Free Web NovelChapter 629: The Spy
"Gorund, how is the Broadcast System looking?" Jace asked over the Lance of Thanatos’ internal communication system.
"Like I will be done in a few minutes. Then we just need to connect it and open the hangar door and we can communicate with other ships once I input the secure military codes." Gorund declared.
"Good, we are leaving in a minute to the Yuri System. We will be there imminently. Liz and Shinobi, how are our guests looking?" Jace asked.
"We brought them to the cargo hold. They are all settled in. Seems like the dwarf’s militia was only made up of refugees. The only ones that are not here are the ones in the infirmary. Shilla said they will make it and do not need further healing." Liz explained. Jace raised an eyebrow, hidden under his helmet when he heard the term ’dwarf’ rather than Gorund’s name. Was there a hidden history between Liz and dwarves?
"Okay..." Jace nodded and looked over at Victor and Catherine who had returned to the bridge shortly after he did. He then turned to Shilla who was in the main chair and K who was in the pilot’s seat. "Let’s go. Time to reintroduce ourselves."
"Going to wave rider warp in 3...2...1." There was not even a jostle as they switched and the only way they could tell something had happened was with the main view screen as stars and a wave went by. It did last only a few seconds though before they were coming out at the edge of the system.
Jace looked over Valkyrie’s shoulder as the scan came in and quickly transitioned via the ship based AI into visual holographic information. With one look he could tell that both him and Valkyrie were impressed.
Whoever was the commander of this front turned the remains of the Yuri System into a fortress and minefield. The planetoids that were left in the system had a massive amount of debris around them because of the main planet’s destruction.
The scan showed a mix of mines and weaponized asteroids where outposts were located throughout the system. It looked similar to something he had once seen a long time ago. He had this nagging feeling that he knew who made up this plan.
"This strategy lets them spread out their resources so a single strike would not mean their defeat." Valkyrie started. "The mortella fleet consists of six warships, two colony class size ships, and a single world class size ship. They are spread out in a ’v’ formation as they attempt to penetrate the system. But it looks like our side has the initial field of mines and defenses spread out and hidden, then beyond that at the center of the system is a small fleet and at the other end of the system is another fleet. None of the ships are above the size of a cruiser."
"I feel like I have seen this before." Jace admitted with a hum. "K, do you need help charting a course through the system?"
"Are we bypassing them or helping?" K asked.
"Helping." Jace answered. "I meant to chart a course through the system so we do not hit any of the mines. I am not worried about the other defenses."
"I suppose I can. What are we doing?" K asked.
Jace moved to the console that Gorund was using. "Gorund, inform me when you are done." Jace informed him. "K, move us into the system. Keep both stealth systems active so we are invisible. Come up behind the world class ship. We should be able to punch a hole through its engine and disable it."
The Lance of Thanatos slowly disappeared as it moved past some asteroids. Some close ones that came near the ship bounced off as the hover plates hidden below the armor plates redirected them. They slowly pushed through the system slowly.
They were not in a rush. He moved over to look at the route and then had an idea. "Send Colvert and Jamal to Starboard cannons." He snapped his fingers at West. "Have them start loading the cannons. Use the penetrating rounds."
"We are going to go through the world class ship and fire at the colony ships. After them the other warships will retreat." Jace declared. "Myself and Gorund will go man the port side cannons once we make contact with the system commanding officer."
"If they are not destroyed." Shilla scoffed. "I saw the designs of the penetrating rounds. Those things will punch a hole in those colony ships and then maybe the warships."
"Why are we making contact first?" Valkyrie asked.
"Because I think I know who the commanding officer is. I definitely saw a version of this defensive strategy back in my academy days. When we collapse the main ships the friendly gun emplacements that are hidden will destroy the rest of them." Jace explained as he remotely brought up the map of the system and then highlighted four places.
"What? But we did not scan anything there." Valkyrie pointed out.
"Stealth tech." Jace shrugged.
They were sitting for a few minutes silently after that while they approached the mortella’s rear. They even slowly moved past one of the system’s gun emplacements when Gorund called up. "Hey I just finished the broadcast system and am hooking it up. But I need permission for extra power distribution to this hangar."
Jace tapped a few buttons on the engineering station before communicating back. "You have it." He reached up and removed his helmet, getting a quizzical look from Shilla. "We are going to do a direct transmission. If we do any other method the mortella might realize we are here."
"How are they going to know where to send a response?" Shilla asked as West began setting it up and Jace opened the hangar where Gorund was with the atmospheric barrier up.
"If I am right. The commanding officer knows the flaw in stealth tech and will find us. West, bring the returning message to the main view screen." Jace ordered as he moved to the side of Shilla.
There was a moment of silence before West seemed to flinch in surprise. "Video is coming in now from the station where the fleet in the central area of the system is situated." West announced as the viewscreen changed from the stars to the view of something that looked like their own bridge but with different occupants. freёwebnovel.com
Salem Wintry sat in the central chair and was smiling at him through the screen. He could hear K curse as she glanced over at him. "Witch." Jace spoke with a tone laced with annoyance. Fake annoyance.
"The undercover operation was completed and I was called back by Fenrir." Salem informed him.
"Oh..." Jace tilted his head and smiled.
But before he could speak. K jumped in, "undercover operation? You were a mole in the Union."
Salem glanced at K. "I was."
"I thought you were being scouted back in the academy." K pointed out.
"I was, but I told Admiral Dakota who was in charge of my academy at the time and I became an agent for MILD. Leaking information to the Union that would be beneficial to the Vexical and then keeping me in when they joined the Victorium so we could keep an eye on the Union. But after the Kaiser Imperium shattered and Trentwood died. There was not much point in keeping up the charade." Salem informed K. She then looked back at Jace and then looked at the other people on his bridge.
But after a moment she seemed to zero in on Catherine Hex. Jace smiled when she looked back at him. "Then Honey, we are going to come up the World-class ship’s back side and disable or destroy the colony ships. I assume you can take care of the rest.
"Honey?" He could hear Valkyrie mumble to his side.
"I can. Jace, I will also get a prisoner transfer ready. I am sure a number of people will be coming for the prisoner you brought. Did you bring me anything else?" Salem asked with a tilt of her head as Jace could feel the shock rolling off of Catherine at the revelation she just had.
"We can talk about it when we get to your command post." Jace answered with a smile as he brought his helmet back up and started putting it on. He walked right past Catherine who recovered from her shock and went to stand up but Victor held her down. She looked up at the vampire and he just shook his head.
Jace moved into the hallway and then the elevator before going down to the floor. He could hear the communication cut off in the distance as he started going down the elevator.
Shilla could feel the confusion. "Jace was Salem’s handler and married her through the nanosystem." fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm
"How do you know that?" Valkyrie finally asked after a few moments of confused silence.
"Because the Centuria has something similar and we scan for it." Shilla shrugged before looking at Cathrine who seemed to have her entire world turned upside down. She came back to look for her son, only for her to realize that he wanted to hand her off more to someone else rather than talk to her.
