Their plan was relatively straightforward: the Sleipnir would jump up to twenty-four light years, which was about a twenty-four hour trip in hyperspace at their cruising speed of one light-year per hour. The Sleipnir was capable of more, at full military power, but at this speed she would keep pace with the rest of the flotilla, which would follow, but jump one hour short and wait for the Sleipnir to do reconnaissance, then jump back to meet them. This way they took sufficient precaution so they wouldn't jump unawares into a system full of Hrymar or other Pirates.
The first four jumps were relatively uneventful, in that there were no Pirates or aggressive species waiting to ambush them, but there were several astronomical phenomena which Eva and the other physicists studied and catalogued on the move. On the fifth day however, the Sleipnir precipitated out of hyperspace into an unoccupied red dwarf system.
“Captain, we have contact,” Eva reported, “I’m detecting a colony on the first planet. I’m also picking up signs of a nuclear fission reactor as well as several ships, all planet-side. I don’t see any ships in orbit or in the system.”
Eva and Hal both read over the detailed data on the star on the main view-screen:
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Stellar Data:
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Star Name: 4551 Arae
Type: M5 V Red Dwarf
Radius: 2.99 x 105 km (0.43 x sol)
Mass: 7.39 x 1029 kg (0.37 x sol)
Temperature: 2600 K
Luminosity 2.00 x 1025 W (0.05 x sol)
Planetary Data:
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4551 Arae I
Type: Terrestrial World
Orbital Radius2.64 x 107 km (0.18 AU)
Period: 1.06 x 103 hours (0.12 earth years)
Physics: Standard iron/silicate
Gravity: 8.53 m/s2 (0.87 x earth)
Hydrosphere: 0 % water, 0 % ice
Atmosphere: Standard corrosive
Additional Data: 5 small moons, 1 colony on planet
4551 Arae II
Type: Rock Planet
Orbital Radius: 4.69 x 107 km (0.31 AU)
Period: 2.52 x 103 hours (0.29 earth years)
Gravity: 13.53 m/s2 (1.38 x earth)
Additional Data: 5 small moons
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“Any laser detection grids? Or any other kinds of active sensor nets?” Hal asked.
“Nothing we have detected so far, Captain” Eva replied.
“Ok, take us toward 4551 Arae I. Maximum stealth.” Hal pressed the comm button on the arm of his chair. “Crew, this is the Captain speaking. We’re going to maximum stealth and heading into potentially hostile territory. All crew to their stations. Marines, make ready. I don’t plan on landing, just doing some quiet recon, but let’s be prepared for anything.”
YOU ARE READING
Star Wolves - The Tribes of Yggdrasil: Book 1
Ciencia Ficción- “Stargate meets Lord of the Rings!” A century ago a beneficent alien race, the Alfar, uplifted mankind to the stars and unwittingly seeded their doom. Humanity had just begun to ply the dark interstellar seas and were wholly unprepared for the mal...
