[Stellar Conquest 05] - Conquest and Empire by David VanDyke

Author:David VanDyke [VanDyke, David]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Science Fiction, SciFi, Space Opera, Fantasy, Epic, Techno-Thriller, Thriller, Horror, Futuristic, First Contact, Alien Invasion, Space Fleet, Space Exploration, Galactic Empire, Survival, Military, War, Battles, Genetic Engineering, Technological Advancements, Conspiracy, Intrigue, Gripping, Fast-paced, Page-Turner, Action & Adventure, Adult, Fiction
Amazon: B00T4XEEWO
Goodreads: 24819913
Publisher: Reaper Press
Published: 2015-02-01T13:00:00+00:00

Chapter 18

“Ninety-five percent of this swarm’s assault craft destroyed,” Fletcher said with evident satisfaction.

In the holotank, Absen could see the Sensors officer was right. All that remained of the swarm were some eighty thousand gunboats and fighters. He’d thought about running now, making some quick repairs and then engaging the next swarm, and the next, but leaving the enemy’s aerospace weaponry intact would just come back to haunt them later, and he’d rather not face a combined fleet composed of all these remainders. No, better to bite the bullet and kill them now.

“Prep Captain Scoggins’ maneuver and execute on my mark,” Absen ordered. “Make sure all our drones and small craft are in.”

Thirty seconds later, all ships reported ready, their tails toward the enemy and fusion drives at standard acceleration, as if running. The Scourge fighters and gunboats gave chase.

“Mark,” Absen said.

As one, the sixteen ships, in various states of fighting effectiveness but all possessing working TacDrives, pulsed backward for a fraction of a second, leaping across the intervening space and debouching at point-blank range behind the enemy.

Timmons oofed from his position. “We just lost seven percent of our rear point defense.”

Absen accepted that report. He’d expected to take damage as Conquest and her fellows slammed into both the thick debris of battle and intact enemy ships at the speed of light. The maneuver had turned the Scourges into projectiles that hammered the EarthFleet ships, instantly fusing into miniature nuclear explosions, destroying every weapon emplacement and external fitting they happened to strike.

The holotank showed Task Force Alpha in a ragged clump, having passed through the Scourges in its retrograde TacDrive pulse, now pointing its entire complement of forward weaponry at the enemy.

“Sensors recovered,” Fletcher said. “Targets acquired.”

“Fire!” Scoggins barked.

Conquest’s lasers clawed more than a quarter of the Scourge gunboats out of space in her first volley, nearly every one of them taking down a surprised target. Constitution’s optimized point defense suite, despite her greater damage, destroyed even more of the enemy, and the fourteen cruisers added their shots to finish the job.

To their credit, the dwindling Scourge forces turned immediately to attack, weapons targeting installations on the hulls of the EarthFleet ships at ranges that could not miss. “Three percent more,” Timmons reported in a resigned voice. “We’re down about fifty percent overall on the point defense.”

“Got it,” Captain Scoggins replied, her eyes never leaving the holotank.

Within the swirling display Absen could see enemy icons vanish, remaining clusters thinning and then winking out as they were savaged by EarthFleet fire. “That’s it,” he said. “Captain, get some drones out there to knock out stragglers and some grabships to salvage a few of each Scourge ship type for exploitation. The techies will want to compare them with those from the last attack. You have ten minutes.”

“Aye aye, sir.”

Absen walked over to sit back in his chair, feeling just as drained as if he weren’t in virtual space. “Signal to all ships. In ten minutes, we’ll maneuver out of this mess, and then TacDrive back to Earth for repairs.

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