reminded him of his nest’s final attack option. The device was rarely used due to the danger it posed to other Swarmer nests that came too close. But his support nests were now beyond the range of the device. Which left his ship as the single Swarmer nest to confront the terrible Soft Skin nest with the black beam. Other Soft Skin nests fired sky light beams at his nest and at his supporting nests, but the hard shell skins of his allies withstood those beams. It was time.
“Servant of the Pull Down device, let your device take wing against the largest Soft Skin nest,” he scent cast in a mix of signal, primer and territorial pheromones, reminding the Servant of his duty to protect the home nest.
“The device takes wing,” the elder male scent cast in response. “Recall it will take nine hundred wing beats before it fully replaces our hard shell segments.”
Hunter felt inner satisfaction. “We have the time. The largest Soft Skin nest is coming within the device’s range. And it cannot fire its black beam at us due to its changed flight angle.”
His five eyes watched as the dark cold space between his flying nest and the terrible Soft Skin nest grew smaller. It was fitting that his nest would deliver the final sting to this enemy. Once it was dead, he would lead the other Support Hunter nests against the remaining Soft Skins. Which reminded him of a needed order.
“Speaker To All, tell our fellow flying nests to swing around to the rear of the Soft Skin flying nests. Tell them to continue their sky light and sky bolt attacks as they move behind the Soft Skins,” he scent cast in a strong dose of releaser and signal pheromones.
There. That would further shield his fellow Swarmers from the effects of the Pull Down device, while allowing them to do what came naturally to every Swarmer. Attack the opponent who endangers your nest. Satisfaction briefly filled him. How would the Soft Skins feel when they realized they were held in the grip of the Pull Down device?
♦ ♦ ♦
“Captain,” called O’Connor from his seat below Jacob. “The wasps are moving to mount a pincer attack on us.”
Jacob saw that in the true space holo that showed the dispersed wasp ships, now well beyond the range of his antimatter cannon and curving around to the rear of his ring plate formation. Worse, the wasp ships were concentrating their laser and lightning bolt beams on the hull of the Chesapeake , which still maintained her position a thousand kilometers above the Lepanto .
“Acting captain,” called O’Hara from Tactical. “The giant wasp ship is still oncoming. It is firing its lasers and lightning bolt beams at our belly. Our belly proton laser is firing back. It . . . it seems to be damaging the front end of the wasp ship.”
“Confirmed,” said Daisy from her XO seat. “Infrared and ultraviolet sensors report enemy hull is melting at proton laser impact point. How thick is that damned hull!”
Jacob had wondered that about the wasp ships. Single or even triple laser hits on a single spot had not penetrated. Punch through only came when six or more lasers hit the same spot on an enemy hull. Which his ships were now doing as they focused on ship W2. But the change in enemy formation required a change in the battle group’s formation.
“Osashi, establish a neutrino comlink to the battle group,” he said over his helmet comlink.
“Encrypted signal link established,” the older Asian said quickly.
“All ships, move to Alpha Anvil formation behind us. Prepare to repel oncoming enemy,” Jacob said.
“Good choice,” O’Connor muttered.
Jacob scanned the sensor holo to his far left that showed the heat shapes of the wasp ships. Now scattered into a rough circle larger than his attack circle, the wasps were using their fusion pulse thrusters to come to the rear of Jacob’s ship group. Which was why he had ordered the new formation. The two cruisers would move backward and become the point
“Servant of the Pull Down device, let your device take wing against the largest Soft Skin nest,” he scent cast in a mix of signal, primer and territorial pheromones, reminding the Servant of his duty to protect the home nest.
“The device takes wing,” the elder male scent cast in response. “Recall it will take nine hundred wing beats before it fully replaces our hard shell segments.”
Hunter felt inner satisfaction. “We have the time. The largest Soft Skin nest is coming within the device’s range. And it cannot fire its black beam at us due to its changed flight angle.”
His five eyes watched as the dark cold space between his flying nest and the terrible Soft Skin nest grew smaller. It was fitting that his nest would deliver the final sting to this enemy. Once it was dead, he would lead the other Support Hunter nests against the remaining Soft Skins. Which reminded him of a needed order.
“Speaker To All, tell our fellow flying nests to swing around to the rear of the Soft Skin flying nests. Tell them to continue their sky light and sky bolt attacks as they move behind the Soft Skins,” he scent cast in a strong dose of releaser and signal pheromones.
There. That would further shield his fellow Swarmers from the effects of the Pull Down device, while allowing them to do what came naturally to every Swarmer. Attack the opponent who endangers your nest. Satisfaction briefly filled him. How would the Soft Skins feel when they realized they were held in the grip of the Pull Down device?
♦ ♦ ♦
“Captain,” called O’Connor from his seat below Jacob. “The wasps are moving to mount a pincer attack on us.”
Jacob saw that in the true space holo that showed the dispersed wasp ships, now well beyond the range of his antimatter cannon and curving around to the rear of his ring plate formation. Worse, the wasp ships were concentrating their laser and lightning bolt beams on the hull of the Chesapeake , which still maintained her position a thousand kilometers above the Lepanto .
“Acting captain,” called O’Hara from Tactical. “The giant wasp ship is still oncoming. It is firing its lasers and lightning bolt beams at our belly. Our belly proton laser is firing back. It . . . it seems to be damaging the front end of the wasp ship.”
“Confirmed,” said Daisy from her XO seat. “Infrared and ultraviolet sensors report enemy hull is melting at proton laser impact point. How thick is that damned hull!”
Jacob had wondered that about the wasp ships. Single or even triple laser hits on a single spot had not penetrated. Punch through only came when six or more lasers hit the same spot on an enemy hull. Which his ships were now doing as they focused on ship W2. But the change in enemy formation required a change in the battle group’s formation.
“Osashi, establish a neutrino comlink to the battle group,” he said over his helmet comlink.
“Encrypted signal link established,” the older Asian said quickly.
“All ships, move to Alpha Anvil formation behind us. Prepare to repel oncoming enemy,” Jacob said.
“Good choice,” O’Connor muttered.
Jacob scanned the sensor holo to his far left that showed the heat shapes of the wasp ships. Now scattered into a rough circle larger than his attack circle, the wasps were using their fusion pulse thrusters to come to the rear of Jacob’s ship group. Which was why he had ordered the new formation. The two cruisers would move backward and become the point
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