The Lost Destroyer (Lost Starship Series Book 3) by Vaughn Heppner Read Free Book Online

situation, Star Watch versus the New Men. The professor views himself as important as any political entity, no matter its size.”
    “You’re saying Ludendorff has his own agenda?” Maddox asked.
    “Precisely.”
    “Do you care to speculate on what it might be?”
    “Captain, I’ve been speculating on that for a long time, and I still haven’t come to a satisfactory conclusion.”
    “Thank you for your help,” Maddox said.
    “I don’t know that I did much.”
    “Thinking of the professor as a third party is illuminating. It might help me understand him.”
    “Good luck with that.”
    Maddox nodded before heading for the annex to collect Sergeant Riker.
    ***
    Maddox, Riker and Galyan stood on the bridge. At the captain’s orders, Valerie had left. She’d been dog-tired and needed rest.
    Victory headed for the nearest Laumer-Point. The ship would use it to reach the next star system. Laumer-Point jumps were the normal method of interstellar travel, linking star systems in a connect-the-dots fashion with jump routes or “tramlines”. A vessel with a Laumer Drive pinpointed the wormhole and opened it so the ship could enter. Seconds later, the vessel popped out in a new star system. During those seconds, the ship traveled light-years. Moving to a new Laumer-Point in the new star system often took days of acceleration and deceleration.
    “At least we know Per Lomax isn’t about to personally attack us,” Riker said.
    Maddox glanced at the sergeant. “What if the New Man successfully gained entrance to the ghost ship? Maybe he could command it to reappear and attack us ship-to-ship.”
    “Possibly, sir,” Riker said, who didn’t seem convinced. “Why do you think the ship was ghostly?”
    “It appeared ghostly,” Maddox said. “Do you have any ideas about that, Galyan?”
    “None at present,” the holoimage said.
    “Could the ghostliness have been a result of the ion storm?” Riker asked.
    “Possibly,” Maddox said. “I wonder why the magnetic storm end once the ghost ship disappeared into the opening.”
    Riker snapped his fingers. “Maybe its opening was like a Laumer-Point.”
    Maddox stared at the sergeant. That was an excellent comment. He should have already seen that.
    “Galyan, are Victory’s sensors back on line?” Maddox asked.
    “Affirmative.”
    “Can you pinpoint the spatial coordinates where the ghost ship disappeared?”
    “Do you mean the center of the former magnetic storm?” Galyan asked.
    “That will do for now,” Maddox said.
    “I have it.”
    “Use all the ship’s sensors. Study the area. Do you sense anything unusual there?”
    “Negative,” Galyan said.
    “Maybe you should sweep for a longer length of time,” Maddox suggested.
    “Give me the duration that will satisfy you,” Galyan said.
    “Make it a minute.”
    The holoimage stood perfectly still as they waited. After a minute, Galyan turned to Maddox, “I detect nothing unusual.”
    “Maybe what you’re looking for can only be seen up close,” Riker suggested. “Maybe it’s like a Laumer-Point wormhole. The Laumer Drive has to be right next to one for it to appear on our instruments.”
    “True,” Maddox said.
    “Shall I return to the location?” Galyan asked.
    Maddox considered going back. They would have to decelerate first and then accelerate back to the area. That would take time.
    “No,” the captain said. “We have to reach Earth as fast as possible. We need to inform High Command about our victory over the New Men. Besides, I don’t know that I’m the right person to keep Ludendorff. Brigadier O’Hara must have more pertinent information about the professor.”
    Riker glanced at Maddox with surprise.
    “Is something bothering you, Sergeant?”
    “Yes, sir,” Riker said. “I’ve never known you to admit failure in a case or to admit someone might know more than you do. We should squeeze Ludendorff. He knows why he did what he did. Let’s make him tell us.”
    “There are