Annihilation (Star Force Series) Read Online Free PDF

with self-repairing smart metals. Beyond those walls was a belt-like corridor that connected staff living chambers and specialized command equipment rooms. A spray of corridors radiated out from the beltway corridor like spokes on a wheel. Under the command deck was the cavernous main hold, full of ordnance and supplies. Above us was the troop barracks and armory. Beyond all of these was a wall of dense rock about two hundred feet thick. Outside the rock wall was the saucer-shaped superstructure, encrusted with weaponry. The new fighter bays were located in the superstructure.
    I reviewed our state of readiness carefully. We were tight and ready for action.
    It was galling. I’d built this entire monstrosity to face the last threat—an attack by the Macros via the Thor system. Once again, I’d failed to anticipate our next need, which now appeared to be providing support for the inhabitants of the Thor system.
    “Colonel?” asked Miklos.
    I turned to him, almost startled.
    “You’re back?” I asked. “Are you sneaking up on me?”
    Miklos smiled faintly. “I’ve been standing right here looking at your screen. Am I right in assuming the station is in an excellent state of readiness?”
    “You are absolutely right on that point. Where’s Major Sloan? I want to congratulate him on his accomplishments here. He’s gone beyond what I thought was possible in six months.”
    “He’s inspecting the fighter bays,” Miklos said.
    I looked at him questioningly.
    Miklos cleared his throat. “I took the liberty of telling him about the carriers we’re building. He’s deciding which wings to send, which pilots are best suited to the task.”
    I laughed. “ One carrier, Miklos! Just one for now. If it proves itself, we’ll talk about building more.”
    “Of course, sir.”
    I shook my head and turned my attention back to my screens. Miklos was my executive officer, and we had made a decision together. But somehow I’d expected to bring it up at a general staff meeting. Apparently, things weren’t happening fast enough for Miklos’ taste.
    Miklos didn’t wander off. He lingered at my side.
    “What’s on your mind, Commodore?”
    “May I show you something, sir?”
    I frowned at him, then I caught on. “You’ve got another design, don’t you?”
    “Just a few ideas. You can pull up the file there.”
    He pointed to a blinking icon on my desktop. It hadn’t been there a moment ago. I tapped on it and frowned as a schematic unfolded. There were layers and decks and details—my frown deepened.
    “You’ve been working on this for months. No one could come up with it so fast.”
    “My staff is very efficient, sir,” he murmured.
    “Don’t bullshit me. I’ve got a lot of experience designing ships—and with bullshitting.”
    “Just so, sir.”
    I heaved a breath and began going over the plans. They were very detailed. I liked them immediately, except for one thing: they weren’t simple. There was no way this ship could be slapped together with existing parts.
    “Hold on,” I said, interrupting Miklos’ pitch. “This isn’t what we agreed to.”
    “Are the designs flawed?”
    “No, of course not. This ship will be a magnificent addition to the fleet when we build it. But I’m not ready to commit so much material and specialized components. I want something we can slap together like a Macro cruiser. These point-defense systems, for example—elaborate and expensive.”
    “The mothership must be protected from missiles.”
    “Right, well, you told me the ship would be protected by its fighters. You said it would operate as a simple garage for a mass of smaller ships. This is much more than that. This is a miniature version of this battle station.”
    “A mobile version, sir.”
    “And the primary guns? What the hell were you thinking? I don’t want this ship anywhere near a battle that requires heavy railguns.”
    Miklos’ expression was a combination of chagrin and stubbornness. “The