The Slaver Wars: Galactic Conflict
Page 5
The fleets continued to close. Fighters were launched and already on attack vectors, which would bring them into contact shortly. From the space station, four hundred bear bombers protected by two hundred fighters had settled into their attack formations. A dozen Human bombers launched also and tucked themselves into the bear squadrons. They would help to coordinate the attack with the less experienced bear pilots.
“Engagement range,” Ariel spoke in a calm and cool voice.
“Fire!” Jeremy ordered his eyes glued to the tactical display.
From the Human ships, hundreds of Devastator Three missiles launched. Due to their sublight drives and inertial dampening systems, they arrived on target almost at the instant of firing. From the missile tubes, only a brief blur was visible and then titanic explosions of nuclear fire began rolling across the Hocklyn fleet formations.
“Follow up with power beams,” Jeremy ordered as he shifted his gaze to the large viewscreens on the front walls. The screens were lit up with hundreds of 40-megaton explosions as the deadly sublight missiles ravaged the Hocklyn fleet.
“Hocklyns are returning fire,” Ariel warned as space became full of flying ordnance and energy beam fire.
-
In the Hocklyn fleet, shield after shield failed under the tumultuous attack of the Devastator Three missiles. Due to their subspace drives, the missiles were nearly impossible to shoot down.
Hocklyn escort cruisers died as their shields failed and additional missiles struck their heavily armored hulls. However, even heavy armor could not keep out the deadly destructive power of a 40-megaton warhead. Support cruisers began dying in bright explosions as the deadly missiles blew the 800-meter ships apart.
Several warcruisers died as their shields were stripped away and nuclear detonations against their hull blasted massive glowing holes in the ships. Not even a warcruiser could survive the detonation of a 40-megaton warhead against its battle armor. In each case, the warcruiser died as its self-destructs activated, blowing the remains of the ships into thousands of pieces.
-
“The Hocklyns are losing ships,” Colonel Malen reported with a savage grin as red threat icons began blinking out.
“Keep firing the Devastator Threes,” Jeremy ordered grimly as the Avenger shook from missile and railgun fire impacting the ship’s energy screen. He knew the Devastators were his big advantage and he intended to use them to push the Hocklyns back.
“Light cruiser Malven is down,” Kevin reported as the friendly green icon flared up and vanished from the screen.
In space, heavy Hocklyn energy beam fire overloaded a section of the energy screen on the light cruiser Johnson. Explosive decompression blew out several large sections of the hull where the beams penetrated. Then the shield failed completely. Seeing an opening, half a dozen Hocklyn nuclear missiles struck the hapless cruiser, sending it into nuclear oblivion.
“Order the bomber strike in,” Jeremy said between clenched teeth as he watched another of his light cruisers vanish from the tactical screen.
“Light cruiser Johnson is down,” Kevin uttered as he tried to keep track of the growing battle on his sensor screens.
-
Commodore Krilen watched in increasing frustration as more of his ships died around him. On the main viewscreen, a warcruiser was being torn apart by enemy energy beams, which were cutting deep swaths in the ship’s hull. The warcruiser finally exploded as its self-destructs were set off.
“Honor has found them today,” Angoth intoned as he watched the destruction on the screen.
“What about the AIs?” Krilen demanded. He had never expected the Humans to fire so many of their deadly sublight missiles and now their bomber strike was coming in.
“AIs are jumping now,” Angoth reported.
-
In space, the four AI ships suddenly opened up white spatial vortexes in front of their vessels and accelerated into them. Moments later, they reappeared midway between the space station and the second Human fleet. They were close to the defensive satellite grid and all four AI spheres instantly opened up with heavy energy weapons fire upon the satellites and the dozen small battle stations within range. There were even a few of the Humans' destroyers inside their engagement range. All were targeted by the AI’s deadly energy beam weapons.
In moments, the grid was covered in destruction as satellites were blown apart. Even from the surface of the planet, Carethians could look up and see the bright explosions lighting up the night sky above them.
Satellites, battle stations, and the few destroyers in the area instantly responded, but none had weapons that could endanger an AI. However, that was not true of Ceres Fleet under command of Admiral Stillson. Seeing the AIs appear, he instantly ordered his strikecruisers to lock on and fire.
The AIs had been bombarding the satellite grid for less than ten seconds when their screens were suddenly covered in 40-megaton explosions from Devastator Threes launched from the strikecruisers. However, the range was just enough that a few of the deadly missiles were intercepted by AI defensive fire.
One of the AI screens suddenly weakened and a Devastator Three struck the hull of the huge 1,500-meter sphere. Instantly, thousands of tons of steel and armor were turned into red hot plasma and incandescent gas. The AIs quickly activated their jump drives. New spatial vortexes formed and they jumped into hyperspace. But they had done their damage. Six of the small battle stations were gone, two Human destroyers, and over two hundred defensive satellites had been annihilated in the brief attack.
-
Second Leader Jaseth grinned in wolfish satisfaction as a Human battlecruiser died under the withering weapons fire from the Viden. The Viden and two other dreadnoughts had managed to knock down the cruiser’s screens and then finish the destruction with missile and railgun fire.
“AIs have jumped back out,” First Leader Trion reported as he saw the four large green icons that represented the AIs vanish and reappear again far behind the fleet, safely out of the gravity well of the planet. “One of them appears to have been heavily damaged.”
“Yes, and Commodore Krilen is ordering us to withdraw,” War Leader Versith responded as he looked critically at the tactical display. The Human bombers were nearly upon the fleet and he had ordered the two war wings he had held back in reserve to intercept them. The rest of the fleet’s war wings were tied up with the Human fighters in a deadly dance of death. Bright fireballs upon the main viewscreen attested to the ferocity of that battle. Versith knew the fleet would take some losses from the small attack craft as it withdrew. “Load all tubes with interceptors,” he ordered grimly. “I want as many of those bombers destroyed as possible when we exit the gravity well.”
“As you command,” Trion replied as he moved to carry out the orders.
-
Jeremy groaned as he watched one of his two battlecruisers vanish from the tactical screen. Looking at the one of the main viewscreens, he could see several nuclear fireballs where the powerful battlecruiser had been.
“Battlecruiser Republic is down,” Kevin reported in a strained voice. He knew that close to two thousand fleet personnel had just died.
“Hocklyns are withdrawing,” Ariel reported with obvious relief in her voice. “They are moving toward the edge of the gravity well.”
“Continue to hammer them with Devastator Threes,” Jeremy ordered as he blinked his eyes and looked around the Command Center. “I want to cause as much damage to them as possible.”
“Bomber strike is going in now,” Colonel Malen informed Jeremy as she saw the swarm of small green icons nearing the retreating Hocklyn ships.
“Ten more seconds and then stop Devastator launches,” Jeremy ordered not wanting to accidently destroy any of the bear bombers.
“Bombers continuing to close,” Ariel reported as she watched the attack with her sensors. “Devastator Three launches have stopped. Bombers beginning their attack run.”
In space, four hundred bear bombers p
rotected by two hundred fighters hurled themselves at the Hocklyn ships. Interceptor missiles reached out and began destroying the incoming bombers in bright fireballs. Energy beams and railguns began targeting the inbound bomber strike. A few Hocklyn fighters moved in to attack, but were intercepted by the defending bear fighters. The bear bomber formation was full of balls of fire as bomber after bomber died, but then they were within range. Hundreds of missiles were fired. In all, over nine hundred small nuclear tipped Shrike missiles rained down on the battered Hocklyn fleet formation. Ship after ship died as nuclear fire ravaged the targeted ships.
The bombers finished their attack run. They had gone in with four hundred bombers, but only one hundred and eighty flew back out. Behind them, they left eighteen Hocklyn support cruisers in ruin as well as four warcruisers.
-
Hocklyn are moving out of the gravity well,” reported Ariel, looking over at Jeremy. He had a ghastly look upon his face from seeing the staggering losses the bears had suffered. “The bear bombers and fighters are disengaging.”
Jeremy took a deep breath and then looked over at Colonel Malen. “Get me a status report on the fleet. I want to know our damage and what we lost.”
“Yes, Sir,” Malen replied. She knew that if not for the massive use of Devastator Threes and the bear bomber strike, the Hocklyns could have destroyed Fourth Fleet.
Jeremy looked across the Command Center at Kelsey. She must have felt his look as she turned around and looked back. For the first time in a long while, she wasn’t smiling.
-
Commodore Krilen glared angrily at the tactical screen, which showed his ships beginning to enter hyperspace. White spatial vortexes were forming in front of the ships as they fled back to the system where their other ships waited. He had not expected the Humans to use so many of their powerful missiles.
“What did we lose?” he demanded, turning toward First Leader Angoth.
“Reports are just coming in,” Angoth rasped in his heavy, deep voice. “Two dreadnoughts, eight warcruisers, and thirty-seven escort cruisers. Many other ships are reporting damage.”
Krilen cringed inwardly at the losses. Those damn Human sublight missiles were deadly. At least they had destroyed a large number of the defending fighters and bombers. The AIs had also managed to significantly degrade the planet’s defensive grid in one section. Krilen had already decided they would continue to attack and weaken the defenses until they reached a point where they could attack the planet. There had to be a limit as to how many of the deadly sublight missiles the Humans had.
-
Jaseth watched in elation at seeing the damage they had done to the Humans. While it was true the Hocklyn fleet had suffered more, they had forced the Humans to use a large number of their powerful missiles. Jaseth knew that each subsequent attack would further weaken the Humans more until the last of them would fall to Hocklyn weapons. These Humans were trapped with nowhere to go. Jaseth gazed around the War Room, noticing other Hocklyns. All were busy at their consoles. Looking behind him, he frowned at the tall Protector standing there. It had felt good today to fire the ship’s weapons upon the Humans, particularly when they had destroyed the Human’s battlecruiser.
Versith was watching Jaseth. The young warrior had performed his duties admirably today, no problems and no fits of rage. If he continued to do so, there might not be a need for a Protector to be present. Versith felt the Viden jump into the safety of hyperspace. Trion was already working on a status report of the damage suffered by the war fleet. Repairs would have to be made and perhaps more ships shuffled around to keep his fleet at full strength. Commodore Krilen had already informed Versith that the Viden would be leading all of the future attacks.
-
Jeremy studied the loss report on the small data screen on his command console. Fourth fleet had lost one battlecruiser and four light cruisers. The battlecarrier Cygnus had been damaged and was already on its way to one of the two large repair docks at the station. Jeremy needed his first line ships repaired and available for combat. Numerous other ships were damaged and would also need repair time. Other losses included two hundred and sixty fighters, two hundred and twenty bombers, two destroyers, six battle stations, and over two hundred of the defensive satellites.
Orders had already been issued to reposition the other battle stations to cover the gaps left in the defensive grid from the AI attack. More satellites were being brought up from the surface to replace those the AIs had destroyed.
“I just hope the battle today has bought us some time,” Colonel Malen spoke as she walked over to the command console from the tactical display. “The Hocklyns lost forty-seven ships and Admiral Stillson did manage to damage one of the AIs.”
“We may have,” replied Jeremy, hoping Colonel Malen was right. “They'll likely take the time to repair their battle damage before attacking us again, even though they have nearly four hundred ships that did not participate in this attack. There are also six more AI ships sitting in system K-774. Our placement of Devastator Threes on our light cruisers really hurt the Hocklyns. They weren't prepared for that. I doubt if we can expect such lopsided fleet victories in the future.”
“We need to buy all the time we can,” Ariel spoke from her position next to Jeremy. “Admiral Streth and Clarissa will be here soon. They said they'd be coming back. We also have large reserves of Devastator Threes.”
Jeremy just nodded. He hoped the light cruiser they were sending could find out what had happened and return with a relief fleet. Even if that happened, it would take close to three weeks for the light cruiser to reach New Tellus and come back with help. The only problem was Jeremy didn’t know if the Human forces in the Carethian system could survive for three more weeks.
Chapter Four
High Leader Nartel gazed in open contempt at Councilor Ruthan. The councilor had been demanding that all weapons research be stopped and that more ships be brought in from the outer regions of the Empire to protect the twelve home systems. The recent turn of events in the war with the Humans had deeply shaken Ruthan.
“We will not stop the weapons research,” responded Nartel, gazing defiantly at the standing councilor. “I have informed the AIs of our decision to pursue a robust weapons research program to counter the Humans. I have also requested additional weapons from them, including their sublight antimatter missiles.”
“They will send their ships again,” Ruthan grated out his dark, cold eyes turning red with anger. “They will wipe more of our habitats from orbit causing the ruins to rain down upon our worlds. How can you dare risk such a disaster? The AIs will show us no mercy!”
“There will be no risk,” Nartel replied in a confident voice, his eyes sweeping over the other councilors. “The AIs have agreed to the weapons research and are sending ships to all four of our major ship production sites, including Kenward Seven, to help in modernizing our fleet.”
“If the AIs have agreed to that then they must greatly fear the Humans and these new allies of theirs,” Councilor Berken spoke as he stood up and gazed at the other High Councilors with deep concern on his face. It might be wise for us to consider what must be done to better fortify our home systems in case they decide to attack us here.”
“They will never be able to attack our home worlds,” spoke Councilor Desmonde, shaking his head in denial. “We are too far behind the front lines of this war. Our resources should be devoted to building more modern ships and to holding the current boundaries of our Empire. Perhaps it would even be wise to expand our existing ship building capacity.”
“I agree,” Councilor Jarles added, his large, cold eyes looking around the council. “Expansion of the Empire under the current conditions will be impossible. We must preserve what we have and determine how best to meet this new threat. If we build more shipyards, when the time comes that we can begin aggressively expanding our Empire once more we can make up for the time lost in dealing with the Humans.”
“What will th
e Humans' next move be?” Berken asked as he sat back down. “Will they attempt to take more of our slave worlds?”
“Commodore Krilen is still in the process of attacking the system of Careth,” High Leader Nartel responded. “He has over five hundred warships and ten AI spheres with which to annihilate the Humans and the Carethians. Once that's done, he will hold his position in the Carethian system and notify us when the Humans return.”
“How soon before the Humans show up?” demanded Ruthan, nervously. “They could be on their way right now!”
“A few weeks at least,” replied Nartel, confidently. “They suffered heavily in our attack upon their system. It will take them time to repair the damage and assemble a fleet. When they return, Commodore Krilen will attempt to fight a delaying action. We must finish updating as many ships as possible before engaging the Humans in a major battle. We still have thousands of ships in the Empire that we can call upon if need be and they will all have to be sent to the shipyards.”
“What if the new, advanced aliens come with the Humans?” Ruthan asked as he looked worriedly at the High Leader. “How can we hope to stop them if the AIs could not?”
“The AIs have other weapons,” replied Nartel, recalling his most recent conversation with the metal monstrosities. “I suspect if these aliens do show up, the AIs will be better prepared next time.”
This seemed to satisfy the council and after discussing several other matters of importance to the Empire, the meeting broke up. Once the other councilors had left, Nartel went to his office and stepped out onto the balcony that over looked the capital city. He took in a deep breath and looked up into the sky. There was a heavy haze over the city and even though it was mid afternoon, the city seemed dark and gloomy.
Nartel took out his blade from the scabbard at his waist and gazed thoughtfully at it. Things had been so much simpler back in his youth when he had served as a warrior upon a warship. While it was true the AIs had agreed to the weapons research and to further upgrade Hocklyn ships, Nartel thought he had detected a definite undertone of fear from the AIs. This was something he had never noticed before and it was causing him some grave concern. There was something about this new race of aliens that had come to the Humans' rescue that deeply worried the AIs.