Read Online Koban 6: Conflict and Empire by Stephen W. Bennett - Free Book Online

provided it doesn’t Jump and run away. I don't think they’ll risk sending a Crusher against Federation ships or worlds ever again. They may have had their fill of our Novas for those monster sized ships.”
     
     
    ****
     
     
    Captain Butala Halder, of the Emperor’s Trumpet, wasn’t on the Bridge when the urgent alert reached him from his Vice-Captain, reporting that eleven enemy ships had just made exits from Tachyon Space at Meglor, and they were using the huge Thandol docks as shields from the Trumpet’s weapons. He was in the nobility’s grazing area, enjoying a variety of fresh tender grass, and golden sugar spear shoots, with some of his lower ranking noble peers.
    He was a competent leader, however, and reacted instantly. “VC Candar, recall any available crews of the ships that are still at the docks, and order the ship AI’s to switch all of their weapon systems online for them, to be ready to fire before they arrive. Move us around the docks to where we can target the enemy. The Decoherence launchers don’t need to wait for us to get around the obstructing docks, the warheads travel through Tachyon Space. Fire them when you have the enemy’s lowest-mass-density coordinates.”
    “Sire the launchers are already online but we can’t yet get usable mass detection targeting coordinates for them, or use radar for missile guidance with the docks blocking us. I ordered the helm to move us even before I called you, and we’re headed to where we will be able to see them via line-of-sight very soon. I have all missile bays, lasers, and plasma cannons armed for use.”
    The Vice-Captain now sounded nervous. “The enemy made their White Outs much closer to the docks than the safe margins we allow for ships without gamma ray suppression. The mass of the docks, and the many ships attached to them, are distorting our gravitational mass detection measurements of the voids within the targets. We can’t even identify the precise location of the ships, let alone where the internal low-density voids are located. If the warheads emerge inside them, and their trigger circuits are damaged on exit, the enemy will have a sample of an undetonated warhead to study.”
    Captain Halder hadn’t realized how close the enemy ships had emerged to the docks, placing those obstacles between themselves and the only full time active protection for this planet, the Crusher. The Emperor’s Trumpet was positioned in a normal parking orbit for a ship its size, and until today, there had never been cause to worry about an attack on the docks. Just as there had never been a concern for a sneak attack on Wendal. The Empire had grown too complacent with their tight control over their own people and subservient species.
    “I’m on my way to the Bridge, keep me informed of your actions.”
    “Yes, Sire.”
    He was in an elite grazing area, where fresh forage was grown. The large compartment providing users with a sun-filtered view of the outside universe, the planet and docks in this case. It was located near one of the huge pyramid’s corners. He had a hurried walk to reach a nearby transport hub station, in order to travel deeper into the vast ship, to reach the centrally located and armored Bridge.
    The battle might be over before I arrive , he thought. With so few ships, this had to be a small smash and flee raid by the Federation. That was quite prescient of him, if a bit short sighted.
    He saw two bright actinic flashes flare from two separate, multiple miles long docks, which was quickly dampened by the active filtering of the transparent hull segment, which suggested something had been used on the scale of a small nuclear weapon. He broke into a lumbering run, seldom seen in a high rank noble, and never for this extremely formal Captain.
    There were lesser flashes observed, where laser and plasma beams struck ships undergoing repair or refurbishment, and more fragile dock infrastructure was being hit. He soon saw smaller flashes