Read Online Carinae Sector: 02 - Admiral's Fury - Part 2 - Hidden Menace by David Buck - Free Book Online Page A

as he could see his father was in deep thought remembering their dead crew mates. He knew his father still felt the loss of Emeria’s father, First Lieutenant Kureldestat, especially as Narindestat had been preparing the first lieutenant for a ship of his own.
    Narindestat shook himself back to the present and straightened himself to his impressive four metre height as he spoke again.
    ‘Well that journey was in the fine traditions of our race and the fallen crew will be fondly remembered for many hundreds of years. Now can you please ensure the Barede humans are kept on the Resuria and especially away from sneak ship eight. During the last watch we found several of them in supposedly secure areas of the ship running yet another one of their annoying combat exercises.’
    Garendestat reassured his father that he would speak again with the human commander, as they both again checked their next two hyper drive jump coordinates. The cloaked Trader wing, almost invisible at great distances, raced at speed towards the next hyper drive jump point. On a nearby small asteroid, a cloaked robot of unknown design discretely observed the passing massive ship with specialised instruments capable of penetrating a cloaking mechanism.
     
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Chapter 4
     
    Gindane looked anxiously at the sensor readings after just arriving in the Gold system. She noted that several large groupings of Jerecab frigates were heading for the different hyper space jump locations around the system. What concerned her most was that over forty frigates were now approaching her own fleet’s position. She had ensured the standard non-aggression clauses were being provided even as the view screen came with a harsh message from another Jerecab commander.
    ‘The time for talk has ended Barus; you will leave this system now and make no further efforts to end our battles with the humans. This is your final warning and we will attack your ships at any stage from now on.’
    Gindane ensured that the message was recorded and available for use at a later inquiry, should they all survive this mission. She gave a deep bow and a distinctly cool answer as she replied.
    ‘You ignore the forms of diplomacy and you threaten my fleet as they go about their legitimate duties. A protest will be lodged with the senior races at a later stage. I wish to remain neutral and to preserve my ships and their crew, and so I elect to leave this system.’
    Now satisfied that her own part of the secret earlier plan was now a success, Gindane ordered her ships to take a diagonal course across the system, as if they were heading for the jump points back to Cephrit space. Twice her fleet came with the range of larger numbers of ships, and twice the Jerecab had then fired warning shots at her ships before sheering away back onto their own course.
    Gindane knew that this was a trait of the Jerecab as pack hunters, intimidate and harass their solitary prey before attacking in overwhelming force. She was aware that for the Jerecab, smaller numbers of larger ships attacking their own frigates and defeating them wholesale was a real problem. The Barus captain knew now that the humans were using a sound strategy in dealing with the Jerecab. But would it help them enough given the overwhelming numbers of ships the Jerecab possessed?
    Gindane stopped pacing the deck and began rubbing her shoulders, as she was in deep thought. One of her lieutenants hacked out a series of coughs and the captain looked across in concern. She noted the still anxious glances directed at her from her bridge crew, and she now forced herself to appear outwardly calm, before sitting down in her command chair and reached for yet another data tablet.