{"id":8759,"date":"2019-09-16T00:01:52","date_gmt":"2019-09-16T05:01:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jackofharts.com\/?p=8759"},"modified":"2019-09-16T05:44:52","modified_gmt":"2019-09-16T10:44:52","slug":"wolfenheim-emergent-earc-iii","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/?p=8759","title":{"rendered":"Wolfenheim Emergent III eARC"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Wolfenheim Emergent is available at the following retailers<\/p>\n

Amazon<\/a><\/p>\n

Barnes and Noble<\/a><\/p>\n

Apple Books<\/a><\/p>\n

Kobo<\/a><\/p>\n

Smashwords<\/a><\/p>\n

The following is the electronic Advanced Reader Copy originally sent to my Beta Readers in December. Take a look, and if it interests you, the final version is available for purchase now.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

The Shang are truly determined enemies when it comes down to it. They are insanely rational, and I use that phrase with malice afore thought. For all their human appearances, they are alien in their ways of thought. They are merciless and calculating, willing to perform the most horrible acts in the understanding that it is done in their pursuit of the greater good. But what is good for them would be catastrophic for us. That is why we stand against them. Because no matter how devastating The War is for us, losing it would be worse.<\/p>\n

III<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Malcolm\u2019s Blackhawk starfighter screamed through space on four blue fusion flames towards where dozens of other fighters held position around Wolfenheim\u2019s<\/em> seven hundred meter bulk.<\/p>\n

Malcolm nodded towards Dawn as she maneuvered their starfighter through the outer ring of fighters. \u201cGet me Yarl Torson, please.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dawn nodded, gave him an impish smile, and said, \u201cBy your command.\u201d<\/p>\n

Erik appeared on one of his displays in a few moments with a smile. \u201cWe meet again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Malcolm aimed a rueful smile at the Aesiran. \u201cYes, it would appear our subordinates conspired to make certain we stuck together.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt would appear that way, wouldn\u2019t it?\u201d Erik said with a chuckle. \u201cI think I\u2019m going to have to remind them who\u2019s in charge around here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Malcolm echoed the Aesiran\u2019s chuckle before answering him. \u201cI know exactly<\/em> who\u2019s in charge on my<\/em> warships.\u201d<\/p>\n

Erik snorted. \u201cThe professionals, right?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cExactly,\u201d Malcolm said with shrug. \u201cThough it does us bureaucrats a disservice if we let them lord it over us too much.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAgreed.\u201d Erik cleared his throat and leaned back in his chair. \u201cSo how do you suggest we make the lesson stick this time?\u201d<\/p>\n

Malcolm paused to give Dawn\u2019s holoform a long look.<\/p>\n

She just leaned against the back of the console and waved for him to continue, seemingly confident in his ability to come to the correct decision.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, I think some commendations for forward thinking and risk analyses may be in order,\u201d Malcolm finally said as he turned back to Erik\u2019s holoform.<\/p>\n

Erik laughed again. \u201cYou do<\/em> know how to deal with professionals! It is good to work with a man who recognizes the lay of the land.\u201d<\/p>\n

Malcolm glanced at his sensor display. \u201cSpeaking of the lay of the land, I\u2019m seeing a lot of Shang ships out there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d Erik rubbed his jaw and looked away from Malcolm for a moment. \u201cThis is what happens when Shang battle fleets come to play.\u201d<\/p>\n

Malcolm frowned. \u201cWe\u2019ve not seen anything like this near Earth.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTerran space is too far away for them to send more than a handful of their fastest ships,\u201d Erik said with a shrug. \u201cThey may think you will be dangerous in the future, but you are nothing compared to the threat the Arnam and Peloran are at this very moment.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRight.\u201d Malcolm cleared his throat at the obvious dismissal in Erik\u2019s tone. \u201cThanks for the morale boost there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s what the Shang think about you,\u201d Erik said with a smile. \u201cI did not say I shared their thoughts.\u201d<\/p>\n

Malcolm cocked his head to the side and gave the Aesiran a long look. \u201cSo if you don\u2019t mind me asking, what do<\/em> you think about us?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think the Shang underestimate your danger,\u201d Erik said without hesitation.<\/p>\n

\u201cReally?\u201d Malcolm asked in genuine confusion.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou are here,\u201d Erik said in a grim tone. \u201cRight now. Far too near my people for my peace of mind.\u201d<\/p>\n

Malcolm spread his hands out wide in a peaceful gesture. \u201cWe don\u2019t want to harm your people.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust as I presume you didn\u2019t want to harm the Shang.\u201d Erik let out a long breath and looked around them. \u201cAnd yet here you are. Preparing to harm them a great deal.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s not why we\u2019re out here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIsn\u2019t it?\u201d Erik smiled and shook his head. \u201cDon\u2019t take me for a fool, Malcolm. You are a warning to all of us. A warning that your people will not always be stuck in your little corner of the universe forever. That you are coming for all of us in time, and that we treat you as harmless little barbarians at our peril. You are the greatest threat to galactic peace we have seen since the Albion and the Ennead erased each other and several thousand star systems from the cosmos. Can you tell me I\u2019m wrong in any of that?\u201d<\/p>\n

Malcolm heard the dull echo of the speech he\u2019d given to Caroline a few short months ago, and couldn\u2019t tell the Aesiran he was wrong. Malcolm and his people really were<\/em> out here to tell everyone that Earthborn humanity was here to stay. But he was at least partially wrong about one thing.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t want to threaten your peace.\u201d<\/p>\n

Erik nodded in understanding. \u201cI believe you. That doesn\u2019t diminish the threat you represent, but I do believe your<\/em> wish not to be a threat. And that is why I\u2019m happy to fight at your<\/em> side.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd the rest of my people?\u201d Malcolm asked with a shrewd look.<\/p>\n

Erik gave him a thin smile. \u201cYour<\/em> people do not worry me. It is those who follow you who have my rapt attention.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJoin the club,\u201d Malcolm said with a frown. He glanced at the sensors again and let out a long breath.<\/p>\n

Most stars kept their planets orbiting on a generally flat plain that surrounded them. Asteroids, gas giants, and other objects moved further away or closer to the star as gravity spun them around it, but they almost always remained on that nearly two-dimensional field. It caused many people to think of solar systems as flat disks, with nothing above or below them. And they were mostly right.<\/p>\n

The main Shang invasion fleets now controlled a broad swath of the main system ecliptic and were quickly moving towards Arnami Prime\u2019s important infrastructure nodes. Two of their task forces currently held position ahead of Wolfenheim<\/em>, but space above and below them appeared utterly empty.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t like the look of those task forces in front of us,\u201d Malcolm said with a scowl. \u201cWe might need to pull up a bit before we pull the trigger.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPerhaps,\u201d Erik returned and pursed his lips in thought. \u201cMy worry is what\u2019s waiting in hyperspace to intercept us if we try for the obviously uncovered escape route.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAh.\u201d Malcolm nodded in agreement. \u201cYou thought about that too, did you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Erik nodded. \u201cIt\u2019s how the Shang think. Sometimes I have to think like them if I wish to survive.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAgreed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut you\u2019re wrong,\u201d Erik said with a sad smile. \u201cWe should go down.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThink more like the Shang.\u201d Erik leaned towards the camera to give Malcolm a closer look at his very serious face. \u201cThey have a rigid sense of status, and higher is better to them. Only their least prestigious commanders will accept lower positions. We should find a less capable commander who will be easier to outsmart if we go low rather than high.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPrestige and capability don\u2019t always go hand in hand,\u201d Malcolm noted with a smile.<\/p>\n

\u201cVery true,\u201d Erik said with an answering smile. \u201cBut do you have any better information to work with?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Malcolm returned with a frown. \u201cAnd I don\u2019t think we can afford to wait much longer before making our move.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI agree.\u201d<\/p>\n

Erik pursed his lips and studied Malcolm for a long moment. \u201cI think we will work well together, Son of Donnell.\u201d<\/p>\n

Malcolm considered correcting the man, but decided it was the better part of valor to let it go for now. So he smiled and nodded at the much larger man.<\/p>\n

\u201cI certainly hope so.\u201d Then Malcolm turned back to Dawn. \u201cGet me Olivia.\u201d<\/p>\n

Olivia appeared on a display again. \u201cYes?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI and Yarl Torson have been talking. He says the Shang are rigid about status, and that lower battle positions are less prestigious and probably less competent.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat makes sense. What does he suggest?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat we dive beneath the system ecliptic and make for the Red Line, rather than face those task forces ahead of us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Olivia pondered the idea for a few moments. \u201cIt could be a trap.\u201d<\/p>\n

Malcolm aimed a proud smile at Erik.<\/p>\n

The Aesiran responded with an approving smile.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, but there\u2019s a chance its not. And there\u2019s no chance at all we\u2019re going to get through those two forces without heavy damage.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI agree.\u201d Olivia nodded. \u201cI will speak to his commanders about the idea. Thank you for bringing it to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

She faded out of the display again.<\/p>\n

Malcolm gave Dawn a sly smile and turned to Erik\u2019s display again. \u201cAnd that\u2019s how you deal with competent subordinates.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey are a true blessing, aren\u2019t they?\u201d Erik asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cI couldn\u2019t lead without them,\u201d Malcolm said with all truthfulness.<\/p>\n

Then he relaxed back into his acceleration chair and waited for the change he knew had to come. They had to keep Wolfenheim<\/em> safe. The Class One Colonization Ship and her ten thousand colonists in cold sleep were the entire reason they were all here. If they died, the Wolfenheim Project would fail.<\/p>\n

The change came without further warning. Normandy<\/em> and her escorts dove down towards the empty space below Arnami Prime\u2019s sun, with the entire Aesiran fleet maintaining position next to them. The sensor plot stabilized in a few seconds and projected course lines showed their combined force would soon move well outside the range that any known enemy could intercept them.<\/p>\n

It was the unknown forces lying in wait that had Malcolm nervous.<\/p>\n

A face and smile he knew well appeared on one of his displays.<\/p>\n

Chadwick Austin Adelman had been an heir to the Adelman Family fortune back before Contact, and Malcolm had spent many long parties drinking with the man. Malcolm still remembered the day he heard the news that Bad Chad had died in the Battles of Alpha Centauri. There\u2019d been state funerals. Flags had flown at half-mast over the Republic of Texas for weeks.<\/p>\n

Malcolm had thought he\u2019d never see the man again. Then one day on New Earth, John Smith had walked up and volunteered to join the Wolfenheim Project. He looked even younger than he had before The War, and he wore different clothing. He\u2019d even acted differently than when Malcolm had known him.<\/p>\n

But Malcolm recognized the smile the first time they met.<\/p>\n

The kid swore up and down that John Smith was his real given name. Though the seventeen-year-old baby face could say the sun died while you slept with such guileless sincerity that you\u2019d have to go outside and check for yourself before questioning his honesty. The real life Boy Scout, who surely helped old ladies cross the street in his spare time, was one of the cutest little killing machines Malcolm had ever met.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s what made him such a perfect recruit for this mission. He was an officially registered dead Real American Hero from Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 112, the Cowboys. Going back home would have been awkward to explain. But disappearing into the trackless void of alien space? Nobody would look for a scion of one of Earth\u2019s Great Families thousands of lightyears from Earth living under an assumed name like this.<\/p>\n

And he wasn\u2019t the only one.<\/p>\n

There were a finite number of dead Cowboys. Malcolm had never asked the new recruits that appeared out of the woodwork who they really were. Charles hadn\u2019t told him, they hadn\u2019t told him, and so it was obvious they didn\u2019t want him to know. But he was certain Jackie White was Drew Keawe, first daughter to the Star Kingdom of Hawaii. A real life princess. John Jones of Mars had once been Louis Mattioli, one of the best Pre-War lawyers on the entire planet. There were major court cases and settlements named after him. They\u2019d both died during The War\u2019s early months.<\/p>\n

And then there was John Anderson. He\u2019d never been a Cowboy, and he hadn\u2019t died, but just about everyone back on New Earth knew he\u2019d gone by the name Hunter Roberts back when he was an American Naval pilot flying off the USS Los Angeles<\/em>. And they knew he\u2019d resigned in protest after Captain Olivia Wyatt\u2019s removal from the ship, and the service. They also knew that he was one of the Star Kingdom of Hawaii\u2019s real life nobles, and a childhood friend of the now-deceased Drew Keawe. That made him a Real American Hero on two<\/em> counts. Maybe three, depending on how you tabulated the results. Four if the snark was strong with you.<\/p>\n

Malcolm was amazed at how many rich and powerful people were out here over Arnami Prime. There would be state dinners and grand receptions under any other circumstances.. But they were at War right now, and the stakes for humanity were far beyond a bit of botched diplomacy and spilled wine.<\/p>\n

\u201cMister McDonnell,\u201d Smith said with his standard, innocent smile.<\/p>\n

\u201cMister Smith,\u201d Malcolm returned their strange little ritual.<\/p>\n

The man was never Captain, Major, or Whatever Smith. He was Mister<\/em> Smith. Just another kid flying a retired starfighter for corporate money. Assuming anybody ever heard their conversations. It was a friendly little fiction born out of the necessity to be certain that nobody else realized the truth until the time was right.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe appear to be escaping this battle rather handily,\u201d Smith said.<\/p>\n

Malcolm heard the \u201cbut\u201d in there and sighed. \u201cFeeling suspicious, are we?\u201d<\/p>\n

Smith nodded. \u201cThey\u2019re coming for us. Any minute now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Smith was Ageless, just as he had been when adults called him Chadwick and everyone else called him Bad Chad. Just like Malcolm and Charles were. It was one of the rarest of all reactions to the Peloran Treatments that extended the human lifespan in most people. It was a mutation of some kind that turned them into something similar to both the Peloran and the Arnam.<\/p>\n

Genetically engineered supersoldiers. Stronger, faster, and healthier than other humans. Able to heal from any wound that didn\u2019t kill them. An utterly frozen aging process. Their bodies knew what they should look like, and so they would never age another day until something finally managed to kill them.<\/p>\n

The catch was that their limited precognition made killing them a non-trivial task.<\/p>\n

It was hard to kill someone who could sense danger coming before it arrived. John Smith had fought under the Peloran Confederation\u2019s greatest admiral.<\/p>\n

Aneerin.<\/p>\n

Malcolm had spent his life doing little more than dabbling with his gifts. He could tell if someone was about to shoot him, but he\u2019d never refined his ability to sense danger from someone who wasn\u2019t even here yet.<\/p>\n

He certainly couldn\u2019t sense it from lightyears away like some of the crazier rumors said Aneerin could do. The man always seemed to arrive exactly where he was needed, when he was needed. That was a difficult act for anybody to match.<\/p>\n

So Malcolm relied on the instincts of the professionals when it came to that. And John Smith was a professional worth listening to.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need to go to full alert, then. Could you tell Captain Wyatt about this?\u201d<\/p>\n

Smith smiled. \u201cI just did.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another display flashed with a warning from the flagship to prepare for a surprise attack.<\/p>\n

Malcolm chuckled. \u201cWell played, Mister Smith.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you, Mister McDonnell,\u201d Smith returned before his display cut out.<\/p>\n

\u201cErik?\u201d Malcolm asked and turned his head back to display showing the Aesiran.<\/p>\n

Erik was already frowning. \u201cOur hyperspace probes have not picked anything up.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBe that as it may, they are coming,\u201d Malcolm said without any doubt at all.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow can you be certain?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHave you ever fought with the Peloran?\u201d<\/p>\n

Erik blinked. \u201cThey are formidable warriors.\u201d<\/p>\n

Malcolm smiled as the man didn\u2019t answer his question, but he could work with that. \u201cThere are some who say they can sense danger coming before it arrives.\u201d<\/p>\n

Erik nodded very slowly. \u201cI have heard those rumors.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you believe them?\u201d<\/p>\n

Erik cocked his head to the side for a long moment before nodding. \u201cI do.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat is how I know.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYour Mister Smith does not look Peloran.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s Earthborn,\u201d Malcolm said with a smile. \u201cAs am I. But we do share some of their more\u2026interesting\u2026capabilities.\u201d<\/p>\n

Erik blinked. \u201cYou are\u2026Ageless. Intriguing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Malcolm leaned in to aim an intense stare at Erik\u2019s image. \u201cThey are coming for us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Erik pursed his lips in thought. \u201cThe Sights are\u2026easy to misunderstand.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSmith fought with Aneerin,\u201d Malcolm said.<\/p>\n

Erik leaned back in his chair and nodded again. \u201cMany people have fought with Aneerin over the millennia. Most of them are dead.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe lives,\u201d Malcolm said. He didn\u2019t need to say that Smith had died<\/em> with Aneerin as well. That would just make everything more complicated.<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you for the warning.\u201d Erik stared at him for a long second before continuing. \u201cI shall inform my captains. It appears we will measure each other\u2019s mettle, today, Son of Donnell. May we find each other worthy of the challenge before us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Malcolm thought again about correcting the Aesiran, but then squashed that thought. It was<\/em> the literal meaning of his name, after all. So all he did was smile and say, \u201cI\u2019ll drink to that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter the battle,\u201d Erik said with a smile.<\/p>\n

Malcolm nodded. \u201cI\u2019ll provide the beer.\u201d<\/p>\n

Erik returned the nod. \u201cAnd I will drink it with honor.\u201d<\/p>\n

The display winked out and Malcolm leaned back to watch the two fleets prepared for battle on his other displays.<\/p>\n

The small Aesiran warships and fighters spread out to cover every approach to their larger transports, their active sensors beating the very fabric of space as they sought out any threat.<\/p>\n

Wolfenheim\u2019s<\/em> defenders were far more silent as they deployed for battle. The frigate Cochrane<\/em> and destroyers Philadelphia<\/em> and Rouen<\/em> moved ahead of the fleet in a wedge as their passive sensors looked for any gravitic distortions.<\/p>\n

Surprise<\/em>, Normandy<\/em>, and the four remaining frigates moved in close formation with Wolfenheim<\/em>, ready to instantly react to any threat the forward wedge detected.<\/p>\n

Malcolm glanced at the displays to see the approaching hazy Red Line denoting Arnami Prime\u2019s hyperspace limit. Hyperspace jammers pushed it far beyond what most systems could claim, but they were rapidly approaching the jamming field\u2019s edge.<\/p>\n

Malcolm\u2019s ships sported the very best Peloran hyperdrives, which could cut through an impressive amount of gravitic distortion to enter hyperspace. No Pre-War American warship could match their power, speed, or finesse.<\/p>\n

A display blinked for his attention and Malcolm turned to see Murphy\u2019s destroyers disappear into the rainbow light of a dive into hyperspace and frowned. It would seem they had managed to get at least a few Peloran upgrades on her ships.<\/p>\n

His frigates and destroyers could probably follow her right now, thought he doubted Normandy<\/em> could manage it. Wolfenheim<\/em> certainly couldn\u2019t. They needed to open more distance so the larger ships could safely make the shift.<\/p>\n

They still needed a few more minutes before they could do that, and now she would be waiting for him out there. It would be all but impossible to get away from her if she got a sniff of them in hyperspace.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re coming at us from behind!\u201d Smith suddenly shouted on all frequencies.<\/p>\n

Malcolm jumped at the interruption of his thought processes, his heart slamming at his ribcage in protest as shocked voices filled the frequencies.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll ships. Bug out immediately.\u201d Olivia\u2019s steady voice calmed the frequencies, and Malcolm thought once more that he had won the lottery with her. \u201cI repeat. Bug out now. All ships, bug out.\u201d<\/p>\n

And with no more warning than that, Wolfenheim\u2019s<\/em> squadron formation came apart.<\/p>\n

Wolfenheim<\/em> moved first, her ungainly gantry of assembled bits leaping like a scalded cat as engines the size of frigates exploded to double their normal maximum power. The four frigates surrounding her echoed her actions, and kilometers long fusion torches lit space as the colony ship and her closest escorts followed the bug out order and ran for the safety of hyperspace.<\/p>\n

Normandy\u2019s<\/em> maneuvering thrusters came to life and spun her around. Cochrane<\/em>, Philadelphia<\/em>, and Rouen<\/em> dropped straight down so Wolfenheim<\/em> could pass over them before beginning their own spins. Surprise\u2019s<\/em> forward wedge detached from her cargo pods and spun to the side on flaring maneuvering thrusters before her cargo section brought the main engines to maximum burn and accelerated past the decelerating warships.<\/p>\n

Then Malcolm\u2019s Blackhawk came to life and her four fusion engines rocketed her past the warships and into Wolfenheim\u2019s<\/em> wake. Other fighters scattered and spun to face the incoming enemy, but Malcolm understood his part of the bug out plan. Wolfenheim<\/em> had to be protected. No matter the cost. And Olivia had decreed in her infinite wisdom that Director Malcolm McDonnell also had to be protected as well.<\/p>\n

So as five armed starships and four dozen starfighters spun to fight the enemy coming from behind, Wolfenheim<\/em>, her escorts, and one fighter nominally piloted by Malcolm ran for their collective lives.<\/p>\n

Hyperspace opened up behind them in a conflagration of rainbow light as saucer-shaped Shang ships began to appear. They arrived long before any of Wolfenheim\u2019s<\/em> defenders could finish their spins, and missiles and lasers lashed into exposed flanks.<\/p>\n

Point defense networks chattered away, clawing down dozens of missiles, but deflection grids flared as leakers broke through everything the squadron could throw at them. They were the best deflection grids the Peloran could build, and they redirected a truly titanic amount of weapons fire. But Normandy\u2019s<\/em> portside hangar pod boiled armor, air, and wreckage into space as her grids flickered under the assault. Flames licked out to consume the air as hatches exploded and shattered. Shot after shot drove in, punching more holes into the carrier\u2019s hangar bay.<\/p>\n

Normandy\u2019s<\/em> two dozen turrets covering her main hull spun to return fire though, sending streaking missiles out past the burning hangar pod and into the teeth of the Shang assault in a rippling wave of death. Then three dozen Blackhawk starfighters swarmed around the carrier and added their own gravitic, missile, and laser fire to the effort.<\/p>\n

The Shang deflection grids burned as the counterattack scratched and tore at them without mercy.<\/p>\n

Surprise<\/em> finally finished her turn and a gravitic beam linked her and the lead Shang destroyer for a single second. The destroyer\u2019s deflection grids were already weakened by Normandy\u2019s<\/em> counterattack, and Surprise<\/em> hit her at just the right time. The grids failed entirely and Surprise\u2019s<\/em> missiles and lasers melted her armor like butter even as the gravitic beam tore deep into her core.<\/p>\n

The Shang destroyer came apart under the unexpected assault and her compatriots scattered as Smith’s Avengers came in for their own slashing attack. Over three dozen gravitic beams stabbed into the attackers, followed by hundreds of missiles and laser pulses that stripped deflection grids and armor alike.<\/p>\n

Then three more shapes darted past Surprise<\/em>. Cochrane<\/em>, Philadelphia<\/em>, and Rouen<\/em> dove straight into the Shang formation, spraying dozens of point defense missiles and lasers into everything that moved with reckless abandon. The two destroyers carried a pair of capital-class lasers and a quartet of heavy missile launchers that slammed into ship after ship far more rapidly than even the most optimistic fireplan envisioned. Any tactical officer who generated a plan guaranteed to burn the weapons out through unsafe firing times would be cashiered in most cases after all. But the plucky defenders were outnumbered and outgunned by the Shang destroyer squadron, and they needed every advantage the new Peloran weapons could give them.<\/p>\n

Deflection grids failed under the unexpectedly vigorous defense and one Shang destroyer after another belched atmosphere, flames, and debris.<\/p>\n

But even in their sudden desperation, they reaped a painful harvest on Wolfenheim\u2019s<\/em> defenders. A salvo of missiles smashed through Cochrane\u2019s<\/em> grid and tore her entire starboard side apart. The frigate lurched away as flames vomited from her flank, and Philadelphia<\/em> moved into the stream of fire tearing her apart. The destroyer\u2019s heavier grids and armor managed to intercept the fire that would have killed her smaller compatriot, but they couldn\u2019t possibly hold out for more than a second.<\/p>\n

They didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

Shang missiles tore through them and struck Philadelphia\u2019s<\/em> hull like the hammers of gods. Armor shattered, structure buckled, and flames lit space. And then the missile stream ended as Surprise<\/em> struck again, tearing the Shang destroyer apart with another shot that twisted the fabric of gravity itself.<\/p>\n

That was when Normandy<\/em> finally came around and opened fire with her main cannons.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Wolfenheim Emergent is available at the following retailers Amazon Barnes and Noble Apple Books Kobo Smashwords The following is the electronic Advanced Reader Copy originally sent to my Beta Readers in December. Take a look, and if it interests you,[…]↓ 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":[38],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8759","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-2309-wolfenheim-emergent-earc","uentry","postonpage-1","odd","post-author-medron-pryde"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8759","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=8759"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8759\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8763,"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8759\/revisions\/8763"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=8759"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=8759"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=8759"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}