Wings of the Reaper: An Intergalactic Space Opera Adventure by J. N. Chaney & Scott Moon

Author:J. N. Chaney & Scott Moon [Chaney, J. N. & Moon, Scott]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Science Fiction, Space Opera
Goodreads: 46729677
Publisher: Variant Publications
Published: 2019-06-29T23:00:00+00:00

18

All three of the Union carriers went into stealth mode at the same time. Jelly alerted the rest of the crew, rousing them from sleep. In minutes, they were all back on the bridge.

“What happened?” Elise demanded. “I just barely nodded off.”

“You’ve been in your quarters for three hours,” I said.

She looked surprised. “Really?”

Tom and Path looked tired, but neither said anything. The long cat and mouse game with the Union was wearing on all of us.

“Yeah, really,” I said. “I knew Nebs wouldn’t give up so easily. Jelly, take us as close to the next slip tunnel as you can without crossing near the last point we detected the Union carriers.”

“Yes, Captain,” Jelly said.

“Could they be trying to hide which tunnel they are taking?” Tom asked.

“They would only do that if they thought we were still looking for them, in which case they would stay here and look for us,” I said. “Their run for the tunnel was a ruse to draw us out. Nebs probably figured out that I don’t like running at speed in stealth mode. He has a hostage and a valuable ship and probably thinks I’m stupid enough to show myself.”

“There is a possibility, Reaper Cain, that they may detect us if they get close enough,” X-37 warned me.

“That’s what I’m worried about. I didn’t think they were actually going to leave the system. There is no need for them to go into stealth mode since they just have to come out of it when they make their jump,” I said. “They may have developed a new protocol requiring them to stay concealed for as long as possible to minimize the chance they are observed, but it’s unlikely.”

Tom took his position at the weapons terminal, while Elise took over sensors and communications. I stayed in the captain’s chair and made a decision. There was no way I was going to risk my friends trying to rescue Henshaw unless the opportunity was too good to pass up.

Ship-to-ship conflict was not my area of expertise. The only way I could help Henshaw was to be patient and go after him when Nebs had his ships in drydock or something similar.

“Jelly, it’s time to apply Henshaw’s detection program to this tactical problem and find those stealth carriers,” I said.

“We will begin immediately,” Jelly promised.

“I will help,” X-37 said.

“It will be a challenge.” Jelly flashed several search grips on the main holo view. “Asking James Henshaw for the rest of his detection software will be the first thing I do if we manage to rescue him.”

Finding the three carriers was like searching an asteroid belt by hand.

“Keep us in stealth mode,” I said.

“Yes, Captain,” Jelly acknowledged.

“This is going to get serious,” I said, drawing the travel vectors I believed the three stealth carriers would follow. If I was right, it wouldn’t be long before Nebs’s ships had us from three points of navigation, just like he had taken Henshaw’s yacht.

No one spoke as my predictions slowly resolved themselves. Three icons appeared on the holographic map of the system.

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