A Show of Force Read Online Free Page B

destroyed,” Ensign Agari reported.
    Captain Nash turned partly to his left, calling back over his shoulder. “I told you to target their main drive…”
    “…I did, sir.”
    “At those power levels, our lasers must have overloaded their reactors, Captain,” Ensign Agari said in defense of the lieutenant.
    “We did warn them that they would be destroyed…” Wellsy chimed in.
    “…I was hoping to avoid that,” the captain interrupted. “Hell, we don’t even know if the occupants were Jung…”
    “Who else would they be?” Commander Eckert insisted. “They were trying to escape, after all… And they didn’t heed our warnings…”
    “For all we know their comms are out. Hell, they don’t even know who is invading them.”
    “Come on, Captain…”
    “Second shuttle will reach FTL threshold in twenty seconds, Captain,” Ensign Agari warned.
    “Lasers are locked on the second shuttle,” Lieutenant Scalotti added.
    “Second shuttle’s power signature is rising,” Ensign Agari reported.
    “Take them out,” Captain Nash ordered, shaking his head.
    “They’ve got to be Jung,” Commander Eckert insisted.
    “Firing lasers,” Lieutenant Scalotti announced.
    “If they’re not, they would have turned around after seeing the first shuttle destroyed,” the commander continued.
    “Second target is destroyed,” Ensign Agari reported.
    Captain Nash sighed. “I don’t suppose the third shuttle is turning around?”
    “No, sir,” Ensign Agari replied.
    “Locked onto third shuttle,” Lieutenant Scalotti added.
    “They’re powering up as well,” Ensign Agari announced.
    “Take them out as well,” Captain Nash ordered, resigning himself to the inevitable.
    “This is war, Captain,” Commander Eckert reminded his captain, keeping his voice low so that the rest of the crew could not hear him. “People die.”
    “Doesn’t mean I have to like it,” Captain Nash replied.
     
     
    “ Falcon One, Three, Five, and Seven, ” the flight controller’s voice crackled over the comms. “ Redirect… Redirect. Grid four five seven. Fifteen point four by eight point five. Ground forces moving to ambush Strike Two at target bravo. ”
    Loki punched in the new target coordinates as the message continued.
    “ Eight armored with WEPS. Ten armored personnel carriers, without. Falcons One and Three engage. Falcons Five and Seven fly cover. Jung fast movers inbound from the north. ETA, three mikes. Warning… Dragon two. ”
    “You got it?” Loki asked.
    “Got it,” Josh answered as he initiated a high-speed turn. “How far?”
    “Minute five at max speed,” Loki replied.
    “Can we jump there?”
    “At this altitude?” Loki declared, his eyes wide. “We’re skimming the treetops, Josh.”
    “Can we?”
    “Fuck,” Loki cursed as he punched the coordinates into the jump-nav computer. “Hold your course and speed,” he instructed. “Three, Five, Seven… One. Jumping in five. Flight. Falcon One. ETA to target, four seconds.”
    “Hell yes!” Josh exclaimed.
    “Three……”
    Josh wiggled in his seat, leaning forward slightly as if preparing for the jump and the following attack run.
    “Two……”
    “ Oh, my God, ” one of the other Falcon pilots exclaimed over the comms.
    “Heroes or zeros, baby!” Josh declared in excitement.
    “Please don’t let it be zeros,” Loki mumbled as his visor became opaque. “Jumping.”
     
     
    The jump flash washed over Falcon One as it streaked along the treetops. It disappeared a split second later, taking the tops of several trees with it.
     
     
    A long line of armored Jung vehicles raced down the main road that led from Gastien to the Jung military base in the countryside just outside of the Coporan capital. Not more than a kilometer behind them, a blue-white flash of light appeared in the evening sky.
     
     
    Falcon One suddenly appeared as the blue-white flash subsided, along with the tops of several trees that came tumbling along under