-
The two thousand Zaltule warships formed up into their offensive formation of five lines two hundred ships long and two ships deep facing the Bashan fleet. The Bashan had formed their fleet into a massive cylinder formation with the support ships on the outside and the heavier battlecruisers on the inside. The cylinder was aimed at the heart of the Zaltule formation. The Bashan battlecruisers were eight hundred meters in length, eighty meters wide, sixty meters thick, and almost arrow shaped. The front of the vessels flared out as well as did the stern where the sublight drives were located. All along the hulls were weapon emplacements. Powerful pulse fusion batteries, energy cannons, and a few missile tubes. The escort vessels were five hundred and twenty meters in length and fifty meters wide.
-
Bashan Admiral Kelp Hiath had no intention of allowing his fleet to be destroyed by the Zaltule. He had argued vehemently with the chancellor and others in the government about joining the Human led Alliance. However, the chancellor had been convinced that due to the size of the Bashan fleet, the Kleese would honor the neutrality agreement. Admiral Hiath had argued that so far the Kleese had failed to do so in every case where their fleets had come into contact with a nonaligned world, which had signed the agreement. He warned them that the Kleese would come and waving the agreement would do no good. Now he had been proven right. He had listened to the chancellor plead his case over the comm channel with the Kleese, pointing out the Kleese were honor bound to uphold the agreement. The Kleese had not responded.
“Forty thousand kilometers until engagement range,” Dath Mileth, Hiath’s second in command, reported. “Kleese fleet has formed up into an attack formation and is advancing.”
“I have a message from Chancellor Odis demanding we pull the fleet back to Bashan,” reported the communications officer.
“What are your orders, sir?” asked Second Officer Mileth, his narrow eyes focusing intently on the admiral. The Bashan were humanoid and looked remarkably feline with narrow eyes and cat-like ears. They also had a light fur covering their entire body, including their faces.
“Are the cargo and passenger ships ready?”
“Yes, they’re nearly loaded. They will enter Fold Space in twenty minutes,” Mileth replied.
Hiath nodded, everything was proceeding according to schedule. “We will stay with the plan.”
Several months back, Hiath and several other senior fleet officers had gotten together to decide how best to defend their planet. After much debate, it had been decided that Bashan couldn’t be saved without the help of the Alliance. In order to prevent their loved ones from being subjected to the dreaded Kleese collars of obedience, arrangements had been made to evacuate their families as well as some of the more prominent Bashan scientists off the planet. A fleet of ten passenger liners and twenty-two cargo ships were even now assembling high above Bashan to carry out that plan. For the last two hours, shuttles had been flying back and forth between the fleet and the planet bringing up the designated Bashans who would flee the system.
“Do you think the Humans will take our people in?” asked Mileth as he watched the tactical screen and the approaching Zaltule. The screen was covered in red threat icons.
“They have taken in other refugees and have even been involved in rescuing hundreds of thousands from Kleese controlled worlds. Our peoples’ best hope is with the Humans.”
Mileth nodded. His own family was on board one of the passenger liners. “What do we do about the Kleese fleet?”
Admiral Hiath smiled. “We give them a bloody nose, as the Humans would say, and then we leave.” Admiral Hiath had been fortunate to meet the Human ambassador some months back and spent some time talking to him.
“All ships are at full alert,” reported the communications officer.
“Energy shield is at 100 percent, and weapons are powered up,” added the tactical officer. “Missile hatches are open and sublight missiles are armed and ready to fire.”
“Now we show the Kleese we are not such easy prey,” commented Admiral Hiath. He had known peace for all of his years in the space service. As a young man he had yearned to journey out into the galaxy and explore, however, the Kleese Empire ensured that future was not to be. Hiath was a rare individual on Bashan as were many of the officers and crews of his ships. They were not willing to submit to the Kleese and had always dreamed of a brighter and freer future. This would be their first step in reaching that goal.
“Combat range in two minutes,” reported the sensor operator. “Kleese vessels are opening the hatches on their missile tubes. Short-range sensors indicate the Kleese have powered up their weapons systems and activated their defense shields.”
Admiral Hiath buckled himself into his command chair.
“Sir. Chancellor Odis is demanding we turn back now or he will have you removed from command,” reported the communications officer.
“Like that’s going to happen,” muttered Mileth. “There’s not an officer in the fleet who would obey that order.”
Hiath nodded. He and his fellow officers had considered all the ramifications of what they were about to do. If they succeeded, they would live to fight another day and perhaps sometime in the future, with the Humans help, they would return and set Bashan free.
-
On Bashan, Chancellor Odis turned in anger to his defense minister, who was also responsible for the fleet. “What is Admiral Hiath doing? Why won’t he obey my orders and return to defend Bashan?”
The defense minister was an older individual who should have retired years ago. “He knows we face an impossible battle. Even if his fleet returns to Bashan space and allows the defense grid to augment his firepower, he cannot stop the Kleese. They have come in numbers too great to fight against.”
Chancellor Odis sat down hard in his chair, looking with chagrin at the defense minister. “Are you saying the Kleese will destroy our fleet and the defense grid?”
“Yes, I fear very shortly that we will all be wearing the Kleese collars of obedience we have heard so much about.”
Chancellor Odis turned pale at hearing those words. “What of the fleet of passenger and cargo ships assembled in orbit? On whose orders are their ship commanders acting?”
“I fear I had less control of the fleet than I suspected,” the defense minister replied. “When Admiral Hiath came to us months ago and pleaded for us to join the Human led Alliance, we should have listened. I believe shortly after that he and a number of his commanding officers took matters into their own hands. From the reports I have been receiving those ships in orbit are some type of evacuation fleet. Many of the family members of the crews of our warships and some of our most acclaimed scientists have gone on board.”
“And you did nothing to stop this?” roared Chancellor Odis, rising to his feet and glaring at the defense minister.
“I chose not to,” the defense minister admitted, meeting the chancellor’s eyes. “At least this way some of our people will remain free.”
Chancellor Odis choked down his anger. “Where are they going?”
“I imagine to the Human led Alliance to seek sanctuary or possibly even to the Humans’ home system. We did have an Alliance delegation come to us months ago and ask us to join. I believe Admiral Hiath even met with the Human representative.”
Chancellor Odis mulled over the defense minister’s words. “At least Admiral Hiath will pay for his treachery with his life when he engages the Kleese fleet.”
The defense minister slowly shook his head. “I don’t think Admiral Hiath intends to die. The formation his fleet is in indicates he plans on escaping and joining the refugee fleet.”
“He leaves us to face the Kleese alone?”
“No, he leaves us to fight another day, and I wish him the best of luck.”
“I shall have you thrown in detention!” shouted Chancellor Odis, feeling he had been betrayed.
“It doesn’t matter,” responded the defense minister, rising to his feet and tu
rning to leave the room. “Shortly, the Kleese will be the ones telling us what to do, not you.”
Chancellor Odis didn’t reply as he watched the defense minister open the door and leave. Odis sat back down, feeling very much alone. He realized now he should have listened to Admiral Hiath originally; perhaps then, none of this would be happening. In the back of his mind, he knew he had doomed his world to be subjugated by the Kleese. It was he who would go down in history as a traitor to his world, not Admiral Hiath or the defense minister.
-
The two fleets continued to close with the space between them rapidly diminishing. The Bashan fleet was maintaining its cylinder formation, which was pointed at the heart of the Kleese battle line. All across the Kleese formation weapons were made ready to fire. All they needed was the order from Supreme Military Overlord Harmock and the battle would begin.
-
“Strange formation,” said Minor Overlord Gareth as he studied the tactical screen with his multifaceted eyes. “It will limit the amount of firepower they can bring to bear against our fleet. It’s not a sound offensive strategy.”
Harmock agreed with Gareth’s assessment of the Bashan fleet’s tactics. “No, it’s a very poor offensive formation, but it might help to protect the ships in the interior. It seems as if that is where they’ve placed the majority of their battlecruisers.”
“In combat range,” Salten reported as the weapon consoles began lighting up with active targeting confirmations.
Harmock paused for a moment, savoring the power over life and death he commanded. The death of minor life forms such as the Bashan meant very little to him. However, the victory and bringing another world under the domination of the Kleese Empire did. “Fire!”
“Bashan ships are also firing,” reported Jalridd from sensors.
“Our fleet is slowing down to allow for maximum combat efficiency,” reported Gareth.
“Strange,” said Jalridd as he checked the speed of the Bashan ships. “The enemy are not slowing.”
“What?” demanded Harmock, his eyes focusing sharply on the tactical screen wondering what the Bashan fleet was up to.
-
The two fleets opened fire within seconds of each other. All across the Kleese battle line battlecruisers opened up with their pulse fusion and powerful energy weapons. The Bashan fleet did the same and space was soon filled with the bright flashes of the beam weapons. Across the front of the Bashan cylinder, titanic explosions began to appear as shields were overwhelmed and pulse fusion and energy beams hammered the armored hulls of the support ships.
Bashan ship hulls were split open, and alarms rang throughout their warships as emergency bulkheads slammed shut. In some cases crewmembers were trapped inside burning sections with no hope for escape. Other crewmembers struggled to put on spacesuits as the oxygen was sucked out of damaged compartments. In many instances crewmembers were hurled out of the breaches to die instantly in the heartless vacuum of space. Damage control teams rushed hurriedly to the stricken areas only to die themselves as secondary explosions rattled the ships.
Antimatter missiles soon followed, and Bashan ship after ship were blown apart in the fiery explosions resulting from the release of antimatter energy. In the time span of less than a minute, sixteen Bashan support ships were destroyed and numerous others severely damaged. The entire front of the Bashan cylinder was alight with burning and dying vessels.
As planned, the Bashan support ships were protecting the ships on the inside of the cylinder. These were all powerful battlecruisers and their firepower was now turned upon the nearing wall of Kleese warships. The fire from the Bashan fleet was directed toward one small segment of the Kleese formation. Hundreds of pulse fusion beams and energy beams pummeled the Kleese shields, seeking to bring them down. Several shields faltered from the intense bombardment and began to collapse.
Three Bashan pulse fusion beams slammed into the stern of a Zaltule battlecruiser, setting off massive explosions and hurling glowing debris into space. Moments later a Bashan antimatter missile arrived, and the vessel was turned into a glowing sun.
Several more battlecruisers quickly met the same fate as the Bashan cylinder reached point blank range and then continued penetrating the Kleese formation. Six more escort vessels exploded as they rammed Kleese vessels. In each case, the ships from both sides were destroyed in fiery explosions of released energy.
The Kleese suddenly found it difficult to fire upon the Bashan vessels without endangering their own ships. For a brief moment, the Kleese weapons fire faltered.
-
“What are they doing?” demanded Minor Overlord Gareth as he saw another Zaltule battlecruiser die as it was rammed by a Bashan support vessel.
Harmock studied the tactical display for a few seconds and then responded. “They’re trying to blast their way through our formation. Order all ships to intensify their weapons fire!”
“Our own ships are in the way,” Gareth replied as he saw two more Zaltule battlecruisers explode in flashes of brilliant light.
“Fire anyway!” Harmock ordered in a cold and uncaring voice. “I want the Bashan fleet destroyed before it escapes.”
“Escapes?” Gareth said, shifting his attention to the Supreme Military Overlord.
“Yes,” Harmock responded. “That’s why they’re in that formation. It forced us to slow down to enter combat, and now they’re blasting their way through our battle line. I strongly suspect, in a very short time, they will be entering Fold Space.”
“All weapons are firing,” reported Salten. “Launching sublight antimatter missiles.”
-
Admiral Hiath flinched as he saw the battlecruiser Greshen die on one of the viewscreens. He had known the ship’s commander since their early days in the fleet training school.
“We’ve lost six more support vessels and two battlecruisers, including the Greshen,” reported Second Officer Mileth.
Hiath nodded grimly. “How long until we clear the Kleese fleet?”
“The last vessel will be through in forty seconds,” the sensor operator answered.
“Evacuation fleet is moving away from Bashan and is preparing to enter Fold Space,” Mileth reported with evident relief in his voice.
Hiath felt the ship shake violently and several alarms began sounding. He looked questionably at Mileth.
“Minor damage to the outer hull at hull section forty-two. Energy shield is holding at 90 percent. A Kleese energy beam penetrated the shield.”
“All ships are clear of the Kleese fleet formation,” added the sensor operator.
Hiath nodded and took a deep breath. “All ships, full acceleration! Once we’re out of combat range, we’ll enter Fold Space and rendezvous with the evacuation fleet.”
“And then?” asked Mileth as he watched the tactical screen.
“We’ll go to Alliance space and then, if we can, on to the Humans’ system. We will need their aid if we ever hope to free Bashan from the Kleese.”
It didn’t take long for the Bashan ships to escape the clutches of the Kleese weapons. Once they were clear, they made the jump into Fold Space. For now, their war was over, but their fight to free their world was just beginning.
-
Supreme Military Overlord Harmock watched in anger as the Bashan fleet escaped into Fold Space. “More ships we’ll have to hunt down and destroy in the future.”
“They are doubtlessly headed for Alliance space,” Minor Overlord Gareth said. “We will destroy them there.”
“Yes, it’s nearing time to deal with the Alliance and the Humans. Set a course for Bashan. We’ll destroy their defense grid but leave the orbiting stations intact. This system is rich in heavy metals and once they’re refined they will be of use to the empire.”
-
Chancellor Odis sat alone in his office waiting for the Kleese to put in an appearance. He had been informed the Kleese fleet had gone into orbit around Bashan after using antimatter missiles to clear the
space above the planet of its defense grid. Odis let out a deep sigh; there was already panic in the streets of the cities as citizens tried to leave and flee into the countryside. Little good it would do; anyone the Kleese wanted would be turned in once the collars of obedience were around enough Bashan necks. People would turn others in to save their own heads from being blown off.
A noise outside his door drew his attention. It sounded like a multitude of feet coming down the hallway. Drawing in a long breath Chancellor Odis stood up as the door was flung open and a Kleese entered. Due to the large size of the Kleese, it was barely able to fit through the door. Behind the first Kleese came two more, both heavily armed.
“You are Chancellor Odis?” the Kleese asked in a demanding and unforgiving voice.
“Yes,” Odis replied, trying not to show fear.
The Kleese opened a box it was holding and approached Odis, removing a circular silver collar with a light bluish tint. “You will submit to the will of the Kleese and wear this collar of obedience. If you fail to do as we ask, you shall die.”
Odis said nothing as the Kleese took the collar, unsnapped it, and placed it around his neck. The collar felt cold to the touch and Odis shivered slightly, knowing the collar contained an explosive charge, which could be set off by any of the Kleese.
“You are now a subject of the Kleese Empire and live only to serve.”
Odis nodded and sat back down behind his desk. His hand slowly lifted until it touched the collar. With a deep sigh, he knew Admiral Hiath had been right. They should have turned to the Alliance, and now it was too late. The long years of peace for the people of Bashan had come to an end, and it was all his fault. He was now an unwilling servant in the Kleese Empire.
Chapter Five
Captain Ryan Nelson stood in the Command Center of the Marine assault cruiser Deliverance. Looking around, he allowed himself to smile. The Command Center of the Deliverance was so different from the small assault ships like the one they had used to escape from the Kleese. For one thing, it was larger and competent fleet personnel staffed all the stations. When they had escaped in the assault ship, only a few of the Marines had any flight experience. If not for Lieutenant Guthrie and a few others, they would never have escaped and would still be prisoners or dead.
Galactic Empire Wars: Insurrection (The Galactic Empire Wars Book 5) Page 6