First Principles: Samair in Argos: Book 3 Read Online Free PDF Page A

engines at full military power and even still, the Leytonstone nearly caught her in a hail of turbolaser fire.  The rest of the group had flown out in a blossom, flying in divergent courses, all of them spreading out to go around the battlecruiser.  In less than a minute, the fighters had looped back and were closing the distance on the ship, jinking their courses to make any gunnery solutions on them more difficult.  The fighters leveled out as they reached attack range skimming along the surface of the battlecruiser’s shields firing their lasers.  The Aploras held their missiles, waiting to strike at the cruiser’s engines, but cut loose with their cannons.  Red and blue shots lanced forth, striking all over the shields.  The fighters didn’t come in at any particular prescribed pattern, no, they cam in like an undisciplined mob.  It showed that Korqath and his fellows might have heart, but they lacked experience.  However, it did make targeting solutions by the battlecruiser’s gunners almost impossible. 
    “Alter course,” Tamara ordered.  “Keep us at extreme range of the battlecruiser’s weapons and bring us in to hit their engines.”
    “We’re going to have to get a lot closer to be able to reach her, Captain,” Wymea warned from his place at the helm.
    She nodded.  “I know, Mister Wymea.  But the fighters can’t do all this alone.”
    “They’ll have a better chance of doing damage without taking too much fire in return,” Leicasitaj pointed out.
    “True enough, XO,” she acknowledged.  “But they can’t do enough damage to that ship fast enough to keep her away from the mine.  Assuming they even can cause enough damage.”  As she said that, two of the icons indicating starfighters blinked out.
    “Two of the Aploras have been shot down, Captain,” Ykzann reported, his voice a bit strained. 
    “We can’t stand back, XO,” Tamara said, shaking her head.  “Mister Wymea, carry out my orders, but put in some random evasive moves.”
    “Copy that, Captain,” the pilot said, working his controls.  The ship gave a slight lurch as the engines again came on at full power.  It took a few minutes with the inertial compensators screaming every time Wymea jerked the corvette around to evade incoming fire.  The cat like Severite Garidhak tried to maintain grim professionalism, but she couldn’t help her ears flattening against her head as near miss after near miss lanced by them.  One short, choppy turn brought the corvette into the attack vector of the battlecruiser.
    Hammerblows struck the dorsal side of the Cavalier , three of them.  “We’re taking fire,” Garidhak said unnecessarily.  “Shields are down, forty percent.  No spotting so far.”  The ship jinked again.  “Another hit, but it was a graze.  Shields down another ten percent.”
    Tamara swore quietly.  Four shots and they were already down to half shield strength.  Even half crippled and underpowered that ship was a monster.  Of course, Tamara was trying to attack a battlecruiser with a corvette.  She idly wondered if anyone had ever done that before.  Probably.  It’s just that no one has ever lived to tell the tale.  Maybe we can be the first?
    In less than a minute, the Cavalier slipped and dodged its way around the capital ship.  “In range of their engines, ma’am,” Garidhak reported.  “I’m locked on, heavy lasers and missiles.”
    “Lock on one single point, Guns,” Tamara ordered.  “I’m not interested in getting everything on the first volley.  I want to bring their shields down and then we start hammering at the hardware beneath.”
    The Severite flicked her ears in amusement.  “Yes, ma’am.  Understood.”  Her furry fingers flew over her console, retargeting the ship’s weapons.  “Ready.”
    “Fire at will, Guns,” she ordered.  “Comms, get the fighters on the horn.”
    “Yes, ma’am,” the comms watch replied.  Half a second later, he turned to his