Read Online Cradle of War (A Captain's Crucible Book 3) by Isaac Hooke - Free Book Online

acting in self defense.”
    “Perhaps they’ll realize they are outclassed, if not outmatched, and they will proceed to engage in a peace treaty.”
    Jonathan chuckled softly. “I hope you’re right, Maxwell. But I somehow doubt it will be as easy as that. Since when did you start wearing rose-colored glasses, anyway?”
    “A peace treaty would seem the logical solution at the moment,” Maxwell pressed. “At least from the alien point of view.”
    Jonathan sighed. “When dealing with alien ways of life, logic often doesn’t factor into the equation. Besides, you’re forgetting the human point of view, which is equally irrational. Our government won’t be too pleased when they learn of the attacks, which are, all things considered, acts of war. The president will consult his military advisors. Most will urge caution and restraint I’m sure, but there are always a few hotheads among the bunch who will sue for all out war. And it wouldn’t surprise me if the president agreed with them, regardless of any overtures of peace from the Raakarr.”
    “It wouldn’t surprise me, either,” Maxwell said.

    F OUR HOURS LATER the Elder ship reached the Slipstream.
    “I’m picking up a gamma ray transmission from their ship,” the fifth watch ops officer reported.
    A minute later the comm officer tapped in Barrick.
    “They’re waiting for us to dispatch the shuttle,” the telepath announced.
    “Ops, launch the Dragonfly,” the captain ordered.
    After the unmanned craft departed, Jonathan retired to his quarters. It would be a few days before the Dragonfly was scheduled to arrive.
    The next day the CDC reported that the enemy Raakarr fleet had passed through the far Slipstream. All six ships had left the binary star system.
    While no longer a threat for the moment, Jonathan wasn’t entirely thrilled at their departure: he would have preferred to leave the system first. Because despite the reassurances from the Elder, the enemy Raakarr might decide to forgo their promise and camp out on the other side to ambush them. Or perhaps the Raakarr fleet would heavily mine the endpoint. He could easily determine if either was the case by sending probes through after the Builder finished creating the return Gate, but the knowledge wouldn’t help his fleet very much. The task group would be trapped either way.
    Jonathan made sure he was on the bridge when the shuttle was due to arrive. He watched the blue dot halt next to the red that represented the Möbius strip of the Elder vessel.
    The blue dot abruptly vanished, leaving only the red.
    “Well, we just lost a perfectly good shuttle,” Jonathan said.
    The commander shifted beside him. “You should have told them to leave it behind.”
    “I don’t think they would have, either way,” the captain replied. “Would you, if you were them?”
    “Probably not,” Robert admitted.
    “Now we see if they live up to their end of the bargain,” Jonathan said.
    Several tense moments passed.
    “This is odd,” Ensign Lewis said from the ops station.
    “What is it?” Jonathan asked.
    “Well, it’s so subtle that our sensors almost didn’t pick it up, but... well, it looks like we’re being bombarded with gravity waves.”
    “Gravity waves?” Jonathan said.
    “Yes,” Lewis replied. “Sourced from the Elder ship. And now I’m picking up a focused gamma ray. It seems destined for the Talon .”
    When the beam finally reached the aforementioned vessel, Barrick tapped in, voice-only.
    “Captain Dallas,” Barrick said. “The Elder wish to know where the fourth suit is.”
    Jonathan had left that suit aboard the Dagger of course, which was still hidden behind the moon of the gas giant with the Marley , Grimm and Aurelia .
    He swallowed nervously, unsure if he would get away with what he planned.
    Well, I’ve come this far...

nine
     
    T ell them the suit was aboard one of our other vessels,” Jonathan sent. “The Maelstrom , which we lost in the battle against the