A Leap Across the Abyss. Макс Глебов

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СКАЧАТЬ style="font-size:15px;">      “Of course,” there was a challenge in Lins’ voice, “and what does it matter?”

      “Now it doesn’t matter anymore,” responded Kilsh seeming outwardly imperturbable and turned to his officers, “Light forces, form a barrier in front of the battleships and cruisers.”

      Kilsh knew this maneuver was useless. If the human torpedo salvo has casually removed the veil of fighters and scanners, what can the corvettes and destroyers do against a new attack, except needlessly to perish? But the Commander just couldn’t do nothing. Had it not been for the renewed block in his head, he would have already given the order to end the useless resistance, especially since he was eager to believe the fairy tale humans were broadcasting on his ships. Kilsh was sick and tired of this senseless war…

      The alarm has interrupted the Commander’s reflections.

      “Enemy torpedo attack,” tactical officer shouted, “our light forces are under attack! Enemy torpedoes have breached the barrier!”

      “Open the barrage fire,” impassively commanded Kilsh, knowing full well that it would do little. The flagship’s hull shuddered from frequent hits. These strikes were not strong – the second wave of enemy torpedoes knocked out anti-aircraft emplacements on the battleship’s hull, clearing the way for the main attackers, who also were not long in coming.

      “Damage report,” demanded Kilsh when the ship’s shakings stopped.

      “Major caliber cannons and anti-aircraft systems destroyed. Space scanning efficiency 20 percent. The hull is breached in three places, but the damage only affected the outer sections. Damage to the propulsion system is being investigated. Four crew members were slightly injured.”

      “Make contact with the squadron’s ships,” requested the Commander. Having listened to the reports of the commanders of the ships and having given the necessary orders, Kilsh made a gesture to turn off the communication and fell hard into his chair set up in the center of the command post opposite the tactical hologram. He wouldn’t be able to call this a battle. Not a single ship of the squadron has been destroyed. Even the corvettes, which would have been annihilated by a single torpedo in a normal combat, have survived the attack of the enemy, but the squadron could no longer continue the battle – only a few guns were able to fire, the ships were not able to move, the aiming-navigation systems failed, constantly losing their targets. The humans did not shoot, although main batteries of their battleships could easily reach any ship of the squadron.

      “Commander Kilsh, do you intend to command the battle?” The voice of the Surveillant has broken the silence set in the command post of the flagship.

      “Do you see the slightest opportunity to continue the fight, Officer Lins?” The squadron Commander has turned to the Surveillant.

      “I don’t have to explain to you, Commander, that the enemy is about to board. Why don’t you give the order to prepare to repel it?!”

      “Because there’ll be no boarding,” Kilsh calmly answered.

      “Do you want to give up?” hissed Lins,“ You probably forgot that the new block will kill you the first time you try anything!”

      “I didn’t forget it,” answered Kilsh looking him straight into the eyes, “but it doesn’t change anything.”

      “I’m relieving you of command of the squadron, former Commander Kilsh!” squealed Lins.

      “Not this time, Surveillant.”

      No one at the command post noticed how a gun appeared in the Commander’s hand. Kilsh was a big fan of hand-held personal weaponry and was good with it, and now his staff officers, who were well aware of the Commander’s passion, have been able to make sure of that once again. The dry crackle of the shot sounded especially loudly in the instant silence, and the Surveillant, with a neat hole in his forehead, collapsed into his chair, from which he had jumped a minute earlier.

      “Establish communication with the enemy fleet,” ordered the Сommander in an ice-cold voice, lowering his hand with the gun, but not putting it in his holster.

      “But…” the tactical officer’s face was affected by a misunderstanding, “but what about the block, Commander…”

      “Do it!” barked Kilsh. His face was skewed. The Сommander almost felt death coming. Something was going on in his head, confusing his thoughts and clouding his consciousness. Then the pain came.

      „So this is how a death order algorithm works when you’re on the verge of doing a prohibited act,” the thought ran through Kilsh’s mind, but he drove it away, trying to keep his consciousness lucid. So far, he’s been able to do that.

* * *

      I watched silently on the tactical projection as our torpedoes struck the battleships and cruisers after forcing their way through the nominal light forces shield deployed by the enemy in front of the heavy ships. In fact, I saw nothing new. It was very similar to what happened during the attack on the orbital fortresses.

      “Why don’t they give up?” Fulton was clearly perplexed, “After all, our message worked out so well near star Ran, and now it’s even more convincing.”

      “It means that something has changed,” I told the Admiral, “don’t underestimate the enemy, they couldn’t help reacting to the complete disappearance of their strike fleet. If the fleet had died in battle, someone would have survived. There are some reconnaissance ships that are not directly involved in a battle, and that have good camouflage capabilities. Several such ships would have left the system and reported the defeat to their commands. But for the top leadership of the quargs, their armada simply vanished without a trace, which led them to believe that the Fleet ended its resistance on the orders of the commander, who no one dared disobey.”

      “Call from enemy flagship!” Liaison officer shouted and, without waiting for orders, activated the channel.

      A strange picture appeared before us on the projection screen. The camera’s field of view appeared to have been specifically enlarged, so we’ve seen the entire command post of the enemy flagship. The first thing that caught our eyes was the corpse of a quarg in the uniform of Surveillants, lying in a chair with a hole in his forehead. In the center, right in front of the camera, stood a quarg with a pistol in his lowered hand, his face was twisted in pain. The other officers were in their seats at the consoles and they were watching us, too.

      The commander of the quargs tried to say something, but having evidently got a spasm of pain he fell to the floor. Officers rushed to him from different directions, but it was too late – the body of their commander twitched several times in convulsions and stiffened.

      “This is the death order,” Slin-at told in low voice, while watching as enemy officers who have tried to help their commanding officer rise to their feet in confusion.

      The communication channel was still working and I thought it was foolish to pass up such an opportunity, despite the dramatic nature of the situation.

      “I am Fleet Admiral Lavroff, commander of the combined forces of men, lizards and free quargs,” I introduced myself to the officers of the enemy who had not yet put themselves back together. “You know very well that you’ve lost this battle. We didn’t start this war, and neither did you, but I think we can end it, or at least stop killing each other. My fleet has come to the Groombridge system to reclaim the planets you have captured, but I’m ready to consider the circumstances that make you fight with us. Your deaths are of no use to humans, to lizards, much less to free quargs. СКАЧАТЬ