The viewscreen zoomed in on the targeted ship, which seemed to simply crumble in on itself as the massive release of energy destroyed the vessel’s superstructure and then the heart of the vessel itself. When the raging energy disappeared, all that remained were a few wisps of glowing gas and a few small pieces of twisted and melted wreckage.
“That ship won’t be feeding the Vorn,” said a satisfied Lieutenant Mays as she switched to the next target. There were more motherships to destroy.
Other massive explosions were now visible as the five other Human battleships slammed Zero-Point Energy round into their targets. They had caught the Vorn flatfooted as even their energy screens were down. Across the Vorn fleet formation, dark matter warheads were obliterating Vorn battleships and spindle-shaped cruisers. Energy weapons fire from the Glaymon disk battlecruisers and battleships began to play across the Vorn formation, causing tremendous damage.
-
In space, Vorn ships were blown into oblivion from the unexpected and powerful attack. Energy beams, particle beams, force beams, and dark matter missiles were pulverizing Vorn vessels. Most ships were operating at minimal energy levels, conserving power until the Collector ship arrived. In the first few seconds of the battle over twelve hundred Vorn ships died without returning fire or raising their energy screens.
-
“We caught them with their energy screens down!” said Captain Randson in elation as he watched a Vorn battleship blow apart on a viewscreen. “They haven’t even started to fire back and we’ve annihilated nearly 50 percent of the nearer Vorn fleet.”
“Their screens are starting to come up now,” Aleea informed them as she scanned the nearer Vorn ships with the ship’s sensors. “Vorn weapon fire is imminent.”
On the main screens, the images shifted to show more ships of the fleet. Energy beam fire was prevalent and on one screen, a Glaymon battleship was firing massive beams of energy, sweeping them across the Vorn formation. Wherever a beam struck, a Vorn cruiser simply vanished.
Kurt stared in awe at the awesome firepower from the battleship. He knew the Glaymon disk ships were powerful but nothing had prepared him for this display.
“Seven Vorn motherships have been destroyed,” reported Lieutenant Brooks. “The Vorn battleships are getting their screens up and beginning to return fire. They’re still very uncoordinated. We may have taken out their command ship in our initial attack.”
Kurt nodded. “Continue to target the Vorn motherships. Once those have been eliminated switch to their battleships.” Kurt could feel the adrenaline flowing and his breathing had quickened. There was a lot riding on this battle. His eyes flicked over to a screen showing the status of the fleet. So far, he hadn’t lost a single ship and none were damaged. That would change shortly as the Vorn became more organized and began to respond to the attack.
“We’ll be entering the first Vorn fleet formation in forty-two seconds,” reported Aleea. “All ships should be prepared to avoid collisions with Vorn ships and wreckage.”
“Lieutenant Pierce, pass that information along. We’ll be passing through the Vorn fleet formation at high speed so there will be the danger of collisions.” High speed was necessary so they could close rapidly with the next Vorn fleet.
Kurt turned his gaze back to the primary viewscreen. The Vorn fleet was lit up by continuous explosions. Many of those were dying ships.
“The Vorn screens can’t withstand the energy beams of the battleships,” Captain Randson reported, his eyes wide. “The beams are cutting right through the shields and tearing the Vorn ships apart.”
“Fleet mergence in twenty seconds,” reported Aleea. “The battleships are focusing their weapons directly in front of us to clear a path for the fleet. The disk battlecruisers will be focusing on the ships to our flanks as we pass through the enemy formation.”
“We’ve reached the Vorn fleet,” reported Lieutenant Brooks. On a viewscreen, the glowing wreckage of a Vorn battleship appeared and then vanished to the side of the Star Cross as it sped through the Vorn fleet formation firing its weapons.
Kurt felt the ship shake slightly but no lights appeared on the damage control console.
“Vorn black antimatter beams,” Aleea explained. “Shield is holding at 92 percent.”
“Adjusting course for the second Vorn fleet,” added Lieutenant Styles. It would only be a minor course correction but it would take them through the center of the next enemy fleet and keep them on course for the third.
-
In space, particle beam fire from a Human battlecruiser ripped into a Vorn battleship, opening it up from bow to stern. In a brilliant explosion, the enemy vessel blew apart. A Vorn energy screen acted like a normal screen until it became engorged with energy. Up until that point, in most instances, it could be penetrated without causing the sudden release of all of its stored energy. Once it was saturated with energy a punctured screen would collapse, releasing all the energy and oftentimes destroying the ship it was supposed to protect.
A Glaymon disk battlecruiser used its energy beams to knock down a Vorn energy screen on one of the small spindle-shaped cruisers, blowing a huge hole in its side. A dark matter missile arrived and the ship vanished as a small nova appeared.
From a Glaymon battleship, two powerful energy beams tore through the energy shield of a Vorn battleship. The two beams bore deep inside the enemy craft, exiting out the far side. Secondary explosions shook the ship, tearing it in two. A dark matter missile arrived and the Vorn battleship was no more.
The combined Glaymon and Human fleet blasted their way through the Vorn formation leaving mayhem in their wake. Burning and dying Vorn warships were scattered everywhere. All nine motherships at the heart of the fleet formation were gone. All that remained of their presence were some twisted wreckage and small clouds of drifting plasma.
-
Aboard the Vorn battleship Tranchal, Military Commander Vasterus arrived in the Command Center. Report! Moving his multifaceted eyes to the viewscreens, he saw one of the Vorn fleets in disarray as it was being annihilated by an attacking fleet.
A fleet of the Ancients has appeared, sent the Vorn at the sensor console. We are detecting eight hundred of their disk shaped battlecruisers and what appears to be over two hundred larger disk ships. They are 2,000 meters in diameter.
The battle computer is classifying them as a battleship. Their energy beams are cutting right through our shields. Our own weapons are having no affect.
Show me one of these battleships. Vasterus knew he needed to get control of the situation quickly.
On one of the viewscreens, a large disk shaped vessel appeared. It was covered in weapon emplacements and firing massive energy beams which were destroying Vorn warships with impunity.
A chill ran down Vasterus’s back between his wings. What is the status of our fleets?
Energy screens are up and weapons are ready to fire, reported Military Leader Camatte. Our outer fleet was attacked before they could even raise their shields. The enemy ships appeared without warning in combat range and began an immediate attack. Losses to the outer fleet are nearing 91 percent with all nine of its motherships destroyed.”
Military Commander Vasterus felt anger at the loss of the motherships. They had been fully loaded with food pellets, which were desperately needed back at the habitats to prevent future deletions. All fleets are to join up for our mutual protection. We have over seventeen hundred battleships in this system. We will destroy these ships of the Ancients once and for all.
Military Commander Vasterus shifted his gaze to the nearby tactical display, showing the deployment of the enemy fleet. It was nearly through the outer Vorn fleet, leaving a path of destruction in its wake. He didn’t know if any of that fleet was going to survive. However, he still had nearly eight thousand warships and all of them now had their shields up and their weapons online. He would test the power of these new Ancient battleships. If he saw his fleet was going to be overwhelmed he could alw
ays withdraw. He tasted sourness in his mouth at the thought. He clicked his mandibles several times and stood straighter. Vasterus was determined to defeat these enemies of the Vorn.
-
Fleet Admiral Kurt Vickers felt the Star Cross shudder slightly as it bore on ahead. It was flanked by ten Human battlecruisers and four Glaymon battleships. The four Glaymon battleships were laying down a heavy energy barrage on any ships threatening the flagship. Occasionally a black matter missile would exit a missile tube, annihilating a Vorn warship which had ventured too close.
The Star Cross suddenly shook violently and a few amber lights appeared on the damage control console.
“Six Vorn antimatter missiles struck our energy shield,” reported Lieutenant Mays. “Shield is holding at 82 percent.”
“The Glaymon battleships have destroyed the Vorn warship that fired on us,” added Lieutenant Brooks. On the main viewscreen, a Vorn battleship could be seen coming apart.
“Minor damage only to a few compartments,” added Captain Randson. “A few power relays blew and they’re being replaced.” Even as he spoke the amber lights vanished from the damage control console.
Kurt nodded. The energy shield of the Star Cross rotated through a set of frequencies which greatly increased its strength. It was of Glaymon design and very effective. “How many ships did we lose?” Kurt could see several red lights blinking on the fleet status console as well as some amber ones.
“Only two,” reported Aleea. “Two disk battlecruisers collided with Vorn battleships. Several others are reporting minor damage from weapons fire.”
Kurt looked over at Lieutenant Mays.
“I set off black matter missiles at the sites of both collisions. The Vorn will not recover any usable tech.” This had been agreed upon before commencing the attack.
“The remaining Vorn fleets are joining together,” reported Lieutenant Brooks.
Kurt looked at a tactical display showing the red icons of the Vorn fleets. Sure enough, they were all moving closer together. “How soon before we reach the next fleet formation?”
“Eighteen seconds,” answered Aleea.
“We’re already beginning to fire on it,” reported Lieutenant Mays. “The Vorn mother ships are moving toward the back of the formation.”
“We should slow down,” suggested Captain Randson. “If they’re going to join up into one large fleet we can stand off at optimum weapons range and destroy them.”
Kurt agreed with this. No point in risking any of his ships in more collisions. “Do so. However, I want those motherships destroyed.”
-
In space, the Glaymon fleet commanded by Fleet Admiral Kurt Vickers approached the second Vorn fleet formation, which was rapidly being reinforced by the other Vorn fleets. Intense weapons fire broke out between the two forces in the form of both energy weapons and missiles. Space suddenly lit up from the brilliance of the weapons exchange.
The Vorn were now firing their black antimatter spheres and antimatter beams in an attempt to destroy the Glaymon ships. However, Glaymon energy shields were impervious to the black energy spheres and when a sphere struck a shield the sphere merely flattened out and after a few moments vanished as its energy was depleted.
Vorn black antimatter beams played across Glaymon shields. Occasionally, when enough could be brought to bear, they were able to stress the shield enough for penetration.
-
“We’re receiving heavy weapons fire from the Vorn fleet,” reported Aleea. “The Vorn have moved their battleships to the front of their fleet formation so they can bring more weapons to bear.”
“They must believe the firepower from their larger ships will be able to penetrate our energy screens,” said Captain Randson as the Star Cross shuddered from several energy beam strikes.
On the viewscreens, the entire front of the Vorn fleet formation was covered in massive explosions from the detonation of dark matter missiles. Energy beams were prevalent as they were being used by both sides. Kurt knew his own fleet would look much the same from the Vorn side as thousands of antimatter missiles were exploding against the energy shields of the Glaymon fleet.
“Focus our weapons fire on their battleships,” ordered Kurt. “If we can get shots off at any of their motherships, take them.” The Vorn battleships were the only real threat. If they could bring enough beams to bear they might be able to overwhelm a Glaymon energy shield.
“We’re going to have to clear the space between us and them,” said Lieutenant Mays, shaking her head in frustration. “We can’t get any target locks on the motherships. There are just too many ships in the way.”
Kurt nodded. “Then let’s clear a path. Aleea, inform the Glaymon vessels we need a path cleared so we can destroy the Vorn motherships.”
“Message sent,” replied Aleea, as she used the ship’s sensors to monitor the progress of the battle.
-
In space, the battle increased in intensity. A Vorn antimatter beam managed to penetrate the screen of a disk battlecruiser, blasting out a deep gash in the hull. An antimatter missile struck the hull moments later and the Glaymon vessel vanished in the fireball from the released energy. When it cleared nothing remained but some twisted wreckage.
A group of twenty Vorn battleships managed to weaken the energy shield on a Glaymon battleship sufficiently for several black antimatter beams to penetrate and strike the hull. However, the battle armor on a Glaymon battleship was thick and designed to take punishment. Then a number of Vorn antimatter missiles struck the hull, detonating in huge explosions. Not even a Glaymon battleship could hold up to that much released energy. In a massive explosion the huge disk ship blew apart, spreading debris across space.
In the Vorn fleet formation, Glaymon energy beams were playing havoc as only a few strikes were necessary to destroy a Vorn cruiser. The battleships took a little more but they too were falling rapidly to the Glaymons’ superior weapons. The Glaymon beams in many cases were puncturing Vorn energy screens so rapidly that the energy held in the screens was not being released. However, occasionally a screen still failed in its entirety, releasing all of its stored energy and instantly obliterating the Vorn ship beneath.
-
We are suffering massive losses, Military Leader Camatte reported as he stepped away from the battle computer. If this continues, the probability of our victory is less than 8 percent.
Military Commander Vasterus gazed in irritation at a nearby viewscreen. On it a Vorn battleship was being riddled by energy beams and then, in a massive blast of light, exploded. Vasterus turned away as he switched his gaze to the tactical display. Already the enemy fleet was beginning to penetrate the front echelons of the Vorn fleet formation because of the Vorn’s forward motion. For the first time he felt great fear for the harvest. The ships of the Ancients were nearly indestructible. While the smaller disk ships could be destroyed by overloading their shields, it was next to impossible to destroy the larger ones. So far in the battle only two had been annihilated at great cost to the Vorn.
It was also disconcerting how easily the Ancients’ weapons were penetrating Vorn energy screens. In most cases ships were being destroyed before the energy screens collapsed. On the few occasions when a Vorn energy screen did collapse from being punctured or overloaded the ships beneath were being destroyed by the screens stored energy. It was evident a change would have to be made to Vorn energy screens before future battles were fought. The screens could not be allowed to destroy the ships they were supposed to protect.
Concentrate our fire on the smaller disk ships, ordered Vasterus. If we can destroy enough of them perhaps the rest will withdraw.
Turning his gaze back to the viewscreens, the entire forward section of both fleets resembled a furnace of roaring fire. How any ships could survive in that was beyond imagining.
-
“Target lock on a Vorn mothership,” called out Lieutenant Mays breathlessly as she fired the Zero-Point Energy cannon.
On the ship’s primary viewscreen, a nova-like flash of light occurred in the rear of the Vorn fleet. The Zero-Point Energy projectile incinerated the mothership, leaving no remains. It was as if the mothership had never been.
“Other battleships are acquiring target locks,” reported Lieutenant Pierce. “They’re firing Zero-Point Energy rounds.”
In the rear of the Vorn formation more massive blasts of light became visible.
“What are our current losses?” Kurt was having a hard time keeping track of the battle due to the number of ships involved.
“We’ve lost two Glaymon battleships, twelve Glaymon battlecruisers, and one of our own battlecruisers. A number of other ships are reporting damage,” answered Aleea. “However, we have decimated the Vorn fleet. As of this moment we have destroyed 62 percent of their ships.”
Kurt frowned. He hated losing two of the Glaymon battleships, but it was obvious the Vorn had nothing which was a serious threat to them. The two that had been destroyed had been overwhelmed by energy beam fire from dozens of Vorn battleships. “Continue to press the Vorn. I want all of those motherships destroyed and as many of their battleships as possible.” He was willing to risk losing a few more ships if he could destroy those motherships.
-
Military Commander Vasterus was shaken as he saw the motherships in the rear of the Vorn formation begin to die. The reported power of the explosions was nearly off the scale. Before this battle, Vasterus would have said such a weapon was impossible. Order the motherships to jump out! Vasterus took a deep breath. He studied the tactical display seeing how the enemy fleet was continuing to wipe out every ship he put in front of it. It was exasperating to feel so powerless, something he was not used to.
We cannot win, Military Leader Camatte reported. The battle computer is now forecasting only a .2 percent probability of Vorn victory.
Withdraw, ordered Vasterus, his eyes showing red. If we remain we will lose our entire fleet.
The Star Cross: The Vorn! Page 8