by G. P. Hudson
It was the dawn of a new age. A human age. Yet their new position in the galaxy remained fragile, and this stalemate they were locked into only exasperated that fragility.
In any other conflict, the two sides might engage in peace talks at a time like this, but that option remained off the table. The Juttari had lost a lot of territory. They had no interest in any agreement that permanently ceded that territory to the UHSF.
On the other hand, the Juttari had nuked Earth, killing billions. Even if they were ready to sue for peace, Jon wasn’t. As far as he was concerned, the Juttari had not yet paid for their crimes. Not by a long shot. But they would. Of that Jon was certain.
“How are the repopulation attempts coming along?” said Jon, changing the subject.
“There’s a steady stream of colonists taking advantage of the offer,” said Kevin. “Even with corporate rule and hereditary debt abolished in the colonies, there are still many who don’t own their own property. Free land on Earth is hard to pass up, especially now that the radiation has been cleaned up.”
“Earth has a long road ahead of her. The more people we convince to settle here the better.”
“Yes, Sir.”
Jon studied the galactic holomap again. Their victories against the Juttari had taken a sizable chunk of territory away, leaving the combined human and Diakan alliance much larger than the current Juttari Empire. Even so, the Juttari remained dangerous. It would be a mistake to underestimate them.
Jon’s eyes swept across the holomap. Over a thousand light years away from Earth were the colonies. And between them sat the ruthless Kemmar Empire. If it weren’t for the jump gate, the Kemmar would now control the colonies, and any humans left alive would be Kemmar slaves.
A mere two hundred and fifty light years from Earth lay Telepylos, the former Reiver home, and location of a jump gate connected to the Kemmar Empire.
Several battles had already been fought over this territory. While the UHSF currently controlled it, a Kemmar invasion force could come through the gate at any moment. Measures had been taken to defend the gate, and the system, but it still made Jon uneasy.
Too much depended on a handful of linchpins. Lose them and things would look drastically different.
“Admiral, Colonial One has just crossed through the gate into the Sol System,” said one of Jon’s officers. “They are reporting a Kemmar attack on New Byzantium.”
“What? When?”
“About thirty minutes ago, Sir. Colonial One is transmitting a data stream with video of the attack.”
“Route to the holodisplay,” said Jon.
The holomap disappeared and a three-dimensional view of New Byzantium took its place. Suddenly a group of Kemmar warships appeared in orbit around the planet and began bombarding the surface.
A chill ran up Jon’s spine as he realized that their strategic advantage against the Kemmar Empire had been lost.
“The Kemmar have the jump system,” he said.
Chapter 4
Captain Konos sat comfortably in his command chair, gazing at one of several displays arrayed before him. It showed nothing noteworthy at first glance. Just the endless rocks that filled the asteroid field at Telepylos.
“How did they do it?” he said in amazement.
“Did what, Sir?” said Commander Mani, his XO, from behind his own array of displays.
When Admiral Pike promoted Konos to the rank of Captain, and gave him the brand new carrier Intrepid to command, Konos had insisted that Commander Mani be his new XO. Mani had been his wingman, and CAG. It seemed fitting that he now become his XO.
Things had moved rapidly since the opening of the Sol-Amboss jump gate. The manufacturing power of the colonies now served the war effort, and new ships came off the line practically every day.
Those ships needed command personnel and crew. That meant rapid advancement for those with the necessary combat experience, like Konos and Mani. It also meant a flood of new recruits filling the ranks of the UHSF.
While Konos had a few veterans under his command, his crew consisted mostly of green recruits with little, if any, combat experience. Most were barely out of boot camp.
When the UHSF requested volunteers from the colonies, none were prepared for the overwhelming response. Now free of corporate control, and united with Earth, a tremendous zeal gripped the populace. They fervently wished to fight for their freedom, and were not going to let the Kemmar, or the Juttari take it away from them.
“The Reivers,” Konos continued. “How did they manage to live in that asteroid field for all those years? This was their home for centuries.”
“I don’t know, Sir. I couldn’t do it,” said Mani.
Konos shook his head. “Neither could I. Then again, it’s all they knew. They had no knowledge of Earth, or the colonies. All they had was the jump gate, and the Kemmar. I mean, it’s bad enough to have to live on asteroids, but they regularly raided the Kemmar Empire.”
“They’re a tough people. No doubt about it. But they were also lucky. Had the Kemmar discovered the jump gate sooner, nobody would know that the Reivers ever existed.”
“True. Stars know they almost didn’t make it when the Kemmar did finally come through the gate.”
Konos switched his display’s orientation to focus on the gate’s location. A swarm of autonomous defense systems were in place in front of it. If the Kemmar decided to come through the gate, they would find a nasty surprise waiting for them.
But they hadn’t even tried. Perhaps they knew how heavily defended this system was. Even if a Kemmar force managed to get past the gate defenses, they would then have to face over one hundred warships stationed here, all equipped with jump systems.
In a few months this system would also have its own battle station. The mammoth space station was still under construction, but when completed it would all but ensure the permanence of the UHSF’s presence here.
Maybe then they’d be reassigned. Hopefully they could go on the offensive again. His crew could use some real combat experience, and he knew it would come eventually. It was probably for the best that they were stationed here. With so many green crewmembers, a quiet post like this allowed them time for training before they saw any real action.
Admiral Pike had given him command of a carrier, with its own complement of jump fighters, and a squadron of jump bombers. Every day he ensured his pilots were drilled mercilessly. If they ended up falling in battle one day, it wouldn’t be for lack of training.
“Will you be requisitioning one of our birds again tonight, Sir?” said Mani, with a knowing smile.
“I think so, Commander. I should run some more tests, don’t you agree?”
“A prudent decision, Sir. I’ll make sure one is ready for you.”
While Konos appreciated the promotion, he still longed for the cockpit. At heart, he would always be a fighter pilot. That was why he took the opportunity to regularly take out one of the ship’s birds in the evenings.
Officially, he wanted to test the fighters. After all, he had tested the very first jump fighter ever built. The reality, though, was that it allowed him to scratch an itch. While he technically wasn’t supposed to take unnecessary risks, what was the point of being the Captain if you couldn’t play with your ship’s toys?
Konos looked at his display again. No shimmer. No activity from the jump gate whatsoever. It was shaping up to be another uneventful day. He could practically feel the rust forming on his bones.
“Contacts!” announced his tactical officer. “Reading multiple Kemmar warships.”
“Where?” said Konos, still looking at the jump gate. There was no activity. No Kemmar ships coming through.
“The space station. They’re all around it. Picking up weapon signatures. They’re firing on the station!”
“On main viewscreen.”
The giant display at the front of the bridge switched views to focus on the partially constructed space station, and the swarm of Kemmar warships mercile
ssly laying siege.
Konos cursed under his breath, knowing that their fleet was way out of position. They had expected to defend against an invasion through the jump gate, not a jump ship attack.
Then it suddenly hit home. The Kemmar had the jump system.
“Sir, General Ornios is ordering all ships to sync their jump systems with his,” said Mani.
“Understood. Navigation, sync our jump system with the flagship’s. Commander, sound General Quarters.”
General Ornios was a Diakan, and the force defending Telepylos was under his command. While the Diakans were not part of the UHSF, they were allies, and in this case the Diakans called the shots.
Seconds later the fleet jumped and landed practically on top of the Kemmar.
“Activate point defense system. Launch fighters and bombers. Fire weapons at will,” ordered Konos.
“Birds are launching,” said Mani. “Point defense system has been activated.”
“Kemmar ships are returning fire, Sir,” said the tactical officer.
The void between the two armadas erupted, as missiles, energy bolts, and plasma cannons were fired from each. In the midst of the exchange, thousands of smaller fighter craft from both sides battled for control of the sky.
Konos held his armrest in an iron grip as the early casualty reports flashed across one of his command displays. It showed the names of dead fighter pilots shot down in the early stages of the battle. He made a point of knowing the names of all his pilots, and he cringed at the realization that the early dead were among the new recruits.
He tried to assure himself that he had done all he could to train them, but it didn’t help. No matter how well trained they were, there was no substitute for experience. His crew would no longer be green after today.
“Contacts!” the tactical officer announced again. “Reading multiple Juttari warships directly behind us.”
Konos whipped around to face the tactical officer. The color had drained from the man’s face. “Juttari ships are firing weapons.”
Chapter 5
The bridge crew struggled to stay in their seats as concussions rocked the Intrepid. Pulling up a tactical screen, Konos confirmed his fears. Red threat icons completely surrounded the blue fleet.
The main viewscreen lit up with blinding flashes of light as ships on both sides started to explode.
“We’ve lost the Magellan,” said the tactical officer.
Another new colonial ship, with a mostly new crew. He glanced over to his casualty report, and cursed as more of his pilots’ names appeared. They were just kids, eager to fight for their homes. Hoping to return as war heroes.
Explosions continued to rock his ship. The point defense system began to fail. There was simply too much firepower amassed against them. They were being massacred. Then the explosions stopped, and the enemy ships vanished from the main viewscreen.
“What the hell just happened?” Konos barked.
“General Ornios has jumped us away from the enemy, Sir. We have landed near the jump gate.”
“What about our birds?”
“They are still in the battle, Sir.”
“Order them to jump to our position immediately.”
“Transmitting orders.”
Konos clenched his jaw. Jumping to the gate was prudent of General Ornios, as it gave them the added defensive power of the autonomous weapon systems stationed there. But it left their birds stranded, and each second they remained meant more loss of life.
“Fighters and bombers have returned, Sir.”
Konos leaned back in his chair in relief and watched the enemy resume their pounding of the space station.
“Sir, General Ornios is ordering the UHSF battleships to fire coil guns,” said Mani.
“I guess he’s giving up on the station,” said Konos.
The Vanguard had proven how effective the big coil guns could be, and now each UHSF battleship came equipped with the big weapons. The coil guns fired huge projectiles at close to the speed of light, with devastating effect. The projectiles didn’t have a heat signature, like a missile, and were very difficult to detect. In this situation, many of those projectiles would hit the station.
“Battleships are firing,” said Mani.
Konos held his breath in anticipation. He felt confident that the attack would disable, or destroy, many of the enemy ships. A few more rounds, and then the fleet could jump back in and mop up.
Only not one ship was hit. The enemy ships vanished a split second before impact. Instead, the coil gun ordnance tore into the station. Fresh explosions rocked the giant structure, destroying large swathes of fresh construction. Konos glanced at Mani, who appeared equally stunned.
“Tactical, where did those ships go?”
“The enemy is no longer in this system, Sir.”
“Huh, that’s some trick.”
“Contacts! Kemmar and Juttari have just appeared on the far side of the space station. They’re firing.”
Konos watched helplessly as the enemy resumed its attack on the prone station.
“General Ornios is ordering another coil gun attack.”
The battleships fired their guns again. Projectiles were sent hurling toward the enemy. And just as Konos expected, the enemy vanished before impact. This time, due to the position of the Kemmar and Juttari ships, most of the projectiles missed the station.
What else do they have up their sleeves? thought Konos.
When the enemy appeared the third time, their coordinated attack finished off the massive battle station. It blew apart in a tremendous explosion, causing the bridge crew to shield their eyes, even from their current distance.
“Picking up gate activity,” said the tactical officer.
“On screen,” said Konos.
The bridge’s main viewscreen switched perspective to show the space behind them begin to shimmer as the gigantic oval of the jump gate took shape.
A split second later and the autonomous defense systems were moving and firing weapons at the Kemmar ships pushing through the gate. It took only seconds for the first enemy ship to blow apart, but more ships barged through, firing back at the defense systems.
“Contacts!” the tactical officer announced, his voice cracking with anxiety. “Kemmar and Juttari ships have appeared all around us. They’re firing weapons!”
Konos swallowed hard as the first explosions rocked his ship. “Return fire. Point defense status?”
“Failing, Sir. Several of our batteries have been knocked out.”
The Intrepid stabbed out with energy bolts and missiles in all directions, futilely trying to fend off the relentless enemy onslaught. Multiple ships were firing on her now, and Konos cringed as more point defense batteries went offline.
His birds were not fairing much better. They had again closed with the enemy, but found themselves outnumbered, and the pilot casualty reports streamed across Konos’s display with greater speed.
An electrical fire erupted as a heavy concussion rocked the Intrepid. Thick smoke billowed into the bridge, and several crewmembers were overcome with coughing fits.
“Hull breaches, decks seven and ten. Emergency containment fields are in place,” said Mani.
On the viewscreen, half the defense systems focused on the assault coming through the gate, while the rest went after the enemy ships on their rear. But the enemy refused to sit still.
They jumped in and out, at first luring the defense systems further away from the fleet, and then jumping back in to resume the attack. By comparison, the Allied fleet seemed flat footed. They were outnumbered, and outmaneuvered.
Ships continued to blow apart. Now those explosions came from Diakan and UHSF ships, along with Kemmar and Juttari.
The relentless push through the jump gate continued, with several Kemmar ships managing to gain a beachhead. These seemed equipped with much heavier armor. They continued to focus their fire on the defense systems, creating a bigger gap for the rest of the Kemmar ships comin
g through. Soon their fire would be focused on what remained of the fleet.
Konos requested a comm link with General Ornios. Moments later the Diakan appeared on Konos’s display.
“What is it, Captain?” said Ornios, fixing Konos with an unblinking stare.
“General, this strategy isn’t working. We need to use our jump systems to counter the enemy’s maneuverability.”
“Negative. Our top priority is defending this gate.”
“But General-”
Ornios’s face disappeared from Konos’s display, just as the glaring light from a massive explosion filled the main viewscreen. Konos looked to his tactical screen, which confirmed his suspicions. General Ornios’s ship had been destroyed.
Several tiny suns filled the viewscreen as more ships blew apart. To Konos’s dismay, not one was an enemy vessel.
We’re lambs to the slaughter, thought Konos, not daring to speak the words out loud. Another heavy concussion jostled the bridge crew, and a young Ensign screamed as flames erupted from his console, scorching the man’s face.
“Hull breaches decks two to four,” said Mani. “Containment fields cannot compensate.”
The beginning of the end, Konos thought. The Intrepid was crippled, and the odds against them were too great. The enemy would continue to target the breach until the Intrepid was destroyed.
A Chaanisar suddenly appeared on Konos’s comm screen. “This is Colonel Soon. I am taking command of the fleet. Sync your jump systems to mine and prepare to retreat.”
“What about this system? The gate?” said Konos.
Soon’s face remained stern. “This system is lost. Remaining would only serve to destroy all our ships. A waste of lives and resources.”
“Understood,” said Konos. “Advise all birds to return to the nest immediately,” he said to Mani.
The remaining fighters and bombers jumped short range to land alongside the Intrepid. They were close enough to the carrier for the jump field to envelop them.
Moments later the screen flickered and they were surrounded by empty space. The battle was over, and Konos hung his head in defeat.
