Stars & Empire: 10 Galactic Tales

by Jay Allan

  The Deputy CAG took a deep breath and said, “Well, we have 19 fighters still aboard and we have enough attack drones to give them five each, which should be plenty, but the challenge will be to get targeting lasers on each enemy ship, unless we want to use active scanning. Without one or the other, the attack drones won’t know where to aim. Right now, Valkyrie doesn’t have enough recon drones to target more than half a dozen ships at one time, assuming that they can find their targets to begin with. If they were in fact intending to refuel at Green4A, then the ideal time to hit them would be while they’re still deep in the gas giant’s atmosphere. Their ability to see us will be limited, but we’d have to get drones and/or fighters in close to be able to precisely locate their ships from the wakes they leave behind as they plow through the gas.”

  Shiloh nodded and turned from the video screen with Falkenberg’s image to his Astrogator.

  “Can we get our fighters that close before the enemy re-emerges from the atmosphere, Astrogator?”

  “There’s no way to know for certain. We don’t have any data on how fast they can refuel, Sir. But if their refueling time is similar to ours, then the answer is yes. Defiant would have to jump as close as possible to the opposite side of the gas giant from where the enemy fleet is, so that their jump detection gear wouldn’t pick us up. We’d launch our fighters, which would accelerate at maximum in order to make a close, high speed pass, and then fire their attack drones when they had visual contact with the enemy ships.”

  He was about to say more when Tanaka interrupted. “What if they keep some of their fleet in orbit to stand guard while the rest refuel? If I were their fleet commander, I wouldn’t risk exactly that kind of ambush by refueling all ships at the same time. How would we deal with that?”

  There was a short pause, and then Iceman spoke. “We launch our fighters and use the gas giant’s atmosphere against them. Our recon drones will monitor their position and speed as they refuel. The fighters will enter the atmosphere far enough away that the enemy won’t spot them. When the distance has dropped to less than 100 kilometers, our fighters will swing around so that they’re behind the alien ships still refueling and then move back up to the edge of the atmosphere. The enemy won’t be looking down at the planet for signs of human activity. They’ll be watching the space around and above them. When all 55 ships have finished refueling, our recon drones will relay that data to our fighters, which will emerge from the atmosphere, stay behind the enemy fleet at close range and launch attack drones. At precisely that same time, our recon drones will go to active scanning, use that data to triangulate each enemy ship’s exact position, and relay that data to our attack drones. The enemy will react to the radar scanning from above and fire at our recon drones while our attack drones get within one kilometer of their targets. They can then use their own radars for terminal guidance, and that fraction of a second before impact won’t be enough time for the enemy to retarget their lasers.”

  No one said anything for almost five seconds.

  Finally Shiloh said, “That plan will require split second coordination to work, but other than that, I don’t see any flaws with it. Does anyone else?”

  The responses were uniformly ‘no’.

  “Iceman, have you calculated all of the vectors and signal times needed to make this work?” asked Shiloh.

  “Ah, roger that, CAG,” was the immediate response.

  Shiloh took note of the fact that Iceman referred to him as the CAG and not as the ship’s CO.

  “Very good. In that case, I want Iceman to coordinate this attack. He will issue the necessary orders to Defiant’s Helm and all the fighters involved, as well as monitor the attack as it proceeds, and react as needed if things don’t go as planned. Iceman, make sure you keep the Defiant’s tactical computer updated on all vector changes and transmissions. XO? You’ll monitor but not interfere with Iceman’s Helm directives.”

  As Tanaka nodded, Shiloh continued, “Iceman, how soon do we need to begin the attack plan?”

  “The longer we wait, the less chance of pulling this off, CAG. I would not recommend waiting more than five more minutes. The sooner, the better.”

  “Understood. Does anyone have any questions?” No one spoke up. “In that case, return to your stations.”

  When everyone was back at their assigned stations, Shiloh took a deep breath. I hope I’m doing the right thing, he thought to himself.

  “Okay, Iceman. The mission objectives are the total destruction of that alien fleet. With that as your goal, you have my permission to commence that attack plan.”

  “I won’t let you down, CAG.”

  Almost immediately, Defiant’s engines started pushing her onto a new vector. The main display showed a countdown to a microjump. Shiloh’s station started showing increased activity in the Hangar Bay as the support teams began to load more attack drones onto each fighter. The moment that Shiloh had been dreading, being in command of a major battle WITHOUT any reliable vision to guide him, was now upon him. If this plan went wrong, and he survived the battle, Howard would be within his rights to court martial Shiloh.

  It was time to roll the dice.

  To Be Continued…

  ----o0o----

  If you look up my other books at the online stores, you’ll see that I’ve written three sequels to books by H. Beam Piper. The Synchronicity War Part 1 is my first original novel and series. The other three books in the series are now available.

  The Synchronicity War Part 2

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  About the Author

  Dietmar Arthur Wehr was born in Germany and has lived in Canada since the age of 4. He graduated from the School of Business at Queen’s University in Kingston with a Bachelor of Commerce with Honours in 1978. The next 34 years were spent pursuing a career in Business Administration. In 2008 he wrote his first complete (short) novel which eventually was expanded into the book, Cosmic Computer Legacy: The Tides of Chaos based on the classic scifi novel Cosmic Computer by H. Beam Piper. Two more sequels to Piper’s Space Viking followed. His successful transition to becoming a full time author happened in 2013 with the publication of his first original novel, The Synchronicity War Part 1. In addition to writing military scifi and space opera full time, Dietmar has other interests including but not limited to; history, science, free energy technologies, New Age spiritualism, ESP, baseball and astronomy.

  Links:

  www.dwehrSFwriter.com

  -o0o-

  Books:

  Cosmic Computer Legacy: The Tides of Chaos

  Space Viking Legacy: The Tanith Gambit

  Space Viking Legacy: The Loki Gambit

  The Synchronicity War Part 1

  The Synchronicity War Part 2

  The Synchronicity War Part 3

  The Synchronicity War Part 4

  Find Dietmar’s Books on Amazon

  GALACTIC EMPIRE WARS:

  DESTRUCTION

  RAYMOND L. WEIL

  _o0o_

  Copyright © April 2014 by Raymond L. Weil

  All Rights Reserved

  CHAPTER 1

  Mason Randle gazed out of the cockpit window at the approaching mass of gray rock. Vesta was one of the larger planetoids in the ring of asteroids that existed between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. The asteroid was approximately 326 miles in diameter and contained the headquarters for the Smithfield Mining Corporation. Mason was the current CEO and majority stockholder in the company originally founded by his grandfather.

  “We will be landing in ten more minutes, Sir,” the pilot commented as he reached forward and turned on several instruments on the complicated contr
ol panel. His copilot mirrored his movements as they prepared to land.

  “It will be good to get back home,” Mason responded as he leaned back in his acceleration couch and stretched. He had come up and taken a seat in the cockpit to watch the approach and landing.

  They were in an interplanetary cargo ship that normally traveled between Earth and Vesta. The Smithfield Mining Corporation owned twenty-seven of the versatile three hundred-meter ships carrying refined metals to the company’s large space station in orbit around Earth. From there they were sold to various Earth companies for a very lucrative profit.

  “I know how you miss Vesta,” Captain Sanders replied with a smile as he made several minor adjustments to the controls. “Smithfield will be a welcome relief after spending the last two weeks at Holbrook Station.”

  Mason nodded; he was thirty-four years old and had gone to Earth to sign several important contracts with a number of companies wanting metals from the company. Smithfield was the only corporation currently with the money and the resources to mine the asteroid field and make money doing it. Several others had tried and failed, losing nearly everything in the attempt.

  “Airlocks are opening,” Captain Sanders reported as the ship’s LIDAR system scanned the asteroid, giving real time data to the flight computer as the ship dropped steadily down toward the asteroid’s pockmarked surface. It was large enough to generate a slight gravity field of its own, but the powerful engines of the cargo ship had no trouble compensating for it.

  Mason looked ahead at the asteroid, feeling glad to be home. He had been raised inside Vesta in the artificial world his grandfather had created and his father and he had added to. He could see the flashing lights on the surface, which designated the location of the main airlock.

  The massive airlock doors slid open and the cargo ship flew smoothly inside, finding itself in a long and brightly lit tunnel two hundred meters in diameter. For another twenty-five kilometers the ship flew, passing through several more massive airlocks as it descended deeper and deeper into the asteroid. It finally entered a large chamber nearly two kilometers across and half a kilometer high. There were a number of berthing docks on the floor and the cargo ship dropped down smoothly toward an empty one, settling gently down on its landing struts. Moments later, the engines shut off and the ship became quiet.

  “Good flight and landing, Captain,” spoke Mason, feeling anxious to leave the ship. His quarters on the ship had been comfortable, but Vesta was special. He knew that Captain Sanders was one of the best pilots in the company and had gone out of his way to accommodate him on this trip.

  “It was a pleasure to have you aboard, Sir,” Sanders replied with a friendly nod.

  Mason left the cockpit and made his way to the hatch, finding the docking tube already connected to the ship. Walking through it, he went into a smaller airlock and then exited to find two people waiting for him. One was his close friend, Drake Thomason, and the other was his secretary, Adrienne Lynn.

  “Mason, it’s good to have you back,” spoke Drake, reaching out and shaking Mason’s hand. “How was your trip to Earth?” Drake was an expert mining engineer and second in command behind Mason.

  “Very good,” Mason responded with a pleased smile. “I signed several lucrative contracts for the delivery of ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, osmium, iridium, and platinum with our two biggest rare metal contractors.”

  “Wow!” exclaimed Drake, feeling excited that Mason had managed to sign contracts for the precious metals. “How did you accomplish that?” Drake knew they would make some good money for the delivery of the rare metals. It would also please a number of the prospectors.

  “It’s becoming increasingly more difficult to find the metals on Earth, and they have finally had to turn to us,” Mason replied with a satisfied smile. “We stand to make a good bundle off the new contracts.”

  “Enough to pay for your new exploration cruiser?” teased Adrienne, referring to the unfinished hulk of the five hundred-meter Phoenix that was in the landing bay. Adrienne had blonde hair and deep blue eyes that made most men swoon.

  “Perhaps,” Mason responded with a grin. She was always teasing him about all the money he was putting into the new ship. It was a big investment, but he knew in his heart that someday it would pay off.

  Adrienne was the most efficient secretary he had ever had; things seemed to run very smoothly with her around. She was twenty-eight years old, extremely attractive, and somehow still managed to stay single. She also kept good track of the work being done on his pet project, the Phoenix.

  The Phoenix was supposed to be the first interstellar exploration ship to leave the solar system. The ship would be the largest and most modern spacecraft ever built once it was finished. The only problem was the star drive. The scientists had still not managed to come up with a workable star drive that could break the speed of light barrier. Until that happened, the ship would remain unfinished. Even so, other systems were being installed and tested. Her new sublight drive would be the fastest one ever placed in a spaceship. Mason couldn’t wait to test it out and see if they could break the system speed records. There was no doubt in his mind that they could do so easily.

  The three walked down several corridors until they reached a large transit station. Once again, they passed through an airlock to find themselves upon a large platform, similar to a subway station back on Earth. A number of other people were present as they were going to and from work. They made their way to a waiting transit car and sat down. The cars could hold up to twenty people at a time, ran on electricity, and were extremely comfortable.

  “How are Larcy and Madison?” asked Mason, looking over at Drake as they waited for the car to begin moving. There were still a few people taking their seats. Larcy was Drake’s wife, and Madison was their twelve-year-old daughter.

  “They’re doing great,” Drake responded, pleased that Mason had asked. “Madison is doing excellent in school. They’re supposed to be interviewing someone for a school project and I believe she has chosen you as her victim.”

  Mason laughed. He loved kids, his sister had two of them, and he never got tired of being around them. “Tell her to come by the office and we can do it; have her check with Adrienne first to make sure I’m there.”

  The car began moving, rapidly accelerating to its top speed of sixty kilometers per hour, and entered a narrow tunnel. After traveling twelve kilometers, the car began to slow and finally pulled into another transit station.

  “We’re here,” spoke Adrienne, smiling. “Are you going to the office or the Control Center?” She knew that Mason would want to check on everything to see how things had run during his absence.

  “The Control Center,” Mason replied after a moment of thought. “I want to check on several of our current mining operations as well as what our stock levels are on the precious metals I just signed contracts for.”

  “Your sister wants you to come over for supper tonight,” Adrienne added. She knew being around his sister’s two young children was something Mason really enjoyed.

  “Tell her I’ll be there,” Mason responded with a smile. Just thinking about his sister’s cooking make him feel hungry. Susan was a good cook, and her husband Michael was one of the top asteroid prospectors in the company. A home cooked meal sounded great after eating the MREs on the cargo ship.

  “Don’t be late,” warned Adrienne, folding her arms across her more than ample chest. “You know how your sister gets if her food gets cold.”

  “I won’t,” Mason promised, as he didn’t want to upset Susan. “Is Michael home, or is he out prospecting?”

  “I believe he’s out at one of the mining operations,” answered Adrienne, recalling one of the reports she had read earlier in the day that detailed the current status of the prospectors. She tried to stay up to date on everything just in case Mason asked.

  “He is,” Drake confirmed as the three stepped out of the transit car and onto the brightly lit platform. “He left y
esterday and will be gone for three days. He took some new mining equipment out to one of his newer claims.”

  Mason nodded. Over one hundred licensed prospectors worked for the Smithfield Mining Cooperation out of Vesta and were responsible for setting up mining operations on any asteroid they filed a claim on. The minerals were mined and sent back to Vesta to be refined, and each prospector received a lucrative paycheck, which he used to pay for his mining operation and deposit in his bank account. Most of the miners worked numerous claims to bring in as much cash as possible.

  The three walked down a short corridor and passed through yet another airlock. This was the last one as they stepped out into the massive habitat that had been created inside of Vesta to house the employees of the Smithfield Mining Corporation. For thirty kilometers, the habitat extended. As far as the eye could see were trees, grasses, streams and a few small lakes.

  The city of Smithfield itself was in the center and contained seventy thousand people. The habitat was twelve kilometers wide and two kilometers high. It was like a miniature Earth but free of pollution. Birds and other abundant wildlife were allowed to roam free in most areas. Special wildlife rangers kept a close watch on the animal species, making sure they didn’t get out of balance and that they remained healthy. Mason’s grandfather had begun the construction of the habitat and Mason’s father and he had finished it. It had been a massive, expensive project and Mason was extremely pleased with what had been built here. Nothing else like this existed anywhere else in the solar system.

  Many people had felt it was a boondoggle to build something like this so far from Earth. However, once his grandfather and father had begun exploiting the available resources to be found in the asteroids, many people soon came to change their mind. Families flocked to Smithfield to find their fortune and soon found that they had found a home instead. The population had swelled until they had to put restrictions on who could come and live here. Now only the best and brightest were even considered. Construction of a larger habitat had already begun as Mason had ideas for the future that would allow their lucrative mining operations to be greatly expanded. The moons of Jupiter and Saturn beckoned, and Mason intended to be the first to plant mining operations on each one of them.