-
From all the dreadnaughts and enhanced battlecruisers thousands of dark matter missiles launched. The space in front of the fleet suddenly lit up in monstrous explosions. For a moment all the viewscreens dimmed as the bright light overwhelmed them. Then Eternal ships appeared breaking through the missile barrage and turning their weapons on the Originator fleet.
Antimatter missiles and energy beams slammed into the defending fleet overwhelming energy screens. The top section of an Originator battlecruiser exploded sending debris flying away from the ship. Moments later the warship blew apart. A dreadnaught was hit by over one hundred antimatter missiles. The energy screen collapsed and the ship was disintegrated by the intense heat and energy released by the warheads. All across the Originator disk formation ships were dying.
Looking at a viewscreen, Jeremy could see thousands of Eternal ships dead in space as the deadly blue energy spheres converted them into space dust. Others had been destroyed by the intense weapons fire from the Dyson Sphere and the defending Originator fleet. More were still being destroyed as Jeremy’s fleet poured its weapons fire into the advancing Eternal fleet. “How many did we get?”
“Not enough,” Ariel answered with a pained look in her eyes. “Twenty-eight hundred were hit by the spheres. Another seven hundred and six were destroyed by the Shrieel’s energy weapons. We’ve taken out another four hundred and fifteen. The rest are still coming toward us.”
Just then, the deck heaved under Jeremy and he was nearly thrown from his command chair. Jeremy heard a loud scream and turning his head he saw Commander Malen’s body lying on the floor, her head at an odd angle. Several other officers were struggling to stand and get back to their consoles. Alarms were screaming from the damage control console as red lights were rapidly blinking on.
A medical technician rushed to Commander Malen’s side and after a moment looked over at Jeremy shaking her head.
Jeremy felt shaken. Kyla had been with him from his first command. She couldn’t be gone!
The Avenger rocked as another missile detonated against the energy screen.
“We’re taking too much damage,” Ariel said from Jeremy’s side with deep concern showing in her eyes. “We must withdraw back down the tunnel. We can’t do any more good here. If we stay, we’re all going to die.”
Looking at the viewscreens, Jeremy saw his fleet being destroyed around him. He knew if he stayed much longer he would lose the entire fleet. Ariel was right; they needed to withdraw. The battle here was lost. “Pull the fleet back into the tunnel. Aaliss, inform Rear Admiral Tolsen we’re coming back and to be prepared for the arrival of a large number of Eternal vessels.”
Leaning back in his command chair, Jeremy gazed at the smoke in the Command Center. Several Marines were helping the med tech remove Commander Malen’s body. Jeremy felt his heart skip a beat as she was taken for the last time out of the Command Center.
-
Fleet Commander Parnon felt justified in his decision to jump his entire fleet so close to the Shrieel. He had exposed his fleet to the deadly blue energy spheres but only for a few moments. He had fought his way close enough to the defending Originator fleet that he had nearly destroyed it. The few survivors were retreating back into the tunnel no doubt pulling back to the inside of the Shrieel. He did not intend to give them time to recover. “All ships will advance and enter the tunnel. It is time we end this battle. We are the Eternals and victory shall be ours!”
Chapter Twenty
Rear Admiral Tolsen had been informed of Fleet Admiral Strong’s withdrawal. She had already informed her fleet to be ready for the appearance of the retreating ships and to stand by to engage the Eternals. It was all she could do to stop her hands from shaking. She was about to fight a battle that she knew she could not win. She couldn’t think of any of the tactics Race had used in the past that would help her in this situation
“Admiral,” said Tannor. “I may have a suggestion. It goes against Fleet Admiral Strong’s orders, but I believe it is the only logical solution to stopping the Eternals.”
Massie turned toward the military AI. She had been cautioned about the military AIs sometimes being too logical in their assessments of a situation, which often resulted in higher than necessary ship losses. “Go on; I’m listening.”
“The Eternals still have enough ships to destroy the rest of Fleet Admiral Strong’s ships as well as ours and still have enough left to take over at least the part of the Shrieel around the vortex Control Center. I have spoken to the military AIs in charge of the main Control Centers and they agree with my assessment. As a result we are willing to take a huge risk. We want to set off a series of dark matter missiles in the entry tunnel.”
Massie’s face turned pale at hearing this. “Won’t that risk damaging the Dyson Sphere and even splitting the Dyson Sphere open?”
Tannor nodded. “It’s a risk we’re willing to take to prevent the Eternals from gaining a foothold inside. If they gain control of a vortex Control Center, it could spell disaster. They could use it to launch invasions of all of the Shrieels sending large fleets through all at once. We’re willing to risk major damage to the Shrieel to prevent this.”
“Tannor is correct,” Lieutenant Neilson reported. “I just received a message from Admiral Kalen that the Originator Council has agreed to allow us to do whatever is necessary to stop the Eternals even if it causes major damage.” The message had been relayed through the main communications center in the Dyson Sphere.
Massie took a deep breath. She didn’t have time to discuss this with Fleet Admiral Strong. There was too much interference in the tunnel to allow for communication. “Tannor, can you contact Aaliss and have her inform the Fleet Admiral?”
Tannor shook his head. “There is too much interference in the tunnel for even our communications to function. There is still heavy fighting occurring between Fleet Admiral Strong’s retreating fleet and the Eternals who are following.”
Massie squared her shoulders. “What do we need to do to destroy the Eternals?”
Tannor told her and Massie felt her heart stop. This was madness, but she didn’t know what else to do. “Okay. We will implement your plan as soon as Fleet Admiral Strong clears the hatch and his ships can get to safety. What about our own fleet?”
“It needs to be moved away from the hatch. I estimate fifty thousand kilometers to be safe.”
“Commander Donovan, issue the orders. The Dawnstar and twenty other dreadnaughts will stay here to implement Tannor’s attack plan.” Massie leaned back in her command chair. She hoped she was doing the right thing. If she wasn’t, she was about to kill a lot of people for nothing.
-
General Wesley could not believe what he had just heard. Rear Admiral Tolsen must be insane! She was going to end up killing all of his Marines that were currently trying to attack the vortex Control Center. “Major Caulder. Contact all of our commands and order them to take whatever cover they can.”
Brace shook his head. “We can’t contact most of them. We only have two units we’re still in contact with. I’m afraid most are on their own.”
Wesley was silent for a long moment. “Move us away to a safe distance. Let’s just hope some of our people survive.”
-
Fleet Admiral Strong’s fleet was beginning to exit the long tunnel with the Eternals close behind. The tunnel was littered with the wreckage of destroyed ships, both Originator and Eternal.
“Jeremy!” called out Ariel, her eyes showing sudden fear. “We need to get away from the tunnel. The fleet needs to move away at a forty-degree angle so we’re not lined up with it. Tannor is saying we need to move away to fifty thousand kilometers and under no circumstances pass in front of the tunnel entrance.”
“Ariel, Aaliss, implement that order!” Jeremy knew from the look in Ariel’s eyes that he didn’t have time to question what was going on. Tannor was the military AI on Rear Admiral Tolsen’s ship. He had to trust they knew what t
hey were doing. He leaned back in his command chair feeling apprehensive wondering what Rear admiral Tolsen was going to do.
-
Massie felt shocked as she saw how few ships survived of Fleet Admiral Strong’s fleet. Fewer than two hundred vessels exited the tunnel and many of them were heavily damaged. As soon as they were in the clear, they darted away at a forty-degree angle. “Implement the plan,” she ordered, looking over at Tannor. Massie knew this order might very well end her career in the fleet.
-
From the Dawnstar and the other twenty dreadnaughts with her, one thousand and eight dark matter missiles launched. They were set to detonate at different locations in the long entry tunnel. All the detonations would occur within a microsecond of one another. It only took the missiles a few seconds to reach their detonation points.
The first Eternal battlecruiser was just beginning to emerge when the missiles detonated. The long entry tunnel was lined with the same type of material the outer hull of the Dyson Sphere was covered in. It was nearly impervious to weapons fire and even powerful antimatter warheads could not crack it. The dark matter warheads detonated and the fury of their power was contained and magnified in the tunnel. The energy from the massive blasts had only two ways out. The entry into the Dyson Sphere and the exit on the outer hull. The Eternal ships inside the tunnel were buffeted by the massive blasts, which were greatly amplified and reflected by the walls of the tunnel. Most of the Eternal ships in the tunnel simply ceased to be as the raw energy from the dark matter warheads filled the narrow space. From each end of the tunnel, the energy erupted. Inside the Dyson sphere, a plume of raw energy boiled out reaching over twenty thousand kilometers above the tunnel exit barely missing Rear Admiral Tolsen’s dreadnaughts. Outside the Dyson Sphere, it was the same. Many of the Eternal vessels, which were lined up to enter, were blown apart in the fierce eruption of raw energy.
Then what was feared the most happened. A great crack appeared on the surface of the Dyson Sphere, which rapidly spread. More cracks grew and connected. Then in a massive explosion, an area over eighty kilometers across was lifted up and away from the megastructure leaving falling debris in its wake.
-
Inside the Dyson Sphere Jeremy stared in disbelief. There was a hole in the Dyson Sphere reaching out into space. Already Rear Admiral Tolsen’s fleet was charging through to engage any Eternal vessels that might have survived. Jeremy slumped back in his command chair. He suspected they had probably just won the battle. He looked over at the empty chair where Commander Malen once sat. The battle had been costly and many had lost their lives. Looking at the hole in the Dyson Sphere, he wondered how he was going to explain this to the Originator Council.
-
Fleet Commander Parnon stared in disbelief at the one functioning viewscreen in his Command Center. Several consoles were on fire and sparks were flying everywhere. Smoke filled the air making it difficult to breathe. On the screen, there was a massive hole in the Shrieel. Most of his fleet was either destroyed or lay in ruins around his flagship. Only a few vessels were reporting as still combat ready. From the huge hole in the Shrieel an Originator fleet was emerging.
“We have lost,” said Second Commander Bernon in a calm voice. “Most of our ships are too damaged to fight.”
Parnon leaned back in his command chair. His plans to command all the fleets of the Eternals had just gone down in flames. He still had no idea how the Humans had blown up part of the Shrieel destroying most of his fleet.
“Originator vessels are closing,” reported the Eternal standing at the barely functioning sensor console. “They are in combat range.”
“All ships open fire,” ordered Fleet Commander Parnon, knowing he was defeated and could not escape. His last act as Fleet Commander was to send a hyperspace message to the Eternal Council informing them of his defeat.
-
Rear Admiral Tolsen gazed at the wreckage that was once Eternal battlecruisers. She was finding it hard to believe how much damage setting off the dark matter missiles had caused. “Close with what remains of the Eternal fleet and destroy it,” she ordered. Once this battle was over, she would accept the consequences for her action.
-
The battle was intense but brief. Only a few hundred Eternal battlecruisers were able to put up a fight. Rear Admiral Tolsen ordered her fleet to fire in groups of twenty, which allowed them to quickly overwhelm the energy shields of the Eternal warships. Dark matter missiles soon made short work of the Eternal survivors leaving glowing wreckage drifting in space.
“That’s the last one,” Reported Commander Donovan as he turned toward Rear Admiral Tolsen. “Sensors indicate all the Eternal vessels have been destroyed.”
Massie nodded. “Scan the surface of the Dyson Sphere. If any Eternal warrior robots or shock troops are detected use our antimatter beams to eliminate them.”
As the fleet hovered over the outer hull of the Dyson Sphere, a few antimatter beams flicked out wiping out groups of warrior robots and shock troops detected on the surface. Most had died or been destroyed when the massive hole in the Dyson Sphere blew out.
“A large number have gone inside,” reported Tannor. “Many will have been eliminated from the damage the Shrieel has suffered.”
Massie looked at a viewscreen showing the huge hole in the hull of the Dyson Sphere her attack had caused. “Can that be repaired?”
“Yes,” Tannor answered. “Already calls are being made to other Shrieels as well as the Hub to send construction ships.”
“We’re going to need to place a fleet out here,” said Massie as she gazed at the damage the dark matter warheads had caused. She wondered how many Marines had died as a result. Those closest to the damage would have perished. As large as this hole was, the Eternals could now easily gain access to the Dyson Sphere.
Massie turned toward Commander Donovan. “Place our fleet back in a disk formation and put us directly over the hole we created. We will stay there until ordered otherwise by Fleet Admiral Strong.” At the moment her ships were the only ones available to defend the Dyson Sphere. She was determined to remain here until relieved. “Send any ships with major damage to a repair bay.”
“I have a message from Fleet Admiral Strong,” reported Lieutenant Neilson.
Massie tensed. She expected the Fleet Admiral to relieve her from command for the damage she had caused to the Dyson Sphere. Her command of a large warfleet was going to be short lived. “What is it,” she asked, looking down toward the deck expecting the worst. She suspected Fleet Admiral Strong would elevate Commander Donovan to admiral giving him command of the fleet.
“He says you did well and is offering his congratulations in making an important command decision. He says your brother would be proud of you.”
Massie’ eyes glistened. She now knew why Fleet Admiral Strong’s people would follow him through a supernova. “Tell him thank you.” Taking a deep breath, Massie leaned back in her chair. Only now did she realize how tense she had been.
-
Captain Werner opened his eyes and shook his head. There had been a monstrous rumbling and then the corridor began to collapse. A beam had struck his helmet knocking him to the floor. Standing up he checked his battlesuit seeing a number of fresh dents but everything else seemed okay. Looking around, the corridor seemed full of smoke and it was covered in debris. “Sergeant Hitch?” he said over the company comm channel.
“Here, a voice called out in between fits of coughing. “I had to dig myself out of a pile of rubble.”
All through the corridor, Marines and combat robots began to appear. Glancing at the small HUD unit in his battlesuit, Captain Werner saw a large number of red icons blinking. If he was reading his HUD correctly, he had just lost over twenty of his Marines.
“What happened?” asked Sergeant Hitch as he stumbled over to where Captain Werner was leaning against one of the walls of the corridor. “Did someone drop a bomb on the surface?”
“Some
thing happened to the Shrieel,” answered Rakell who appeared through the smoke. “Whatever it was it had to be massive for us to feel it here.”
“What about the other Marine unit?” Captain Werner knew they should nearly be to them by now.
“Just up ahead,” replied Rakell. “Less than one hundred meters.”
Werner nodded. “Sergeant Hitch, we need to get moving. The Simulins could hit us again at any time.” Werner hoped the Simulins had been hit hard by whatever had happened to the Dyson Sphere.
A few minutes later they reached the other Marine unit. It was a full company commanded by Captain Olivia Johnston.
“Do you know what the hell that was that struck us a few minutes ago?” she asked as she reached Captain Werner.
“No,” Werner replied. “I lost twenty Marines in whatever that was.”
“I lost twelve,” Olivia replied. “I still have most of my combat robots though.”
Werner looked over at Rakell. “Let’s move on toward the Control Center. Our best bet of getting out of this alive and contacting other Marine units is going to be to take control of it.”
Olivia nodded. “I agree, let’s move out.”
Moments later the two companies of Marines and their combat robots were once more moving toward the vortex Control Center.
-
High Commander Vetrex stood up dazed from the shaking felt in the Control Center. Many of the consoles were damaged and no longer functioning. “What happened?”
“I’m getting reports that there’s a huge hole in the Great Sphere that extends right up to the vortex crater,” reported Second Commander Trador. “Whatever weapons the Humans and the new aliens are using seems to have caused great damage.”
“Our soldiers and Conqueror Drones.” Vetrex was depending on their numbers to keep the Humans and the new aliens at bay.
Trador shook his head. “We’ve lost many. The Humans are still coming closer as well as the new aliens. I’m not sure we have enough forces remaining to stop them. Many corridors are blocked and we have no contact with our forces on the other side of the blockages.”
The Originator Wars: Conflict Unending: A Lost Fleet Novel Page 28