Read Online Star Force: Resolution (SF89) (Star Force Origin Series) by Aer-ki Jyr - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Aer-ki Jyr
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They could not win, and it was obvious, but they didn’t
come to the aid of their defense stations and the crews on them. Rather they
simply held position and Oni was beginning to wonder what their angle was.
Right now the planet was covered in layered energy
shields, sealed up nice and tight against whatever the attacking fleet could
throw at it and ready to punish them if they got too close with a host of
ground-based batteries. Oni had her Bra’hem-equipped Devastator still parked
back at the star with an escort fleet to keep it out of the fighting until
called for, which wouldn’t be for weeks, if not months, as they slowly picked
away the orbital defenses. Then they’d get their chance to start pounding on
the planetary shields, but right now the Trinx fleet, consisting of some 228
visible vessels, was a wild card.
What were they going to do and why hadn’t they done it
yet?
With the shipyard boarding parties reporting back that
they were successfully incapacitating the crew with a mix of Star Force units
and Yisv skirmishers, only to be collected and imprisoned by the other races, a
prompt in her command nexus brought her attention to activity on the planet’s
surface. Barely a minute after that warning the Trinx fleet suddenly moved…down
towards the planetary shields.
They parted and let them through, then the ships began
firing on surface targets in what looked to be some type of ground fight that
had broken out a moment ago.
Oni got links to the fleet commanders with a thought
and had holos for them ringing her as she looked at
them grimly, her eyes finally landing on the Yisv.
“Do any of you have troops on the ground?”
“We do not,” the Yisv said, then the others chimed in
with similar negatives, “but we are seeing the activity there. We have no
explanation.”
“I don’t need excuses, I need the truth,” she pressed,
wishing they were here instead of in holo and she could just read their minds. “If
you are running a simultaneous operation you will tell me now or I’ll make you
regret it, I promise you.”
“We did not infiltrate the planet,” the Yisv said
firmly.
“They are firing on their own buildings,” the Sety
pointed out.
“And the only reason I can see for that,” the cyborg
offered, “is that those buildings have been compromised by an infiltrating
army. It is not ours, I promise you that. Whoever made it down there has
considerable skill that I admit to being envious of.”
“I repeat,” the Yisv said firmly. “We do not have
troops or anyone else down there, nor do we know what is happening.”
“Whatever it is,” Oni said, trying to read them by
their visual cues…which was hard when she wasn’t all that familiar with their
races, “they felt the need to bring down their fleet to assist. My limited data
suggest these facilities that they’re targeting are not strategic?”
“No,” the Jonstar said, puzzled. “They’re nothing of
merit unless they contain systems that we are not aware of. They are not even
near the planetary defenses.”
“Does anyone know what these structures are?”
“No,” the cyborg said regretfully. “The Trinx have
never been forthcoming with data concerning their planets. Their isolationist
tendency has kept many aspects of their society in the dark.”
“The fighting is not near the Hamoriti site,” the Dati
pointed out.
“Be thankful for that. Could this be one of the races
present in the Preserve?”
“Possible,” Oni admitted. “But unless they lied to me,
the Knights of Quenar were sitting this one out until we’re ready to move the
Uriti.”
“They have extensive cloaking technology,” the Sety
pointed out. “They could have infiltrated the planet prior to our arrival.”
“That they could,” Oni said, clenching her fist. “But
if they, or whoever this is, is trying to aid our assault, what are they going
for in those buildings?”
“Perhaps the Trinx set up some ambushes for our ground
troops
come to the aid of their defense stations and the crews on them. Rather they
simply held position and Oni was beginning to wonder what their angle was.
Right now the planet was covered in layered energy
shields, sealed up nice and tight against whatever the attacking fleet could
throw at it and ready to punish them if they got too close with a host of
ground-based batteries. Oni had her Bra’hem-equipped Devastator still parked
back at the star with an escort fleet to keep it out of the fighting until
called for, which wouldn’t be for weeks, if not months, as they slowly picked
away the orbital defenses. Then they’d get their chance to start pounding on
the planetary shields, but right now the Trinx fleet, consisting of some 228
visible vessels, was a wild card.
What were they going to do and why hadn’t they done it
yet?
With the shipyard boarding parties reporting back that
they were successfully incapacitating the crew with a mix of Star Force units
and Yisv skirmishers, only to be collected and imprisoned by the other races, a
prompt in her command nexus brought her attention to activity on the planet’s
surface. Barely a minute after that warning the Trinx fleet suddenly moved…down
towards the planetary shields.
They parted and let them through, then the ships began
firing on surface targets in what looked to be some type of ground fight that
had broken out a moment ago.
Oni got links to the fleet commanders with a thought
and had holos for them ringing her as she looked at
them grimly, her eyes finally landing on the Yisv.
“Do any of you have troops on the ground?”
“We do not,” the Yisv said, then the others chimed in
with similar negatives, “but we are seeing the activity there. We have no
explanation.”
“I don’t need excuses, I need the truth,” she pressed,
wishing they were here instead of in holo and she could just read their minds. “If
you are running a simultaneous operation you will tell me now or I’ll make you
regret it, I promise you.”
“We did not infiltrate the planet,” the Yisv said
firmly.
“They are firing on their own buildings,” the Sety
pointed out.
“And the only reason I can see for that,” the cyborg
offered, “is that those buildings have been compromised by an infiltrating
army. It is not ours, I promise you that. Whoever made it down there has
considerable skill that I admit to being envious of.”
“I repeat,” the Yisv said firmly. “We do not have
troops or anyone else down there, nor do we know what is happening.”
“Whatever it is,” Oni said, trying to read them by
their visual cues…which was hard when she wasn’t all that familiar with their
races, “they felt the need to bring down their fleet to assist. My limited data
suggest these facilities that they’re targeting are not strategic?”
“No,” the Jonstar said, puzzled. “They’re nothing of
merit unless they contain systems that we are not aware of. They are not even
near the planetary defenses.”
“Does anyone know what these structures are?”
“No,” the cyborg said regretfully. “The Trinx have
never been forthcoming with data concerning their planets. Their isolationist
tendency has kept many aspects of their society in the dark.”
“The fighting is not near the Hamoriti site,” the Dati
pointed out.
“Be thankful for that. Could this be one of the races
present in the Preserve?”
“Possible,” Oni admitted. “But unless they lied to me,
the Knights of Quenar were sitting this one out until we’re ready to move the
Uriti.”
“They have extensive cloaking technology,” the Sety
pointed out. “They could have infiltrated the planet prior to our arrival.”
“That they could,” Oni said, clenching her fist. “But
if they, or whoever this is, is trying to aid our assault, what are they going
for in those buildings?”
“Perhaps the Trinx set up some ambushes for our ground
troops
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