New Frontiers (Expansion Wars Trilogy, Book 1) Read Online Free Page A

formation, ma’am,” Celesta’s OPS officer said, obviously about to use the word enemy in place of alien. It was an honest mistake, but it also indicated to her that not everyone was as enthusiastic about meeting yet another new species after such a vicious, bloody struggle against the last one that they’d yet to recover from.
    “Seven vessels total, two distinct classes,” the officer continued. “The two larger ships are moving into the front and we’re picking up some radiation leakage from the forward ports that indicate weapons.”
    “Can you tell from the readings if they’re armed?” Celesta asked, concerned. She could see on her display that the two larger vessels were roughly the size of the Icarus and she revisited her fears that the massive Amsterdam flying in formation behind her might be more provocative than Admiral Marcum had originally thought.
    “I don’t have enough data to make an educated guess, ma’am,” the OPS officer apologized.
    “Transmission coming in from the formation on the expected frequency, Captain,” the com officer said. “It’s being transmitted on a clean channel; shall I put it on the speakers or send it to your terminal?”
    “On the speakers, if you please, Ensign,” Celesta said after a moment of thought. No point in keeping secrets from the crew just for the sake of secrets. Enough people in the com section had already heard the message to ensure that it would be widely disseminated with or without her permission.
    “ Welcome most honored guests ,” a clearly artificial voice came over the speakers in an even, steady tone. “ We are most pleased to have together again so that we might formalize relations between our two great peoples so that both will be benefit. Our delegation now leaves for the rendezvous location on the surface .”
    “Short and to the point,” Celesta said once it was clear there wasn’t any more to the message. “Coms! Send a flash message to the rest of the convoy that we will proceed with our original deployment plan. Nav, make sure you’re coordinating with the Amsterdam to ensure we’re well out of the way once they—”
    “New message coming in from the John Arden ,” the com officer interrupted. “It’s flagged as urgent, ma’am … they want us to veer off and allow them to make orbit first. The ambassador doesn’t want the Icarus or the Amsterdam moving into orbit until his landing craft has departed for the surface.”
    “Interesting,” Celesta said with an arched eyebrow, her voice steady and measured. “Did they give a particular reason for deviating from the established protocols other than the whims of their VIP?”
    “No, ma’am.”
    “Very well.” She stood stiffly. “Nav! I need a flightpath correction immediately for a braking maneuver that will move us off course and allow the Amsterdam room to also decel and veer off to clear the way for the John Arden .”
    “Aye, ma’am,” the nav specialist said. “Sending new course to the helm now.”
    “So much for sticking to the plan,” Barrett mumbled as he ran through a series of checks from his own station to make sure there weren’t any issues with the new course.
     
    ****
     
    The next two weeks were uneventful. Mind-numbingly uneventful, if Celesta was being honest with herself. After they’d finally made it to the planet and assumed their orbit at an altitude of thirty-seven thousand kilometers, far above and slightly behind the other ships in the Terran convoy, it had been made clear to them that only a small delegation from the John Arden would actually be participating in the meetings with the aliens. This had been bitterly disappointing to many of the officers on her staff who had wrongfully assumed they’d be rotated down to the surface to look around and maybe even be one of the first humans to get a glimpse of the new species.
    Instead the crew of the Icarus sat on overwatch patrol above the Amsterdam , John Arden, and the two supply