The Star Cross: The Vorn!
Page 35
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High Profiteer Creed was growing concerned. They had been waiting in the room for over an hour. He was about to send a message to Second Profiteer Hurkler when the door opened and the Lylan Enforcer appeared.
“If all of you will follow me I will take you to Controller Nirron.”
Down the hall they went and into a large office. High Profiteer Creed stopped just inside the doorway, not moving. Over a dozen weapons were pointed directly at him. The people holding the weapons were Human Marines. A Controller was standing behind them with a neutral look on his face.
“High Profiteer Creed,” began Colonel Briar. “You’re my prisoner and as soon as arrangements can be made you will be sent to Earth to stand trial for crimes against humanity. I imagine in the end you will either face a firing squad or be spaced out of an airlock. Either way, you will be dead.”
The Marines stepped forward, disarming a stunned Creed and his escorts. They then shackled Creed’s hands and ankles to prevent him from attempting to escape.
“Any attempt to escape and my Marines will shoot you,” Briar warned. “Of course some of my Marines are bad shots and they might have to shoot you several times to bring you down.”
Creed said nothing. He could tell by the look in the eyes of the Marines they were hoping he would try to escape.
Moments later the Marines led him and the others from the Controller Exchange. Outside several heavily armed vehicles were waiting with more Marines on guard.
Creed felt his entire world crumbling. He wondered what Second Profiteer Hurkler would do with all the gold.
Colonel Briar smiled as if knowing Creed’s thoughts. “As for your gold I am told Profiteer Grantz and some Profiteers of his choosing have just taken your cargo ship. I believe you have made Grantz a very rich Profiteer.”
High Profiteer Creed lowered his head. He couldn’t imagine things getting any worse.
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High Prince Brollen studied the tactical display as the last harvesting fleet dropped out of hyperspace into the staging system. It too had been savaged by a fleet of Ancient war vessels. It only had one mothership out of five still surviving and it was heavily damaged.
They are trying to stop the harvest, sent Military Leader Ansolk. From the reports we have received a large number of Ancient vessels as well as fleets from Food Species 236 and 111 are involved.
Prince Brollen watched as the damaged mothership moved over to a Collector ship to unload its meager harvest. Brollen was deeply concerned because the amount of food pellets he was preparing to send back to the Vorn habitats was far less than he had intended.
One Intergalactic Transport can handle the Collector ships that need to return, sent Military Leader Gallet.
Brollen knew this would not be received favorably by the other Queens. What of the Ancients and the fleets of the two food species, what are they doing?
Moving toward us, reported Military Leader Ansolk. We have scout ships monitoring the various fleets, and they will all arrive here in eighteen to twenty hours.
This was what High Prince Brollen expected. It was evident the Ancients and the two food species were attempting to drive the Vorn out of Galaxy X241. Looking at the tactical display, there were nearly three hundred thousand Vorn ships in the system. He also had his 120 dreadnoughts which were tasked with protecting his mothership. Send all the Collector ships, Intergalactic Transports and motherships back to the home system. When this is over we will send back a dreadnought to let them know when it’s safe to return. Brollen knew if he lost too many ships in the coming battle it would be necessary to return to the habitats for more vessels. There were over 220,000 ships still in the home system and more could be rapidly built if necessary.
Prince Brollen decided to consult with Military Commander Vasterus. He was the most knowledgeable of all the military commanders. Brollen had already decided to allow Vasterus to conduct the defense of the system and destroy the Ancients and food species vessels which were soon to arrive. It would be a massive battle but the Vorn would prevail.
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Lakiam Fleet Commodore Dreen gazed expectantly at the massive fleet gathering a short distance from the new Vorn staging system: fifty-two thousand Glaymon warships, 14,620 Lakiam battlecruisers, and 11,400 Andock vessels.
“We have a large fleet,” said Alborg, gazing at the tactical display filled with green icons.
Commodore Dreen nodded. “The largest fleet we have ever gathered. Fleet Captain Waelt told me earlier he does not plan to leave the battle until every Vorn ship has been destroyed.”
“We’ve significantly degraded the Vorn harvesting fleets,” replied Alborg. “We’ve forced them back to their staging system for a final battle. If we win we push them out of the galaxy.”
“And if Fleet Captain Kriegon and Fleet Admiral Vickers win in the Vorn home system the war will be over.”
“When do we attack?” asked Laylem.
Looking over at Laylem, Dreen replied. “In about twenty hours. We have a few ships with battle damage and Fleet Captain Waelt wants every ship at 100 percent.”
The Command Center was quiet for a few moments as everyone thought about what was happening. Two separate battles would determine the fate of the galaxy and perhaps this universe. One of those battles was probably already over, but there was no way of telling who had won until the survivors from Fleet Captain Kriegon and Fleet Admiral Vickers’ fleets returned, if any survived.
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Many hours had passed and High Prince Brollen stood in his Command Center staring with shock at what was on the ship’s main viewscreen. Military Leader Victell had returned with only a few surviving cruisers. All the rest of his ships had been destroyed by the Ancients.
That cannot exist! sent Military Leader Ansolk. No race can build such a structure to completely enclose a star.
Prince Brollen shook his triangular shaped head. The data is indisputable. That megastructure is over two hundred and twenty million kilometers in diameter. The surface area inside is enough to hold millions of planets. This is the home of the Ancients.
Military Leader Gallet stepped away from the battle computer, his legs making clicking sounds. The computer confirms the structure is real. Not only that, if the structure has shipyards comparable to our own habitats the Ancients have far more ships than we do. The structure is also heavily armed. It is doubtful our combined fleets could destroy it.
Military Leader Ansolk’s twin antennae seemed to wilt. Then we have lost. We cannot defeat the Ancients.
Before Prince Brollen could reply the sensor alarms began sounding. Shifting his gaze to the tactical display, thousands of red threat icons were appearing. The Ancients and the other two food species are here. We must destroy them and then withdraw to our habitats to determine our best strategy. We dare not leave this fleet intact as it might attempt to destroy our home system.
They do not know where it is, replied Ansolk confused.
Brollen did not reply. He knew full well the enemy knew where the home system was and if he didn’t destroy this fleet, the home system might be in dire danger.
Military Commander Vasterus is asking for orders, reported Ansolk.
High Price Brollen knew he had no choice. This battle had to be fought. He quickly sent a telepathic message to Military Commander Vasterus. Engage and destroy.
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Glaymon, Lakiam, and Andock ships exited hyperspace with their weapons already locking on targets. All around them were Vorn warships.
“Target lock!” called out Alborg as he fired an enhanced energy round from the ship’s large KEW cannon. On the main viewscreen, a Vorn battleship exploded in ruins as the round slammed home. “I wish we had more of these cannons on the ship.”
Their effectiveness had even surprised Fleet Commodore Dreen. The Glaymons told him how powerful the enhanced energy rounds were, but he hadn’t realized what their effects would be until he saw one strike a Vorn vessel. Fortunately, every ship in th
e Lakiam fleet was armed with one. “Target the battleships,” Dreen ordered. “We need to take them out as quickly as possible.”
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In space, the Vorn fleet attempted to englobe the Ancients and the two food species. Military Commander Vasterus ordered his battleships to focus on the Ancients’ battleships with the cruisers to concentrate on destroying the smaller Ancient battlecruisers. He made a tactical error in not realizing the threat posed by food species 236s’ new weapon.
Space erupted into brilliance as weapons fire from nearly three hundred thousand Vorn warships erupted. Hundreds of black antimatter beams stuck an Ancient battleship, tearing through its screen and penetrating deep inside the ship. Internal explosions began shaking the ship and it suddenly exploded, sending parts of its structure hurtling through space.
Another Ancient battleship had its screen knocked down and then eight ten-megaton Vorn antimatter missiles detonated almost simultaneously, turning the location of the massive warship into a miniature sun. Throughout the Ancients’ formation ships began to die from the concentrated firepower of the Vorn battleships.
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High Prince Brollen was focusing on the Ancient vessels. On the main viewscreen, he watched as several Ancient battlecruisers were ripped apart by the combined firepower of hundreds of Vorn ships. So far the Ancients had not managed to target his mothership or any of his dreadnoughts. On the screens, space seemed to be on fire with dying ships from both sides. If not for the Vorns’ battle computers, it would have been impossible to keep track of the carnage.
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Fleet Commodore Dreen’s massed fleet continued to edge forward into heavier Vorn fleet formations. Fleet Leader Moor and his Andock fleet had moved to cover the right flank of Dreen’s fleet, and a large group of Glaymon battlecruisers was protecting his left flank.
“I can’t tell who is winning this battle,” Laylem said worriedly. “Both sides are losing ships at such a rate it’s impossible to keep track.”
Dreen looked over at Laylem as the Basera shook from a weapons strike to the energy screen. “It’s simple,” he replied. “When the last Vorn ship is destroyed that means we won.”
Laylem let out a deep breath. The data coming in was threatening to overload his sensors. “There’s an unusually compact group of Vorn ships in the center of their largest fleet. What scans I’ve managed to do indicate a truly massive mothership protected by a group of ships twice the size of a regular Vorn battleship.”
Fleet Commodore Dreen’s eyes widened. “Their leader. That’s the one we want to kill. Jalad, adjust our course toward that fleet. Move us close enough to allow us to fire on those ships in the center of that formation. Sheera, contact Fleet Captain Waelt and inform him what we’re going to do.”
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The Lakiam, Andock, and the Glaymon battlecruisers began moving toward the largest and most dense Vorn fleet formation. As soon as the Vorn realized what was happening a large group of Vorn battleships attempted to intervene. However, Fleet Captain Waelt was watching and immediately dispatched a large number of Glaymon battleships to Fleet Commodore Dreen’s aid.
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The Basera shook violently and several red lights appeared on the damage control console.
“We have four compartments open to space,” reported Camol. “We have a ten-meter hole in our hull that extends inward for nearly thirty meters.”
“Get repair robots to that area immediately,” ordered Dreen. “I want that hole in the hull sealed.”
“The Vorn have definitely noticed us,” Laylem said as he watched his sensor console. “Inbound weapons fire has increased substantially.”
Commodore Dreen looked up at a viewscreen where a Lakiam 1,700-meter battlecruiser seemed to be on fire. Of course this was impossible in the vacuum of space but the intense weapons fire the ship was receiving made its hull glow a cherry red. Suddenly, in a stupendous explosion, the battleship broke in two. Vorn antimatter missiles arrived, turning the two pieces into total wreckage.
“We’ve lost nearly sixteen hundred battlecruisers,” reported Laylem. “The Andocks have lost nearly the same number of vessels.”
Dreen drew in a deep breath. “It’s only going to get worse. We came here to destroy the Vorn and that’s what I intend to do.”
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In space, Fleet Commodore Dreen’s fleets continued to close with the main Vorn fleet formation. Now other Vorn fleets were trying to intervene, and Fleet Captain Waelt was constantly adjusting his fleet to give support. The battle was becoming restricted to a much smaller region of space. Now when a ship exploded, it was not unusual for wreckage to strike the energy screens of other vessels. In several instances screens failed, resulting in the immediate destruction of those ships.
Energy weapons fire was ripping open the hulls of ships and then missile fire was turning the partial wrecks into space dust. Vorn antimatter missiles and Glaymon five hundred-megaton dark matter missiles were creating what looked like miniature novas throughout both fleets. Thousands of missiles were exploding every second. Ships were dying at such a rate that neither side was keeping count. They only had one desire: win the battle and annihilate the opposing fleet.
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High Prince Brollen winced instinctively as the viewscreens flared up in brightness and then automatically dimmed. His flagship shook slightly.
Dark matter missile strike to our energy screen, Military Leader Gallet reported. Screen is holding at 93 percent.
This pleased Prince Brollen. The large Zero-Point Energy module which furnished power for his ship was doing its job.
Examining the tactical display, Brollen saw his fleet had nearly englobed the fleets attacking him. His flagship shook again only this time much more violently.
The ships of food species 236 are firing some type of high energy rounds. The explosive force measures over one thousand megatons, sent Military Leader Gallet. Energy shield is down to 72 percent.
On a viewscreen, one of the massive dreadnoughts protecting Brollen’s mothership suddenly exploded, sending several large pieces of wreckage into the mothership’s energy shield. The lights dimmed and several consoles exploded in sparks. For a brief moment the artificial gravity went out but quickly returned.
Have the dreadnoughts move closer so their shields will protect us from weapons fire and wreckage. Brollen was growing concerned. What does the battle computer show?
Military Leader Gallet spent several moments at the computer and then turned toward High Prince Brollen. There is now only a 42 percent probability of a Vorn victory. The weapon species 236 is using to destroy our ships has shifted the probability of victory away from us.
Brollen’s multifaceted eyes looked intently at the tactical display. He quietly sent a telepathic message to Military Commander Vasterus. The ships of food species 236 must be annihilated!
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Fleet Commodore Dreen groaned inwardly as more of his battlecruisers were destroyed by the Vorn. Ships were being lost at such a rapid pace all Laylem could do was report the numbers. In the last few minutes it seemed as if the Vorn had increased their efforts to destroy his fleet. More and more Vorn battleships were attacking. The Basera shook violently and more red lights appeared on the damage control console.
Hyperdrive is questionable,” Camol reported. “We have severe damage adjacent to Engineering. Repair robots as well as several technicians are trying to make repairs.”
On one of the viewscreens, an outside view of the Basera appeared. A gaping hole over seventy meters across was visible in the hull.
“That hole goes down another forty meters,” Camol said with a grave look in his eyes.
“Combat effectiveness has been reduced by 12 percent,” added Alborg as he fired another enhanced energy round at a Vorn battleship which promptly split in two. A five hundred-megaton dark matter missile finished off the two pieces.
“Fleet Captain Waelt is sending more Glaymon battleships to protect us,” reported Sheera. “He be
lieves the Vorn have become frightened of our KEW rounds.”
Commodore Dreen studied the tactical display. “Can we hit that large ship in the center of those larger battleships?”
Alborg shook his head. “No, those larger ships have moved closer to it. Their energy shields are nearly touching.”
Dreen considered his options. He had over nine thousand surviving battlecruisers. “Have every battlecruiser target that clump of ships with their enhanced energy rounds. Maybe we can blast our way through.”
“Re-targeting,” replied Alborg.
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Moments later on the viewscreen, a section of the Vorn fleet suddenly erupted in brilliance as if a supernova had formed in its midst. Nine thousand enhanced energy rounds striking in one small area threatened to rip open the very fabric of space. The light from the blasts was so intense all viewscreens in the battling fleets dimmed. When the screens returned to normal, they showed a scene of near utter destruction.
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High Prince Brollen was thrown across the Command Center as his flagship shook violently and threatened to come apart around him. When the shaking subsided he gazed at the viewscreens in shock. The majority of the dreadnoughts protecting his mothership were wrecks. Many had ceased to exist. Glowing wreckage and clouds of burning plasma were everywhere.
We only have fourteen dreadnoughts surviving, reported Military Leader Ansolk. If not for the dreadnoughts protecting our ship with their energy shields we might have been destroyed.