Read Ep.#9 - "Resistance" for Free Online Page A

so many shifts together, Luis had learned that it was better to just agree with the ensign than to argue with him. It made for an easier shift.
    “It just sucks not knowing how many Jung ships are out there,” Ensign Schenker said. “I don’t mind the tedium so much, and I am seeing a lot of cool stuff on Jupiter’s moons. I just wish I could see what’s going on farther away. Short-range sucks.”
    “I hear ya, my friend,” Luis said. “So, what will it be tonight? Another old movie from the database, or more Jung propaganda broadcasts from Earth?”
    “Neither,” Gus said. “I’m sick of movies, and I can’t stand to listen to more ramblings about the glory of the empire and about how our political leaders had been enslaving us for all those decades. I’m probably just going to go crash in the ready room like usual. I think that couch helps my back.”
    “I guess it’s back to the flight manual for me, then,” Luis said. He opened up the digital flight manual on one of his displays and began reading where he had left off.
    * * *
    “Mister Sheehan and I will land in this valley,” Major Waddell said, pointing at the holographic rendering of the canyons on the command briefing room’s conference table. “It is just north of the same waterfall that he and Mister Hayes flew through. That should put us close enough to the cave to reach it before sunrise.”
    “You’re going to space jump into a narrow canyon at night and land near a massive waterfall?” Nathan asked, finding it hard to believe that anyone would choose to attempt such a thing on purpose.
    “The auto-navigation systems on the Corinari space-jump rigs are precise enough for this jump,” Lieutenant Montgomery said. “However, the Ghatazhak rigs would be better suited to the task.”
    “That may be so,” Major Waddell said with a nod, “but I’d feel more comfortable using equipment that I am familiar with.”
    “How much better suited?” Loki asked nervously. “I have no preferences, other than personal safety, that is.”
    “The Corinari rigs will be fine,” Major Waddell insisted. “The mist from the falls blows south through the canyon. According to Mister Sheehan, it is quite heavy and should serve to obscure the view of our descent from anyone in the valley south of the falls. The section of the canyon north of the falls is unsettled. Therefore, our risk of detection should be minimal.”
    “Why is it unsettled?” Cameron said.
    “Probably because you’d have to be a mountain goat to want to live there,” Lieutenant Yosef said. “It’s pretty rugged terrain, for the most part.”
    “Using the logs from the terrain-following sensors on the Falcon,” Major Waddell said, “we were able to find a suitable landing site. It is a small plateau approximately thirty by eighty meters.”
    “That’s a small target,” Major Prechitt pointed out.
    “And if you miss your target?” Nathan asked.
    “We will not miss,” Major Waddell proclaimed with confidence.
    Nathan looked at Lieutenant Montgomery for a second opinion.
    “Without weather data from this world, one cannot factor in the numerous variables involved. Assuming the weather at the time of their descent is similar to that during which the Falcon was flying, I see nothing that might significantly diminish their chance of an accurate landing.”
    “Don’t you mean ‘safe’ landing?”” Loki wondered aloud.
    “You should be in politics, Lieutenant,” Nathan mumbled. He looked at Cameron.
    “There are five moons orbiting Tanna,” Cameron began. “The fifth moon, the smallest of the five, is the moon that has the Jung fighter base on the surface. The orbits of the five moons are somewhat dissimilar, but the fifth moon’s orbit is even more dissimilar. It is lower and faster than the other four. We were able to calculate windows during which it will be safe for the shuttle to jump into nearby space in order to communicate with the landing party. I have