The Forgotten Empire: Banishment: Book One

by Raymond L. Weil

  Lieutenant Commander Banora smiled to herself. No doubt this crew would stick together. Besides, all of them wanted to see what had become of the homes they had left so long ago.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Admiral Cleemorl, Admiral Bract, Councilor Prest, and Captain Masters were all gathered in a conference room inside Pallas. They were discussing the planned mission back to the Empire.

  “Combat must be avoided at all costs,” said Admiral Bract. “We can’t allow the Druins to become aware of another Human system building warships. It wouldn’t take too much for them to become suspicious and to figure out it must be Earth.”

  “We’ll be careful,” promised Derrick. “We won’t approach any planet if we detect the presence of Druin warships.” He had no interest in engaging in combat against the Druins. After all, his ship was only a light cruiser.

  “You are cleared to investigate the current conditions on as many Imperial worlds as possible, as long as you don’t endanger your ship and your crew.”

  Councilor Prest leaned forward and spoke. “You may only reveal the secret about Earth to General Creel, as he is already aware of where Admiral Cleemorl was going. You must stress to Creel the importance of keeping that information a secret.”

  Derrick had considered the ramifications of his mission and had an important question. “Should we set up a regular schedule of meetings with the general? Maybe once a year?”

  “It’s too dangerous,” replied Admiral Bract, shaking his head. “Every time the Destiny travels to the Empire, it would be risking discovery.”

  “I have a suggestion,” said Admiral Cleemorl. “What if we build a warship disguised as a freighter. It could travel to all the worlds of the Empire without raising suspicion. It wouldn’t be hard to have it registered to Lydol Four, Cleetus Three, or Bratol Three. A lot of traffic between worlds still involves freighters and even a few passenger ships.”

  “It wouldn’t be necessary to meet every year either,” suggested Councilor Prest. “Maybe once every five years to hold the risk of discovery to a minimum.”

  Admiral Bract nodded. “Let’s hope the Druins don’t discover what we’re doing.”

  “They shouldn’t,” replied Dylan. “Some of these secret bases have been in existence since the fall of the Empire. The Druins very seldom come down to a planet. They prefer orbital bombardment to make their points.”

  “How many secret bases are there?”

  Dylan shook his head. “I don’t know, but I suspect there are quite a few.”

  “Maybe when we speak to General Creel, he can give us an idea,” said Derrick.

  Councilor Prest hesitated for a moment, as if unsure whether to ask her next question. “What measures are we taking to ensure the Destiny isn’t captured?”

  Admiral Bract looked at Captain Masters.

  “We’ve installed a self-destruct device on the ship. If activated, a fusion warhead will completely destroy the vessel.”

  Councilor Prest looked surprised. “That’s a little extreme, isn’t it?”

  “It’s necessary,” replied Derrick. “We don’t want the Druins accessing our computers or any of the other systems on the ship.”

  “When will you leave?”

  Derrick looked at the councilor. “Early tomorrow. We’ve made our preparations, and the ship is ready. We just need your final approval.”

  “You have it,” replied Prest. “Just come back safely.”

  -

  Later Admiral Cleemorl was in Cheryl’s quarters aboard her yacht. They were enjoying a quiet meal that one of the ship’s stewards had prepared.

  “This is excellent,” said Dylan, as he took a bite of the sweet fish on his plate. It was a rare delicacy from one of the planets of the Empire.

  Cheryl smiled. “I stocked up the ship’s pantry and freezer with a wide selection of meats and other items. I feared that, once we left Highland Station, I would never see some of those food items again.”

  Dylan nodded in understanding. “Earth has a massive selection of various foods and meats. I’m almost certain you could find some there you would find extremely tasty.”

  “Maybe,” replied Cheryl. “When more Imperials are allowed down on Earth, I may have to make a trip to scout things out.”

  “Several Earth companies are setting up some stores inside Pallas to offer items from Earth. I believe one of them will be featuring a large selection of food items.”

  “I’ll check it out.” A serious looked crossed Cheryl’s face. “How long do you think you will be gone?”

  Dylan placed his fork next to his plate. “I’m guessing about ten to twelve weeks. We won’t go directly to the Empire but will take a more roundabout course so, if we’re detected, no one can trace us back to where we came from. We also want to spend some time in the Empire to determine its current state.”

  Cheryl reached across the table and took Dylan’s hand. “You will be careful?”

  Dylan smiled. “Yes, of course. Captain Masters has every intention of bringing the Destiny back safely.”

  Cheryl shook her head. “I’ll be a nervous wreck the entire time you’re gone.”

  “You’ll be fine. Just remember that, when I come back, we can start our lives together.”

  “I’ll be ready. We should have done that years ago.”

  “We were young,” replied Dylan, feeling regret at losing so much time. “Young people make mistakes.”

  -

  The two spent the rest of the evening talking and laughing about past experiences. Finally it was time for Dylan to leave.

  “Are you sure you don’t want to spend the night?” Cheryl leaned forward and kissed Dylan gently on the lips.

  Dylan laughed. “It’s tempting, but this will give me something to look forward to when I return.”

  Cheryl let out a deep sigh. “You can’t blame me for trying. Just make sure you come back.”

  Dylan placed his arms around Cheryl and kissed her deeply, then he released her and stepped back. “I will.”

  Cheryl walked Dylan to the airlock and watched him leave. She knew on any space mission there was always danger, and this one would be no different.

  -

  Andrew had said goodbye to Kala and now sat at the communications console on the Destiny. He was excited about going on this mission and seeing some of the worlds of the Human Empire. He had heard stories about the Empire ever since he was a kid. His parents had told him many, as well as a few of the older Imperials who knew a lot about the Empire. There were also a few Imperial history books, but those were hard to come by. Most were kept hidden and never saw the light of day.

  Andrew had been spending a lot of time with Kala on his trips between Earth and Pallas. He really wished she would change her mind about going into cryo. His attention was drawn to the hatch of the Command Center as Admiral Cleemorl and Captain Masters came in.

  -

  “Stand by to get underway,” ordered Masters, as he took his seat in the Command Center. Admiral Cleemorl sat down in the chair next to Derrick.

  “We have permission to leave the dock,” reported Andrew, as he spoke to the dock controller.

  “Lieutenant Viktor, take us out.”

  The Destiny slowly eased from the docking bay and soon hovered over the surface of Pallas. The ship turned and accelerated away from the asteroid.

  -

  Inside Pallas, Admiral Bract and Councilor Prest watched from the Command Center.

  “I hope we’re not making a mistake,” said Prest, her arms folded across her chest and a worried look in her eyes.

  “We’re taking a chance,” admitted Bract. “But, if we can have some allies in the Empire, it will make our eventual attack much easier.”

  On the main viewscreen, the Destiny suddenly vanished, as it made its first jump into hyperspace.

  “Well, they’re gone,” said Prest, her eyes still focused on the screen. “I hope they make it back.”

  “So do I,” repl
ied Bract. “With a little luck they’ll secure some future allies and some very needed information about the Empire.”

  Councilor Prest turned toward the admiral. “What’s our current status with our fleet and defenses?” Prest wanted to make sure, if the Destiny’s mission failed, and the Druins showed up, Pallas would be ready.

  “We have three dreadnoughts and forty-six battlecruisers ready for active duty. Half of those have full crews, and the others are still in training. We have finished the modifications to all eight Druin Command Stations and are sending our own attack interceptors to replace the attack drones. The space station between Earth and its Moon is finished, and the shipyard will be in another month.”

  “What about the defense grid?” Prest referred to the defensive satellites in orbit around Pallas.

  “We’ve doubled the amount of satellites we have in orbit and are currently working on putting some around Earth and its Moon. We’re setting up several satellite production facilities in North America, as well as Europe. We’re hoping to eventually build the interceptors in China, Taiwan, and Japan.”

  Prest looked around the busy Command Center. She felt uncomfortable in the large room, as it was designed for war in case Pallas was ever attacked. “Keep the Council informed, and let’s hope the Destiny completes its mission.”

  “Captain Masters is one of the best,” replied Bract. “If this mission can be completed, he will find a way.”

  Prest took one last look around the Command Center and then left.

  Admiral Bract sat down and began working out the patrol routes for the next few days. He had the Solar System to defend, and he fully intended to keep it safe.

  -

  Colonel Gleeson sat at his desk in the space station. For the first time in days Pallas work robots were not swarming over the hull. A few had been kept to perform normal repair work, and the rest had been sent to work on the shipyard.

  “Five hundred and twenty people,” Gleeson said, as he looked at a report on his computer screen.

  “It’s a big station now,” replied Major Henderson, sitting across the desk from Gleeson.

  Gleeson looked at another report on his screen. “The new fusion power plant is ten times more efficient than the old one. Your technology is amazing.”

  Henderson smiled. Imperial technology was now a major part of the station. “We tested the energy screen earlier. It’s working perfectly.”

  Gleeson leaned back and folded his arms across his chest. “You still want to place some of the new interceptors here?”

  “As a precaution against future attacks, yes. It would only take a month to build a landing bay large enough to handle them.”

  “How many?”

  “Twenty should be sufficient. Their primary job would be to defend the station.”

  Taking a deep breath, Gleeson closed his eyes and then opened them. “Let me speak to General Brier and Donovan Stewart, and see what they say.”

  “The Destiny left today,” added Henderson. “It should be gone ten to twelve weeks. I would suggest we have the bay done and the pilots trained by the time they return.”

  “We’re using air force pilots for the interceptors?”

  Henderson nodded. “That seemed like the fastest way to get them up to speed. The new interceptors take a pilot, navigation officer, and a weapons officer. They’re capable of staying out in space for seventy hours, if necessary.”

  Gleeson looked up, meeting Henderson’s eyes. “Are you concerned about the Druins following the Destiny back to us?”

  “Some,” admitted Henderson. “It’s not likely, but we should be prepared, just in case.”

  Gleeson looked at the large viewscreen on one wall of his office. On one side of the screen was a painting of Earth and on the other side a painting of the Moon. “What’ll happen to us?”

  Henderson knew Gleeson was referring to the future. “At first there will be considerable unrest as we introduce new technology. However, in a few years it should settle down. Within two decades most of Earth will resemble what the Empire looked like when we left. There will be no more poverty. Most illnesses will be a thing of the past, and the Human life span will have been extended by at least 30 percent.”

  “If the Druins don’t destroy us first,” pointed out Gleeson.

  Henderson nodded. “Fortunately we’re far away from the Confederation. Even if they discover our existence, there may be very little they can do about it. Given enough time, we’ll make the Solar System into a fortress that even the Confederation can’t conquer.”

  “Let’s hope you’re right,” replied Gleeson.

  -

  On Earth, General Brier was in Arizona, watching a new Imperial fusion power plant being readied for activation. The station would be capable of furnishing all the power needed for the entire West Coast.

  “We’re making progress,” commented Vice President Hicks, here for the opening ceremony.

  General Brier nodded. “In another six months I’ll have a world military set up. It will have the best soldiers, navy personnel, and air force people from across the planet.”

  “Where will they be based?”

  “I’ve picked out a dozen locations. We’re already building some of the bases.”

  “What about all the personnel we’re sending to Pallas?” In the distance, Hicks heard the five-minute warning announced for plant startup.

  Brier watched the plant. Dozens of these were being built across Earth. Good, clean, and abundant energy was finally here. “We’ll continue to do that for a while. Eventual plans call for building a fleet training center on the Moon.”

  Hicks nodded. “Next week I’m supposed to take a trip to Mars with Donovan Stewart to look at the terraforming project. He’s already making plans to place six more colonies on the planet.”

  “The Solar System is ours now. With Imperial technology we can go just about anywhere. We’ll have mining ships heading out to the asteroids in another few weeks.”

  Suddenly another alarm sounded. Three loud blasts echoed through the air.

  “Here we go,” said Hicks, looking at the plant expectantly.

  In the distance, he heard a low hum that gradually increased and then held steady. At the plant a series of green lights lit up, indicating the plant was now furnishing power into the national power grid.

  Hicks smiled. “We better get inside. We’ll need to pose for some photos.”

  The two men headed back into the plant, along with others who had been watching from outside in the viewing stands. This marked a new era in power for North America and soon the rest of the world.

  -

  At Luna City on the Moon, the embassy for the Pallas Imperials had been completed. Luna City was built beneath a large artificial dome, which had been greatly strengthened by the Imperials. It was now also protected by an energy shield. Outside of Luna City, a massive spaceport was being constructed. The spaceport could handle any Earth spaceship, as well as any Imperial vessel. It would also be home for nearly two hundred of the new attack interceptors, once they were built.

  Two additional domes were being constructed next to Luna City as well, to hold the expected expanded population that would be coming to the Moon. In addition, on the far side of the Moon, another dome was being built for the space academy that would train future flight crews for both civilian and military ships. A smaller dome nearby was being constructed to train special Space Marines.

  -

  In his new office inside the embassy, Brett Newcomb and Alan Foster were meeting with the mayor of Luna City and the military officer responsible for the spaceport.

  “Things have really changed here in the last six months,” commented Mayor Kinsley Moss. “With Imperial science we have made the dome safer and greatly increased the power we have available. We’re building more motels for tourists and have just finished constructing a zero-gravity area where one can fly using special wings.”

  Brett Newcomb laughed. “I was the
re yesterday. The young people have pretty well taken it over.”

  Kinsley nodded. “It gives them something to do and keeps them out of mischief.”

  “In a few more years we’ll have close to one million people living here. In the next stage of expansion we need to build factories and facilities that can handle the raw materials the mining ships will be bringing from the asteroids and other mining projects.”

  Colonel Logan Adams, in charge of the spaceport, smiled. “I’m glad you sent Easton Dray to help in all this. The man is absolutely brilliant.”

  Brett nodded his agreement. “Easton was a spaceport engineer back in the Empire. He was very excited at the opportunity to put his skills back to work.”

  “Your work robots are amazing,” continued Colonel Adams. “It surprised me how fast they can construct buildings and other facilities.”

  “A lot of people are surprised,” answered Brett. “What people forget about is that the robots can work nearly twenty hours nonstop before requiring an energy charge. They also work at a steady pace and don’t make mistakes, unless it’s due to Human error.”

  Kinsley smiled. “Luna City is becoming everything I dreamed it would be. I don’t know how I can ever thank you.”

  “Allowing us to place our embassy here is all we ask,” replied Brett.

  Kinsley’s smile faded, and she turned her attention to Colonel Adams. “How close to the city will you place the interceptors?” Kinsley felt a little uncomfortable having a military target so close to the city, but Brett had assured her the energy shield would protect it.

  “They’ll be on the far side of the spaceport. We’ll have a civilian sector and a military sector. The military sector will be clearly separated from the civilian one. We’ll even have separate quarters for the military personnel. We don’t want Luna City to look as if it’s a military base.”

  Brett leaned back and decided to mention a few other things that Kinsley needed to be informed about. “The Druins don’t recognize the difference between civilians and military. In the Empire, when the Druins attacked, they dropped antimatter bombs on both civilian and military targets. They killed billions of innocent people.”