Dreadnought Read Online Free PDF

himself once he was discussing
business. “The Dreadnought has been following a predictable path along projected
patterns that have been shunted down to your computers. Given the anticipated
travel time for the convoy, we should be able to intercept the Dreadnought in
the Standon System in eight days. Orders have already been relayed ahead to
have the local traffic cleared and the station abandoned.”
    “Dreadnought?”
Tarrel asked.
    “It’s
a very old word for the largest class of battleship.” “Yes, I know that. It
just seems to suggest a very great certainty that the Starwolves are not behind
this.”
    “That
does seem to be the suspicion, although I suppose that you know more about that
than I do,” Pesca said. “The term Dreadnought is one that is not used for any
of our ships and it also differentiates this ship from the known Starwolf
carriers. Assuming, of course, that it isn’t a modified carrier.”
    “That’s
what they’re paying us to find out,” Tarrel commented. “Find yourself a cabin
near the bridge where I can find you in a hurry.”
    “Thank
you, Captain,” Pesca said, and withdrew.
    “Well,
what do you think of Wally?” she asked.
    “He
seems competent enough, once his brain comes on-line,” Chagin remarked
dubiously. “They have to paint portions of the hull before they can hang all
the missile racks, but everything should be done in time.”
    “Good.
I want those missiles rigged to fire without going through the main weapons
computer or targeting scanners. We should be able to do that ourselves without
upsetting the station crews.”
    “They
find us strange enough already over the missile racks,” he agreed.
    “Good.
Then tell them that I want every drone in the convoy rigged to explode from
full generator overload on a signal from here.”
    Chagin
looked vaguely impressed. “Would that really destroy this thing?”
    “No,
I doubt that,” Tarrel said. “I was just thinking about something. When I was
very young, I believed that little monsters danced in my room at night. I
thought that if I could turn on the light quickly enough, then I might catch
them by surprise before they could hide. I was thinking about doing something
like that with our Dreadnought.”
    Chagin
had to think about that for a moment before he realized what she had in mind.

-2-
    Carthaginian
led the convoy into the system, dropping abruptly out of starflight well out on
the fringes and maintaining nearlight speed as they hurtled directly in. This
was, as far as anyone could know, the best guess of where they could expect to
find the Dreadnought. The Standon system, their original destination, had
already been attacked while the convoy was in flight. The small commercial
station and base for the System Fleet was gone, although every ship that could
move or be moved had fled. They found this system in much the same condition,
indicating that the mysterious enemy ship had been here, too. They could not
know yet whether it had gone on again, seeking other prey.
    In
spite of the best efforts of the computer grid to maintain the convoy in
perfect formation, the ships running in that widely spaced configuration were
of various sizes, types and stages of disrepair. Some were so decrepit that
their engines and generators surged and faded, some constantly and others at
unpredictable intervals. As far as Captain Tarrel was concerned, that was just
as well. The Dreadnought appeared to respond to high-energy emissions, and this
sad lot was making all manner of tempting noise.
    “Disperse
the convoy to wide formation,” she ordered as soon as the group of ships had
settled in from their transition from starflight. “Arm all self-destructs
except our own. Wally, stand by with your communication.”
    Lt.
Commander Pesca had learned to bear his nickname with good grace, assuming it
to be a compliment or term of affection.
    He
remained blissfully unaware that the Captain simply found it difficult to
afford him the