“We’ll find us a place to build that offers some protection. It’s hard telling how long we’ll be here before we’re rescued.”
Bree didn’t want to voice her greatest fear. The odds of either of the two probes making it back to the Solar System weren’t good. As she looked around she realized this planet might be their home for a very long time. Bree knew for her and her crew the war was probably over. Their war now would be trying to survive on this virgin world and making a future for themselves.
Chapter Fourteen
Rear Admiral Amelia Stinson watched the tactical display tensely knowing at any moment the inbound Zaltule warfleet would appear. The Dauntless and her attending fleets were powered down just outside the Kuiper Belt of the Pradel System.
“Everything’s so quiet,” commented Commander Hill.
Amelia nodded in agreement. It was like the calm before the storm. On the tactical display, nearly a thousand vessels were shown. Many of these were cargo and passenger ships conducting business in the Pradel System. Near the second planet, the home world of the Pradelians, two large fleets of ships were visible. These were Pradelian battlecruisers. Each ship was one thousand meters in length with a diameter of two hundred meters. The ships were built in a standard cylindrical shape with their hulls covered with numerous energy weapons and hatches hiding missile tubes.
On the far side of the system barely within detection range was another large fleet of nearly three hundred ships. These were vessels from the Alliance waiting for the arrival of the Zaltule. Amelia had seeded the system with probes to allow real time scans of the entire system.
“We’ll greatly outnumber them,” said Commander Hill, folding his arms over his chest. “The Alliance sent a good sized fleet.”
“Maybe so, but they’ll have the more powerful ships in their battlecruisers.” This greatly concerned Amelia since she knew to destroy those powerful Zaltule battlecruisers other Allied ships, including possibly some Solar System ships, would have to die.
“Contacts!” called out Lieutenant Jones. “Eighty Zaltule battlecruisers and two hundred assault ships have just appeared on the long-range sensors.”
Amelia drew in a deep breath. “Contact Pradel Space Control and inform them we’ve detected the inbound Zaltule fleet. Recommend that all civilian vessels exit Pradel space immediately. Also contact Admiral Vreel of the Alliance fleet and inform him we have detected the Zaltule.”
“They should be dropping out of Fold Space in twenty minutes,” added Lieutenant Jones.
Amelia nodded. “Add that to the message as well.”
Amelia waited as the messages were sent. They were using FTL transmitters so the messages would be received almost immediately after being sent.
“Recommend we go to Condition Two,” said Commander Hill.
“Agreed,” replied Amelia. “See to it.”
Almost immediately red lights started flashing and klaxons began sounding as Condition Two was announced across the ship and the fleets.
Amelia looked across her Command Center. The crew was ready as they sat before their consoles. She heard the large metal hatch to the Command Center close and lock. Looking in that direction she saw two heavily armed Marines standing there. She knew there were two more on the other side of the hatch.
“All ships are at Condition Two,” reported Commander Hill.
Nodding, Amelia leaned back in her Command Chair. There was nothing else that needed to be done until the Zaltule arrived.
-
Overlord Barral stood upon the command pedestal watching the progress of his fleet. They would shortly drop out of Fold Space in the Pradel System where he intended to test the ships and weapons of the Alliance. Pradel was a heavily populated and highly civilized system. No doubt there would be a substantial number of defending warships. His plan was very simple. His fleet would drop out of Fold Space, engage the Pradel warships and destroy several of the large shipyards orbiting the second planet in the system. Then his fleet would withdraw and set a course for the Empire where he would seek out Kleese vessels to engage.
“We will drop out of Fold Space in eighteen minutes,” reported the Zaltule standing in front of the sensor console. “Long-range scans indicate heavy ship traffic in the system.”
“Target any vessel in range of our weapons,” ordered Barral coldly.
It did not matter to him whether the vessels were civilian or military. They were the Zaltule and all must serve them. This would be a lesson to the lessor races of sheer power. It was time to remind this part of the galaxy who the Zaltule were and to demonstrate why all races must be subservient.
-
The minutes passed and the Zaltule fleet dropped out of Fold Space. All around them other space vessels were fleeing and leaving the Pradel System. A Nalton cargo ship was too close and a Zaltule antimatter missile blew it apart in a massive fireball. The Zaltule fleet was two hundred thousand kilometers from Pradel, the homeworld of the Pradelians.
-
“Take us in,” ordered Overlord Barral anxious to demonstrate the power of the Zaltule against this Alliance world. “As soon as we are in range target the shipyards over the planet.”
“Overlord, there are two fleets of Pradelian warships closing with us,” reported the Zaltule at the sensors.
Barral shrugged his massive shoulders. “Then we shall destroy them. We are the Zaltule and none shall stand in our way.” Barral was confident his fleet would make short work of the defending ships. The power of his battlecruisers was supreme and he doubted the Pradelian defensive fleets would even be able to damage one.
-
“Initiate Fold Space drive,” ordered Rear Admiral Stinson, leaning forward in her command chair.
She was coordinating with Admiral Vreel as well as the two admirals in charge of the Pradel fleets. If their timing was appropriate all would engage the Zaltule within a few seconds of one another. The Zaltule would be trapped in a pincer movement against four opposing fleets.
“Entering Fold Space,” reported Lieutenant Hines.
“Twelve minutes to target,” added Lieutenant Jones.
“Take the fleets to Condition One,” ordered Amelia as she made sure the harness, which held her in the command chair, was buckled securely. It was time to deal with the Zaltule.
-
“We have several unidentified fleets closing on our position,” reported the Zaltule at the sensors as several alarms began sounding. “They are in Fold Space and will reach us in a few minutes.”
Overlord Barral stared at the tactical display showing the incoming fleets. He was not overly concerned. They were the Zaltule and Zaltule battlecruisers were the most powerful ships in existence. “Continue to close with the fleets in front of us. We will deal with them and then handle these new fleets when the time comes. After the ships have been destroyed we will annihilate the orbiting shipyards and the planet’s capital city. Then we will set a course for the Empire. It’s time our weaker brethren learn the Zaltule are still alive and all powerful.”
On the hulls of the Zaltule battlecruisers and assault ships energy beam turrets turned toward the inbound Pradel warships. Hatches over missile tubes slid open in preparation for launch.
-
The two Pradelian fleets slowed their advance, giving time for the two Solar System fleets and the Alliance fleet to arrive. Each fleet contained ninety one-thousand-meter battlecruisers.
Admiral Vass was in overall charge of the two fleets and he had no intention of allowing the Zaltule to get too close to the planet.
“Time until engagement range?” he asked, looking over at the sensor officer.
“Four minutes.”
“How long until the Human and the Alliance fleets get here?”
“Seven minutes.”
Admiral Vass turned his attention back to the tactical display. That meant his fleets had to survive for three minutes against the full firepower of the Zaltule. In three minutes his fleets could take a lo
t of damage.
“Bring the fleets to a temporary halt; that will decrease the amount of time we will have to face the Zaltule by ourselves.”
The two fleets slowed and came to a stop.
“What will the time difference be now?” asked Vass.
“A little over one minute,” replied the sensor officer.
Admiral Vass took a deep breath as his eyes studied the tactical display. “We will wait until thirty seconds before engagement range and then place the fleets into a defensive movement. We will begin with defensive pattern three-seven. All ships are to fire upon the assault ships initially. I fear our weapons will have little effect on those battlecruisers. We will need the Humans and the Alliance for that. It will take a massive amount of firepower to bring the energy shields of those battlecruisers down.”
-
The fleets continued to close and then weapons fire erupted between them. The Pradelian ships opened fire with their powerful energy weapons and from their missile tubes twenty-megaton sublight missiles launched. A series of antimatter missiles slammed into a Zaltule assault ship, knocking down the energy shield leaving the hull open to attack. Several energy beams struck the hull, drilling deep into the ship setting off secondary explosions. The ship seemed to shake violently and then began to come apart as more beams tore open compartment after compartment. After just a few seconds the assault ship was nothing more than a riddled wreck floating powerless in space.
The Zaltule were returning fire. Pulse fusion beams struck the energy screens of the Pradelian battlecruisers, threatening to overload them. Antimatter missiles exploded in bright flashes of light.
A Zaltule antimatter missile penetrated the failing energy screen of a Pradelian vessel, slamming into the stern of the ship. In a massive explosion, the ship vanished in a fiery blast of heat and energy.
In both fleet formations, explosions lit up space and energy beams were being fired non-stop. Two more Zaltule assault ships exploded as their screens were overloaded. In the Pradelian formation, the superior firepower of the Zaltule battlecruisers was devastating as six more battlecruisers were blown apart in nova-like explosions.
-
Admiral Vass stood grimly in his Command Center as his fleet suffered heavy damage from the Zaltule. He grimaced as another battlecruiser was blown apart and then he saw the tactical display light up with friendly green icons as the Alliance and Human fleets arrived.
-
Rear Admiral Stinson realized the defending Pradelian fleets were taking heavy losses. “All ships, fire on the battlecruisers. I want the Alliance fleet to concentrate on the Zaltule assault ships.”
Instantly from the two Human fleets missiles left the missile tubes and energy weapons began firing.
“Firing plasma beam,” reported Captain Smith.
-
In the two Human fleets there were fifty-eight heavy battlecruisers and standard battlecruisers including those from the Deltons, Belens, and the Bashans. The combined firepower slammed into the Zaltule battlecruisers, overloading shields and knocking them down. In the first few seconds seven Zaltule battlecruisers exploded, sending flaming debris across space.
-
“Zaltule are returning fire,” warned Lieutenant Jones.
On the tactical display, Amelia saw several of her battlecruisers and six assault ships flare up and then vanish.
“Continue to fire on the Zaltule battlecruisers. Close the distance!” Her heart was beating rapidly and she was leaning forward in her command chair as far as her safety harness would allow. “How are the Alliance ships doing against the Zaltule assault ships?”
“Twenty-two destroyed,” reported Lieutenant Jones. “They’ve lost seven battlecruisers so far.”
“All ships will continue the attack.” Amelia knew she had to pressure the Zaltule as much as possible.
On the primary viewscreen, a Zaltule battlecruiser was visible under heavy fire from several ships. Its energy screen was lit up from titanic explosions as antimatter missiles detonated. Energy beams probed for a weakness in the shield. A plasma beam suddenly penetrated, carving out a large hole in the hull. Several secondary explosions dislodged a large section of the ship’s armor, causing it to float off into space.
More energy beams began penetrating opening up numerous compartments to space. Suddenly a pair of antimatter missiles with MIRV warheads penetrated the screen. The warheads separated, striking different sections of the ship’s hull. Instantly the viewscreen became covered in light. When the light died down all that remained of the Zaltule battlecruiser was a scattering debris field.
The Dauntless suddenly shook violently and the lights dimmed briefly. Amelia looked inquiringly at Captain Hill.
“We took several antimatter hits to the shield,” he said. “The shield is holding but we did receive some minor damage to the ship’s hull.”
Amelia nodded. The battle was becoming more intense as the fleets moved closer.
-
Pulse fusion fire from several Zaltule battlecruisers struck the heavy battlecruiser Illustrious, penetrating its already weakened energy shield. One beam struck Engineering, severely damaging one of the ship’s reactors. With less power the energy shield began to fail. The top section of the ship exploded and debris started drifting away from the vessel. A Zaltule antimatter missile arrived, turning the ship into a miniature nova. When the light died away nothing remained of the vessel.
The fleets’ light cruisers and assault ships were suffering heavy losses. Intense fire from Zaltule battlecruisers were cutting through the shields, causing major damage and occasionally destroying a ship. An antimatter missile slammed into the midsection of a light cruiser and the ship vanished in a fiery explosion.
On the battlecruiser Boston, a Zaltule pulse fusion beam penetrated the stressed energy shield, blowing an energy beam turret to shreds and blasting out a ragged hole in the hull. A few moments later the Boston took a massive hit to her bow, losing most of her heavy weapons. She quickly turned broadside and opened up with her remaining particle beam cannons and energy weapons, firing upon a nearby Zaltule assault ship ripping open numerous compartments. The Zaltule vessel broke apart with all of its power dying. Moments later the Boston was destroyed as two Zaltule antimatter weapons detonated against the hull, forming two miniature suns.
-
Overlord Barral was stunned. The ferocity of the attack of the enemy ships had shocked him. They fought with the intensity of the Zaltule, particularly the Humans.
“We are losing too many ships,” warned the Zaltule at the sensors. “The numbers are not on our side.”
“We are the Zaltule,” replied Barral coldly. “We do not run from inferior races. Continue to fire our weapons. We are destroying large numbers of the ships which oppose us.”
“But they are killing us as well,” answered the Zaltule at the sensors. “At this rate we will lose all of our warships.”
Barral turned his triangular shaped head toward the Zaltule who had dared to challenge his authority. “Then we will die. We are Zaltule warriors and we do not fear death!”
Barral turned his multifaceted eyes toward the tactical display, seeing two more of his powerful battlecruisers vanish from the screen. His assault ships were suffering heavily as well as they were under attack from ships of the Alliance. “Press toward the planet. I want to destroy their shipyards.” By destroying the shipyards it would weaken the Alliance and demonstrate the power of the Zaltule even if he lost his fleet.
-
The Zaltule fleet began advancing at a faster rate, reaching the two defending Pradelian fleets and pushing through them. All three fleets lit up with intense fire from the explosions of antimatter missiles and energy weapons. The remaining Zaltule assault ships formed a protective bubble around the Zaltule battlecruisers, forcing the defenders to concentrate more on the smaller craft. In space, Zaltule assault ships were dying in growing numbers as the Alliance fleet redoubled its efforts to destroy them.
The two Human fleets pushed forward, assaulting the rear of the Zaltule formation. Ships on both sides were being blown apart from the heavy weapons fire.
-
“What are they doing?” asked Commander Hill as he studied the tactical display. “Why aren’t they holding their position?”
Amelia gazed at the tactical display and her face turned pale. “They’re going to attack the planet. Contact Rear Admiral Haden. We must do everything we can to stop them!”
-
Admiral Vass stared at the viewscreens in disbelief. The Zaltule were pressing forward into his fleets, decimating his ships. On all sides of his flagship Pradelian battlecruisers were being blown apart by heavy weapons fire from the Zaltule. Behind the Zaltule fleet the Humans were in hot pursuit, pouring weapons fire into the Zaltule warships.
“We can’t stop them,” groaned his second in command. “They’re blowing right through our fleets. Our losses are catastrophic!”
“Keep us in engagement range,” ordered Vass determinedly. “We can’t let them fire on the planet.”
“We’re losing too many ships!”
Vass felt his second in command’s pain. He was feeling the same thing. Many of the crewmembers of those ships being destroyed he had known for years and some he had personally trained. “We have no choice. Perhaps our sacrifice will stop the Zaltule from bombing the cities of our planet.”
Admiral Vass felt his flagship shake severely. Compartments began to report heavy damage. Officers in the Command Center were reporting damage to the hull. The ship was venting atmosphere and slowly losing power. The lights flickered and then dimmed.
“Energy screen is at 15 percent and dropping,” reported the second in command. “Expect failure in the next twenty seconds.”
Admiral Vass nodded. He knew his ship was finished. It just needed to complete its dying. Looking at a viewscreen, he saw several Human battlecruisers destroy a Zaltule battlecruiser. It would be up to the Humans to save his world now. Suddenly a massive explosion shook the ship. Admiral Vass felt himself flying across the Command Center to strike a console. Sparks were shooting everywhere as panels shorted out. Vass felt dizzy and found he could not stand. It was difficult to breathe. Then everything went dark and Admiral Vass of Pradel faded away into oblivion.
Final Conflict Page 19