The Slaver Wars: Galactic Conflict
Page 8
Versith nodded as he studied the deployment of the Human ships. He took note of the four large battlecarriers, which were deployed beneath the planet’s defense grid. “This will not be an easy victory,” he spoke, knowing how a cornered enemy with no hope would fight. I fear that many Hocklyn warriors will find their honor today.”
“It is the Hocklyn way,” replied Trion, gravely.
Second Leader Jaseth had overheard the conversation between the two commanding officers. He was standing at his weapons console ready to throw his missiles and other weapons at the Humans. He grinned in vicious anticipation of causing more Human deaths. When they were done today, there would not be a single surviving Human in the system. For a while, his taste for their blood would be satiated.
-
“Hocklyn ships are nearing engagement range,” Ariel reported as she checked the status of the Avenger’s weapons for the hundredth time in the last thirty seconds.
“They’ve split up into three groups,” added Colonel Malen, looking worriedly at the tactical screen. The largest force of nearly three hundred warships was coming directly toward the newly augmented Fourth Fleet, another group of eighty was moving toward the space station, and the final group of ninety was heading toward the planet.
“AIs are jumping in,” Kevin uttered in worry as all ten AI ships suddenly jumped into range of the defense grid and started hammering it with their deadly beam weapons.
“Order the strikecruisers to attack,” Jeremy spoke, his face looking grim. “All ships are to fire when enemy ships reach optimal engagement range.”
A few more seconds passed and then Jeremy felt the Avenger shudder slightly as missiles, railgun rounds, and the power beams were fired.
In space, the area between the two opposing fleets became filled with deadly ordnance. Human fighters flew up and above to stay away from the deadly conflagration. From the space station, its twenty power beam installations suddenly fired, blowing two Hocklyn escort cruisers to oblivion. From its flight bays, squadron after squadron of fighters and bombers were launching. None were being held back.
Jeremy winced as the Avenger shook violently. He glanced at the damage control console, seeing several lights turn amber.
“Several nukes hit the shield,” Colonel Malen explained with narrowed eyes. “A couple of railgun rounds made it through before the shields regenerated.”
Devastator Threes began pounding the Hocklyn fleet, tearing holes in shields and occasionally detonating against a ship’s armor. Two warcruisers died in raging nuclear fire as the Devastators unleashed their forty megatons of nuclear inferno against the ships’ hulls.
“Light cruisers Dawn and London are down,” Kevin spoke in a voice that sounded like someone else. “Battlecruiser Aspen is down.”
On the main viewscreens, brilliant explosions lit up space. Ships on both sides were dying as the exchange of weapons fire grew even greater. Blue Hocklyn energy beams, violet Human power beams, and orange-red laser beams flashed between the two fleets.
-
In space, Major Thurman grimaced in anger as he watched a Monarch heavy cruiser explode as numerous Hocklyn energy beams ripped the ship apart. “Hocklyn fighters inbound,” he calmly spoke into his com as he watched the massive red wave of icons that was quickly approaching his fighters and the few bombers they were escorting. “All squadrons engage; the more of them we destroy, the more likely some of our bombers will get through.”
“That’s a lot of enemy fighters,” a female voice spoke nervously over the squadron com channel.
“Just more for us to shoot at,” a male pilot responded. “Makes it harder to miss.”
“Stay with you wingman and let’s engage,” Thurman ordered. Increasing his fighter’s acceleration, he targeted an approaching Hocklyn fighter and fired one of his Hunter missiles. A fiery explosion confirmed the kill.
-
Jeremy watched the growing carnage through narrowed eyes. He felt gut wrenching pain every time a friendly green icon vanished from the tactical display. “Order Grayseth to launch their small warships. Their target is the fleet attempting to attack the planet.”
Colonel Malen nodded and quickly passed on the order. She knew the battle was getting desperate as the Hocklyns threatened to overrun the fleet.
Moments later, numerous green icons began rising from the surface of Careth. Two hundred and thirty small, one hundred-meter spacecraft had been built secretly in the hidden underground cities of the planet, each armed with railguns and nuclear tipped Klave missiles. They also had an energy screen to give them some protection from incoming fire.
“Strikecruisers got an AI,” Ariel reported excitedly as one of the orange icons flared up and then vanished.
“Strikecruiser Taurus is down,” Kevin spoke in a strained voice.
“Bear bombers under fighter escort are beginning their attack run on the fleet targeting the space station,” Ariel reported. She was using the Avenger’s sensors to try to keep track of the entire battle.
“Jeremy,” Colonel Malen gasped in shock. “Look at the screen!”
The viewscreen she was pointing at was focused on Careth. Upon the surface the tell all flash of a nuclear explosion was evident.
“Twenty megatons,” reported Ariel, grimly. “It detonated above the Carethian city of Presden.”
“Second AI ship confirmed destroyed,” Kevin reported as he watched another of the orange threat icons vanish from his screen. It had hurt deeply to see the nuclear weapon strike Careth. Kevin just hoped there were no others.
“The bear bombers and fighters are taking heavy losses,” Ariel added in a pained voice.
As she watched with her sensors, dozens of brave pilots were dying as their fighters and bombers were blown apart by Hocklyn fighters and heavy defensive fire from their warships. Undeterred by the losses, the bear pilots continued toward their targets. They would not turn back until their missiles were fired.
-
In space, Major Thurman fired his last Hunter interceptor missile. It struck a Hocklyn fighter, blowing it into a thousand pieces. A red warning light suddenly flared up on his console indicating a missile was locked on. In desperation, he juked his fighter through several barrel rolls and dove away at a sharp angle, releasing a canister of countermeasures, which blew apart, attracting the missile away at the last second. The explosion rocked his fighter but caused no damage.
Letting out a deep breath, Major Thurman dropped his Talon fighter in behind another Hocklyn and pressed the firing button for his thirty-millimeter cannons. Instantly, the Hocklyn fighter exploded in a brilliant fireball. Taking a second to look around, Thurman could see numerous explosions around him indicating dying fighters. Glancing down at his sensor screen, he saw very few green icons still surviving.
-
Jeremy felt the Avenger shake violently and for a moment, the lights in the Command Center flickered. A few people screamed in fright. On the damage control console, a number of new lights turned amber and then red.
“We’re venting atmosphere,” Colonel Malen reported as she issued orders rapidly to damage control teams. “A Hocklyn energy beam hit the hull and cut through six decks.”
“Jeremy, the New Eden has suffered major damage!” Kevin spoke loudly with deep concern on his face. The New Eden was Admiral Stillson’s flagship.
“Order several light cruisers to give her covering fire!” Jeremy ordered his face turning ashen.
On the main viewscreen, it had changed to show the New Eden. The battlecruiser was under heavy attack and even as they watched, a nuclear explosion ripped out a major portion of the ship’s hull.
“Her screens are down,” Ariel reported as she used her sensors to scan Stillson’s flagship. “Heavy structural damage to the hull and there is massive internal damage as well.”
Even as they watched, half a dozen blue Hocklyn energy beams struck the ship, cutting into the hull and doing irrevocable damage. Suddenly, four bright balls of energ
y formed and the New Eden vanished as its nuclear self-destructs initiated.
“New Eden is down,” Kevin spoke in a shocked voice.
-
Commodore Krilen felt jubilation as another enemy capital ship died. He was losing far more ships under the bombardment of the enemy’s deadly sublight missiles but he had the ships to lose; the Humans did not. On the main viewscreen, he watched as two more nuclear detonations appeared over Carethian cities. The battle was going his way and nothing the Humans could do could save the planet.
“Large numbers of small warships are rising from the planet’s surface,” First Leader Angoth reported in his cold rasping voice.
“How large?” snapped Krilen, wondering if this was some type of trick. He was leery of traps set by the Humans.
“One hundred meters,” Angoth replied.
“Scout ship size,” Krilen responded as he wondered what the purpose of these small ships might be. “They may contain Carethians trying to escape. Order War Leader Osbith to intercept those ships. There can be no survivors!”
-
War Leader Osbith watched impassively as the small ships clawed upward into space. He had already hit the planet three times with nuclear missiles. This area of the planet’s defense grid was steadily growing weaker under the attack of his fighters' and ships' weapons. His dreadnought, the BattleHand, had been instrumental in two of those strikes.
“Target those small ships,” he ordered his First Leader. “They may be trying to escape. We will destroy them.”
-
Grayseth was in the Command Center of the space station. It was under heavy attack from the Hocklyn fleet and beginning to suffer damage. From its outer hull, the twenty power beam installations continued to fire as well as the numerous laser turrets. Devastator and Devastator Three missiles were being launched continuously and the encroaching Hocklyn fleet was suffering heavily. The bomber strike was almost within range, though its numbers had suffered serious losses.
He knew there was only one possible solution to save the worsening situation. It had pained him to no end at seeing the three nuclear detonations on Careth’s surface, knowing that millions of his fellow Carethians may have died under that hellfire.
He turned to Daelthon, his second in command. “Contact our ships and tell them it is time for the Final Hunt.”
“Is that necessary?” Daelthon asked, the short fur on his face turning pale.
“We have no other choice,” replied Grayseth, gravely. “Our Human brothers are dying; we can do no less.”
Daelthon nodded and the large Carethian moved off to Communications to carry out the orders.
Grayseth looked back at the viewscreens. This battle was not yet over; he had one more surprise for the evil ones; a surprise they would not be expecting.
-
War Leader Osbith watched in satisfaction as the small Carethian warships came into engagement range. He would destroy them and then continue to bombard the planet’s surface with his nuclear missiles. Then he would return to the home systems as a hero and be richly rewarded. Perhaps someday he would become a Fleet Commodore or higher. With his connections to the High Council, it was possible.
“War Leader, the small ships are accelerating rapidly,” his First Leader spoke with concern in his voice.
“Where are they going?” demanded Osbith, fearful that his easy victory was escaping him. He had to destroy those small ships; they couldn’t be allowed to escape Careth’s gravity well and jump into hyperspace.
“Straight for us!” the First Leader replied, his eyes growing wide. “They’re going to ram!”
Osbith gazed at the main viewscreen, too stunned to speak. He had let the small warships get to close to his fleet, now he was going to pay the price.
-
In space, fifty of the two hundred and thirty small Hocklyn warships had activated their subspace drives at nearly eighty percent power. In mere seconds, they closed the distance, throwing their ships at their hated enemies. The Hocklyn ships had no chance to evade, and suddenly massive explosions wracked their formation as the Carethian ships struck their astonished targets.
Forty-two Hocklyn ships died in massive explosions of energy, including the dreadnought BattleHand and War Leader Osbith. The rest of the fleet was thrown into disarray and the remaining one hundred and eighty small warships fired all of their weapons in unison. More Hocklyns ships died under their ferocious attack. The loss of War Leader Osbith threw the remaining Hocklyn ships into disarray. They were fighting back individually and not as a fleet. The losses continued to mount as the small Carethian warships took advantage of the Hocklyns' obvious confusion.
-
Commodore Krilen looked at the tactical screen in shock. War Leader Osbith’s entire fleet had been nearly wiped out. War Leader Versith was under heavy attack by enemy bombers and the space station. His own fleet was still suffering losses from the Human fleet he was engaging. Even as he watched, the Human strikecruisers managed to destroy another one of the stupendous AIs spheres in a blaze of light.
“Retreat,” he ordered, fearing that he might lose his entire fleet. He needed to withdraw and rethink his strategy.
“Retreat?” First Leader Angoth spoke in disbelief. “We can still win this battle!”
“Not if those small ships decide to ram the rest of our fleet,” Krilen replied. “Order all ships to make for the edge of the gravity well and return to our rendezvous point. We will repair our damage and determine our next course of action.”
“As you command,” Angoth responded, not liking the order. “Many warriors, including War Leader Osbith, have found honor today.”
-
War Leader Versith swore as the Viden shook violently from multiple nuclear explosions striking the ship’s screens. He knew if the ship had not been updated, they would all have died.
“Commodore Krilen is ordering an immediate withdrawal,” First Leader Trion reported his eyes growing wide.
“It is just as well,” Versith replied in his cold, reptilian voice. “I told him it was a mistake to split up the fleet. We should have attacked as one and destroyed each segment of the planet’s defenses a piece at a time. Now we are paying for Commodore Krilen’s refusal to accept the strategy I suggested. Disengage and make for the edge of the gravity well at our best speed. Keep our cripples under our protective fire in case the enemy launches any more of their small bombers.”
“Yes, War Leader,” Trion responded.
Second Leader Jaseth looked angrily at his small sensor screen, knowing the battle had been lost. He had overheard War Leader Versith’s comments about the commodore not using the strategy he had suggested. Even though Jaseth regretted not being able to kill more Humans, he understood the need to survive to fight another day. His burning rage was now more under control. For this battle, not even the ever present Protector had been watching him. He let out a deep breath. The Humans were still here and after retiring to repair their battle damage, they would return to finish what they had started today. The Humans would have a brief respite, but not much of one.
“The enemy is beginning to withdraw,” Kevin spoke in astonishment as his sensors showed the Hocklyn fleet beginning to break off contact and move away.
“AIs have jumped out,” Ariel added with obvious relief in her youthful voice.
“It was the bears,” Colonel Malen spoke in awe. “They rammed the Hocklyn fleet that was attacking the planet, devastating it, and then used the lack of an organized command structure to nearly wipe it out.”
“I didn’t know they were planning that,” Jeremy spoke in a stunned voice, finding it hard to accept the sacrifice the bears had made. “Call our fighters back and let’s see what we have left.”
Ariel felt immensely relieved; she had been so certain that she was going to die in this battle. Somehow, they had managed to survive, but the fleet and the defenses were now in shambles. If the relief fleet didn’t show up shortly, there would soon be no one
left alive in the system. She hoped that Clarissa didn’t arrive to find the Avenger destroyed and that the end had come for Ariel.
Chapter Six
Jeremy was on the space station meeting with Grayseth and Rear Admiral Susan Marks. They were discussing the losses and what their options would be if the Hocklyns launched another major attack.
“We don’t have the fighters to stop another attack on the defense grid,” Susan spoke as she thought about the horrific losses suffered by the fighters and bombers in the recent battle. “We have less than two hundred fighters remaining on our ships and only forty-two bombers.” It had pained her to watch from the Command Center of the Retribution as her pilots died trying to defend the fleet and Careth. She'd felt like crying each time a green icon representing a Federation fighter or bomber had faded out on the tactical screen.
“What were your losses?” asked Jeremy, looking over at Grayseth. He knew the bears had done everything in their power to force the Hocklyns back. There were even reports of Carethian fighters strafing Hocklyn warships with their 30mm cannons.
“Heavy,” Grayseth responded, his powerful voice sounding tired. “We have sixty-two fighters remaining and less than twenty bombers. We do have one hundred and twenty-eight of our small warships that survived.”
“Our fleet losses were heavy also,” admitted Jeremy, taking a deep breath. “We lost two battlecruisers, three of our battlecarriers, five of our strikecruisers, seven Monarch cruisers, fourteen light cruisers, and ten more of the destroyers in the defense grid, as well as Admiral Stillson.”
“Admiral Stillson was a brave hunter,” spoke Grayseth, respectfully. “He died a warrior’s death.”
“He will be missed,” Jeremy responded with a heavy sigh. It had shaken him to see the New Eden destroyed. He knew it could just have easily been the Avenger.
“The station suffered some damage,” Grayseth continued. “We lost four of the power beam installations, which can’t be replaced. We have serious damage to the outer hull of the station, and numerous compartments are open to vacuum. Two of the type two battle stations were also destroyed.”