Hero's Return, page 30
Excerpt from “Gods of War:”
“Yes, sir,” Mathison said. Sometimes it was worth arguing, sometimes it wasn’t. Stevenson wasn’t a butter bar. He was a veteran from a line infantry platoon that had made it through Critical Skills Operator School and earned his Raider pin. He was also on the short list for captain. Major Beckett might pin the railroad tracks on Stevenson’s collar before they left for space.
“Well, enough chatting,” Stevenson said, the smile in his voice grating on Mathison’s nerves. “Gotta go check our boys.”
“Yes, sir,” Mathison said, and later he would check on the men while the lieutenant rested. “Please keep your head down, sir. Don’t leave me in charge of this cluster fuck. I would be tempted to tell that company commander to go fuck a duck.”
“No, you won’t. You will do your job and take care of our Marines, but I’ll keep my head down,” Stevenson said. “Asian socialists aren’t good enough to kill me. It’s going to have to be some green alien bastard that kills me.”
“Yes, sir,” Mathison said as the lieutenant tapped on Jennings’ shoulder and pointed up. The lance corporal understood and cupped his hands together to boost the lieutenant out of the hole. He launched the lieutenant out of the hole and went back to digging as Mathison went back to looking at the spy eyes scrutinizing the distant jungle.
A shot rang out. On Mathison’s heads-up display, the icon for Lieutenant Stevenson flashed and went red, indicating death.
“You are now acting platoon commander,” Freya reported.
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Get “Gods of War” here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B5WJB2MY.
Find out more about William S. Frisbee, Jr. at: https://chriskennedypublishing.com.
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The following is an
Excerpt from Book One of The Prince of Britannia Saga:
The Prince Awakens
___________________
Fred Hughes
Available now from Theogony Books
eBook, Paperback, and Audio
Excerpt from “The Prince Awakens:”
Sixth Fleet was in chaos. Fortunately, all the heavy units were deployed forward toward the attacking fleet and were directing all the defensive fire they had downrange at the enemy. More than thirteen thousand Swarm attack ships were bearing down on a fleet of twenty-six heavy escorts and the single monitor. The monitor crew had faith in their shields and guns, but could they survive against this many? They would soon find out.
Luckily, they didn’t have to face all the Swarm ships. Historically, Swarm forces engaged major threats first, then went after the escorts. Which was why the monitor had to be considered the biggest threat in the battle.
Then the Swarm forces deviated from their usual pattern. The Imperial plan was suddenly irrelevant as the Swarm attack ships divided into fifteen groups and attacked the escorts, which didn’t last long. When the last dreadnought died in a nuclear fireball, the Swarm attack ships turned and moved toward the next fleet in the column, Fourth Fleet, leaving the monitor behind.
The entire plan was in shambles. But, more importantly, the whole fleet was at risk of being defeated. The admiral’s only option now was to save as many as he could.
“Signal to the Third, Fifth, and Seventh Fleets. The monitors are to execute Withdrawal Plan Beta.”
The huge monitors had eight fleet tugs that were magnetically attached to the hull when not in use. Together, the eight tugs could get the monitors into hyperspace. However, this process took time, due to the time it took for the eight tugs to generate a warp field large enough to encompass the enormous ship. It could take up to an hour to accomplish, and they didn’t have an hour.
Plan Bravo would use six heavy cruisers to accomplish the same thing. The cruisers’ larger fusion engines meant the field could be generated within ten minutes, assuming no one was shooting at them. “The remaining fleet units will move to join First Fleet. Admiral Mason in First Fleet will take command of the combined force and deploy it for combat.”
The fleet admiral continued giving orders.
“I want Second Fleet to do the same, but I want heavy cruiser Squadron Twenty-Three to merge with First Fleet. Admiral Conyers, I want you to coordinate with the Eighth, Ninth, and Tenth Fleets. I want their monitors to perform a normal Alpha Withdrawal. As they’re preparing to do that, have their escorts combine into a single fleet. Figure out which admiral is senior and assign him local command to organize them.” He pointed at the single icon indicating the only ship left in Sixth Fleet. “Signal Prometheus to move at best speed to join First Fleet. That covers everything for now. I fear there’s not much we can do for Fourth Fleet.”
The icons were already moving on the tactical display as orders were transmitted and implemented.
“I’ve given the fleets in the planet’s orbit their orders, Admiral,” the chief of staff informed him. “The other fleets are on the move now. The Swarm should contact Fourth Fleet in approximately ten minutes. Based on their attack of Sixth Fleet, the battle will last about twenty minutes. With fifteen minutes for them to reorganize and travel to First Fleet, we’re looking at forty-five minutes to engagement with the Swarm.”
“What are the estimates on the rest of the fleets moving to join up with First?”
“Twenty minutes, Admiral. However, Prometheus is going to take at least forty-five and will arrive about the same time as the enemy.”
“Organize six heavies from Seventh Fleet and have them coordinate a rendezvous with Prometheus, earliest possible timing,” the admiral ordered. “Then execute a Beta jump. Unless the Swarm forces divert, they should have enough time. Then find out how many ships have the upgraded forty-millimeter rail gun systems and form them into a single force. O’Riley said that converting the guns to barrage fire was a simple program update. Brevet Commodore O’Riley will be in command of the newly created Task Force Twenty-Three. They are to form a wall of steel which the fleet will form behind. I am not sure if we can win this, but we need to bleed these bastards if we can’t. If they win, they’ll still have to make up those losses, and that will delay the next attack.”
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Get “The Prince Awakens” here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BK232YT2.
Find out more about Fred Hughes at: https://chriskennedypublishing.com.
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Fred Hughes, Hero's Return
