-
High Lord Aktill was inspecting the soldiers aboard his flagship when he received a message requesting his immediate presence in the Command Center. He dismissed the troops and quickly made his way through the ship’s corridors until he was once more standing on his command dais. “Report!”
“We’ve detected a contact four point two light-years distant,” Lower Lord Samarth informed him.
“Has it been identified?”
“No, High Lord,” Samarth answered. “The contact only appeared briefly before it vanished.”
“An anomaly or false contact?”
Samarth shook his head. “No, we’ve checked our systems. Several other ships reported the same contact.”
“What type of star is at that location?”
“That’s the problem,” replied Samarth, looking confused. “There is no star at those coordinates.”
Aktill took a moment to consider his options. That contact needed to be investigated. The human fleet he was searching for could be hiding in open space away from any star system with its power limited to avoid detection. “Send a battlecruiser and two support cruisers to investigate. I want to know if anything is there.”
Aktill watched as his orders were swiftly carried out. If something was indeed at that location, he would summon his entire fleet and investigate it in force. If it was the suspected human fleet, he would destroy it. He was also mystified about one thing; if this was indeed the humans, why were they still here?
-
Race was sitting in his command chair watching the nearby tactical display showing the Shari ships in the Capal Four System. He frowned worriedly as three Shari ships suddenly vanished, indicating they had jumped into hyperspace. “Where are those ships going?” It had only been a few minutes since the Jaden had briefly lost its stealth shield.
Captain Davis studied his long-range sensors, which were capable of detecting a ship in hyperspace. “Straight for us.”
“Is there any chance they won’t detect our ships?”
“I don’t think they’ll be able to detect us as long as our stealth shields are up,” Davis answered. “However, I don’t think they’ll miss the Dyson Sphere if they spend any time scanning this system. If anything, they’ll detect the presence of an object of mass.”
Race nodded his acceptance that the Shari were about to find the Dyson Sphere. “Communications, send out an additional FTL message that we expect the Shari to discover the Dyson Sphere within the next hour.”
The minutes slowly passed and the tension in the Command Center steadily grew. Suddenly alarms sounded on the sensor console.
“Contacts!” called out Captain Davis as three red threat icons blossomed in the nearby tactical display.
“Go to Condition One,” ordered Race as he leaned forward gazing at the contacts. “How close are they?”
“Sixty-four million kilometers,” Davis replied. “Their sensors should be coming online shortly.”
Race nodded and took a deep breath. He had orders not to allow the Shari to take control of the Dyson Sphere though he doubted if they would be able to find anyway to enter. Not without the key that Reesa had.
“Detecting sensor scans,” Davis reported as several lights on his console lit up.
Commander Arnett was standing at her command console watching the red threat icons intently. “One battlecruiser and two escorts. We could take them out.”
“No,” replied Race, shaking his head. “They don’t know we’re here. It will take them awhile to figure out what they’ve found. Every minute we can delay combat is one minute closer our reinforcing fleet will be.”
“We don’t even know if they’re on the way,” pointed out Colonel Cowel. “Or if there’s a fleet at the coordinates we’ve been sending our messages to.”
Race didn’t reply. This had been a concern to him as well. Was the Special Ops department powerful enough to assemble a fleet large enough to hold the Dyson Sphere against the Shari? The Altons would probably contribute a few ships, but most likely not many since so much of their population was opposed to war. The fleet would be composed primarily of ships from the Human Federation of Worlds and there was no way the Federation Council was going to allow a large fleet to enter Shari space without their permission. Race couldn’t see how Special Ops could conceal the movement of so many ships in the first place. He was expecting, at the most, a large task group of thirty to fifty vessels. He had a sinking feeling from all the red threat icons of Shari ships they had detected in recent days that was not going to be enough.
-
The Shari ships stayed in the system for nearly two hours, even moving to within twenty million kilometers of the Dyson Sphere before accelerating away on their subspace drives and then entering hyperspace. It was obvious they had been afraid to jump in the massive gravity well created by the Dyson Sphere and the star it shielded.
“They’re gone,” Commander Arnett said as the red threat icons vanished from the tactical display.
“Yes,” Race replied. “But they’ll be back as soon as they can assemble their fleet. Take us back to Condition Three and let everyone get some rest. We’ve probably gained a few hours.”
Race turned his attention back to the Dyson Sphere. They were about to fight a fleet battle over possession of the Originator megastructure. He just hoped it was worth it.
-
High Lord Aktill stared in disbelief at the results of the sensor scans taken by the battlecruiser Crimson Glory. The first sensor scans had shown very little, but once the sensors had been changed to a different frequency, a massive object had become visible.
“It encompasses the system’s star,” Lower Lord Samarth said in awe. “Who could build such a structure?”
“The inhabitants of these dead worlds,” answered Aktill. A construction project of this magnitude was something far beyond anything the Shari were capable of. “Their science must be truly advanced.”
“You sound as if they may still be alive.”
“Possibly,” Aktill replied. On one of the Command Center’s main viewscreens, an image of the object was being projected. It was very dark and difficult so see with only the light of the stars to illuminate it. “They may have abandoned their worlds to live inside of this sphere. Our own scientists have speculated such a sphere could serve a race for tens of millions of years, if not longer.”
“That’s why the unknowns and the humans are here,” Samarth said in realization. “They are seeking this sphere the people of these worlds built.”
Aktill nodded his head. “Yes, they seek the science the sphere contains as well as contact with its builders if they still survive.”
“What are we going to do?”
“The Rylus Cluster is inside Shari space,” Aktill replied in a firm voice. “If the inhabitants of that sphere are dead then it is ours to possess.”
“What if they’re alive? With the science they obviously have at their disposal it might be wise to leave them alone.”
“We’ll deal with that possibility when it occurs,” Aktill responded dismissively. “For now, we will gather our fleet and take possession of the system the sphere is in. We’ll let the Grand Council decide what to do with it after that; it’s not our decision to make.”
“And if the humans are there also?”
“We destroy them!”
-
Two full days passed and Race was beginning to wonder when the Shari would attack. There was a possibility they had reported the discovery of the Dyson Sphere to their superiors and were waiting for orders or reinforcements. Either didn’t bode well for Race’s fleet.
“Admiral, the Shari fleet is beginning to enter hyperspace,” reported Captain Davis.
So it begins, thought Race. “Take the fleet to Condition One and prepare for immediate combat.”
Instantly alarms began sounding and red lights began flashing. The crew quickly went to their battlestations knowing they were about to fight a major engage
ment against the Shari.
Race looked over at Commander Arnett. “All ships are to drop their stealth shields and bring their defense shields online.”
Madelyn nodded and quickly passed on the order over her ship-to-ship comm.
Race heard a subtle change in the normal background noise as the WarHawk’s powerful defense shield was energized.
“All weapons ready to fire,” reported Major Daniels from Tactical.
“Stand by to deploy defense drones,” ordered Race. Their only chance against a Shari fleet as large as this one was to use the drones’ ion beams to blow holes in their energy shields.
“What about our fighters and bombers?” asked Colonel Cowel.
“Those too, but not until the Shari arrive and we’re about to engage in combat. Have all bombers armed with Shrike missiles to be used against Shari ships with weakened shields. The fighters will fly cover for them.”
Colonel Cowel quickly passed on the orders to the other ships as well as to the WarHawk’s two flight bays.
Race turned his attention to a nearby tactical display showing the inbound Shari fleet. He took a deep breath and fastened his safety harness in preparation for combat maneuvers. Once again, former Fleet Admiral Streth had placed Race and his command in harms way. Race was beginning to wonder if he got out of this one if it might not be time for him to retire from the fleet.
-
High Lord Aktill wasn’t surprised when a number of red threat icons suddenly began materializing on the tactical screen. They were still over a light-year away from the target.
“Humans?” asked Lower Lord Samarth, staring at the red icons.
“Most likely,” Aktill responded. “We must be prepared for combat once we emerge from hyperspace.”
Aktill gazed at the tactical screen, pondering the significance of the human ships being at the sphere. How had they learned of it to begin with and how had they destroyed the unknowns’ ships? From what he had been told, no Shari warship had ever managed to do so. It seemed to indicate the humans had some very powerful weapons, which might be very detrimental to Shari ships.
-
Race sucked in a deep breath as the Shari fleet began to exit hyperspace. Hundreds of red threat icons began appearing on the four tactical displays in the Command Center. “Ship types?”
“One hundred and fourteen battlecruisers and one hundred and eighty-six support cruisers,” Captain Davis reported as the information appeared on one of his data screens. “Distance is twenty million kilometers.”
“All ships are at Condition One,” added Commander Arnett.
“Ready to deploy defense drones,” reported Colonel Cowel.
“All weapons systems are online,” informed Major Daniels.
Race looked around at his command crew. “Let’s close the distance. Launch the drones at the six hundred thousand kilometer mark as well as the fighters and bombers. Switch to attack formation A-14.”
-
The two fleets quickly moved toward one another. The Shari formed up into a disk formation facing the advancing Federation fleet, which was in a cone formation apex forward with the WarHawk leading the way. As the fleets passed the six hundred thousand kilometer mark, hundreds of defense drones began to launch as well as the fleet’s fighters and bombers.
-
“Defense drones are away,” reported Colonel Cowel as three hundred and seventy small amber icons suddenly appeared. “Fighters and bombers are launching now.” Between the WarHawk and the eighteen dreadnoughts, they had 1,160 Talon fighters and 760 Anlon bombers. They were represented by smaller green icons.
“Fleets are continuing to close; combat range in forty seconds,” called out Captain Davis.
Race studied one of the tactical displays for a long moment. “Have the fighters go in with the defense drones to help draw fire away from them. We need to use the drones before the Shari realize what they’re capable of.”
More alarms suddenly began sounding on the sensor console. “Admiral, I have multiple contacts on the long-range sensors,” Davis added as he studied the new contacts on his screen.
“Simulin or Shari?”
“Federation and Alton!” called out Captain Davis in astonishment. “They’ll be here in forty minutes.”
“Major Daniels, initiate jamming on all subspace and hyperspace frequencies. I don’t want the Shari to know we have reinforcements inbound.” Race was feeling vastly relieved knowing reinforcements were so near. How they had managed to get here so soon he would find out later. For now he had a battle plan he needed to execute.
“Commander Arnett, keep us at extreme engagement range. I want to draw this battle out until our other ships can get here.” If he could avoid a short-range engagement, he could limit the damage to his fleet. Once the Alton and Federation ships arrived, it would change the odds, and then he could commit his ships fully to the battle.
Madelyn nodded, quickly passed on the orders, and then she turned toward the admiral. “That fleet must have been close by; it’s too much of a coincidence for them to arrive at nearly the same time as the Shari.”
“We’ll find out about that later,” Race responded. “Right now we have a long range battle to fight. I’m authorizing one pass for the Defense Globes and the fighters, and then I want them pulled back to the fleet.”
Race shifted his attention to the large viewscreen on the front wall of the Command Center showing one of the Shari vessels. A large cylindrically shaped spaceship was being displayed. It was dark and menacing with numerous energy weapon turrets and small hatches indicating possible missile tubes. The ship on the screen was a Shari battlecruiser and was eleven-hundred-meters in length.
-
As the defense drones and the fighters neared the Shari fleet, they began to be targeted by the Shari ships. The defense drones and their fighter escort went into a weaving pattern as they attempted to dodge the incoming defensive fire. Occasionally a Shari energy beam would spear one of the fighters and it would vanish in a brilliant fireball. The Defense Globes had a minimal energy shield and were more resistant to the Shari weapons fire. As the drones and the fighters drew nearer the Shari fleet, the defensive fire became more heated. More fighters and now an occasional defense drone died as energy weapons blew them apart.
-
High Lord Aktill watched the inbound bogeys with growing concern in his eyes. He had learned from past battles not to underestimate the humans. “Focus all of our firepower on those inbound targets.”
“Yes, High Lord,” Samarth responded.
“All long-range communications and sensors are being jammed,” reported the sensor operator. “We can’t detect anything beyond two million kilometers and our communications are restricted to short-range only.”
“Why would they jam our sensors?” asked Samarth with growing concern. “What is it they don’t want us to see?”
High Lord Aktill had a chilling feeling he wasn’t going to like that answer. He needed to destroy this human fleet as soon as possible. Looking at one of the viewscreens, he gazed at a deadly monstrosity. A warship, obviously of human and Alton design, was being displayed. It was three-thousand-meters in length and four-hundred-meters in diameter. The bow of the vessel was a globe six-hundred-meters in diameter and the stern, where the engines were located, flared out to five-hundred-meters. It was the largest warship he had ever seen.
“The small globes are firing,” reported Samarth. Then his face turned pale. “They’re firing some type of beam weapon that’s tearing holes in our energy shields!”
-
The inbound Defense Globes fired their ion beams, blasting small four-meter holes in the Shari shields. Almost immediately, the two particle beam turrets each globe was equipped with fired their dual beams through the holes, carving deep glowing rents into the hulls of numerous Shari vessels.
From the dreadnoughts and the WarHawk, sublight antimatter missiles slammed into the hulls of Shari ships through the small holes in
the shields created by the ion beams. Throughout the Shari formation glowing suns appeared as ships died under the unrelenting attack.
The Shari were also firing back. Their weapons fire was now divided between the attacking Defense Globes, fighters, and the human fleet, which was at extreme weapons range. Even so, they fired their batteries of energy weapons while their missile tubes slid silently open. Hundreds of sublight missiles with thirty-megaton warheads flashed from the tubes and accelerated toward their targets.
-
Race grimaced as the WarHawk shook violently for over a minute. When it settled back down he looked inquiringly at Colonel Cowel.
“Nuclear missiles, big ones,” he reported. “Over thirty of then impacted our energy screen. There was no damage to the ship. Energy screen is holding at 88 percent and is regenerating.”
“Our other ships?”
Colonel Cowel listened for a moment to his long-range comm, which was set to the fleet frequency. “The Trieste and the Raven are reporting minor damage.”
“It could have been worse,” Commander Arnett commented. “We’re at extreme weapons range and their energy weapons are nearly impotent at this distance. Our vessels were designed to fight Simulins so we have a distinct weapons and energy shield advantage.”
“Our beam weapons are nearly useless also,” Race reminded the commander. “Captain Davis, what are the results of our defense globe strike?”
“Sixteen Shari escort cruisers destroyed and seven of their battlecruisers. Many others have sustained damage. They’re refocusing their attention to the fighters and the Defense Globes in an effort to remove that threat. They’ve even launched a few nuclear missiles, detonating them in our fighter and defense globe formations.”
“Pull them back,” Race ordered, not wanting to lose his pilots. “They’ve served their purpose. The Shari have stopped their advance.”
-
High Lord Aktill gazed in anger at the viewscreen where the Shari battlecruiser Tarnnith was being displayed. The battlecruiser was missing a major portion its bow section. A good two-hundred-meters had been blown away and another one-hundred-meters was a mangled jumble of twisted metal. The ship still had life support functioning but had lost its energy shield.
The Lost Fleet: Oblivion's Light: A Slaver Wars Novel Page 26