The Slaver Wars: First Strike (The Slaver Wars Book Four) Read Online Free Page B

the large viewscreen. “The
Hocklyns screens seemed to hold up surprisingly well to our initial attack.
Even when the lasers were used, the shields didn’t go down instantly.”
    “Is it
possible the Hocklyns have strengthened their shields?” asked Major Mason,
worriedly.
    For years, the
Federation had been basing their strategy on the fact that the AIs had not
allowed the Hocklyns to further develop their weapons. For untold centuries,
the Hocklyn ships and weapons had remained the same.
    “I guess it’s
possible,” Tolsen surmised not looking pleased. “We need to get this data back
to Fleet Command and let the experts analyze it. I’ve already sent shuttles out
to check the wreckage, but I don’t expect to find anything meaningful.”
    “So what’s our
next move, Admiral?” Commander Thomas asked. “How soon will it be before the Hocklyns
realize that two of their escort cruisers have gone missing and send a fleet out
searching for them?”
    Admiral Tolsen
leaned back in his chair and thought about the commander’s words. “No one can
know what their response time will be. It may be a few months to a few years; all
we can do is get ready. I have already requested two military transports from Earth.
They will be bringing twenty more defensive satellites as well as six missile
platforms. There will be an additional company of marines assigned to Caden’s
World as well. Fleet Command will also be assigning two destroyers to the
system to support the orbital defenses.”
    “We have over thirty
systems with mining operations in them,” pointed out Thomas, wondering if additional
defenses were going to be added to all of them. “The Hocklyns could show up in
any one of them.”
    “I know,”
Tolsen responded with a nod. “I suspect all of their defenses will be beefed
up. We need those mining systems to stay intact for the raw material they are providing
for the future war effort.”
    “What are my
orders now, Sir?”
    “Return to New
Tellus to have your ship checked. I suspect the Argyle will need some yard
time. You have just successfully fought off two Hocklyn escort cruisers, and I
wouldn’t be surprised if a promotion were forthcoming. Good job, Commander!”
     

Chapter Two
     
    Two blue-white
spatial vortexes formed suddenly in the outer regions of the New Tellus system.
The battle cruiser WarHawk, along with the battle carrier Liberty, flashed into
existence. The battle carrier Independence and the rest of the fleet had
remained behind in Gliese 667C to give support until the military transports
arrived with additional defense satellites. The FTL messages had been hot and
furious from various commands demanding to know what had happened above Caden’s
World. Already, word was spreading across the Federation that a battle
involving Hocklyn warships had occurred in Federation space.
    Admiral Tolsen
was in the Command Center as the screen cleared and the sensors began
functioning. Looking around, his eyes focused on the communications officer.
    “We are being
hailed by the light cruiser Crescent,” Lieutenant Judy Davis reported from Communications.
“It is the normal request for ship identification.”
    “Send it,”
Tolsen confirmed, satisfied with the quick detection by the light cruiser.
    This was
standard operating procedure in all of the ten inhabited systems of the new
Human Federation of Worlds. The Federation consisted of thirteen inhabited planets
plus Ceres with the government centered on Earth.
    A few monuments
later, Lieutenant Davis turned and looked toward the admiral. “We have a
message from Fleet Command on New Tellus Station.”
    “That was
quick,” Colonel Beck commented with arched eyebrows.
    “Everyone’s on
edge now,” commented Tolsen, knowing it was only going to get worse. “The
Hocklyns have finally made it to Federation space.”
    “What’s the message?”
asked Colonel Beck, looking back over at Lieutenant Davis.
    “We are to
micro-jump to New Tellus, and