“Message sent,” replied the communications officer. “However, I don’t have very many ships responding.”
Admiral Cleemorl nodded. “They’re gone. Helm, get us out of here.”
Moments later Admiral Cleemorl felt the Themis transition into hyperspace. “How many ships are with us?” He knew it wouldn’t be many.
“One other battlecruiser and three support ships,” replied the sensor officer.
“Better than I excepted,” said Cleemorl. He had expected his entire command to be wiped out.
The admiral leaned back in his command chair. He greatly feared what the Druins were about to do to Lydol Four. Cleemorl also knew that he and his ships could never return to their homeworlds. To do so would invite even more destruction from the Druins.
-
Back at Lydol Four, the Druin fleet had completed the destruction of the planet’s meager defense grid and had now gone into orbit. The sky of the planet was full of flaming debris from the destruction that had occurred in space.
On board the Druin flagship, Admiral Kreen gazed at the blue-white world on the ship’s viewscreens. This planet had violated several of the major edicts of the Confederation. They had built warships and had tried to declare their independence. “I want all cities destroyed with a population larger than one hundred thousand. The use of antimatter missiles against the planet is approved. Also I want all the orbiting satellites destroyed, as well as the space station. Leave nothing in orbit.”
-
On Lydol Four in the underground Command Center, Governor Swen watched helplessly as the Druins launched a rain of deadly antimatter missiles toward the planet. “Is there anything we can do?”
General Creel shook his head. “We have a few defensive missiles, but they will do little good. The Druins will continue to launch their missiles, until all their targets have been destroyed.”
Governor Swen sank down into his chair, his head bowed. He had led his world to catastrophe. He had never dreamed the Druins would react like this. He had thought, at the worst, if they didn’t agree to his terms, they might take out a few of the major cities, including the capital. That was why he had evacuated them. But now, on the tactical display, hundreds of Druin antimatter missiles plummeted toward the planet’s surface.
Swen forced himself to look at the viewscreens. Several of the planet’s larger cities were displayed. Suddenly a brilliant light formed above one of them, as an antimatter fireball formed. Buildings blew apart, while others burst into flame. Superheated air rushed to the center of the blast, forming a massive mushroom cloud that rose above the helpless city. The blast moved outward, destroying more buildings and setting more fires. Soon a firestorm enveloped the city, destroying everything.
“It’s gone,” said Swen, barely able to speak.
“At least there’s no radiation,” said the general. “We will rebuild, once the Druins leave.”
“If they leave any of us alive,” replied Swen, his gaze now glued to the viewscreens, showing the destruction ravishing his world.
-
In orbit, Admiral Kreen watched coldly as his missiles destroyed the cities on the planet. After nearly an hour he was satisfied that everything of importance on the planet had been annihilated. The survivors would be allowed to rebuild, but they had been taught a lesson they would not soon forget. The rules of the Confederation were not to be violated.
“Take the fleet out of orbit, and we will resume our patrol. This minor problem has been dealt with.”
On the ship’s main viewscreen, smoke, ash, and other debris darkened the atmosphere of the planet. It was no longer the pristine blue-white world it had been just a few hours earlier.
-
Admiral Cleemorl’s flagship dropped out of hyperspace in the Delius System, along with the other surviving ships of his fleet.
“What do we do now?” asked Captain Fulmar.
“We’re going to the Bacchus Region.”
Captain Fulmar’s eyes widened. “Why the Bacchus Region? Nothing’s there. It’s a dead area of space with no inhabited worlds.”
Admiral Cleemorl leaned back in his chair with a deep sigh. “One of my remote ancestors was a distant relative of the Royal Family of the Empire. Immediately after the Druins attacked and conquered our worlds some thousand years ago, they gathered up most of the remaining Royal Family and members of the Royal Court and took them to a system in the Bacchus Region. They were banished from ever returning to the Empire.”
Captain Fulmar still didn’t fully understand. “Why go there? By now they are probably long dead.”
“Maybe not,” answered Cleemorl. “Supposedly a primitive Human world was in the system.”
Captain Fulmar slowly nodded his head. “You’re hoping that, by now, they’ve developed a higher level of civilization, due to our people being marooned there?”
“Yes, it’s the only real hope we have and the only place we can go to escape the Druins.”
“What is the name of this world?”
“Earth,” replied Admiral Cleemorl. “We’re going to Earth.”
Chapter Twelve
Andrew was in his quarters on the Destiny, speaking with Kala and Rachael. “We’ll be at the station in another few hours. Have the two of you decided what you’ll say?”
“I suppose we should describe the attack on the Endeavor,” replied Kala. “The government people need to understand how dangerous the Druin interdiction system is.”
“We also need to make certain they realize that Captain Greer tried everything she could to prevent her ship from being attacked and destroyed,” added Rachael.
Andrew nodded. “The Endeavor did send a report on the drone approaching the ship. They were broadcasting sensor readings right up to the very end, so there is a full record on the station, as well as video of what happened.” Major Henderson had that record, and Andrew didn’t know if the major had made it available yet. Andrew would find out when they got to the station.
Rachael let out a deep sigh. “It’s still hard to believe everyone else from the Endeavor is all gone. How can the Druins be so heartless?”
“They’re a cold-blooded methodical race,” replied Andrew. “They also make plans covering a long period of time. All the Confederation races do. Many of them have lifespans which measure anywhere from five hundred to nearly seven hundred years. So, to them, a plan that takes a century or two to come to fruition is normal.”
Kala’s eyes widened. “How long do Imperials live?”
Andrew hesitated and then replied. “With the proper life-extending medications, an Imperial can expect to live a productive life of nearly two hundred years, maybe a little longer.”
“Have you taken those medications?”
“Yes, Earth’s science reached the point only in the last fifty years where the compounds we needed for the life-extension drugs became available.”
Kala looked at Andrew with an inquisitive look on her face. “What do you plan on doing when we get back?”
“I’m not sure. I’ll have to speak to Earth’s Imperial Council and see what they have planned.”
“I need to speak to my father,” said Kala, a concerned note in her voice. “His credibility with his colleagues is at an all-time low. He took many of them to see his discovery on Cyprus, and, as you know, everything had been removed. All that was replaced with a few broken shards of pottery and some primitive cave drawings of animals.”
“After the other archeologists left, Alan Foster took your father aside and explained to him what had happened,” said Andrew. “From what I understand, he was extremely upset, but the Imperial Council paid him a considerable sum to finance some other dig sites.”
Kala nodded. “I’ll speak to him when I get back and try to explain everything better. I’m sure he will understand.”
Andrew looked seriously at the two women. “Remember. Once we return to Earth, we can’t mention Pallas to anybody. Only the Imperials on Earth, some scientist
s, and a few government and military officials will know the truth of what happened to the Endeavor. In a few more years, everything will be more broadly known, but it’s imperative we keep it a secret for now.”
“At least until we can infect the Druin interdiction system with a virus,” said Rachael. “I know several computer programmers who would be excellent at making such a virus or just over writing the code, allowing us control over the system. We even have a few on the space station.”
A knock came on the door, and Ensign Allert came in. “Do any of you need anything before we arrive at the space station?”
“We’re fine,” replied Rachael. “What are your plans when we get there?”
Brenda came in and sat down. “I would love to see Earth. Captain Masters is thinking about letting the entire crew go down for a few days. Some of Earth’s Imperials would be responsible for showing us around. I haven’t been on a planet since we left the Empire. I miss the wide-open spaces. I would really like to visit one of Earth’s oceans and go swimming. I used to swim all the time back home.”
“Maybe we can arrange that,” said Rachael.
-
In the Command Center of the Destiny, Captain Masters sat in his command chair, keeping a watchful eye on the tactical display as well as on the main viewscreen. The tactical display revealed a few green icons, which were Earth spacecraft on their way to Mars or the Moon. A large green icon pinpointed their destination, the Earth-Moon LaGrange Point, where the space station was located.
“Someday soon that space station will have to be armed,” said Lieutenant Commander Banora. She had been watching the sensors as well, making sure there were no indications of the Druin interdiction system detecting the Destiny. With the Destiny’s stealth capabilities, that was unlikely this deep into the Solar System.
“There will be a lot of changes soon,” replied Captain Masters. “As soon as we gain control over the interdiction system, I imagine some of our warships will be stationed near Earth on permanent patrols.”
“We’re really doing this, aren’t we?” said Audrey. “This is our first step into going to war against the Confederation.”
Derrick leaned back in his command chair and slowly nodded his head. “Yes, if this works, within one hundred years, we may be launching our first attacks to free our worlds.”
“Are we going back into cryo? I would like to see our homeworlds freed.”
“Eventually we may return to cryo,” answered Derrick. “We may stay awake for a few years, until I’m satisfied everything’s going as planned.”
Lieutenant Commander Banora was pleased with this answer. “When will we awaken the Princess?”
“She’ll be needed for the war. Once the people back in the Empire find out a member of the Royal Family survived, they will rally to our cause.”
“If they still remember us?” Audrey reminded Derrick. “We don’t know what changes there has been in the Empire under Confederation rule.”
Derrick frowned at this reminder. However, plans had been made for a hidden resistance in the Empire. While some of the people might not remember the Empire, no doubt others still did. “If they’ve forgotten, we’ll remind them.”
“I hope it’s as simple as that,” said Admiral Bract, standing in front of the viewscreen, now showing a highly magnified view of Earth. “I’m afraid that, for a number of years, Earth will have to bear the responsibility of protecting the Empire and itself. The Confederation controls a major part of our galaxy and all the heavily populated regions. We’ll eventually need the entire Empire behind us if we want to be successful in freeing our worlds from the Druins and the Confederation.”
Lieutenant Commander Banora’s gaze shifted to the admiral. “How long a war are we talking about? I always thought we would just free the Empire, and that would be it.”
Admiral Bract shook his head. “No, it’s a lot more complicated than that. This could become a very long war that might last for generations. In the end, either we’ll survive and make major changes in the Confederation or we will fail. If we fail, then the Human race will be doomed to be under Confederation control for perhaps thousands of years.”
Audrey shuddered at that thought. She knew how overbearing and demanding the Confederation could be.
-
On board the space station, Colonel Gleeson looked at his second in command. Orders from his superiors on Earth had temporarily placed Major Henderson in charge of the station. “I don’t understand what’s going on.”
“Things are about to change,” replied Henderson. “What if I told you a race of very advanced Humans in the Solar System and one of their ships was about to pay us a visit?”
Gleeson shook his head. “I would think you’ve been drinking or using drugs. There is no such race.”
Major Henderson smiled. “But there is. I am a member of that race. Lieutenant Jenkins, focus your viewscreen on the following location.” Henderson gave Jenkins a series of coordinates.
Jenkins adjusted the main viewscreen, and suddenly a black object appeared in the center of the screen. “That is the Imperial vessel Destiny. It is a stealth light cruiser of the ancient Human Empire.”
“I’m not picking up anything on our sensors,” reported Ensign Bryant. “It’s as if nothing’s there.”
Colonel Gleeson stood and approached the viewscreen. “How fast is that ship moving?”
“Not sure,” replied Jenkins. “But I’m having trouble keeping the viewscreen focused on it. It’s moving far faster than any spacecraft we have.”
Colonel Gleeson turned to face Major Henderson, waiting for an explanation.
“That ship will have the survivors from the Endeavor, as well as several emissaries from the Imperial Council,” explained Major Henderson. Henderson had managed to intercept all the communications from the Endeavor describing the attack. All anyone in the station’s Command Center knew was that the ship had disappeared.
“Survivors!” uttered Gleeson in disbelief.
“Yes, the Imperials rescued part of the crew.”
Colonel Gleeson came back and sat down in his chair. His face was slightly pale. “Is there anything else you’re not telling me?”
“Some,” admitted Henderson. “Part of it is on a strict need-to-know basis. Eventually a superior officer will brief you. I can tell you that things in this station and around the Solar System are about to change and change drastically. How does flying from here to Mars in less than a few hours sound?”
“Impossible,” replied Gleeson, his eyes growing wide.
Henderson gestured toward the ship on the viewscreen. “That ship can do it. If you want, I can arrange for the captain of that vessel to take you and a few others on a trip to Mars, just to prove what I said.”
Realizing what Major Henderson had just offered, Colonel Gleeson suddenly grasped how important this first contact was going to be. Less than a day from Earth to Mars would revolutionize space travel. It would make all the rest of the planets and moons in the Solar System easily accessible. “Very well then. I’ll withhold my judgment until later. If what you say is true, this could indeed be a historic meeting.”
“Major Henderson, the ship will be here in another twenty minutes, as near as I can tell,” reported Ensign Bryant.
Henderson had to smile. He would be pleased to see Andrew and the other survivors. Andrew had succeeded in his mission and was returning safely. He had found Sanctuary, and, more than that, they had a plan to deal with the Druin interdiction system.
-
The Destiny approached the space station and docked to an external docking port. Andrew, Kala, Rachael, Admiral Bract, and Councilor Arianna Bliss waited for the hatch to open. Captain Masters was staying on board so he could communicate with Pallas if necessary. Several scientists who had come with them would be staying on board as well until they were needed.
“This should be interesting,” said Andrew, as he waited patiently. There were two hatches. The one on the o
uter airlock of the Destiny and the one on the end of the docking port.
The sound of the interconnecting corridor being pressurized signaled that the two hatches were about to open. With a slight hiss, the Destiny’s hatch slid back, and the adjoining hatch opened inward.
“Follow me,” instructed Andrew. “We’ll go through that second hatch and then through a short decontamination procedure. It won’t take more than a minute or two.”
The five went down the short docking corridor and opened the hatch at the end, stepping into a small room, just large enough to hold all of them. A series of lights came on, and after two minutes a light turned green, indicating decontamination was complete.
“That’s it,” said Andrew, as he opened the next hatch and gestured for everyone to follow him. Stepping into the station, he saw both Major Henderson and Brett Newcomb waiting for them.
“Hello,” said Brett. “I’m Brett Newcomb and a member of Earth’s Imperial Council.”
Andrew quickly introduced the two Imperials with him.
Brett nodded. “If all of you will come with me, we have a briefing room set up with refreshments and sandwiches. Professor Mallory Stark and some government officials are waiting for us there. We have a lot to talk about.”
-
For nearly six hours the group met behind closed doors, discussing the Druin interdiction system, the destruction of the Endeavor, and a myriad of other issues. To help the Earth officials to better understand the danger, the last messages transmitted from the Endeavor before it was destroyed were played, as well as some video that was received. Afterward, Brett put up a visual of a Druin attack drone and then one of an actual Druin, which brought gasps from the watching representatives.
“This is astonishing,” said Vice President Hicks of the North American Union. “I’m very sad and horrified to find out the truth of what happened to the Endeavor. However, before I commit to any agreement, I would like to know more about the Human Empire. Was it a democracy, a republic, a dictatorship, or what? I mean, we have been told there was a Royal Family, as well as a King.”
The Forgotten Empire: Banishment: Book One Page 16
