The Lost Fleet: Into the Darkness

by Raymond L. Weil

  Jeremy cleared his throat and spoke. “Let’s get this meeting started; I’m sure we all have a lot of questions. For the first order of business, I formally turn over military command of the forces in the Gaia System to Admiral Jackson.”

  A number of the people in the room looked surprised. Even the Command AI seemed to be startled as the glowing ball of energy, which served as its head seemed to double in size and brightness.

  Admiral Jackson stood and smiled. “I believe we’re missing a few key people.” He spoke into his mini-comm and the door opened as Kelsey, Kevin, Katie, and Angela stepped in. “I asked them to attend this meeting as we have a very important ceremony to attend to.”

  “I don’t understand,” said Jeremy, feeling confused.

  Admiral Jackson stepped around the table and approached Jeremy. From a folder he was carrying he removed a letter bearing the seal of the President of the Human Federation of Worlds. From his pocket, he removed a small metal case.

  “Admiral Jeremy Strong, by orders of the President of the Human Federation of Worlds, you are hereby promoted to the rank of Fleet Admiral,” Jackson said in a solemn voice.

  He opened the case and removed two five pointed gold stars. The symbol of the rank of a Fleet Admiral. With an element of grace, he removed the simpler stars of admiral from Jeremy’s shoulders and replaced them with the new insignia. Stepping back, he saluted Jeremy as everyone else in the room stood and did the same.

  “Fleet Admiral,” commented Kevin with a grin. “Does that mean I get a raise?”

  Everyone laughed and started talking. Grayseth walked up to a still stunned Jeremy and grabbed him in a tight bear hug, forcing the breath from his lungs. “The clan has been greatly honored by your promotion,” Grayseth proclaimed with deep satisfaction in his voice. “It is only right that you continue to command the hunt.”

  Kelsey came over to Jeremy and looked at him with pride. “After what we’ve all been through, you deserve this,” she said. “You’re the reason we’re all still alive.”

  Clarissa and Ariel suddenly appeared, startling Admiral Jackson. Both were dressed in their regular fleet uniforms.

  “Fleet Admiral,” they both said in unison with pleased looks in their eyes.

  “Thank you,” Jeremy finally managed to stutter, addressing Admiral Jackson. “I think it’s best if we get this meeting started.”

  -

  For the next several hours, Admiral Jackson and the others filled in the Lost Fleet admirals on what had been occurring back in the Federation and the former Hocklyn Empire.

  “The Borzon and the Shari are stirring up trouble along their respective borders,” Jackson informed them with a deep sigh. “Sometime in the future there will be another war but by then we should have hundreds of former Hocklyn slave races as new allies.”

  “You mentioned Admiral Tolsen plans on using the remaining three capacitor stations to close the black hole area and prevent intergalactic vortexes from forming?” asked Jeremy with a concerned look.

  This would permanently maroon them in the Simulin Galaxy and from what Jackson had said, they wouldn’t even be able to send a message probe back because they couldn’t generate enough energy to do so.

  “Yes,” Jackson replied. “That will effectively eliminate the Simulin menace to our galaxy. We think from some of the energy readings we observed in their previous attack they’ll still be able to open up small vortexes in other sections of the galaxy. However, Admiral Tolsen and the Altons feel confident only a few ships will be able to come through and they should be able to handle them easily. That’s one of the main reasons for the size of the relief fleets. We want to take the war to the Simulins and prevent any of their ships going to our galaxy. It’ll take a lot of energy to move the vortex’s exit point away from the galactic center. We need to find their power sources and eliminate them so they can’t eventually generate the power to send large fleets through again.”

  “Admiral Tolsen’s wrong about the threat being eliminated,” Jeremy said, shaking his head and drawing in a deep breath. “I need to tell you what we found here in the Triangulum Galaxy and why the home galaxy is still in grave danger.” Jeremy then began, with the help of Kathryn, Andram, and Clarissa, to describe the Dyson Sphere they’d discovered.

  Admiral Jackson and those with him stared in utter shock when Clarissa projected an image of the Dyson Sphere on the viewscreen in the conference room.

  “We’d been better off leaving the area around the black hole alone,” commented Admiral Sithe of New Providence. “At least there we could pin down the Simulins as they emerged. Now what are we going to do? They could show up anywhere in the galaxy with a massive warfleet.”

  Jeremy looked around at the others, seeing the worry in their eyes. “There is only one thing we can do,” he said grimly. “We have to find some way to destroy the Dyson Sphere.”

  All eyes turned toward the massive dark sphere on the viewscreen. How could they destroy something so large and protected by thousands of Simulin warships?

  “It will take time to develop a plan,” Jeremy said after a few moments. “We need to continue deploying our hyperspace disruption emitters to ensure this nebula is impervious to the Simulins. The new colonists need to be settled on Gaia. We have a lot of work to do if we’re to take the war to the Simulins.”

  “You’re right,” Admiral Jackson responded. “The Dyson Sphere has been there for millions of years; it can wait for a few more. We should have the time, particularly if Admiral Tolsen is successful in destabilizing the vortex area. It’ll take the Simulins a while to figure out what happened.”

  Jeremy nodded. “Then let’s figure out how we’re going to settle the new colonists on Gaia. With the number of people you’ve brought we can build a beautiful world to live upon. The two cities we currently have on the surface can be the beginning of something truly marvelous. While it’s true that only a small part of Gaia around the equator is habitable, it’s still a large enough area to serve us for many centuries to come.”

  Grayseth stood and looked over at Admiral Calmat. “You have brought males and females from our five largest clans,” he boomed in his loud voice. “Gaia will be a good home for the clans and our young can learn the ways of the hunt as they did in the early years.”

  Jeremy smiled warmly. “Admiral Jackson, Admiral Bachal, Admiral Sithe, and Admiral Calmat, I want to welcome you to your new home. I’m certain the members of the Lost Fleets are anxious to receive the messages you’ve brought as well as become reunited with the family members and loved ones which are part of the colony fleets.”

  -

  In the home galaxy in the old Human Federation of Worlds, the planet Maken orbited around its primary. On its surface, former Fleet Admiral Hedon Streth was in the midst of a terrible dream. He was floating in space and before him was a massive black object encompassing a star. His mind could scarcely comprehend what he was seeing when he suddenly awoke.

  Janice sat up when she heard Hendon groan loudly. “Was it a vision?” she asked worriedly. It had been months since Hedon last experienced one. Janice had hoped they were over. “Was it about Jeremy and the Lost Fleets?” She reached over and turned a lamp on.

  “My head,” muttered Hedon, reaching his right hand up and massaging his brow. He stood up and staggered over to the window. Opening it, he allowed the cool breeze blowing off the lake to strike him. Taking a number of deep breaths, he turned back toward his wife. “I think we screwed up big time.”

  Janice got out of bed and walked over to the crib, which held their infant daughter. She was still sound asleep. “What did we do wrong?”

  “That’s just it, we did everything right. I even called in a favor from President Malle so Jeremy could be promoted to Fleet Admiral.”

  “He has the forces now; he should be able to cause the Simulins a lot of problems in the Triangulum Galaxy.”

  “I’m sure he will,” Hedon answered. His head felt like someone was pounding i
t with a sledgehammer. “The problem isn’t in the Triangulum Galaxy, it’s here in ours.”

  Janice remained silent not sure what to say. When Hedon was ready to explain, he would.

  With a deep sigh, Hedon sat back down on the bed. He sat there for several moments trying to make sense of his vision. He strongly suspected what it was he had seen, but it was so fantastic. If he was right, the galaxy was in deadly danger.

  “I need to send a message to Admiral Tolsen,” he said at last. “I have another mission for him, one I’m not sure even he will believe.”

  -

  Back on Gaia, several days had passed. The cities of New Eden and Clements were in a euphoria of happiness and nonstop partying. The first colonists had already come down, reuniting hundreds who’d thought they would never see their loved ones again. Many more were still up in orbit waiting. The supply ships had brought several thousand of the spider work robots. They’d been unloaded and new streets, businesses, and homes were already under construction. There would be three races on Gaia; Human, Alton, and Carethian. It would be a new society like none before. In orbit, new AIs were being constructed. Soon new AI ships would be built, much more powerful than their predecessors. With the aid of the repair ships, which had come with the relief fleets, a massive spacedock was being added to the Clan Protector. In orbit, ten Indomitable Class Battlestations were being reassembled. They would from an impenetrable barrier to Simulin attacks when combined with the Type Two battlestations and the particle beam satellites.

  -

  On the beach a solemn and festive ceremony was being performed. Admiral Jackson had been asked to handle the rituals and had agreed without a moment’s hesitation. How often did one get the opportunity to perform the marriage ceremony for one of the Special Five?

  Kelsey and Katie stood at the happy bride’s side, holding colorful bouquets of native flowers. Jeremy and Kevin stood next to Brace, their eyes on their beautiful wives.

  The ceremony was short and sweet and as soon as Brace kissed his bride, everyone broke out into applause and laughter.

  “We should have had hamburgers for the meal,” commented Kevin as he filled his plate from the large buffet provided by the resort.

  “You’re going to turn into a hamburger,” Katie said, shaking her head and laughing.

  “Did you hear about Karalle?” asked Kelsey from Katie’s side.

  “What?” asked Katie, looking over at Kelsey. “I haven’t spoken to her since the fleets arrived.”

  “Slanarde was on one of the Bears’ colony ships,” Kelsey announced. “Karalle has already resigned her commission and is coming down to Gaia to start their family.”

  “That’s wonderful,” said Katie, feeling excited for her Bear friend. She glanced over at Kevin, wondering how much longer it would be before they started a family. Perhaps it was time for them to have a serious talk about children.

  Jeremy looked around at all of his friends and loved ones. Gaia was going to be a great world to live on. It was a place where their families could be raised in safety and learn the history of the three organic races that inhabited it. Above it, the AIs would serve as protectors.

  Looking upward, Jeremy knew nearly a thousand warships now orbited the planet. He had hoped his time of fighting had ended, but now the Dyson Sphere represented a serious threat to the home galaxy. With a deep sigh, he knew it would have to be dealt with. Pushing the thought to the back of his mind, he walked over and took Kelsey’s hand. Angela and Brace were laughing and looked unbelievably happy. Tonight was not about war, it was about a new beginning.

  Ariel and Clarissa watched the ecstatic couple, feeling extremely pleased with everything. Centuries in the past, Ariel had promised Jason Strong she would look after Jeremy and the others. Now all five were happily married and perhaps soon would be starting families of their own. She wasn’t overly worried about the threat the Dyson Sphere represented. The reason was simple; Jeremy always found a way to win and she was certain he would solve this problem also.

  “What now?” asked Clarissa in her youthful voice.

  “It’s simple,” Ariel replied with a big smile. “Let’s go join the party.”

  Moments later the beach was full of laughter as the party really began!

  The End

  If you enjoyed The Lost Fleet: Into the Darkness and would like to see the series continue, please post a review with some stars. Good reviews encourage an author to write and to help books sell. Reviews can be just a few short sentences describing what you liked about the book. If you have suggestions, please contact me at my website. Thank you for reading Into the Darkness and being so supportive.

  For updates on current writing projects and future publications go to my author website. Sign up for future notifications when new books come out on Amazon.

  Website: http://raymondlweil.com/

  Other Books by Raymond L. Weil

  Available on Amazon

  Moon Wreck (The Slaver Wars Book 1)

  The Slaver Wars: Alien Contact (The Slaver Wars Book 2)

  Moon Wreck: Fleet Academy (The Slaver Wars Book 3)

  The Slaver Wars: First Strike (The Slaver Wars Book 4)

  The Slaver Wars: Retaliation (The Slaver Wars Book 5)

  The Slaver Wars: Galactic Conflict (The Slaver Wars Book 6)

  The Slaver Wars: Endgame (The Slaver Wars Book 7)

  -

  Dragon Dreams

  Dragon Dreams: Dragon Wars

  Dragon Dreams: Gilmreth the Awakening

  Dragon Dreams: Snowden the White Dragon

  -

  Star One: Tycho City: Survival

  Star One: Neutron Star

  Star One: Dark Star

  -

  Galactic Empire Wars: Destruction (Book 1)

  Galactic Empire Wars: Emergence (Book 2)

  Galactic Empire Wars: Rebellion (Book 3)

  Galactic Empire Wars: The Alliance (Book 4)

  -

  The Lost Fleet: Galactic Search (Book 1)

  The Lost Fleet: Into the Darkness (Book 2)

  -

  (All dates are tentative)

  The Star Cross November 2015

  Galactic Empire Wars: Insurrection (Book 5) November 2015

  The Lost Fleet: Oblivion’s Light (Book 3) December 2015

  Turn the page for an introduction to The Star Cross a new military science fiction novel that will be published in November of 2015.

  The Star Cross

  Chapter One

  The Earth's 800-meter long heavy battlecruiser Star Cross slid silently through empty space, the ship’s powerful sensors scanning everything ahead and around it. Her four light cruiser escorts were in screening positions protecting the massive battlecruiser from attack. The 600-meter long light carrier Vindication followed closely behind, protected by six small destroyers. Each ship was on high alert and tensions were high amongst the crews. Everyone glanced anxiously at one another, wondering what was awaiting them at Earth.

  In the Command Center of the Star Cross, Admiral Kurt Vickers watched the main viewscreen focused on the light carrier as four fighters left the flight bay to patrol ahead of the fleet. The light carrier had twenty fighters in its flight bay as well as twelve small bombers.

  “CSP has been launched,” Lieutenant Lena Brooks reported as four friendly green icons appeared on her sensor screen.

  The twenty-eight year old young woman let out a quiet breath, hoping they would remain undetected. She felt her pulse racing and knew she wasn’t the only one in the Command Center that was worried. Lena focused her hazel eyes upon the admiral, awaiting further orders. She trusted him to bring them through the coming ordeal.

  “Current status?” asked Vickers in a steady voice, turning to his XO and commander of the battlecruiser, Captain Randson.

  The captain checked several data screens before turning toward the admiral. “Long-range sensors are indicating no unusual movement from the enemy ships. I don’t think they detec
ted our hyperjumps.” Randson let out a deep, ragged breath, feeling the tension running through the Command Center. Everyone’s nerves were on edge.

  Admiral Vickers nodded as he turned his gaze to the primary tactical screen on which information from the long distance scans was now appearing. He took in a sharp breath as he contemplated what his next action needed to be. He felt a tremendous weight of responsibility upon his shoulders, knowing his next few decisions could well determine the future of the human race. The crew in the Command Center were waiting for his orders expectantly. Everyone wanted to know what had happened here in the Solar System and if their friends and families were still alive. He knew they had good reasons to be concerned.

  Two weeks back, a mysterious and hostile alien fleet had appeared out of hyperspace and annihilated the two human fleets permanently stationed around Earth for protection. The majority of the defending ships had been destroyed before their shields could be raised or a single weapon fired. Only a few had managed to fight back and then only briefly. This wasn’t surprising as no aliens had been detected by any of Earth’s long-range exploration ships and no one had been expecting an attack, so the ships had been at a low level of alert.

  The Star Cross and her fleet had been in the Newton System practicing maneuvers and testing the new particle beam weapons the battlecruiser and the light cruisers had been equipped with. The Newton System held a thriving human colony of nearly eight million inhabitants, along with a large orbital station designed for deep space exploration and minor ship repair. The colony had a number of large scientific outposts, as ships sent out on exploratory missions were required to report to Newton before being allowed to return to Earth. Newton was also the only true Earth-type planet to be discovered so far in their explorations. There were other planets humans could survive on, but none could compare to Earth or Newton.