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Back Ark Royal Save as PDF
Chapters (42)
  1. Cover Blurb
  2. Contents
  3. Chapter One
  4. Chapter Two
  5. Chapter Three
  6. Chapter Four
  7. Chapter Five
  8. Chapter Six
  9. Chapter Seven
  10. Chapter Eight
  11. Chapter Nine
  12. Chapter Ten
  13. Chapter Eleven
  14. Chapter Twelve
  15. Chapter Thirteen
  16. Chapter Fourteen
  17. Chapter Fifteen
  18. Chapter Sixteen
  19. Chapter Seventeen
  20. Chapter Eighteen
  21. Chapter Nineteen
  22. Chapter Twenty
  23. Chapter Twenty-One
  24. Chapter Twenty-Two
  25. Chapter Twenty-Three
  26. Chapter Twenty-Four
  27. Chapter Twenty-Five
  28. Chapter Twenty-Six
  29. Chapter Twenty-Seven
  30. Chapter Twenty-Eight
  31. Chapter Twenty-Nine
  32. Chapter Thirty
  33. Chapter Thirty-One
  34. Chapter Thirty-Two
  35. Chapter Thirty-Three
  36. Chapter Thirty-Four
  37. Chapter Thirty-Five
  38. Chapter Thirty-Six
  39. Chapter Thirty-Seven
  40. Chapter Thirty-Eight
  41. Chapter Thirty-Nine
  42. Chapter Forty

We’ll have to fight our way out, he thought.  There was no way he was surrendering his men to enemy POW camps ... assuming, of course, the aliens didn’t simply execute surrendered prisoners on sight.  At least Ark Royal had some experience at fighting her way out of enemy traps.

He shook his head.  Surrender, it seemed, wasn't really an option.

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty

“Kiev is in position, sir.”

Ted nodded, one eye glancing down at the status display.  The entire ship was at battlestations, every gun charged and ready to engage enemy targets, every starfighter ready to launch at a moment’s notice.  Ahead of them, the invisible gravimetric tramline shimmered on the display, waiting for them to trigger the Puller Drive and be catapulted into the New Russia System.

“Order her to jump in five minutes,” he said.  The Russian frigate had requested – demanded – the right to make the first jump into enemy-held territory.  Ted had his doubts, but someone had to take the risk and jump.  “And then recheck our stealth systems.”

He scowled at the thought, pushing down the mad impulse that called for a drink.  Ark Royal had been carefully rigged for silent running, but compared to the alien stealth systems humanity’s systems were a sick joke.  All it would take was a brief failure and the aliens would know precisely where they were.  The moment they launched starfighters, he knew, they might as well surrender all attempts to remain hidden.  And the aliens might just, if they caught a tiny break, track them from a distance without tipping their hand.

“All systems are operational,” Farley said.  The tactical officer sounded grimly professional, without the doubts that afflicted his commanding officer.  “They won’t see us coming.”

“Let us hope not,” Ted grunted.  He looked over at the screen showing Fitzwilliam’s face.  “XO?”

“All decks report ready, sir,” the XO said.  He sounded rather less confident than Farley.  They’d been through as many possible scenarios as they could, but it was impossible to escape the simple fact that the aliens knew they were coming.  It was quite possible that they’d rigged a proper ambush at New Russia, just waiting for Ark Royal to stick her head in the noose.  “We’re as ready as we will ever be.”

Ted smiled, rather sadistically.  “And the reporters?”

“In the secondary bridge, under supervision,” Fitzwilliam assured him.  “They’re terrified, sir.”

Good to hear it, Ted thought.  The reporters were pests in human form – if, of course, reporters could be considered human.  At least the experienced ones knew better than to assume that they weren't going into danger.  The doctor had even told him that three of the reporters had requested sleeping pills, just to help them rest at nights.  Clearly, the inexperienced reporters should have spent more time considering the implications of a deep-strike mission before it was too late to refuse the assignment.