The Slaver Wars: Retaliation (The Slaver Wars Book Five)

by Weil, Raymond L.

  After each encounter with a Hocklyn escort cruiser, Admiral Streth would send a short coded message to Fleet Admiral Johnson, informing her of their current course and projected arrival time. Every day they drew closer and closer to the Federation.

  -

  On board the battlecruiser WarStorm, Amanda looked anxiously at the tactical display. They were now only two jumps from New Tellus, and they would be bringing the Hocklyns and the AIs with them when they arrived.

  “Hocklyn escort cruiser detected,” Lieutenant Stalls reported as a warning alarm went off on his sensor console. “Contact at sixteen million kilometers.”

  “Admiral Streth is ordering us to be prepared to jump in thirty minutes,” reported Lieutenant Trask, looking over at Admiral Sheen.

  Amanda took in a deep breath and nodded. She knew that very soon she would be able to speak to Richard. “Place the ship at Condition Two and enter the coordinates,” she ordered. Looking over at Navigation, she felt a wave of sadness pass over her at the absence of Lieutenant Ashton.

  Over the past several weeks, a lot of repair work had been done on the remaining ships of Second Fleet. All of her ships were now combat worthy and would do their share in the defense of New Tellus.

  “Emergency message from Admiral Streth to all ships,” Lieutenant Trask reported in a near panic. “Fleet Admiral Johnson has just sent a priority message. An AI ship jumped into the New Tellus system two hours ago and scanned the system. It has since jumped out and there has been no further contact. Admiral Johnson has placed all Federation ships and military installations at Condition Two, with Condition One expected shortly.”

  “Wasn’t expecting that,” Commander Evans spoke with worry in her eyes. “They could arrive the same time we do.”

  “We still have some time,” responded Amanda, knowing now she might not get to speak to Richard before the battle commenced. “It will take time for the Hocklyn Fleet Commodore to make his attack plans and coordinate with the AIs.”

  “We will also need to receive a complete load out on Devastator Threes when we enter the system,” added Commander Evans, wanting the WarStorm to be fully armed with the deadly missiles. She knew that several ammunition colliers were standing by to supply the fleet with needed munitions.

  As soon as the thirty minutes were up, a swirling spatial vortex formed in front of the WarStorm and Amanda felt the nauseous wrench as the ship jumped into hyperspace. Just one more short jump following this one and Amanda knew they would be back in the New Tellus system after being gone for months. She gazed at the large viewscreen on the front wall with its swirling colors of dark purple that signified the strangeness of hyperspace. They were going to New Tellus and the trap that the old Federation survivors had been building for centuries. They were about to see just how good a mousetrap they had prepared. She was also returning home to Richard.

  Chapter Twenty

  Admiral Streth watched anxiously as the StarStrike and the rest of the ships of Operation First Strike exited the spatial vortexes into the New Tellus system. It only took a few seconds for the screens to clear and the ship’s systems to come fully online.

  “Contact,” Clarissa called out as she was watching the sensors intently. “Federation light cruisers at twelve million kilometers.”

  “That’s our ammunition colliers,” Colonel Trist said as additional green icons flared up on one of the tactical displays. They had set up a rendezvous the day before when they had sent their regular FTL message to Fleet Admiral Johnson.

  “I am detecting six light cruisers, one Monarch cruiser and two ammunition colliers,” Captain Reynolds reported as more data came in.

  “Receiving challenge for ship IDs,” Captain Duncan added as she listened to the message over her com.”

  “Transmit them,” Colonel Trist ordered. It was a relief to have finally made it back to the New Tellus system.

  “Set a course to rendezvous with those ships immediately,” ordered Hedon, wanting to get his ships topped off with ammunition before the Hocklyns or AIs arrived. He knew they were only one or two short jumps behind them.

  “Incoming message from New Tellus Station,” Captain Duncan continued as more messages swamped her communications console. “Once we have resupplied we are to proceed to New Tellus and take up a position just outside the gravity well of the planet. The message is from Admiral Freeman. Fleet Admiral Johnson wants to meet with you at your earliest convenience.”

  Hedon nodded. He knew that the Hocklyns and AIs could launch their attack at any moment, though he hoped it would take them a day or two to plan their assault. “Inform Admiral Freeman that we will proceed to New Tellus as soon as we have finished loading munitions.”

  “We’re back,” Colonel Trist commented, his eyes showing his relief as one of the tactical displays began lighting up with the various icons representing the planets and defenses of the New Tellus system. “I just hope they’re ready for what’s following us.”

  “They are,” Colonel Grissom spoke confidently as she studied one of the tactical screens. “From what I can tell all the defenses have been heavily beefed up during our absence.”

  “New sensor contacts at forty million kilometers,” Captain Reynolds called out and then he turned pale when the contacts turned a glaring orange. “Two AI ships confirmed!”

  “Damn!” muttered Colonel Trist, turning to look at Hedon worriedly. “Now what?”

  “I’m sure they’re only scouting the system,” Colonel Grissom informed them as she watched the movements of the two AI ships. “As near as I can tell from our sensors, they have not powered up their weapons.”

  “Admiral Sheen and Admiral Kimmel are requesting orders,” Captain Duncan spoke up as the two messages came in from Second Fleet and the supply fleet.

  “I wouldn’t recommend attacking them with our limited supply of Devastator Threes,” added Clarissa, feeling nervous about the AIs being so close.

  “We don’t dare attempt to resupply with them in the system,” Hedon said with a deep frown, looking at the two colonels. “Order the supply fleet to jump to New Tellus, our ships will jump immediately after they do. We will attempt to rearm after the jump.”

  “What are the AI ships doing?” demanded Trist, looking sharply over at Clarissa who was standing next to one of the tactical displays studying it intently. “Are you detecting targeting scans or anything?”

  The blonde AI turned toward the colonel. “Nothing; they are just sitting there. I assume they are taking detailed scans of the system prior to attacking as I mentioned earlier.”

  Hedon nodded in agreement; they needed to get to New Tellus as quickly as possible before the AIs changed their minds and attacked what was left of his fleets.

  -

  The two AI ships had already scanned the human fleets close by, recognizing them as the ones they had been following. It was debated briefly about jumping into their midst and annihilating them, but the AIs were unsure how many of the deadly sublight missiles the humans had left. It was decided not to attack as they couldn’t risk ship losses at this juncture. They would continue to scan the human defenses in the system and deal with the human ships later.

  -

  Rear Admiral Andrews looked over at his subordinate and second in command, Rear Admiral Drew Hazleton. “Two AI ships,” Richard stated as he looked at one of the large tactical displays next to the center command console. They had jumped in close to Admiral Streth’s returning fleets, which made Richard nervous as Amanda was there. He also knew that Admiral Streth only had one strikecruiser plus the StarStrike that could fight the AIs.

  “Fleet Admiral Johnson has just placed all military assets at Condition One,” Major Appleton informed them from her position at Communications. At the same moment, red lights began flashing and Condition One alarms began sounding.

  “Launch four additional bomber wings immediately,” Richard ordered as he gazed at the glaring orange threat icons in the display. “I want them armed with nuc
lear tipped Shrike missiles.” Then, looking back at Admiral Hazleton, he added, “Turn those damn lights and alarms off; we know what’s out there.”

  From the command fortress, forty more Anlon bombers launched from the flight bays to take up defensive positions around the large asteroid. Two flights of Talon fighters were already on patrol and moved in closer to help cover the bombers in case of an attack.

  Richard watched as the bombers and fighters moved into position. “Admiral Hazleton, contact all the fortresses and have them prepare for a Devastator Three fire mission. If those two AIs jump into the gravity well close to New Tellus I want to blow them away.”

  Admiral Hazleton spent a few minutes passing on the orders and then turned back to Richard. “All fortresses are ready with Devastator Threes, and the shipyards have activated all of their offensive and defensive weapon systems. Defensive battle stations have taken over control of the defense grid, and all fleet destroyers are moving into their support positions within the grid.”

  “I don’t believe the AIs will attack,” Kiera Watkins, the officer from Intelligence, spoke. “They may just be watching our fleet units and transmitting the information back to their fleets.”

  Richard nodded. “As soon as Admiral Streth and his fleets arrive, his surviving destroyers will be moved into the defense grid,” he informed Hazleton. “The repair ships and his supply ships will take up positions just beneath the lowest level of the grid. We may need those repair ships if this thing goes south.”

  Richard also knew that most of First Strike’s destroyers had been lost in battles with the Hocklyn fleet and the AIs. Out of the one hundred and forty destroyers that had been in the Ready Reserve Fleet, only nineteen had come back with the returning fleets. There were a few destroyers that had been left with Admiral Strong, but most were lost in the operation. It just proved the point that the destroyer’s best use was to protect the satellite defensive grid.

  “That’s about all the destroyers are good for,” replied Hazleton, knowing how easily the larger Hocklyn ships could destroy them.

  He knew that Fleet Admiral Johnson had given the orders to cease production on destroyers and focus more on light cruisers. At least the light cruisers mounted enough weapons to be able to defend themselves.

  “What about the people on the surface of New Tellus?” Richard asked as his eyes strayed to another tactical display that showed Second Fleet and the WarStorm, still dangerously close to the two AI ships. It was painful to know that Amanda was so close, and there was nothing he could do to help or protect her if the two AI ships attacked.

  “They are on the way to their underground bunkers,” Hazleton reported as he checked the status of the planetary evacuation. Years past, deep underground bunkers had been constructed to protect the millions of people that called New Tellus their home. Nearly 22 million people lived and worked on New Tellus, with most of them being direct descendants of the original Federation survivors.

  On the tactical display, the three surviving fleets of Operation First Strike vanished, only to reappear a few moments later just outside the gravity well of New Tellus. Richard breathed a sigh of relief knowing Amanda was now out of danger.

  “More hostile contacts,” Major Dante called out as numerous red threat icons began appearing in the outer system close to the AIs.

  “Hocklyn ships jumping in,” Intelligence officer Kiera Watkins reported as she studied her data screens. “Hocklyn dreadnoughts, war cruisers, and escort cruisers detected.”

  “Additional AI ships detected,” Dante called out as four more orange threat icons appeared to one side of the Hocklyn warships.

  “Total Hocklyn ship count is four hundred and twelve ships,” Watkins informed the two admirals.

  “That’s not even half of their fleet,” Admiral Hazleton commented with a frown. “Where are the rest of them?”

  “Twenty light years away,” Watkins answered as she studied data coming in from some of the remote FTL sensor buoys. “Sensor buoys in system L-334 have recorded numerous inbound hyperjumps.”

  “They’ve split their fleet,” said Hazleton, arching his eyebrows. “I wonder why?”

  “They’re being cautious,” Richard guessed as he looked around the massive Command Center and the hundreds of fleet personnel that were going about their jobs.

  “I have Fleet Admiral Johnson on the com,” Major Appleton spoke from Communications.

  Richard leaned forward and pressed a button on the control console in front of him. “This is Rear Admiral Andrews,” Richard said.

  “Richard, what do you make of this?” Johnson asked.

  “They may want to lure our fleets out of the gravity well,” Richard suggested as he eyed one of the tactical displays. “It would also give them the option of jumping out if things go badly for them.”

  “My thinking exactly,” Fleet Admiral Jonson responded. “I am going to go ahead and pull Admiral Streth’s fleets into the gravity well and beneath the defense grid to be rearmed. Admiral Teleck is on his way from Ceres with his fleet and will be taking a holding position in system L-447 six light years away.”

  Richard nodded. “Then we are going to let the AIs and the Hocklyns come to us?”

  “We need them in the gravity well for this trap to work,” Fleet Admiral Johnson replied in a calm voice.

  -

  Admiral Teleck was well on his way to New Tellus with his fleet. “Status?” he asked as they finished their final jump. The original plan had been to jump into the system, but with the arrival of the Hocklyn and AI ships that had been changed. They would now take up a holding position in system L-447.

  “All ships have exited hyperspace and are moving into a defensive formation around the Ceres,” Colonel Barnes reported as she received reports from the sensor operator as well as Communications. “The Eden is launching a CAP of ten fighters.”

  Admiral Teleck nodded; he had a very powerful fleet with him. Eleven battlecruisers, six battlecarriers, ten strikecruisers, twenty Monarch cruisers, and forty light cruisers had been sent on this mission. Admiral Kalen back at Ceres had a fleet of the same size with which to defend the asteroid. After these two fleets, other than a few scout ships, there were no more heavy units inside the ship bays of the massive asteroid.

  Kathryn began studying the tactical display as information from New Tellus Station was being transmitted to the Ceres. She felt a twinge of fear pass through her at seeing the numerous red and orange threat icons that represented the Hocklyns and the AIs.

  “That’s less than half of them,” Admiral Teleck said as he stepped over to stand by his young executive officer. “It seems as if the AIs and the Fleet Commodore in charge of the Hocklyn fleet are in no hurry to engage our forces.”

  What are they doing?” asked Kathryn, uneasily. She knew that, at any moment, Admiral Teleck could order the Ceres and the fleet to attack the enemy.

  “It’s a waiting game to see who blinks first,” Teleck explained. “After the battle they had with Admiral Streth they are being cautious. They’re also waiting to see what forces come to the aid of New Tellus. If they determine no more are coming or none are available, then I believe they will commence their attack. Once they begin we will jump in and strike the rear of their formation.”

  Kathryn nodded and tried not to look nervous. She had never been in combat before, and she hoped she performed her job up to the admiral’s expectations.

  -

  Fleet Commodore Resmunt gazed with worry at the holographic tactical display. This system was awash with human ships and daunting defenses.

  “This will not be easy,” First Leader Ganth stated, his large eyes narrowing at what was on the display. “There are six large shipyards, a massive satellite defense grid with large battle stations intermixed, hundreds of warships and those eight massive asteroids in orbit around the planet.”

  “Our scans indicate those asteroids are heavily armed,” Resmunt added in a concerned tone. “If we attack those defe
nses many of our warriors will go to meet their honor.”

  “What other choice do we have?” Ganth asked, his dark eyes focusing on the commodore. “The AIs will expect nothing less.”

  Resmunt studied the tactical display, growing more alarmed at what he was seeing. “This is a trap,” he announced finally. “This system has been designed to destroy Hocklyn ships.”

  “That may well be,” responded Ganth, trusting Fleet Commodore Resmunt’s judgment. “But as long as this system exists it is a threat to our Empire. It must be destroyed, and we have twenty AI ships to assist us.”

  “We must be careful in our attack and not throw our ships away needlessly,” stated Resmunt, turning his cold gaze toward First Leader Ganth. “I will consult with the AIs. Their ships will have to clear a path for us or this attack is doomed before it starts.” Resmunt let out a deep, rasping breath. Never in the long history of the Empire had they ever faced defenses like these.

  Resmunt looked back at the tactical display, studying the disposition of the human forces. Not even in the Empire was there a system this well defended. If he didn’t know better, he would guess the humans had been preparing for this attack for hundreds of years. If those asteroids were as powerful as they looked, it would have taken decades to move them into orbit and then mount the massive amount of weapons scans indicated they were armed with.

  Looking at the six large green icons that represented the AI ships, Resmunt knew he had no choice but to contact them and see if they would listen to his recommendations about how this attack needed to go. He had an idea of what needed to be done, but would the AIs agree to it?

  Letting out a long, hissing breath, Resmunt turned to go to the communications console. He despised speaking to the AIs, and he had to admit he had felt a guilty satisfaction each time he watched the humans annihilate one of the massive spheres. The AIs were the masters and no one had ever been able to challenge them, at least until now.