M'tak Ka'fek (The T'aafhal Inheritance) Read Online Free PDF

not exist for the Dark Lords did not tolerate failure. Failure might only be grudgingly accepted if every one of the People on board the Destroyer gave their spirits to the void in the attempt. Such a sacrifice might be deemed sufficient for the dark ones to spare the People's home world.
     
    Bridge, Peggy Sue
    The anxiety and excitement were palpable on board as time until the assault ticked down. More than half the crew were seasoned veterans of other space battles, but the capabilities of this foe were unknown. What weapons the enemy possessed could only be guessed at based on observation during the chase. The alien vessel was huge, massing several million tons, but it seemed a crude construction. Much of the mass was attributable to the asteroids it carried in its bulbous prow—projectiles used to destroy worlds—the rest appeared almost an afterthought.
    “Captain, CIC. The hostile seems to be launching a number of smaller craft.”
    “Roger, CIC,” Gretchen replied. I guess they know we are coming. Good thing we waited for the corvettes to become operational, or we would be facing the oncoming craft all alone—definitely better to be prepared, to not rush ahead half-assed. “Go in half-assed and come back with none,” was another of Jack's sayings. “Task Force Alpha, re-target on the smaller craft. The Peggy Sue will target the mother ship.” 
    As she received acknowledgment of the change in orders, Gretchen tried to cope with the rapidly evolving tactical situation. I guess the old saying is true, no plan of attack survives contact with the enemy. “Helm, full ahead. Concentrate main battery fire on the enemy's engines astern. X-ray batteries in defense mode until we see what they throw at us. Torpedomen ready a spread on my mark...” 

Chapter 2
    ESS Deloraine, Task Force Alpha
    Lt. Elizabeth Melaku was sitting in the command pilot's chair of the corvette ESS Deloraine . Known to her friends as Beth, the lieutenant was of Ethiopian descent though born and raised in the UK. Tall and attractive, with a narrow straight nose and prominent cheekbones, she looked every inch the warrior, a worthy representative of her ancient homeland's people. She had been a pilot in the Royal Navy but, like so many others, was caught in the downsizing that plagued the armed forces of all western countries in the early 21 st century. 
    Her ship was officially designated a corvette, a class of small warship that had been present in the world's navies for centuries. During WWII, the first Royal Australian Navy kill of a full-size submarine was attributed to a corvette, the HMAS Deloraine. There was a significant Australian presence at Farside Base and in the shipyard, hence the name of her ship.
    The Deloraine was a relatively small, trim vessel, intended for patrolling the solar system, not interstellar missions. Much smaller than the Peggy Sue, each corvette measured 42 m (138 ft) in length with a beam of 8.5 m (28 ft). Eight gravitonic torpedoes mounted in launchers on the hull brought its diameter to 10 m (33 ft). Like pontoons on an outrigger, port and starboard 14 m (46 ft) winglike extensions mounted the X-ray secondary batteries and shield generator pods. Aside from the eight torpedoes the craft's main armament was a center-line mounted railgun 32 meters in length. A secondary 15mm multi-barreled railgun was mounted beneath the keel to provide close in support or to lay down a cloud of “sand” to help thwart plasma bursts. 
     The ship's complement consisted of six: a command pilot, pilot, engineer, navigator and two gunners mates. Like the crew in a two seat jet fighter, command pilot Melaku sat above and behind the pilot, WO François “Frenchy” Bouchard. Bouchard is a name of Norman extraction that means “brave” or “strong.” It is also a French nickname for someone with a big mouth, which described the French-Canadian Warrant Officer to a tee.
    “The main railgun is online, Skipper,” Frenchy