I nodded, “I have an even better idea. Give me… five minutes.”
Jayna asked, “What’s the plan?”
I smirked, “Might as well go with what my automated fleet is. I just need a bigger hammer, is all. Cassie’s plan, with a slight twist.”
It only took a couple of minutes, the ring I’d just leave the same to what it was already doing, it was the addition that took a little time to work out.
Cassie looked curious, but she held her tongue as I worked.
I smirked, as I activated the plan. It was going to be awesome, or really, really, bad. I wasn’t sure which yet.
My ring jumped ahead of the fleet to surround them again, and right as they got in range to the ring and the enemy fleet danced and ships traded places to shield other ships from fire, a hundred and twelve trillion mini-platforms jumped right in front of their fleet, tightly packed.
It looked like one gigantic subspace beam when they fired into the first rank, less than a second later all one hundred thousand ships in the front rank exploded and were turned into dust. The second rank went the same way, but they’d launched missiles first in an attempt to destroy the mini-platforms and open a hole in our formation. That failed spectacularly, as the missiles were instantly destroyed after clearing their shields, and they blew up even faster as a result.
Then the third, fourth, and fifth exploded.
By then of course, the ships were right on top of my mini-platforms, even killing so many a second wasn’t fast enough to get all sixty ranks, not when the enemy was still traveling over ten percent the speed of light.
The mini-platforms melted out the way of the sixth group of ships, and the ones on a collision course flowed back and moved behind the others as they fired at the seventh rank. Mini-platforms started to explode by the thousand as the enemy’s beams dug into them, but there were far too many for that to matter.
The seventh rank went up in a large explosion.
The enemy formation was one huge mess at that point, their outer dancing ships had lost their rhythm and those started to explode as well from the ring firing. As soon as they were out of range, the ring jumped back in front, and opened fire again a second later.
While the mini-platforms continued to fire within their ranks. When the fleet was past them, several billion mini platforms had been destroyed from secondary ship explosions and enemy fire, but at over a hundred trillion that hardly mattered. They could be replaced. They jumped in front again, and once more space lit up in what looked like one large blaster beam.
That’s how the rest of the battle went, each time the mini-platforms leaped and got in front of the enemy ships, at least two whole grids of a hundred thousand ships each exploded, then at least another one and a half while inside the enemy formation for a few seconds. I lost a horrifying amount of mini-platforms, but nothing that couldn’t be replaced in a day.
“Where did those come from?”
I said, “We have fifty-six million dreadnoughts on our borders, fourteen fleets of four million. I just launched a sixth of the platforms from every ship, two million each. Those bastards are as good as dead. You were right, Cass. They obviously couldn’t fight both tactics at once. Still, it’s quite amazing how long it’s taking to kill just six million ships, with twenty million ships and trillions of platforms.
“I estimate we’ll lose close to two million ships out of our five fleets and close to a trillion mini-platforms before this battle is over. In hindsight, it would’ve been much faster and easier to take them out if they were going slower. The mini-platforms could’ve just sat in front and destroyed them all in one wave. One second per layer, that’s just under a minute.”
Jessica said, “Maybe, but if they were going much slower then they wouldn’t be stuck on course.”
That was a good point. Again I’d just proven I wasn’t an admiral and had a basic grasp of tactics at best, but my hammer approach worked when I’d made the hammer larger.
Cassie asked, “So, what’s next?”
I frowned, “I’m not sure, they still have twenty-four million ships somewhere. We’ll see what happens.”
I doubted they’d surrender. They no longer had enough ships to guard all their borders with full fleets, and they’d have no more offensive fleet either. Much less the ships necessary to take over our six borders around the fifty galaxies. That meant they might be a little desperate, I’d have to give it some thought.
Chapter Eleven – Interlude
Hunt Master Orlun seethed in his command chair. His fleet was slowly but surely being massacred. He’d handled the humans’ surprise attack well, and despite being outnumbered over three to one in ships alone he’d believed there was a chance of a success. Their unmanned ships fought with no subtlety at all.
Then the trillions of small ships had come, and they’d attacked him head on. There was nothing he could do about that, at least not while being surrounded from all sides except behind. They had less than a million ships left, a few more passes and his fleets along with his ambitions would be annihilated.
“Tactical, report.”
Maybe it was an empty gesture, but he wanted to know how the human ships had grown so powerful. Wielding similar weapons and shields, it was disturbing.
The Tactical officer replied, “Their systems are remarkably like ours, but no hunter would be foolish enough to let one of our hunt ships to fall into their hands.”
He nodded in agreement. The Vrok had learned that lesson well. The last time they faced the Grays in battle, and their nanite technology. No hunter would allow their ship to be captured, not when those blasted nanites could form new and different systems without a refit, or a newly built ship in a facility. That’s how they’d lost the last time they tried to invade Grays space in the distant past.
He grimaced, “Prepare the fleet for a jump into subspace, it’s our only chance. The enemy is too numerous, and they have our strength now.”
They were also stupid. He couldn’t quite figure out why they’d thrown those old sixty-six thousand ships into his path to be destroyed, if they had their technology now. He doubted he’d ever understand the foolish thoughts of their prey.
Though, this prey had grown teeth.
“Sir?” the navigator asked.
He said, “Our shields should stand up to the violence of subspace in an inner system for a few tenths of a second. That will be all we need, at fifty light years a second in subspace, we’ll be out of the humans’ system in less than a couple of milliseconds.”
The navigator said, “Theoretically, if our engines work in that mess. It’s been theorized but never attempted before.”
He shrugged, “It’s worth the risk to find out, we’re dead if we don’t. Question my orders again, and I will have you replaced with your guts hanging over the console as a reminder of the consequences of disobedience for that replacement.”
The weapons officer said, “With all due respect, Hunt Master. At least if we self-destruct then we can take millions if not trillions of those tiny ships, if we do it while we pass them.”
He growled, “Perhaps, but it would be an empty gesture. Not one of our flesh and blood enemies sit in those fighters, and they can be replaced quickly with the nanite technology of our enemy. I will bear the shame of our retreat should we survive, now follow my orders.”
The navigator said, “The fleet is prepared to go to FTL on your word, Hunt Master.”
What’s left of it, that little conversation cost them two hundred thousand ships, there were only seven hundred thousand of them left.
“Do it, now!”
The ship’s entered subspace.
“Report!” is all he got out, before the remainder of his fleet was destroyed in the savage energies of subspace inside a heavy gravity well.
The Exalted hunter shook his head, that was foolish. Although, his females might learn something useful from the data. Apparently in the wildly coruscating energies of subspace in an inner system, the
drive systems that would have taken them out of that area in milliseconds had failed to engage, or work at all.
He was also enraged. How had the humans gained their technology? There was no breach detected, and none of his ships had been captured, would ever be captured again. He was down to twenty-four million ships, and it would take three times that to secure all the borders in the new space, and he didn’t even have enough ships to secure the old borders.
The great hunt was a failure, and worse the enemy held all their borders and they were confined to their planets with no ability to build more ships.
He turned to one of the warriors in attendance, “Jarune, old friend. What options do you see for us? I will not surrender, but I fear even if we find a way to win and destroy the humans, the other empires will feed on our wounded carcass in our weakened condition and as we will not have enough ships on any of the borders.”
Jarune considered for a moment.
“Exalted one, we have enough for our old borders, three million ships each, and we can rebuild. To get time for that, the humans must be neutralized. Perhaps stealth will be successful where main force failed. If we destroy that station, the humans will have their hands full as all their outer fleets are neutralized, as well as the fleet that killed the hunt master and our spear fleet.
“They’ll be far too busy for years to threaten us in our space again.”
He frowned, “Without the station the fleets will be uncontrollable, but they may act on their own programming. We’d still have to fight to reclaim our borders.”
Jarune chuckled.
He asked dangerously, “My concern amuses you?”
Jarune said, “No, Exalted one, but if that is true, that would be even better.”
His eyes unfocused for a moment, as he considered what his old friend was getting at, then he started to laugh.
“We could leave the human fleets in place, with no fear they would attack us if we keep our distance. They would forever guard our borders, and we would be free to attack and continue the great hunt with our twenty-four million ships. Their old uncontrollable fleets would also guard our new territory, leaving the fleets free to transport food to our worlds as we slowly rebuild.
“Eventually we’ll replace them of course, after we build back up, but the great hunt isn’t lost after all. That station must be destroyed. It won’t be like in our systems, they have too many ships scanning their home system. I expect they’ll be detected at some point, so the more the better.”
Jarune bowed his head, “As you say, Exalted one.”
“Relay the orders, prepare as many hidden spears as you can in the next twenty-four hours. We dare not wait and surrender the initiative.”
He felt better, it was a gamble, but his dreams of being hailed as the greatest hunter in Vrok history wasn’t quite ashes yet. They still had a chance.
Jarune acknowledged the order, and he moved off quickly.
“Wait!”
Jarune looked back, “Exalted one?”
He said, “Prepare a distraction as well, perhaps if we give them something to look at, they’ll not see what’s hidden.”
Jarune barked a laugh, “I’ll see to it.”
Chapter Twelve
The battle’s losses were a little less than I’d guessed. We still had just over four and a half fleets, losing a little under two million ships. I sent the orders to replenish the mini-platforms, but I didn’t replace the platforms lost. We still had a little over eighteen million ships that I sent back out in the void. That, plus the six million I planned to pull from the two borders on the Atans Empire would put me up to twenty-four million, which was more than a match for the enemy given our mini-platforms.
Of course, finding those fleets would be virtually impossible.
“Any idea what they’ll do next? They’re running low on ships, if twenty-four million could be considered running low.”
Jayna frowned, “Wait, you need to see this first.”
“See what?”
Jayna brought it up on the command table. The President of the United States was giving a speech from what looked like the oval office, but I was sure that was simply a room on the ship he ran away in, using holographic technology.
“…bitterly regret the losses of the fine men and women in space force, who gave their lives bravely in defense of our world alongside the armed forces of other countries and colonies. They fought as one and we will never forget their sacrifice, nor that it was it was a waste of great potential among the very best of humanity. President Akin has a lot to answer for not sharing his plans or lines of research. I urge my fellow world leaders to stand together on this, and embargo Astraeus and demand he share his new technology for the good and safety of all mankind.”
Then the signal cut off, and Jayna turned it off as the talking heads got started dismantling his speech.
“Umm, what’d I miss?”
Jayna said, “He said you held back, and if the rest of the world’s leaders had known your ships would be able to stand toe to toe with the enemy, they wouldn’t have lost so many lives in a desperate gamble to safeguard Earth.”
I let my head fall forward as I shook it in disbelief.
“I suppose that’s also why he tucked tail and ran away? Or did he not mention his cowardice at all? Unbelievable.”
So much for not escalating, or our relations not spiraling further.
“We’re going public, with everything, before his bullshit story gains traction. From the lies of the committee and their full plans including killing civilians, to the amount of times I begged them to wait because we were close to a breakthrough, including the fact the station is not yet upgraded because testing is still in progress and not done, which is why the tech upgrade hadn’t been offered to other countries yet.
“I want all of it sent to the press, and to keep them honest I want it put up on YouTube and Facebook in totality. So people can do their own research.”
Cassie sighed, “It will help, but they’ll just say that you’re lying and the data’s been falsified, while they lie and post falsified data. They’re all spin masters.”
I snorted, “Whatever.”
Cassie said, “You know why they’re really doing it, so they can point and say, see, we’re telling the truth, when you refuse to sell the new ships to them.”
Oh, damn.
“Well, we’ll be selling to everyone else, just not those that betrayed us. That should counter the accusation. They’ll say we should be as one on the defense issue, but we’ll point out that they deceived and manipulated me into supporting a plan I’d have had trouble supporting. A plan that ultimately failed, when the one I was asking them to follow and show patience with, actually succeeded. That they broke faith with me first, and their admiral ignored me when I begged him not to send those ships in to be destroyed.
“But, whatever. I don’t care, I’m not going to play their game. Tell the truth, let it all hang out, that’s all we can do. Some will believe it, some will believe their lies, and those people don’t matter. I won’t be turning into a sleezy and oily politician anytime soon. Also, let them know we’ll sell to the other countries in two days. As soon as Diana finishes her testing and gives me the green light, we’ll be doing our upgrade at the same time too.”
Jayna nodded, “Everything?”
I nodded, “The raw meeting logs, our arguments, the talk with the joint command center, and our decision not to sell the eight any military ships again. At least, not until they’ve regained my trust. Which will be a trick, while they’re still stabbing me in the back. They can make their own damned ships. You know what, include this conversation as well.”
Jayna said, “I’ll have it all online and to the press within an hour,” then she left the room with a determined stride. She was just as angry as I was, she was just covering it better.
Yeah, that’d be sure to piss a lot of people off, but none more so than the eight governments. But, the POTUS had a hell of a
set making those accusations when the opposite was true, and I couldn’t let that stand. Sure, some wouldn’t believe me no matter what I said, but those on my side and the independent thinkers will see the truth.
In the end, I actually and truthfully didn’t care what most people believed. I wasn’t a politician. What I cared about was not rewarding bad behavior, or letting them get away with what they did, and worse, allowing them to shame me in front of the world so I’d be manipulated into selling them ships. Nope, not going to be manipulated like that again. That’s what I cared about, protecting Earth, dignity, integrity, and honor.
“So, the Vrok, what next? They have no more attack fleet, they can’t possibly protect fourteen borders from the surrounding empires, gather resources, and start a new build program with just twenty-four million ships. I also don’t believe for a second they’ll surrender.”
Cassie said, “They don’t have many choices. They can’t bring their fleets in for service either. As I see it they have two choices. They can take their twenty-four million ships and leave. Find a weaker empire a few hundred million light years away from here, and then take it over while they dig in and rebuild. Advance their tech maybe too. All while they breed an army to fly the new ships. I imagine there’s plenty of mating pairs on twenty-four million ships, that’s got to be a lot of them. Two point four billion population if there’s only a hundred on each ship, so probably more than that.
“Once they’re ready, they come back, free their quarantined from space planets, and try to take over all seventy-six galaxies again.”
“We’ll call that option one, and I agree. Twenty-four million ships aren’t enough to do everything they have to do, not when I have almost three times that and can double that in two days.”
Intergalactic Union Page 8
