A suspicion made Tetus ask his next question. “Are they Human?”
There was silence for several moments before the Zaltule answered. “Yes, Overlord. We have identified Human ships as well as vessels from several Alliance races.”
Tetus could not believe the Humans would be so brash as to attack him here. “Have the fleet go to battlestations and prepare for combat. I am on my way to the Command Center.” Tetus hurriedly put on his light combat armor. He would destroy this Human and Alliance fleet. They should never have come here to his center of power.
Chapter Nineteen
“Head for the planet,” ordered Rear Admiral Stinson as she made sure her safety harness holding her in her command chair was tight. “Flank speed on sublight drives until we go into orbit. Put us directly above the hives at six hundred kilometers.” Amelia was glad all three hives were on the same side of the planet though separated by hundreds of kilometers. “I want a double layer defensive formation. The standard cruisers, light cruisers, and assault ships first with our battlecruisers in the second layer. All three Marine transports will be in the third layer. I want ten light cruisers assigned to protect them.”
“Sending the orders,” replied Commander Hill.
This was one of the formations they had discussed earlier and all the commanders in the fleets knew where their ships were supposed to be.
“Zaltule are beginning to react to our presence,” reported Lieutenant Jones. “They are forming up into a disk formation between us and the planet.”
Amelia took a deep breath. “Prepare to blow through them. Marine transports are to move into the center of our formation.” The combined fleets were currently in a cylinder formation with the front end of the cylinder aimed toward the assembling Zaltule ships. “I want to start firing missiles just before we’re in combat range. Focus on the center of their formation and we’ll attempt to go right through it behind our missiles.”
Commander Hill let out a controlled laugh. “Chicken huh?”
Amelia grinned. “It will be a new lesson for the Zaltule.”
“We’ll reach engagement range in seven minutes,” reported Lieutenant Jones.
“Begin firing our missiles thirty seconds before that,” ordered Amelia.
“They’ll shoot most of those missiles down if we fire them from that distance,” said Commander Hill.
“We have a lot of missiles to fire,” replied Amelia. “At least some of them should get through.”
On the viewscreens, a vast number of Zaltule warships could be seen scrambling to get into the giant disk formation they were forming.
“Other Zaltule ships across the system are entering Fold Space,” warned Lieutenant Jones.
“What do you want to bet those ships will drop out of Fold Space behind us,” said Commander Hill, his eyes narrowing. “They’ll want to pin us between two fleets of their ships.”
“By the time that happens, we should be through the fleet in front of us.” Amelia replied. She took several deep breaths as she watched the viewscreens. She was taking a gamble trying to smash her way through the Zaltule fleet, but it was the only way to reach the planet and her targets.
-
War Overlord Tetus stared in fascination at the many viewscreens in the Command Center of his battlestation. He had ordered the Zaltule ships around the planet to form up into a massive disk formation to oppose the attacking Human and Alliance ships. So far there were over twelve hundred battlecruisers and two thousand assault ships in the disk with more being added to it every second.
“Why are the Humans and the Alliance ships attacking us?” asked Overlord Vaxdol. “We have far more warships than they do. They must know this attack has no chance for success. Why are they sacrificing their ships?”
Tetus looked over at the Overlord. “The Humans and the Alliance races are all inferior beings. While this attack may make no sense to us, it may to them. We will use this opportunity to wipe out this fleet of ships. It will leave fewer for us to face when we attack the Alliance.”
Tetus was confident how this battle would end. He had far more ships, superior firepower, the battlestation, as well as four heavily armed shipyards. Unless the Humans and the Alliance were hiding a larger fleet somewhere, they were doomed to fail in their attack.
-
“Engagement range in forty seconds,” reported Lieutenant Jones
“Standby to launch missiles,” ordered Amelia as she leaned forward slightly. Her eyes were focused intently on the viewscreens showing the assembling Zaltule fleet. They seemed to be full of enemy warships.
“Zaltule ships dropping out of Fold Space behind us,” added Lieutenant Jones.
Amelia nodded. They had been expecting that.
“Thirty seconds,” said Captain Smith as he began firing missiles.
-
Throughout the cylinder thousands of missiles were launched. All were targeted on the center of the Zaltule disk formation. The Human and Alliance fleets entered regular engagement range and more missiles launched. The Zaltule ships began to fire at the nearing missiles in the first wave shooting most of them down, however so many had been launched some began to impact against the energy shields of the Zaltule ships in the front and center of the Zaltule formation.
The center of the disk formation suddenly erupted with light as hundreds of antimatter missiles began to strike energy shields and explode. Then the second wave of missiles struck and many more missiles began to detonate.
Several antimatter missiles slammed into the midsection of a Zaltule assault ship causing the ship to vanish in a fiery explosion. Other assault ships were facing the same fate as hundreds of explosions smashed into the Zaltule formation. More missiles began penetrating deeper into the formation, striking some of the heavier battlecruisers. The Zaltule fleet seemed to be on fire.
A Zaltule battlecruiser was the recipient of over twenty antimatter explosions against its energy shield causing the shield to briefly collapse. In those few seconds of vulnerability six 40-megaton antimatter missiles slammed into the hull. The battlecruiser exploded in a bright white fireball of antimatter energy.
-
“The Humans and the Alliance vessels are not reducing their speed,” warned the Zaltule at the sensor console. “At their current speed they will reach our fleet in twenty-two seconds.”
War Overlord Tetus’s large multifaceted eyes narrowed as he considered what this meant. “Have all of our ships concentrate their weapons fire on the enemy ships. I want them destroyed!” He didn’t understand what the Human in charge of that fleet was attempting. Their actions made no strategic sense. One thing he was certain of and that was a Human had to be in charge to attempt such a foolhardy attack on a numerically superior fleet.
-
The two fleets continued to close with massive explosions and energy beam fire now wracking both fleets. The Human and Alliance fleets began to penetrate the Zaltule disk formation. Several brilliant explosions indicated where ships actually collided with one another destroying both vessels in the process.
Zaltule pulse fusion beams penetrated the weakened energy shield of a Lanolthian battlecruiser, blowing several energy beam turrets to shreds and blasting out a jagged hole in the hull. Then a twenty-megaton antimatter missile struck, sending the ship into oblivion.
-
Rear Admiral Stinson felt icy calm as the Dauntless entered the Zaltule formation and barely missed crashing into a Zaltule assault ship. On the ship’s viewscreens, she could see ships being blown apart on both sides. It was as if the Dauntless was inside a giant furnace with tentacles of flames reaching out in every direction.
“We’re losing a lot of ships,” reported Commander Hill as he saw several Human assault ships die fiery deaths on a viewscreen.
“So are the Zaltule,” replied Amelia as the Dauntless came out of the other side of the Zaltule formation along with many other ships of her fleet. The cylinder was now a ragged formation from the ships which had
been lost.
“Put us into orbit above the planet and turn the fleet to face the Zaltule. We have to buy the Marine assault ships time to launch their drop ships as well as take out the Zaltule defenses around the hives.”
Amelia blinked her eyes. Now would come the hard part. They had to hold their position above the hives until the Marines were safely inside. She just hoped she had a fleet left when this was over.
-
The three Marine assault ships and their light cruiser escorts took up their positions just behind the fleet. Almost immediately the three large ships began launching low yield antimatter missiles as well as KEW rounds at selected targets.
The weapons flashed downward through the atmosphere to strike the surface of the planet. Massive explosions tore through the Zaltule defenses, blasting wide gaps in the defensive lines. Zaltule interceptors rose up into the sky meeting some of the missiles and destroying them. Defensive energy beam turrets swept across the sky knocking down more missiles.
Commander Brannon of the Victory saw the enemy defensive positions were not being destroyed quickly enough. Too much defensive fire was knocking down his weapons. He contacted the ten supporting light cruisers and ordered them to begin firing on ground targets. Brannon was certain with their help he could overwhelm the defenses and annihilate them.
-
“Zaltule defenses around the hives are more powerful than we thought,” Commander Hill reported. “Commander Brannon is using the light cruisers to help take them out. This is putting us slightly behind our schedule.”
Rear Admiral Stinson nodded. She felt the Dauntless shake as several missiles slammed into its shields. It would not take the Zaltule fleet long to react to what her ships had done. Already some of them were turning to bring more weapons to bear. “We have to hold,” she said, clenching her teeth. “We’re not budging until the Marines are safely down.”
-
For several long minutes more weapons continued to fall on all three hives until the ground for kilometers around looked like a desolate war zone. Fires and smoke were everywhere and visibility was greatly reduced. Every time a surviving Zaltule missile battery or energy beam fired, it was struck almost immediately by heavy KEW rounds. Finally the defensive fire slackened and then came to a stop. Of the Zaltule defensive positions little was left. Where major fortifications had existed KEW rounds had left deep holes in the ground. In some areas a few battered Zaltule warriors still wandered around in confusion.
From the three orbiting Marine assault ships small vessels began exiting the huge flight bays. Drop ships and cargo ships began heading for the planet. The invasion by the Marines was beginning.
Nine two hundred-meter assault ships broke from the fleet formation to follow them down and provide covering fire. Now they would find out how good a job they had done in destroying the defenses around the hives.
-
Military Overlord Tetus was livid. He now realized what the targets of this attack were. The Humans and the Alliance ships were attacking the hives! They had fought their way through his fleet suffering substantial losses and now over eight hundred enemy ships were in orbit above the planet. Already the ground defenses protecting the hives had been smashed by orbital bombardment.
“Turn the fleet and have all ships target the enemy ships,” Tetus ordered coldly. “I want all of our ships in the disk formation. It shouldn’t take us long to destroy these inferior races who dare to attack our hives.” Tetus knew the Queens were safe. They were in chambers deep beneath the ground under granite and reinforced armor, which would protect them from the strongest weapons.
“The Human ships are launching smaller vessels along with nine assault ships. All are descending toward the surface and the hives,” reported the Zaltule at the sensor console.
Tetus turned his triangular shaped head toward a viewscreen showing the descending ships. His multifaceted eyes focused on the vessels wondering what the Humans were attempting. Were they planning on placing bombs on the surface near the hives?
“Contact the hives and warn them Human warships are descending toward them. Be prepared for additional explosions.”
-
Thomas felt the drop ship begin to shake violently. He could hear the sound of the atmosphere as it buffeted the drop ship’s energy shield. The shield was a weak one and could only withstand one or two strikes from an energy cannon. Thomas hoped all the ones on the surface had been destroyed.
“Everyone close your helmets!” ordered Sergeant Bixt. “Check your weapons and make sure the safeties are on. I don’t want anyone to accidentally blow a hole in the hull of the drop ship. As soon as we’re down Corporal Haley will take her squad out and set up a perimeter around the drop ship. As soon as that’s been done the rest of us will exit. Be prepared for heavy resistance. We will be taking no prisoners. The only good Zaltule is a dead one!”
Thomas closed his helmet which automatically activated the environmental controls in his suit. He felt cool air flow over him and his HUD activated. “Systems check,” he said over the comm, which connected him to the sergeants and corporals in the drop ship.
“Loud and clear,” replied Sergeant Bixt.
“Same here,” replied Corporal Haley.
“Same here,” replied Corporal Coyle.
“The assault ships should have the entrance cleared out for us,” Thomas said over the comm. “The plan calls for one assault ship to move into the entrance and use its weapons to take out all resistance. The drop ships and cargo ships will land next followed by the last two assault ships. Once everyone is out and on the ground we will divide into two groups and begin our search for the Queen’s chamber. Use of heavy explosive rounds is authorized to help keep our casualties to a minimum. Each group will have eight hover tanks for support. We’ll use the hover tanks to take out the heaviest resistance.”
“Any idea of what we may be facing in the hive?” asked Sergeant Bixt.
Thomas shook his head. “No, we’ve never been inside one. We have no idea how deep the hive extends into the ground. It could be kilometers.”
Sergeant Bixt did not reply. He just checked his assault rifle and prepared for the coming battle.
-
Brian felt the drop ship shake violently and the sound of the rushing air was reaching a crescendo. If not for the suit comms they would not be able to talk. “Damn, this is rough,” Brian said as he held on tightly to his assault rifle.
Leah was across from Brian with her eyes closed. “Tell me when we’re down.”
-
Kinsley was taking deep steady breaths to try to stay calm. Looking around the cabin she saw the other Marines in their battlesuits all with tense expressions on their faces.
“Seven minutes until we reach the surface,” a voice came over the comm. It was the co-pilot in the cockpit.
Kinsley would feel better when they were reunited with Thomas. She knew that shortly they would be engaged against the Zaltule. She just hoped all of her friends survived this mission.
-
The assault ship Destiny was heading directly toward the hive that was their target with the other two assault ships on her flanks. Occasionally energy beam fire and a few defensive missiles were striking the shields causing them to flare up briefly. In return the three assault ships were firing their pulse fusion and energy beams trying to take out the installations firing on them.
“Time to target?” asked Commander Higgins.
“Two minutes,” replied Lieutenant Braggs.
Commander Higgins looked at the viewscreens in the front of the Command Center. The landscape around the hive looked totally devastated. Fires and smoke were everywhere. There was little movement and he didn’t see how anything could have survived the orbital bombardment.
The ship shook violently and several red lights flared up on the damage control console.
“Someone’s lobbing nukes at us,” reported Lieutenant Braggs. “I have their position pinpointed.”
From the Destiny all four pulse fusion cannons fired on the target, tearing up the ground and finally blowing the missile launcher into hundreds of pieces.
“Target destroyed,” confirmed Lieutenant Braggs. “One minute from the hive.”
On the main viewscreen, the large entrance to the hive could be seen. It looked dark and foreboding. Commander Higgins had no idea what might await for them inside. “We’ll use our energy beam turrets to clear out any Zaltule in the entrance. Stand by, we’re going in.”
The Destiny slowed and then entered the cavernous mouth of the hive. The floor of the entrance tunnel swarmed with Zaltule. Some were armored but most were not.
“Fire!” ordered Higgins, leaning forward in his command chair his eyes focused on the viewscreens. “We need to clear this entrance of Zaltule!”
Energy beams from the Destiny began sweeping across the floor of the tunnel, vaporizing the Zaltule where they stood. Strangely none of them ran; they just stood there and died. The few who had weapons fired them at the assault ship but the ship’s energy shield shrugged off the attack as if it was a minor hindrance. If a nuke couldn’t knock the shield down what danger was there from handheld weapons?
“How far back does the entrance extend?” Higgins knew they needed to get the Destiny and all the drop ships and cargo ships as well as two more assault ships inside where they would be safe from orbital attack.
“Nearly eight hundred meters then it seems to angle downwards sharply. There are smaller tunnels that lead off the sides,” replied Lieutenant Braggs.
“Take us in as far as possible and then set the ship down. Have the Marines ready to exit. They’re to establish a perimeter until the other ships are down. Keep our energy turrets focused on those smaller tunnels as well as the larger one that goes deeper.”
Final Conflict Page 26