by Ben Winston
The Lizards were smart enough to see the drones coming and try to avoid them to get to their real targets. The result was the Lizards getting spread out and thus harder to kill. Mother then had the drone operators locate and guide survivors toward the rescue ships, protecting them as they moved. By the time the surviving beings had finally been rescued, night was falling in the area. Mother once again had the drones spread out on search and destroy missions. The area was so remote as far as current civilizations went, that several of the surviving Lizards had begun to turn cannibal. There was wildlife in the area to be sure, but it either avoided the Lizards or killed them.
It took the better part of three days to finish rounding up the former Duke's forces on the planet, but the fighting had stopped for the most part. Roughly half of the soldiers working for the former Duke were mercenaries; working as soldiers only for the paycheck, with no loyalty to the Duke himself. Those soldiers were given conscripted service to the Empire in place of prisoner status. They would be assigned to work rebuilding the destroyed parts of this planet, and assisting in the construction of new facilities. They would be overseen by Imperial troops working for the new Human Ruling Council on behalf of the Empire.
The loyal soldiers were charged with various and multiple crimes against the Empire ranging from treason and armed rebellion to slavery and the use of a sentient race as a food source. Most were executed, others were sent to forced labor 'camps' in mineral rich asteroid belts to finish out their lives mining ore.
While Gail was dealing with the issues on the planet, Yolinar was working with his commanders to protect the rest of the Empire. Shortly after the transport ships were forced down outside of Stardock, the Lizard fleet arrived in Hyclarion space. However, much to their surprise, they found Admiral Tyrel and his fleet of aged warships awaiting them.
Before leaving the Belisarius Anchorage, Tyrel convinced an addition fighter carrier, two older battleships and six missile-heavy cruisers to join them. The wily old admiral also commandeered every ammo supply ship he could find and had them loaded with as many anti-ship missiles as they could carry.
He had the fighter carriers deploy their fighters and withdraw to almost their maximum missile range. Then two of the ammo supply ships docked with each carrier to serve as additional missile storage. With their fighters deployed to harass the Super Destroyers, the carriers then became missile platforms with a squadron of fighters each to serve as their point defense system.
He did much the same thing with his battleships and missile cruisers, setting up the smaller destroyers and other cruisers to defend them so they could fire their missiles and other weapons. Since they were still far enough out of the Draconis system, the admiral also ordered every ship to pre-plot six micro-jumps and keep them stored in the jump drive memory. It pretty much maxed out the fleet's computing power, but it would serve to keep them alive and fighting for a longer period of time.
With all of his preparations and tricks, the Admiral was still outnumbered six to one. He felt it was a good omen that, even after three hours of fighting, he hadn't lost a ship. The Lizards had lost five with four more heavily damaged, but the Lizards were adapting to his unorthodox strategy and his ships were beginning to take damage.
Now it would become a slugging match between the two fleets. He was still heavily outnumbered as well as out-gunned, but his crews were well trained and understood what it was they were fighting for.
"Have the missile cruisers begin the jump attacks," Tyrel ordered his operations officer. The 'Jump Attacks' was a plan his flag captain had suggested where the carriers would stop firing and plot jumps for the missile cruisers. The missile cruisers taking their jump plots from the carriers, would jump into the middle of the enemy fleet, fire their missiles and jump out before the enemy could fire on them. When the cruisers ran out of missiles, they would jump back to the carriers and reload. The carriers themselves had to keep moving too, once the Lizards figured out what was going on with the missile cruisers, they became priority targets.
The Super-Destroyers were the ones to focus on the carriers the most, and like angels seeking vengeance, the fighters from the carriers kept chipping away at the big ships. Each attack did little damage by itself, but due to the lack of anti-fighter defenses on the big warships, the Imperial fighters could attack with impunity. The small missiles from the fighters, combined with laser and particle beam weapons fire slowly wore the big ships down. The fighters destroyed weapons systems and shield generators but because of the heavy armor on the big ships could do little else. Which was fine; a warship without weapons or shields was little more than a target dummy for the Imperial battleships.
After seven hours of fighting, Admiral Tyrel had lost six ships; one heavy cruiser, one missile cruiser and four destroyers. However, the Lizard fleet had lost eight destroyers and one super destroyer. Two other super-destroyers no longer had functioning weapons or shields, and three others had severely reduced fighting capacity.
In the grand scheme of the battle, it wasn't much, however, the attacking fleet had been all but stopped in place during the fight. Admiral Tyrel had succeeded in stopping the advance, and was holding them in place at the outer edge of the Draconis system and that had been the real goal all along. They only needed to hold the enemy fleet back from Hyclarion for thirteen to seventeen more hours. The two heavy assault fleets would arrive and the real fight for the planet would begin.
As if they had read Tyrel's mind, seven of the most heavily damaged super-destroyers broke away from the fleet and made for the inner system at full speed.
"Cor'lith!" the Admiral yelled and pointed to the group of ships.
"I see them Sir, but I don't know what we can do about it. Two of the monsters are still fully functional. If we pull our battleships away from their current missions, it'll be like releasing a pressure valve. The whole lot of 'em will be free to run for the planet," Tyrel's Flag Captain, Cor'lith replied.
Tyrel watched the ships for a moment. "Stop the jump attacks and pull four of the missile cruisers back to the carriers. Have the carriers switch back to firing missiles, but have them focus on those seven supers. Destroy them if they can, but stopping them is the priority. Send six of our fast destroyers back as well. Have them perform preset strafing runs on the enemy with their focus on propulsion and power systems."
"Sir, the destroyer Resolute. Her crew is dead, but the computer systems still have power. If we can set up a comm relay to it, we might be able to use her computer to plot jumps for the missile cruisers. It won't be as fast as the carriers, and we can't handle as many ships, but we can still keep at least some of the pressure on," the operations officer said.
Tyrel nodded. "Good idea, but have one of our destroyers jumping back to the carriers take her in tow. One of the carriers can grapple her and link into her systems directly. Maybe we can show command the value of building a dedicated ship to handle multiple computations for a fleet."
Cor'lith snorted. "I doubt it would do any good, Admiral. It was the Senate that killed that idea as being far too expensive to put that much computing power into an otherwise unarmed ship."
Tyrel nodded. "An argument for another time; get those ships moving ops."
"Aye Sir," the operations officer said and turned to issue the orders.
Back on Earth, now officially known as the planet Terra, Yolinar heaved a sigh of relief as the report of the assault fleets arriving at Hyclarion was received. Tyrel had done a remarkable job of holding the enemy back, but the cost had been very high.
When he left the Belisarius Anchorage, Admiral Tyrel had commanded a fleet of two hundred ninety-five ships. Currently, only sixty-three damaged ships were making their way to Sol System. None of his fleet had escaped the battle unharmed, some were heavily damaged, and all of them that could were towing ships that had no jump capability of their own, or were lifeless hulks only capable of being salvaged.
The Fourth Coriscan Fleet, led by Admiral Tyrel was not the
only unit coming to Sol. Three massive spacecraft shipyards, two medical ships, ten construction frigates, two full engineering units, and hundreds of freighters loaded with materiel were either already in route or soon would be. Two other massive shipyards that would have to be repaired before making the trip from other locations, were also scheduled to make the trip. It would mean extra work, but no one was bothered by that as there was plenty to get done before they would be needed anyway.
Ben and Hjoolous both spoke to all the survivors via the planet-wide comm system to personally explain all the changes that would be happening and why. Ben also asked the people to give some thought to what they might like to do in the new society that was being formed, and to schedule sleep training as soon as it became available. He also asked for volunteers to go to the surface and work with the existing population during the transition.
In addition to creating the entire infrastructure for the planet and new government, and because of the security measures that would be needed here, Hjoolous announced that, pending approval by the Ranger Corps Command, a new Ranger outpost would be built and staffed here on Terra.
On the monitor they were facing to make their address, both leaders could see that Mother was reporting how well the people were accepting the news. Over-all approval ratings were high.
Ben looked directly into the holocamera so it would appear that he was speaking directly to every person watching. "Folks, all of these fancy, flowery words are nice, and I will admit that meeting and speaking with his Majesty has gone a long way to quelling my fears for our safety, but I want to make one thing very clear to each and every one of you; by agreeing to join the Empire at this time, we are agreeing to become a nation at war.
"The Lizards have attacked the Imperial Capitol, trying to kill the Emperor and take control for themselves. They've already attacked and destroyed hundreds of Imperial warships. As I'm sure you are already aware; they also attacked this planet. Almost a million souls have been lost in this war already, and so far, it's only three days old.
"I'm sure at least some of you are asking yourselves what all of that has to do with us. Actually, it's vital to us and our continued survival as a race and as a member of the Imperial community. The history of the human race in the Empire is now available to all of you in the education section of the data net. While not required, I would ask that each of you take a look at it so you can gain a better understanding of the world we are now a part of. Make no mistake here; like it or not, we are part of this world now, and this world is at war.
"What that has to do with our survival is simple; as a member nation of the Empire we have rights guaranteed to us under the Emperor and the Imperial Constitution. Myself as well as your Councilors have reviewed those laws and agree that they are fair and just. A copy of those documents is also available to you in the education section, and all of you are expected to be familiar with them. They will also be added to the mandatory education topics for our children.
"If we did nothing but sit back and try to stay out of the way while the rest of our galaxy fights this war, what right would we have to even ask for membership into the Empire, provided they win? What right would we have to ask the nations, that fought and whose citizens gave their lives defending us while we did nothing, for anything?" Ben paused. "If we are not willing to stand up and defend ourselves, what right do we have to ask someone else to do it for us?
"So you then ask, what is this war about?" Ben grinned. "The same thing most wars are about: power and control. The Lizards want a return of their ways, their laws, and their government. Under their rule, humans would be farmed much like cattle, as we are considered a food source for them. We would also be used as slave labor. Neither option sounds all that appealing, does it? We can't run away; we have no ships. Although the Empire has been trying to stop it, the Lizards are already using our people as food and slaves. Folks, the human race is not just our little group of survivors any more. There are billions of us either living as free citizens spread out in the current Empire, or being used as slaves, or worse, on the Lizard’s worlds.
"We have been offered a very important position in the Empire, provided we help them as much as we can. The terms of the offer are very favorable to us, and after discussing it with the Council, we have accepted. I've spent the better part of the last three days talking with the Emperor and getting to know him. Surprisingly, I believe I have not only found a friend for myself, but for our people as well. When I tell you that I know we can trust Emperor Hjoolous, what I mean is that my belief in that fact is simply that strong. As always, I'll be honest with you; due to security issues, there is a lot going on here I simply can't tell you about. However, in the coming months, I'm sure at least most of you will have figured them out because you will all be a part of it. To put it simply, we are putting our very survival in the hands of the Empire, and they are trusting us with the very same thing.
"Now, to business. We already know what most of your skill sets are, but we would ask that any of you that may have unreported skills in the fields of weapons and aircraft design to report in via the AI network. The Empire is sending us a lot of equipment to help get us ready for what’s coming. We will need to get that set up and functional as quickly and as efficiently as we can. Our Empire is depending on us.
"We will also slowly begin evacuation back to the surface as housing and services are built or made available. Which means we will also need all available construction specialists and workers to report in via the AI as well. There is a lot we need to get done, and we need to get doing it. Everyone will have something to do. Now is the time we all need to pull together and show the Empire the true strength of the human spirit!"
Chapter Two
After the assault by the Duke Tammerain of Cassius on Terra, the Lizards ignored the Sol System. Imperial Intelligence was a little surprised because the Lizards had to know about the ship yards and military facilities being built there. However, for the next year, there was no sign that the Lizards even knew the system still existed. It was a blessing for both the humans as well as the Empire, as all other ship repair facilities suffered repeated raids and attacks.
The lower ranked Lizards that had been serving on Terra, the very same ones that voluntarily surrendered at the beginning of hostilities, were given transportation back to the Planet Cassius for repatriation. They were sent out on a semi-automated transport that had no open view ports or sensors the passengers could access. Once it arrived at Cassius, the bridge and controls were unlocked, and the passengers were then allowed to go wherever they wished.
The captured soldiers that had been loyal to the Duke were assigned to the Terran mining effort. They were sent out in slow, sub-light mining ships from much larger mobile processing centers to mine asteroids for the ore that would be needed in the construction efforts. Ben instructed each facility manager not to abuse them in anyway. Granted they would not be allowed their freedom until the war ended, but there was really no reason to work them like slaves. They would work five, ten-hour days then get a day off which was the exact same schedule all other miners and laborers in the Empire worked. The former soldiers did wear detention collars to ensure their behavior, but other than that they were to be treated civilly.
There were some issues to begin with; a few attempted escapes and two attempts at sabotage, but once the others witnessed the detonation of the collars of the miscreants, the rest settled down. Most even came to accept their fate as far more lenient than they would get anywhere else in the Empire.
There was the expected exodus of humans from Imperial worlds, but it wasn't as large as it could have been. It was made clear to all potential immigrants that atmospheric re-acclimation would be mandatory as standard housing and residential units would not have atmospheric processors. Of course, there would be some residential units that did have sealed environments because not all the residents would be human.
The plan did foster some racial segregation, but it was based
on practical needs and not on any form of hate or bias. There would also be mixed race work environments, as those could not be helped. In those cases, the atmosphere would be adjusted to accommodate the largest number of workers in that area, and breather units would be supplied to those that would need them.
By Imperial request, one shipyard was placed in Earth, (Terra), orbit and was dedicated entirely to computers and computer control systems. That station would have a mostly human crew by design. Although there were several very capable computer experts in the Empire that could contribute to the effort, Emperor Hjoolous and Admiral Yolinar decided to leave the station and the secrets it would be guarding in human hands. Anyone going aboard that station would be heavily screened and checked before allowing them access.
For Ben and the rest of the people from the pods, moving to the surface was both welcome and somewhat scary. The world they were emerging into was not the same one that they had left behind. The animals that survived had evolved and adapted to their new environment. For the people emerging from the pods, it was like surveying a new, alien world. There was a gene bank of old earth animals put there if restocking the planet had been necessary, and indeed there would be some of those samples used to replace species that no longer existed. However, the reintroduction of old species would have to be studied to ensure balance was maintained.
Before the fall, there was a standing joke that the only survivors of a nuclear war on the planet would be the cockroaches. Ironically, that hadn't been far from the truth; the cockroaches had survived in the ruins of the old world. They survived and mutated. Now, most of the species of cockroach were rather large, and some of them had poisonous bites. They had not been the only insects to survive and mutate; the common mosquito was now a real, very deadly, threat. There were reports of the insect attacking and killing other smaller animals in the wild. Of course, being larger meant they were easier to spot and either kill or avoid.