectly, and within two minutes the bulky shuttle, loaded down with two Kalibri airships and various supplies to support the ground assault, was thrusting away from the Aurora at a more normal rate. The maneuver was performed two more times by the next two shuttles in line, each thrusting slightly to port as soon as their wheels left the Aurora’s deck. Finally, the last

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