Read Online The Battle of the Void (The Ember War Saga Book 6) by Richard Fox - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Richard Fox
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beam cut out, leaving a smoking furrow in its wake.
“Damage report,” the captain said.
“Minor damage to decks seven through twelve…primary lift to the flight deck off-line,” Hudson said.
A smile came to Parris’s face. The aegis armor worked as advertised. Ships hit by Xaros beams of that magnitude had been gutted like a fish during the Battle for the Crucible.
At least we have a ghost of a chance now, he thought.
A drone cut across his bridge, an Eagle blazing gauss rounds hot on its tail.
Drones landed on the ship’s hull. Ruby beams stabbed into the aegis plating, slowly cutting through the armor.
“Get the gunships on those boarders, now!” Parris ordered.
“The Xaros constructs are reforming,” Hudson said. “They’re…fusing into a single mass, sir.”
“Tell the Ancona to continue their mission. Get fire on those rings. Helm, adjust course for the new construct. Ramming speed,” Parris said.
The bridge went silent. An out-of-control Eagle slammed into the ship and broke into an expanding cloud of debris.
“Ramming speed, aye, Captain,” the ensign said.
The ship veered to the side. Parris got a glimpse of the rest of his task force, their point defense turrets raging against dozens of drones swarming over them. The new construct came into view: the hundred drone ships fit like bricks on a wall as they merged into a vessel several times the size of the Midway .
The Gallipoli’s rail batteries flashed, scoring solid hits on the merging Xaros. Red light burned against the seams of the construct. Blisters of disintegrating drones broke out across the surface.
“Get video of this back to Makarov,” Parris said. “Hitting them while they’re merging might be a vulnerability.”
The construct ripped apart like a desiccated ear of corn. The Gallipoli hit the fragments as they broke off, shattering them into burning embers.
“Conn, break off ramming speed and return us to our original course,” the captain said.
A fragment twice as long as his ship twisted into a spiral…one end pointing toward the Gallipoli. Another hunk smoothed into a long dart and slid into the spiral. The dart shot through and crossed the void to the human ship in the blink of an eye.
It speared through the strike carrier and shattered her keel . The ship ripped into two halves that slammed into each other. Wrecked batteries dumped their stored energy and scorched the ship black. The remains of the Gallipoli spun through the void.
****
Makarov kept her head up, watching as the Gallipoli died. Data from the rest of Parris’s task force kept coming in. They were holding their own against the drones swarming their hulls, but it wouldn’t last much longer.
The icon for the Cabo blinked red. The captain reported boarders in his engine room and the ship exploded a few seconds later.
“Admiral, the fragments…” Calum zoomed in on what remained of the giant construct. The jagged remains broke apart and reformed into drones. The new drones made straight for the besieged ships.
Makarov slammed a fist against the side of the holo table. She’d sent them on this mission, and now she was helpless while they were torn apart.
The frigate Ancona broke from the pack, engines burning well beyond their safety tolerances.
“What’s she doing?” Kidson asked.
“Taking a shot,” Makarov said. Tiny icons broke from the Ancona , lance shells closing on Abaddon’s rings.
“Come on…” She opened and closed her hands into fists as the shells crossed the last few hundred meters…and missed. Xaros destroyer analogues closed on the Ancona . Damage icons popped up next to the Ancona as disintegration beams hit home.
New rail cannon tracks appeared, and the Ancona vanished from the plot, replaced by a yellow and black emblem. The Ancona was gone, but she got off one final salvo. The shells streaked toward the rings, and hit.
A cheer went up through the bridge. Makarov stayed silent and zoomed in on the
“Damage report,” the captain said.
“Minor damage to decks seven through twelve…primary lift to the flight deck off-line,” Hudson said.
A smile came to Parris’s face. The aegis armor worked as advertised. Ships hit by Xaros beams of that magnitude had been gutted like a fish during the Battle for the Crucible.
At least we have a ghost of a chance now, he thought.
A drone cut across his bridge, an Eagle blazing gauss rounds hot on its tail.
Drones landed on the ship’s hull. Ruby beams stabbed into the aegis plating, slowly cutting through the armor.
“Get the gunships on those boarders, now!” Parris ordered.
“The Xaros constructs are reforming,” Hudson said. “They’re…fusing into a single mass, sir.”
“Tell the Ancona to continue their mission. Get fire on those rings. Helm, adjust course for the new construct. Ramming speed,” Parris said.
The bridge went silent. An out-of-control Eagle slammed into the ship and broke into an expanding cloud of debris.
“Ramming speed, aye, Captain,” the ensign said.
The ship veered to the side. Parris got a glimpse of the rest of his task force, their point defense turrets raging against dozens of drones swarming over them. The new construct came into view: the hundred drone ships fit like bricks on a wall as they merged into a vessel several times the size of the Midway .
The Gallipoli’s rail batteries flashed, scoring solid hits on the merging Xaros. Red light burned against the seams of the construct. Blisters of disintegrating drones broke out across the surface.
“Get video of this back to Makarov,” Parris said. “Hitting them while they’re merging might be a vulnerability.”
The construct ripped apart like a desiccated ear of corn. The Gallipoli hit the fragments as they broke off, shattering them into burning embers.
“Conn, break off ramming speed and return us to our original course,” the captain said.
A fragment twice as long as his ship twisted into a spiral…one end pointing toward the Gallipoli. Another hunk smoothed into a long dart and slid into the spiral. The dart shot through and crossed the void to the human ship in the blink of an eye.
It speared through the strike carrier and shattered her keel . The ship ripped into two halves that slammed into each other. Wrecked batteries dumped their stored energy and scorched the ship black. The remains of the Gallipoli spun through the void.
****
Makarov kept her head up, watching as the Gallipoli died. Data from the rest of Parris’s task force kept coming in. They were holding their own against the drones swarming their hulls, but it wouldn’t last much longer.
The icon for the Cabo blinked red. The captain reported boarders in his engine room and the ship exploded a few seconds later.
“Admiral, the fragments…” Calum zoomed in on what remained of the giant construct. The jagged remains broke apart and reformed into drones. The new drones made straight for the besieged ships.
Makarov slammed a fist against the side of the holo table. She’d sent them on this mission, and now she was helpless while they were torn apart.
The frigate Ancona broke from the pack, engines burning well beyond their safety tolerances.
“What’s she doing?” Kidson asked.
“Taking a shot,” Makarov said. Tiny icons broke from the Ancona , lance shells closing on Abaddon’s rings.
“Come on…” She opened and closed her hands into fists as the shells crossed the last few hundred meters…and missed. Xaros destroyer analogues closed on the Ancona . Damage icons popped up next to the Ancona as disintegration beams hit home.
New rail cannon tracks appeared, and the Ancona vanished from the plot, replaced by a yellow and black emblem. The Ancona was gone, but she got off one final salvo. The shells streaked toward the rings, and hit.
A cheer went up through the bridge. Makarov stayed silent and zoomed in on the
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