Hedon felt the brief, gut wrenching feeling as the ship jumped into hyperspace and the viewscreens became covered with the swirling dark purples of that higher void. In what seemed like just a few seconds, the gut wrenching feeling returned and the viewscreens began to clear.
“Four hundred thousand kilometers outside of Lunar orbit,” Captain Reynolds reported.
Looking at one of the tactical displays, Hedon watched expectantly as Earth, the Moon, and the surrounding space began to appear. There were four large yellow icons, which represented Federation shipyards, three in orbit around Earth and a truly massive one in orbit around the Moon. There were also twelve large violet icons. Those were gigantic battle stations three thousand meters in diameter and loaded with every weapon the Federation had in its arsenal. All twelve were in orbit around Earth. There were also twenty of the Alton one thousand-meter Indomitable class battle stations over Earth as well as ten more over the Moon. Mixed in were numerous class one and class two Federation built battle stations as well as countless missile platforms and defensive satellites, including the new Alton particle beam satellites.
“How do they navigate around all of that?” muttered Colonel Trist, shaking his head. There was so much stuff in orbit that a Hocklyn or AI ship would probably be destroyed just from orbital collisions.
“I have Admiral Nagumo on the com,” reported Janice, looking back at Hedon. “He says he’s glad we’ve finally arrived and he will see you at the meeting.”
Hedon nodded; Admiral Nagumo’s flagship was the battleship Luna. “Inform the admiral that I’m looking forward to seeing him again. Helm, best sublight speed to Earth; contact Orbital Control for our parking orbit.” Hedon knew that traffic around Earth was intense as it was the most heavily populated planet in the Federation with nearly seven billion people. Orbital Traffic Control kept a close watch on all inbound and outbound ships to ensure there were no risks of collisions.
Hedon watched as the StarStrike and its two attending battlecruisers moved smoothly into Earth orbit. On a viewscreen, one of the titanic battle stations was visible. The huge armored globe was covered in weapon turrets and closed hatches, which indicated missile tubes. Even as he watched, a flight bay door slid open and half a dozen Talon fighters exited and flew off in perfect formation.
“They say with the advent of antimatter missiles and Alton particle beam weapons, just one of those stations could take on ten AI ships,” commented Colonel Grissim. She was hoping while they were in the solar system she could go visit her family on Ceres.
“There have been thousands of Alton technicians helping to upgrade all of the Federation’s defenses,” Hedon informed them, recalling what Fleet Admiral Johnson had said about all the changes that were being made.
A lot of the changes were so the individual systems of the new Human Federation of Worlds could better defend themselves without being so reliant on warships. This would help free up ships to go to the front to fight the Hocklyns.
“Things have sure changed a lot,” commented Colonel Trist as he gazed at the screens. “War has a way of doing that.”
Hedon nodded his head in agreement. “Contact Garan and Tanith and ask them to meet me in the flight bay.”
Clarissa watched everything with interest. It was lonely without Katie and Kelsey or being able to talk to Ariel. It had taken them four weeks to get here and would take another four weeks to get back. She hoped they didn’t stay too long in Federation space.
-
Hedon and the two Altons were escorted by a pair of heavily armed security guards to the Federation Senate Council Chambers. Stepping inside, Hedon was surprised to see that only a few of the Federation Senators were present.
“Fleet Admiral,” spoke President Kincaid rising to his feet. “I believe you know everyone here.”
Hedon nodded as he looked around. Fleet Admiral Johnson, Admiral Nagumo, Admiral Kalen, Governor Malleck, Senators Anderson, Barnes, Malle, Karnes, and Sanchez as well as the Alton Ambassador, Tureen, were seated at the conference table.
Hedon bowed slightly to the assembled group and then moved to take the chair at the long conference table next to Fleet Admiral Johnson. The two Altons sat down next to Ambassador Tureen.
President Kincaid remained standing as he looked gravely at the assembled group. “As all of you have been made aware, Admiral Strong and Fourth Fleet recently returned from a mission to the galactic center. They were escorting an Alton science ship, the Deep Search, which was lost in combat with the AIs.”
“Did the ship even get close to the galactic center?” asked Senator Sanchez from the planet Horizon in the Tau Ceti system, addressing Hedon.
All the senators in the room had been briefed several months back about what the Altons thought the AIs were doing at the galactic core. They'd all been shocked to say the least.
“Yes,” Hedon responded. “The ship completed its mission but was detected by the AIs and suffered major damage when an AI ship tried to disable it. They managed to escape and Admiral Strong, along with Admiral Cleeteus and Admiral Marks, were able to rescue the ship. Due to damage to its hyperdrive the ship had to be destroyed.”
“So we engaged the AIs,” spoke Senator Malle from Mars with a concerned look upon his face. “Did we lose any ships?”
“Yes,” admitted Hedon, somberly. “We lost a number of warships including several battleships and a battlecarrier. Admiral Strong fought two engagements against the AIs, destroying over thirty of their warships.”
“How many ships did we lose?” pressed Malle, worried about ship losses.
“Twenty-eight total,” Hedon admitted. “In both cases Admiral Strong was engaging large AI fleets.”
Governor Malleck shook his head. Every time he heard of Jeremy or any member of that special group risking their lives, it made him nervous. Those five and Fleet Admiral Streth were Federation history. “So, what did the Deep Search find?”
Tanith took to her feet and walked over to one of several holographic projection tables in the room. The tall, slender Alton stopped at the table and inserted one of several computer chips she and Garan had brought. Her white hair sat on her shoulders and her pale skin, with its slight bluish tinge, gave her a very refined beauty.
Activating the table, the large AI control station appeared. Without mincing words, she began describing what it was for and capable of. After a few minutes of explanations and a couple of questions, Garan joined her and activated the second holographic table, displaying the ring stations and the other large constructs nearby.
-
For the next hour, the two Altons scientists explained in detail what the Deep Search mission had discovered about what the AIs were building at the galactic center. They also spent considerable time elaborating on the deadly danger the hyperwave broadcast would have on all organic life in the galaxy.
“Then it’s the end of us,” spoke Senator Amy Karnes from New Tellus. “I don’t see how we can destroy those constructions with so many AI ships nearby. Even if we send our entire fleet, we’ll still be outnumbered.”
“Not necessarily,” Tureen said, rising to his feet to address the group. Then, picking up a computer chip lying on the table in front of him, he walked over and had Garan insert it in one of the holo tables. Instantly, an Alton battlecruiser sprang into existence.
“What good will one of your battlecruisers do against what’s at the galactic center?” asked Admiral Nagumo, feeling confused. “The AIs are upgrading their weapons, and even your ships’ particle beams are finding it harder to penetrate their screens.”
Tureen allowed himself to smile; the Humans still didn’t know what his race was capable of. While it was true that a large portion of the Alton population would not fight in the war, they were still willing to work at developing new sciences and technologies for those that would. Some had even volunteered to come to the Human worlds to aid in setting up more powerful defensive weapon systems.
“It’s not a battlecruise
r,” Tureen said as he pressed an icon on a computer screen. Another ship made an appearance next to the one on display only this one was much smaller. “This is a battlecruiser.”
Fleet Admiral Johnson’s eyes grew wide realizing what Tureen was implying. “That’s an Alton battleship!”
“Yes,” Tureen answered with a slight nod of acknowledgement. “We’ve had a design for battleships for many years as we contemplated what we would need someday to stop the Hocklyns and the AIs from invading our space. For the last four years, most of our major shipyards have been building these new ships as well as the newer battlecruisers that have a mix of Alton and Human crews.”
“How big is that ship?” asked Hedon as he thought about how he could use it against the AIs.
“Fifteen hundred meters,” Tureen answered. “The front section is five hundred meters in diameter and the rear, which contains the power and drive systems, is four hundred meters. It has three times the firepower of one of our battlecruisers.”
“Why haven’t you deployed these ships before now?” asked President Kincaid as he gazed at the amazing ship being displayed. “They could make a huge difference in our war with the Hocklyns and drastically cut down on ship losses.”
“We didn’t want the AIs to know we possessed such ships,” explained Tureen, evenly. “This is our answer to the problem at the galactic center. With these ships and enough Human ships, our military strategists believe we can fight our way through the defending AI ships to destroy their control center, the ring stations, and the hyperwave generating facility.”
“It might take our entire fleet,” interjected Fleet Admiral Johnson as she realized the scope of the operation the Altons were proposing. “We don’t know how the AIs will respond if we attack those targets. There’s a good chance they'd jump their entire fleet in to protect them. We'll be facing every warship the AIs have, all with advanced weapons and shields.”
“How many of those battleships do you have?” Hedon asked as he thought about how best to use them. Even a few dozen could make a huge difference.
Tureen allowed a slight smile to cross his face. “We have five hundred of them.”
“What!” blurted out Fleet Admiral Johnson her eyes bulging. She leaned forward in disbelief. “You mean to tell me you have five hundred of those giant ships?”
“Yes,” responded Tureen, calmly. “You have to realize that Alton controlled space is much larger than the Human Federation of Worlds. We have our home system as well as sixteen full sized colony worlds. We have mining and research stations in another fifty. We always knew that someday we would have to face the AIs; we just weren’t certain if you would be there with us.”
Hedon mulled over what Tureen had just revealed to them. “We have to finish the war with the Hocklyns first,” he said as he weighed in his mind what needed to be done. Tureen was right, it might be best to keep the Alton battleships a secret until they were ready to attack the AIs at the core. It might just give them the edge they needed to succeed. The AIs would be expecting regular Human and Alton ships, not these behemoths.
“We can’t attack the AIs with a massive Hocklyn force sitting behind us,” Hedon said after a few moments of thought. “If we do, we could find ourselves trapped between the AIs at the galactic center and the Hocklyn core worlds. There is a very good possibility, if the Hocklyns realize what we're doing, they might try to pin us between the AIs and their own fleet in an attempt to save their Empire.”
“What are you proposing?” asked Fleet Admiral Johnson. She suspected Hedon already had a plan. He was too meticulous an admiral not to.
Hedon allowed himself to smile. “The Hocklyns have made a serious tactical error in how they run their Empire. In truth, it is the fault of the AIs, but it is still a glaring weakness. One that I fully intend to exploit.”
“What is it?” asked Admiral Kalen, cocking his head. He knew the Hocklyns still had a tremendous fleet available to them. He hoped Hedon wasn’t proposing a slugging match against a much larger enemy force.
“It’s actually quite simple,” Hedon said with an inexplicable smile. He then proceeded to explain to them how he was going to defeat what remained of the Hocklyn Slave Empire. When he was done, he was met by silence as everyone stared at him, wide-eyed.
“Are you certain of this?” demanded Senator Barnes from Ceres. “If you're right, this could very well be the key to winning the war against the Hocklyns.”
“Our intelligence people are positive what I’ve just told you is correct,” Hedon answered with a nod. “If we follow this operation plan, we can defeat the Hocklyns and it will allow us to focus our full attention on the AIs and what they’re doing at the galactic center.”
“How much time do we have before the AIs are ready to activate their machines?” asked President Kincaid.
“We estimate ten months,” Garan replied.
“Ten months!” responded Kincaid, sitting back down, his face turning pale.
“Perhaps nine,” Tanith added. “As the time grows closer, it will require that we keep a close watch on the AIs. We should be able to determine to within a few weeks as to the actual time the machines will be ready to activate.”
“Can we be ready by then?” asked Kincaid, looking over expectantly at Fleet Admiral Streth. “Is it possible to take out the Hocklyns and be ready to attack the AIs at the galactic center before they activate their machines?”
“Yes,” replied Hedon, meeting Kincaid’s eyes. “If we stick to my operations plan, we can just do it.”
“Then we have our time table,” stated Fleet Admiral Johnson, looking around at the group. “Ambassador Tureen, I assume you will need some Humans to help crew your new battleships?”
Tureen nodded his head in the affirmative. “Yes, Fleet Admiral. Each ship will require nine hundred of your people to operate it. There will be one hundred and ten Altons also aboard each vessel to help with the technology and operation of the ships.”
Karla thought deeply for a moment. That was nearly five hundred thousand fleet personnel. Between the Fleet Academy on the Moon and other training facilities, it was going to be cutting it close. She might have to take a few people off Federation ships. Fortunately, between the bases, shipyards, and the fleet she felt reasonably confident she could meet the personnel requirements. It would take a lot or reshuffling assignments and might even create some brief personnel shortages, but the Alton battleships had to be given first priority.
“The AIs have gathered most of their ships around their constructions,” Garan said, sounding deeply concerned. “The Deep Search spent several days in a wide orbit doing short microjumps so the ship could scan the entire area around the black hole. At the end of those few days, we'd detected slightly over twelve thousand AI ships.”
“Twelve thousand!” uttered Fleet Admiral Johnson, thinking about the odds they would be facing when and if they attacked the AIs at the galactic center. She closed her eyes and shook her head. She couldn’t imagine going into combat against that many of the massive AI ships. Even with the addition of the Alton battleships, the odds might be too great.
“There may be even more of them,” Garan added his face taking on a worrisome look. “We know the AIs must have some massive shipyards and construction facilities somewhere in the core systems. Perhaps even in our old home system.”
“We must be careful,” cautioned Admiral Nagumo. “If the AIs suspect we’re preparing to attack them, they may speed up their timetable or put up even more powerful defenses.”
“We’re in the process of building several small stealth ships slightly larger than your destroyers,” Tureen informed them. “Their job will be to monitor what the AIs are doing. If they speed up their construction pace, we will know.”
The meeting went on for several more hours as they worked out numerous details. Several additional meetings were scheduled for the admirals to work out the logistics and timetables of what needed to be done.
-
&nbs
p; The next day, Hedon was at the Fleet Academy on the Moon. Fleet Admiral Johnson had asked if he would make a short speech to the graduating officer cadets. Hedon had done so and now found himself standing at the obelisk atop the elevated rise that overlooked the academy. The large granite memorial obelisk towered nearly ten meters above him. On its face were depicted two men, Admiral Jason Strong and Greg Johnson.
A short inscription read, “From this site, men from the planet Earth first gazed upon the Avenger. This discovery sent the human race to the stars.” A set of wide stairs had been cut into the slope to make access to the obelisk easy. Every student at the academy was required to make the trip to the obelisk at least once. It was part of their history.
“I try to come up here every time I’m at the academy,” Karla spoke in a soft voice as she gazed out at the Fleet Academy that now covered the entire crater. The crater and surrounding area were protected by a dome as well as an atmospheric force field that allowed them to keep an Earth normal environment inside the dome, including Earth gravity.
“They were great men,” commented Hedon, recalling the short amount of time he'd spent with the two. His favorite memory was when he had first met them and taken them to see New Tellus. The three of them had spent several days together just exploring the planet.
“I wonder if they truly understood the path they were setting the Human race upon?” asked Karla, trying to imagine those days so long ago.
“I think Admiral Strong did,” Hedon answered as he turned to look at Karla. “We had several long conversations over that, and I was awake the day he and the others revealed the existence of the Federation survivors on Ceres. He also had Ariel to speak to any time he had questions about the Hocklyns or the AIs.”
“I wonder how he felt when he stepped on top of this rise and saw the Avenger for the first time?” Even now, part of the ship was enclosed in a museum on the far side of the crater.
“He was shocked,” Hedon said with a smile, recalling what Jason had told him about that day. “A crashed spaceship was the last thing he'd been expecting to find.”
The Slaver Wars: Endgame Page 10