Star Force: Bahamut (SF86) (Star Force Origin Series) by Aer-ki Jyr

then circle around. They’re staying in
position over that surface location.”
    “Give them a little more time to think it through?”
    “Yeah.”
    “We’ll need to make a detour.”
    “That’ll give them a little more time too.”
    “ Wanna split?”
    “Yeah, why not. Let’s enter at multiple spots. How
many jumplanes do we have?”
    “Five easy ones,” Paul said, looking at their
navigational options if they bounced off nearby planets, “two more with a mild
delay.”
    “Five is good. Let’s make as good of a show of this as
we can…and if they think to intercept one jumpline they’ll have four others to
worry about covering as well.”

 
    When Riley’s command ship decelerated into planetary
orbit he brought with him a fifth of the combined fleet and had them stacked
into a 3x3 formation given the slow jump. That meant there were 8 jumpships
arrayed around the Zeus in a square,
then following them were additional squares packing the massive jumpships in
together very closely with only a handful of kilometers to spare in between
each.
    When they arrived at their destination point the
jumpships fanned out and his command ship took center in what quickly became a
blockading wall. Each additional square formation that came in split up and
added to that wall until all of his 206 ships arrived. Likewise there were
other formations at four different points around the backside of the planet
from where the opposing fleet was stationed.
    1031 Star Force jumpships for the 1031 ships in the
opposing fleet, not counting the lizards, which would pretty much pop like
confetti when hit. Some of the unknown vessels were larger than even the Star
Force jumpships, but most were far smaller and no matter what their
technological advantage might or might not be, they were single warships…not
carriers.
    When Riley’s fleet got themselves arrayed to his liking,
the wall of jumpships slowly moved around the curve of the planet towards the
waiting fleet while still holding their drones in their berths, not having
released them yet, and each jumpship held between 50 and 100 of them…meaning
that despite some of their impressive tonnage, the Sety-led fleet was almost
comically outmatched.
    He just hoped they thought so as well.
    “We’re here,” he transmitted again, this time within
range of realtime communication. “Care to respond before we get within weapons
range and one of your ships does something really stupid?”
    An image of a tree-like Sety appeared in holo before
him, with the computer handling the translation. “You are trespassing. Any
questions concerning this system should be directed to the representative we
have sent to your capitol.”
    “I just came from there. He said he had no idea what
you were doing here, so we figured we’d come here and get some answers
directly.”
    “This planet belongs to us. You have no claim on it.”
    “I didn’t say whether I was laying a claim on it or
not. I said we’re here for information. Explain yourselves, starting with why
the Li’vorkrachnika are here.”
    “They are here with our permission and are not
organizing against you.”
    “That doesn’t answer why, and if you’re giving them
safe haven that does concern us.”
    “Their business with us is private.”
    “They’re supposed to be the enemy of The Nexus. What
business do you have with them other than fighting them?”
    “That is our concern.”
    “And who are you? You and your friends. They’re not
Nexus members, are they?”
    “They are not. Our association with them is a private
matter.”
    “Look here, Treebeard .
Either you tell me what I want to know or we’re going down to the planet to
have a look for ourselves.”
    “You will not be permitted to do so. If you try to do
so you will be fired upon.”
    “Have you counted how many ships we have?”
    “It matters not. We are tasked with defending this
planet and that is what we will do, to the last, if need be. You are