Alexander Galaxus: The Complete Alexander Galaxus Trilogy

by Christopher L. Anderson

  “As you wish, Grand Admiral!” Admiral Moltor replied.

  #

  Alexander watched the battle unfold on the Iowa’s tactical hologram. He regretted missing the battle but he determined not to leave the Terran system until the war should be settled one way or the other. The Iowa squadron and the “new” dreadnoughts and battleships guarded Terra during the battle, and although the outcome was in all aspects satisfactory it was a tense ten hours before the squadrons of the Seventh Fleet covered the four light years separating Terra from the “Beta Terra” system. When all ships reported back Alexander convened a final council of war. Shortly the entirety of the Admiralty, to include Admirals Sampson and Cathcart on a secure Scythian psionic link and the Generals of the Terran Defense Forces were present, watching their Overlord intently. Alexander addressed them grimly.

  “I shall keep this short as at any moment we can expect Golkos scouts in our system. The first stage of our defense strategy has been successfully completed. We have by the action at “Terra-Beta” gained a precious ten hours at minimum, and hopefully significantly more time for the Fifth and Second Fleets to return to system. Admiral von Richtofen, Admiral Konstantinov and the entirety of the Seventh Fleet and “Wolfpack” forces are to be congratulated. The next phase of defense will be equally important in our efforts to further confound the Golkos. Doubtless the Golkos have had some success in tracking the superluminal signatures of our returning ships. Soon a Golkos scout force, probably of squadron strength, will discover our system. It is of the utmost importance that this scout force be annihilated, if at all possible, before it can send our position. This is a difficult task at best, and very likely the emissions of the battle will still be observed even should the Golkos fail to send a transmission. However, if there is a chance to further the confusion of our adversaries we should take it.

  “The final stage in the defense is, of course, the conventional confrontation within our own system. I do not have to belabor the meaning of success or failure here. You each have a thorough knowledge of the battle plan. The Iowa will continuously update the coordinates of our attack focal point. The Iowa squadron will concentrate on the focal point with the immediate support of the Bismarck squadron. “Enterprise” and her twenty-one dreadnoughts will be our “hammer” and act as a floating reserve lending muscle to our focal point or support to squadrons at risk. When the Nived Sheur is identified we’ll let the hammer fall and take out Grand Admiral Khandar and his command squadron. Let’s see how the body reacts when we chop off its head. That’s the core of it, ladies and gentlemen. Beyond that you are clear to accomplish the objectives of the battle plan as the situations warrant. Your firing solutions are your own, and you have the parameters for maneuver. Should conditions dictate you, of course, have the authorization to take whatever actions you deem necessary to achieve victory. That is a broad doctrine. Allow your initiative to use it for our advantage. One final reminder, all Terran based batteries will be concentrating their fire on warships entering the bombardment orbits, and secondarily on extra-orbit fleet focal points. The “Wolfpack” under the command of Admiral Konstantinov is completely autonomous. I caution you all to be aggressive but to remember one thing: it will invariably get confused and crowded up there. Ensure that your gunners are targeting Golkos ships, and not submarines or missile launching spacecraft. We need to make every weapon count. Are there any questions?” Alexander waited a moment, and when there were no queries he addressed his own most nagging question. “Admiral Sampson, Admiral Cathcart, please update your estimated times of arrival.”

  Admiral Cathcart whose forces would arrive first answered, “Thirty-seven hours for the “King George V” and the bulk of the Fifth Fleet; two hundred and eleven ships. The remaining ships have throttled back due to engine problems. Their estimated times of arrival range from seventy-nine hours to ten days from now.”

  Alexander nodded, “Admiral Sampson?”

  Sampson’s dark face looked dour. “I am afraid we are going to miss this one. Odin can lead one hundred-eighty seven ships in the Terran system no sooner than sixty-three hours from now. The Wisconsin and our follow up wave are still eleven days out.”

  “Continue your present course of action Admiral Sampson.” At this moment Admiral Augesburcke whispered something in the Overlord’s ear. Alexander nodded. “The superluminal signature of a Golkos squadron has been identified. Good luck to us all. May God bless Terra, Alexander out!”

  Alexander immediately turned to the Iowa’s tactical display, where Augesburcke was pointing out the position of the approaching superluminal distortion. Alexander saw the small pattern rapidly approaching the system from the direction of Saturn. “Are you sure they’re not a group of stragglers from “Terra-Beta?””

  “No, all of our warships are accounted for,” Augesburcke replied. “We’ve calculated their trajectory. If they come out of superluminal close to Terra then we can take them out quickly. If they’re cautious they’ll pop out somewhere on the periphery and accomplish a detailed scan. There’s not much we can do about that. It will take us about five minutes to engage in that case.”

  “They would be rash indeed to venture into a system at superluminal,” Nazar told them. “Navigation at superluminal velocities is a precise exercise, and gravitational wells must be taken into account with exactitude. Galactic navigational systems are very capable of transiting star fields, but star systems require an exponentially greater amount of calculations due to minute perturbations of planets and their relative velocities. The Golkos can take this into account up to a point, but where they will have difficulty is your asteroid field, which they are even now approaching.”

  “The mass of the asteroids is so spread out as to be almost inconsequential,” Alexander said.

  “It is not the overall mass,” Nazar told him, “but the inconsistency of the gravitational field in that plane. Unfortunately, Galactic navigational sensors cannot pick up the small masses of asteroids until their gravitational influence is noted by fluctuations in the local gravitational field. At superluminal velocities the computers simply cannot filter out the rate of change in the gravitational field. The result is what we call “superluminal lock out,” a phenomena which confounds the ship’s computer and causes an instantaneous drop out of superluminal. This places the ship at high velocity directly in the asteroid field, and locks out the ships superluminal capability until the navigational computers can be reprogrammed in a homogeneous gravitational field.”

  “Then we shall just have to wait and see how rash they are,” Alexander remarked. “Admiral move some of our forces to a point adjacent the asteroid belt.”

  Augesburcke sent the order, but after reading the information on his board he said, “They are on their way, but they won’t arrive for approximately three minutes. The Golkos will be passing the belt in approximately thirty seconds.”

  “It will have to suffice,” Alexander replied, and they waited.

  The superluminal signature took only seconds to pass by the orbit of Saturn and Jupiter, and then, as if Nazar was prescient several ships suddenly appeared in the center of the belt. In another few seconds the entire superluminal signature disappeared, and in its place were the codes for seventeen ships. The ethernet was immediately awash with calls from the vessels. They were not signals of discovery, however, but of distress. It was immediately apparent that the Golkos had not detected the asteroid belt until it was too late. A half a dozen vessels suffered “superluminal lock-out” and were reporting significant damage, the remainder of the squadron dropped out of superluminal as a precaution. Their commander immediately came onto the ethernet to ascertain the status of his stricken vessels, but it was also apparent that his mission in the system was not driven out of his mind. As the cacophony of the Golkos problems flooded the ethernet Augesburcke reported that the flagship was beginning a thorough scan of the system.

  “It won’t take them long to pick up our power generators, radio silence or
not. How long until our squadrons can engage,” Alexander asked.

  “Still another seventy seconds,” Augesburcke replied.

  “That Captain got right to it,” Alexander nodded, sighing. “I suppose everything can’t work out just right. Very well, Admiral our forces may fire at will. Jam their transitions if possible.”

  “The range is too great,” Augesburcke shook his head, and then he pounded his fist on the cons ole. “They have us, Alexander. I’m sorry.”

  Alexander could now hear the urgent but calm voice of the Golkos commander as he transmitted a continuous beacon for his compatriots to home in on. The Overlord could not help but admire the courageous resolve of the doomed Captain as he reported the three Terran squadrons bearing down on his crippled ships. Alexander took his seat, and with a wave of his hand dismissed Augesburcke’s apology.

  “You are cleared for attack Admiral. Should surrender be offered allow them five minutes to evacuate their ships or destroy the vessels.”

  “Yes Alexander,” Augesburcke growled, irritated with himself. Both Alexander and Augesburcke saw an opportunity missed, but as their ships rolled in on the outnumbered Golkos Alexander took it philosophically. He barely gave consideration to the drama of the small opening skirmish which they viewed on the main screens. The Golkos ignored the Terran hails for surrender even though they were outnumbered five-to-one and began firing as soon as the Terrans were in range. The Terran ships attacked the stationary Golkos squadron from three different directions at once. Even in this small fray and with their superiority in numbers the Terrans refused to show complacency. They whirled about the poorly prepared Golkos like dervishes, their projectors spouting flame. The Golkos were in the center of a maelstrom, and their haphazard return fire was patently ineffective. Within a few moments the first of the Golkos ships took a broadside after her shields had collapsed. The side of the mottled jade cigar imploded under the projectors and a series of bright flashes ripped sequentially across her right flank from stern to bow. Plasma began to emanate from her in bright blue and red streams. Then her drive imploded. The ship parted at the amidships, the remains of the bow spinning crazily though space. The stern of the warship, and the drive, were completely consumed in the conflagration.

  The commander of the squadron ignored the doom of this first ship, instead, calmly directed the fire and formation of his remaining charges. Several of the Golkos warships were unable to rejoin on their battleship. Cut out from the covering fire of their tiny formation they fell prey to the small black packs of boats which suddenly appeared in the fight. The unfortunate stragglers found themselves completely unable to track or fire on the small, swift, and lethal submarines. Amidst a flurry of projector and torpedo fire from every direction they fired blindly and to little effect. In the space of five minutes the stragglers took a terrific pounding, and the flash of blasters on their shields changed from a steady glow to a wildly fluctuating cascade of light and plasma. There was no response to the calls for surrender, but when their shields began to buckle the life pods began to launch from the hulks. The submarines ignored the fragile life boats, allowing them to clear their stricken parents. When all were away that could be reasonably expected the wolves dispatched the carcasses.

  The fate of the first Golkos squadron in Terran space continued along those lines. The Terrans with a numerical advantage of five-to-one dispatched the Golkos swiftly and efficiently. They could have waded in ship-to-ship and accomplished their goal, and the Golkos would have been more than willing to give them a fight, but it was not to be. The already damaged Golkos found themselves in the same predicament as their separated sisters. Drawn together as they were there was little opportunity for the prolonged engagement they desired. Still, they fought with resolution, and two Terran warships limped out of the fray with shields blown out or blaster banks overloaded. The Golkos had no chance to take advantage of their slight victories, however, as the deadly sphere of “Alexander’s Wheel” closed tightly about them like a noose. The battle raged for only half an hour, until space swam with Golkos life pods, and an ancient battleship spun lazy and impotent, like the drowned carcasses of some great and once powerful bull now adrift in the swollen currents of the river. There were no calls for surrender, but the final act of the Golkos squadron, now bereft of their leader, was for two destroyers to disappear desperately into superluminal; leaving the field for who knows where.

  When all was said and done Alexander sat back in his seat and reflected. “If that was any indication of what we’re in for then it shall be a momentous battle,” he said. “Thankfully, these first engagements have gone well. That should serve to give the populace confidence.”

  “Speaking of the populace, Overlord, do you have time for a statement after this engagement?” said a familiar mechanical voice. A small spherical probe floated to the left of Alexander.

  Alexander grimaced at the sound, but nonetheless glanced at the probe. “What need have we for a statement, you’ve been broadcasting the situation from the bridge of the Terran flagship, what more could you want?”

  “While it is true that I have been granted unprecedented access to this greatest of Galactic conflicts in the modern kicellia I am still limited by my programming,” the probe answered.

  “Of which I am thankful and the Golkos frustrated I am sure,” Alexander replied. “I invite you to continue your observations. It is unprecedented that such access be given to the citizens of Terra, the Federation and the galaxy. Yet it is imperative, in my opinion, that the galaxy get a true vision of the direction it is taking. This is a crucial time for all Galactics. Terra has enacted peaceful accords with all civilizations, but for the Golkos; and I hope this puts to rest Galactic fears concerning Terran expansion. We simply want membership in your community, without favor, prejudice or fear. After this invasion is rebuffed I hope the situation will be settled to the satisfaction of all.”

  “Does that include the Golkos, Overlord?” The probe asked.

  “Terra does not desire the enmity of any civilization,” Alexander replied, “however; the Golkos have committed a grave offense against Terra, and are even now threatening the Terran Homeworld. My concern is the present, and I shall deal with Golkos problem accordingly.”

  “Then you are confident in your ability to destroy this Golkos invasion?” The probe asked.

  “We shall see,” Alexander growled, closing his fist slowly as if he had the entirety of the Golkos Empire in his hand. “Before this is ended I will stand upon the soil of Golkos and dictate my terms of peace!”

  “Thank you, Overlord that fits well within my parameters and the Galactic desire for a statement at this point in time” the probe said and it floated away to an unobtrusive corner of the bridge.

  Alexander stared after the probe with ill concealed irritation. Nazar approached him sporting a ghost of a smile. “I’d not intended to give the damn thing any sort of a sound bite,” he confided. “Hopefully, this won’t get out. I don’t want Khandar to know Alexander’s been outmaneuvered by a artificial sportscaster.”

  “I was somewhat surprised that you agreed with my proposal to use the probes,” Nazar said. “I must admit the motivation behind it was selfish. I desired all the galaxy to share in the glory that is to come.”

  “My motivation was purely empathetic,” Alexander said. “I could not leave the citizens of Terra blind and deaf in this defining moment. I could not have stood by while history was made in the stars above me. At least my people shall see the progress of the war.”

  Nazar sighed, “Now we wait, I suppose. Khandar is competent and aggressive, but he will need some time to organize his attack. After dispatching his squadrons to search for Terra he has a daunting task to regroup if he hopes to strike swiftly.”

  Augesburcke stepped up to Alexander, handing him a data screen. “The geometry of Grand Admiral Khandar’s search, as provided by Konstantinov’s “Wolfpack,” clearly indicates a spherical pattern of all the systems around “Te
rra-Beta.” If Khandar wants to regroup and coordinate his attack he couldn’t bring the whole of his force to bear on us for at least twenty hours.”

  “Twenty hours, almost another day,” Alexander mused. “It will gall him to wait that long, but I don’t think Khandar will order an immediate attack. Although it would save time, a piecemeal attack would force Khandar to give up his concentration of force in space. That is sacrificing a great deal, especially with our edge in tactics and firepower ship-to-ship. Still, things are tight for Khandar. He knows the Second and Fifth fleets are closing in, and once they arrive he loses all practical hope of capturing Terra. He may feel desperate enough to opt for a concentration of force over time; i.e. choosing to whittle us down with a continuous stream of fresh ships. His first waves would take a beating, but by the time all of his ships are present he may hope to have beaten us down through pure attrition.”

  “It is a risky proposition considering the superiority of Terran warships,” Nazar noted. “Khandar would have to indeed be desperate to give up his numerical superiority. If he is only able to engage you with a like number of warships in each wave then I foresee he shall see each wave soundly defeated.”

  “I am inclined to agree,” Alexander said. “As much as Khandar might like to order a complete attack I think he’ll pull back for a coordinated attack. He’ll hit us in a concentrated attack, an all or nothing throw. He must take Terra in one swift thrust. He has no other choice.”

  CHAPTER 17