Black Legion: Gates of Cilicia by Michael G. Thomas Read Free Book Online Page A

not critical to provide this on board a ship, but it did offer many benefits, the most significant the wellbeing of the crew. Bone development issues and muscle deformity had all caused problems for long-term travel and operations. Gravitic generators required larger ships, but it meant they could stay out for much longer duration operations.
    Xenophon looked up to Lieutenant Roxana Devereux.
    “We’re moving into range. Gunners, lock your weapons on the highlighted vessel. Target her engines and communications array. Wait for my command.”
    Xenophon nodded and checked his screen. The nearest Laconian vessel was turning from them, and its engines glowed brightly. He used the two control sticks to track the vessel. The gunnery computer calculated the current course and projected position to help with him leading the target. Xenophon treated the system like a helpful friend that assisted him with his combat duties.
    “All locked in, Lieutenant,” he replied smartly.
    She continued looking at her screen, presumably watching the rest of the enemy formation and waiting for orders from the Captain. The emergency alarm quietened down and finally switched off, but the battle lighting stayed red. Xenophon noticed the Captain say something to the crew in the command centre, and she almost immediately turned to Xenophon and the rest of her gundeck.
    “They are powering up their FTL engines, open fire!” she called out.
    Xenophon exhaled in excitement and pulled the triggers. The vibrations from the magnetic launch tubes could be felt even this far from the power generators. He watched the burst of whitish-blue energy as it blasted from the twin guns and hurtled towards the enemy. Streaks of similar fire erupted from the other guns, all at the same target. With just a thought, the optical unit zoomed in closer to the target so that it filled his view. The first bursts of fire arrived, of which only four rounds actually hit home. He almost jumped up for joy as one of his projectiles struck eight metres from the port engine nacelle. A blue flash indicated a powerful hit from the weapon, and he smiled with pride as a section of at least fifteen metres tore away from the ship.
    “Keep firing!” called out Lieutenant Devereux.
    Xenophon pulled the triggers and fired another series of paired blasts. The rest of the gunners did the same, each of them pulverising the enemy vessel. Flashes of plasma lit up the hull until a mighty coloured pulse tore the craft apart. A cheer rang out through the ship, and Xenophon felt a surge of excitement in his blood.
    “It’s a decoy vessel. All crews, charge your guns, it’s a trick!” shouted the Captain. His voice ran throughout the command centre and gundecks. The calm voice of Lieutenant Devereux spoke into his communication node.
    “Gunners, recharge from the capacitors. Check for enemy vessels.”
    Xenophon ignored the commotion on the command deck and did as he had been ordered. With his wide arc of fire, he could check his area of space. The other gunners did the same, and each checked their segment of space for an elusive ship that might have blocked their sensors. It was strange that so many hundreds of years after the development of direct energy weapons and reliable FTL technology, the crew were still forced to rely on using their eyes. As he looked for the enemy, he tried to understand why the Captain might think the enemy ship, now smashed to a hundred pieces, might be a decoy. Perhaps there were no life signs, or there was something it transmitted. The more he thought about it, the more he desperately wanted to know. Being stuck in a single role, without access to all the information around him, was proving to be stifling.
    Then he spotted it. At first it was just a flicker of the stars, much like looking at astronomical objects from his home. The atmosphere of the planet between him and space would cause the stars to flicker and change in the more subtle of ways.
    What is it? It