The Pike Chronicles - Books 1 - 10

by Hudson, G. P.

  Turning back to the display, it was clear there were too many enemy warships. Even if they rationed their jump bombs, they just didn’t have enough.

  “Kemmar have scrambled fighters,” said Mani.

  The smaller ships suddenly appeared on his tactical display. Hundreds of them. What little advantage their own fighters and bombers had given them was now gone. He had yet to see a Kemmar fighter with a jump system, but that was one small advantage. As far as he could see, he had one option left.

  “Helm, bring the FTL drive online,” said Konos. “We’re going to make a run for it.” Those fighters wouldn’t catch them at FTL speeds, even if the warships could. Either way, it was better than sitting still for Kemmar target practice.

  “FTL drive is online, Sir,” said the Helmsman.

  “Commander Mani, recall our birds. Order one fighter to jump to the last known fleet coordinates. Have them advise the fleet of our current situation, and that we will be moving toward them at FTL speeds. Helm, plot a course for our previous jump coordinates.”

  “Orders sent, Sir. Birds are returning to nest.”

  Konos waited for their birds to return to the Intrepid’s hangar bay. The Kemmar fighters were rapidly closing in. New Kemmar warships jumped into weapons range. The remaining jump bombs continued to be deployed. The Intrepid had no choice.

  “All birds are on board, Sir,” said Mani.

  “Helm, take us out of here. Maximum velocity,” said Konos.

  Space around the Intrepid shimmered as the translucent FTL bubble took shape within the space-time foam, shooting the Intrepid forward.

  As the Intrepid raced away, several Kemmar ships engaged their own FTL drives, pursuing the UHSF carrier. More concerning, however, were the ones that vanished. Konos knew that they had jumped ahead of the Intrepid, and lay in wait for the carrier to reach them.

  Chapter 48

  Jon’s fleet landed on the far end of the Telepylos system, close to the two white hot binary stars circling each other. The asteroid field, where the Reivers used to live, lay in between them and the Kemmar fleet.

  “Sensors are picking up jump gate activity,” said Commander Henderson.

  “Put it on the main viewscreen and magnify,” said Jon.

  On the viewscreen, the space behind the Kemmar ships shimmered, as the jump gate took shape. Jon watched a small Kemmar vessel approach, and disappear into the translucent field.

  “You think they’re calling for reinforcements, Sir?” said Henderson.

  “I hope so,” said Jon. “I’d rather deal with whatever is on the other side of that gate now. Tell the fleet to hold position. I don’t want anyone launching anything until I give the order. Let’s wait and see what the Kemmar do.”

  “Yes, Sir,” said Henderson. “Fleet is holding position.”

  The Kemmar were outnumbered, and Jon knew they couldn’t attack his fleet. He had seen the Kemmar do some pretty crazy things before. But with the jump gate connecting to Kemmar space, the logical reaction would be to call for reinforcements.

  All around him was a bustle of activity. Jon’s bridge crew busied themselves with the myriad duties required to keep a space carrier running smoothly.

  The Freedom was no longer just a carrier, however. It was now a capital ship and the fleet’s flagship. Out of necessity, the bridge crew increased in size to fill the new roles that reality created. That meant the Freedom needed an overhaul, and over the past year the bridge had been expanded and upgraded.

  Jon had to adapt to the changes, like everyone else. He found the new bridge unwieldly, and chaotic. As with everything, however, he grew accustomed to the new bridge’s larger size, and the increased activity. In fact, he now found all the hustle and bustle energizing.

  “Picking up jump gate activity,” said Henderson.

  “That didn’t take long,” said Jon, turning back to the jump gate on the viewscreen. He watched as a group of massive Kemmar battleships come through, followed by a seemingly unending flow of cruisers, destroyers, and carriers. As he had hoped, the Kemmar had called in the cavalry.

  The ships continued to stream into the system, taking position in preparation for battle. They remained near the jump gate, where they could take advantage of their autonomous weapon systems. The mine field would afford them additional protection. Of course, none of that would stop the jump bombs, but the Kemmar didn’t know that yet.

  Warfare had gone through yet another revolution, and the Kemmar had been left behind. Defensive formations, like the one the Kemmar were taking, would prove as useless as castle walls against aerial bombardment.

  Through the colonies, Jon had gained access to much of Earth’s lost knowledge, and he had spent much of the last year studying Earth’s history. In particular, he focused on military history, and the one thing he found over and over was that most Empires were founded on the back of some sort of technological advantage. Either they created a weapon their adversaries didn’t have, or they adopted a superior tactic that couldn’t be matched. Whether it was a Greek phalanx, or a Roman legion, a British man-of-war, or an American aircraft carrier, in every case the advantage led to a period of hegemony.

  The jumpspace technology gave an overwhelming advantage, but they had a rapidly closing window of opportunity in which to exploit it. Given enough time, the Juttari would attain the technology, nullifying his advantage. But the Kemmar would have no hope.

  With the Kemmar ranks growing, the flow of ships coming through the gate finally began to slow to a trickle.

  “How many ships do the Kemmar have in system?” said Jon.

  “Five-hundred-and-forty-three, Sir,” said Henderson.

  Jon nodded. “Good enough. Tell the fleet to prepare for jump bomb first strike. AI, calculate targeting coordinates and disburse to fleet.”

  “Coordinates have been calculated, and transmitted to all ships,” said AI.

  “Commander, order the fleet to initiate first strike.”

  “Order relayed. Jump bombs are away.”

  Jon leaned forward, his eyes glued to the main viewscreen. There, the Kemmar warships began to buckle, as the jump bombs wreaked havoc with their interiors. On practically every ship, gaping hull breaches formed, spitting out equipment and personnel alike until containment fields began to compensate. The smaller Kemmar vessels were less fortunate, instantly destroyed in the first strike.

  “Launch another round of jump bombs,” ordered Jon. “Continue until all enemy ships are destroyed.”

  Jon felt his symbiont growl its satisfaction as the turkey shoot continued. It was wholesale slaughter, and the creature approved. Jon, on the other hand, had an odd reaction, finding the encounter so lopsided that it seemed almost wrong.

  Foolish, said the symbiont.

  You’re probably right, Jon replied.

  Eliminate your enemies, or live in fear, the symbiont continued.

  Don’t worry. All these ships will be destroyed, said Jon. There will be no prisoners. No mercy.

  Eliminate all enemies, said the symbiont.

  You want me to kill all Kemmar? said Jon.

  Yes, said the symbiont.

  You’re asking for genocide?

  Yes.

  I’ll destroy their military, I’ll execute their leaders, but I won’t kill civilians.

  There was no response, but Jon could feel its disapproval.

  You know, The Faction really messed you up, continued Jon. You’re supposed to be from the Temple. The Diakans think you’re holy. Yet you’re a bloodthirsty little demon.

  You are weak, the symbiont replied. You allow your enemies to live. Do you expect gratitude? Do you expect loyalty?

  No, I don’t.

  They will fight you, just as your resistance fought the Juttari.

  Without their military, they will not pose a threat to us.

  Did the Juttari not think the same of the humans?

  That was different.

  No. Not different.

  Look, I�
��m just doing the right thing. The human thing.

  You are not human.

  That’s what people keep telling me, but I’m not buying it. I was born human, and I will die human.

  The symbiont fell silent. Jon knew he was being manipulated. If it still had control, it would’ve forced Jon to exterminate the Kemmar. It would turn this campaign into genocide.

  There were many in the UHSF who probably agreed. The Kemmar nuked New Byzantium. They turned many on the colony worlds into slaves. Why allow such a species to continue to exist? Hell, he could say the same thing about the Juttari.

  So why was he not willing to rid the universe of them? Not too long ago, after his family were killed, he wouldn’t have batted an eye at the idea of eradicating the Juttari, and probably the Kemmar too. What was different now? Was he trying to prove he had changed? Was he trying to prove he was still human?

  Jon looked back to the viewscreen, where the Kemmar ships were exploding one after the other. It was a massacre, and he enjoyed watching it. He couldn’t lie to himself. There was some demon left in him too.

  It was often a difficult balancing act. Even though the symbiont no longer held control, he could feel its influence. As the Diakans said, it was a part of him now. And it left him conflicted.

  Part of him lived in darkness with the symbiont, the part that wanted blood. The other, the part in control, desperately clung to his humanity, refusing to give in. It was as though he stood on the edge of a precipice. All it took was one misstep, or nudge, and he would fall into the abyss. There would be no escape from the darkness then.

  As the slaughter continued, several Kemmar ships engaged their jump systems, blinking off the screen. Engaging the fleet, they were immediately disposed of. The jumpspace recognition technology worked perfectly, dropping bombs in the exact locations where the intruders landed. Total destruction, before they could get off a shot.

  Suddenly, a blinding flash of light filled the viewscreen from within Jon’s ranks.

  “Sir, we’ve just lost the Vigilant,” said Henderson. “A Kemmar ship jumped into the same coordinates, destroying both ships.”

  “A suicide attack?”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  “AI, are you monitoring?”

  “Yes, Admiral.”

  “I need you to modify the jumpspace recognition system’s response to anticipate suicide attacks.”

  “Modifying.”

  Jon waited while the extremely powerful Artificial Intelligence made changes to the system. Suicide attacks were something they should have anticipated.

  “The Freedom has been modified. Upgrading remaining ships in fleet.”

  “Unauthorized jumpspace disturbance detected,” said the jumpspace computer. “Initiating jump.”

  “What?” said Jon, looking up at the viewscreen. Where there had just been hundreds of ships, there was now emptiness. Just the velvety blackness of open space. “What just happened?”

  “A Kemmar warship plotted an impact with the Freedom,” said AI. “The modifications jumped the Freedom to avoid the collision.”

  “Damn it,” said Jon. “Helm, jump us back into the Telepylos system.”

  “Yes, Sir,” said Ensign Richards, the helmsman. “Initiating jump.”

  “Do you not approve of the modifications, Admiral?” said AI.

  “It’s fine. It just caught me off guard. Please advise all ship commanders of the changes.”

  “Yes, Admiral.”

  The Freedom safely landed back in Telepylos. The lopsided battle continued, and all along Jon watched the viewscreen intently. One by one, the last remaining Kemmar warships were destroyed.

  Five-hundred-and-forty-three Kemmar warships destroyed, thought Jon. Hundreds of thousands of Kemmar dead. He repeated the numbers over and over in his head, barely able to contain his glee.

  His ships turned their jump bombs to the gate defenses next, and easily disposed of the Kemmar weapon systems.

  “The Telepylos system has been secured, Sir,” Henderson said with pride.

  “Thank you, Commander,” said Jon. “Excellent work. Dispatch a surveillance drone through the gate. Let’s see what’s left on the other side.”

  Chapter 49

  The Diakan and Chaanisar ships pounded the Juttari battle stations with missiles and jump bombs. The battle stations fired back with missiles of their own, but General Tallos’s fleet easily dealt with the onslaught.

  The Juttari ships defending this system had all destroyed. The battle stations were the last remaining obstacles in Tallos’s way. The fleet now sat back at a safe distance working to destroying each station.

  Tallos eyed the planets the stations protected. “What intelligence do we have on the planets?”

  “We have mapped out all visible military installations, although it must be assumed that there are hidden assets as well,” said Captain Rotos, Tallos’s second in command.

  “What about the population? What race is the population?”

  “The population is Juttari.”

  “This is an actual Juttari system?” Tallos said in amazement. All Juttari territory he had encountered up until now had originally belonged to a race the Juttari had conquered.

  “Yes, Sir. It looks like it is one of their colonies.”

  “Intriguing.” Tallos felt like he had discovered a hidden treasure. “That explains the many battle stations. They will not let this system go easily.”

  “Detecting jump gate activity,” said Rotos, as if on cue.

  “On viewscreen,” said Tallos.

  The main viewscreen shifted orientation from the assault on the battle stations, to a flood of Juttari warships pouring into the system through the jump gate.

  “Order all ships to pause attacks on the stations. Target the incoming Juttari ships with jump bombs,” ordered Tallos.

  “Transmitting orders. Fleet is retargeting.”

  Tallos watched as several bombs detonated in empty space, missing the warships. “What just happened? Why did those bombs not hit their targets?”

  “The ships’ velocity is making it harder to hit them with the jump bombs. Adjusting targeting parameters.”

  Tallos watched as more ships, crossed through the jump gate. Some were hit, but many outran the jump bombs. He had seen enough. “Arm jump bombs with nuclear weapons,” said Tallos. “Target the mouth of the jump gate. Fire when ready.”

  “Yes, Sir,” said Tallos’s 2IC. “Launching nuclear weapons.”

  On the viewscreen, several high yield nuclear explosions wreaked havoc with the incoming Juttari warships. The warships had to travel in a tight formation through the jump gate, leaving them more susceptible to a nuclear strike.

  “Again,” said Tallos, as multiple enemy ships entered the system. “Assign a squadron to jump gate defense. Ensure the ships you select have enough nuclear warheads to repeatedly bombard the mouth of the jump gate.”

  “Yes, Sir. Assigning suitable ships to the operation.”

  “Select another squadron to bomb the battle stations, with nuclear warheads.”

  “Yes, Sir. Transmitting orders.”

  Tallos watched indifferently as the first nuclear strikes hit the stations. He had used conventional jump bombs initially, deciding to conserve his nuclear warheads in case they were needed elsewhere. Knowing this was a Juttari system, he changed tack. The Juttari would fight much harder for this system, and speed became essential. The faster the system’s defenses were destroyed, the better equipped they would be to defend against counterattacks.

  Finding a system with a Juttari population was extremely fortuitous. The goal was to keep the Juttari occupied while the Kemmar were dealt with, after all. What better way to do so than to place a Juttari population under siege?

  Brilliant flashes of light filled the viewscreen as the battle stations blew apart. As massive as they were, the force of a high yield nuclear detonation inside their structures was simply too much. Like a meteor shower, thousands of station fra
gments hit the planets they were charged with protecting.

  “Prepare for planetary strike,” said Tallos. “Target all identified military installations.”

  “Yes, Sir. Should we switch to conventional weapons?”

  “No. Continue using nuclear warheads.”

  Captain Rotos paused, as Tallos’s words hung in the air.

  “Is there a problem, Captain?”

  “No, General. Initiating nuclear strike.”

  “Display all planets on viewscreen.”

  The viewscreen split into three vertical panes, with each displaying one of the three inhabited Juttari planets. Within moments several mushroom clouds began to rise from each of the planets’ surfaces.

  Tallos had understood Captain Rotos’s hesitation. Diakan nuclear weapons were capable of monstrous devastation, and using them to attack the military installations meant that they would also lay waste to much of the surrounding civilian areas. The fallout would reach further, killing more of the population. It was vicious, but then the Juttari were a vicious enemy.

  “All known military installations have been destroyed,” announced Rotos.

  “Establish a comm with the planetary leadership,” said Tallos. “Send to my command display when ready.”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  Tallos monitored the activity around the jump gate as he waited. Juttari ships still attempted to enter the system, only to be obliterated by Diakan nuclear strikes. Tallos wondered if these ships were not Chaanisar as well. The Juttari were proficient at sacrificing other species, but he wasn’t sure they’d be so eager to send their own into a nuclear inferno.

  The Juttari were now well informed of what had happened to this system. Their best course of action would be to avoid the jump gate entirely, using the jump system to mount a counterattack. With close to a thousand light years between this and the nearest Juttari system, however, such an attack would take several days to reach them.