Do you know when it\u2019s the best time to mount a sneak attack? I do. So do the Shang. You wait for them to be all fat and happy. Best is right after they\u2019ve won a great victory. Once they eat, drink, and bed Mary, they\u2019ll be slow to respond when you hit them again. It does take a particularly calculating mind to write off the first attack wave of course. It just so happens the Shang are quite calculating.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Jack held the best tasting loaf of bread he\u2019d ever eaten. He tore another chunk out of it and chewed, watching the pilots relive the battle with sweeps of their hands and whoops of exaltation. The table they sat at or stood over overflowed with amazing ale and fruit and breads and meats. Jack glanced down at the bread in his hand and swallowed his mouthful. He had formed a number of expectations from what he\u2019d seen of the Peloran over the years and this room did bad things to most of them.<\/p>\n
He shifted his gaze to where Hal leaned against a pure white bulkhead, looking with complete and utter ease over the people in the battleship he ran. The cyber watched the men and women who lived on his ship celebrating the fact that they still lived. A smile came over the cyber\u2019s face and he glanced over to Jack for a moment before turning back to the other pilots.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey really are amazing, aren\u2019t they?\u201d Aneerin asked and Jack turned to give the much older Peloran a questioning eyebrow. \u201cOur preconceptions, I mean. So much of what we see depends on them, doesn\u2019t it?\u201d Aneerin smiled again. \u201cWhat do we do when they collide with reality?\u201d<\/p>\n
Jack frowned and studied the shouting and laughing Peloran pilots, partying in victory along with the handful of American pilots. He\u2019d never seen a Peloran party, never realized that the quiet and calm tree hugging Peloran he\u2019d seen on the news and in the movies all his life would<\/em> party in any way that he would consider a party at all. Jack took another bite of the bread and considered as he chewed on it. He glanced over to where Charles stood on the other side of Aneerin, the heir of a vast family fortune who had been to thousands of parties with tens of thousands of people, and caught the other pilot\u2019s thoughtful gaze. Charles nodded and Jack had the feeling he\u2019d come to the same conclusion. The man really was a smart cookie.<\/p>\n \u201cWell,\u201d Jack finally said with a shrug. \u201cI suppose I reassess.\u201d Aneerin\u2019s smile broadened. Jack shook his head and met the older man\u2019s gaze. \u201cThough I wonder why you show us this. You brought us here on purpose; you showed us this on purpose. You want us to believe that your people are different than what we have been led to believe. Either you are, or you are playing<\/em> like you are.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou know<\/em> all Peloran are incapable of lying, Jack,\u201d Aneerin said, spreading his hands out wide.<\/p>\n \u201cBut you said it yourself, you<\/em> are only part<\/em> Peloran,\u201d Jack answered with a pointed smile.<\/p>\n \u201cTouch\u00e9.\u201d Aneerin smiled at Jack and waved an arm towards the party. \u201cSo what do you think? Am I lying with this display or not?\u201d<\/p>\n Jack glanced at Charles again, measuring where the man stood. A shadow of a smile cracked his face, telling Jack the man stood with him. \u201cI think you have a vested interest in making us see your people as something other than the calm and cultured aliens from the great beyond who brought miracle medicines and advanced technologies,\u201d Jack said, cocking his head to spear Aneerin with his gaze. \u201cAnd I think we need to find out what that vested interest is.\u201d<\/p>\n Aneerin\u2019s smile erupted into laughter that mixed into the celebration in the room perfectly. \u201cAh, Jack,\u201d he said after composing himself. \u201cI like you. Never stop asking why people want you to believe anything<\/em>. Sometimes it is for your benefit, sometimes for their<\/em> benefit, and very rarely it can be for both<\/em>.\u201d Aneerin aimed a pointed look at Jack before turning back to the party. \u201cUnderstand the reason and you understand the real truth<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n Alarms rang out and words in Peloran began to transmit over the speakers.<\/p>\n \u201cAh. It appears our conversation is at an end,\u201d Aneerin said with a frown and Hal\u2019s avatar turned to walk towards them.<\/p>\n Betty\u2019s hand appeared on Jack\u2019s shoulder and she leaned in close to his ear. \u201cThey\u2019re calling us to battle stations,\u201d she whispered as the Peloran pilots dropped their food and drink and ran for the hatch.<\/p>\n A hologram of Hal flickered into existence before them. \u201cThe Shang are attacking Fort London. The British are trying to hold but they are having issues.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThese Terran defense squadrons are too small. It was a mistake for you to rely on the Lunar Treaty,\u201d Aneerin said with an unhappy frown.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Chinese and Russians have held to it,\u201d Charles said, disagreeing with Aneerin\u2019s statement.<\/p>\n Aneerin pursed his lips. \u201cAnd that has done you so<\/em> much good.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cActually, it has,\u201d Charles countered. \u201cThey could have finished us by breaking it. They have not.\u201d<\/p>\n Aneerin studied him for several seconds before nodding. \u201cTrue. But if you had more forces at Terra, you could better handle these Shang strikes.\u201d<\/p>\n Charles gave him a smile and a raised finger. \u201cTurn around, Reverend. You are preaching to the choir on that<\/em> point.\u201d<\/p>\n Aneerin chuckled and turned as ordered to Hal\u2019s hologram. \u201cCan we fight a sustained battle with them?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d Hal answered with a definitive shake of his head.<\/p>\n Aneerin turned back to Charles, all calm business. \u201cWill you fly with us?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course,\u201d Charles said without hesitation, before aiming a conspiratorial smile at Jack. \u201cI have been to many parties on the Isle of Man and would like to do so again.\u201d<\/p>\n Aneerin\u2019s eyebrows rose at the name of the island. \u201cYes. I have been there myself.\u201d He paused for a second, his eyes glossed over as he remembered. He shook his head and returned to the present with a swallow. \u201cThat was some time ago though. Walk with me please.\u201d<\/p>\n Charles pursed his lips as they followed Aneerin towards the hatch. Jack aimed a questioning look at the man, wondering what that question had been about. Because it had been a question. And a test. And Charles had learned something. Jack wondered what. Charles just gave him a look that said \u201clater\u201d and waved the other Cowboys to follow them towards the hatch.<\/p>\n \u201cHow long does it take your fighters to recharge after a hyper transit?\u201d Aneerin asked.<\/p>\n \u201cFour minutes,\u201d Charles answered said with just a hint of pride. Aneerin aimed a look of disbelief at the other man, and Charles sighed. \u201cBut we have capacitors that hold up to four charges.\u201d<\/p>\n Aneerin let out a breath as he considered the added information and followed his pilots out of the hatch. \u201cIt is a hack,\u201d Aneerin finally said to Hal as he turned left to walk towards the hangar bay. Jack frowned and his gaze followed the Peloran pilots who turned right, wondering where they were going. \u201cThey did not put in a generator<\/em> powerful enough to transit, they filled them up with batteries<\/em> with enough charge to do it. Now I understand how they managed it.\u201d He turned back to Charles. \u201cAfter a transit, how quickly can you transit again?\u201d<\/p>\n Charles grimaced. \u201cThirty seconds.\u201d<\/p>\n Aneerin winced at the answer and looked up as Hal\u2019s body walked into his hologram. Jack\u2019s practiced eyes noticed when the hologram faded away, leaving behind the real body as the cyber shook his head. \u201cWhat is the absolute minimum?\u201d Aneerin asked.<\/p>\n Charles cocked his head towards Dorothy and she gave them all a tight smile. \u201cTen seconds,\u201d Dorothy answered in a cultured voice that chief advisors to powerful and rich families had perfected over the millennia. \u201cBut that is with a ten percent failure rate due to overloading the capacitors during the energy transfer. We would be losing a fighter on average with each dive if we did that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow about fifteen seconds?\u201d Aneerin asked, pursing his lips in thought.<\/p>\n \u201cFailure rates go down to four percent.\u201d Dorothy said and gave a slight shrug. \u201cMost likely survivable, if we take time for repairs between attacks.\u201d<\/p>\n Aneerin turned to Hal. \u201cCan we do it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFifteen seconds is a long time,\u201d Hal said with a pessimistic shake of his head. \u201cWe will take heavy damage. Are you certain they are worth it?\u201d<\/p>\n Aneerin gave an unhappy sigh. \u201cTen heavy fighters, designed for anti-warship action. Considering our losses in that category, they are heavy reinforcements. They could guard one of your flanks.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTrue,\u201d Hal said with a frown. Then he grunted. \u201cPerhaps we can use it to our advantage. If we stay longer than usual, the Shang may believe we are there to stay and shift their battle line to face us.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIndeed,\u201d Aneerin returned with a nod and walked into the main hangar. \u201cI will leave the particulars to you.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack followed him in and looked around. It was as large and imposing as before, the massive tree on one end and the flickering energy curtain looking out into a black sky filled with stars on the other. The great white bulkheads gleamed, and against one of them the Avengers sat, powering up again for battle. Jack frowned and looked around, realizing that none of the Peloran fighters were still here.<\/p>\n Aneerin turned towards the American pilots as they filed into the hanger. \u201cGentleman. Ladies. I believe it is time to fight again.\u201d As if on cue, the lights dimmed for a second and Jack swallowed as he looked out on the crazy quilt of colors that made up hyperspace. \u201cI am afraid we have no launch bays that can accommodate your Avengers. I trust you are willing to launch from here?\u201d<\/p>\n Jack blinked in realization of where the Peloran pilots had gone.<\/p>\n \u201cOf course we are,\u201d Charles answered without a pause and waved everybody to their fighters. He aimed a quick look at Jack, and Jack realized the man had caught that little tidbit as well. \u201cHula!\u201d Charles said in a soft tone, stopping Drew and Jasmine in their tracks.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, Chief?\u201d Drew asked, looking nervous.<\/p>\n Charles glanced over at her damaged Avenger. Without the nose, she had no laser turret, but that wasn\u2019t the worst of it. \u201cYou can not leave hyperspace,\u201d Charles said with a shake of his head. \u201cRemain here.\u201d<\/p>\n Drew bit her lip before nodding. \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Chief,\u201d she whispered.<\/p>\n \u201cEveryone takes damage,\u201d Charles said with another shake. \u201cYou will have many more chances in the future, I think.\u201d<\/p>\n Drew gave him a sad smile.<\/p>\n Jack felt the need to say something and smiled at her and Jasmine. \u201cI\u2019ll tag one for you.\u201d He aimed a jaunty finger at her as he said it, and saw her fighting to keep from laughing at him. Her mood lightened, even if only a little, he turned and ran off towards his Avenger, Betty beside him. But he frowned as his mind returned to the Peloran and everything he\u2019d learned today.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s on your mind?\u201d Betty asked as they stopped at the foot of the fighter and the ladder extruded out of its skin for him.<\/p>\n Jack looked between Aneerin and Hal as he pulled himself up the ladder. Something was odd but he couldn\u2019t put his finger on it. \u201cThese people are strange. Deeply strange.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTrue,\u201d Betty answered with a smile. \u201cFar more alien than you thought from their faces?\u201d<\/p>\n Jack blinked again and froze on the ladder for a moment. \u201cYeah. Alien. I think that covers it.\u201d He aimed a long look at Aneerin and Hal, standing side by side like twins, watching the Americans board their fighters. \u201cHave you noticed they talk very much alike?\u201d he finally asked.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, they have<\/em> been partners for over two thousand years,\u201d Betty said with a smile and jumped up onto the console as she shrunk down to twenty centimeters in height. \u201cIf we last that long, people will be saying the same about us.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGod, I hope not,\u201d Jack answered and dropped into his seat. He winked at her surprised expression and locked his five-point restraints in. \u201cI like my sexy baritone.\u201d<\/p>\n Betty laughed, a clear soprano sound that tinkled off the inside of the cockpit. Then she pursed her lips. \u201cWell, I could change,\u201d she said, her voice dropping down into the baritone range.<\/p>\n Jack rubbed his chin and cleared his throat, feeling uncomfortable with the discussion. \u201cI think I\u2019ll take yah the way your momma made yah,\u201d he finally said.<\/p>\n Her eyes opened wide, she slipped her hands behind her back, and gave him a pleased smile. \u201cNice,\u201d she said in her normal voice. \u201cGood save.\u201d She cocked her head to the side. \u201cAnd I am ready to fly\u2026now. Are you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAlways,\u201d Jack said with a smile and leaned back in his seat, completely at ease again. He tapped a command on the console and T&J began to sing about brave men and women going to war.<\/p>\n \u201cGood choice,\u201d Betty said and they floated up off the deck.<\/p>\n He looked out to see the other Cowboys lifting off as well, and a scan of the displays showed their information popping up, confirming their readiness to fight. All but Drew and Jasmine of course.<\/p>\n \u201cCowboy Three to all Cowboys,\u201d Charles broadcast. \u201cLaunch on my command. We will be holding the Guardian Light\u2019s<\/em> starboard flank against counter attack while assisting in offensive operations.\u201d A beam of light appeared on the displays, showing their route out of the hangar and around his flank. \u201cFollow my beam,\u201d he ordered and accelerated out of the hangar.<\/p>\n Jack interlaced his fingers and cracked his knuckles as they accelerated out with the rest of the Cowboys. The squadron turned hard towards the Guardian Light\u2019s<\/em> starboard side, pulling into position with a final burst of thruster fire. He looked around at the small formation of six warships, scanning for the heavy fighters screening their flanks. There weren\u2019t very many of them.<\/p>\n Hal appeared on the communications panel. \u201cWe are approaching transit location.\u201d Another screen came to life, showing him the battle. The British naval squadron and Fort London were surrounded, taking damage from all vectors from nearly three times their number of Shang ships. Fort London seemed fully operational and its impressive point defense was the only thing keeping the squadron alive as far as he could see.<\/p>\n \u201cHow long ago is this?\u201d Jack asked, trying to get a feeling for how things might have changed since their last update.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is a live signal,\u201d Hal answered with a smile.<\/p>\n Jack blinked. \u201cWhat? How?\u201d It was impossible to send a message between normal and hyperspace. They had to be physically transported by a ship or drone. There was no way to have a live signal.<\/p>\n Hal shrugged. \u201cIt is complicated.\u201d He chuckled. \u201cI will show you later if you wish, but for now you can rest assured that this is live. Now prepare to transit in three\u2026two\u2026one.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack closed his eyes against the flash, opened them and saw the battle laid out before him. Explosions wreathed Fort London and its mighty multi-layered deflection grid flickered in and out a section at a time. The destroyers and cruisers around it spewed weapons fire in all directions, supporting the main cannons on the fort.<\/p>\n The Shang surrounded them all, firing broadside after broadside of missiles and lasers towards the fort. British point defense networks shot the missiles down by the scores and the deflection grids twisted the lasers away while the fort\u2019s gravitic cannons played across the Shang ships. Four British destroyers drifted away from the fight, lights flickering and massive wounds in their flanks. The fort had obviously not been able to stop all of the missiles.<\/p>\n \u201cFire,\u201d Hal ordered and a hundred gravitic cannons from the fighters escorting the capital ships opened up, twisting gravity between the two fleets. Across the Shang flank, deflection grids with most of their energy devoted to holding off the fort\u2019s weapons crumpled when five or more beams focused on one target. They ripped armor and weapons alike into space, leaving deep scars in the Shang ships. But it was the sixteen heavy cannons mounted outside the Peloran warships\u2019 hulls that did most of the damage, punching through every deflection grid they hit with thousands of gravities of gravitic shear. Sixteen Shang ships belched atmosphere and debris and fell out of formation. No single ship exploded, but an entire flank of the Shang englobing force faltered. They shifted power to their deflection grids to protect their wounded flanks from the Peloran and most of the next salvo of grav beams twisted away, spraying in all directions until they faded away.<\/p>\n Missiles and lasers exploded from the Shang ships, charging the Peloran Battle Squadron, and the point defense lasers reached out to shoot them down. Most of the lasers missed the wildly maneuvering warships and fighters, and the few that hit twisted off into space. Explosions from incoming missiles wreathed the Peloran squadron, each succeeding wave closer to the deflection grid until the rolling front of explosions filled Jack\u2019s view.<\/p>\n \u201cTransit in three,\u201d Hal transmitted. Jack saw the deflection grids of the squadron flickering under the assault.<\/p>\n \u201cTwo.\u201d Jack swallowed as their fighter\u2019s grav cannons finished powering up for another shot.<\/p>\n \u201cOne.\u201d<\/p>\n The cannons fired one more time as Jack closed his eyes and the world flashed around him. He opened his eyes to see hyperspace in all its colors around him again. He licked his lips and checked the sensors to make certain everybody made it. They had.<\/p>\n \u201cCongratulations,\u201d Hal transmitted. \u201cWe have completed our first strike. To those who have never done it before, you have drawn first blood. May you bleed our enemies well in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n A beam appeared on the displays to another location and the squadron accelerated towards it as Aneerin continued to speak. \u201cThe good news is that we have badly mauled them and received negligible damage in return. The bad news is that they know we are here now and they will be prepared for our next assault. Be ready. The rest of the battle will not be so easy.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh joy,\u201d Jack muttered.<\/p>\n Hal raised an eyebrow on the comm. panel but didn\u2019t say anything.<\/p>\n \u201cHow are we?\u201d Jack asked, looking to Betty.<\/p>\n She smiled back. \u201cWe\u2019re good. No issues at all. I\u2019m rerouting power for the next surfacing action.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGood,\u201d Jack said and flicked his eyes over to the sensor screen to see they were almost at the next location. \u201cHey Buckaroo, how you doing?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI got a little toasty,\u201d Ken answered from just off Jack\u2019s starboard wing. \u201cBut everything\u2019s good and ready to go.\u201d<\/p>\n He checked the panel showing the battle and noted that the Shang had modified their englobement pattern. The damaged ships were spreading out into the rest of the formation, while undamaged ships took over their area. All of the ships had spread their deflection grids out to all sides. They were still good enough to twist most attacks away, but he saw a grav beam from Fort London spear through one of them and the ship jerked, atmosphere and debris spewing from its flank.<\/p>\n \u201cTransit in three\u2026two\u2026one,\u201d Hal transmitted as the Shang ship struggled to maintain its position in the formation. Jack closed his eyes, saw the flash of light exploded through his lids, and opened them to see the wounded ship in their sights.<\/p>\n \u201cFire,\u201d Hal ordered and once again the grav cannons of every fighter in the Peloran squadron came to life. This time only half of the beams hit their now-wildly maneuvering targets, and the vast majority of those<\/em> twisted off into space, useless. Not even one of the Cowboys\u2019 shots did more than twist away from their prey, but each gravitic beam the deflection grids were forced to turn away weakened the grids a little bit. A swarm of missiles enveloped the target area, most caught by point defense and their explosions rolled through space. A few found their range and exploded, causing deflection grids to further fluctuate.<\/p>\n That was when the sixteen main Peloran grav cannons powered up to life and reached out to grab the Shang. Once again, only half managed a hit, but every single one that did<\/em> hit smashed into an overtaxed deflection grid. The beams cut through and dug deep into their targets, ripping armor away from the hulls and sucking in atmosphere and pieces of ships. The beams rotated like drills, ripping and pulling on their targets, twisting back and forth and panning across the ships.<\/p>\n Two of the Shang ships dropped their deflection grids and stopped maneuvering. That alone caused the grav beams to swing off target, but instead of shifting back to hit the ships again, they faded away. The two ships were dead in space, their main generators ripped apart. A third ship speared by Fort London broke in half under the assault, and the Peloran ceased their assault on it as well to concentrate on true threats.<\/p>\n And of course the true threats had not been idle. The Shang were prepared for this strike, and even though they couldn\u2019t know where the Peloran would strike from, having sensors on the watch for energy surges, having point defense in position, and more importantly having heavy weapons ready to fire back in all directions turned out to be a useful tactic. It took pressure off the British, and Jack could tell they were already beginning to push back at the Shang, but it allowed the Shang to pour fire into anything that dared attack them, like a stray Peloran Battle Squadron.<\/p>\n Their first wave of missiles, fired instantly after the Peloran squadron surfaced, washed over the Peloran formation and Jack winced as every deflection grid wavered. Several Peloran fighters screening the Peloran prows exploded or ripped apart, and the Shang lasers stabbed into the wavering grids, searching for weak spots. They found them and the lasers slashed into Peloran armor, vaporizing or cutting it off to send it floating away as the Peloran warships slewed away from the assault. Again and again, the lasers followed the Peloran maneuvers, searching for the weak spots, and Jack closed his eyes as an explosion engulfed one of the Peloran destroyers. He saw spots of light when it faded away and he blinked before looking at it again. Its starboard gravitic cannon was simply gone, and its entire starboard side looked like a car door mauled by an angry bear.<\/p>\n \u201cOuch,\u201d Jack whispered as the wounded destroyer spun its starboard side away from the Shang to take future hits on its fresh port armor.<\/p>\n \u201cNot as bad as it looks,\u201d Betty answered as their gravitic cannon spun up for another salvo into the fleet. This time one of the beams broke through a weakened grid and ripped into a Shang cruiser.<\/p>\n \u201cTransit in three.\u201d Hal began as more missiles crisscrossed space between the two forces and point defense slashed across the incoming waves.<\/p>\n \u201cTwo.\u201d A massive gravitic cannon ripped through a Shang destroyer and the target exploded.<\/p>\n \u201cOne.\u201d Jack shut his eyes as the Shang missile swarm began to explode all around, flicking his stick and throttle back and forth to make them harder to hit.<\/p>\n A flash of light filled the world, a scream of tearing metal assaulted his ears, Jack opened his eyes, and hyperspace filled his view again. He sniffed at the smell of burning metal and winced.<\/p>\n \u201cOw!\u201d Betty said, her hologram recoiling in pain.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d Jack asked, wondering how bad it was.<\/p>\n \u201cOw! Ow! Ow! That hurt!\u201d Betty repeated, slapping her legs as if putting out a fire.<\/p>\n Jack sniffed at the burning smell again. \u201cAre\u2026are we supposed to be burning?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo! Ah\u2026no burning.\u201d Betty looked up at him, froze as if suddenly realizing her hologram was echoing her actions, and gave him a nervous smile. \u201cJust charring. We\u2019ll be fine in a few moments. Just let me nail this down.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHey, you okay, Jester?\u201d Ken asked.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, no worries,\u201d Jack answered as he looked at all the flashing red lights on his displays. This was bad. \u201cJust a little scorched here. Nothing to worry about.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou sure?\u201d Ken continued and Jack turned to see the other man\u2019s fighter hovering mere meters away. Ken\u2019s face looked concerned. \u201cThat looks pretty bad from out here.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t worry, it\u2019s just a bit of burn in the capacitors,\u201d Betty interjected. \u201cI just need a minute to slap together some repairs before we surface again.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGot it,\u201d Ken said and began pulling back to a safer distance. \u201cYou just hold yourself together.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s the plan,\u201d Jack said as T&J began to sing a song about resting and relaxing on the beach. That did not pull Jack\u2019s attention from just how serious he really thought this was.<\/p>\n \u201cThat tearing sound?\u201d Jack asked, eyebrows raised. \u201cThat sounded like more than just capacitor burn.\u201d<\/p>\n Betty winced again, rose up on her tiptoes as if looking back, and pursed her lips. \u201cOooh, well nothing deadly or anything,\u201d she said, obviously not wanting to say what happened. \u201cWe just\u2026ah\u2026well\u2026just lost life support.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack froze for a spit second in shock. \u201cWait\u2026what? Life support!\u201d That was most definitely an important system to keep if he had anything to say about it.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, don\u2019t burst a blood vessel, Jack,\u201d Betty said airily. \u201cWe have canned air that should last just fine.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack\u2019s jaw dropped. He shook his head and pulled it back up. \u201cYeah. Right. Should?\u201d<\/p>\n Betty shrugged. \u201cWell, try to breathe slowly. Don\u2019t get excited.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack shook his head again. His life support, the one thing that kept him alive, was gone and she didn\u2019t want him to get excited about it? \u201cRight. That\u2019s like asking a high schooler not to get excited when he sees you in that sundress,\u201d he said, trying to push some humor into his voice. He really hoped it didn\u2019t sound frantic instead.<\/p>\n Betty smiled and twisted as if modeling for an audience. \u201cWhy, Jack. This old thing? I just picked this up off the shelf.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack giggled, and this time he was certain the nerves had gotten through. He shut his eyes, breathed deeply, let the breath out, and reminded himself to be calm<\/em>. He opened his eyes again and looked at her. \u201cSeriously. We good?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, Jack,\u201d Betty answered in a calming voice. \u201cJust let me finish running new power lines and\u2026got it. OK. I can start the charging process now. Ah\u2026ooh\u2026that\u2019s close. Hal, can I have another minute please? I had to back off on my charge. Nearly burned the lines again. Either I have faulty power lines or the ten second energy transfer tests under combat conditions were hopelessly optimistic.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou might get more than a minute,\u201d Hal answered with a wince. \u201cThe Swift Wing<\/em> is reporting problems recharging.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack looked over at the destroyer missing a starboard side. \u201cThat her?\u201d Jack asked.<\/p>\n \u201cYes,\u201d Hal said, pursing his lips as he obviously got some new data.<\/p>\n Jack frowned as an earlier concern returned to his mind. \u201cWas that her gravitic cannon exploding?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes,\u201d Hal said with a shrug. \u201cAnd now you know why we mount them outside <\/em>the hull. You know the Albion used to say we had big gun syndrome. We\u2026keep them at a controlled overload setting for extra damage projection. Works until they have a catastrophic failure or they take damage at an inopportune moment. Should that happen, their location means we still have a ship to repair afterwards.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRight,\u201d Jack said, thinking about the two grav cannons on either side of him. He looked down to either side where they rested. \u201cUm\u2026what about my Avenger here?\u201d he asked, feeling more nervous than he had about them.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, we would not design them like that,\u201d Hal answered.<\/p>\n \u201cGee. Thanks for making me feel better,\u201d Jack said with a scowl.<\/p>\n \u201cChange in plans,\u201d Hal said with a larger wince. \u201cThe Swift Wing<\/em> reports complete core meltdown. Be ready to translate in a minute. We will be leaving her behind for the next run.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll be ready,\u201d Betty answered.<\/p>\n \u201cJust how serious is<\/em> that?\u201d Jack asked, glancing at the destroyer in question as she began to drift away from the formation.<\/p>\n Hal followed his gaze with a frown. \u201cLong run, not serious at all. I have come back from far worse. Short run, she is dead in space.\u201d Hal said. \u201cWe are going to have to make sure we get back in time to keep her from dropping into your sun or something serious of course.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRight,\u201d Jack whispered, clearing his throat. \u201cLike dropping into a sun isn\u2019t serious.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCorrect,\u201d Hal said with a wink. \u201cI think sunbathing is on Tuesday\u2019s schedule.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack couldn\u2019t help it. He chuckled, hoping it didn\u2019t sound too manic.<\/p>\n \u201cThat is the spirit,\u201d Hal continued. \u201cLaugh in the face of death. Make him know he is your bythad.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack blinked at the unfamiliar word and cocked his head to side. \u201cHuh?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDog,\u201d Betty supplied, covering her face with her hand, but he caught the amusement in her eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cRight,\u201d Jack said slowly. \u201cIf you two don\u2019t mind, I think I\u2019d like to hold off on my meeting with death for a few centuries or so.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAn even better<\/em> spirit,\u201d Hal said with a smile. His eyes unfocused for a second. \u201cNew information. Aneerin has decided on a new target. Follow me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMoving,\u201d Betty answered and Jack felt them accelerate. He glanced around to see the rest of the squadron accelerating as well, holding position off the Guardian Light\u2019s <\/em>flank.<\/p>\n Jack checked the screens to see the beam that illuminated their course, then checked to see what was on the other side, and swallowed. It was a massive Shang dreadnought or something, the largest moving space structure he\u2019d ever seen, and a cruiser squadron protected it against any stray attackers. It was by far the most dangerous part of the fleet surrounding Fort London and he figured there was a reason they\u2019d avoided it until now.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re going after that<\/em>?\u201d Jack asked in disbelief.<\/p>\n \u201cYes,\u201d Hal answered. \u201cIt is a worthy target. Once we destroy it, the Shang attack will falter.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut the cruisers alone<\/em> outnumber us four to one here!\u201d Jack shouted back.<\/p>\n \u201cJack,\u201d Hal said in a serious tone. \u201cWe are always<\/em> outnumbered. It is simply the way things are. Do not worry. We have a plan.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack opened his mouth, heard Betty clear her throat, shut his mouth, and looked at her. She shook her head and smiled. He let out a breath in acceptance and watched the squadron approach the strike point.<\/p>\n On the other side, the British still held but the Shang flagship hammered them again. A British cruiser drifted away from the fort, powerless and helpless. The flagship\u2019s escorts fired with it, smashing the fort\u2019s deflection grids back again and again to dig deeper into the armor.<\/p>\n \u201cI am sorry, but I cannot give you any more time,\u201d Hal said, looking towards Betty\u2019s hologram.<\/p>\n \u201cI understand,\u201d she returned. \u201cI\u2019ll make do.\u201d<\/p>\n Hal nodded. \u201cTransit in three\u2026two\u2026one.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack closed his eyes against the flash of light, opened them, and gasped as he saw the massive Shang warship filling the sky in front of him. It was less than a kilometer away and he could actually see<\/em> the individual weapons turrets spinning towards him. They were too close. Way, way, way<\/em> too close for his comfort.<\/p>\n \u201cChaaaaaarge!\u201d Hal shouted and every weapon in the squadron opened up as the ships accelerated towards their target.<\/p>\n It was at that point that Jack came to the conclusion that the Peloran suffered from a severe case of split personality that had to approach complete insanity. This day had truly done bad things to his preconceptions about the Peloran race. One truth he knew for certain though. Aneerin was not lying. That worried him far more than the Shang dreadnought that was completely willing to crush him like a bug.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Do you know when it\u2019s the best time to mount a sneak attack? I do. So do the Shang. You wait for them to be all fat and happy. Best is right after they\u2019ve won a great victory. Once they[…]↓ Read the rest of this entry…<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5224","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-2304-forge-of-war-earc","uentry","postonpage-1","odd","post-author-medron-pryde"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5224","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5224"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5224\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5280,"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5224\/revisions\/5280"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5224"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5224"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5224"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}