Constitution: Book 1 of the Legacy Fleet Trilogy Read Online Free
Author: Nick Webb
Tags: Science-Fiction, Thrillers, Space Opera, Military, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Mystery; Thriller & Suspense, alien invasion, Hard Science Fiction, Thrillers & Suspense, Marines, Military science fiction, Technothrillers, Metaphysical & Visionary, Exploration, Space Exploration, first contact, Galactic Empire, Space Fleet, Space Marine, Colonization, fighters, republic, spaceships starships
defer to her. We’ve got to get the ship ready for tourists, you see,” he added, unable to keep the derision out of his voice.
“Over my dead body. I’m the XO, Tim,” growled Haws.
The captain sighed. “I wish it were different, Abe. I really do. Just—give her a chance. Let’s make our last few weeks here something we can be proud of.”
He was tired. More tired than he’d ever been—even during that short bout with cancer five years previous. In a sense, he was relieved to be moving on.
The officers filed out, followed by Granger and Haws, who grumbled, “Oh, I intend to.”
Chapter Six
Sol System, Earth orbit
Valhalla Space Station
Admiral Yarbrough glanced out her window at the dance of ships flickering in and out of view, with the blue marble of the Earth in the background. Mostly cargo freighters and crew transfer vehicles, but several large tourist cruise ships sailed among them, bound for one of the outer moons in the solar system or possibly on their way to one of the handful of planets Earth had settled within a few hundred light years or so. Probably Mercia—one of the worlds run by the British government—or Jefferson—an American colony.
Ha. Colony. Most of the colonies were now larger than their governing nations on Earth. Hell, Jefferson was up to three billion already. And Merida, in the Veracruz Sector? Closer to four billion. They’d even gone so far as to declare formal independence from Mexico—not that the old country could do anything about it, seeing how they had never really fully recovered from the Swarm War.
A fluttering tone from her desk indicated the arrival of an IDF communique. She waved her screen open and read.
From: Fleet Admiral Zingano, Commander, CENTCOM
October 21 st , 2650
Attn: Admiral Yarbrough.
Vicky, we’re getting strange reports out of the Veracruz Sector. A few colonist transport ships never showed up to Merida and have not reported in. Veracruz Sector is close to Russian Confederation space, and CENTCOM is worried that Confederation President Malakhov has approved the use of covert force to expand Russian interests in the region.
Dispatch a few intel ships to the Veracruz Sector and figure out what’s going on. Do not engage if the Russians are hostile. The diplomats are all telling me we have nothing to be worried about, including Ambassador Volodin, but all the same, see what you can find out.
- Bill
Dammit. Russians. By some stroke of luck, their region of space was mostly spared the worst of the destruction of the Swarm War. Continental Russia fared nearly as bad as North America, but the Russian colonies somehow generally escaped the attention of the Swarm. Perhaps they were too small to notice. Or perhaps the wafting odor of vodka-soaked day laborers bubbled up through the atmosphere and assaulted whatever the aliens used for olfactory sensation.
Either way, sounded like the people in the Veracruz Sector needed IDF assistance. Why hadn’t Zingano sent the request to Starbase Heroic ? Surely Admiral Ryten was closer to the situation and could dispatch ships faster than she could.
Maybe he didn’t have any intel ships at his disposal. The military cuts from the Eagleton Commission were leaving nothing untouched—even IDF intel services were feeling the pinch. But he was sure to have a few scout ships at least. A Corvette or a Skiff. Just a quick meta-space message to Ryten would get there far faster than q-jumping a couple of intel ships out there, even as quick as the newer ones were—a light-year per hour.
She looked up and spoke to the comm. “Lieutenant Aelian, prepare an intel ship and meet me in my office in twenty.”
“Yes, sir,” came the curt reply through the speakers. “Problem?”
“I hope not. We’ve lost contact with a few colonist transport ships in Veracruz Sector.”
“Why not send them out from Starbase Heroic ?”
Good, she wasn’t crazy. It didn’t make any sense to him either. “Those are
“Over my dead body. I’m the XO, Tim,” growled Haws.
The captain sighed. “I wish it were different, Abe. I really do. Just—give her a chance. Let’s make our last few weeks here something we can be proud of.”
He was tired. More tired than he’d ever been—even during that short bout with cancer five years previous. In a sense, he was relieved to be moving on.
The officers filed out, followed by Granger and Haws, who grumbled, “Oh, I intend to.”
Chapter Six
Sol System, Earth orbit
Valhalla Space Station
Admiral Yarbrough glanced out her window at the dance of ships flickering in and out of view, with the blue marble of the Earth in the background. Mostly cargo freighters and crew transfer vehicles, but several large tourist cruise ships sailed among them, bound for one of the outer moons in the solar system or possibly on their way to one of the handful of planets Earth had settled within a few hundred light years or so. Probably Mercia—one of the worlds run by the British government—or Jefferson—an American colony.
Ha. Colony. Most of the colonies were now larger than their governing nations on Earth. Hell, Jefferson was up to three billion already. And Merida, in the Veracruz Sector? Closer to four billion. They’d even gone so far as to declare formal independence from Mexico—not that the old country could do anything about it, seeing how they had never really fully recovered from the Swarm War.
A fluttering tone from her desk indicated the arrival of an IDF communique. She waved her screen open and read.
From: Fleet Admiral Zingano, Commander, CENTCOM
October 21 st , 2650
Attn: Admiral Yarbrough.
Vicky, we’re getting strange reports out of the Veracruz Sector. A few colonist transport ships never showed up to Merida and have not reported in. Veracruz Sector is close to Russian Confederation space, and CENTCOM is worried that Confederation President Malakhov has approved the use of covert force to expand Russian interests in the region.
Dispatch a few intel ships to the Veracruz Sector and figure out what’s going on. Do not engage if the Russians are hostile. The diplomats are all telling me we have nothing to be worried about, including Ambassador Volodin, but all the same, see what you can find out.
- Bill
Dammit. Russians. By some stroke of luck, their region of space was mostly spared the worst of the destruction of the Swarm War. Continental Russia fared nearly as bad as North America, but the Russian colonies somehow generally escaped the attention of the Swarm. Perhaps they were too small to notice. Or perhaps the wafting odor of vodka-soaked day laborers bubbled up through the atmosphere and assaulted whatever the aliens used for olfactory sensation.
Either way, sounded like the people in the Veracruz Sector needed IDF assistance. Why hadn’t Zingano sent the request to Starbase Heroic ? Surely Admiral Ryten was closer to the situation and could dispatch ships faster than she could.
Maybe he didn’t have any intel ships at his disposal. The military cuts from the Eagleton Commission were leaving nothing untouched—even IDF intel services were feeling the pinch. But he was sure to have a few scout ships at least. A Corvette or a Skiff. Just a quick meta-space message to Ryten would get there far faster than q-jumping a couple of intel ships out there, even as quick as the newer ones were—a light-year per hour.
She looked up and spoke to the comm. “Lieutenant Aelian, prepare an intel ship and meet me in my office in twenty.”
“Yes, sir,” came the curt reply through the speakers. “Problem?”
“I hope not. We’ve lost contact with a few colonist transport ships in Veracruz Sector.”
“Why not send them out from Starbase Heroic ?”
Good, she wasn’t crazy. It didn’t make any sense to him either. “Those are
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