Catherine Kimbridge Chronicles 7: Renegades Read Free Page B

side of the jump and the mines are configured to automatically replenish themselves.”
    “So,” Bud mused. “We either find a way to get the codes or we find a way to survive the mines.”
    “I’m afraid it’s not that simple,” Cat answered. “The GCP has sent an entire fleet to the Hupenstanii jump point. Not only would we need to have the codes but we would need to deal with Senior Fleet Admiral Imera. Realistically there is no way to get to the Hupenstanii through their jump point.”
    “So that’s it?” Sherry asked. “We just give up?”
    Cat smiled. “Of course not. We know what the Hupenstanii were trying to accomplish and we have access to three things they do not.”
    Sherry blinked and waited. When it was obvious Cat was not going to said more she turned towards Admiral Faragon.
    The older man smiled with a mischievous grin. He counted off with his fingers. “We have detailed data surrounding the harmonics used to create the existing jump points. We have Heshe fabrication technologies; and,” He paused to look the others in the eye, “we have Cat Kimbridge.”
    ***
      “Battle stations!” Prime Dominate N’stra shouted at the top of his breathing bladder.  “Instruct the secondary’s to engage the enemy. Yield nothing.  Given up nothing. Surrender nothing. We win this battle or our home world is lost!”
    On the forward viewscreen of the Chetee Battlecruiser D’fatora a massive brick shaped object materialized through the jump portal. This same alien ship has destroyed three other Chetee colony worlds on its way towards the home system. Dozens of battle groups had been unable to stop its advance.
    All attempts to communicate were met with dead air. Any ship that got within half a planetary unit was immediately attacked by the gigantic invader. A collimated matter-antimatter plasma beam would lash out and obliterate the defender within a fraction of a chrono. Nothing the presbyters had could even penetrate their opponent’s shielding.
    If their world was going to be saved it would require a miracle. N’stra was hoping that miracle was in his cargo bay. The grand order of thinkers had assembled a single antimatter bomb that might just do the trick. The problem was it was highly experimental, having never been tested in combat. In addition the delivery system was still nothing more than design schematic on a computer screen. That meant the D’fatora was the delivery system. Whatever else happened N’stra was not returning home to his bond-mate and hatchlings. At least, if he was successful, they would have a home.
    He engaged the ship to ship intercom one last time. “Form up and proceed towards the target at best possible speed. None of us are getting out of this life alive… let’s at least make sure we are remembered.”
    Prime Dominate N’stra’s fleet of thirty four ships formed a pyramid in space and headed towards the large rectangular box-shaped craft. The thing was immense. Easily a thousand times the combined mass of his entire fleet. N’stra had no illusions about their ability to batter through their opponent’s shields.  The sole purpose of their battle formation was to protect the D’fatora as long as possible. If they could get close enough the experimental antimatter planet-buster bomb in his cargo bay might just be able to knock down that beasts shields. Then it would be up to the planetary defense systems to take out the giant ship.
    As expected, the alien craft fired its horrible death ray at the first of his fleet. The brave souls on those ships were the lucky ones. They had at most a fraction of a chronos to contemplate their demise before they and their ships were vaporized. Those ships that were further back knew their fate but were powerless to do anything about it. Their lives bought precious time. Time that was being used to bring their ultimate weapon into play.
    N’stra was cheered by the knowledge that his ship which was behind the crumbling pyramid