“The defenses are the most powerful around that large series of domes on the surface,” commented High Commander Corr. On the main viewscreen, the domes Corr indicated appeared. “Three ODPs are directly above that site as well, and a spaceport is close by. On the far side of this moon is what appears to be a large military training facility. It consists of several very large domes, as well as a series of small spaceports.”
Horrabe focused on the locations High Commander Corr mentioned. He noted that both were targets that needed to be destroyed. “Designate both sites as primary targets.” He then used his mental abilities to assign several of his fleet admirals to apply pressure to the defenses around and above those installations. Horrabe also decided to pay special attention to those attacks. “What about those two shipyards?”
“Counting 107 warships protecting one and 118 protecting the other.”
“An excellent opportunity to further weaken their fleet. We will assign the necessary fleet units to annihilate those ships as well as the shipyards they protect.”
Horrabe now used his mind to influence various admirals and ship commanders. He wanted certain goals accomplished in this attack, and he was determined to make sure those goals were achieved.
-
Captain Julius Vern was in command of the three ODPs directly above Luna City. Forty energy beam satellites and ten missile platforms were under his direct control as well. He used the energy beam satellites to shoot down as many of the incoming missiles as possible. The missile platforms he used to hit various Confederation warships in massive missile wave attacks. So far he had annihilated twenty-two enemy warships using the platforms. The three ODPs were his heaviest hitters. With their missile tubes, fusion energy beam turrets, and their large fusion cannons, he had caused considerable damage to every Confederation ship that came within range.
“We have large numbers of Confederation ships moving toward us,” warned his sensor officer. “This may be a concentrated effort to take us out.”
Captain Vern nodded. “We’re prepared for this.” Vern was in constant communication with all ten missile platforms under his command. “All platforms, concentrate your fire on the inbound enemy ships. Ripple-fire your missiles, and clear your missile bunkers. Once all missiles have been expended, you’re to evacuate your commands and head toward the surface. Good luck and good hunting.”
-
The ten missile platforms immediately launched missiles at an accelerated rate. The entire forward section of the advancing Confederation fleet became a furnace of dying ships from the tremendous number of exploding fusion and antimatter missiles. Heavy fusion energy beams from the ODPs added to the destruction, seeking out damaged targets.
-
In the command ODP, Captain Vern nodded in satisfaction. “I want all three ODPs to focus on the enemies’ battleships. Let the platforms take out the battlecruisers.”
Captain Vern watched his viewscreens, as the enemy fleet continued to advance. It was obvious its strategy was to destroy the missile platforms. One after another Vern saw them blown apart under intense weapons fire. Only the last two managed to launch all their missiles and evacuate.
“They’re switching their fire to the energy beam satellites,” reported the sensor officer.
It took several minutes for the energy satellites to all be destroyed, and then the three ODPs faced the might of the advancing Confederation fleet on their own.
“It’s about to get rough,” commented Lieutenant Chelsea Lawson, his second in command.
Captain Vern nodded. “It was bound to eventually.” Vern studied the tactical screens for several moments. “I want all three ODPs dropped down closer to the Moon. Put us ninety kilometers above Luna City.”
“That’s low,” replied Lawson worriedly. “We’ll be using our thrusters constantly to maintain orbit.”
“I know, but the three PDCs around Luna City can then fire on the enemy ships attacking us from that range. That will give us a lot more firepower.”
Lieutenant Lawson smiled. “I like that idea. I’ll pass the order immediately.”
Captain Vern leaned back in his command chair. The battle was about to get interesting. The PDCs on the Moon’s surface did not have an atmosphere to fire through. It would make their fusion energy beams even more dangerous.
-
Rear Admiral Leeson was involved in a heavy firefight with the Confederation ships swarming the shipyards. Both he and Rear Admiral Mendoza were doing everything they could to protect the two valuable structures.
“We’re too heavily outnumbered,” said Captain Newman, sweat running off his brow. “For every countermove we make, they have one to answer. It’s almost unreal.”
Leeson winced as he saw another of his battlecruisers blown apart as its screen was overloaded, and then it was struck by a pair of antimatter missiles. His gaze wandered to one of the viewscreens of the shipyard he was trying to protect. An ODP was close to it, and the ODP was under heavy attack. Even the shipyard’s energy screen was being struck by occasional missiles and fusion energy beams. Leeson had the sinking feeling that, no matter what he did, he would lose this battle. The numbers, even with the Moon’s massive defenses, just were not on his side.
“The three ODPs over Luna City are dropping down in their orbit to allow the PDCs around Luna City to bring their heavy weapons to bear,” reported Ensign Bower.
“Good move,” commented Captain Newman. “That’ll be a hard nut to crack over Luna City.”
“I wish we had more ships we could send them,” said Rear Admiral Leeson. They desperately needed another fleet, and, other than Rear Admiral Collison’s fleet, which was protecting Earth, there was not one.
“We could request some attack interceptors from Earth,” suggested Newman. “Say a thousand.”
Leeson let out a deep sigh. “I wish we could, but we’ll need all those interceptors when this fleet attacks Earth.”
“Admiral!” shouted Bower, her eyes wide with shock. “They just took out the Fleet Academy. All the domes plus the spaceports. I have confirmed reports that at least two, maybe three antimatter missiles detonated when the shields failed. The entire area is devastated.”
Leeson closed his eyes and shook his head. This was horrible news. It would take several years just to rebuild the academy and the infrastructure surrounding it. Forcing his eyes back open, he looked at Ensign Bower. “What happened?”
“The Confederation overran the ODPs protecting that region of the Moon. Then they crashed four of their damaged battlecruisers into the energy shields of the defending PDCs. The shields collapsed, and the Confederation ships then blew them up. Then they launched an all-out assault on the energy shields protecting the domes of the academy, the Marine training facility, and the spaceport. They couldn’t handle such a massive bombardment and failed after a few minutes.”
Rear Admiral Leeson leaned forward. “Inform all commands of the Confederation’s use of suiciding their severely damaged ships. If we know what they’ll do, we can stop them.” This Morag admiral was shrewd. He was constantly adjusting his strategy. Leeson wondered what was next.
-
Fleet Admiral Horrabe gazed at the destruction on the main viewscreen of his flagship. He had taken over the minds of four of his commanding officers whose ships had been severely damaged. He had forced them to fly their ships at high speed into the energy shields of the defending PDCs protecting the domes and the spaceports of the large Human base and installations that Horrabe wanted to destroy.
The plan had worked. Where the Human domes and spaceports once were, now three massive craters in the ground had been created by antimatter explosions.
He shifted his concentration to the three ODPs defending the largest cluster of domes on the surface and a major spaceport. That target had to be destroyed, as well as the two orbiting shipyards. Without hesitation he seized control of the minds of twenty commanders whose ships were heavily damaged. He ordered them all to ram on
e of the shipyards, while the rest of the attacking ships laid down a powerful barrage of missiles and fusion energy beams to cover their attack. He would annihilate the two shipyards and the warships protecting them and would then focus the full might of his fleet on the three ODPs defending the main ground target he wanted to destroy.
-
Rear Admiral Leeson felt the Titan shake violently as it came under fire from a squadron of enemy battlecruisers. At the same time the entire Confederation fleet surged forward toward the shipyard he was defending.
“We’re being overrun,” said Captain Newman, as several red warning lights appeared on the damage control console. “We can’t stop them.”
Leeson knew what Newman said was true. Confederation ships were everywhere around the Titan as well as his other ships. Battlecruisers and even a few dreadnoughts were destroyed by the sudden rush of the enemy fleet.
“Admiral, the shipyard!” shouted Lieutenant Stewart.
On the main viewscreen, half a dozen Confederation battlecruisers smashed into the energy screen of the shipyard, causing it to flare way up in brightness. Two more hit, and then the screen failed. A damaged Zynth battleship appeared and rammed the center of the station, tearing it in two. Missiles and energy beams finished it off. When the firing stopped, all that was left was a field of glowing debris.
“Shipyard has been destroyed,” confirmed Captain Newman in disbelief at how rapidly it had happened. “The other shipyard is under similar attack.”
Leeson looked at the viewscreen just in time to see the shipyard’s energy shield go down, and then two Zang battlecruisers rammed the shipyard. In a massive explosion, the shipyard blew apart, sending debris flying in all directions. Several ships too close were struck by large pieces of debris and destroyed.
“Contact Rear Admiral Mendoza. I want all surviving ships to rendezvous at the three ODPs defending Luna City.” Leeson felt his breathing quickening. He was losing this battle, and he knew he could do nothing to change it.
-
Fleet Admiral Horrabe felt sweat on his wide forehead. It was hard work using his telepathy to influence so many ship commanders. But he had accomplished his goal. Both shipyards were gone, and many of the warships protecting them had been destroyed as well. Now it was time to focus on the three ODPs and the PDCs on the surface.
“Some ship commanders are questioning why so many of their fellow commanders volunteered to suicide their ships,” reported High Commander Corr.
“Don’t worry about it,” replied Horrabe, as he drank a liquid stimulant one of his aides had handed him. “We will scrub their minds when all this is over. We’ll make it seem like they volunteered to assure a Confederation victory. We’ll have four weeks to scan everyone before we make it back to Confederation space.”
High Commander Corr gestured toward the three ODPs on the main viewscreen. “This battle is not yet won. The surviving ships defending the shipyards are coming to the aid of the Human ODPs. Sensors indicate all their ships are coming here.”
Horrabe nodded. “That will just make them easier to kill, and we won’t have to hunt them down later.”
-
Admiral Reynolds had watched the destruction of the Fleet Academy, the Marine training center, and the adjoining spaceports in shock. Now on the main viewscreens were the ruins of two shipyards they could ill afford to have lost. “This Morag admiral is like none we’ve faced before. He is sending fully crewed ships to suicide in order to bring down our shields.”
“What do we do to prevent that?”
“We must shift our targeting. When we detect a Confederation ship coming in on a direct collision heading, we must switch all our weapons fire to take out that ship before it strikes our energy screens. Colonel Bryson, inform Rear Admiral Leeson of our conclusion. Also contact General Weston and tell him as well.”
Reynolds frowned. He wished he could do something to help, but the battle was being fought over 430 million kilometers away. All he could do was watch and offer occasional advice.
-
Rear Admiral Leeson looked at the smaller number of green icons that now represented his fleet. He still had 227 battlecruisers and 14 dreadnoughts. The surviving fleet was positioned to assist the three ODPs that were soon to be in a battle for their very survival.
“Confederation fleet is massing into one large formation,” reported Captain Newman. “Their coordination is much better than anything we’ve ever seen before.”
“The Morag,” muttered Leeson. “They act like professional warriors.”
“I still don’t see how their fleet can maneuver like it has. Something to me just does not make any sense.”
“Could be computer control,” suggested Leeson, as he watched the approaching enemy fleet. “When this is over, and we can study some of the wreckage, maybe we’ll know.”
Captain Newman studied the enemy force now rapidly approaching them. “They’ll try to overrun us again, like they did at the shipyards.”
Leeson suspected Newman was correct. Leaning forward, he activated the ship-to-ship comm channel. “All commands, target enemy vessels as soon as they get in range. Any ships on a direct collision course with any of the three ODPs are primary targets and must be destroyed. I don’t want to see any of the ODPs rammed!”
-
The Confederation fleet entered weapons range, and space was once more full of weapons fire and exploding missiles. As Captain Newman had predicted, the Confederation fleet did not slow down but swarmed around the Human fleet and the ODPs. Countless damaged battlecruisers tried to ram the ODPs, and, despite the heavy fire from the Human forces, some were successful. In less than two minutes of fighting the first ODP saw its energy shield fail. Moments later dozens of antimatter missiles slammed into its armored hull, changing it into a glowing furnace as hot as a sun.
Ships on both sides were dying. Weapons fire from the ODPs and now the PDCs on the surface smashed into large sections of the advancing Confederation fleet, destroying numerous warships. A second one of the ODPs had its shield knocked down from a massive hail of missiles. The screen failed, and moments later the ODP died as it was blown to oblivion.
-
Captain Julius Vern, senior commander of the orbiting ODPs, winced as the other ODP was blown apart. Rear Admiral Leeson’s fleet was doing the best it could to protect them, but it just wasn’t enough. Ground fire from the PDCs reaching the Confederation fleet was causing widespread damage and destruction, but already antimatter missiles were striking the protective energy screens above the domes of Luna City.
“Get me Rear Admiral Leeson,” ordered Captain Vern.
“Got him,” called out the communications officer.
“Admiral, you need to get out of here. Not much more you can do. We’re just too badly outnumbered. Take what survives of your fleet and get to Earth. You’ve done all you can here.”
At that moment the energy shield protecting the large spaceport next to Luna City failed. It had been under heavy attack. One moment the spaceport was there, and, the next, it was a huge glowing crater in the ground.
“It’s over. Please leave. Your ships will be needed to defend Earth.”
“Can you evacuate?” asked Leeson.
Captain Vern laughed. “No, at least here on the ODP we’ll get a quick and painless death.”
“I hate leaving you,” replied Leeson.
“You have no choice. Take what remains of your fleet and get to Earth. Captain Vern out.” Vern shut off the comm unit. There was nothing else to say. “Everyone, do your jobs. I want to take as many Confederation ships with us as possible.” The ODP shook violently, and Vern expected the shield to fail at any moment. He just hoped the Confederation fleet could be stopped short of Earth.
-
Rear Admiral Leeson was in shock at the carnage he was witnessing. One of the PDCs near Luna City had just lost its energy shield and was now nothing more than a deep glowing crater. The domes of Luna City glowed brightly
from all the antimatter and fusion missiles striking the protective shields.
“Captain Newman, order all ships to pull out. We’re heading to Earth.” Even as he said those words, one of the energy shields over one of the huge domes of Luna City failed. In an instant, the dome was turned to slag, and a deep crater was blasted into the Lunar surface. The work of decades was wiped out. Moments later the energy screen protecting another dome failed, and another massive crater appeared.
Rear Admiral Leeson took in a deep breath. Captain Vern was right; nothing more could be done here.
The Titan and the surviving ships of Second and Sixth Fleets turned and accelerated away from the battle. Some ships were too damaged to flee, and those stayed to fight to the end. They formed up closer to the surviving ODP to give it what support they could.
-
Fleet Admiral Horrabe leaned back in his command chair, exhausted. For the last hour he had used his telepathy to control the battle. “Pull us back,” he ordered. “We’ve done enough damage to this moon. We’ve annihilated or heavily damaged all our primary targets. We must take time to repair our own damage and to rest before we make a move on the Humans’ home planet.”
-
Captain Vern stood in shock as the Confederation fleet pulled out of combat range. Looking at a large viewscreen, he saw the ruins of Luna City. Only one of its major domes was still intact. All the others had been smashed. He knew that some of the deep bunkers had probably been destroyed as well. Still a few damaged Human warships remained near the ODP. For them certain destruction had surprising gone away.
“Get repairs underway. Have the other surviving ODPs take up positions over the surviving city domes.” Captain Vern knew a number of domes had not been targeted across the Moon. At least the people would have somewhere to go.
“Can we contact Colonel Mills?”
“No,” replied the communications officer. “There’s too much interference, and one of those deep glowing craters is directly above the underground Command Center. It might not have survived.”
Captain Vern let out a deep sigh of frustration. What else could go wrong today? “I want a complete list of what military assets we have left. Particularly ODPs, missile platforms, and energy beam satellites. We still have a moon to defend, and millions of people depending on us are inside those underground bunkers.” Captain Vern turned his gaze to the tactical display. The Confederation fleet was now on a slow course toward Earth. At their current speed, it would take them six hours to get there. Captain Vern hoped Earth would come out better than the Moon had.
The Forgotten Empire: The Battle For Earth: Book three Page 25