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Authors: Stephen A. Fender
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going to get transferred
back? What about Raven and the rest of the squadron? Was Krif still on board?
“In case you’re wondering,
you’re staying on board the Duchess .”
Shawn’s eyes shifted to the
captain. Was it possible the man was a telepath? Nonetheless, Shawn was pleased
at the disclosure. “Good,” he said with an approving nod.
“The Rhea ’s been
outfitted with new equipment and personnel. I’ve been told that some of it is
classified.”
“New weapons?”
Ramos shrugged his wide
shoulders. “Anything about it would be speculation at this point. Admirals
Hansen and Graves are about as giddy as schoolgirls over it, though.”
“How so?”
“Oh, that’s all they’ve
been talking about for two days. Nearly every conversation has to do with the Rhea and the new equipment she’s carrying. I’m sure it has something to do with the Marines
stationed planetside, but again … it’s all—”
“Speculation,” Shawn
finished.
“Exactly. And I hate not
knowing. Makes me even more nervous.”
“Understood,” Shawn agreed
heartily. “What’s the story with the Marines?”
“The 92 nd Expeditionary Unit’s been down there for a few weeks setting up fortified
positions around the populace centers.”
Shawn recalled all too well
the effects of the Meltranians’ isotonic cannons, and their frightful
efficiency at destroying planetside installations. “I’m not convinced the
Meltranians are interested in ground warfare. They could be sitting ducks down
there.”
Ramos nodded with a grunt.
“I voiced that very same concern to Admiral Hansen. Both he and Graves seem … unconcerned .
I think it has to do with the special equipment aboard the Rhea . Our
orders are to make sure that both the carrier and the Marines below are well
shielded from orbital attack … assuming the Meltranians come at all.”
Shawn nodded as his eyes
moved from the carrier to the planet below. Was it possible that the Unified
scientists had indeed perfected the Project Windstorm torpedo? While such a
weapon could turn the tide of the war in their favor, Shawn almost shuddered at
the idea of deploying it. The awesome, destructive power could be orders of
magnitude higher than anything the Meltranians had in their arsenal, and would
almost certainly prolong the conflict.
Ramos looked around the
sill of the large window, glanced back toward the crew hard at work at their
stations, then back to Shawn. “I bet all this makes you wish you were back on
Minos.”
“You can say that again,” Shawn
said quickly, then amended his statement. “But, just like Ogolo and every other
planet in Beta sector, Minos is just another target to the invaders. Sooner or
later they’d have come knocking on our door, and I’d be even more powerless to
stop them than I am now.” He thought back to the planet Persephone and his
friend, Toyotomi Katashi. Having received his shipment of weapons from Shawn
several months ago, Toyo was more than equipped to take care of himself—for a
short time, anyway. But Toyo had assumed it would be the Kafarans, not a new
threat, that would attack his world. Was Toyo up for a sustained guerrilla war
against the Meltranians if it came down to it? From what Shawn had seen of the
invaders’ power and ruthlessness, he knew the answer was a resounding “no.”
“I’m here because this is where I need to be, Darian,” Shawn said, referring to
the captain by his first name. “The people of Beta sector, including the ones I
care about, are counting on us to do the best we can.”
Ramos smirked. “So, you’re
saying that if Krif hadn’t come knocking on your door at Minos, you’d have
joined back up anyway?”
Shawn had asked himself the
very same question a hundred times in the last few months, and each time he’d
never had an answer. So when one sprang from his lips after only a moment’s
consideration,
back? What about Raven and the rest of the squadron? Was Krif still on board?
“In case you’re wondering,
you’re staying on board the Duchess .”
Shawn’s eyes shifted to the
captain. Was it possible the man was a telepath? Nonetheless, Shawn was pleased
at the disclosure. “Good,” he said with an approving nod.
“The Rhea ’s been
outfitted with new equipment and personnel. I’ve been told that some of it is
classified.”
“New weapons?”
Ramos shrugged his wide
shoulders. “Anything about it would be speculation at this point. Admirals
Hansen and Graves are about as giddy as schoolgirls over it, though.”
“How so?”
“Oh, that’s all they’ve
been talking about for two days. Nearly every conversation has to do with the Rhea and the new equipment she’s carrying. I’m sure it has something to do with the Marines
stationed planetside, but again … it’s all—”
“Speculation,” Shawn
finished.
“Exactly. And I hate not
knowing. Makes me even more nervous.”
“Understood,” Shawn agreed
heartily. “What’s the story with the Marines?”
“The 92 nd Expeditionary Unit’s been down there for a few weeks setting up fortified
positions around the populace centers.”
Shawn recalled all too well
the effects of the Meltranians’ isotonic cannons, and their frightful
efficiency at destroying planetside installations. “I’m not convinced the
Meltranians are interested in ground warfare. They could be sitting ducks down
there.”
Ramos nodded with a grunt.
“I voiced that very same concern to Admiral Hansen. Both he and Graves seem … unconcerned .
I think it has to do with the special equipment aboard the Rhea . Our
orders are to make sure that both the carrier and the Marines below are well
shielded from orbital attack … assuming the Meltranians come at all.”
Shawn nodded as his eyes
moved from the carrier to the planet below. Was it possible that the Unified
scientists had indeed perfected the Project Windstorm torpedo? While such a
weapon could turn the tide of the war in their favor, Shawn almost shuddered at
the idea of deploying it. The awesome, destructive power could be orders of
magnitude higher than anything the Meltranians had in their arsenal, and would
almost certainly prolong the conflict.
Ramos looked around the
sill of the large window, glanced back toward the crew hard at work at their
stations, then back to Shawn. “I bet all this makes you wish you were back on
Minos.”
“You can say that again,” Shawn
said quickly, then amended his statement. “But, just like Ogolo and every other
planet in Beta sector, Minos is just another target to the invaders. Sooner or
later they’d have come knocking on our door, and I’d be even more powerless to
stop them than I am now.” He thought back to the planet Persephone and his
friend, Toyotomi Katashi. Having received his shipment of weapons from Shawn
several months ago, Toyo was more than equipped to take care of himself—for a
short time, anyway. But Toyo had assumed it would be the Kafarans, not a new
threat, that would attack his world. Was Toyo up for a sustained guerrilla war
against the Meltranians if it came down to it? From what Shawn had seen of the
invaders’ power and ruthlessness, he knew the answer was a resounding “no.”
“I’m here because this is where I need to be, Darian,” Shawn said, referring to
the captain by his first name. “The people of Beta sector, including the ones I
care about, are counting on us to do the best we can.”
Ramos smirked. “So, you’re
saying that if Krif hadn’t come knocking on your door at Minos, you’d have
joined back up anyway?”
Shawn had asked himself the
very same question a hundred times in the last few months, and each time he’d
never had an answer. So when one sprang from his lips after only a moment’s
consideration,
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