Resilience (Warner's World Book 6) Read Online Free

tighten as she read ‘John and Chad never made it.’ These were all fellow shipmates of hers from FFS Hermes and now they were gone.
    “We should have stayed” she said emphatically.
    “And done what?” challenged Julian. “Look here” and he pointed to the screen “neither Spectre nor Raptor has engaged. They are still there cloaked and so would you have been. Three frigates, with only 75 missiles, were never going to match it with an enemy fleet. You know that. You made the right decision. Now we need to get on with this.”
    Aubrey was fuming. “This is two days old and the Resolute was due in at Q2, a few hours later. They may need our help.”
    “Maybe, maybe not. It really doesn’t matter now. That battle has already been won or lost. If it’s been won then you are not needed. If it’s lost then even if we left now we could not possible influence things. What would you do on arrival with just two missiles?”
    “Oh!” exclaimed Aubrey exasperated. “It’s impossible to argue with …”
    “Sound logic” interjected Julian. “Come on, I need to get going. We can’t afford to lose any more of the night.”
    Five minutes later the warthog shot out into the dark fully cloaked. On board Julian sat up front behind the pilot and next to Tola. He tried to relax. There was much to think about in relation to the negotiations he would soon be undertaking with the Cheklin Resistance. But his thoughts kept turning to events now past on Q2. ‘I do pray Dave’ he said to himself, referring to Dave Warner, ‘that you are alive and have prevailed.’ He began to ponder the consequences of failure over Q2 but then caught himself and forced his mind to focus on the task at hand.

Chapter 9. LZ Alpha Cheklin 0510, 8 September
    Tola was too busy to look at the warthog as it departed. She was already hailing Evie Plentun, one of the Resistance leaders. Her communicator rang for quite a while before the groggy voice responded with a “Yes.”
    It had been a long night for Evie - first the political rally, then the flight back to Neeblo, then all the discussions and planning. It wasn’t until 0200 that she had got into her bed. She was struggling to function but slowly she realised that it was Tola who was hailing her.
    “What are you doing here?” She listened as Tola explained. Then she said “Yes I see. But it’s very dangerous right now.”
    “It is imperative that the Commodore speak with Meelanda. Now would be good.” Tola was referring to Meelanda Orocash, who was fast becoming the prime leader of the Resistance here on Cheklin.
    “Wait. I will have to wake her up. Call back in ten.”
    Julian dialled up the temperature setting for his suit as the temperature dropped just before the dawn. A faint glow could be discerned on the horizon. Julian knew there would be no going back before tonight. He really wanted to speak with Meelanda face to face but he doubted there would be enough time for a hopper trip before dawn made it too dangerous.
    Tola hailed again but only talked to Evie, who advised “we’re sending a hopper. It will be there in twenty. Same signals as last time.”
    “They’re cutting it fine” said Julian to Tola, but he agreed anyway.
    Twenty minutes later Julian made out the hopper coming in as the first light of a new day began pushing up from the horizon.
    Evie’s assurances that the hopper’s radar jamming suite would make them immune to detection from radar was of little comfort when the sun would make the ladar from the space station more than effective enough to pick up their hopper.
    The hopper touched down under half light and Julian and Tola wasted no time in climbing aboard. But as the craft climbed higher more and more rays from the rising sun caught the hopper. Julian and Tola exchanged anxious glances as the pilot, Oscren Mila, accelerated the hopper under full power.
    Oscren took a moment to scan his passengers and noted their obvious anxiety. “Don’t worry” he