Vanquish (The Pike Chronicles Book 6)

by G. P. Hudson

  On the viewscreen, hundreds of missiles raced toward the empty coordinates where the jumpspace recognition technology identified the disturbance.

  The Intrepid had not received any jump bombs yet, and Konos hoped the early warning would be enough to give them a substantial advantage against the intruders.

  The Intrepid’s fighters began launching and blinking off the screen, as they jumped toward the disturbance. They were followed close behind by the bombers flying out of the Intrepid’s launch tubes.

  “Six Kemmar warships have appeared at the designated coordinates,” said Mani.

  “On viewscreen,” ordered Konos. The central viewscreen changed orientation, showing the six Kemmar warships.

  “Non-UHSF jumpspace disturbances identified,” the Intrepid’s computer announced, identifying more incursions.

  “Fire missiles at new coordinates,” ordered Konos. “Set system to auto-fire as any new incursions are identified. How many new disturbances do we have?”

  “Three, Sir. DLC Station is firing at the new coordinates.”

  The original six Kemmar ships had materialized just as the first salvo of missiles closed in on their position. They had little time to respond, and no countermeasures were deployed. The UHSF missiles plowed into the vulnerable ships unopposed.

  Massive explosions rocked the unsuspecting vessels. Hull breaches began to tear open, belching personnel and equipment into the unforgiving void.

  More missiles hit their hulls, as the Intrepid’s fighters and bombers joined in the offensive, swarming the enemy.

  The UHSF destroyers added their heavy energy weapons to the carnage, raking the listing warships, mercilessly targeting their hull breaches.

  The attack proved decisive, and the Kemmar ships succumbed. One by one they blew apart, unable to counter the powerful onslaught.

  “Fifteen Kemmar warships have just appeared at the newly designated coordinates,” said Mani.

  “On viewscreen,” said Konos.

  Switching to a split screen format, the viewscreen plotted each of the Kemmar landing coordinates. The new arrivals consisted of three battle groups with five ships in each. Two of the enemy battle groups had landed on the Intrepid’s side of the station, while the other landed on the opposite side, where it had only to deal with the station’s missiles.

  “The first six Kemmar ships have been destroyed,” announced Mani. “Destroyers are firing missiles at the new bogeys.”

  “Order our birds to engage the battle group on the far side of DLC. We’ll stay here and deal with the other two. Target the nearest battle group and fire all weapons.”

  “Firing weapons. Birds away. First wave of missiles has hit the new Kemmar ships.”

  The Kemmar were better prepared this time, but not by much. They had landed in three separate locations, and as a result, weren’t hit with the same force as the first Kemmar group had been.

  A few of the Kemmar ships managed to deploy countermeasures, diverting some of the missiles, while others brought their point defense systems online, establishing an explosive shield around their hulls.

  The Kemmar were quick to respond, but they’d been caught off guard. Multiple missiles managed to find their targets, crippling many of the warships.

  On the far side of DLC Station, the Intrepid’s bombers had landed, adding their hull piercing torpedoes to the barrage. Heavily shielded, the torpedoes bullied their way through the Kemmar point defense shields, finding the ships’ hulls.

  The torpedoes were designed to burrow their way into a ship’s hull and detonate inside, leaving behind gaping hull breaches. The Intrepid’s fighters followed up with vicious strafing attacks, targeting the ships’ weapon turrets, and sensors.

  DLC Station displayed all its power now, firing missiles, and plasma cannons in all directions. All the while energy weapons lanced out at the enemy ships with surgical precision.

  The Intrepid showed off its own formidable array of weapons, behaving more like a battleship than a carrier. The hulking ship stood its ground lending its support to the speeding destroyers, now engaging the surviving Kemmar ships.

  “How many bogeys are left?” said Konos.

  “Nine ships survived the initial attack, but two have been critically damaged.”

  “Finish those two off.”

  “Yes, Sir. Retargeting.”

  “Non-UHSF jumpspace disturbances identified,” the Intrepid’s computer announced. “Missiles have been launched.”

  “Shit. How many more ships are we dealing with?” said Konos.

  “None, the ships in system are jumping,” said Mani, as the Kemmar warships blinked off the screen, reappearing at the new coordinates, only to be greeted by a fresh wave of missiles.

  There was no time to respond. No countermeasures were deployed. No point defense shields were established. The missiles fired by the Intrepid, and DLC Station, easily found their target, mercilessly detonating against the exposed hulls. Violent explosions rocked the enemy warships, snapping one in two, as if it were no more than a dried piece of kindling.

  Blinding light blazed through the viewscreen as the ships were obliterated, each one becoming a small sun as its reactors blew. Konos raised a hand to shield his eyes.

  “All Kemmar warships have been destroyed,” Mani said with pride.

  “Any casualties?” said Konos.

  “None, Sir.”

  A savage grin spread across his face. They had destroyed twenty-one Kemmar warships, with a skeleton crew, and no loss of life. They hadn’t even received their first shipment of jump bombs yet. He sat back and considered the looming invasion. With two space battles under their belts, his crew was now well experienced. The Kemmar were about to pay for their crimes, and he would be right there, ready to collect.

  Chapter 43

  “Have you made arrangements with the Seibens?” Jon said to Breeah, sitting at the metal dinner table with Anki, and Jonas.

  “Yes. Darla has agreed to watch Anki,” said Breeah, smiling at her little girl.

  “I get to have a sleepover with Alina and Otka?” Anki said excitedly.

  “Yes. You’ll be staying with them while we’re gone.”

  Anki’s smile disappeared. “But why can’t I come with you?”

  “It will be too dangerous,” said Breeah.

  “But I’ve trained hard. I can fight better than many grown men I’ve seen.”

  Jonas let loose a hardy belly laugh. “Yes you can, little one. I would wager you can disembowel many of the so called soldiers from the colonies. But we won’t be fighting them. We will be fighting the Kemmar. A big difference.”

  “I’m not afraid of the Kemmar,” Anki said defiantly.

  “Nobody said you were, little one,” said Jonas. “We all know you are very brave.”

  “Then why can’t I come? I was allowed to go on raids on the Reiver ship.”

  “That was different,” said Breeah. “Your father was the captain of that ship and we lived on it for long periods of time. It was the Reiver way.”

  “But isn’t Jon my new father?”

  The words brought a smile to Jon’s face. While it was true that he had looked at her like a daughter for quite a while, it was the first time Anki had said anything like that about him. But it was a painful reminder of his own daughters, and how much he missed them.

  “Yes, I suppose he is,” said Breeah, smiling at Jon in understanding. It cemented what he already felt, that this was his family now, even if it included the salty old Reiver, Jonas, as his adopted father-in-law.

  “You and Jon are both going, and so is grandfather,” said Anki. “You are my whole family. We should stay together.”

  Breeah, Jonas and Jon exchanged glances. “It’ll be safer for you here, with the Seibens,” said Jon. “Plus, you’ll have Alina and Otka to play with. There won’t be any other children to play with on the Freedom.”

  “I am a Reiver, am I not?” Anki asked her mother.

  “Yes, child,
” said Breeah. “Of course you are.”

  “And Reiver children go on raids with their parents, do they not?”

  “They do. But the Freedom is not a Reiver ship,” said Breeah.

  “Then I will go with grandfather. He commands a Reiver ship.”

  “It’s not that simple,” said Jon, wondering how the three of them were losing an argument to a child.

  “Why? I saw battle on my father’s ship. I’ve seen battle on your ships. I’ve seen hand to hand combat. I’ve seen death. Why do you treat me like I am weak?”

  “We’re just trying to protect you,” said Jon, marveling at the little girl’s strength. She would grow up to be a truly formidable woman, just like her mother.

  “Then keep me with you. How can you protect me if I am on Earth, and you are all fighting the Kemmar in space?”

  Breeah fixed her defiant daughter with a piercing gaze.

  “She is certainly your child,” said Jonas, erupting in another bout of laughter. “I say bring her along.”

  “It is not your choice to make, father,” said Breeah, glancing threateningly at her father.

  “No it is not,” said Jonas, still laughing, the implied threat from his daughter clearly having no effect on him. The old warrior swept several strands of his long gray hair off of his face with a big, calloused hand. He shoveled another forkful of food into his mouth, chuckling to himself between bites, but said nothing more.

  “Very well, child,” said Breeah. You may come-”

  “Breeah!” said Jon, but was cut short as Breeah’s eyes came to meet his. He knew that look well enough to remain quiet.

  Jonas burst into another round of laughter in response to Jon’s silent retreat. “My daughter, and my granddaughter, the two deadliest warriors I know!” Shaking his head, he went back to his dinner.

  “As I was saying. You may come, but you have to promise to stay in our quarters. No wandering around the ship, unless you are given permission first. Am I understood?”

  “Yes, mother,” said Anki, bursting with excitement. “Thank you.”

  “And no complaints.”

  “I won’t complain. But can I at least continue my training?”

  “I’ll arrange some time for you,” said Jon. “We’ll just have to make sure to do it when none of my crew are using the training room. I can’t have you putting them all to shame.”

  Jonas erupted into another round of laughter, pounding the table with a heavy hand. “Come on Jon, be a good son-in-law and pour me some more of that Earth ale.”

  Jon reached over, filling Jonas’s glass, then his own. “Here’s to victory,” he said, raising his glass, to which they responded in kind, including Anki and her glass of juice.

  “To victory,” they said in unison.

  Jon took a long drink, warming his belly with the strong brew.

  “When do we leave?” said Breeah.

  “Two weeks,” said Jon. “Although we’ll board the Freedom in a few days.”

  “My ship is ready,” said Jonas. “I can’t wait to try out some of those new weapons.”

  “You’ll be putting them to good use soon enough. Are you looking forward to liberating Telepylos?”

  “Telepylos?” said Jonas in surprise. “Why would I care about that desolate wasteland? I will liberate it because it is the strategic thing to do. Nothing more.”

  “I just thought since it was your home for so long, that you might feel strongly about the place.”

  “Let me tell you something. I don’t know how our people ended up on those rocks. Nobody does. Did that place make us who we are? Yes. Does that mean I miss it? No chance. Life was hard, and I have not met many people since leaving who could endure such an existence. But leave there I did. That part of my life is over, and I have no desire to return to it.”

  “I understand,” said Jon. The old man’s words had struck a chord with him, reminding him of his own upbringing.

  “Yes,” said Jonas, nodding in understanding. “I believe you do. You were born to your own hardships under the Juttari occupation. Breeah has told me something about your life during that time.”

  “I grew up in the resistance on Earth. Life was a constant struggle. We lived in the mountains, never staying in one place for long. We were constantly hunted by the Juttari, and their human collaborators. Like you, I learned to fight at a very young age. From my own grandfather, as a matter of fact.”

  Jonas smiled knowingly. “Do you wish to return to that life?”

  “No. I do not.”

  Jonas emptied his glass and thrust it out to Jon. “Some more ale, Jon Pike. Let us drink to hard lives, and the hope that they never return.”

  “I’ll drink to that,” Jon said sincerely, filling both their glasses. Taking a long drink, he couldn’t remember ale ever tasting this good.

  Chapter 44

  Captain Konos looked on in awe at the armada assembled before him. Never in his wildest dreams had he expected to witness something like this. It was astonishing enough that Admiral Pike had united the colonies. But to deploy a force of this size in the colonies defied belief.

  Just over a year ago they were terrified of the Kemmar, who had simply strolled into several colonial systems without any notable resistance. Now, as part of the UHSF, they were part of an invasion force totaling more than a thousand ships.

  While their number included several hundred Diakan and Chaanisar warships, most of the force was colonial. It proved what could be accomplished when all corporate infrastructure, enhanced by Diakan advancements, committed to the war effort.

  The fleet had amassed in an empty region of space inside the colonies, so as to avoid detection by the Kemmar. There were battleships, carriers, cruisers, destroyers, and gunboats. They were accompanied by support ships, which played the logistical role of keeping a force of this size operating smoothly. A flurry of fighters and bombers, complemented the group.

  Altogether Konos estimated the fleet easily covered a region of space spanning half a million kilometers in diameter. This loose formation, allowing plenty of distance between ships, was adopted to protect against jump attacks.

  The enemy may not have jump bombs, but they had jump ships, and could easily jump a ship into their midst to drop some nukes. If the enemy tried that now, they would only destroy one ship, not a squadron.

  While the force that invaded the Juttari systems last year was larger, the colonies had not contributed much in the way of ships. This, however, was the largest force the colonies had ever fielded. Konos felt proud to be a part of this historical moment.

  “Command has transmitted our jump coordinates,” said Commander Mani. “They have been entered into the jump system. We are now jump ready.”

  “Good. Make sure our birds stay close,” said Konos. “The jump command can come at any moment now.”

  Jump drones had been sent into Otan space to map the position of the Kemmar fleet. The drones had to jump in repeatedly in order to find the enemy ships. It took time, but would be worth it in the end.

  There were always ships testing the colonial border defenses, but they wanted to know where the bulk of the occupation force sat. That was the target.

  A contingent armed with jump bombs had been left near the border, to counter possible Kemmar incursions, while the main fleet pushed ahead.

  Due to the sheer size of their armada, they were unable to sync their jump systems. They were forced to jump individually. The challenge became maintaining a safe landing distance between all vessels. To facilitate this, every ship had its own unique jump coordinates.

  The plan was simple. They would jump into Otan space, far enough away, and utilize their jump bombs to soften up the Kemmar before closing with them. They would push deeper and deeper into Kemmar territory, engaging with and destroying any Kemmar ships, or fortifications they came across.

  Based on their experience at DLC Station, Konos was confident that they would be successful. He only hoped to maintain a low casualt
y rate. They would have to clear planetary defenses, however, and that meant putting boots on the ground. Casualties would be unavoidable.

  The Intrepid’s main viewscreen suddenly flickered to life with a transmission from General Calledonius, the armada’s commander. Konos had served under him during his time in the New Byzantium military. He considered Calledonius to be a competent general, but was surprised to see him appointed commander of the armada.

  The truth was that Calledonius was often set in his ways, and resistant to change. Not exactly what you wanted when you were employing new weapons, and new tactics. Nonetheless, he was the commander, and Konos would obey his orders.

  On the viewscreen, Calledonius looked resolute, defiant. He cleared his throat, before speaking. The transmission was being broadcast to every ship in the armada.

  “We will jump into Otan space momentarily, so I’ll keep this short,” said Calledonius. “The new technology we are carrying will give us a significant advantage, but we cannot rely on it alone. We will need to fight the enemy, just as we always have. As your commander, I want to make my expectations perfectly clear. I don’t care who you are, or where you are from. I don’t care if you have Juttari implants, or green Diakan skin. I don’t care if you come from the colonies, or from Earth itself. All I care is that you go out there and you kill those Kemmar sons of bitches. The more Kemmar we kill, the less of our own we lose. Good luck, and good hunting. Calledonius out.”

  Calledonius’s face disappeared from the viewscreen, replaced by the sea of warships before it.

  “That was short and sweet,” said Mani, with a smirk.

  “It’s a good thing the General chose the military, and not a career as a poet,” said Konos.

  “Sir, the order to jump has just gone out.”

  “Very well. Let’s obey our commander, and go kill some Kemmar sons of bitches.”

  “With pleasure, Sir.”

  Chapter 45

  The Freedom floated in space fifty light years away from the Telepylos system, two hundred light years away from Earth. It shared the system with almost a thousand other ships, a combination of UHSF, Chaanisar, and Diakan forces. They had jumped here twenty-four hours earlier, and waited for their depleted jump systems to recharge, before initiating their assault on Telepylos.