-
On board the Distant Horizon, Rear Admiral Kathryn Barnes stared in growing concern at the Simulin ships appearing on the tactical displays.
“Twenty-two thousand Simulin ships are in that formation,” Clarissa reported in a soft voice. “I have informed Ariel and Kazak so they can pass it on.”
The hatch to the Command Center opened and Kathryn was surprised to see Katie, Mikow, and Andram enter.
“We weren’t needed on the Dominator so we came over here,” Katie explained. “This just seemed like where we needed to be.”
Kathryn nodded, pleased to have them back in the Command Center. It had seemed empty without them. “Take your places. I believe you will find the setup here is very similar to the Dominator’s.”
She watched as the three took their places and then turned to Clarissa. Camlin was standing nearby as well.
“Camlin, I want you and the other Originator AIs to do all you can to keep the ship’s system functioning during the battle. Clarissa, we’ve been assigned one hundred AI warspheres. I can’t coordinate such a force quick enough to be effective against the enemy we’ll be facing.”
“I can do it,” replied Clarissa confidently. “I’ve already been running battle simulations. Kazak is doing the same.”
Kathryn nodded. She couldn’t believe she was doing this. Not in a battle as large as this one was going to be. “Very well. Clarissa, you have command of the Distant Horizon.”
Clarissa grinned. It was what she had been designed for in the far distant past. “We’re going to kill a lot of Simulins.”
-
On Gaia, Rear Admiral Susan Marks watched from her office window as the alarms sounded, sending all the cadets to the deep shelters. At the nearby spaceport, all the Talon fighters and bombers were readied. The Academy kept two full squadrons of fighters and two squadrons of bombers on hand for training purposes. Around the outskirts of the Academy, the defending laser turrets swung around until they were pointed upward. Hunter interceptor missile batteries did the same.
“We’re as ready as we’re going to be,” reported Captain Simpson, who was in charge of the defenses protecting the Academy. “As soon as the attack starts, we’ll launch the Talons. If we detect any inbound Conqueror Drones, the Anlons will be sent to engage.”
Susan nodded. They had a small Marine force at the spaceport as well as the energy shield that protected the Academy itself. Looking up toward space, she wished she were on the Retribution. She felt helpless trapped here at the Academy.
-
General McGown watched the viewscreens in his Command Center as the Marines at the three bases were dispersed across the planet. Shuttles were launching and returning as they delivered the Marines and their equipment to their assigned defensive positions. Most of the Marines were going to protect the five major cities. However, there were a few farming communities that needed to be protected as well.
“Talon and Anlon squadrons are on alert,” reported Colonel Jarrins. “We can launch at a moment’s notice.”
McGown nodded. He had just been informed of the size of the incoming attack. “I’m afraid some of the Simulins are going to get through our defenses. We may even be hit by a few nukes.”
“Our Marines are dug in and they have antiradiation drugs with them,” replied Jarrins.
“We may be facing thousands of Conqueror Drones. Perhaps tens of thousands. We have to keep them away from the cities.”
“We’ll do our best,” answered Jarrins. On one of the viewscreens, four Talon fighters took off to patrol above one of the Marine bases. “Our Marines are well trained, and they’ll do their jobs.”
General McGown took a deep breath as he looked at the tactical display. All the noncombat ships were entering hyperspace. That alone told him Fleet Admiral Strong expected the Simulins to be able to penetrate the defensive grid. McGown just hoped their time on Gaia wasn’t coming to an end. It was a beautiful world and had been their home since coming to the Triangulum Galaxy.
-
On the Avenger, Jeremy watched as the Simulins dropped out of hyperspace just short of the nebula. As their scout force did, they waited a few minutes and then re-entered hyperspace.
“All ships, go to Condition One. Combat is imminent, I repeat, combat is imminent.”
Jeremy could feel the tension ratcheting up in the Command Center. Ariel had told him Clarissa was reporting twenty-two thousand inbound Simulin warships. He felt his heart pounding in his chest and adrenaline beginning to flow. This would be the biggest battle he had fought since the one at the black hole when the Federation attacked the AIs. He well remembered how that one ended.
Looking over at Kelsey, he saw her smile. “We’ll get through this,” she said over the private channel Ariel had set up for them. “You always find a way to win.”
Jeremy shifted his gaze back to the tactical displays. They were empty for now, but shortly all of that would change. He was about to face a force intent on wiping out all of his ships and sterilizing the surface of Gaia. His eyes wandered over to another screen showing the Dominator. He wasn’t certain even the two ships he had armed with Originator weapons would be able to stop what was coming. One thing was certain: no matter what the outcome a lot of good people were going to die.
Chapter Eighteen
Jeremy shifted uneasily in his command chair as he waited for the arrival of the Simulins. His greatest concern at the moment was defending the Clan Protector. It orbited just in reach of the defense grid but far enough out to be in danger from incoming fire. Jeremy had assigned Grayseth the responsibility of defending the shipyard with his fleet of battlecruisers and cruisers. Grayseth also had his three battleships to add to the considerable firepower of the Clan Protector.
“Contacts!” called out Kevin as alarms began sounding. “Simulin fleet is emerging from hyperspace three point six billion kilometers out.”
On the tactical display, numerous red threat icons began appearing. Hundreds and then thousands of Simulin warships were emerging in the Gaia System. Jeremy watched as the Command Center came alive with intense activity as the crew prepared for battle. They knew their continued existence and that of Gaia depended on their actions in the next few hours.
Jeremy checked his fleet formations one more time. He had formed the fleet into separate task groups, each commanded by one of his admirals. Combat would be kept as close to the defensive grid as possible to allow the battlestations and particle beam satellites to add their firepower to the individual fleets. It would also allow each fleet admiral to call in bomber strikes from the battlecarriers as needed. The only exceptions were the special fleets of Rear Admiral Barnes and Commander Zafron. They would act independently, hitting the Simulins as hard as possible while Jeremy and the other admirals tried to keep the enemy away from Gaia.
“All ships, stand by,” Jeremy announced over the general communications channel. We’ll let the Simulins come to us.”
Jeremy knew he didn’t have the ships to meet the Simulins in open space away from Gaia. The battle would have to take place near the planet where he could use the defense grid to bolster the firepower of his fleet.
For several long minutes the Simulins stayed at their hyperspace dropout point and then they began jumping.
“We have inbound Simulin warships,” warned Kevin as alarms sounded. “There is also a major force heading for Borton.”
“Warn the Command AI,” ordered Jeremy. He had been concerned about the Simulins splitting their fleet, and that was exactly what they had done. It prevented his fleet from reinforcing Borton and the AI fleet from reinforcing the ships defending Gaia.
“Message sent,” confirmed Angela. “The Command AI has acknowledged.”
Jeremy watched the inbound red threat icons on the tactical displays. “Ariel, do whatever you have to in order to keep the Avenger fighting. We must stay in the battle for as long as possible.” Jeremy knew they would be fighting against nearly insurmountable odds
. However, he intended to do everything in his power to protect the planet and the people on its surface.
“Yes, Jeremy,” Ariel replied softly. “I’ve moved four strikecruisers into position to support us. They will also be under my control.”
Jeremy nodded. Ariel had moved the strikecruisers without his permission but she was very good at space warfare and he would have expected no less. He had witnessed what she was capable of in the past.
On one of the viewscreens, a swirling spatial vortex formed and the first Simulin battlecruiser appeared. The seventeen-hundred-meter warship and its six energy weapon spires turned slowly until it was facing Gaia.
“Emergence,” said Kevin as more warning klaxons began sounding. “They’re just outside of engagement range.” The tactical displays were filling rapidly with red threat icons.
Jeremy nodded at seeing how far out of weapons range the Simulins were. He had hoped for a few easy kills before the Simulins’ shields came up. The distance the Simulins had emerged denied him those kills.
“Distant Horizon is jumping,” reported Ariel.
Now they would see if their strategy would work. If the Simulins kept their fleet bunched up tight enough, the energy siphoning fields on the Distant Horizon and the Dominator might be able to turn the tide of the battle. If enough Simulin ships could be incapacitated, then Jeremy would order the fleet forward to destroy them.
On the nearby tactical display, the Distant Horizon and the one hundred warspheres accompanying the exploration dreadnought vanished into swirling spatial vortexes.
-
“Dropout!” called out Captain Reynolds.
“Weapons coming online,” reported Major Weir.
“Firing,” said Clarissa. Her eyes narrowed as she concentrated on sending commands to the one hundred AI warspheres that had appeared with the Distant Horizon just behind the Simulin fleet.
“Range to Simulin fleet is two hundred kilometers,” reported Sible.
“Activating energy siphoning field,’ added Major Weir. The field was being projected out in front of the exploration dreadnought so as not to capture any of the AI warspheres in the field.
Kathryn nodded her approval. Now they would find out just what the new weapons on the Distant Horizon were capable of.
-
Supreme High Commander Altrab gazed in consternation when he saw one of the ships with ancient weapons suddenly appear behind his fleet with one hundred of the smaller spherical AI ships. In moments the enemy fleet fired and the rear of his formation erupted in flame. However, he had expected something like this and was prepared.
“All ships, disperse pattern D2, now!”
Instantly the fleet began to spread apart as it rushed toward the planet at full sublight. Each ship was putting substantial distance between it and the next nearest warship.
-
The Distant Horizon opened up with every weapon at its disposal. Gravitonic beams flashed through Simulin energy screens blowing ship after ship apart. Antimatter beams ripped open hulls until the ships simply ceased to be. Particle beams lashed out, driving deep into enemy battlecruisers and blowing them in two.
From the AI warspheres, hundreds of particle beams speared toward Simulin vessels, overloading screens and tearing deep into ship hulls. In the space of twenty seconds, seventy-four Simulin vessels died. Sublight antimatter missiles were also launching, adding their fury to the devastation.
-
“Simulin ships are beginning to return fire,” Clarissa reported as she sent the AI warspheres into a complicated dance that would greatly reduce the effectiveness of the Simulin weapons targeting them.
The Distant Horizon shuddered slightly.
“Antimatter strike to the energy shield,” Major Weir reported. “It’s holding at 98 percent.”
“All weapons, continuous fire,” ordered Kathryn, leaning forward in her command chair. “Let’s hurt them as much as possible.” She knew she had to inflict as much damage as possible before the return fire became too great and she started losing ships.
“Enemy fleet is starting to disperse, and they’re accelerating toward Gaia,” reported Captain Reynolds. “Return fire is increasing.”
“We won’t have enough time to establish the energy siphoning field,” added Clarissa. “The affect is going to be negligible. We may capture a few ships in it, but not as many as we had hoped.”
“The Dominator is jumping in,” reported Commander Grissim. “They’re attacking the Simulin’s right flank as orientated to us.”
Kathryn switched her eyes to the indicated tactical display to see friendly green icons appearing on the flank of the Simulin fleet.
A sudden white light flashed across the large viewscreen nearly blinding her before it automatically dimmed.
“Warsphere WS-87 is down,” reported Captain Reynolds.
A second similar light suddenly appeared.
“Warsphere WS-42 is down.”
“Sible, jump the fleet to the secondary coordinates,” ordered Kathryn. Too many Simulin weapons were starting to target her fleet.
“Twenty seconds to jump,” Sible replied as she sent the jump coordinates to the AI ships. “We’ll be jumping to the other flank within one hundred kilometers of the Simulin warships.”
Kathryn nodded. She wanted to keep her fleet intact and use it for quick lightning strikes against the Simulins. She winced as another white light washed across the viewscreen.
“Warsphere WS-92 is down.”
“Jumping,” reported Sible as a swirling vortex formed in front of the Distant Horizon. Other vortexes formed in front of the remaining AI ships as well.
Moments later the fleet reappeared on the Simulin flank and promptly began attacking the Simulin fleet once more.
-
Altrab winced as both ships equipped with the ancient weapons were now engaged against his fleet. However, his fleet was rapidly moving toward the planet and spreading out its formation so it would not be affected by the energy-siphoning weapon the two ships had. While it might be able to affect a few of his ships, most would be able to stay out of range.
“Coming up on weapons range of the fleets defending the planet,” High Commander Jarald reported. “We’re taking significant losses from the two ships with ancient weapons.”
“Send the escort cruisers in,” ordered Altrab. “Let’s see what happens when our ships jump into the same coordinates the enemy occupies.” Altrab knew that at Malkor such an attempt had greatly diminished the power of the ship of the ancient Sphere Builders. Perhaps the same would happen again.
-
Commander Zafron gasped as the Dominator was suddenly shoved sideways as if it had been struck by a giant fist. “Kazak, report!”
“The Simulins are clever. They tried to jump two of their escort cruisers into the same coordinates the Dominator occupied. I had our energy shield set up to push us to one side if they made such an attempt. The Distant Horizon’s shield is also set to be repelled by such an attempt. The attempt did cause a power drainage of 12 percent.”
Kazak calmly fired two of the ship’s gravitonic cannons at a nearby Simulin battlecruiser. With satisfaction, he watched the beams tear it apart. He wished they would have had time to finish the weapons upgrades. As it was all they had managed to do was increase the power of the gravitonic cannons. The enemy fleet was still in the process of dispersing and he decided now was the best time to use the Dominator’s most powerful weapon.
-
On the hull of the Dominator massive hatches slid open. From each a blue sphere of energy leaped forth, targeting the nearest Simulin vessels. The energy spheres struck the Simulins’ energy shields, draining them, and then latched onto the ships themselves. In moments they were turned into drifting fields of black space dust. Seventy-eight Simulin ships and their crews died gruesome deaths.
-
Around the Dominator, the AI warspheres were laying down a devastating fire of particle beams toward the Simuli
n warships. A battlecruiser exploded and then two escort cruisers died. However, the Simulins were also firing back. An AI warsphere saw its energy screen riddled with weapons fire and then died as an antimatter missile exploded against its hull, destroying the vessel. Another AI warsphere had a deep crater blown in its side as Simulin energy weapons ripped the ship open nearly to its heart. In a blinding explosion the ship blew up, sending glowing debris in all directions.
-
Jeremy waited expectantly as the Simulin fleet charged toward his fleet. Eighteen thousand warships were headed toward Gaia with another four thousand going to Borton.
“They’re spreading their formation apart,” reported Kelsey as she studied the latest data. “Probably to prevent Kazak and Clarissa from using the energy-siphoning field.”
“Weapons range!” called out Kevin. “Incoming fire.”
The Avenger shook violently as it was pounded by numerous Simulin weapons. Alarms sounded as the ship began to take damage.
“Firing weapons,” reported Lieutenant Preston.
-
Across the fleet the damage quickly mounted. A strikecruiser died as it was torn in two by an antimatter explosion. Two Alton battleships were blown apart as their screens were overwhelmed by hundreds of antimatter missiles. A Human battleship had its stern ripped open by multiple energy beam strikes. Moments later a Simulin antimatter missile arrived, turning the ship into an expanding fireball of released energy.
-
“There’s too many of them!” cried out Kelsey as the Avenger rang like a hollow bell. Several lights on the damage control console turned a glaring red. “They’re going to overrun us.”
“All ships, pull back to the defense grid,” Jeremy ordered grimly. He knew it was his only option. With the full firepower of the defense grid, he might be able to slow the charge of the Simulin fleet.
“We’ve lost twenty-eight ships,” warned Kevin. “Including the battleship War Hammer.”
The Lost Fleet: Search for the Originators: A Slaver Wars Novel Page 28