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

by Weil, Raymond L.

  “I think that will work,” Tolsen nodded. “Rear Admiral Strong is also sitting out in the comet ring if we need him. If our ships jump back in after we have engaged the Hocklyns, then the trap will have been sprung. Hopefully we can hold them in Caden’s World’s gravity well between our fleet and the planet’s defenses and finish them off.”

  “It would help if we had some advance warning of their coming,” Peter continued, his eyes narrowing. “If we’re lucky they will be detected on some of the hyper detection buoys before they arrive.”

  “Admiral Stillson has placed his stealth scouts along what Intelligence believes will be the Hocklyn’s approach route,” Tolsen informed Peter. “With some luck, we will have a day’s warning before they hit us.”

  “Do we have enough ships to take them?” asked Peter, uneasily. There was a big question as to how large this attacking Hocklyn fleet would be.

  “We have Admiral Strong’s task group sitting nearby if we need them,” Tolsen responded. “Admiral Streth will also be close by with the Ready Reserve’s Second and Third Fleets.”

  “Admiral Streth seems to be taking this very seriously,” Peter commented. He was also glad to hear that Admiral Streth was close by.

  “He’s fought the Hocklyns before and knows what they are capable of,” Tolsen replied, hoping all the extra ships wouldn’t be needed. “He wants this Hocklyn fleet not only defeated, but annihilated.”

  “What about other Federation fleets, how close will they be?”

  “As soon as we detect the Hocklyns all Federation fleet units will go to Condition One. If we need additional forces we can call them in,” answered Tolsen. He also knew that if that were necessary then the Hocklyns had attacked in overwhelming force and his fleet was probably in dire straits.

  -

  On Caden’s World, Captain Krandle was standing behind the sensor operator watching the screens. She felt some anxiety since over two thousand marines were now on the planet and dug in. The mines were still in operation, but just barely. Everything had been made to look as if the civilian miners were still on the planet while in truth, less than one hundred were. Those were mainly supervisors and technicians that were necessary to ensure the equipment would stay running.

  “Nervous, Captain?” General Abercrombie asked from her side.

  Lucy nodded her head, not trusting her voice to speak.

  “This will be a big battle,” Abercrombie spoke in a steady voice. “We have our defensive satellites and the fleet above us in orbit as well as a lot of heavy weapons we brought with us. If the Hocklyns manage to get into orbit and land their Protectors, we’ll be ready for them.”

  “I know,” Lucy finally managed to say. “It’s just the significance of what this battle means.”

  “The official start of the war,” said Abercrombie, nodding his head in understanding. “Some say that already started with the previous battle with the Hocklyns in this system.”

  “But the Hocklyns didn’t know what they were up against then, this time there will be no doubt.”

  Captain Krandle looked at several viewscreens on the wall next to the large sensor screen. She could see heavily armed marines on patrol in the two mining settlements as well as several missile batteries that were pointed upward. Caden’s World had always been so peaceful. It wasn’t the greatest world to live on in the Federation, but it had been home to over twenty thousand people. Now it was an armed military camp and one big trap for the Hocklyns.

  -

  Lieutenant Simmons was out inspecting the deployment of the marines around the operations center. He was carrying a heavy assault rifle with armor piercing rounds. Hocklyn Protectors wore heavy body armor and regular bullets would not penetrate. Much of the operations center was underground except for the top two levels. On the very top level numerous antennas, sensor dishes, and communications equipment was pointed upward.

  He allowed his gaze to turn to the six marines in front of him; one was a corporal in charge of this particular squad. They were dug in with a wall of thick sandbags surrounding them, and all six marines were heavily armed. Inside sat a missile launcher capable of bringing down inbound troop shuttles as well as fighters. The missile launcher had six fire-and-forget missiles in its slim tubes. There were four of these emplacements around the operations center. Taking a deep breath, Lieutenant Simmons continued on his inspection tour.

  -

  On Ceres, Fleet Admiral Johnson was meeting with Admiral Teleck, Admiral Kalen, and Colonel Anne Grissom. Admiral Teleck had requested that the Fleet Admiral come to Ceres for the meeting.

  “This is the beginning of the war, Admiral,” commented Teleck, looking at several sheets of paper that were lying on the large wooden conference table at his fingertips. “Do you think it’s wise to risk Admiral Streth this early in the conflict?”

  “No, I don’t,” she confessed, wishing Admiral Streth wasn’t taking this risk. “But he is a Fleet Admiral, and there is very little that I can do. He was adamant about being present for this battle.”

  “He wants this Hocklyn fleet annihilated to send a message to the Hocklyns,” commented Anne, knowingly. “That’s why he has moved Second and Third Fleet so close to Gliese 667C. He wants every ship in that fleet destroyed.”

  “I just wished he had taken the StarStrike,” said Karla, shaking her head worriedly. If something happened to Admiral Streth, it would seriously shake the morale in the entire Federation, particularly the Fleet.

  “He doesn’t want the Hocklyns to see such a large ship,” responded Anne, looking calmly around the small group. Her Intelligence group had discussed this very thoroughly. She would be returning to the StarStrike as soon as this meeting was over. “He is aboard Admiral Sheen’s flagship, the WarStorm.”

  “So many names from history,” commented Admiral Kalen, softly.

  “People all across the Federation are familiar with the names StarStrike, WarStorm, and Avenger,” Admiral Teleck responded. “Those ships are part of our history, and now they well be a part of our future.”

  “I think there’s another reason Admiral Streth is there,” Anne stated, her eyes narrowing sharply. “Admiral Streth doesn’t trust the Hocklyns; he is afraid they might show up with a truly large fleet and he wants to ensure that they are defeated.”

  “But why would they?” asked Admiral Kalen, shaking his head doubtfully. “By now they must know they are facing survivors from the original Human Federation of Worlds. They have only come across the one mining colony and won’t believe there can be too many of us; there just hasn’t been enough time. They may even believe that Admiral Tolsen’s fleet is all that we have. They can know nothing of Earth.”

  “Perhaps,” replied Admiral Johnson, thoughtfully. “But in this I think we need to trust Admiral Streth’s judgment. He wants to land a telling blow against the Hocklyns and then launch his full scale attack against their empire with the Ready Reserve.”

  -

  Later, Admiral Johnson and Admiral Teleck were walking down a heavily armored corridor that led to the capital city of Ceres. They passed through the last large armored hatch and stepped out into an artificial world. Karla paused as she took in the magnificent sight that spread out before her. Here, inside Ceres, the original Federation survivors had carved an amazing home out of the hard rock of the asteroid.

  “It’s beautiful,” Karla spoke quietly as her hazel eyes took everything in. She had been here before, but each time it affected her the same way.

  In front of her was a massive cavern over forty kilometers in length and twenty kilometers wide. At its center was the capital city of Providence, named after one of the original worlds of the Federation. Nearly four hundred thousand people called Providence their home. Around the city, the floor of the cavern was green and blue, with flowing rivers and streams as well as several large lakes. Even in the city itself, large areas of green could be seen.

  “Its home,” responded Admiral Teleck, proudly. “I don’t know if
I could live anywhere else.”

  “Ceres has been the home of the Federation survivors for over four hundred years,” spoke Karla, taking in a deep breath. Even the air smelled unusually clean and fresh. It reminded her of the air on New Tellus during a spring day immediately after a rain. “Your people have prepared for this moment in history ever since their arrival in the system; now it’s finally here.”

  “The war with the Hocklyns,” spoke Teleck in agreement, glancing over at Fleet Admiral Johnson. He wondered if she truly understood what this meant to his people. “Every waking moment of the people of Ceres has been aimed at being ready for this war.”

  “It’s here,” Karla stated with a long sigh. It was hard to believe that nearly three hundred years had passed since her distant ancestor Greg Johnson had set foot on the crashed light cruiser Avenger on Earth’s moon.

  Admiral Teleck turned and looked closely at Fleet Admiral Johnson. “Have you spoken to Katie and told her who you are?”

  Karla laughed and shook her head. “I’m her great great niece many times removed. I don’t think that will mean much to her.”

  “It might,” Teleck replied. “All five of those young people on the Avenger have distant relatives still living. It might do them all some good to realize they are not alone.”

  “Perhaps you’re right,” Karla admitted as she gazed up at a few small white clouds drifting in the sky over Providence. She knew that the weather in the habitats inside of Ceres was controlled; they could make it rain or even snow.

  “I know of a good restaurant in the city that has fabulous food,” Teleck added with a friendly smile. “Why don’t we grab a bite to eat before resuming our duties?”

  “Sounds great,” replied Karla. She was feeling a little bit hungry, and a little time off away from all the planning and war preparation would be nice.

  -

  Jeremy and Kelsey were eating in the officer’s mess on the Avenger discussing the coming battle; both had been extremely busy the last few days. Jeremy had been working with the task force making sure that each commander understood the new tactics and what was expected of them. Kelsey and Ariel had been working on perfecting the hyperspace jumps so the fleet could emerge from the spatial vortexes in fleet formation ready for combat.

  “Katie finished the last program we needed earlier today,” Kelsey reported as she bit a large red strawberry in half. She loved strawberries; she always had.

  “Then we’re ready,” said Jeremy as he watched Kelsey swallow the rest of the strawberry. He just hoped his tactics would work against the Hocklyns, if not his stint as an admiral would be very short.

  “Angela says everyone is anxious for this battle to begin,” Kelsey added as she reached for another strawberry. “The communication officers on the other ships report that this waiting is nerve wracking.”

  “Yes, I realize that,” responded Jeremy, knowing how they felt since he was feeling anxious also. “I don’t think we will have to wait much longer.”

  “Mind if I join you?” Colonel Malen asked. She was carrying a tray with a ham sandwich and a glass of tea.

  “Have a seat,” said Jeremy, motioning for her to sit down. “Lieutenant Grainger and I were just discussing the computer programs that Ariel and Lieutenant Johnson have finally finished.”

  “You know Admiral that if these micro-jump tactics you have come up with work, it will revolutionize how our ships fight.”

  “Perhaps,” responded Jeremy, showing a little doubt in his eyes. “We won’t know how well they will work until we try them.”

  “I had Ariel run some simulations based on past battles with the Hocklyns, and in every case the Hocklyns are taken by complete surprise,” Colonel Malen reported confidently. “They have never seen anything like this.”

  Jeremy was silent as he listened to Colonel Malen continue to explain the results of the simulations in more detail. She was an excellent executive officer and the crew respected her, and she in turn respected them. Kelsey and the colonel began discussing the micro-jump calculations, and Jeremy continued to listen with interest.

  -

  On board the battle cruiser WarStorm, Rear Admiral Sheen was in the Command Center making sure all the units of her fleet were ready for instant deployment to Gliese 667C. Second Fleet was a very powerful and formidable force, consisting of four battle cruisers, six battle carriers, twelve Monarch cruisers, four strike cruisers, forty light cruisers, and twenty destroyers.

  “It’s a big fleet,” spoke a familiar and friendly voice behind her.

  Amanda turned and saw Admiral Streth standing there looking at the holographic display, which depicted her fleet. “You’re the one that made it big, I just hope it’s enough,” she replied.

  Hedon looked around the large Command Center, recognizing some familiar faces. Lieutenant Benjamin Stalls was sitting in front of the sensor control panel, Lieutenant Angela Trask was at Communications, and Lieutenant Ashton was sitting at Navigation. In some ways, it was comforting to see a few familiar faces from the old days.

  “It will be,” he replied, confidently. “The only problem will be if an AI ship shows up, and I don’t expect that. None of our stealth scouts has ever detected one.”

  “Then I guess all we can do is wait and hope the scouts detect the Hocklyns on their way in so we’ll know what we’re up against.”

  “Don’t worry, Amanda,” Hedon replied in a quiet and calm voice. He smiled gently. “The new Federation is very powerful, plus we have three allies. We’re not in this alone, this time it will be different. The Hocklyns have never faced or encountered anything like we’re about to throw at them.”

  Amanda nodded as her eyes wandered to the ship’s main viewscreen, which was focused on one of the new strike cruisers. With its 1,000-meter length, it was a very awe-inspiring sight and extremely powerful. Perhaps Admiral Streth was correct and this time things would be different.

  -

  War Leader Bisth smiled craftily to himself as his combined fleet completed its jump. He wasn’t as confident as Fleet Commodore Resmunt was that the humans only controlled a few worlds with a small population. To him there were too many things that didn’t add up such as the size of the fleet that had jumped Sangeth, plus their weapons. It suggested an advanced civilization with a large population. How this could be possible from a few thousand human survivors was unknown, but he had decided to err on the side of caution.

  “Jump complete, War Leader,” First Leader Gresth reported. “All ships report successful jumps.”

  Bisth nodded and gazed at the main viewscreen, which was showing the space around them. They had jumped close to a small nebula. He had decided to avoid jumping into any star systems as they neared the target world. If this was indeed a larger civilization than Resmunt believed, then the nearby star systems might have pickets in them. Bisth wanted no early warning of his strike; he would hit quickly and decisively.

  His cold eyes slowly swept over the War Room seeing with satisfaction that everything was as it should be. Each Hocklyn was busy at their posts performing their assigned task with maximum efficiency. To do less could result in a loss of honor.

  “Two more days and we will be at the human world,” First Leader Gresth rasped, his cold gaze meeting the large dark ones of Bisth.

  “Then we will earn our honor,” Bisth spoke with satisfaction in his voice. “A quick victory over any opposing ships, and then we land our Protectors on their planet. After we have located the information we need, we will send a ship back to Fleet Commodore Resmunt. Once that has been completed, the rest of our ships well continue on to the human’s home world and conquer it. We will achieve much honor in this campaign.”

  “Enough to rise in stature and wealth,” Gresth added, his eyes showing fire. Gresth wanted to rise to the position of War Leader and this campaign might just allow him to do that.

  “Enough for all of us,” Bisth assured his Second Leader. Bisth’s eyes returned to the viewscreen and the dar
k nebula. They were coming, and these new humans would soon know the wrath and power of the Hocklyn Slave Empire. After their worlds had been conquered and their military destroyed, the humans would become the newest slaves to serve.

  Chapter Nine

  Admiral Tolsen let out a deep breath. He could sense the growing apprehension in the crew of the Command Center as they waited for the expected Hocklyn attack. He knew part of the uneasiness was because he had split the fleet. Currently the WarHawk was waiting just outside of the gravity well of Caden’s World with what remained.

  Glancing over at the tactical image being projected above the plotting table, he could see his other battle cruiser, the Dawson and on the other side of her was the battle carrier Independence. The rest of the fleet was hovering in support positions awaiting orders. He still had two Monarch cruisers, four light cruisers, and eight destroyers that made up his decoy fleet. His fleet was acting as live bait to encourage the Hocklyns to launch their attack. It was a risky tactic, but he didn’t feel he had any other choice.

  In order for his plan to work, he needed to lure the Hocklyns in and then retreat into the gravity well of the planet, thus trapping them. If need be, he could call up the ten destroyers and four light cruisers in orbit around Caden’s World to support his fleet. Once inside the gravity well, the Hocklyns wouldn’t be able to escape into hyperspace using their jump drives. After that had been accomplished, he would then call in the rest of his fleet as well as the other waiting fleets from their hidden positions out around the system’s comet ring.

  “I hate this waiting,” Colonel Beck grumbled as he checked the current status of the fleet units. He had been busy speaking to the other ship departments over his mini-com. Everyone was expressing nervousness over the long wait for the Hocklyns to attack.

  He looked over at several young officers who were talking quietly to themselves. He let out a deep sigh, the crew was well trained, but there were a lot of young crewmembers, some just fresh out of the academy.