“They will serve to hold the Humans at bay until we have made our move toward their flank.” Looking at another viewscreen, Harmock bristled as he saw four more of his battlecruisers in the minefield explode as they were turned into miniature suns.
-
“Main part of the Zaltule fleet is attempting to go around the minefield,” Commander Makita reported. “They’re trying to flank us.”
“Heavy battlecruisers Clayton and Cheyenne are down,” reported Lieutenant Fullerton. “Battlecruisers Reliant, Sword, and Eden are down as well.”
“What about the light cruisers and the assault ships?” asked Commander Makita.
“Twelve light cruisers are down and thirty-seven assault ships lost so far.”
“The Zaltule?” Admiral Kelly knew they were losing a lot of ships in the minefield and from the weapons fire his fleet was pouring into them.
“We’ve nailed one hundred and thirty of them so far,” Lieutenant Fullerton replied as she tallied the numbers.
“They’re beginning to emerge from the minefield,” Commander Makita pointed out as the lead Zaltule ships begin to pull out from the area laced with mines.
Fleet Admiral Kelly let out a deep breath. “Pull us back toward Centerpoint and Freedom Station. We’ll need their heavy weapons if we hope to survive the next phase of this battle.” He also didn’t dare allow the main Zaltule fleet to flank him.
-
General Mitchell watched as Fleet Admiral Kelly began to withdraw back toward the stations. On another screen, he saw that Fleet Commander Achlyn was suffering heavy ship losses in his battle at Vesta.
“Projections indicate Fleet Commander Achlyn will have lost his entire fleet in twenty more minutes,” Colonel Robertson reported grimly. “He’s losing three ships for every Zaltule battlecruiser he takes out. The Zaltule have also moved too far away from Vesta for the asteroid’s weapons to be of any use.”
“General?’ Marken said, his eyes looking knowingly at General Mitchell. “It’s time.”
A huge light suddenly filled one of the viewscreens.
“What was that?”
“Holbrook Station,” Lieutenant Vail answered in shock. “The Zaltule sent a wave of antimatter missiles toward it. The station never had a chance.”
“At least it was evacuated,” Colonel Robertson said. Holbrook Station had orbited Earth for years. It had been one of the last remaining symbols of the age before the coming of the Kleese.
General Mitchell let out a deep breath. He realized they had reached the point of no return. If the battle continued as it was, the Solar System would be overrun by the Zaltule and all the Humans and even the hidden alien races that had made the Solar System their home would die. The only survivors might be those hiding out at Jornada.
“Do it!” he said looking over at Marken. “Activate the weapon. Captain Owens, send a message to Fleet Commander Achlyn to break off and retreat. Inform him that Operation Phoenix is being initiated.”
Captain Owens looked confused as she had never heard of this before but she quickly did as ordered.
“Now what?” asked Colonel Robertson. He was well aware of what Operation Phoenix was.
“We wait,” General Mitchell said as he walked over and sat down in his command chair. “We need to hold the Zaltule fleet at bay for twelve more minutes and then it will be over.” He didn’t add that it might be over for everyone in the Solar System as well; that still remained to be seen.
-
Fleet Commander Achlyn felt his flagship shake severely. The lights went out and several control consoles exploded, sending showers of hot sparks flying across the Command Center. He heard several crewmembers cry out in pain.
“Status!” he barked as the power came back on.
“Pair of energy beams hit the aft section near Engineering,” reported Second Commander Baylith as he checked the damage reports coming in. “Some power couplings were damaged as well as the backup fusion reactor. Our power is down by 30 percent.”
The ship shook again and Achlyn could hear the shriek of tearing metal.
“We need to pull back and initiate some repairs or the ship is going to come apart at the seams,” added Baylith, hoping the Fleet Commander would agree.
“No,” Achlyn said, shaking his head determinedly. “We will continue to fight.”
On one of the viewscreens, a Bashan eight-hundred-meter battlecruiser was under heavy attack. Its energy shield flared brighter and brighter and then a single Zaltule pulse fusion beam penetrated. The ship seemed to shudder on the screen and then a massive explosion blew out a large section of the hull. Whatever the Zaltule had hit inside the vessel must have substantially weakened the ship’s energy screen as four energy beams penetrated, opening up numerous ship compartments to space. On the screen, Achlyn could see a number of crewmembers who had been blown out of the gaps in the hull. He shuddered, shaking his head in despair. Their deaths would have been instantaneous. A moment later, the Bashan battlecruiser exploded as a Zaltule antimatter missile detonated, ending the ship.
Fleet Commander Achlyn took a deep breath. Since the battle had started, he had lost nearly 40 percent of his ships. They were now losing four ships for every Zaltule battlecruiser they managed to destroy.
“Fleet Commander,” called out the ship’s communications officer. “We’re being ordered to pull back. General Mitchell is activating something called Operation Phoenix.”
Achlyn turned a pasty white upon hearing those words. He looked over at Second Commander Baylith. “Order all ships to fall back to the emergency coordinates. Once there, plot a course to the nearest Alliance System.”
“The Alliance?” said Baylith confused. “I don’t understand.”
“It’s best you don’t,” Achlyn responded. “In a few minutes, we’ll know if the Zaltule have been defeated and if we need to flee the system.”
“Defeated?” Baylith uttered, his eyes widening. “How can we defeat them if we’re pulling back, and why would we flee the system?”
“Because Operation Phoenix has the potential to not only destroy the Zaltule but the entire Solar System as well.” Fleet Commander Achlyn knew the tactical situation must be dire if General Mitchell were willing to take such a huge risk.
-
Minor Overlord Barral watched in puzzlement as the attacking ships suddenly reversed course and activated their Fold Space Drives, fleeing the battle. Of course there were a few ships remaining with damaged drives that could not escape. These were rapidly annihilated.
“Set a course for the planetoid,” he ordered. “We’ll finish destroying its defenses and wipe out any Humans who may still be alive inside.”
“By your command,” Falolt responded as he began passing on the orders.
Barral gazed at the tactical screen wondering why the enemy fleet had broken off contact and fled. He had a strange feeling something wasn’t right. However, that was for Supreme Military Overlord Harmock to worry about. Barral’s orders were to reduce the planetoid to a lifeless husk, and that was exactly what he intended to do.
-
On the surface of the Moon, a massive secret installation suddenly activated. It was protected by the most powerful energy screen ever devised and was capable of withstanding the full attack of the Zaltule fleet for many long minutes if necessary. From its communications center, an FTL command was transmitted to a number of special satellites orbiting the sun. The satellites, upon receiving the order, turned their giant fifty-meter dish antennas toward the burning furnace of the star. A beam of light suddenly flicked out from fifty such satellites to impact the surface. Thirty seconds later, the star flared up in each one of the impact areas and the satellites began collecting energy. The energy was then transmitted to a one thousand meter sphere one million kilometers distant, and from that sphere, a single beam of intense energy was sent along a string of ten massive energy collection and projection satellites back toward the Moon. The energy was being transmitted at the sp
eed of light, and it would vaporize anything in its path.
On the Moon, the massive installation waited for the surge of stolen energy from the sun to reach it. A massive dish rose up above the desolate surface waiting for the energy needed to activate the powerful weapons built at the base, weapons so powerful they needed the sun itself for power.
-
In space, Fleet Admiral Kelly had managed to maneuver the Zaltule into a position where the Zaltule battle fleet was visible to the base. A timer on his command console was steadily counting down. His breathing had quickened and his heart was pounding. Two minutes remained, and at that time they would know if they had won the war or lost the Solar System.
The Armageddon suddenly seemed to roll over on its side as it was struck a hammer like blow. The lights went out and the dimmer emergency lights came on. A number of alarms began sounding and red lights were flashing on the damage control console.
“Power is out,” Commander Makita said as he tried to contact Engineering.
Kelly only nodded. The viewscreens and tactical displays had also died. He knew if the power was out, the energy screen was down also. It would only be a matter of a few moments before a Zaltule antimatter missile destroyed the ship. In his mind, he could picture the Zaltule battlecruiser preparing to fire the killing shot. Closing his eyes, Kelly waited for his death.
Long seconds passed and nothing happened. A full minute went by and then suddenly the power came back on.
“Why are we still here?” he asked, gazing in amazement around the Command Center. No one seemed to know.
Looking at the viewscreens that were now coming on, he saw the answer. Nearly every remaining heavy battlecruiser in the fleet had formed a protective wall in front of the heavily wounded flagship. Kelly choked up seeing the debris from at least two destroyed heavy battlecruisers. The crews of those ships had sacrificed themselves so the Armageddon could survive.
Looking down at the timer on his command console, he saw that less than a minute remained. He needed to move his fleet away from the Zaltule. Activating the ship-to-ship communications channel, he made a sudden and surprising announcement. “At my mark, all ships are to turn one hundred and eighty degrees on their axis and accelerate away from the Zaltule fleet.” Kelly paused for a few seconds and then said, “Five, four, three, two, one mark!”
-
Supreme Overlord Harmock gazed in uncertainty as the Human fleet suddenly turned and fled, leaving the two former Kleese trading stations undefended as well as their colonies on the large moon. Was it possible the Humans were setting another trap, expecting the Zaltule fleet to follow them?
“Overlord,” called out Jalridd in sudden fear. “I’m picking up a massive surge of energy headed toward our location from the system’s sun. I’m not certain but the star may be undergoing a nova transformation.”
With a feeling of dread, Harmock suspected the Humans had just played their last trick. Could the Humans have found some way to cause their star to go nova in order to destroy the Zaltule fleet? Fold Space Drives were not functional in such a highly stressed area of space. He knew if the star had indeed gone nova, his fleet would be destroyed. Was this the Humans’ final trap? Harmock gazed at the viewscreens waiting for an answer.
-
The massive beam of solar energy arrived, feeding power to the hungry installation on the surface of the Moon. Five massive energy projectors turned toward the Zaltule fleet and greatly enhanced plasma beams lanced out. The beams were so powerful and wide that they cut through Zaltule energy shields as if they were butter, taking out two or three warships at a time. The Zaltule battlecruisers died like moths caught in a flame. Ship after ship exploded in massive fireballs as the five beams played across the Zaltule fleet formation.
Another blast of energy was generated from the base, making it impossible for the Zaltule fleet to activate their Fold Space Drives. The space around the Zaltule ships became too stressed to establish a warp bubble to allow for Fold Space travel. The Zaltule fleet was trapped.
-
Supreme Overlord Harmock gazed without comment as his fleet was being systematically destroyed. The five beams of plasma energy were unstoppable as Zaltule battlecruisers vanished into oblivion. The Zaltule at Navigation had already informed him that Fold Space was closed off.
Harmock knew his plans for a Zaltule controlled Kleese Empire was about to come to an abrupt end. He now realized the Humans were not only equal to the Zaltule in battle, but were their superiors! Those were his last thoughts as one of the deadly plasma beams struck the Warrior’s Fire, ending the life of the Supreme Military Overlord of the Zaltule and the Kleese Empire.
-
At Vesta, Minor Overlord Barral witnessed the death of Supreme Military Overlord Harmock and his fleet on the long-range sensors. He stood frozen upon his six legs, finding it nearly impossible to believe Harmock was dead.
“Inbound contacts on the Fold Space sensors,” called out the sensor operator.
“How many?”
“Over a thousand,” the sensor operator replied. “It’s an Alliance fleet.”
“Withdraw,” Barral ordered. “We will return to the trading station in Sector Thirteen to repair our battle damage and assess the situation. This battle is lost, and we must send word to the other Zaltule that our Supreme Military Overlord is dead.”
A few minutes later, the last Zaltule ship made the transition into Fold Space and fled. The battle for control of the Solar System was over.
-
On Centerpoint Station, General Mitchell had his eyes focused on a viewscreen. It showed the sun and what appeared to be a number of massive solar flares erupting from its surface. He looked over at Marken, who was speaking rapidly over a comm channel with a number of Kivean scientists as well as others from the Deltons, Bashans, Talts, and Belens. Mitchell knew these were the brightest minds in the Solar System, and all eyes were focused on the growing activity on the surface of the star.
Finally, Marken seemed to be satisfied and he turned toward General Mitchell. “The news isn’t good but it’s not as bad as it could have been. Mars will be hit by one of the solar flares directly and may suffer some serious damage to any surviving surface installations. If there are survivors in the deep bunkers, they must remain there until the flare has passed. Any Humans out on the surface will die immediately when the flare reaches the planet.”
“What about here?”
“We also will be struck,” Marken said, sounding grim. “All personnel in the outer regions of the two stations will need to move to the central areas. The habitats will become death traps if any people remain in them. On the Moon, there will be some damage to the surface installations, but the people should be safe as long as they stay in the shelters. The solar flare headed toward us isn’t as large as the one that will impact Mars. We also need to move all ships out of the paths of the flares, even in the outer regions of the system. We came very close to causing the sun to go nova.” Marken didn’t want to tell the general just how close they had come. As it was, Marken would have a hard time sleeping for the next few nights.
General Mitchell nodded his understanding. There would be more damage but they would survive. On one of the large tactical screens, the Alliance fleet was dropping out of Fold Space near Vesta. Alliance Fleet Admiral Rivers had arrived.
It was just now dawning on General Mitchell that they might have just won the war against the Kleese. The majority of the Zaltule fleet was wiped out. Fleet Admiral Kelly still had a major portion of his fleet surviving, and Fleet Commander Achlyn had his fleet as well. With Alliance Fleet Admiral Rivers’ fleet, it was possible they could go on the offensive and drive the Kleese back from many of the inhabited worlds they controlled.
Looking over at Marken, he asked the question. “Did we just win the war?”
“We’ll see,” answered Marken, ready to board a ship and return to the Kivean asteroid where Harnett awaited. “We did today what no one believed pos
sible. We defeated the Zaltule and their Supreme Military Overlord. The Kleese Empire will never be the same, and we may be in a position to finally bring peace to our section of the galaxy.”
Mitchell nodded. There was still a lot that needed to be done. The cities on Mars had to be rebuilt and Smithfield had to be searched for survivors. A lot of people had died today, both Humans and their alien allies, but for the first time in a long while, the future of the Human race looked to be secure. In the coming years, they could rebuild the Solar System, terraform Mars, and someday return Earth to its former glory. Mitchell just hoped he would see the day when the home planet was once more green and he could walk out onto its surface and breathe the air once more.
Epilogue
Far out past the Kleese Empire in uncharted space, a massive object dropped out of Fold Space. It was one hundred and twenty kilometers across and twenty-four kilometers thick with its surface covered by a number of habitation domes ranging in size from five to twenty kilometers. The domes were the homes for the station’s crew of eighty thousand Zaltule. It was also heavily armed, far heavier than any previous trading station.
War Overlord Tetus stood upon the Command Pedestal in the main Command Center of the massive station. He was watching the viewscreens as fourteen hundred Zaltule battlecruisers began exiting Fold Space. A few moments later, seventeen hundred of the older Zaltule battlecruisers began appearing.
“It was fortunate our brethren near the core worlds were able to rescue three of our young Queens,” commented Overlord Barral. Barral had been advanced in rank and now served as the War Overlord’s second in command.
“Yes,” Tetus answered, his multifaceted eyes watching as the large battlecruisers formed up into squadrons. They were six thousand light years from the empire; far enough away that the Humans and their Alliance would never find them, at least not until it was too late.
“The exploration squadrons are ready,” reported Haralt, the station’s commander.
“Send them out,” ordered War Overlord Tetus. “We need three new worlds for our young Queens. From them will spring the next generation of Zaltule warriors.”
Galactic Empire Wars: Insurrection (The Galactic Empire Wars Book 5) Page 35