The Slaver Wars: Endgame

by Raymond L. Weil

  President Kincaid stepped up onto the stage of the great hall and took his place at the podium. Behind him stood senators from all the worlds of the Federation. He looked out over the gathered audience. The fleet personnel were in their dress uniforms, many with looks of sadness on their faces. From the upper level, numerous news media would be broadcasting this ceremony across the Federation and even to the Kessel, Darvonian, Zanth, and Alton worlds. He gestured for everyone to sit down.

  “My friends, today is a sad day for the Federation and its allies. We come here to remember those that have fallen in recent years and in the final battle at our galaxy’s center,” Kincaid paused, allowing his words to sink in. “There can be no greater sacrifice than to give your life to protect those you love and are dear to your heart. Throughout this great conflict, tens of thousands have fallen in the line of duty. Many gave their lives so others might live.”

  The great hall was silent as everyone took in the president’s words. Across the Federation, billions of men and women listened to the ceremony, knowing how fortunate they were to still be alive. In recent weeks, everyone had heard of the sacrifices made to stop the AIs and the threat they posed.

  “We lost many people in the battles,” President Kincaid continued. “Rear Admiral Stillson, Admiral Telleck, Commander Jacob Adler, Major Aldon Trist, Rear Admiral Bixby, and many other brave men and women.” Kincaid paused once more and looked across the hall, feeling his heart hammering in his chest. He took a deep steadying breath and continued. “We also lost three of the Special Five. Admiral Jeremy Strong, Lieutenant Kevin Walters, and Lieutenant Angela DeSota were lost when the battleship Avenger attacked the AIs’ power vortex. Their attack destabilized it and destroyed the deadly Eternity Device, which would have wiped out all life in our galaxy. They sacrificed themselves to allow all of us to live.”

  Kincaid paused and took another deep breath. “We also lost Fleet Admiral Karla Johnson, who died when the AIs jumped in a massive fleet, which overwhelmed Sixth Fleet. She died fighting to the end to preserve the Federation and what she believed in.” Kincaid raised his eyes to look directly at the media broadcasters. “We must never forget their sacrifice. This day will forever be remembered by the Federation and its allies. For today the war against the Hocklyns and the AIs is officially over and we have peace on our worlds.”

  -

  Kelsey and Katie were sitting in the front row; around them were the admirals of the fleet. Newly promoted Fleet Admiral Nagumo had given strict orders that no media people were to come close to the two young women.

  Kelsey listened to President Kincaid, finding it difficult to accept that Jeremy might be gone. She still held out hope that the Avenger had somehow survived the transit through the white vortex, even though the Alton scientists, who'd studied the data from ship sensors said it was doubtful. She held Katie’s hand tightly as it was taking all the fortitude the two women had not to burst into tears. They'd spent a lot of time crying in each other’s arms in the privacy of their quarters in recent weeks.

  At last the ceremony was over and a military honor guard marched in and formed into two long lines leading from the front to the back of the great hall. Fleet Admiral Nagumo and Fleet Admiral Streth stepped forward and gestured for Kelsey and Katie to come with them. The four walked in silence past the marine honor guard and left the great hall. The entire Federation watched in sadness as the last two of the Special Five departed. It was a day and a sight they would always remember.

  -

  Later, Fleet Admiral Streth stood atop the rise above the Fleet Academy looking at the large obelisk, which stood there. The names of Admiral Jeremy Strong, Lieutenant Kevin Walters, and Angela DeSota had been added. Next to it, on each side, two additional massive black memorial walls had been erected. On the walls were the names of everyone who had died in the war. It was a wall of heroes and would always be remembered as such.

  “I wonder if Jason and Greg ever suspected how this would end?” Amanda asked from Hedon’s side. She'd walked up the steep stairs to join him at the obelisk.

  “They never doubted we would win in the end,” Hedon said, recalling the time he'd spent with the two. “They created the new Federation and now their dream is safe.”

  “There are still the three other Empires that control parts of the galaxy,” Amanda reminded Hedon. “Not to mention a few rogue Hocklyn fleets we need to run down.”

  “We’re already working at bringing new worlds into the alliance,” Hedon answered. “In a few years, the Federation and its allies will be more powerful than any threat that can come against it. The Altons have agreed to help us in that endeavor. As for the few remaining Hocklyn fleets, Rear Admiral Tolsen will be departing shortly to take care of them.”

  Amanda nodded. She turned to look over the Fleet Academy and at the museum, which held the remains of the first Avenger. So much had happened over the years and now a new future, free of fear, was ahead of them. It was hard to imagine that it had all started here so many years ago.

  -

  Months passed and Admiral Sheen and Richard had returned to Aquaria. They stood upon the beach where her parents' vacation home once stood. They were watching the clear blue water and the birds that were skimming above the surface searching for food. Behind them, spider-like work robots were busily rebuilding Amanda’s home as she remembered it. Up on the hill, the granite markers of her parent’s graves still stood.

  “This will be a good place to raise a family,” Richard said, taking Amanda in his arms. He bent down and kissed her, holding her tightly.

  “We’re going to have some neighbors,” Amanda said with a laugh. “Benjamin and Angela Stalls are building a home farther up the beach.”

  “Yes, I heard,” answered Richard, letting Amanda go. “I spoke to Benjamin earlier and his parents were originally from Aquaria.”

  “We’ll raise our children here,” Amanda said, wishing her parents were still alive so they could see their grandchildren. “New Providence is going to allow four hundred thousand colonists on Aquaria over the next few years.”

  Richard looked down the white pristine beach. He'd always dreamed of the two of them being able to settle down once the war was over. He could already imagine playing with the kids on the beach and taking them diving.

  Amanda took Richard by the arm and headed back toward the house the robots were building. The war was over and a bright future awaited them.

  -

  Retired Fleet Admiral Hedon Streth stood upon the shores of the lake on Maken. Behind him was an exact replica of his brother’s cabin with several additions Janice had insisted on. He held his fishing rod in his right hand and with an expert cast, placed his lure right where he'd been aiming. Just seconds before he had seen a swirl in the water indicating a feeding fish. The rod suddenly bent sharply and Hedon set the hook. He reeled in his first fish since that last time he'd gone fishing with his brother Taylor so long ago. Hedon took the fish off the hook and then, with a smile, released it.

  “Hedon,” a woman’s voice called from the porch of the cabin.

  Hedon turned and saw Janice standing there waving at him. He made his way back to the cabin and took Janice’s hand. “They’re setting up regular passenger liners to run between New Providence and the Federation, he said. “Your family will be able to come out for a visit.”

  “Why do you think I wanted the extra additions and bedrooms?” Janice asked with a smile. She couldn’t wait for her sister Linda to come for a visit.

  Later they went out and sat on the porch, holding hands and watching the sun set behind the distant horizon. It was just as beautiful as Hedon remembered. He wished that Taylor and Lendle could be here to share this moment with him and Janice. In the back of his mind, Hedon suspected they probably were.

  Janice leaned her head against Hedon’s shoulder. It was so peaceful here. There would be other colonists on Maken, but Hedon had been given a large area around the lake as a reward for his service to th
e Federation. This is where they would raise their family. Janice smiled; she'd always known this would happen. After all, everyone had been taught as a child that someday the great Fleet Admiral Hedon Streth would arise from cryosleep and lead the Human race to victory. She had never doubted the legend…

  The End

  If you enjoyed The Slaver Wars: Endgame and would like to see the series continue, please post a review with some stars. Good reviews encourage an author to write and help books to sell. Reviews can be just a few short sentences describing what you liked about the book. If you have suggestions, please contact me at my website listed on the following page. Thank you for reading Endgame and being so supportive.

  -

  The Hocklyns and the AIs have been defeated, but the Special Five have been torn apart. Grayseth and Rear Admiral Marks have entered the vortex in search of the rest of Fourth Fleet. The adventure will continue in the Lost Fleet series coming in the spring of 2015. What happened to Admiral Jeremy Strong and Fourth Fleet when they were swept away by the spatial vortex? Will Kelsey and Katie ever find their missing loved ones? What new and frightening dangers await in an uncertain future? Find out in The Lost Fleet (a Slaver Wars novel.)

  -

  For updates on current writing projects and future publications go to my author website. Sign up for future notifications when new books come out on Amazon.

  Website: http://raymondlweil.com/

  Other Books by Raymond L. Weil

  Available at Amazon

  Moon Wreck (The Slaver Wars Book 1)

  The Slaver Wars: Alien Contact (The Slaver Wars Book 2)

  Moon Wreck: Fleet Academy (The Slaver Wars Book 3)

  The Slaver Wars: First Strike (The Slaver Wars Book 4)

  The Slaver Wars: Retaliation (The Slaver Wars Book 5)

  The Slaver Wars: Galactic Conflict (The Slaver Wars Book 6)

  The Slaver Wars: Endgame (The Slaver Wars Book 7)

  -

  Dragon Dreams

  Dragon Dreams: Dragon Wars

  Dragon Dreams: Gilmreth the Awakening

  Dragon Dreams: Snowden the White Dragon

  -

  Star One: Tycho City: Survival

  Star One: Neutron Star

  Star One: Dark Star

  -

  Galactic Empire Wars: Destruction

  Galactic Empire Wars: Emergence

  -

  Galactic Empire Wars: Rebellion Coming January 2015

  The Lost Fleet (A Slaver Wars novel) spring 2015

  Turn the page for an introduction to The Star Cross a new military science fiction novel that will be published in early 2015.

  The Star Cross

  Chapter One

  The Earth's 800-meter heavy battlecruiser Star Cross slid silently through empty space, the ship’s powerful sensors scanning everything ahead and around it. Her four light cruiser escorts were in screening positions protecting the massive battlecruiser from attack. The 600-meter light carrier Vindication followed closely behind, protected by six small destroyers. Each ship was on high alert and tensions were high amongst the crews. Everyone glanced anxiously at one another, wondering what was awaiting them at Earth.

  In the Command Center of the Star Cross, Admiral Kurt Vickers watched the main viewscreen focused on the light carrier as four fighters left the flight bay to patrol ahead of the fleet. The light carrier had twenty fighters in its flight bay as well as twelve small bombers.

  “CSP has been launched,” Lieutenant Lena Brooks reported as the four friendly green icons appeared on her sensor screen.

  The twenty-eight year old young woman let out a quiet breath, hoping they would remain undetected. She felt her pulse racing and knew she wasn’t the only one in the Command Center that was worried. Lena focused her hazel eyes upon the admiral, awaiting further orders. She trusted him to bring them through the coming ordeal.

  “Current status?” asked Vickers in a steady voice, turning to his XO and commander of the battlecruiser, Captain Randson.

  The captain checked several data screens before turning toward the admiral. “Long-range sensors are indicating no unusual movement from the enemy ships. I don’t think they detected our hyper jumps.” Randson let out a deep, ragged breath, feeling the tension running through the Command Center. Everyone’s nerves were on edge.

  Admiral Vickers nodded as he turned his gaze to the primary tactical screen on which information from the long distance scans was now appearing. He took in a sharp breath as he contemplated what his next action needed to be. He felt a tremendous weight of responsibility upon his shoulders, knowing his next few decisions could well determine the future of the human race. The crew in the Command Center were waiting for his orders expectantly. Everyone wanted to know what had happened here in the Solar System and if their friends and families were still alive. He knew they had good reasons to be concerned.

  Two weeks back, a mysterious and hostile alien fleet had appeared out of hyperspace and annihilated the two human fleets permanently stationed around Earth for protection. The majority of the ships had been destroyed before their shields could be raised or a single weapon fired. Only a few had managed to fight back and then only briefly. This wasn’t surprising as no aliens had been detected by any of Earth’s long-range exploration ships and no one had been expecting an attack, so the ships had been at a low level of alert.

  The Star Cross and her fleet had been in the Newton system practicing maneuvers and testing the new particle beam weapons the battlecruiser and the light cruisers had been equipped with. The Newton system held a thriving human colony of nearly eight million inhabitants, along with a large orbital station designed for deep space exploration and minor ship repair. The colony had a number of large scientific outposts, as ships sent out on exploratory missions were required to report to Newton before being allowed to return to Earth. Newton was also the only true Earth-type planet to be discovered so far in their explorations. There were other planets humans could survive on, but none could compare to Earth or Newton.

  A heavily damaged light cruiser had jumped into the Newton system to report the shocking news of the attack on Earth. The ship’s commander had barely managed to escape and lost over half of his crew in the brief battle above the planet. The report of the attack had shaken the colony and after conferring with the colony’s leaders, it had been decided that Admiral Vickers would return to the Solar System. His mission was to determine the current condition of Earth as well as the number of alien ships still present.

  “What now?” Captain Randson asked as he stepped closer to the admiral. Upon the tactical screen, a large number of red threat icons were visible. “There are twenty alien ships in orbit above Earth. Four of them are approximately the same size as the Star Cross, and the rest seem to be similar to our own light cruisers.”

  Vickers nodded. “From the reports we received from the captain of the light cruiser, the alien ships are heavily armed. I don’t want to risk an engagement with them at this time if we can avoid it. We need more information.” Kurt had spent hours with Captain Owens going over the tactical data recorded during his light cruiser’s brief battle above Earth.

  “Our new particle beam weapons should give us an advantage,” Randson carefully pointed out. “None of the ships we had over Earth were equipped with them.”

  “Can we detect any transmissions from Earth, the Moon, or from Mars?” The Moon and Mars both held sizable human colonies. Kurt didn’t like the fact they were going into such an unknown situation and the Solar System was so quiet.

  “No, and all the scientific outposts are also silent. There’s not a peep coming from the asteroids or the moons of Jupiter and Saturn,” Randson replied with growing concern in his eyes. His wife was on Earth just outside of Houston. He hoped she was okay; he didn’t know what he would do if something had happened to her. They'd been married for fourteen wonderful years. They also had a twelve-year-old daughter about to enter those rebellious teenage years. “W
e could send a couple of the destroyers in to check on some of the outposts. It’s just too damn quiet! I can’t believe they've all been wiped out.”

  “Not yet,” replied Kurt, shaking his head as he thought about the communication silence. “They might be detected. Right now, our biggest tactical advantage is that the aliens don’t know we’re here. I want to keep it that way for a while longer.”

  “Sir,” Ensign Brooks spoke her eyes alight with fear. “The long-range sensors are picking up elevated radiation levels from Earth.” Styles had been working at her console fervently, trying to get better readings on the home planet.

  Captain Randson stepped over and studied the data, the frown on his face deepening. “There have definitely been a few nuclear weapons dropped on the surface,” he stated, taking a deep breath. “The level isn’t dangerous, but it’s four times higher than normal. I’m not sure we can afford to wait. What if they drop more bombs?” He gazed at the admiral, his eyes showing his deep concern over the radiation readings. He was itching to find out if his wife and daughter were okay.

  “The bombs may have been dropped in the original attack,” Kurt said evenly, struggling to stay calm.

  He knew if the radiation levels were correct millions of people could be dead on the planet. He felt anger growing inside him at an enemy who would nuke a planet from orbit. This said a lot about the temperament of the aliens they faced. He'd never married, though he did have a sister working at Houston. Both of his parents were deceased and he and his sister, Denise, were very close. She was married with a six-year-old son.

  “You’re correct,” responded Randson with a curt nod. “What are your orders?”

  Admiral Vickers studied the tactical screen for a few more moments as he tried to decide what the best course of action was. It was obvious the enemy ships could not be allowed to continue to orbit the planet; they had to be driven off before they nuked Earth again. The presence of an elevated radiation level changed things considerably. Vickers was afraid to even guess at how many people had already died. He wondered if the aliens had landed ground troops to occupy the planet.