The Star Cross: The Forever War

by Raymond L. Weil

  “Damn, they got away!” cried out Captain Scott in anger. “They must have had their jump drives on standby.”

  Admiral Colmes let out a deep breath. He would report back to President Lambert, and she could inform the rest of Earth’s major governments. There was now a very real chance the Vorn would be coming to Earth. Admiral Colmes felt a cold chill spread through him. The Vorn would make the Profiteers look like a minor nuisance. This had the makings of a major disaster.

  -

  Fleet Admiral Kurt Vickers was on board the Limeira, visiting with Mara. The ship was quite large and luxurious. The crew had every amenity one could imagine. Mara had requested he come over to her ship to discuss some trade agreements she was working on between Newton and Lakiam.

  Stepping inside Mara’s quarters, his breath caught in his throat. Mara was dressed in one of the outfits she bought on Newton which had been modified to fit her—a short skirt that came to just above her knees but the blouse was something else—formfitting and slightly see-through. It left little to the imagination. Kurt hoped Mara was interested in discussing the trade agreements and not something else. However, her clothes suggested she was not interested in business.

  Mara smiled at Kurt. “I see you like the clothes I’m wearing. Do they please you?”

  Kurt took a deep breath and nodded. Mara was absolutely ravishing. “I understand you want to discuss some trade agreements?”

  “Yes,” she replied with a knowing look.

  Kurt was outmatched. Mara was extremely intelligent and could probably see right through him. He was having a hard time not staring at her. He wondered if she knew the effect she had on him.

  “Sit next to me, and we can discuss them. I have copies for both of us.”

  Mara sat on the comfortable sofa with her skirt sliding up a little too high.

  Kurt walked over and joined her, trying not to stare.

  Mara suddenly burst out laughing. “I won’t seduce you, even though Keera has indicated it would not bother her. I have made it very clear to her that I will never endanger your relationship. If you ever do agree to share with me, it will be for physical pleasure and enjoyment. I think we would both enjoy the sharing very much.”

  Kurt was highly uncomfortable. He was not sure how to respond to Mara. Just knowing she was there for the asking—and Keera had told him it would not bother her—made him feel so unsure of himself. He was acutely aware of the perfume Mara wore and her closeness. His thoughts were interrupted by the comm unit on her wall going off.

  Mara frowned but stood and walked over to it. She spoke for a moment, and then a look of deep concern spread across her face. She turned toward Kurt. “That was the captain of the Aurelia. Four black ships have been detected in Earth’s system.”

  Kurt stood, the color draining from his face. This was totally unexpected. “I need to return to the Star Cross.”

  Mara nodded. “If you’re going to Earth, which I expect you are, take several of the Glaymon ships. I don’t want any harm coming to you.”

  “I will. I’ll take one of the new fleets as well as a number of the Glaymon disk ships. From the way it sounds, this may only be a scouting force.” Kurt hoped that was all this was. It was bad enough the Vorn might now know where Earth was. At least a scouting force would not be attacking the planet.

  -

  Mara watched as Kurt left her quarters. Knowing he was in good hands, she smiled, satisfied with herself. She had noticed the look of desire in his eyes. Someday she would succeed in getting Kurt to share himself with her. There was no doubt in her mind it would be fabulous. She was also very patient; all Lakiams could be when necessary.

  -

  Kurt arrived in the Command Center of the Star Cross, now on full alert.

  “Minimal crew is on board, and we can depart at your discretion,” reported Aleea.

  Kurt noticed Andrew’s absence; the captain was on Newton with his family. All the command stations were manned by a mixture of first and second shift officers. Kurt was pleased to see both Lieutenant Mays and Lieutenant Brooks at their consoles.

  “We have received an additional message from Fleet Admiral Colmes,” reported Lieutenant Mays. “Four black cruisers were involved. He destroyed one of them, but the other three escaped into hyperspace. He tracked them long enough to determine they were on a course that would take them close to the Gothan Empire but no other worlds of our Alliance.”

  Kurt nodded. “We need to check with Lomatz and Colonel Hayworth and see what defensive platforms they have available. I want all of them going to Earth.” The two heavy battlecruisers he was assigning to the solar system were scheduled to leave Newton for Earth by the end of the week. Several of the Earth governments had balked at having two of Newton’s newest and most powerful warships assigned to the solar system. Only in the last two days had the objections been rescinded.

  “You think the Vorn will attack?” asked Lieutenant Brooks worriedly.

  “Yes, Earth with its population numbers will be too tempting a target. I’ll ask the Glaymons to position twenty of their disk ships just outside the solar system. I’ll also assign one of our new fleets as well. I think it would be wise to have both our battlecarriers on patrol near Julbian, Sertez, and Maldon.” Kurt wanted all their worlds covered. No way to know the size of the harvesting fleet the Vorn might return with.

  “What about adding a couple Glaymon ships to those two fleets as well?” suggested Lieutenant Mays. “It would give them a lot more firepower.”

  “I’ll contact Tasid and see if I can arrange that.” Kurt was certain the Glaymons would help, as they had taken an active interest in what was happening on Newton, particularly since asking him to undertake the scouting mission to the staging system. He had finally agreed, but now it would have to wait until he saw what happened with this latest development. If the Destroyers of Worlds attacked Earth, Kurt planned on being there to defend it.

  Chapter Twelve

  Fleet Commodore Dreen looked at the latest reports with a deep frown on his face. The Vorn had returned and were ravishing a distant part of the galaxy. The nearest Lakiam Alliance Protector World was over twenty thousand light-years distant from where the attacks were taking place. Unfortunately that Protector World was still in the process of updating its fleet and didn’t dare send any forces to engage the Vorn.

  “This is depressing news,” council member Marl said as he studied the same reports as Commodore Dreen. “These reports indicate the Vorn fleet is massive, numbering in the tens of thousands.”

  “Their fleets are concentrating on one small region of space.” This concerned Dreen as it looked as if the Vorn were purposely avoiding regions where they might face heavy resistance. With the distances involved, it would be risky for the Lakiam Alliance to send a fleet to help. Any fleet would have to number in the thousands in order to be a threat to the Vorn. Plus, while the fleet was away from the Lakiam Alliance, the Vorn might attack an Alliance World.

  “They are in the Rumii Sector,” council member Marl continued, his eyes narrowing in concern. “Over two hundred heavily populated worlds are in that sector. Many of them have populations in the billions.”

  “The Vorn are filling their larders,” said Dreen, trying not to imagine the horror occurring in that sector. “They know we can do nothing to stop them.”

  Council member Marl shook his head. “We must! We can’t let the Vorn run wild across the galaxy, harvesting world after world. If we do, the Alliance you have built will be all that stands against them in the end. Seventy to eighty percent of the galaxy will be lifeless.”

  Fleet Commodore Dreen looked across his desk at the councilor. “What does the council say?” This Vorn attack had put him in a difficult position. While the Lakiam Alliance worlds were prepared to defend Alliance space, it would be next to impossible to send aid to worlds so far away. In all likelihood, if a fleet was sent, the Vorn would destroy it with their superior numbers. However, the Vorn could not be al
lowed to run amuck across the galaxy.

  He had met with the Council and explained the needs of the fleet as well as the danger of not resisting the Vorn wherever they might strike. However, he had not expected the Vorn to attack just one small sector of the galaxy in overwhelming force. The Council had asked a lot of questions. Many counselors were concerned about sending any fleets too far away from Alliance space. Fleet Captain Waelt had accompanied him and addressed the council on the danger presented by the Vorn and the need for increased ship building as well as more powerful defense grids.

  Marl let out a deep sigh. “They are at an impasse. Council member Darmas is against sending any aid, saying we need to keep our fleets close to home. He is still suggesting we send out a diplomatic mission to speak to the Vorn. He firmly believes they would agree to leave the Lakiam Alliance worlds alone if we did not resist their aggressions in other regions of the galaxy.”

  Commodore Dreen could not believe what he heard. “The Vorn would either destroy such a mission or eat the crew for desert. Such an idea is foolhardy and dangerous.”

  “Most of the council is in agreement with you,” Marl replied. “Is there anything the Glaymons can do to help? Can they send a fleet to attack the Vorn in that sector?”

  Dreen thought about it for a minute. Only the day before Fleet Admiral Waelt had returned to Lakiam, bringing an additional 115 Glaymon disk ships. “If we send a fleet, the ships must be from the Lakiam Alliance as well as the Glaymons. It is the only way. It will also have to be a very large fleet if we hope to achieve success against the Vorn. If the fleet is too small, the Vorn will destroy it. Yet even a large fleet will be in danger. It would have to be prepared to flee rather than risk heavy losses.”

  Marl looked thoughtful as he considered Dreen’s words. “Would the other Alliance worlds be willing to send ships?”

  Commodore Dreen settled in his chair, studying the councilor. “Such a mission would be fraught with danger. The fleet would be traveling far from its home worlds with no hope of any reinforcements running to its rescue. With the sheer number of Vorn vessels in the Rumii Sector, there is no guarantee of its safe return. I greatly fear, as soon as the Vorn learn of the fleet, they will do everything in their power to destroy it.” Commodore Dreen wasn’t happy with the situation. If they did nothing, hundreds—perhaps thousands—of worlds would be harvested by the Vorn. But if the Alliance committed its fleets too far from home, they could easily be destroyed by superior Vorn numbers leaving the Alliance defenseless.

  “I will speak to the council,” said Marl, realizing how difficult such a mission would be. “Is there anything else we can do to force the Vorn to pull back, like they did after being defeated here?”

  “No, I believe we bought the only reprieve we are to be given. The Vorn have returned to our galaxy in far vaster numbers than before, and this time I don’t know of anything which can force them back.”

  Council member Marl stood, still holding the reports Dreen had given him. “I wish to study these some more before I make my recommendations to the council.”

  Fleet Commodore Dreen nodded. “Let me know of the council’s decision.”

  After the councilor left, Fleet Commodore Dreen knew of only one possibility to force the Vorn to retreat, but it was so dangerous Dreen was hesitant to mention it. Fleet Captain Waelt had informed Dreen that the Human fleet admiral had agreed to a scouting mission of the Vorns’ staging system. If that system could be destroyed and a number of their intergalactic transport vessels annihilated, it could slow down or temporarily stop the Vorns’ harvesting of this galaxy. It was a long shot, but it seemed the only one they had.

  Dreen could do one thing now though. They had a general knowledge of the approximate size of the new Vorn fleets. He would meet with Alborg and a few more tactical officers to determine some workable combat scenarios. Brute force and slugging it out against superior numbers was too costly in ships and crews. No, there had to be a better way to destroy the Vorn. Commodore Dreen took a long breath. He activated his computer screen, watching some of the combat videos he had of different fleets engaging the Vorn. Perhaps he could find something there. Another long shot but they needed a strategy which would give the Lakiam Alliance an advantage in fleet battles.

  -

  After the discovery of the Vorn scouting party, Kurt had boarded the Star Cross and immediately set out for Earth accompanied by ten of the new battlecruisers, six Glaymon ships, and two of Lomatz’s construction ships. The construction ships were escorted by four light cruisers. The construction ships were two thousand meters in length and four hundred meters in diameter.

  “A lot of Earth governments will be highly upset when they see those two Kubitz ships,” commented Fleet Admiral Colmes as he gazed at a viewscreen showing one of the large vessels. There was still a tremendous hatred of the Profiteers and the Gothan Empire across the planet for the nuclear destruction of some of Earth’s major cities.

  “They’ll get over it,” Kurt said evenly. “If we don’t get enough defensive platforms around Earth and do it quickly, the planet could lose tens of millions—or possibly even billions—of people to the Vorn. The governments will just have to hold back their irritation until we’re finished.” Kurt understood their anger, but he needed the two Kubitz construction ships so Earth could be adequately defended.

  Colmes was silent as a number of shuttles exited the two construction ships. “How serious do you think the danger is?”

  “It’s very serious,” answered Kurt. “The Vorn scout ships know a heavily populated world is here. They had to notice the heavy ship traffic coming and going. On their departure course, they didn’t pass by any other Newton Alliance world, but the Vorn have to know they are here just from the ship traffic. We will see a Vorn harvesting fleet. We just don’t know when.”

  “How many more defensive platforms are we adding?”

  “We brought six of the newest ones with us, and another ten should be available by the end of the week,” Kurt replied. Production on board Newton Station had been changed to manufacture only the newest and most powerful versions to ensure Earth had the platforms it needed. Those that Lomatz sold to Kubitz and the other worlds of the Gothan Empire would have to wait. “We must update the Class One Command and Control Center—changing out its old power source to the new improved antimatter one, replacing its current weapons with stronger ones, and also updating the shield with the new Glaymon technology.” If it came down to a battle with the Vorn that control station had to survive. These improvements would greatly increase its chances.

  “What about our fighters and bombers?”

  “The bombers can be used to take out heavily damaged Vorn ships. Other than that they’re useless. They don’t have the firepower to inflict any real damage on a ship with an active energy screen.”

  Kurt switched his attention again to the main viewscreen. Already sections of a defensive platform were being removed from the construction ships by the tugs. The platform would be put in its proper place in orbit, and then the tugs would use manipulator arms, welders, and other remote-controlled devices to finish the assembly. It would take a full day to complete, but, when done, the platform would be fully operational and ready for its twelve-person crew.

  “What about Mars?” asked Admiral Colmes. “Can we strengthen its defenses?”

  “Some cargo ships will arrive tomorrow, carrying two hundred defensive satellites. I want to put at least 120 more around Earth, and the others can be divided up between Mars and the colonized moons of Jupiter and Saturn.” The satellites would be useless against Vorn ships, but they could stop missiles from getting through.

  Fleet Admiral Colmes gazed at a viewscreen, showing a Glaymon disk ship. These too had caused a furor when the main governments on Earth realized who they belonged to. The rumors of a highly advanced race helping Newton had now been confirmed.

  “Will the Glaymons help defend Earth?”

  “They will,” replied Kurt.
The Glaymons had agreed to help defend all the worlds in Newton’s small Alliance. “They’ll put twenty of their ships just outside the solar system with their sensor-dampening fields on. The Vorn won’t detect them.” The Glaymon dampening field was far superior to the Vorns’ version.

  “How long do we have?”

  Kurt paused as he considered Fleet Admiral Colmes’s question. “The Vorn know they were detected, so they won’t give us time to strengthen our defenses. Fortunately they don’t know about Newton. I would say we have between two to three weeks before we might see a Vorn harvesting fleet.”

  “Two to three weeks,” repeated Admiral Colmes, his face turning pale. “That soon?”

  Kurt nodded. “I’m afraid so.” Kurt had hoped the Vorn would never discover Earth or Newton; now that hope had been obliterated.

  -

  Out in space around Earth the small tugs from the two construction ships were busy assembling two new defensive platforms. The tugs would maneuver the sections together and then weld them in place with their manipulator arms.

  Over the next twenty hours a pair of massive particle beam cannons, four direct energy projectors, and eight large defensive energy turrets were attached to each platform. On both platforms, six pods containing eight hypermissiles, each with an automatic reloading system, were carefully positioned. Everything was computer-controlled, and a crew of twelve could operate the entire platform.

  When the platforms were finished, they powered up, and a pair of shuttles with the platforms’ crews docked. Moments later the defensive platforms were officially online.

  -

  Over the next several days, four more platforms were assembled and brought online. Defensive satellites were placed in orbit around Earth and linked to the two control stations. The satellites were capable of shooting down any missile that reached the planet’s atmosphere. Work also continued on the large Class One Command and Control Station updating it to the latest specifications.