Galactic Empire Wars: Insurrection (The Galactic Empire Wars Book 5)

by Raymond L. Weil

  The remaining minutes passed by quickly and then the Deliverance dropped out of Fold Space into the Lymeth Three System.

  “Energy screen is coming online,” reported Lieutenant Samuel Michaels from Tactical. “Weapons are powering up and should be available shortly.”

  “Contacts!” called out Ensign Edwards sharply from her sensor console.

  “How many and what are they?” demanded Captain Durham, sitting up straighter in his command chair. He had expected there to be some civilian ships in the system as well as possibly a few Kleese assault ships.

  “I’m detecting twelve Kleese assault ships in orbit around Lymeth Three,” Edwards replied. Alarms suddenly began sounding on his sensor console. “Holy crap! I’ve got Zaltule battlecruisers dropping out of Fold Space all around us!”

  Captain Durham took a deep breath as his eyes shifted to the tactical screen. Red threat icons were blinking into existence all around the Human fleet.

  “How long before we can jump back into Fold Space?” he demanded as he stood up and stared intently at the tactical screen, which was coming alive with even more red threat icons.

  “Two minutes,” the helm officer replied as his hands flew over his panel. “I’m recharging the drive now.”

  “A trap,” Ryan said. Somehow, the Zaltule had figured out where the fleet was heading and had been waiting for them. He looked around the Command Center uneasily seeing the sudden increase in tension.

  “Orders from the Defender,” called out Ensign Ernst from Communications. “We’re to engage the nearest Zaltule battlecruiser until we can enter Fold Space. Once our drive is charged, we’re to withdraw and head to the rendezvous coordinates.”

  “A Marine assault cruiser against one of those,” muttered Captain Durham unhappily. “Lieutenant Michaels, I want all available energy applied to our defense shield. I need two minutes so we can escape.”

  “You’ll have it, sir,” Michaels promised.

  -

  Commander Greer grasped the edge of his command chair as the Defender shook violently. “Status!”

  “Energy shield is at 62 percent,” reported Lieutenant Craig Coleman from Tactical.

  “How many Zaltule battlecruisers are we facing?”

  “One hundred and three,” reported Ensign Martin Walton from his sensor console. “They’ve englobed us and are concentrating their fire on our ships.”

  Commander Greer turned toward Colonel Winfrey, who was standing close by. “Have all of your Marines put on their battlesuits in case parts of the ship suffers a hull breach.”

  “I’ve already sent the order,” Dylan replied evenly. He knew they were in a precarious situation. He wondered how the hell the Kleese had figured out where they were going, or was this just a coincidence? Either way, he knew they were in trouble.

  -

  Kleese Minor Overlord Matol gazed at the large tactical screen with satisfaction. War Overlord Tetus had been correct on where the Human fleet would appear. Tetus had spread fifteen fleets of one hundred ships each across the former nonaligned worlds in this region. Matol was pleased it was his fleet that would have the privilege of eliminating this pest from Kleese space. He didn’t share Supreme Military Overlord Harmock’s opinion that the Humans were as great as the Zaltule in combat. He was about to demonstrate that very decisively.

  “Ten Human ships detected,” reported the Zaltule at the sensor console.

  “Order all ships to target their Fold Space Drives. That will prevent them from escaping.” Matol stood upon the Command Pedestal, knowing he would soon have a victory over the Humans. Perhaps the Supreme Military Overlord would see fit to raise his status to that of a full overlord with greater responsibility.

  -

  In space, the Zaltule had the Human fleet exactly where they wanted them. The orders were quickly sent to disable the Human Fold Space Drives so they couldn’t escape. Weapons fire erupted between the two fleets, and hundreds of deadly beams of energy filled space with their destructive power.

  -

  Zaltule energy beams and pulse fusion beams were pummeling the shields of the ten Human vessels. One of the light cruisers was being heavily targeted, and its energy shield was radiating higher and higher as it attempted to shrug off the vicious attack. The ship’s screen had never been designed to withstand such an overwhelming assault. A single pulse fusion beam managed to penetrate a weakening section of the screen and struck the armored hull. It drilled deep into the ship’s interior, tearing through multiple compartments. Emergency bulkheads slammed shut and repair crews hurriedly rushed to the affected areas. In the Command Center alarms sounded and numerous red lights began appearing on the damage control console.

  Another beam penetrated, raking the hull and creating a gash two meters wide and forty meters long. Several explosions from inside the ship tore large pieces of the hull loose, causing them to drift away from the ship. Then a Zaltule antimatter missile struck and the light cruiser was turned into a miniature sun, killing all on board instantly.

  -

  Commander Greer saw a brilliant flash of light on one of the viewscreens. “What was that?”

  “The light cruiser Corvus is down,” reported Ensign Walton grimly.

  “We have additional ships reporting severe damage,” added Captain Alicia Damon as she listened to the communications from the other vessels over the command frequency. “It’s going to be a good minute before we can enter Fold Space. Some of the ships aren’t going to make it.”

  The Defender shook again and several warning alarms began sounding. Red lights appeared on the damage control console.

  “Colonel Winfrey, I would suggest you return to your Marines and put on your battlesuit,” Commander Greer said in a calm voice.

  Dylan started to argue but from the icy look upon Commander Greer’s face, he knew it would be wasted. “Good luck, Commander.” Dylan turned and sprinted from the Command Center.

  “Damage?” asked Commander Greer, staring directly into Captain Damon’s eyes, seeing the look of deep concern on her face. He knew the report wouldn’t be good.

  “Our Fold Space Drive’s been damaged,” she said in a strained voice. “It was a glancing hit. The Chief Engineer says it will take at least an hour to repair.”

  “The Marine assault cruisers are entering Fold Space,” reported Ensign Walton.

  Another flash of light lit up another one of the viewscreens.

  “Light Cruiser Ajax is down,” reported Walton. “The rest of the light cruisers are jumping.”

  The Falcon and Firebolt are moving in to cover us,” added Captain Damon. “Commander Melvin on the Falcon wants to know the situation with our Fold Space Drive.”

  Looking at the viewscreens, Commander Greer could see the two battlecruisers. The Firebolt had a jagged hole in her side and numerous weapon turrets had either been disabled or destroyed.

  “Commander Strand is reporting that the Firebolt’s Fold Space Drive has been destroyed and is not repairable,” Captain Damon said in a tense voice.

  Commander Greer knew he had no choice. “Inform Commander Melvin of our drive status. The Falcon is to make the transition into Fold Space immediately. The Firebolt is to follow us to the planet.”

  “Message sent.”

  “Helm, take us to Lymeth Three. We’re going to attempt to land at the spaceport.”

  “Land?” choked out Captain Damon, her eyes bulging. “The Defender wasn’t designed to land on the surface of a planet!”

  “If we don’t land, we’re dead,” Commander Greer answered simply. “At least on the planet, we can give Colonel Winfrey and his Marines a chance.”

  -

  Minor Overlord Matol stared in anger at the tactical screen as a number of the Human ships escaped into Fold Space. Their energy screens were far more powerful than he had expected. He had managed to destroy two of their smaller warships and seriously damage a couple of the larger ones. The two larger ones were still there and it was obvious t
heir Fold Space Drives were nonfunctional. He could still achieve a strategic victory if he could destroy the two Human ships.

  “Concentrate our fire on those last two Human warships; I want them destroyed!”

  -

  The Firebolt and the Defender were the only two Human ships left in the system. The Zaltule were pouring heavy weapons fire into the two ships trying to overload their shields.

  Commander Lynn Strand on the Firebolt felt her vessel shake violently as if struck by a giant fist. She knew there was no way the battlecruiser could land on the planet; the damage to the ship was too severe.

  “Shield it at 32 percent,” reported Lieutenant Vardes from Tactical. “It’s not going to last more than another minute.”

  Commander Strand took a deep breath and pointed to a viewscreen showing three Zaltule battlecruisers that blocked their path to the planet. “Lieutenant Vardes, I want a full spread of our multi-warhead missiles on those targets. Then reload the tubes and hit them again. We need to clear a path for the Defender.”

  “Yes, Commander,” Vardes replied as his hands flew over his console and he spoke to the other weapon officers sitting next to him.

  The Firebolt shook again and the lights dimmed and then brightened. More alarms began sounding and additional bright red lights began appearing on the damage control console. Too many lights!

  Commander Strand knew her ship was dying around her and there was nothing she could do. She drew in a deep breath and leaned forward, gazing at the three Zaltule ships that blocked their path to the planet.

  “Missiles launched,” reported Lieutenant Vardes.

  -

  In space, twelve multi-warhead missiles streaked at sublight speeds toward three Zaltule battlecruisers. In addition, the Firebolt was firing her four particle beam cannons as well as all eight of her remaining pulse fusion turrets. Each missile contained six twenty-megaton antimatter warheads. They struck the Zaltule energy shields and detonated with a violence that threatened to bring them down.

  For a brief moment, the Zaltule ships were obscured by the brilliant flashes of light. The energy released by the antimatter warheads did cause a few short-lived holes to form in the shields. Through those holes particle beams flashed, striking the hulls of several of the Zaltule ships and blasting out deep, glowing crevasses. Moments later the next wave of missiles arrived. One of the missiles flashed through a Zaltule energy screen, and the battlecruiser vanished as six antimatter explosions blew it apart.

  -

  “Zaltule battlecruiser is down,” reported the lieutenant at the sensor console. “The other two battlecruisers are damaged and pulling back.”

  The Firebolt suddenly shook violently. The lights dimmed and several consoles exploded in fire, sending sparks flying across the Command Center.

  “We just lost our sublight engines,” reported the helm officer. “I have no power. The only thing we have left are some of our maneuvering thrusters.”

  “The Defender is moving past the Kleese ships and accelerating toward the planet,” the sensor operator added.

  Commander Strand took a deep breath. “Helm, use our thrusters to turn us around. Tactical, fire everything we have left at the nearest Zaltule battlecruiser. Perhaps we can buy the Defender the time it needs to reach the planet.”

  “It won’t be much,” Lieutenant Vardes replied grimly. “We’ve lost two of our particle beam cannons and half of our pulse fusion turrets. Power is also becoming sporadic. Shield strength has dropped to 14 percent.”

  The ship began shaking violently. On one of the still active viewscreens, Commander Strand saw the Defender heading toward the planet. Already a number of Zaltule battlecruisers were in pursuit. Commander Strand wasn’t certain if the Defender would make it or not. The ship shook again and Commander Strand could hear panicked screams of pain from outside the Command Center. On the damage control console, there were more red lights than green.

  “Shield is down!” yelled Lieutenant Vardes.

  Commander Strand unbuckled her safety harness and stood, looking at her crew. “It’s been an honor,” she said just as a bright light flashed through the Command Center.

  -

  On one of the viewscreens in the Command Center of the Defender, Commander Greer watched as the Firebolt was blown apart. Debris went flying in all directions, and a bright glow marked where the antimatter missile that had destroyed the ship had detonated. He had known Commander Strand for years. Her family lived in Luna City and would take her loss very hard as she was their only child.

  “Firebolt is down,” reported Lieutenant Walton in a very subdued voice.

  Commander Greer nodded, accepting the fact that they were now alone in the Lymeth Three System. He winced as the Defender continued to shudder from energy beam and pulse fusion hits to the energy screen. The energy screen of the Defender had been designed to stand up to heavy punishment, but no one had expected anything like this.

  “Sir, we need to slow down before we hit the atmosphere,” warned Lieutenant Dragger. “We’ll burn up at this speed.”

  “Wait until we hit the atmosphere and then begin braking,” ordered Greer. “The energy shield will protect us long enough.”

  The ship lurched violently and more red lights appeared on the damage control console.

  “Not if the Zaltule manage to breach it first,” commented Captain Damon as she held on to her console with both hands.

  “We have ten Zaltule battlecruisers in pursuit,” reported Ensign Walton. “They’re closing fast.”

  The ship lurched again and more alarms sounded.

  “We have a hull breach on level twelve, compartment seventeen,” Captain Damon reported as she checked her console. “Damage control teams are on the way.”

  The ship suddenly began shuddering violently.

  “We’ve hit the outer atmosphere,” Lieutenant Dragger reported as she desperately began trying to brake the ship’s forward momentum. “If we make it, we’re going to hit hard.”

  “Aim for the spaceport,” Commander Greer ordered. “If there are Kleese there, the Zaltule won’t dare hit it with an antimatter missile.”

  “Zaltule battlecruisers are breaking off,” called out Ensign Walton. “They’re not following us into the atmosphere. They’ve also stopped firing on us.”

  “Why?” asked Captain Damon, looking confused.

  “Either they don’t believe we can land or they want to capture survivors,” Greer replied evenly. His eyes were glued to the viewscreens showing the rapidly growing surface of the planet. “Lieutenant Dragger, we really need to slow down or we’re going to make a very large hole in the blastcrete of that spaceport.”

  “Working on it,” Dragger answered as she tried to slow the ship. She was using every trick she had ever learned in flying to brake their descent.

  -

  Minor Overlord Matol was growing angrier every minute. The Humans had managed to destroy one of his battlecruisers and damage a number of others. He had underestimated the enemy and had paid for it.

  “I want captives,” he ordered in a cold and harsh voice. He had already ordered the pursuing ships to break off and take up stationary orbits directly above where the Human ship was going to land, if it survived the landing. “Prepare our warriors to go down to the surface and capture as many of the Humans as possible. Use stun guns to ensure they’re not killed.”

  -

  Through the upper atmosphere, the Defender tore like a burning meteor as it came ever nearer to the surface. The ship had never been designed to land on a planet. Down toward the large spaceport it came at breakneck speed. It was instantly obvious to everyone watching from the surface that the ship wasn’t going to slow down enough to make a gentle landing. With a loud roar and a thunderous explosion, the troop assault ship slammed into the blastcrete of the spaceport. The energy shield failed instantly and the superstructure of the vessel buckled. Several large explosions blew out huge sections of the hull. Black smoke poured out f
rom the gaping holes from burning fires inside. The ship had landed, but it would never take off again.

  Chapter Twelve

  Colonel Winfrey woke up with a groan to find himself pinned by a fallen metal beam. Fortunately, he was in his Type Four battlesuit and, grasping the beam with both hands, managed to lift it off. Standing to his feet, he looked around seeing that the emergency lighting was on and the corridor he was in was full of smoke. Checking his HUD, he saw that his battlesuit had suffered no damage.

  “This is Colonel Winfrey,” he said over the general comm channel. “Is anybody hearing me?” It was obvious they had crash-landed. Everywhere he looked, there was damage.

  He heard a jumble of voices begin speaking.

  “This is Captain Stern. I have a large group of survivors at the main hatch. We’re trying to get it open. The ship has crashed and most of the power is out. I haven’t been able to contact anyone in the Command Center.”

  “I’m on my way,” Dylan responded as he turned and began jogging down the corridor to see if he could find a safe path through the wreckage.

  As he moved through the corridors, he came across crew personnel both alive and dead. The ones still alive he sent to help the injured and to see if the med bay was still functional. The med bay was in the center of the ship and heavily armored to ensure its survival in nearly any situation. He just wasn’t sure a crash landing was one of those.

  It took nearly twenty minutes to reach the hatch. Several times he had to pause and clear away wreckage or go completely around sections where fires were burning. He finally reached the main hatch to find a large number of Marines waiting in both Type Three and Type Four battlesuits.

  Making his way to the front, he found Captain Jamie Stern watching Captain Nicole Foster attach demolition charges to the hatch. Upon seeing Dylan’s arrival Nicole turned to face him.