Star Force: Liberation (SF56) Read Free

I’d say, and I’d bet a million credits they’re going to try some more
long flanking resupply runs over the coming years. I’d like to intercept those
before they get here.”
    “So while you roam the Kiritak mine and build and hope
nobody comes in to shoot them? Can we at least get them a Sentinel?”
    “Planned on that, plus a decent drone fleet.”
    “Define ‘decent?’”
    “Enough to hold out long enough for me or other
reinforcements to arrive.”
    “Is the relay intact?”
    Paul pulled up another screen and did a quick check.
“Yes.”
    “Ok, we’ll try it. I’ll stay here and keep building up
Metropolis, then put down a colony after the Kiritak start the resources
flowing so we can avoid the trade lag. I’ll keep enough ships here to reinforce
with, but stay close enough that I can call for you if needed.”
    “No promises there, but I am going to drop a few more
stealth relays in neutral systems so we can stay in closer contact. Actually,
we need to start hitting up every system in the ADZ.”
    “That’s a lot,” she reminded him, with there being
2,373 star systems within their current borders as measured by a 100 light year
radius around Sol that made up the ADZ, with some deviations here and there,
mainly around Protovic territory.
    “I know,” he said, mimicking her.
    “I also get the feeling that we just became
responsible for carrying the Dvapp.”
    “They fought well and bled the Skarrons dry, otherwise
we’d have already lost the front, so it’s a debt I don’t feel bad about
paying.”
    “Agreed, but it’s one more
item on our plate.”
    “Good thing we’re used to eating a lot.”
    Megan smiled. “True. Just keep your donut around for a
while, ok?”
    “Need to get it patched up anyway, so deal.”
    “We don’t have a big enough slip here.”
    “That’s why I said patched. I need it too badly to
send it all the way back to Earth. She’s still fighting capable so we’re going
to work out what repairs we can out here.”
    “Scrappy…good. How soon you going to bring the Kiritak
in?”
    “Give it a year to see if the Skarrons really are
going turtle, but I want them prepped to move when we give the word.”
    “Going to need a good sized transport fleet for that.”
    “Saber and Canderous will come through on that one.”
    “Alright, I’ll make it work from this end. I just hope
we don’t get ganked .”
    “Same here…but we really don’t have any choice but to
try.”
    “I know,” she repeated, this time without any
merriment.

 
 
    2

 
 
    February 19, 2555
    Belar System (Bsidd
Capitol)
    Hassnve

 
    The Cajdital fleet escorting the invoker into middle
orbit was met with a swarm of Bsidd warships, countering numbers with numbers
as they wisely targeted the escorts and not the fleet killer, for so long as
they were in close proximity to the enemy cruisers the invoker was harmless to
them else the Cajdital risked killing their own ships. However, there was
nothing to prevent the invoker from moving up next to the numerous stations
circling the planet and incinerating them with its wild, multi-colored energy
arcs. One by one it was chewing apart both defense platforms and habitats, with
the Bsidd fleet unable to do anything more than engage the enemy escorts and
hope to whittle them down.
    But as much whittling as they accomplished it was
useless. Like they had across the rest of Bsidd territory, the Cajdital had
outwitted and outnumbered them at every turn, and even now groups of enemy
reinforcements were coming in to replace the escorts lost almost as if the
enemy was playing with them by not showing their full hand up front.
    The capitol was the only major planet left, with its
defense force cobbled together from surviving fleets and the permanent
defenders in order to make a last stand. They had no hope of surviving given
the strength of the enemy, but without anything else to do they might as well
make them pay as high a price as they could to