“We don’t know,” Stealey told him. She turned away from the view of Amber and stepped over to the hologram of the ship. “The Navy has no records of any ship like it. Fifteen million tons, clearly built around internal rotational gravity, heavily armed.
“Andrews brought two cruisers and six destroyers to the party—and that cruiser almost fought his fleet to a standstill on its own. No communications. No attempt to run. And when it died, well…”
The hologram moved. Andrews’s squadron appeared in it, in the middle of an attack run. The strange vessel came apart as David watched, a swarm of Navy antimatter missiles vaporizing her in a single final blow.
And then the station ignited. It wasn’t one antimatter charge—it was six, and by the time they were done, the entire ring station was gone.
“Six corvettes managed to run. Another ten surrendered,” Stealey told them. “Interrogations were continuing when Andrews detached a destroyer to courier me his report, but it sounds like the crews we took know nothing about a deal with Legatus or the Legacy.”
“So, we know nothing,” David said.
“We know nothing new that you didn’t find out for us,” she replied. “You almost accidentally shredded a Legatan materials supply chain they’d spent years building—and you did it in a such a way that they don’t even think it’s your fault.”
Stealey smiled.
“I want you to do it again,” she told him. “I need you three to be agents-provocateurs, to slide back into the Legatans’ covert supply chains and track down where these components were going.
“I can only assume that ship was theirs. So, they’re building a secret fleet and a secret logistics base. There’s only one reason for Legatus to do that.”
“They’re preparing for a civil war,” David said softly.
“Exactly. And we don’t plan on starting one,” Stealey replied. “The Protectorate needs you, Captain Rice. Will you answer the call?”
He didn’t want to. He wanted to take his ship and go back to hauling cargo that didn’t have strange questions and traps attached to it. He wanted to keep his people safe and live in peace.
“Aye,” he finally said. “Aye, Hand Stealey, I will answer.”
Other books by Glynn Stewart
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Starship’s Mage
Starship’s Mage: Omnibus
Hand of Mars
Voice of Mars
Alien Arcana
Judgment of Mars
Starship’s Mage: Red Falcon
Interstellar Mage
Mage-Provocateur (Upcoming)
The Terran Privateer
Duchess of Terra
Terra and Imperium
Castle Federation
Space Carrier Avalon
Stellar Fox
Battle Group Avalon
Q-Ship Chameleon
Rimward Stars
Operation Medusa (upcoming)
Vigilante (With Terry Mixon)
Heart of Vengeance
ONSET
ONSET: To Serve and Protect
ONSET: My Enemy’s Enemy
ONSET: Blood of the Innocent
ONSET: Stay of Execution (Upcoming)
Stand Alone Novels
Children of Prophecy
City in the Sky