“But we weren’t fighting the Humans then,” Nartel pointed out in a cold voice. “I’m sure this time he will accept the promotion.”
High Leader Nartel looked over at the large map on his office wall, which showed the sections of the galaxy the Hocklyn Empire held under its control. It was many thousands of light years to Careth and even farther to the Human home worlds. This was a war that would take fleets weeks to reach their targets and days for the reports of the success or failure of battles to reach the High Council. They had to have dependable leaders in such circumstances.
“What of the AIs?” Berken asked in his rasping voice. “What have they to say since their defeat by the Humans?”
“Fleet Commodore Resmunt has sent us a full report on the aliens that appeared at the Human world. It was their ships that destroyed so many of the AIs,” Nartel replied as his cold dark eyes focused on Berken. “An AI ship will be here in a few more days to discuss the future of the war with the Humans and these new aliens.”
“Will they give us the new weapons we have asked for?”
“I believe so,” Nartel replied with a nod. “We have reports from across our Empire that every known AI ship is on its way back to AI controlled space.”
“Why?” Berken asked with growing concern. “Are they fleeing back to the galactic center and leaving us to face the Humans and these new aliens alone?”
“I don’t believe so,” Nartel replied. “I think they are calling their ships back to equip them with new and more powerful weapons.”
“What if you're wrong and the AIs abandon us?”
“Not to worry,” Nartel replied in his rasping voice. “I have already made other arrangements to ensure that the Humans are defeated and the new aliens driven back to their worlds. In the end, the Hocklyn Empire will prevail.”
-
Jeremy gazed with growing concern at the tactical display. For the last twelve hours, Hocklyn escort cruisers had been jumping into the system, taking scans of the space around Careth, and then jumping back to system K-774.
“They’re preparing to attack,” Colonel Malen spoke as she studied the display. “Each escort cruiser stays longer than the last.”
There was no doubt in Jeremy’s mind that Colonel Malen was correct. He gazed worriedly at the green icons spread out protectively around the space station. He had three battlecruisers, nine battlecarriers, four strikecruisers, eleven Monarch cruisers, and twenty light cruisers remaining from Fourth Fleet and Ceres fleet. It was still a respectable force but not powerful enough considering what they would soon be facing. He also had one hundred and twenty-eight of the small Carethian warships to add to his fleet formation as well.
He had tried to transfer Katie and Angela to the space station where they would be safer, but both had refused. Katie was resting in her quarters and Angela was still in the med bay. He'd have felt better if the two had gone to the space station. With its powerful weapons and energy shield, it had the best chance of surviving the coming battle.
Kevin came over to stand next to Jeremy and spoke in a concerned voice. “They will be coming soon.”
“At least we have no AIs to deal with,” Jeremy responded with a weak smile.
He was surprised that the Hocklyns were preparing to attack so quickly. Their fleet had been heavily damaged in the last battle over Careth, and they were bound to still have a lot of battle damage to repair. He’d hoped by attacking the AIs he could buy them at least a week or two. It now looked as if that wasn't going to happen.
“It’s hard to believe it’s all going to end here,” Kevin uttered in a low voice, his eyes meeting Jeremy’s. “Do you think we have a chance to defeat their fleet?”
“A small one,” replied Jeremy, trying his best to sound calm. “We still have some Devastator Threes left and a reasonably sized fleet. It'll all depend on how many ships the Hocklyns are willing to lose to take Careth.”
On the front wall of the Avenger, one of the main screens was focused on the space station and the other on Careth itself. Jeremy knew that Grayseth had evacuated all the female Carethians serving on the space station down to the underground cities. Grayseth had even suggested sending Kelsey, Angela, and Katie down to one of the secret cities as well, but the girls had steadfastly refused. Gazing at the blue and green planet on the other viewscreen Jeremy wished there was some way he could assure its safety. The Carethians were a good and honorable race and didn’t deserve to suffer the same fate as the old Human Federation of Worlds.
“Hocklyn fleet is maneuvering,” Colonel Malen spoke suddenly from where she was watching the tactical display. “They're preparing to jump!”
“Order the Orion and the Vega to exit the repair bays,” Jeremy said. He would need all of his ships for this battle. Looking around the Command Center, it felt strange for Ariel not to be standing at his side. He had come to count on her for advice during the battles.
“It’s been good serving with you, Jeremy,” Kevin said, reaching out and putting his hand upon Jeremy’s shoulder. “You’re my best friend.”
“Same here,” replied Jeremy, letting out a deep breath. “Let’s just hope we’re both here tomorrow.”
Kevin returned to his console just as a warning alarm sounded.
“More ships jumping into system K-774,” he reported as numerous red threat icons began appearing close to the Hocklyn fleet. The data was being sent from the two stealth scouts hiding in the system.
“They called for reinforcements,” Colonel Malen spoke in dismay, knowing they wouldn’t be able to defeat a larger Hocklyn force. Their odds of surviving the coming battle had just dropped to zero.
A ghostly silence held the Command Center as everyone’s eyes focused on the tactical display. As they watched with growing despair, more red icons continued to appear. Then, to their utter amazement, the icons began changing from red to green.
“Those are Federation ships!” Kevin yelled out in jubilation, his eyes growing wide in excitement. “It’s the relief fleet!”
The entire Command Center was frozen in silence as they stared in shock at the tactical display. They'd been ready to face death and now suddenly, everything had changed! As the realization of what this meant hit home, everyone began cheering and then clapping. Crewmembers stood up and slapped each other on the back, their faces lighting up with growing smiles. They weren’t going to die after all!
-
Aboard the StarStrike, Admiral Streth gazed determinedly at the surprised Hocklyn fleet in front of him. “All ships, attack! Focus on their dreadnoughts and warcruisers.” He could see that many of the Hocklyn warships were damaged.
Admiral Streth had the newly expanded and updated First Fleet under his command as well as a large fleet from Ceres commanded by Admiral Telleck. They also had twenty Alton battlecruisers. The fact that this Hocklyn fleet was here and not in the Careth system indicated that Fourth Fleet was still holding the system. Hedon breathed out a long sigh of relief. They'd made it back in time.
Instantly, from the advancing Federation fleets, power beams, Devastator Three missiles, and a few antimatter missiles were fired into the stunned Hocklyn fleet. Bright explosions began to light up space as shields were quickly pummeled and battered down. The antimatter missiles contained fifty-megaton warheads, and whenever two of those would strike a Hocklyn energy shield, it would fail immediately. In the opening salvo, forty Hocklyn ships died as they were torn apart by the massive amounts of energy being released.
-
Commodore Krilen gazed in shock at the tactical screen showing the newly arrived Human ships. The IronHand shook violently and the lights went out to come back on dimly. Alarms were sounding and the damage control console was covered with amber and red lights.
“FTL drive is down,” First Leader Angoth reported in a grave voice. “Honor comes for us today.”
The War Room was beginning to fill with smoke and several panels were on fire. Krilen could hear screams of pain and distant exp
losions, which were shaking the ship even more. He knew the IronHand was severely damaged.
“What hit us?” he demanded. He could hear panicked voices over the ship-to-ship com, and Hocklyn ships were just now beginning to return fire. War Leader Versith ordered all ships to concentrate their fire upon the Human warships and close their formation to allow for stronger defensive fire against the Human missiles.
“One of their hell missiles knocked down our energy screen. The sublight drive is down, energy beams are nonfunctioning,” Angoth continued as the reports of damage continued to flow in from various departments. “We don’t have sufficient power available to reenergize the screen.”
“Honor indeed comes for us,” Krilen spoke in acceptance, his eyes gazing fixedly at the main viewscreen showing the carnage going on around the IronHand.
He could see a warcruiser burning; several escort cruisers were in the last throes of death. A dreadnought exploded as its self-destructs blew it apart. Krilen knew his desire to advance in the Hocklyn Hierarchy were about to come to an abrupt end. A massive explosion suddenly shook the dreadnought and the last thing Krilen saw was a brilliant flash of light. Then his body was consumed by the antimatter explosion.
-
“Another dreadnought is down,” Colonel Grissom reported as a large red icon vanished from the tactical display. “Alton ships are entering engagement range and firing.”
“Continue to press the attack,” ordered Hedon, wanting to destroy as much of this Hocklyn fleet as possible.
“Light cruiser Justice is down,” Captain Reynolds reported as the friendly green icon of the light cruiser blinked out.
“Other ships are reporting only minor damage,” Colonel Trist informed Hedon as he listened to damage reports over his mini-com. “The new shields are holding.”
-
In space, energy beams flashed back and forth between the two opposing fleets. Violet power beams powered by the new Alton fusion reactors tore through Hocklyn energy screens. Orange-red pulse lasers flashed out, striking Hocklyn ships whose screens had failed. Devastator Three and antimatter missiles vaporized large sections of ships' hulls as they tore through the massed Hocklyn fleet. Blue energy beams from the Hocklyn ships flashed out at the Human ships to be dissipated harmlessly by the new, more powerful energy screens. Occasionally a Hocklyn nuke would detonate against an energy screen, causing the barest of flickers.
-
“IronHand is confirmed destroyed,” reported Fist Leader Trion, glancing at War Leader Versith. “We've identified twenty of the ships that attacked the AIs in the Human system with the attacking Human fleet.”
“We must withdraw,” Versith spoke as the Viden shook from an energy weapons strike to her shields. “All ships to jump to the fallback position in system K-633. Once there, we will reorganize the fleet and wait for orders from the High Council.”
Gazing at the tactical screen and the viewscreens, he couldn’t believe the amount of destruction being dealt out by the Human ships. For the first time, he felt actual fear for the Empire itself. It was obvious these Human ships had been updated and now possessed even more fearsome weapons than ever before.
Second Leader Jaseth was firing his weapons in growing frustration. So far in the battle only a few of the Humans' smaller warships had been destroyed. It was as if their energy screens had been greatly reinforced. Even as he watched, several nuclear missiles he'd launched struck a Human battlecruiser and all that happened was its screen glowed a little brighter. He snarled in anger, knowing his weapons were nearly useless.
In front of the Hocklyn ships, white spatial vortexes began to form. Ship after ship entered the vortexes, fleeing into the safety of hyperspace. Behind them, the slaughter continued with damaged Hocklyn warships being blasted into thousands of pieces as the Humans relentlessly pressed their advantage. Finally, it was over as the last Hocklyn escort cruiser vanished into a swirling spatial vortex, which instantly collapsed. Behind them, the fleeing Hocklyn fleet left nearly two hundred ships in ruins.
-
“Report!” barked Hedon, seeing the last Hocklyn ship vanish from the system.
“We lost three light cruisers and one Monarch cruiser,” Colonel Grissom responded. “We have several other ships with light to moderate damage.”
“Hocklyn losses?”
“Close to two hundred ships,” replied Grissom, feeling elated at the ease of their victory. She knew that the updated systems the Altons had helped to install were responsible.
“That’s a decisive victory,” Colonel Trist spoke with a growing smile. “I don’t think the Hocklyns will be returning anytime soon.”
“Admiral Telleck is on the com, Sir,” spoke Captain Duncan. “He wants to know what your orders are.” She knew that Hedon would want to jump to the Careth system immediately. He'd been dying for weeks to launch this rescue operation and he was impatient to see if Admiral Strong and Admiral Stillson had survived.
“We’re jumping to the Carethian system,” Hedon said with a pleased smile. “We have a certain admiral I promised to come back and save. Let’s go pay him a visit.” Hedon hoped that Jeremy had survived. From the battered look of some of the Hocklyn ships they'd just destroyed, he was pretty certain the talented young admiral was indeed still alive.
“Sir, we have two stealth scouts that have just jumped in close to the fleet,” Captain Reynolds reported.
“Captain Duncan, contact the scouts, let’s hear what they have to say.”
-
Jeremy had ordered the Avenger to dock with the space station and also requested that Rear Admiral Marks come over. The two stealth scouts in system K-774 had already made contact with Fleet Admiral Streth, and Jeremy had been greatly surprised to learn that Admiral Telleck had come along as well.
“Your people have come,” Grayseth spoke in his loud booming voice, his face covered in what the Carethians would call a grin. “The Hocklyns have fled and the AIs are gone. I have already spread the word to my people and there are celebrations spreading across the planet. It is a great day for Careth.”
“A great day indeed,” Jeremy replied with a big smile. They were in the Command Center and already new friendly green icons were showing up on the large tactical display as First Fleet and the new Ceres Fleet exited hyperspace just outside of Careth’s gravity well.
“Both fleets have exited hyperspace,” Colonel Millburn reported from his post at the station’s large sensor screens. “They are beginning to enter Careth’s gravity well.”
“The StarStrike will be docking shortly,” Daelthon, Grayseth’s second in command reported. “Admiral Telleck will be taking a shuttle to come over.”
“I have two live communications channels opening up with the Federation,” the communications officer reported in surprise as two green lights began blinking on his panel.
“Admiral Streth must have laid several sets of new communication buoys between us and the Federation,” Jeremy commented, pleased that they would soon have communications contact with Federation space once again.
“There are twenty ships of unknown configuration with the two fleets,” Colonel Millburn continued as he put one of them up on the screen.
Jeremy saw the new ships looked like giant dumbbells, measuring about 1,000 meters in length. “I don’t think those are Human ships,” Jeremy said slowly as he studied the ships on the screen. Were these new allies of the Federation?
“They resemble Albanian exploration cruisers, but larger,” Colonel Millburn responded. He'd been on several missions to Albanian space a few years back. “I don’t understand; the Albanians didn’t want to get involved in the war and they have no warships. They are pacifists.”
“I guess we'll find out shortly,” Jeremy responded. On one of the main viewscreens, the StarStrike now filled the entire screen. It felt good to see the powerful battleship once more in Carethian space.
-
Two hours later, Fleet Admiral Streth, Admiral Telleck, Rear A
dmiral Strong, Rear Admiral Marks, and Grayseth were all seated in one of the station’s conference rooms.
“I am glad you made it, Admiral Strong,” began Hedon, feeling relieved that Jeremy and Careth had survived. “Where is Admiral Stillson?”
“He was killed in one of the attacks,” responded Jeremy, sorrowfully. “He was instrumental in helping to set up the planet’s defenses and the station. We couldn’t have survived without his efforts.”
“I knew Admiral Stillson since he attended the academy,” spoke Admiral Telleck, sadly. “We've been friends for many years. He was a good man.”
“He was a brave warrior,” Grayseth added. “He will be remembered by my people as a great hunter.”
“So what happened here at Careth?” Hedon asked, anxious to hear how Jeremy and his fleet had managed to survive. He'd greatly feared he would find the Hocklyns and AIs in control of Careth, considering the amount of time he had been forced to wait before launching the relief fleets.
For the next hour, Jeremy explained in detail what happened and the different battles fought above the planet. Occasionally, Admiral Streth or Admiral Telleck would stop him and ask some detailed questions.
“I am saddened to hear about Ariel,” Hedon said after he'd finished hearing Jeremy and Admiral Marks explain how they had defended Careth. “Clarissa was also attacked and her memory crystal severely damaged. We brought it with us for Lieutenant Johnson to examine.”
“Clarissa, too!” cried Jeremy in anguish, knowing how hard this would affect Katie. He'd known from the time that Ariel had been attacked that Clarissa also might have suffered the same fate. It was hard to imagine that they might have lost both of the valuable and friendly AIs.
“We'll make everything we have available to Lieutenant Johnson in order to restore the two AIs,” Hedon assured Jeremy. “They're a very big part of Federation history and we'll do everything in our power to bring them back.”
“Thank you, Sir,” responded Jeremy, gratefully. “But what happened at New Tellus and what are those new ships that came with you? Colonel Millburn thinks they’re Albanian.”
The Slaver Wars: Galactic Conflict Page 12