“This is unbelievable,” Amanda said her blue eyes focusing steadfastly on Hedon. “From these reports their Empire has fallen apart. There’s fighting everywhere, even upon the planetary surfaces of their home planets.”
“I never expected this level of violence,” admitted Hedon, shaking his head.
He pressed an icon on his desktop display and an image was projected on the big screen on the wall of his office showing one of the Hocklyn home worlds. The atmosphere was dark with smoke and ash from numerous burning fires. The blazes were from tens of thousands of structures on fire on the planet’s surface. Jagged, burned out scars indicated where nuclear weapons had detonated.
“From the scout reports, many of their habitats are cracked open and nuclear weapons have even been used on their planets. They’ve gone mad.”
“This is the planet Lantoll,” Clarissa spoke. She was standing directly behind Amanda. “The data from the scouts indicate at least twenty-six nuclear weapons in the megaton range have been detonated on the planet. The planet’s population, gleaned from captured databases, indicates that eighteen billion Hocklyns once lived on the planet. After correlating the scout’s data, I would estimate the survivors at fewer than one billion.”
“They’ve nearly wiped themselves out,” uttered Amanda, stunned at what the Hocklyns had done to themselves.
“There are still a number of undamaged habitats in orbit around the planets and the system’s primary,” Clarissa added. “There are also some surviving fleet units, but the numbers are unclear due to limitations in the scout’s sensor systems. I've computed an estimate, but be cautioned that it is only an estimate and may not be accurate.”
“Should we continue with the attack?” Amanda asked as she scanned the estimates of surviving Hocklyn ships. It was far fewer than she had thought possible. “I don’t believe they’re going to be a threat to us for quite some time, if ever again.” She looked at Hedon expectantly.
“We make sure they can never harm anyone again,” Hedon answered firmly, his eyes narrowing slightly. “Remember what they did to our home worlds and all of their slave planets. They were quite free with the use of nuclear weapons when they wanted to reduce the excess populations on planets they conquered. They've massacred hundreds of billions of intelligent beings across this section of the galaxy without remorse. We’ll move in and destroy what’s left of their fleet to ensure they’ll never be a threat to anyone again. Eventually, we’ll place a military base with a large fleet in a nearby star system to monitor their core worlds.”
“I still find it remarkable how dependent they were on other worlds to provide so much of their food supplies,” spoke Amanda, taking in a deep breath. “How can a race as advanced as the Hocklyns have made such a massive tactical mistake?”
“Their Empire has existed for thousands of years under control of the AIs,” explained Hedon, leaning back in his chair behind his desk and folding his arms across his chest. “The Hocklyns never faced a serious threat because they could always call in the AIs to bail them out if they encountered an advanced race. The thought of their core worlds ever being attacked was never considered as their nearest enemies were always thousands of light years away.”
“They became so caught up in their honor system that it split the Empire, with families with the most honor and wealth controlling large segments,” Clarissa said, wanting to clarify the Hocklyn situation. “Even their top Fleet Commodores and ship commanders were oftentimes given commands not based on their ability but on their family status and the amount of honor they had accumulated. They even fight what they call honor duels to add to an individual’s honor. As a result, they've always fought their wars inefficiently, frequently suffering unnecessary losses due to tactical blunders.”
“Yes,” Hedon added with a nod. “They depended on their superior numbers and technology to win their battles and not tactics.”
“That situation changed when the Humans and the Altons stepped into the galactic situation,” finished Clarissa.
Amanda stood up and walked across the floor of the office, stopping in front of a photo on the far wall. It was of Taylor and Lendle standing on the porch of the cabin by the lake. “It’s been so long,” she spoke in a soft voice, recalling those days so long ago. In her mind, it seemed like only yesterday she and Andrew had been visiting her parents on Krall Island on Aquaria. She turned back and looked at Hedon and Clarissa. “Once we’ve defeated the Hocklyns, what are our chances against the AIs?”
Hedon was quiet for a long moment, his eyes taking on a darker, more foreboding look. “I don’t know,” he replied with a long sigh. “We’re going to be going up against thousands of updated AI ships with improved weapons and shields. From what the Deep Search detected, we’re going to be badly outnumbered, and I fear we’ll lose a lot of ships. It'll be a battle we can’t turn away from until we reach our objectives, no matter the losses. There are several Alton advanced stealth scouts currently monitoring the AIs. Once the battle with the Hocklyns is over, we’ll return to New Providence, update our ships' drives, have one final war planning meeting and then set out for the galactic core.”
“Some of our friends are going to die,” Amanda said, feeling a cold chill run down her back. She looked at Hedon, feeling sad at the thought of the sacrifices that would have to be made at the galactic center.
“Yes,” Hedon replied, and then his face took on that strange look that Amanda had only seen a few times previously. “I feel certain we’re going to win at the galactic center, but we’re also going to suffer a devastating loss, one that will profoundly affect the Federation for years to come.”
“You had a vision!” Amanda gasped her eyes widening at the realization.
She knew that upon infrequent occasions that Hedon received brief glimpses of the future. It was very rare, but his family had been gifted with this strange foreseeing ability. Amanda knew Hedon’s mother reportedly had the same gift.
“Yes,” answered Hedon, rubbing his forehead. The visions always gave him extremely severe headaches. “It was very vague. I saw a great white light and then the death of the AIs, followed by a massive memorial service back in the Federation with the all the worlds in mourning.”
Amanda took in a sharp breath; only a few things would cause the Federation to react that way. One was the death of the man sitting in front of her. She prayed that Hedon wasn’t destined to die in the coming battle with the AIs, not after everything he'd done to save the Human race and the Federation. The other would be if something happened to the Special Five, who were also considered Federation heroes.
“Amanda, I think you should return to the WarStorm,” Hedon suggested with a weak smile. “It’s nearing time for us to launch our attack against the Hocklyns and end this part of the war once and for all.”
“It’s been a long time coming, Hedon,” Amanda replied as she turned to leave. Then she paused and looked back. “Just be careful. While the Hocklyn fleet may be decimated, they still have a lot of ships in their systems.”
Hedon watched as Amanda left to return to her flagship. He and Amanda had been friends from the very beginning when she had served as Executive Officer on the original StarStrike. Closing his eyes, he tried to relax and will the headache to go away. In the back of his mind, he was still haunted by the strange vision, wondering what it meant. That was the problem with visions; they were extremely hard to interpret.
-
Amanda returned to the WarStorm and was soon back in the Command Center. First, Second, Third, and Fourth Fleet were all assembled in a small K type star system a short distance from the Hocklyn core worlds. Admiral Nagumo was present with a large fleet from the Federation that included recently promoted Rear Admiral Kathryn Barnes. The Ceres fleet had been sent ahead to take part in this battle. Grayseth and his Carethian ships were also present, along with his large mobile shipyard. Not to be outdone was a large contingent of ships from the Kessels and the Darvonians.
On the
four tactical displays, over one thousand Federation warships were present, waiting for the signal to attack. Alton ships were mixed in with the fleets, adding their firepower to the mix. Two hundred and twenty Alton battlecruisers would be going in with the massed fleets.
“It looks quite imposing,” commented Commander Marcus Diaz from where he was standing, gazing at the tactical displays. “I haven’t seen so many ships since the big battle at Careth.”
“Counting the Altons and our allies, we have over fifteen hundred ships in the fleet,” replied Amanda, nodding her head in agreement. It was the greatest assemblage of firepower the Federation had ever gathered in one place.
“What do you think we can expect from the Hocklyns?” Colonel Leon asked as she walked over from Communications where she had been talking to Lieutenant Angela Trask.
“They won’t be organized,” answered Amanda, pursing her lips as she thought the question over. “They’ve been so busy fighting each other for food over the last several weeks that there’s no overall command structure left. We should have overwhelming ship numbers and weapons superiority in every battle.”
“But there are still thousands of Hocklyn ships in those systems,” Commander Diaz pointed out. “All it would take would be for one Fleet Commodore with some authority to gather a large fleet against us.”
“Yes,” Amanda admitted. “But many of those ships are damaged and probably low on munitions. If we play our cards right, we can eliminate the more dangerous fleets in the early going. We’ll just have to wait and see how the others react once they realize their home systems are under attack from an outside force.”
Amanda looked over at one of the tactical displays that had a timer counting down. “We launch the attack in eight hours. I’m going to my quarters to get some rest; I would suggest that you do the same.”
“The watch changes in another thirty minutes,” Diaz commented. “We’ll be rested and ready when the time comes.”
-
Amanda entered her quarters and took a quick shower before lying down upon her bed. She let out a deep breath, wondering what the next few days would bring. Richard and she had discussed this campaign considerably while she'd been back at New Providence. He had cautioned her not to take any chances and to come back safe. He'd went on to say he had found a newly opened ski resort on New Providence and casually mentioned that the two of them should spend some time there when she returned from this mission. It would be nice for them to have some alone time before it became necessary to move on the galactic center. She hoped it would have hot chocolate like the one on New Tellus. Its hot chocolate had been fantastic!
Amanda also still felt a little unnerved by Fleet Admiral Streth’s premonition. She wondered just what it meant. In all the years she had known him, these strange premonitions had always had a way of coming true. He'd even foreseen the destruction of the old Federation worlds as First Fleet was returning from its clandestine mission deep into Hocklyn space. Amanda rolled over and closed her eyes; she knew it would do no good to worry. She had a battle to fight against the Hocklyns; Hedon’s premonition would have to wait for now.
-
Hedon’s eyes snapped open and he looked around, realizing he was in his bed. He yawned and swung his legs out putting his feet on the floor. Glancing over at the timepiece on the wall, he saw he still had nearly an hour before he'd be required in the Command Center. That gave him just enough time to take a quick shower, get dressed, and meet Janice in the officers' mess for breakfast. With relieved surprise, he realized his headache was gone.
A few minutes later, feeling refreshed and relaxed, Hedon walked into the officers' mess and saw Janice waiting for him at one of the side tables against the wall, which afforded a little more privacy. He also noted she wasn’t alone as Clarissa was sitting across from her. Walking over, he pulled out the chair next to the AI and sat down.
“Good morning, Admiral,” Clarissa spoke in her clear and youthful voice. “All ships report ready and awaiting your orders.”
“That’s good, Clarissa,” Hedon replied with a smile. The good thing about the AI was she had access to all of the StarStrike’s systems, regardless of where her holographic form was in the massive warship.
“We were just discussing what Clarissa would like to do after the war,” Janice said, looking over and smiling at Hedon. He looked much more relaxed today than he had yesterday when it seemed as if something was worrying the admiral.
“And what is that?” asked Hedon, feeling curious. He hadn’t given much thought as to what the two AIs would like to do in peacetime.
“Ariel and I would like to do some research or even deep space exploration,” Clarissa replied her deep blue eyes opening even wider than normal. “There are still large parts of our galaxy relatively unexplored and we'd like to possibly be a part of that.”
“A worthy venture,” Hedon commented with a nod. However, he couldn’t see either of the two AIs going off anywhere without the Special Five with them. At the thought of the Special Five, Hedon felt his head throb slightly. That frightened him as he began to wonder if his worrisome premonition didn’t involve those five young people in some way.
“Yes,” Clarissa responded with an excited smile. “Ariel and I have already begun designing an exploration ship we feel will be suitable for such a project.”
“You’ll have to show it to me when you have a completed design,” Hedon responded. He was curious to see what the two AIs came up with.
An ensign came over and set down a plate of scrambled eggs, hash browns, ham, and a glass of orange juice in front of him.
“I placed your order for you,” explained Janice, seeing Hedon’s puzzled look. “I know you’ll want to get to the Command Center as soon as possible.”
Hedon nodded and picking up his fork, took a bite of the eggs. They were cooked and flavored just as he liked them. Looking over, he noticed Janice was eating a bowl of cereal with a topping of strawberries.
“What are you going to do when the war is over?” asked Clarissa, looking over at Hedon.
“I’m going to retire,” he replied in a determined voice. “I’m going to rebuild that cabin on Maken and stay there spending my remaining days fishing and watching the sun set.”
“By yourself?” asked Clarissa, glancing over at Janice, who blushed slightly.
“No, Clarissa,” Hedon replied in a softer voice his eyes focusing on Janice. “Not by myself.”
-
Thirty minutes later, Hedon and Janice stepped into the Command Center. It was already humming with activity as preparations for the entry into hyperspace were well underway. Janice, making sure her dark blue uniform was straight, went directly to her communications console and relieved the young ensign just finishing her duty shift.
“Everything is ready,” reported Colonel Trist, seeing Hedon enter the Command Center. “All fleets are at Condition Three and awaiting your orders.”
“Our target systems have shown no appreciable changes since the last reports from the scouts,” Colonel Grissim added. She'd spent the last hour going over the latest reports to ensure there were no unexpected surprises waiting for them.
Hedon looked over at Janice, who was watching him.
“Put me on ship-to-ship general broadcast.” This would allow his voice to be heard in all compartments of the gathered warships.
Taking a deep breath, Hedon began. “Today we finish the end of a long war. A war that saw the destruction of the old Human Federation of Worlds, as well as the founding of the new Federation. The new Federation gave the Human race hope for the future and a way to fight the Hocklyn menace. With our Alton allies and the other friendly races that have agreed to help our Federation, we've driven the Hocklyns back into their home systems. Today we do to them what they did to my home worlds so long ago. It’s not revenge that we seek, but an end to a tyranny which has encompassed a major portion of our galaxy.”
Hedon paused, looking around at the faces of the
crew in the Command Center. All eyes were focused on him, listening to his every word.
“Not all of us will return from this battle; some will fall and pay the ultimate price for the freedom of others. For those of you that do return, remember this day as the beginning of a new era, one in which our children can look up at the stars and not know fear. For the first time in the long history of the Hocklyn Slave Empire, they’re about to find out what it’s like to have their home systems attacked. All ships; set Condition One and prepare to jump! Good luck and good hunting!”
-
Each Federation fleet had a different Hocklyn system to attack. Their main targets were any dreadnoughts and warcruisers that might have survived the turmoil, which currently engulfed the Hocklyn systems. Early indications from the scouts seemed to point to very few major warships still surviving. The various Hocklyn factions had done a good job at nearly wiping each other out in their desperate bid to secure dwindling food resources.
Aboard Second Fleet’s flagship, the tension was high as the battleship prepared to jump into hyperspace. No one was quite sure what might be waiting for them in their target system.
“Jumping,” the helm officer reported as he turned the large gold key on his panel. Instantly, the WarStorm flew into the swirling blue-white spatial vortex and vanished from the system.
Hundreds of other vortexes were forming and vanishing as ships of the Federation and their allies entered hyperspace. After ten minutes, all ships had jumped, and there was no sign of them ever having been in the system. The final attack on the Hocklyns was now underway.
For long minutes, Amanda watched the swirling deep purple colors on the viewscreen, which signified they were in hyperspace. She could feel her pulse pounding at what they were about to do. For years, she'd dreamed about this day, fearful that it would never come. She had one hundred and fifty warships under her command, including thirty Alton battlecruisers. Her eyes shifted from viewscreen to viewscreen waiting for the jump to end.
The Slaver Wars: Endgame Page 18