Shattered Sun (The Sentinel Trilogy Book 3) by Michael Wallace Page B

enemy, all of which hit, but did little damage. A cannon broadside, however, tore apart two of the tentacles with kinetic fire, and the cruiser pulled away, shaking off the shattered limbs.
    For a moment, it looked as though she would escape, but more tentacles snagged her just as she began to accelerate. The leviathan was moving faster now, more alertly, and a thinner, darker appendage lanced out and speared the cruiser in the side, plunging out the other side moments later. Repulse vented gases from both sides.
    Dreadnought had circled around until she sat a few dozen miles behind the leviathan’s outstretched tentacles, which twitched, greedily trying to get hold of the battleship. Repulse was still blasting her engines, and that kept the monster from moving closer to Dreadnought .
    Drake gave instructions for the gunnery. “Hold all explosives. Kinetic fire only.”
    “It swallowed the frigate whole!” Manx said. “We’re not going to hurt it with cannons.”
    “Keep calm, Lieutenant. We’re not aiming for the body. Bring us about and target that mass of tentacles.”
    Dreadnought swung around to present a broadside, and this finally brought it within range of the leviathan’s grasping appendages, one of which snared her. Engines flared, pulling the monster along, even as the battleship wriggled to get into position to fire. Drake gave the orders. A massive battery of cannon let loose.
    Thousands of tons of cobalt shot tore into the tentacles. The leviathan recoiled in visible pain, as dozens of appendages were torn loose. Repulse was suddenly covered in what looked like massive squirming snakes, none of which were any longer connected to the leviathan. Dreadnought fired again, this time at the tentacle holding the battleship, and then both ships were free and pulling away from the thrashing, flailing leviathan. For a moment, it looked as though it would give pursuit, but instead it retreated, still squirming with pain.
    Repulse quickly sealed its hull breach, and its engines were still functioning, thank God. It joined Dreadnought in scooping up the pods containing the survivors from the missile frigate. The destroyer and corvette arrived on the scene and kept a wary eye on the leviathan until the battleship and cruiser were ready to set off. The monster settled onto one of the larger asteroids to sit and digest its meal.
    “How long do you suppose that frigate will keep it fed?” Manx asked. “You don’t suppose that was enough to allow it to spawn, do you? Or will it need to regrow its tentacles first?”
    “We’ll be long gone before either of those things happen,” Drake said. “But either way, the charts are going to show the Manx System as off-limits.”
    He mused gloomily on the destroyed missile frigate as the ships left the asteroid belt behind. Its loss was a blow. But it could have been worse. Much worse.
     
     

Chapter Seven
    There was something strange in the posture of the other two Hroom as General Mose Dryz entered the sweating room. Both the colonel and the priestess were naked, sitting on the wooden platform at the back of the room, legs folded to their chests, but they weren’t meditating, as he’d expected, but watched him carefully as he approached. A glance passed between them.
    It must be nerves. Unnecessary worry. The general’s sloops of war were fully cloaked, but though the enemy was theoretically too blind to see the fleet, nobody could fully relax with Apex searching for its next victim.
    Mose Dryz ladled water onto the hot coals, breathed in the steam, and said a silent prayer to the god of higher consciousness.
    Glorious being of higher thought. With gratitude, I thank thee for the gift of sentience. To be aware, to think and dream. To sense the old gods. To rise above the beasts and partake of the feast of consciousness. To recognize beauty, to feel love, and to share compassion with all living things.  
    Beauty, love, and compassion.
    Did Apex know any of those