Read Chronicles of Athena Lee 6 Imperial Subversion for Free Online
Authors: T S Paul
torpedo’s, and anti ship missiles. But, it like the carriers, is really old. This whole fleet looks like they came from the reserve fleet. Those frigates and destroyers are ancient. None of these ships are front line. From a distance they look scary. Up close, I think we stand a chance.”
In my head I heard Wilson chime in. “I broke their encryption, they’re an anti-piracy task force that got co-opted to come and stop the conference. His orders are to investigate, not start a war. He’s gone ‘off the reservation’ in the terms of his orders. Those shuttles are filled with Marines and ESS troops. Don’t let them land!”
“Min! I just heard from a ‘friend’. Those shuttles are filled with ESS and Marines. We Can’t, let them land!”
She pointed at her head. “Your friend?” I nodded. “Well, that changes things a bit.” Min looked at her command staff. “How much time to we have?”
“Ma’am, we have less than 10 minutes before they get here.”
“Commander Lee? I have the Planetary command on the line. Your Father?”
“Put it on screen please.” We both turned to look at the screen.
Father was starting to look a bit old. Colonel Alexander Lee was getting gray hair and had visible lines on his face. At the moment he was the overall commander of the new Planetary Army. Standing beside him was a shorter and much older gentleman, Governor and soon to be President, Roy Stoner. “Good, both of you are there. I saw your reports and Athena? That friend of yours relayed the ship information to us. I know you have very little time. Minerva? Do what you have to do. Stop those shuttles. We have the beginning of something wonderful here, we can’t let them grind us back down. You have what little support we can provide. Lee out.”
Min looked over at me and smiled. I guess it is up to us then. She turned to the tactical station. “Inform our fighters to take out those shuttles! Send a message to the Black Sheep, tell Commander Conrad to get his squadron back here. We need him.”
“Weapons? Activate station defenses. Prepare for attack. I want all personnel in suits or lacked down in the shelters.” She turned back to me. “Anything I am missing?”
“Yes, the new planetary defense platforms are now on-line. They can’t stand up to the fire of that battle cruiser but they might be able to take on a destroyer.”
“Platforms? What platforms? When did we get those?” She looked shocked.
“I got the idea from something Wilson found in a fiction novel. We used armored freight transport containers, mounted lasers and torpedo launchers on them and put them in orbit. There are around a dozen of them out there now. They should be able to take out most fighters and maybe a small destroyer or freighter. We built them to help fight pirates.”
“I had no idea. How do you control them?”
“Technically, there are ground operators in the command bunker who can direct them. But we put an AI in the system down there so ‘Joshua’ has ultimate control of the ground defenses.”
“Why is it called Joshua?” She looked at me, puzzled.
“I am not sure about that. Wilson got to name it, when he cloned himself. He said that it fit for a computer that would control a Nation’s defenses. Don’t bother asking. He won’t explain, he’s weird that way.”
“Ma’am, the fighters are about to engage the shuttle craft.” We both turned back to the screen.
On the screen the two groups of ships were nearing each other. The shuttles, flying without a fighter escort, were continuing straight in without pause in relation to the fighters. It was as if they doubted that we would fire. When the Silver Valkyrie squadron entered missile range they opened fire on the shuttles without hesitation.
Chapter 7
Commodore Vakulinchuk could not believe his
In my head I heard Wilson chime in. “I broke their encryption, they’re an anti-piracy task force that got co-opted to come and stop the conference. His orders are to investigate, not start a war. He’s gone ‘off the reservation’ in the terms of his orders. Those shuttles are filled with Marines and ESS troops. Don’t let them land!”
“Min! I just heard from a ‘friend’. Those shuttles are filled with ESS and Marines. We Can’t, let them land!”
She pointed at her head. “Your friend?” I nodded. “Well, that changes things a bit.” Min looked at her command staff. “How much time to we have?”
“Ma’am, we have less than 10 minutes before they get here.”
“Commander Lee? I have the Planetary command on the line. Your Father?”
“Put it on screen please.” We both turned to look at the screen.
Father was starting to look a bit old. Colonel Alexander Lee was getting gray hair and had visible lines on his face. At the moment he was the overall commander of the new Planetary Army. Standing beside him was a shorter and much older gentleman, Governor and soon to be President, Roy Stoner. “Good, both of you are there. I saw your reports and Athena? That friend of yours relayed the ship information to us. I know you have very little time. Minerva? Do what you have to do. Stop those shuttles. We have the beginning of something wonderful here, we can’t let them grind us back down. You have what little support we can provide. Lee out.”
Min looked over at me and smiled. I guess it is up to us then. She turned to the tactical station. “Inform our fighters to take out those shuttles! Send a message to the Black Sheep, tell Commander Conrad to get his squadron back here. We need him.”
“Weapons? Activate station defenses. Prepare for attack. I want all personnel in suits or lacked down in the shelters.” She turned back to me. “Anything I am missing?”
“Yes, the new planetary defense platforms are now on-line. They can’t stand up to the fire of that battle cruiser but they might be able to take on a destroyer.”
“Platforms? What platforms? When did we get those?” She looked shocked.
“I got the idea from something Wilson found in a fiction novel. We used armored freight transport containers, mounted lasers and torpedo launchers on them and put them in orbit. There are around a dozen of them out there now. They should be able to take out most fighters and maybe a small destroyer or freighter. We built them to help fight pirates.”
“I had no idea. How do you control them?”
“Technically, there are ground operators in the command bunker who can direct them. But we put an AI in the system down there so ‘Joshua’ has ultimate control of the ground defenses.”
“Why is it called Joshua?” She looked at me, puzzled.
“I am not sure about that. Wilson got to name it, when he cloned himself. He said that it fit for a computer that would control a Nation’s defenses. Don’t bother asking. He won’t explain, he’s weird that way.”
“Ma’am, the fighters are about to engage the shuttle craft.” We both turned back to the screen.
On the screen the two groups of ships were nearing each other. The shuttles, flying without a fighter escort, were continuing straight in without pause in relation to the fighters. It was as if they doubted that we would fire. When the Silver Valkyrie squadron entered missile range they opened fire on the shuttles without hesitation.
Chapter 7
Commodore Vakulinchuk could not believe his
Similar Books
Highland Knight
Hannah Howell
A Cool Breeze on the Underground
Don Winslow
The Gates of Winter
Mark Anthony
Ursus of Ultima Thule
Avram Davidson
Damned: Seven Tribesmen MC
Evelyn Glass
The Night House
Rachel Tafoya
Close Protection
Mina Carter
Panda Panic
Jamie Rix
Move to Strike
Sydney Bauer
Family Counsel (The Samuel Collins Series Book 2)
Debra Trueman