The juggernaut lit up with a power spike. It looked like it was firing. Bruce calculated the range and direction. It was firing on the Bronkaw made battle station that was chewing up and spitting out Caliphate cruisers and frigates. Bruce winced. That was extreme long range, but then the battle station was immobile and could not dodge. Magnetic fields might provide protection, but not enough.
“Another emergence,” Erica said. “An odd signal," she paused tilting her head think about it. "Initiating target lock.”
“God dammit!” Bruce said aloud, his frustration getting the better of him. When were the bastards going to run out of ships? It could not be another juggernaut. That would just be too much, hadn’t the Jupiter Alliance been fighting at all? How had the Caliphate assembled such a fleet?
“Looks like the wreckage of a Conglomerate style vessel and a Caliphate battle cruiser,”
“Coming out of the wormhole?” Bruce said looking at the display, hoping for more data to make sense out of it. A telescope focused on it and zoomed in, displaying the results on a large screen. Why was a Conglomerate ship coming from Sol?
“It is the Leonis Ultio!” Erica said. “She’s firing on the juggernaut!”
Bruce smiled. “Hot damn, Luke is trying to get another medal. That damn glory hound! Get him on comm if you can.”
“That is a lot of damage,” Erica said scanning the Ultio. “That ship has been through hell, and there is a Caliphate cruiser embedded in her, looks like a low speed impact.” The Proud Infidel shook as missiles exploded. Bruce would not worry about it. Either the shields and point defense turrets kept them safe, or they did not.
“The Ultio is accelerating!” Erica said, struggling to keep the excitement out of her voice.
“Son of a. . .” Bruce saw the only possible outcome. From behind was the only angle it would work.
“The Ultio’s plasma lances are scoring major damage on the juggernaut, one engine has failed on the juggernaut,” Erica said. The Proud Infidel shook again. Bruce checked the board. That was the last of the Caliphate missile volley. Missiles were being expelled from the Ultio as fast as they could be pushed out, but there weren’t a lot.
The Leonis Ultio slammed into the Caliphate juggernaut and her reactor overloaded. The explosion followed the interior of the Ultio into the juggernaut and caused secondary explosions inside the massive Caliphate warship. At least two pieces of the monstrous Caliphate ship separated. There was nothing recognizable in the back of the massive ship now that the engines were destroyed. The Caliphate juggernaut was dead if not dying.
The CIC erupted into cheering.
“Launch the Supakas at the nearest cruisers,” Bruce said smiling. “One each. Let’s even the odds, because I know damned well Luke wouldn’t have left any functioning Caliphate ships behind him. We got this. Scan for lifeboats.”
“Aye, aye Captain,” Erica said.
Four Supakas shot out of their missile bays and four Caliphate cruisers died. Surviving cruisers and frigates fled toward the wormhole.
“Life boat detected,” Erica said and replayed a frigate’s course, noting its course change. “I think a Caliphate frigate sees it too.”
“Flank speed, kill the frigate,” Bruce said. “Launch everything we have. Ranging shots with the lance, ring their bell.”
“Aye, aye, Captain,” Erica and Kevin replied as one.
Losing Luke now would be a disaster. That would be twice Luke had saved New Alamo. Heroes were not supposed to die after the battle was won. Not like this, massacred while they were helpless.
“We can’t get the range,” Erica said.
“Max speed,” Bruce said.
“Shit,” Erica whispered.
“Red line the engines,” Bruce said wishing he had saved a Supaka.
The Return: The Conglomerate Trilogy (Volume 1) Page 36
